Restoration and Transformation: Trusting the Good Shepherd

 

Summary

In today's reflection, we explored the profound truth that the Lord is our shepherd, a guiding presence that restores our souls and leads us through life's darkest valleys without fear. The soul, being the deepest part of us, is where true restoration begins. When we allow God to shepherd us, we find peace even in the presence of our enemies, and our lives overflow with goodness and mercy. This transformation is not just about external changes but a deep, internal renewal that aligns our will, mind, and emotions with God's purpose.

We delved into the nature of human brokenness, where our will often seeks self-exaltation, leading to a disjointed life. The mind, filled with fear and anxiety, and the body, prone to sin, reflect this brokenness. However, when we trust in the Good Shepherd, Jesus, we begin a journey of healing and wholeness. This journey requires us to engage actively with God's grace, moving beyond mere religious activities to a personal relationship with Jesus, characterized by trust, confidence, and hope.

The transformation of our character is central to this journey. As we renew our minds and align our thoughts with God's truth, we become people who naturally avoid sin and temptation. This process involves a conscious effort to change our thought life, supported by the Spirit of God. By meditating on scriptures like the 23rd Psalm, we allow God's word to shape our inner being, leading to a life of peace and security.

Key Takeaways:

- The soul is the deepest part of us, and its restoration is essential for a life of peace and wholeness. When God is our shepherd, we find comfort and guidance even in life's darkest moments, knowing we are never alone. [10:43]

- Human brokenness manifests in a will that seeks self-exaltation, a mind filled with fear, and a body prone to sin. True healing begins when we trust in Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who leads us to wholeness. [15:26]

- Transformation requires a personal relationship with Jesus, characterized by trust and hope. This relationship goes beyond religious activities and involves a deep, internal renewal that aligns our will, mind, and emotions with God's purpose. [21:13]

- Character transformation is key to overcoming sin and temptation. By renewing our minds and aligning our thoughts with God's truth, we become people who naturally avoid sin, reflecting a life transformed by God's grace. [24:16]

- Meditating on scriptures like the 23rd Psalm helps shape our inner being, leading to a life of peace and security. This practice allows God's word to transform our thought life, supported by the Spirit of God. [31:38]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[10:43] - Fearless in the Valley
[11:18] - Never Alone in Death
[12:19] - The Comfort of the Shepherd
[13:07] - A Table Among Enemies
[14:32] - The Essence of Human Brokenness
[15:26] - The Will and Self-Exaltation
[16:57] - The Mind and Fear
[18:16] - The Disconnected Soul
[19:14] - Trusting the Good Shepherd
[20:14] - Beyond Religious Activities
[21:13] - Personal Relationship with Jesus
[24:16] - Character Transformation
[27:03] - Working on the Inside
[29:28] - Assignment: Meditate on Psalm 23
[31:38] - The Power of Meditation

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Psalm 23

Observation Questions:
1. What does it mean for the Lord to be our shepherd according to Psalm 23? How does this imagery provide comfort in difficult times? [12:40]
2. In the sermon, it was mentioned that the soul is the deepest part of us. How does Psalm 23 illustrate the restoration of the soul? [19:14]
3. How does the sermon describe the relationship between our will, mind, and emotions when they are aligned with God's purpose? [20:14]
4. What role does meditation on scripture, like Psalm 23, play in transforming our thought life according to the sermon? [31:38]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of God as a shepherd challenge or affirm your understanding of God's role in your life? [12:40]
2. The sermon discusses human brokenness and the tendency for self-exaltation. How does this align with the idea of needing a shepherd to guide us? [15:26]
3. What does it mean to have a personal relationship with Jesus that goes beyond religious activities? How is this relationship characterized by trust and hope? [21:13]
4. How does the transformation of character help in overcoming sin and temptation, as discussed in the sermon? [24:16]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt you were walking through a "dark valley." How did you experience God's presence during that time, or how might you seek it now? [10:43]
2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of aligning our will, mind, and emotions with God's purpose. What practical steps can you take this week to align one of these areas with God's will? [20:14]
3. Consider the areas of brokenness in your life. How can trusting in Jesus as the Good Shepherd lead you towards healing and wholeness? [15:26]
4. The sermon suggests meditating on Psalm 23. How can you incorporate this practice into your daily routine, and what do you hope to gain from it? [31:38]
5. Think about a situation where you are prone to anxiety or fear. How can the assurance of God's goodness and mercy following you change your perspective? [14:13]
6. How can you cultivate a deeper personal relationship with Jesus that goes beyond attending church services? What specific actions can you take to foster this relationship? [21:13]
7. Identify a temptation you face regularly. What strategies can you implement to avoid this temptation, and how can renewing your mind help in this process? [24:16]

Devotional

Day 1: Restoration of the Soul
The soul is the deepest part of our being, and its restoration is essential for a life of peace and wholeness. When God is our shepherd, we find comfort and guidance even in life's darkest moments, knowing we are never alone. The journey of restoration begins when we allow God to shepherd us, leading us through valleys without fear. This transformation is not merely external but a profound internal renewal that aligns our will, mind, and emotions with God's purpose. As we trust in the Lord, our lives overflow with goodness and mercy, even in the presence of our enemies. [10:43]

Psalm 62:1-2 (ESV): "For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to invite God to restore your soul today? How can you actively seek His guidance and comfort in those areas?


Day 2: Healing from Human Brokenness
Human brokenness manifests in a will that seeks self-exaltation, a mind filled with fear, and a body prone to sin. True healing begins when we trust in Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who leads us to wholeness. This journey of healing requires us to engage actively with God's grace, moving beyond mere religious activities to a personal relationship with Jesus. As we trust in Him, we begin to experience a transformation that aligns our will, mind, and emotions with God's purpose, leading us to a life of peace and security. [15:26]

Isaiah 57:18-19 (ESV): "I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, creating the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace, to the far and to the near, says the Lord, and I will heal him."

Reflection: What specific fears or anxieties are you holding onto that prevent you from experiencing God's healing? How can you surrender these to Jesus today?


Day 3: Personal Relationship with Jesus
Transformation requires a personal relationship with Jesus, characterized by trust and hope. This relationship goes beyond religious activities and involves a deep, internal renewal that aligns our will, mind, and emotions with God's purpose. As we cultivate this relationship, we find ourselves naturally avoiding sin and temptation, reflecting a life transformed by God's grace. This journey is about engaging with God's grace and allowing His Spirit to guide us in every aspect of our lives. [21:13]

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (ESV): "Thus says the Lord: 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.'"

Reflection: How can you deepen your personal relationship with Jesus today? What specific steps can you take to move beyond religious activities and engage with Him more intimately?


Day 4: Character Transformation
Character transformation is key to overcoming sin and temptation. By renewing our minds and aligning our thoughts with God's truth, we become people who naturally avoid sin, reflecting a life transformed by God's grace. This process involves a conscious effort to change our thought life, supported by the Spirit of God. As we meditate on scriptures, we allow God's word to shape our inner being, leading to a life of peace and security. [24:16]

Colossians 3:9-10 (ESV): "Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator."

Reflection: What specific thoughts or habits do you need to change to align more closely with God's truth? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to support you in this transformation?


Day 5: The Power of Meditation
Meditating on scriptures like the 23rd Psalm helps shape our inner being, leading to a life of peace and security. This practice allows God's word to transform our thought life, supported by the Spirit of God. As we immerse ourselves in scripture, we find our minds renewed and our lives aligned with God's purpose. This meditation is not just a ritual but a powerful tool for spiritual growth and transformation, enabling us to live a life of peace and security. [31:38]

Joshua 1:8 (ESV): "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."

Reflection: How can you incorporate meditation on scripture into your daily routine? What specific passage will you focus on this week to allow God's word to transform your thought life?

Quotes


"nobody who knows the lord dies alone many people are afraid of dying alone you never die alone if you know the lord o lazarus sat out there at the gate but when he died the angels came and got him now dives that was another story it just says he died and in the grave he lifted up his eyes in hades and saw abraham a way off and lazarus was having dinner with him" [00:11:22]

"the lord is my shepherd i shall not want he makes me to lie down in green pastures leads me besides still waters restores my soul even though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death i'll fear no evil his rod he's with me his rods his staff that comfort me he prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies now you know that's very telling because when your enemies there you normally don't want to eat your stomach is doing something else right i mean you flight and fight is on no just my enemies right there the lord prepares a table before me" [00:12:43]

"and your brokenness and mine lives in every one of those circles and if the lord is not my shepherd i'm going to tell you there's a lot of real bad stuff in there the spirit is actually the same thing as the heart or the will and for the person who's living in human brokenness the central fact is my will is set to exalt myself and i think it's a rather it is a pathetic condition" [00:14:58]

"the mind is full of all sorts of bad stuff what's going to happen to me terrible things are going to happen to me look around you see people dying people killing one another people wishing they could die bad stuff people losing their business being deserted by their lovers their children by their friends and winding up alone thinking about that see what's going to happen to me and then of course the feelings go with the mind too you have thoughts and feelings and they make up the mind" [00:16:15]

"the soul is primarily what integrates all the aspects of your life and makes it one person but who is really one person the normal broken person is running in all sorts of different directions their feelings don't match their thoughts and their thoughts don't match their will and their bodies running some other direction and maybe it has affected their very physiology maybe it hasn't other things are at work there so that's a broken soul now the soul is the deepest part of you" [00:18:25]

"now then the good shepherd comes and we give ourselves to him we begin to trust him and there begins to be recovery okay so now go back to our song change me on the inside this is the inside folks this is it this is the inside god wants to change us on the inside and i believe in fact it is always the case that his is the initiative but then it's for us to respond" [00:19:14]

"if you have received the spirit of god in the birth from above then you are now related to jesus christ in trust confidence expectation and hope on your side and in supplying teaching guiding through your experiences on his side that's what is called a personal relation you have a personal relation and that's why you're going to be saved in the sense of going to heaven when you die so when you go up there they're not going to check the computer to see if all your sins are paid for" [00:21:05]

"the question is going to be are you a friend of jesus not just is he a friend of you he's a friend of everybody are you his friend have you drawn close to him so that the transformation that has gone on in your insides here has remarkably changed you and you no longer have to struggle with the outside you have cleaned the inside of the cup the outside got clean got clean in the process the inside you have cleaned" [00:22:00]

"and jesus comes and says if you're like that then you don't have a thing to worry about this world is a perfectly safe place for you to be that's why he says don't worry about tomorrow don't worry about what you're going to eat and drink and all that stuff why because your father is looking out after you remember the lord is my shepherd the lord is my shepherd" [00:22:48]

"and as you do that you will have a character that can bear the power of god see the universe is full of power for most of human history we didn't know much about that and from the way it's used today you might think it would be better if we didn't know anything about it today because you see the character has not advanced with the power so when we come to deal with this brokenness in our lives and receive the healing that comes from the good shepherd" [00:24:14]

"i want to give you an assignment and ask you please to do this because this will help you change on the inside and the assignment is very simple i want to ask you to work through the lord's the uh the for the 23rd psalm i'll get it right here the lord is my prayer something like that that's good too that's good too but i want to ask you please to work thoughtfully and prayerfully through the 23rd psalm three times every day and let it be a part part of your furniture" [00:29:28]

"because the first stage in this process is the transformation of our thought life under the direction of the spirit of god but the spirit of god will not memorize that psalm for you and the spirit of god will not meditate on it for you you have to do that now when you do it you're going to experience incredible blessing don't make a job out of it okay enjoy it if you need to sit with a cup of coffee or whatever go out on the porch whatever you might do enjoy it" [00:31:38]

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?