THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
Psalm 23:1-6
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. A 3 year old boy had been naughty all day, so his parents sent him to his room for an hour of time-out. In 5 minutes he came out with his favorite stuffed toy, his piggy bank, and some clothes – heading for the front door.
2. “I’m running away from home,” he announced. “What will you do when you get hungry?” his Dad asked. “I’ll come home to eat!”
3. “And when you run out of money?” “I’ll come home for some more.” “And what will you do when your clothes get dirty?” “I’ll bring them home and let Mommy wash them.”
4. The father turned to the mother and said, “This kid isn’t running away from home, he’s going off to college!”
B. TEXT
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
C. THESIS & TITLE
1. On April 15, 2004 shepherds caught a Merino male sheep in New Zealand, which had not been shorn for six years.
2. This particular sheep, named Shrek, apparently hid in caves to avoid being caught. He was named after the fictional ogre in books and films of the same name.
3. After finally being caught Shrek was shorn by professionals on TV and gained international fame. His fleece contained enough wool to make 20 large men's suits, weighing 60 pounds!
4. Shrek became the most famous sheep in the world, even going to parliament and meeting the New Zealand Prime Minister.
5. His is the story of a lost sheep being rescued. So there are many similarities to 23rd Psalm. The title of this message is “The Lord is My Shepherd.”
I. THE PROVISION OF THE SHEPHERD
A. THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
Can you say, “The Lord is my shepherd”? It’s an expression of dependence. A sheep can’t live independently of his Shepherd! If Jesus is your Shepherd then you should be able to say with David:
B. “I SHALL LACK NOTHING.”
1. I do not lack, I cannot lack. I shall never lack with such a Shepherd as I have. He will provide for me. God Himself is my provision! All I need I have, for, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
2. Famine may come, and others may pine and perish, but in the worst season I shall not want, for, “The Lord is my shepherd.”
C. “HE MAKES ME LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES.”
1. 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.
2. Resting is so hard to attain that nobody ever reaches it except by the power of God. Where does He make us lie down? In green pastures! Our Shepherd not only feeds, but in such abundance that there is more than we can eat, so the Lord makes a couch of it for us.
D. “HE LEADS ME BESIDE THE STILL WATERS.”
1. First there was inactivity, “lie down” now there is “progress,” ‘He leads me.” Not “He drives me, or drags me,” but He, Himself, leads, goes ahead to show the way.
2. 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.
3. The Psalmist pictures life on earth like this. The Shepherd leading us through the jagged hillsides to a place that’s quiet and serene; places where we can rest from the journey.
E. “HE RESTORES MY SOUL”
1. The Hebrew word “shoob” means to “return to the starting point;” “to recover, refresh, restore, to reverse.” There are times we need to ‘start over.’
2. New beginnings, new hopes, new dreams. When you spend quiet time with God your Shepherd, He puts your soul back into its originally good condition – whole, healthy, happy.
F. “HE LEADS ME IN THE PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE.”
For a second time we have the psalmist’s declaration, “He leads me.” He does this for His name’s sake. He guides me along the right path so others will see how He cares for me.
II. THE PROTECTION OF THE SHEPHERD
A. “YES THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL, FOR YOU ARE WITH ME.”
1. The picture we get from this verse is that that the sheep aren’t frightened as they pass through the valley. Notice that it says that “I walk” through the valley. It doesn’t say – “I run.” It doesn’t say, “I quiver”. It doesn’t say, “I shake in my boots” No – it says “I walk.” I have sure footing – I take my time. I don’t need to panic.
2. The second thing to notice are the words, “I will.” Circle those words – “I will”. “I will” is a matter of choice. “I will” overcome this problem. With God’s help, “I will” get out of this hole I got myself into. One of the biggest adjustments you need to make when you are going through problems is an attitude adjustment.
3. We must have faith in God and refuse to be discouraged. You can’t go around the valley; you must go through the valley. But – “I will fear no evil.” I will not be afraid. I refuse to be shaking in my boots. I will walk through this valley.
ILLUSTRATION
1. Donald Barnhouse was the pastor of Philadelphia's Tenth Presbyterian Church when his wife died and left him with young daughters to raise alone. On the way to the funeral he was praying for a way to explain death to his girls.
2. They stopped at a traffic light. It was a bright day, and the sun was streaming into the car. A truck pulled up next to them, and the shadow that came with the truck darkened the inside of the car.
3. It was then that he turned to his daughters and asked, "Would you rather be hit by the shadow or by the truck?" One of them responded, "Oh, Daddy, that's a silly question! The shadow can't hurt you. I would rather be hit by the shadow than by a truck."
4. He used that thought to explain that it was as if their mother had been hit by the shadow of a truck, but that Jesus had stepped in the way in her place, and it was HE who’d been hit by the truck.
5. He quoted the familiar words of Psalm 23: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me."
6. God is with you every step of the way. God promises His presence.
B. “YOUR ROD AND YOUR STAFF, THEY COMFORT ME.”
1. God will lead us by the Staff of Instruction, or if we won’t listen, He’ll drive us by the Rod of Correction!
2. We’ve all heard of sheep that were wayward and kept running off. Eventually, the Shepherd will break that sheep’s leg, and put it in a sling. The sheep won’t be able to run off, but will be all the more careful to stick to the Shepherd for assistance.
3. God’s determination to get us to “safe pastures” gives us comfort of security.
C. “YOU PREPARE A TABLE BEFORE ME IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES.”
There are enemies all around; earthly and heavenly. But God is such a powerful God, He can set out a lavish banquet for His children right in front of them, and there’s nothing they can do about it. That’s the measure of God’s provision and His protection!
D. “YOU ANOINT MY HEAD WITH OIL; MY CUP OVERFLOWS.”
1. The anointing of our head with oil is a sign of God’s favor. Favored guests had fragrant anointing oil placed on their heads (Luke 7:46; Jesus at Simon the Pharisee’s House).
2. Not only that, but the cup of their rejoicing never stops running over! God’s blessings overtake us again and again and again. We live in a state of continual blessing.
III. THE (FUTURE) PLANS OF THE SHEPHERD
A. “SURELY GOODNESS AND LOVE WILL FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE.”
1. David doesn’t say “Perhaps,” but, “Surely.” God has assigned two bodyguards to us: goodness and love to keep us throughout our lives.
2. God’s “goodness”—to provide for me, and His “mercy/love” to blot out my sins.
3. “All the days of our lives.” Even when we get gray-headed and feeble, and have to ride in a wheelchair, these twin angels will still be close to care for us.
B. “AND I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER!”
1. Though, like a worm, I was made of dust, yet like the butterfly I am destined to fly up among the stars!
2. The stars may burn for billions of years, but long after the last star has winked out, I shall be alive and forever beyond basking in the joy and love of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. The story is told of a shepherd that notched the ear of a lamb born to his flock to show his rightful ownership of it. But that lamb deliberately walked away, and the shepherd searched near and far to get that lamb back, but couldn’t find it.
2. A long time later, that Shepherd was at a sheep sale and recognized his mark on that sheep's ear. He went to the auctioneer and said, "See this mark? This sheep is mine."
3. The auctioneer said, "Listen, this sheep was legally bought as an abandoned sheep, so you have to bid and pay for it just like anybody else."
4. So the shepherd bid and paid an outrageous price, far above market value, in order to get his sheep back. He now has a double right to own this sheep: by birth and by redemption.
5. That’s what God did in Christ: He bought us back. Now God has a double claim on us: not only because He is our Creator, but because He paid the blood of his Son—an outrageous price —in order to redeem us back again! [Leith Anderson]
B. THE CALL
1. Isaiah 53:6 says, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
2. Jesus is the Good Shepherd Who’s paid the price for your redemption. He wants to lead you to green pastures and beside still waters and restore your soul, but He won’t force you, you must surrender to His kind leadership.
3. How many of you want the Lord to be your Shepherd? To meet all your needs and protect you in all your ways?
4. Let’s prayer and ask Jesus to take control of our lives and to forgive us for our sins. Prayer.
[This message contains a few thoughts from Charles Spurgeon and Rick Burdette.]
