How to Get Right with God and Stay Right with God | Part 1

What happens when we stop growing interfaith into Adrian Rogers. I will talk to about how to get right with God and how to stay right now many of us become what the Bible calls backsliders. I want to tell you how the Lord resources I will give it three wonderful fruit get you right and keep you right welcome to love were design featuring timeless teaching and insights. Adrian Rogers is in a sheep's nature to wander away from the ship, but is in the shepherds nature to restore his sheep. Likewise, we can expect to fall out of fellowship with God, but by his grace we can learn how to get right with him and stay right with. If you have your Bible turned out, a Psalm 23 and will look at verse three. Once again, here's Adrian Rogers take your Bibles today and turn with me please us all. 23 and today were going to be looking primarily at verse three he restores my soul he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake. Now why have an open look up and I will ask a question what do the following men have in common. Jacob, David Sampson, Simon Peter, John Mark and Adrian Rogers. They were they all have in common.

They're all men of God who love God with gotten out of fellowship with God been brought back into fellowship with God and you can add your name to that list to is the nature of her see the wander and destroy is the nature machine sometimes to get away from the shepherd prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave, but God I love what is the nature of the shepherd to restore his sheep. No wonder David exalted that David who got so far away from God. No wonder he Psalm 23 is my shepherd, I shall not want. He received my soul. I want to talk to you today about how to get right with God and how to stay right with God. How to get right with God. If you're not right with God adding get right with God and if you are right with God.

And when you do get right with God. How to stay right with God. And when I write, we need to get right. If we are right.

We need to stay right and that's what David is talking about in Psalm 23 and verse three, he was my soul he leads me in the plasm of righteousness for his name's sake. Now many of us become what the Bible calls backsliders not backsliders not lost backsliders a safe person is out of fellowship with God, pay somebody's already been saved, you have to go somewhere before you can slide back but is not lost. The Bible says God speaks of himself as being married to the backslider. There is a bond there that cannot be broken. But while that relationship with God cannot be broken that fellowship with God can be broken and the joy can be lost and therefore David prayed in Psalm 51 restore him to me, but joy of my salvation and say Lord restore thy salvation.

He never lost a salvation he lost the joy of his salvation and he wanted to be restored, and God did restore him and David could say he restore if my soul now I want to tell you how the Lord resources I want to give you three wonderful fruit. I thought about these things I have studied about them and I can tell you that the three crews that I want to give you today from Psalm 23 verse 3 x 3 tremendous proves that it will get you right and key. You right all right very first one I want to mention is what I'm going to call the ministry of the shepherd, the ministry of the shepherd. Now David thought of himself as a she and the Lord as his good Shepherd you know Jesus is the good Shepherd. Let me mention three things the Lord Jesus does when he sheep strength. Incidentally, the three kinds of sheep that need to be restored.

First of all is what we call the stubborn sheep you know any stubborn sheep you might go home and look in the mirror and you may see one stubborn sheep now are stubborn sheep stubborn sheep or sheep or just want their own way. Now we think of sheep as being gentle and docile and and easily led not necessarily so sometimes she can be very stubborn. She can be newish how they want to go their own way is not what the Bible says in Isaiah. All we like sheep have gone astray with turned everyone to his own way. We want our way, we get very stubborn and sometimes stubborn sheep need to be restored. Another kind sheep and needs to be restored not only stubborn sheep but spraying. She now these are sheep that don't just willfully go away.

They just weakly go away. They just carelessly go away and many times they fall in the pits and they fall into crevices and they get entangled in the thorns and they get away from the shepherd they get in precarious places and they need to be restored and they need to be brought back to the fold. Then there's 1/3 time sheep. It needs to be restored. And that's not the stubborn sheep and not the strange seat with the sick. She she can get say many enemies out there and many diseases and many things that my poison or ensnare our wounds. She and 60 need to be restored.

Now it is the ministry of the shepherd that restores these kind of see and I want you to see how he does. For example, how does the Lord. How does the good Shepherd restore stubborn sheep of your stubborn sheep, how will he restore you. Well, he has three instruments I want to mention the story.

First of all, he has a raw, then he has a sad and then he has a bottle of oil and uses these to restore the she now he restores the stubborn sheep with the rod was the shepherd's rod, the shepherd would go out and he would find a little sad and he wouldn't take that sapling up by the river there would be roots all sticking out from a knob and the shepherd would cut the sapling off about that long and then he would take a sharp knife and began to cut away the roots from that no and finally would have a knob left on the end of that staff will bigger than his face and he would work it until it was smooth and just right and he would smooth that staff down and then he would take that novel me in and he would begin to drive nails into our bits of metal into was heavy and waited and it became a very powerful club, a weapon in his hand.

He would be out there on the hillside for many many weeks with nothing to do except watch the sheep and practice throwing that rod he would throw it and throw it became a deadly missile. He also knew how to wield it. How to use it as a club and was used to protect himself from the robbers. It was used to protect the sheep from the lions in the and the wild dogs and the scavengers that would be there on the hillside, but sometimes he had to use the raw on the sheet himself and the rod itself would become a form of correction to the sheep. Sometimes, if there would be a she, a very stubborn sheep.

The shepherd would be something very drastic, very severe.

He would take that raw and he would break one of the latest that she just break the lay of the sheet mastery done that then he would immediately mind put in the splint, he would wrap up the lay of that she and try to heal the sheep and he would carry the sheep often on the shoulders until the leg was minted he would carry that sheep a broken leg that he wound it around her shoulders and nurturant and the poor in the oil into the wound and then finally when that leg was healed again.

He would restore the sheep to its feet and interesting thing. An interesting thing that she that had been broken and he will would stay very close to the shepherd and the materials that I studied. I found out that, she would just stay right there by the shepherd's leg and just keep nuzzling the ship shepherd when that sheep.

We just want to be very close, he would be the file leader who would lead the other. She won broken and then the one who had been restore.

Hosea chapter 6 and verse one, and let us return unto the Lord is speaking here of those who been away from God, let us return unto the Lord, for he had worn and he will heal us. He has smitten and he will bind us in the same God that breaks this is the God that blinds us in order that we might return to him.

That's exactly what David is meant when he said I was afflicted I went astray and then he said it is for me that I am inflicting that I was thinking about Scripture over there in Hebrews role.

Jacob, the patriarch was a shepherd himself got away from God. You remember how Jacob got away from God. He met God and had a wonderful experience with God and then he got away from God. The Bible says that he wrestled with the Lord knew what the Lord did the Bible says the Lord put Jacob's thigh out of joint to remember that he was crippled. The Lord himself alone in this manner God and this man of God and all the rest of his life. Jacob would wall leaning on the staff and the Bible says in Hebrews chapter 11 when Jacob came to the end of his life. The Bible says my faith Jacob worship my things about verse 21 Hebrews 11 in verse 21, when he was dying.

Jacob worship, leaning on his staff.

Why do the Bible put that in there to teach us a lesson, dear friend. Sometimes we have to learn to lean and all his life he was crippled that he might be blessed. Now what God does sometimes different is to chastise the sheet not because he doesn't love the sheep but because he does love the sheet.

Incidentally, let's turn to the New Testament passage of maternity Hebrews chapter 12 in verse five and have you forgotten the exhortation which speaketh Montague was on the children, my son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him to whom the Lord loveth he chased Smith and scourges every son whom you receive it, a scourge was a rod if ye endure chastening, God be with with you as with sons for what son is he whom the father chased if not, but if he be without chastisement were of all that is ultrasounds are partakers that are you pastors and matzoh. Furthermore we've had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence, shall we not much rather be in subjection under the father of spirits, and live for they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but he for our profit, that we might be made partakers of his holiness now know chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous.

Nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness under them, which exercise, thereby now certainly one joyful when the sheep got his leg broken but yet it brought peace and fruitfulness. What was the fruit look know chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless, afterward a year with the peaceable fruit of what I want righteousness. He restores my soul he lead me in the paths of righteousness.

Now when this kind of chastisement comes to you if you been a stubborn sheep and this kind of chastisement comes to you. There are three things you can do. Hebrews tells us about number one that you can resent it. Look, if you will, in verse five, my son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, you may just despise it.

You may resent it. Now it be very foolish for you to despise it and be very foolish for you to resent the chastening of the Lord. I'll tell you why for three reasons.

Number one that kind of chastening reveals that you are a son of God.

It reveals your son ship look in verse six the Bible says here, for whom the Lord loveth the chastening and scourges every son whom he received is not that God doesn't love you. It wasn't that the shepherd did not love that sheep when he applied the raw. It was that he did love she is a very severe case and the word that is used here in Hebrews of scourge are not talking about a spanking is something very very severe. Sometimes it takes that and dear friend.

It only reveals that you are a child of God that he loves you. You say will I dabble in San I run with the world. I go my own way and God then chastise me that in verse eight he says if you were my child I would chastisement you not even my child you illegitimate your claiming to be a Christian you not a Christian. If you without chastisement in your illegitimate do not truly my job says if you were mine I would chastise you for whom the Lord loves the chastening it reveals your son ship mate something else. It does different. It renews your worship. Like if you will, in verse nine. Furthermore we've had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence. You notice that my will my employees to label me like I was well up with pride about that something we reverence because we know that they had a standard and we know that they love them. I pity children who live in homes where the parent still love them enough to correct.

I pity children like this. Now, what does it do it reveals our son ship. It renews our worship is that we gave our earthly fathers reverence, shall we not much rather be in subjection under the father spirits and live for they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure that mean they got fun out of it means by their own decisions, but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now_that listen to me dear friend, God is not in business primarily to make you healthier, happy but make you holy and God didn't even save you to take you to have a mess just a fringe benefit, God sees you to make you holy like him. And so what does it do what this is. Chastening do when he restores the sheet it reveals our son ship and removes our worship mate.

What else he does different. It restores our fellowship. Look, if you will, in verse 11. Now know chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous is God heavenly Dorado and you will a massive question when you were a child and your dad had to punish you and spank you. You say all this is so wonderful.

I'm glad this is happening may praise the Lord that you're one of a bad thing today just allies Inc. I know we did that no chastening for the present time seem to be joyous, but grievous, but afterward afterward leave you with the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them. That exercise thereby before I was afflicted. David said I went astray old Jacob worship, leaning on his staff and that she had had that broken leg never wanted to stray away from the shepherd again because he had broken, but he and he you and he had wounded and torn, but he had bound up that wound. Thank God that the shepherd knows exactly what he is doing when it comes.

That's the first thing you can do you can despise about a what else you might do when it comes you can think hundred look again in Hebrews chapter 12 in verse five and the Bible says and have you forgotten the exhortation which speaketh something was on the children, my son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord St. when thou art rebuked of him don't despise it and don't think under ever seen people faint when chastisement comes.

I have their stubborn immunity stayed away from God and God brings chastisement and they just drop out basil at the hands they just quit. They become spiritual dropouts, that's a terrible thing. God is not doing that to grow your way from him but to draw you back to him. I don't despise it and don't think hundred would be exercised by notice verse 11. The Bible says we are exercise, thereby God has a purpose. Now how does the shepherd deal with the stubborn sheep with the rod of chastisement with the rod of chastisement. Now what about the straying sheep. How does the shepherd deal with the straying sheet will not only did the shepherd have a rod verse four speaks of the shepherd's rod verse four also speaks of the shepherd staff that a shepherd would get another long sampling and he would cut this one off above the root and it would be long and willowy, and he would take that staff that piece of sapling and he would soak it in water while it was green and pliable.

Sometimes he would put it in boiling water till he could bend it and he would put a bend in the end of it and tie it and let it dry and season and at the end he had it shaped just right. There was a crew we call it the shepherd's crook. That's what you often see about the shepherd he's holding a crook like that.

Call the shepherd's group. It was just big enough to go around the chest of a little lamb and just big enough to go around the neck of the sheet and with that staff, he would guide. She became an instrument in his hand and he would guide the sheep and retrieve the sheet. He knew how to use this walk along just touch the sheep with that, he put it around the neck of the sheep and pull sheep in that strength. When the sheep was walking along a narrow path that my follow-up he would take that staff and he would ladle the sheep shoulder and just died the sheep when the sheep would get down in the Breyers of you ever been in the Breyers I put that that staff in their ampoule that she found the Breyers for the sheep would get down in them he would put that staff down there and live that sheet that lamb out of the mud. What David said in Psalm 40 the afflicted me up from the miry clay have set my feet upon a rock and establish my going leads me in the paths of righteousness. He's talking about the same thing. He would take that staff and he wouldn't guide and car and live and retrieve that sheet to him. Sometimes a mother sheet for you would neglect her lamb. Sometimes she would get so concerned with the things that she wanted to do. Sometimes she wanted to feast here. Sometimes she wanted to nibble here. Sometimes she wanted to browse it and she would forgive her lamb in the shepherd's all that and he would take his shepherd's crook and he would brawl the lamb and drawl the mother sheet back together because the shepherd knew better. That mother neglected that lamb for too long a time.

After a while she would forget about it all together. That little lamb would miss what is needed most.

Next to the shepherd's tender care to care about OU. I thought oh my God, how the shepherd needs to do that today to drawl these mamas and these babies back together this day, when the devil is doing all they can do to break up homes shepherd. There is a guy with his staff and when we fall when were we call we get away from God and we didn't say and we get in the Breyers we did in them. We get into difficulty and thank God he has that staff that love and grace that draws us back to him. Then there's 1/3 thing. Not only were the stubborn sheep and not only were there. Those straying sheet but there were the sick sheet this each night the shepherd would bring the sheet into the sheepfold inside that enclosure of the sheep were safe but that door was the shepherd himself who would position his body across that opening and no one could come in or out without his permission. He said I am the door of the sheep. On the one that lets them in.

I'm the one that lets them out.

No one can get in except by my permission, and as they would come in each night. Here's what the shepherd would do.

Each night he would count and he would call them by name and not only would he call them by name, but he would caress maybe looking for bruising be looking for scad may be looking for wounded place to be looking for lacerations and when the shepherd would find that kind of place.

If he had not only a rod and not only a staff but he had a bottle of and he would see a bruise on that sheepshead markup place placed on the nostrils and he would for all the healing oil he would anoint the head of that sheet oil and oil was there to sue and Medicaid hand to heal and to lubricate a man to give comfort to a suffering sheet.

Thank God for the oil of the Holy Spirit protects us from the devil's plot.

Thank God for that comfort when we been bruised and hurting when we're wounded. And when we're limping shepherd.

He knows he cares he feels he can also see my name, he knows them one by one, and he restores them and heals them and binds them and brings them back to himself saying God breaks and this is the same God binds us is that a great thought to take with us today will your part to this message coming up on Monday. In the meantime maybe you have a prayer request you'd like to share that love worth finding is one of her greatest honors to come alongside you, and pray with you and for you if you can go to our website homepage LWF.org/radio and scroll down the finer prayer wall.

There you'll find the option to either submit a prayer request or pray for others. This resource is one of our favorite ways to keep the ministry in the community praying continually for one another's needs. We can't wait to hear from you after you like to order a copy of today's message request one by the title how to get right with God and stay right with God: 1877 love God, to order this message is also part of the insightful the secretive satisfaction series for the complete collection all 18 powerful messages. Call that number 1877 love God or go online to LWF.org/radio or rightist to water it. Love worth finding box 38, 600 Memphis, TN 38183 use sheep wandering from the shepherd. Remember these powerful words from Adrian Rogers.

We have to learn to lean and be broken. We might be blessed sure to tune in next time for more truth. It never changes. Right on love worth finding your love worth finding. We are overjoyed about the new things that God is doing in and through this ministry and we are blessed to share new free resources through our love worth finding and sap is free.

It's easy to navigate and you can find timeless messages and devotionals. The app also has exclusive content including a brand-new audio theater series voices of Easter hear the story of Jesus final days on earth.

His death his resurrection through the eyes of those who witnessed it all the features the creatively crafted testimonies of Peter pilots wife, John the beloved, and more. This series is a wonderful tool to refresh your understanding of the Easter story and share it with others. Search for love worth finding in your App Store to download it on your mobile device tablet or TV will look forward to connecting with you and thank you for your continued support. Love worth finding