Following the Shepherd
Psalms 23
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 NKJV
Opening Illustration:
Peter is an interesting person. If you look closely, you could find him hiding in the shadows of life. Peter the impetuous. Peter the passionate. He once walked on water! He would soon preach to thousands. However, right now you would find him hiding in the shadows, weeping in pain.
Peter was hurting deep in his heart.
What hurt more?
• the fact that he did it or
• The fact that he swore he never would do it.
Luke 22:33-34… But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death." Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me." NKJV
In Peter’s mind, denying Christ three times was bad enough, but the boasting that he would never fail, just added more pain.
His beard soaked from the tears of anguish flowing down his cheeks. Hiding the pain from others, hoping they would never know the degree of betrayal in his soul, Peter went fishing. Why did he go fishing?
We know why he went to Galilee….
Matt 28:16… Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. NKJV
Nevertheless … Peter decided to go fishing
John 21:3… Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We are going with you also." They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. NKJV
Peter had laid down his nets the day Jesus called Him to be a fisher of men. No mention of him fishing during the ministry of Jesus and there is no record of him fishing after this event.
Jesus has risen from the dead, Peter has seen the empty tomb. Why would you want to be fishing right now?
Maybe, Peter’s broken heart was searching for a familiar place to find comfort. He could not deny his denial. The empty tomb had not erased the crowing rooster.
• When we fail.
• When Satan’s trap grips our soul.
• We then wonder if Jesus would return for someone like us.
Is Peter the only person to do the very thing He said he would never do?
• From now on, I am going to bridle my tongue!
• No more shady deals, I have learned my lesson!
• I am laying down this chemical dependency for the last time!
• Unfaithfulness is behind me!
• The Holy Bible now guides my morals!
The volume of our boasting increases the heartbreak of our shame.
• Rather than resist flirting, we return it
• Rather than ignore the gossip, we repeat it.
• Rather than stick to the truth, we shade it.
• Rather than the Holy Bible guiding our morals, we yield to fleshly desires.
Moreover, the rooster crows, conviction pierces and we become Peter’s partner in the shadows. We weep as Peter wept, doing just what Peter did, we go fishing.
“Going fishing,” means we go back to our old lives. We return to the Pre-Jesus practices. We do what comes more natural rather than what comes more spiritually.
Look what Jesus did, He prepared a meal and invited all of them, including Peter, to come and eat. No one was more grateful than Peter. The one that Satan sifted like wheat was now invited to eat with God.
Ps 23:5…You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
What the shepherd did for the sheep sounds a lot like what Jesus did for Peter.
When we fail, when we deny, when we fall short, Jesus will still prepare for us a table in the midst of our enemies. His mercy reaches into the darkness of life touching our hurting soul. Asking us to come and dine at His table with Him.
As David wrote the Psalm, his mind was on the meadows in the high country. A good shepherd would prepare the grazing area before the sheep were allowed to enjoy the fine grass.
Of special concern to the shepherd was the adder. The adder would pop out often from their holes and bite the sheep on the nose. The shepherd would prevent this by pouring a circle of fine oil around the top of the hole and then some more oil on the nose of the sheep.
The oil around the snake hole opening lubricates the exit, preventing the snake from climbing out. The smell of the oil on the sheep’s nose would drive the snake away.
With poison weeds removed and signs of wolves or bears noted, then sheep were allowed to graze.
The shepherd has… prepared a table for the sheep in the presence of their enemies;
II Ps 23:5… You anoint my head with oil; NKJV
Illustration: “Dis” …. Changes everything:
• Obey = Disobey
• Respect = Disrespect
• Regard = Disregard
• Engage = Disengage
• Grace = Disgrace
• Appointment = Disappointment
We write our appointments on the calendar so we don’t miss one.
A missed appointment becomes a disappointment.
Our appointments make us feel like we are in control and then a disappointment comes along reminding us that, instead of an engine, we are more like the caboose.
Disappointments …. We wanted:
• Health and got disease
• Retirement and got reassignment
• Family and got divorce
• Promotion and got dismissed
We wanted appointments a in life and instead received disappointments.
Ill… Paul had an appointment to be a missionary in Spain but through a disappointment God sent him to Italy, in Rome, in jail. While in jail, Paul decided to write a few letters. We read them often, Philemon, Philippians, Colossians and Ephesians. I don’t know how effective Paul would have been in Spain, but we all know how much we appreciate the letters he wrote during his disappointment.
We have all sat where Paul has sat, facing a disappointment in life. We were on our way to an appointment in Spain, or marriage, or college, or independence, or promotion, or achievement…
But then came the pregency, the lay off, the sick parent, or child. You ended up in prison. Hello Rome, good by Spain…
Hello disappointment, Hello pain.
How are you handling it? The disappointment?
This Psalm can help you a lot... You anoint my head with oil
In Ancient Israel, shepherds used oil for three purposes.
1. Repel Insects
2. Prevent conflicts
3. Heal wounds
The shepherd would cover the sheep’s head in oil to stop the insects from attacking. A swarm of nose flies could disrupt the entire flock and cause tremendous problems.
The oil fragrance keeps the insects away and the sheep in peace.
During mating season, the rams would fight for the ewes. They would charge each other and ram their heads together. The shepherd would soak their heads will oil so the blows would glance off and at impact keeping them from hurting each other.
Oil was poured into wounds caused from thorns or jagged rocks. A Good shepherd would check the sheep daily. He would not want a wound to become infected.
As we follow the shepherd, He will also anoint our head with oil. He anoints all our disappointments in life with oil to help our in healing process.
Disappointments lead to additional disappointments and soon to bitterness of heart.
Ps 100:3… Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Sheep are not the only ones who need a healing touch from a shepherd.
• You don’t make the team
• You don’t get invited to the party
• You don’t get the scholarship
• You don’t get the loan
• You don’t get the healing
• You don’t get the answer
• Somebody lied about you
• Somebody lied to you
• Your boss doesn’t notice your hard work
• Your husband doesn’t notice you new dress, or hair, or weight loss
• Your neighbor can’t seem to see the mess
All are areas that the shepherd applies the oil.
Jesus our shepherd has used the anointing oil often.
• He touched and cleansed the leper
• HE touched the body of the dead girl.
• He touched the searching heart of Nicodemus
• He touched the heart of Zacchaeus.
• He touched the broken heart of Mary Magdalene
• He touched the confused heart of Cleopas
• He touched the stubborn heart of Paul
• He touched the repentant heart of Peter
He will touch your heart right now… if you will let him.
How do we let Him?
Go to Him… Ps 23:5… You anoint my head with oil;
Not a prophet, a pastor, a teacher or a counselor. Other’s may guide us to God but we have to let God anoint our head with oil.
Jesus cares about you and wants to anoint your head with Oil.
1 Peter 5:6-7… Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. NKJV
The sheep never understand why the oil repeals the bugs and the adders. They don’t know it is the oil healing their wounds.
All the sheep know is something really good happens in the presents of the shepherd.
That is all we will need to know as well… follow the Shepherd!
Ps 25:1-2
To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
O my God, I trust in You;
Let me not be ashamed;
Let not my enemies triumph over me.
NKJV
Prayer.
