FAITH OVER FEAR - Trust the Shepherd
Psalm 23:1-6 March 19, 2023
Introduction:
About 5 years ago a very famous New Zealander died…He was only 17 years old but considering he was a sheep and the fact that sheep usually only live about 6 years before they are sent to slaughter…this sheep named Shrek had a pretty good run.
Shrek became famous because he lived on a sheep ranch with 17,000 of his closest buddies…but he was found hiding out in a cave for 6 years. The whole time his fleece kept growing since no one shaved it (shorn)…when he was finally found and carried down off the mountain and shaved
SHOW PICTURES OF SHREK THE SHEEP
His fleece weighed an amazing 60 pounds…most sheep have a fleece that weighs about 10 pounds.
For 6 years Shrek carried around 6 times the normal weight of his fleece…simply because he was away from his shepherd.
When Shrek was found, a professional sheep shearer (yes, they do exist!) took care of Shrek’s fleece in 28 minutes…all it took was being rescued by the Shepherd and the Shepherd took care of the rest.
The 23rd Psalm is one of the most beautiful things ever written…It’s been shared at more funerals and in more hospital rooms than possibly any other scripture…The reason…It’s a message of comfort and hope in our times of fear.
That first verse grabs your heart.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”
But Shrek is just like most of us…we’re prone to wander, we try to hide out on our own…we begin to accumulate extra weight…wool that should have been shorn…and pretty soon it’s almost too heavy, a burden to carry on our own.
Jesus, the Lord, calls Himself “The Good Shepherd” in John Chapter 10…in verse 14 He says, “I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”
He also calls Satan, “a butcher, a thief and a destroyer” of sheep in verse 10.
He says: “He came to steal, kill and destroy…I came that you may have life…a really full life.”
There are two voices that call sheep to follow them…one is a butcher and one is a shepherd.
[“Satan knows your name but he calls you by your sin…Jesus knows your sin, but He calls you by your name.”]
The butcher fattens us for slaughter…the Shepherd promises something much different…
I. A LIFE WHICH LACKS NO GOOD THING
[I think I’ve shared this with you before, but when my youngest son Tyler was 8 or 9 he told me he wanted a machete…(A giant sword like knife) and I said, “Tyler what do you want the machete for? And he said, “To cut things.”
I know it will come to a shock to most of you, but Tyler did not receive the machete :) (on a side note…I did give my 37 year old Army veteran son Tyler one a couple of years ago for Christmas…It made us both smile.]
We don’t always give our children what they want because it wouldn’t be a good thing…and sometimes timing has a lot to do with when the gift is given.
Not everything we want is a good thing…and sometimes Dad has to make that call.
But when we trust the Lord as our shepherd, we lack no good thing…EVER!!!
We live in a culture of immediate gratification…“We buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.”
Dad tells us no…or wait, and we figure out a way to get the machete anyway…and then we wonder why we’re not happy with what we wanted…so we try something else.
It’s not something that will make us content…it’s someone.
Paul would write to the Philippians and say:
PHILIPPIANS 4:12-13
King David knew about shepherd’s and sheep…As the youngest son of Jesse this job fell on him…caring for and protecting the flock was his life before the throne…He knew the most important thing in a sheep’s life is the shepherd.
And when we have a good shepherd…we never have to be afraid, because:
II. HE’S WITH US
Some days are green pasture and quiet water days, some days are easy paths filled with bright sunshine.
But some days are journeys through the darkest valley you’ve ever encountered.
Some days you have plenty and you’re well fed…some days your hungry and in want.
But both the Apostle Paul and King David share why they fear no evil no matter what the circumstances… “Lord, you are with me.” “I can do all thing through Him who gives me strength.”
If the Lord is with you…you don’t have to be afraid…He’s strong enough to handle any situation.
Remember his promise from a few weeks ago…Hebrews 13:5-6. “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you…the Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid…what can mere mortals do to me?”
Think about what this means for us in this life…The promise of Jesus to always be present…always be in control…always leading us.
1. To green pastures
Sheep need nourishment…lots of it…but have you ever noticed it says, “He makes me lie down.” Sheep don’t lie down if they’re afraid, or stressed…They have to feel safe…they need to be relaxed.
When I see this promise I think of Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28 where He invites us to “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. He says, “I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.”
[My wife Kari describes me as “a pedal to the metal” person…I run full speed…all in…one of my biggest faults is when Kari wants to tell me something…I instantly start thinking of how to fix it…it’s probably true when it comes to things that burden me in our church…Kari doesn’t want me to fix it…she wants me to listen…And many times God doesn’t want me to figure out how to fix His Church. He wants me to…makes me sometimes …lie down and trust Him…to listen to Him…the same principle is true with Him.
2. Leading us beside quiet waters so our soul can be refreshed
The Judean wilderness is comprised of mostly sand, rocks and shrub brush…It’s rugged and hilly terrain…hot, dry and forbidding. And yet there are oasis’ in this wilderness…small wadis where you can find streams of water…quiet places where sheep can be fed, watered and refreshed.
The Psalmist pictures life on earth like this…The Shepherd leading us through the jagged hillsides to a place that’s quiet and serene…a place where we can rest from the journey.
He does this…
3. For His name’s sake (He guides us on the right path)
He guides me along the right path so others will see how He cares for me. A healthy flock is a testimony to His good name…It’s the Shepherd’s reputation that is on the line, not the sheep’s. If sheep are lost it’s his fault…If sheep are injured and not cared for…it’s his fault…But if sheep prosper and grow it’s the shepherd that’s successful…David isn’t saying God is selfish or arrogant…He’s saying God’s sheep are a testimony to the love and care of a good shepherd.
Who’s good…
4. Through the darkest valley
[This last couple of years have been pretty hard physically and emotionally…Both hips replaced, neck fusion, shoulder repair and my second heart attack…We’ve had painful family situations and Kari and I moved in to care for my mom with my brother Sam…but one of the toughest things I did was walk with my friend Greg Bowen through cancer and then preach his funeral. For a decade we shared camp together and a friendship that was like Jonathan and David. He wasted away physically as pancreatic cancer took his body and his health…but he never wavered in his faith…EVER.
He didn’t fear evil even as he walked through the valley of the shadow of death, because He knew God was with Him…I saw Greg on the day before he died…He rallied a little and spoke with me and Allyson and asked to write something on a piece of paper…He wrote “Greg loves Jesus.” Allyson helped him because he was so weak…and underneath it I wrote “Rick loves Jesus.” We prayed and the next day Greg saw Him face to face. I have that piece of paper as a constant reminder that someday I’ll see Jesus and Greg again.]
King David finishes the Shepherd’s psalm with these words…They are his personal hope for the future.
REREAD VS 5-6
Don’t you get a glimpse of heaven…because God has chosen me…anointed me. I will sit at the wedding feast of the Lamb…no enemies at this table…only goodness and love. I’ll be with my Shepherd in His house forever…So will Greg, so will David, my deepest prayer is so will you…because:
Jesus loves you…and
you love Jesus.
Let’s pray.
