Hunworth 01-05-04
Psalm 23
Apparently, in the American Church today is known as “Good Shepherd Sunday”.
I would therefore like, this evening to have a look at one of the Psalms that has been a fantastic source of strength to many Christians.
It is known as the “Shepherd’s Psalm”. Of course I am talking about Psalm 23. Perhaps the best known passage of the Bible after the Lord’s prayer.
Story: Some years ago a famous actor was giving an after dinner speech. He asked his audience if there was any famous poem that they would like him to recite. There was a silence.
Eventually an old vicar raised his hand and said: "Psalm 23 please."
The actor agreed, on one condition: that the
clergyman should also recite the Psalm after he had finished. The clergyman reluctantly agreed.
The actor recited the 23rd Psalm and received
a tumultuous applause.
The clergyman then recited Psalm 23 and there was not a dry eye in the place.
At the end, the actor stood up and said:
"Do you know the difference between my version of the 23rd Psalm and his? I know the psalm but this man knows the Shepherd".
Story: A visitor to California’s Yosemite National Park once asked a ranger: ”What would you do if you only had only one day to see the Yosemite National Park”
The ranger replied “Weep, because there is so much you won’t see in a day!”
I suppose if you told most preachers that they only have 10 minutes to preach on Psalm 23 they too would weep
Because there is so much to see in the 23rd Psalm, that you can’t do justice to it even in an hour.
So I would just like to draw your attention to three aspects of the psalm this morning, which I hope will spur you to meditate further on the Psalm.
I would like to refer to these aspects as the three "H" ’s of Psalm 23.
These three H’s are:
1. Haven of God. Ps 23:1-3a
2. Highway to God Ps. 23:3b-4
3. Happiness with God Ps. 23:5-6
Jesus, the Good Shepherd
1. provides a safe haven for us in the storms of the world around us
2. shows us the highway to God the Father and
3. is interested in our happiness.
I would like to make some very brief reflections on each of these H’s.
My first H is Haven of God - Ps 23:1-3a
Psalm 23 opens with the familiar words:
1.1 "The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want"
So who is our Shepherd?
Jesus said (in John 10:11)
"I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives his life for his sheep."
At Easter we were reminded how Jesus died for us - his sheep - to reconcile us with God. He gave his life of his sheep.
The Psalm reminds us that when we come to Jesus as our Shepherd, we can trust him totally.
Story: When Maddy, my wife and I were living in East Yorkshire, our next door neighbour, Verity kept - and still does keep - sheep.
When I used to go down to our barn, I tried to try and call the sheep in her field over to me. I’d coax them, I’d whistle but to know avail.
When Verity came down however, they would rush to her just at the sound of her footsteps.
The Sheep knew their Shepherd.
So it is with us, we need to know the Good Shepherd.
1.2 He makes us to lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside the still waters He restores my soul
As a society, we have lost touch with the agrarian society of David’s day (almost 4000 years ago!).
Story: There was a survey done a few years ago. Urban children were asked where milk came from. The most popular answer was from milk bottles - they had no idea that milk came from cows!!
Sheep feed best in green pastures. The better the grass, the better the fleece of the sheep and the better the quality of lamb meat.
Sheep are also notoriously finicky animals. They will not drink from running water. The Shepherd has to bring them to still waters to drink.
Jesus our Good Shepherd provides for all our needs - the food and drink that we need. And a place of quiet
Story: When I was working for a firm of patent agents in the Strand, I used to enjoy going down over lunchtime to the Catholic Church in Kingsway to get away from the pressures of the job. For me that church was the still waters where I could get my soul refreshed during the bustle of the working day
Do we have that place - where we can pull away from the bustle of the day - to have our soul restored?
In a society where our worth is measured so much on what we do – and how busy we are - do we have time to draw aside to those still waters.
In Mk 1:35 we read how Jesus after a busy time of ministry got up very early in the morning, while it was still dark, left the house in which he was staying and found a solitary place where he went to pray.
If Jesus needed time out – how much more do we!
In our busy life we need to retreat to the haven of God
My 2nd H is the Highway to God Ps. 23:3b-4
2.1 He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
When we come to Jesus as our Shepherd, He shows His Sheep the right way to go in life. He directs them on their way to God the Father.
And Jesus defines His sheep as being those who
i) listen to Jesus’ voice;
ii) follow Him and
iii) are known by Him.
Jesus said:
27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. (Jn 10:27-28).
The Highway of God leads to discipleship.
Jesus said in Mt. 7:13 -14
"Enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many that go in it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life and there are few who find it".
The Psalmist King David recognised that following God is going to be countercultural. It isn’t going to be easy. Sometimes it feels like “Hell on Earth”. Look what David said:
2.2 Yea though I walk through the Valley of
the shadow of death I will fear no evil. For you
are with me thy rod and staff comfort me.
God’s way is not going to be an easy way. At times it will feel as if you are going through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, times of Sorrow but Jesus is there with you as you go through it.
Story: We have a poem up on our kitchen wall which reads as follows:
One night a man had a dream.
He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonged to him, and the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. he noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that at the worst times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. How could you leave me when I needed you the most?"
The Lord replied " My precious, precious child, I love you and would never leave you. During your times of suffering and when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you." (Footprints)
My final H is Happiness with God- Ps. 23:5-6
David in Psalm 23 wrote this:
3.1 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil: my cup runs over:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever
Jesus the Good Shepherd is interested in the well being of his sheep.
What is astounding is that God really wants to bless us richly.
Story: In the 19th Century George Muller decided to build an orphanage based on faith, with the resolve never to ask any man for money.
One particular morning in 1834 George Muller had come to the end of his food provisions. He was sitting at a table with all the 24 of the children in his orphanage with nothing to eat.
Muller prayed and thanked God for always providing for their needs and for what food they were about to receive, when all of sudden, there was a knock at the door.
It was the local milkman. His cart had broken down in front of Muller’s orphanage. He asked Muller if the children needed any milk, for it was going to take all day for him to repair his milk cart and the milk would go to waste otherwise.
Just after the milkman left there was another knock on the door. This time it was the local baker. He told Mr. Muller that God had woken him very early that morning and told him that Mr. Muller and his children would need some bread that morning. So here he was with freshly baked bread.
Our God is the Shepherd who provides for his sheep.
It seems amazing to me that the God who created the Universe – who set the stars on their course is interested in me living in a little village called Bale in North Norfolk.
And he cares for each one of us – he doesn’t care how important we are in the world’s eyes.
Just as Jesus provided for George Muller and his orphans so God can provide for us too.
Do you really believe that –in the depths of your heart?
For if you don’t that is the HEALING that you need in your soul this evening.
In conclusion: Psalm 23 shows us that Jesus the Good Shepherd
1. provides a safe haven for his people in the storms of the world around us. THE HAVEN OF GOD
2. He shows us the highway to God the Father and
3. As we trust in Christ we experience happiness with God.
He doesn’t always give us what we want, but what is good for us.
