Speaker 1: 0:03

I read a number years ago a story that a woman by the name of Rebecca Dudley wrote for the brush Colorado News Tribune, and it's one of those stories that you read and you think, oh, this can't possibly be true. And then you think, well, you can't really make this up either. And you're sort of left wondering which it is. But she recounts the story of a man who was working on his motorcycle on his front patio and it became too hot. So he brought the motorcycle into his living room and he finished up whatever repairs was necessary on the bike and he took some gasoline and put it in a bowl and took a rag and he cleaned up the bike, make sure all the grease was gone off the engine and other things that he was working on. So then he was curious as to whether or not his repairs worked, so he started the bike up in the living room in gear and he went sailing through the glass patio and closure out into the front. His wife is in the back of the house. She hears the shattering of glass, the screaming and pain and she runs out and finds her husband bleeding on the front porch glass everywhere. So she calls the ambulance and they come and the paramedics pick him up and take him to the hospital and after many hours and stitches later, she brings her husband home and he goes off to bed and the wife starts cleaning up everything that was left in the living room and all the broken glass. And so she takes the little bowl of gasoline, she dumps it in the toilet and shortly thereafter the husband wakes up to use the bathroom and so he goes in and he sits down and he takes the lit cigarette in his mouth and he drops it in the toilet. And the wife forgot to flush the gas out. So big boom, he goes flying through the bathroom door and screaming again and the wife comes running and finds the trousers burned, his buttocks burnt, and she hurries up and she calls the paramedics and they come and they get the guy on the stretcher and they're taking him out of the house and the paramedics same two paramedics that were there earlier in the day ask her what happened and she relayed what happened and they laugh so hard they dropped the stretcher and the guy broke his collarbone. So I'll leave for you to decide whether that's a legend or whether or not that actually happened, but it is a story that emphasizes in a magnificent way when our lives can need change and surely that family needed some change and there are signs and symptoms that we should be aware of that indicate when change is needed within our spiritual lives as well.

Speaker 1: 3:00

We have this summer been going through the Psalms and looking at different types of Psalms in order to learn how to live by God's wisdom in our everyday lives. And this morning we're going to be taking a look at a Psalm of lament, and a Psalm of lament is ordinarily a complaint that is offered to God or a plea of distress that is offered to God due to some very difficult circumstances in our lives. Sometimes those laments are individual, sometimes they are for the whole community of faith, but in this Psalm the writer is going to portray for us, he's going to give to us five signs when we need to be restored in our relationship with the Lord. The Psalm also describes how we can be restored with the Lord. So this week we're going to take a look at the symptoms of when restoration may be needed in our walk with Christ, and next week we're going to look at the solution that the Lord offers for when we need restored to him and we're going to conclude that service with the celebration of the Lord's Supper, like we do on the first Sunday of every month. So think of this as sort of like a communion preparation sermon, and next week will be a celebration of the Lord's Supper, centered around God's Word as well. So here is Psalm 80, the Psalm that we'll be looking at this week and next week.

Speaker 1: 4:33

The title says it is to the choir master. According to the lilies, that was most likely the tune. It's a testimony of Asif. He was one of the chief musicians appointed by David. A Psalm Give ear. O shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock, you who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might and come to save us. Restore us, o God. Let your face shine that we may be saved. Oh, lord of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people's prayers? You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in full measure. You make us an object of contention to our neighbors and our enemies laugh among themselves. Restore us, o God of hosts. Let your face shine that we may be saved.

Speaker 1: 5:42

You brought a vine out of Egypt. You drove out to the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it. It took deep root and filled the land. The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches. It sent out its branches to the sea and it shoots to the river. Why then, have you broken down its walls so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit? The boar from the forest ravages it and all that move in the field feed on it? Burn again. O Lord of hosts, look down from heaven and sea. Have regard for this vine, the stalk that your right hand planted, and for the Son whom you have made strong for yourself. They have burned it with fire and they have cut it down. May they perish at the rebuke of your face, but let your hand be on the man of your right hand, the Son of man whom you have made strong for yourself. Then we shall not turn back from you. Give us life and we will call upon your name. Restore us, o Lord of hosts. Let your face shine that we may be saved.

Speaker 1: 6:55

Now there are instances where we go to the doctors and the doctor will perform certain evaluations or tests to assess our physical health and if something turns up that may not look just right. They may order further tests. That may not necessarily be pleasant, but the goal and the purpose of those evaluations and tests is to bring healing and restoration to our physical lives. In the same way, when God's Word points out to us those signs that may indicate to us that we need restored in our walk with the Lord, where he's showing us our sin, it may not be pleasant at the time, for sure, but God always does so with the purpose that it might bring a spiritual healing in our lives and a restoration with Him. And so as we look at these symptoms, if you will, of when we may need restored in our walk with the Lord, the purpose isn't for anybody to leave here feeling defeated and terrible and that kind of thing, but rather perhaps give us an indication of where we may be falling short in our walk with the Lord, so that we might be restored in fullness to Him. And then next week we'll all come back celebrating the Lord's supper together and rejoicing in His grace. So what are these symptoms of when spiritual restoration is needed? Well, you know, restoration with God is needed when you experience, first of all, his dwindling presence.

Speaker 1: 8:28

Verse one refers to God being enthroned between the cherubim Verse three and it's repeated in verse seven and nineteen as well state restore us, o God, let your face shine that we may be saved. And verse 14 is a plea that God would look down from heaven and sea. So the reference to the cherubim in verse one is a reference to the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant. That was a symbol of God's presence among the people of Israel and he's appealing to God on the basis of His presence with the people in the past that God would come and restore them. When he speaks about God's face turning towards them and blessing them, it is a picture of a restored relationship where God is again shining His face upon His people and verse 14 is the plea that God would return and they would look down from heaven and he would see as a plea that God would restore His relationship with His people.

Speaker 1: 9:35

Now, very seldom, in fact, I can't think of anybody that I've ever met whose spiritual life was a continual, linear upward progression. I think most of us have times when we're doing well, times when we're not doing well, times where we feel God's presence in our lives and His face shining upon us and we're doing well and other times where we're taking a loss through our sin and our spiritual life. So when we know, when we experience those seasons where the Lord does not seem as close to us as he once did, it is an indication that change is needed within our lives. I once was talking to a friend and I mentioned to him that I didn't feel as close in my relationship with the Lord as I had before. And my friend very wisely said well, if you're not feeling as close to the Lord, guess who moved? And he was right. I mean, the fault was mine, and it prompted a season of examining myself to see if there was sin present in my life or if it was some other form of discipline that God was bringing forth. But we know that restoration with God is needed when we feel like our fellowship with Him is broken, when we are no longer conscious of His presence among us and knowing His love and His power at work and His life, or we are not bearing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives that Paul mentions in Galatians, chapter 5, the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control and things like those and those are absent from our lives, that we have moved from the Lord and we seek Him and His presence to be restored.

Speaker 1: 11:34

If you've been involved in sports, sometimes you keep a record of what your personal record is, how well you've done, and you keep comparing yourself to that. If you finished a race, you think is it a new personal best? Is it a new personal record? And when you think of our spiritual lives, how would you assess where you are in comparison to your spiritual journey? Is right now like the personal best that you're doing in your walk with Christ, or perhaps not so much? Well, if it isn't, then that's an indication that perhaps the Lord is calling us to return to Him. Or maybe you're doing great. Praise God for that. Maybe this is your personal best, if you will, if we can use that terminology and thinking about our walk with the Lord, that we feel and know His presence unlike any other time. Now, of course, even in those situations, the one that we should be comparing ourselves to is not our past best, but to Christ and to see how we are doing in our walk with Him. So one of the things that Scripture calls us to do is to assess ourselves, our spiritual lives. Do we feel the presence of God? Do we know, do we see the evidences that God is with us? And if not, then that is a sign that we need to be restored. But in addition to God's dwindling presence, we know we need restored.

Speaker 1: 13:10

If we're offering displeasing prayer, you might be wondering yourself well, how can prayer be displeasing? I mean, we're supposed to be praying right. Well, in verse four, asaph writes oh Lord, god of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people's prayers? Well, what kind of prayer would it have to be that would be offered, that would sort of arouse God's anger for that prayer? Well, scripture mentions that. For instance, in Psalm 66, verse 18, the writer says if I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. In Proverbs 28, verse nine states if one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination. And as Isaiah 59 states, behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, nor is his ear dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. Now you might be thinking well, those are all Old Testament references. Well, in the New Testament, peter warns husbands. He says live with your wives in an understanding way so that your prayers will not be hindered. So even our interactions with each other can affect our prayers with the Lord.

Speaker 1: 14:44

And of course scripture elsewhere tells us that selfishness. If we pray with selfish motives, as James 4 mentions, that is displeasing prayer. As James chapter one remarks, if we pray without faith, that is a displeasing prayer. He says. If anybody lacks wisdom, he should ask God for that. But he warns in chapter one, verse six let him ask in faith, with no doubting. For the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind, for that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all of his ways.

Speaker 1: 15:25

So if we're cherishing sin, if we're asking for purely selfish motives, if we do not pray in faith, then those are all forms of prayer that are displeasing to the Lord. And if we feel as though our prayers are not being heard or God is not answering, a possible I'm not saying it has to be, but a possible reason for that may be that we're offering displeasing prayer to the Lord. And thankfully Jesus is described in scripture as our high priest. He is the one who has offered himself for the payment of our sin. It's by his righteousness that we're forgiven, and scripture says that we have access into the very presence of God with boldness because of what Christ has done. And we are assured, if we confess our sin and we rest in the righteousness of Christ, that God does forgive us, he restores our relationship with him and he hears our prayer. This is not a condition that we have to be kept in.

Speaker 1: 16:31

Now you might be wondering well, what does this say about God if our sin hinders our fellowship with him and causes an issue with him hearing our prayer? Well, we often describe the Christian life as a relationship. Now think as parents, for instance, if your children are challenging you, they're not listening, they're not cooperating. In fact, they're doing the very things that you don't want them to do and they're being very selfish. And then, after all of this turmoil, they come to you and they ask for the car keys and some money for gas. You feel like you're being used, right? You think well, is that all I'm here for Car keys and gas money? Well, in a similar sense, not exactly.

Speaker 1: 17:26

We're in a relationship with the Lord. He is our heavenly Father and it is certainly not helpful in terms of the relationship and it certainly is a reflection of ways in which we may not be relating to him properly if we feel that we can go out and sin and live the way that we want and then come back and ask God to help us with some blessings that we need Now. Certainly, god is not like human parents and their limitations and he is far more long suffering than we are, and he is gracious to receive us when we return to him. But it points to the idea that you get there as well. So know for certain that restoration is needed If your prayers lack intimacy and they're not heartfelt, that they're irregular, that perhaps they are distracted or routine, where they become focused on yourself rather than God's kingdom, or there is some unconfessed sin in your life, or you are not believing the promises of God when you come to prayer that those could all be indications and signs that restoration may be needed in your relationship with Christ.

Speaker 1: 18:42

Asif continues and he remarks how a disciplining providence can be an indication that our relationship with the Lord needs restored. He mentions in verse five how God has fed his people with how you have fed them with a bread of tears and given them tears to drink, and full measure. Now, one of the problems that some of the people in the Old Testament had think of Job's friends and some people in the New Testament had was that they concluded that every difficulty in life was God's retribution for them stepping out of line. Now you might remember when Jesus heals the man born blind. His disciples asked him who sinned, this man or his parents? And Jesus said neither. This happened that God's glory might be displayed.

Speaker 1: 19:41

And so there are times that there are difficulties and hardships in life that come to us that are not a result of our personal sin, but other times the Lord may be needing to discipline us, like a father lovingly disciplines his children so that they might bring forth a harvest of righteousness. Scripture says in Hebrews 12, that the father disciplines us like a children. That's never pleasant at the time, but it's always according to God's loving purpose that we might be restored to him and bring forth a harvest of righteousness. And so, in times of life that are difficult, it is reasonable and wise for us to say ask the Lord, are you trying to show me something? As Paul read in the early part of the service from Psalm 139, search me, oh God, try me see if there's any sinful way in me, make it known to me and lead me to turn from it to be in a closer relationship with you. Now, of course, discernment is needed here. Like I said, not every difficulty that comes our way is a result of our personal sin. We live in a fallen world. There are other people who have their sin issues that sin against us and make life very difficult. Not every difficulty is God's discipline, but when that difficulty comes it's wise for us to search our hearts before the Lord.

Speaker 1: 21:13

In addition, we know that restoration is needed if we are experiencing a dishonoring reputation. Verse six you make us an object of contention for our neighbors and our enemies laugh among themselves. You know there are times when people outside of the church mock Christians for following Jesus. There are other times when people outside of the church mock Christians for their hypocrisy and sin, and they should. Sadly, within the Christian community there are no shortage of scandals that have caused the name of Jesus Christ to be dishonored in the world. I mean, we could probably go around the room and spend several minutes just listening to the Lord Just a few minutes just listening scandals that have occurred within the church. Think of the whole thing with Jerry Falwell and Liberty University. Think of all the sexual abuse that has occurred in churches, and then, make it even worse, the covering it up, so on and so forth.

Speaker 1: 22:25

So not all opposition from the world is a result of our standing firm for Jesus. A lot of times it's actually the opposite. But there are times, of course, when our sin does bring dishonor to the name of Christ, where the church collectively as a body is taking a loss. Think of whether it's ancient Israel or the seven churches of Revelation. We see that we dishonor Christ in His church when we abandon our first love. You may have great doctrine, but if it's not with love, then it is displeasing to the Lord. We bring dishonor to the name of Christ when we fail to persevere in hardship or no discernible difference exists between the morality of the church and the morality of the world, and then we hold the world accountable for that morality and then we overlook and excuse our own sin. We can bring this repute to the name of Christ when we tolerate error or we fail to follow Jesus in life and mission. So it is good. It is helpful for us as a body of believers to occasionally ask what does the world think of us, if it notices us at all, and in those instances where legitimate criticisms are brought, it shows us our need to turn from that sin and follow Christ.

Speaker 1: 24:04

And finally, asaph tells us that we know that restoration with the Lord is needed when we experience a declining power in our spiritual lives, and verses eight through 15, he compares Israel to a vine. God plucked it up out of Egypt and transplanted it, and the promised land. He tended to it. It became fruitful, but then we read in verse 12 of the drastic change. Why, then, have you broken down its walls so that all who pass along pluck its fruit? The bore from the forest ravages it and all that move in the field feed on it. Verse 16, they have burned it with fire and they have cut it down. When the Lord called Abram to himself, he issued him a promise where he said that he would make him a fruitful nation and his descendants would become so numerous and that he would become a blessing to the nations of the world. When the Lord called the Israelites out of their bondage in Egypt and rescued them and brought them to Mount Sinai. Before he issued to them the 10 commandments, he told the Israelites that they were going to be a kingdom of priests. In other words, they would represent God before the world and in their ministry to the world they would represent the world before God, seeking to bring the two together. And for a while that happened. But the history of Israel unfortunately time and again repeated how the people turned away from the Lord, seeking to become more like the nations around them rather than God himself, and so then he brings to them the difficulties so that they would be restored to him.

Speaker 1: 25:59

We see that when there is a lack of power in our lives to resist sin and flee temptation, that it is evident that restoration is needed in our lives. Maybe you struggle with anger and for a long period of time you've got that all under control, but then you begin seeing yourself flying off the handle and becoming very agitated much more easily. That can be a sign, as you're unable to resist that temptation, that you're lacking spiritual power and need restored to the Lord. As we've mentioned, israel's history is riddled with those seasons of doing really well. They're on the peak and then they fall away and they're in the valley and the Lord works to move, to bring them back to himself, and the cycle just repeats itself again and again. But the Lord tells us how we can resist the devil and flee temptation.

Speaker 1: 26:58

In James four we read "'Submit yourselves, therefore, to God. "'resist the devil, and he will flee from you. "'draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. "'cleanse your hands, you sinners. "'and purify your hearts' you double-minded".

Speaker 1: 27:15

So in those instances where we see in ourselves the inability to resist temptation, it's an indication to us that our relationship with the Lord needs restored, because the scripture says God did not give us a spirit of fear, but one of power and of love and of self control. But we also know that the church is exhibiting declining power if it seeks to have influence within the world. And in this passage we see how the Israelites at one time were a fruitful vine, had become a place of desolation and disruption. And so, with two, the church today, if it looks at itself and it sees that it is lacking influence in its community or in the culture, it should be an opportunity for us to examine ourselves and say are we living on the mission that Christ has called us to? Are we seeking to reach and equip people with the love of Christ? Are we perhaps diminishing our message by the way in which we seek to communicate it? There are so many ways that perhaps declining power can indicate that we need restored in our relationship with Christ.

Speaker 1: 28:41

So I began by saying that the sermon isn't to make anybody feel defeated, and at this point you might be saying I doubt that that certainly is not the intent. But it is a means to examine ourselves so that through the week you can remind yourself of these areas. Are you experiencing God's dwindling presence? Are your prayers, have they become displeasing to him? Are you experiencing some of God's disciplining providence? Or perhaps you are experiencing a dishonoring reputation with others? Or perhaps a declining power in your spiritual life? What are we to do about all these things?

Speaker 1: 29:26

Well, pray, ask God to search you, make known to you any sin, and perhaps you have many other areas that you can reference as you go through this process. But take a spiritual inventory and assessment of your life and, where God makes sin known, have the humility and the grace to confess that sin in the name of Christ and ask him to forgive and restore you through the work of the Lord, jesus Christ. Determine in prayer with him what changes must be made and ask him for the power of his spirit to walk in newness of life. Reflect on Christ's work for you, that he's not left us in our sin, that he's not left us powerless. And when we come back together next week to worship the Lord and to celebrate the Lord's supper together, we will have a great celebration and Christ's victory for us as we pursue the path of restoration.