MY OWN SHEPHERD
PSALM 23:1 |
|
Introduction: The 23rd Psalm is on of the best known of all the Psalms. It has been a great comfort to people for generations and even unsaved people quote the Psalm. Sheep need a shepherd or they don't stand a chance, and they need a good shepherd. They need a shepherd who has their best interests at heart. David lived between 1040-970 BC and reigned over Judah between 1010-1002 BC. Thus this Psalm was written over a 1000 years before Christ. Last week we preached from Psalm 22 which reveals the suffering of the Lord Jesus for our sins. Psalm 23 then is certainly a companion to Psalm 22 and show the compassion and care of Christ for us. All the Psalms have been a great comfort throughout the centuries to those whose faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and salvation by God grace and mercy. lIIus: In 1977 at the height of the Cold War, Anatoly Sharansky, a brilliant young mathematician and chess player, was arrested by the KGB for his repeated attempts to emigrate to Israel. He spent 13 years inside the Soviet Gulag. From morning to evening Sharansky read and studied all 150 of the Psalms in Hebrew. He so cherished his copy of this Old Testament collection of songs, that when guards took it away from him, he lay in the snow, refusing to move, until they returned it. Shanaransky writes that he cherishes the Psalms this much because when he reads them, "Gradually, my feeling of great loss and sorrow changes to one of bright hopes." During those thirteen years, his wife traveled around the world campaigning for his release. Accepting an honorary degree on his behalf, she once told a university audience, "In a lonely cell in Chistopol prison, locked alone with the Psalms of David, [my husband] found expression for his innermost feelings in the outpourings of the King of Israel thousands of years ago." What does it mean to belong to the Good Shepherd. Jesus Christ? Life with the good shepherd, Jesus Christ, is a life like no other. In this series, we'll dive in to Psalm 23 and uncover the full meaning behind this passage, both for the nation of Israel and for the believer today Of all the chapters in God's Word, this is the best known and most loved. It is a chapter that tells us of God in terms we can understand. Rather than portraying God as being vindictive and remote. this Psalm characterizes God as being tender. compassionate and very near to us. It is no wonder that this has been the favorite Scripture passage of millions of people through the centuries. What makes this passage a favorite is that it tells of how our God is intimately concerned with what is happening in our lives. This chapter is not a passage of theory. It is a passage that tells that God is active and working in the life of every believer. In this first verse, we will look at: I. The Lord is my shepherd Psa. 23: 1 A. We are reminded that this Psalm was written by David, the shepherd king. He knew what it was like to be alone watching his sheep on the hill side. David knew the danger and fear that were part of every shepherd's existence. He also knew the loneliness that he experienced as he watched his sheep. Many people are anxious, worried, and even frightened by the lack of ability to affect change and find solutions to their problems. In spite of those who outwardly present themselves as being strong and in full control of their lives, David knew the truth that all men are basically like sheep. No matter what facade a person presents to those around him, deep down, unless he is inept, knows his vulnerabilities. But when he recognizes that the Lord is his shepherd, he focuses on one of the great NT concepts of God; that He is always near to us and wants to be personally involved in our lives. How is it possible that God can. be personally involved in our lives? He can be because He sent His Son to die for our sins. When we receive Him as our Savior, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in our lives. ILLUS: Consider the vastness of our universe. Scientists have estimated that the diameter of the Milky Way Galaxy is about 100,000 light-years across. They also estimate that it is approximately 15,500 light-years thick. Our solar system is about 20,000 light-years from the rim of the galaxy. Suppose we let a single sheet of paper represent the distance from the earth to the sLin (92,900,000 miles). Using that scale, the nearest star, Alpha Centauri. would be represented by a pile of papers 71 feet high. And the diameter of our galaxy would be represented by a pile of papers 310 miles high. It is estimated that our galaxy had 100 billion stars in it and our sun is one of the minor ones. When we consider the expanse of our universe, we realize how truly mighty is our God. But the most amazing thing man can comprehend is not just that God is all-powerful, but that He is concerned in my life! Of all the Psalms that point toward the coming of the Messiah, this one is the greatest. In this one we see Christ as the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), the Great Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20), and the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4). 1. The Good Shepherd (John 10: 11) -He died for His sheep. -"I Slm the good shepherd ... giveth his life for the sheep" --Every believer knows that Christ gave His life so that they might live. It was common for a shepherd to have to come to the aid of his flock. He would protect his sheep from predators that would work through the night. The shepherd might have to defend the sheep with his own life, as was the case with David on several occasions., David killed both a lion and a bear that were threatening his flock. He risked his life for them. At night, the shepherd would gather his flock into the fold. which was often a corral of stone fences. The fence went completely around the fold except there was one opening where the sheep could enter. After the sheep were safely in the fold, the shepherd would stretch his own body across the opening of the fold so that the sheep would not slip away without his knowledge and so that no predator couId enter. He became a human door to the sheepfold. John 10:7-9 says: "Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.II Sheep were valuable to shepherds and were their livelihood. But sheep were not worth a human life. While some brave shepherds would risk their lives for their sheep, if they lost their life in the process, they would not have helped the sheep at all. Instead, the sheep would be without a shepherd. But Jesus, the Good Shepherd, willingly gave His life for His sheep. In so doing, He didn't deprive His' sheep of a shepherd, but He provided eternal life for them. John 10:11 says, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." And John 10:15 says, "As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. " 2. The Great Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20-21) Jesus is conforming the sheep to His image. Note the"... our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant. " Christ became our great Shepherd through a covenant that was sealed with His blood. He made an immutable promise to those who would accept His mercy and grace. He gave His life so that we might live and might have immediate and permanent access to His Father in heaven. Note the result of His sacrifice verse 21 ". .. To make you perfect in every good work to do his will." The Great Shepherd is in the process of conforming us to be like Himself. His desire is that we be like Him. 1 John 3:2 says, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." Someday we will be like Him! David contrasts the end of the wicked with his place as a child of God. He said, "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. " (Psalms 17: 15) 3. The Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4) He is coming again and will reward His sheep. -"And when the chief Shepherd shall awar, ye shall receive a crown ofglory that fadeth not away" The chief Shepherd (or the head Shepherd) is the one who is in charge of passing out the crowns. Someday He will exercise His responsibility as chief Shepherd and pass out the glory crowns. What is the crown of glory that we shall receive? He will receive us into heaven to forever share in His glory. II. THE PROVISION OF THE lORD. Psa.23:1 A. "I shall not want" Since the Lord is our shepherd, we have everything that we need in Him. He is the provision for our need. The verse doesn't say we will have no desires unmet, but rather, we will not lack for the things that we really need in life. ILLUS: We use the words "want" and "need" interchangeably. A youngster explains to his parents what he would like to have for his birthday or for Christmas. He attempts to strengthen his case by saying that he "needs" certain items. We are quick to point out that there is a difference between what we want and what we need. He still insist that he needs those items. Bufit),e doesn't receive them, life is not significantly different forhim. Adults may do the same thing. We may talk about how we "need" a new car or a new suit of clothes. There may be many reasons that we can think of that we would like to have these things. But we still have to admit that they are not among the great needs of life. They are simply things that we want. They may be practical and represent carefully thought o~ns. But they are still simply wants and desir~$ rather/than needs. ILLUS: Drug and alcohol abuse are at epidemic proportions in our country. It is disturbing when we find out that drug abuse among our children and teenagers is growing most rapidly of all. When the typical child is asked why they abuse drugs, they often will respond with; "I just wanted to see what it was like," or "I wanted to escape from my problems," or "I was just looking for some excitement. " What they are acknowledging is that there is an emptiness in their life that they are attempting to fill. They are attempting to fill the spiritual void that exists in thew hearts but they are not even aware of it. B. The only.person who can fill that spiritual void is Jesus Christ. The only person who can say, "The Lord's my shepherd" is the person who has received the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. He is a personal Savior and Shepherd only to those who place their faith in Him. For those who have not believed and put their faith in Jesus Christ, ..... the more accurate thing for them to say is; "The Lord is the shepherd." CONCLUSION: The price of an item is often determinef with how much effort went into its creation. Years ago Carolyn and I were in Venice, Italy. We took a gondola ride like you see in the travel posters. Our gondola boatman took us to a side street and' stopped in front of a glass blower shop. We watched a glass blower carefully working. It was fascinating to watch as he shaped animals and birds and all kinds of objects with his tools and with his skilled hands. His finished work sold in a range from a few dollars to several hundred dollars. The price he put on each item was determined by how much time and effort went into that object. We were told that the glass blower has a few items that he made that are not for sale. The reason is he had invested so much time and effort In them that he felt that they were part of him. He would not sell them. He said that for him to sale them would be like he was selling a piece of himself. How valuable are you? You were made by the creative touch of God Himself. He made you as an individual. No other person in all the earth is just like you. But the thing that makes you most valuable is the fact that Jesus gave His life to redeem you from sin. He paid the price for your salvation with His own blood. If you have received Him as your Savior, then you can say with David, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." ILLUS: I am sure you have noticed a son or a daughter that rebelled against their parents even though the parents loved them deeply. We watch as the young person destroys their life by there rebellion. They were brought into the world by the parents who loved them and cared for them every moment of their life. Parents who sacrificed for them so they might have the very best. Yet, often some children feel no appreciation for what their parents nave done. They seemto enjoy the grief and sorrow they cause, or they have such little concern or love for their parents that they just do not care if they are hurting them or not. That is often the wa some professin elievers act. They live as if they have no avior. They are not discerning of the great sacrifice that Christ made for them. In the case of the child we can easily see the destruction they are causing themselves and also how the shame their parents. We exclaim ... "How tragic!" Yet, when are not faithful to the Lord it is even more tragic ... Yet, what a blessing it is to see a child of God, living a godly life, being faithful to the Lord. That is truly the handiwork of God. Unlike the inert glass of the glass blower. ... we must let God mold us and shape us into what He wants us to be. It is a beautiful thing ... more that words can describe to see what God can do with a willing heart .... That should be our deepest desire .... and also commitment...to be what God wants us to be.
It is always encouraging to receive email from those who find the messages helpful, or who have comments.