Following the Shepherd
Psalms 23: 2
Ps 23
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 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 runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever. …NKJV
Review:
Luggage of Life
We need The Lord to help us lessen our burdens. If the lord is our Shepherd, we leave the burdens at his feet.
I shall not want: He takes us to the pasture of satisfaction supplying our needs
Illustration: The Symptoms
• It afflicts 70 million Americans and is faulted for 38,000 deaths each year.
• The condition annually cost the U.S. 70 billion worth of productivity
• Teens suffer from it as 64% of teen blame it for poor school performance.
• Middle aged face it and it is most severe between ages 30-40
• Over 50% of senior citizens face it often.
• Treatment is a wide range from herbal teas to heavy medication
Any idea what is the cause? Abuse? Divorce? Long Sermons?
Answer is Insomnia
Some times when I cannot sleep, I have move over closer to Rhonda and ask the brilliant question, Are you awake?
She would then say, Quite thinking about things and go to sleep.
Therefore, I quit thinking about things and started thinking about people. As I, though of people I thought about some of you and wondered what you were doing right then. I realized you were sleeping!
People with too much to do and too little sleep need a shepherd to help them carry the baggage of life’s weariness.
America’s facts:
• One third of America is not sleeping enough
• 1910 sleep average 9 hr – 2000 sleep average 6.5 hr
• 30 tons of aspiring, sleeping pills and tranquilizers each day
• One third of America is dozing off at work, at school, while driving.
• Some even doze off during my sermons.
Burden of weariness:
Our bodies are tired but much more our souls are tired. Our mind, will and emotions are exhausted and cannot increase in effectiveness for the kingdom of God due to all the weariness we have running the kingdom of man.
Only one other living creature has as much trouble sleeping as we do.
• Dog Doze
• Bears Hibernate
• Cats nap
The only other creation of God that cannot sleep is:
• wooly
• simple minded
• In addition, very slow.
(No not a husband on Saturday morning)
Sheep
For sheep to sleep everything needs to be right:
• No treats
• no hunger
• no thirst
• No tension in the flock
• No bugs in the air.
Because sheep cannot find safe and adequate they need a shepherd
We need a shepherd also
Ps 23:2… He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters
The sheep’s job is to keep our eyes on the shepherd. With our eyes on the shepherd, we will be able to get some real rest.
Isa 26:3… He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! TLB
Ill: The Running car
• Met a friend for lunch
• Arrived at the same time
• Construction noise nearby
• Lost keys look everywhere
• Found in the ignition with the car still running.
The driver said, with all the distraction I forgot to turn it off
We do that many times, forget to turn the world off and get some rest
Have you ever notice the ten commandments. Of the ten which one occupies the most space.
• Adultery… five words
• Theft and Murder… four each
But for the topic of rest:
Ex 20:8-11… "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
What God is saying is; If creation did not fall apart when I rested your world will not fall apart if you rest.
Repeat after me… It is not my Job to run the world.
Worry… One of the issues of sleeplessness in worry.
Worry about everything an anything will steal you rest.
We frame the worry in statements and questions:
What if’s… and How will’s….
• How will I ever pay for college?
• What if after dieting they find out lettuce is fating and chocolate isn’t.
• How will I get all my work done?
• What if my husband dies first?
• How will I ever be a good parent?
• What if I marry a person who snores?
Def: Worry The biblical term used for worry (merimnado) comes from two words.
Merizo = “to divide” and Nous = “the mind”
Our worry divides the mind. Anxiety spits our energy between today’s priorities and tomorrows problems.
Matt 6:27… Will all your worries add a single moment to your life?
David writes He leads me beside the still waters.
He leads me.
God is in front bidding each of us to take the next step in life. He is not behind pushing but in front clearing all the brush, making a path to his pasture of rest.
Heb 4:16… Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help (us) in time of need. ASV
We will find the grace to help us when we need it. God will always do the right thing when the time comes.
When the time comes:
• When my children leave home, I don’t think I can take it. It won’t be easy but strength will arrive when the time comes.
• I don’t know what I will do if my husband dies…. You will when the time comes
• How can I know if I will be a good parent… you will know when the time comes!
• If the doctor says my health is a problem, what will I do… You will now when the time comes.
The shepherd says, “Let’s all just meet today’s challenges with today’s strength. “
Listen sheep, we need to rest with the shepherd.
Slow down occasionally and God will heal you. He will bring rest to you body and to your soul. He will lead you to Green pastures and still waters.
Illustration: Green Pastures
Around Bethlehem were David was a shepherd it was no natural to find a green pasture. The area is still today a white parched ground. Any green pasture in that area is the work of a shepherd. A shepherd cleared the brush, moved the rocks, planted some grass and irrigated to provide a green pasture.
So when David wrote, He makes me lie down in green pastures he is saying
“My shepherd makes me lie down in His finished work”
• Pierced hands created a pasture
• A cross removed condemnation
• The blood paid the price for sin
• Resurrection provides ponds of mercy and grace
The shepherd invites you to rest there, in His green pasture. As a gift.
Eph 2:7-10… For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Considering the pace we set and the demand of work, we all must keep our eyes on the shepherd and follow him to the place of rest.
Closing:
Do you need rest?
Have you taken the wrong trail and can’t see the shepherd?
Tired, worn out, anxious…
It is time to get closer to the shepherd.
Prayer
