Back In The Fold!
Psalm 23:3a
Introduction:
Illust:
Two students working for the summer got a job with the Public Works Department. They were given the job of painting the center lines of a rural road. The supervisor told them that they were on probation and that they must stay above the average of two miles per day to keep their job. On their first day they completed four miles. Yet, on their second day they only completed two miles. Their supervisor was somewhat concerned with the drop in their progress, but didn't say anything because they were still at average. However, on the third day, the students only did one mile. The supervisor decided he needed to talk to them because they had gone from four to one mile in three days. He called them in and said, ''Boys, you did so great your first day, and although the second was not as good, you did the average. But today you only did one mile. You are doing less each day. What seems to be the problem?'' The students replied, ''We keep getting farther and farther away from the bucket.'' 1
That is the picture we have before us in our text this morning. Not some boys getting farther way from a paint bucket but Christians who are getting farther away from the Lord.
Ps. 23 = uses the imagery of a sheep getting farther away from his shepherd. Sheep are prone to wander, and the truth of the matter is, so are we!
Reminded of the hymn writer, Robert Robinson, who was converted under the preaching of George Whitfield in America’s first Great Awakening! Shortly after his conversion Robert Robinson became a pastor and song writer.
Composed one of my favorite hymns… love the words, melody… most of all I love the story behind the hymn.
“Come Thou Fount!”
Come Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
2nd stanza of song would prove to be tragically prophetic of Robinson’s life:
“Prone to wander,
Lord I fell it;
Prone to leave the God I love”
After a number of years of faithful service to the Lord, Robert Robinson lived out the words of his song and wandered away from the Lord…
Sad truth is that everyone of us are prone to wander away from our Shepherd! To leave the God we love…
Ps. 119:176 – “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant…”
Good News: Ps. 23:3 – “He restoreth my soul…”
I. THE WANDERING SHEEP!
cf. the fact that a sheep needs to be restored means that they have strayed from the Shepherd.
When a sheep who has such a caring shepherd, one who leads them into lush, green pastures and beside pools of refreshing still waters… wonder how they would ever stray away, but they do!
When we have a such a good, gracious and loving Savior… promised to care for us and meet the needs of our lives… how we could every stray away from Him… but we do!
Isaiah 53:6 – “All we like sheep have gone astray…”
Quote: RL Moyer in his book on the 23rd Psalm wrote, “That old sheep of God named Noah did. He was old enough to know better. The old sheep, Abraham, wandered away from God’s promised pastures down to Egypt. That old sheep, Moses, lost his temper and in rage wandered from the path of righteousness. Solomon was one of the wisest sheep God ever had, yet how silly he was over women. David, that sheep whose name means, “Beloved,” wandered far from the path of uprightness. The sheep named Peter did the same. So have you. So have I.” 2
Reasons why we stray…
A. Neglect
Cf. personal neglect of spiritual things will cause us to drift away from the Shepherd:
v.2 – our Shepherd leads us into green pastures and beside still waters and makes us to lie down… peace, safety, satisfaction, rest… why is it that we have to be led to the very food (God’s Word) and drink (God’s Spirit) necessary to sustain our spiritual lives?
Because one of the easiest things to do in the Christian life is to neglect the very things that causes that life to flourish!
Such as daily spending time fellowshipping with God through personal Bible reading and private prayer, regularly attending church and worshiping with people of God, faithfully involving ourselves in meaning service to the Lord, giving of our time and resources Him.
Its not that we don’t know what we should do, we know! Problem is neglect! What we know to do; we don’t do as we should.
Many a sheep has neglected the rich green pastures of God’s Word, failed to avail themselves of the still waters of prayer; failed to assemble with God’s flock on Sun morn, even and/ or Wed… miss service here and another there only to wake up one Sunday morning and find themselves away from God!
B. Difficult Circumstances
Sheep experiences difficult circumstances… go through stormy weather, times of sickness, suffer afflictions, etc… times shepherd leads the sheep on paths that become dark, difficult and even dangerous.
As God’s sheep we are not immune to difficult circumstances. Times life beats us up!
If we are not careful when we experience hardship, trouble, trials, problems, stress, pressure, sickness, etc… instead of following the Shepherd, listening to His voice, drawing close to Him… lose hope become discouraged, downcast and will drift away from Him!
Psalm 42:5 – David, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?”
Cast = old English word used for a “cast” sheep. Sheep that has strayed from the Shepherd… and in a moment of trouble… stumbled, fell, rolled over on its back and cannot get up. Fearful time in life of a sheep… top heavy w/ little spindly legs… sheep will lie in a cast state… kick and bleat… swells up cutting circulation and left in that condition will eventually die or fall prey to predators.
1Pet. 5:8 – “Be sober, be vigilant for your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
Trials = allow them to draw us close or drive us away!
Instead of being “cast down” we need to “cast our cares”
1Pet. 5:6 – “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
Psalm 42:5 – “Why art thou cast down, O my souls? Why are thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.”
Christian = cast down! – Hope thou in God. Trust Him… not abandon you, promised to never leave you or forsake you… He can restore your soul!!!
C. Secret Sin
Cf. unconfessed sin we have tried to ignore or cover up… cause us to wander far from God!
Illust: David & Bathsheba … led to the murder of her husband Uriah. For a year David had harbored that sin in his heart… during that time he was backslidden, broken, out of fellowship with God… prophet Nathan told him story about a sheep… faced him with his sin… David came off his throne and onto his face before God in tears of repentance!
Psalm 51:12 – “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.” = hadn’t lost his salvation but had lost his song!
Most miserable person on face of earth is a Christian who has strayed from the Shepherd! Backslidden… away from God in their heart!
D. World’s Influence
Sheep, like are naturally stubborn, self-willed creatures that are prone to wander from their shepherd… easily distracted.
Sheep will be following along behind their shepherd… suddenly their attention arrested by a little tuft of grass over here and another over there… they just nibble along until suddenly they are far away from the shepherd.
Nibbling grass not chosen for them by their shepherd.
Christians nibbling grass this world offers; grass Shepherd hasn’t chosen for them. Far from His leading.
Sheep will become discontent with pasture Shepherd’s provided for them and will look across the fence to other pastures not provided by their Shepherd.
Other fields are not as rich/green/lush as one Shepherd has provided… they think it is – do everything they can to go through, over, under or around fence to get into other pasture.
“Fence-crawlers” = want the best of both pastures.
Christians who are “fence-crawlers” – they wan the best of both worlds.
If not, careful we can become discontent in the place/pasture our Shepherd has provided for us… begin to think world has better, greener pastures… crawl through the fence… only to discover it wasn’t what we thought it was.
Illust: Lot = did that!
Pasture called Sodom caused him to lose his wife, family, livelihood. Entire life went up in smoke.
Four reasons why we need restoration and one of them might be your reason!!!
II. THE RESTORING SHEPHERD!
“Restoreth” = to bring back or take back to where one was before – a sheep cannot restore itself. Shepherd does that… note word in present tense… (lit) He is bringing back my soul!
Grateful for the times I have strayed from my Shepherd that He brought me back home again! Glad for the times He has faithfully and graciously restored my soul.
A. How The Shepherd Restores
Three tools of Shepherd mentioned in this Psalm:
1) Rod (4)
2) Staff (4)
3) Oil (5)
1. Staff for The Straying Sheep
Long rod with the crook at the end of it. We would call it a Shepherd’s crook. When a sheep would stray from the flock… Shepherd reach out with his crook and gently place it around the sheep’s neck… and pull it onto the right path. Pull it back close to him… following him.
Or if little lamb had fallen into a gully… the shepherd would take his long crook and place it under the lamb’s body… lifting to a place of safety.
Ps. 40:2 – “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. “
2. Rod for the Stubborn Sheep
The rod was made of a sapling that was cut off a foot or two from the ground. The shepherd would then dig the sapling up, leaving the root or knob just below the ground. He would shape and smooth the knob into a ball. Someone shepherds would imbed pieces of metal into the knob to use as a club to fight off robbers or wild animals. It became an instrument of protection.
It was also an instrument of correction. Shepherd was skilled at throwing his club with swift accuracy… if a sheep began to stray and was too far away to use his crook, the Shepherd would throw his club near the nose of the sheep… get its attention… frightened sheep run back to the fold.
Stubborn lamb that was continually straying… placing itself in danger … after repeated times of correction and restoration… the shepherd may have to take more drastic measures… take the slender leg of sheep and smack it the club breaking its little leg. No doubt bewildered the little sheep… look at shepherd w/ pain, hurt in its little eyes… but then the shepherd would set the broken leg, place it in splints and bandages… lay lamb on shoulder and carry it until it could walk again.
It was then that the little sheep was close to the Shepherd’s heart… understood His love… that once stubborn sheep… usually remained closest to the shepherd!
3. Oil for the Sick Sheep
Cast Sheep = rolled over and couldn’t get up… pictured the downcast heart. Sick sheep!
Shepherd would search for sheep… walking lonely hills listening for its bleating voice… find it help it up… take bottle oil and rub legs restoring blood flow… place it on its head to soothe and comfort. Pour it in any cuts and wounds… clean and heal them.
Thank God for the sweet Holy Spirit that comes to us in our moments of hurt and pain… soul cast down… broken… whispers sweet peace to our hearts. Pours in our broken hearts the oil of His goodness, mercy, grace, comfort, joy… Help in time of need!
He giveth songs in the night!!!!
B. Why the Shepherd Restores
Because of the Shepherd’s love for His sheep!
Ps. 23 = love story! Bond between sheep/shepherd… pictures our relationship with our God.
“He and me” becomes “He and my” = sheep cannot restore itself… Shepherd has to do it.
When I have strayed He could easily leave me out there alone… away from the fold, away from the Shepherd’s care… and rightfully so. The Shepherd didn’t stray… I did! Shepherd didn’t leave sheep… sheep left the Shepherd.
Doesn’t do that…
Luke 15:4,5 – “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the 90 and 9 in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth on his shoulders, rejoicing.”
Conclusion:
Rest of the Story:
After years of being away from God… Robert Robinson was riding on a stage coach and a young woman across from him making conversation told of a hymn she had recently heard that had brought great blessing and joy to her heart.
Robinson tried to change the subject but the woman persisted… words were those that he had written many years before… Come Thou Fount!
Robinson – “Ma’am I am the poor unhappy man that wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I had then.”
Story goes that Robinson in brokenness and tears came back to the Lord… knew the joy He once had with the Saviour. Last Stanza…
O to grace, How great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be.
Let Thy goodness like a fetter
Bind my wondering heart to Thee.
