Sermon Title: The Lord Jesus is my shepherd

Series: 12 Essentials for your Spiritual Journey

Passage: Psalm 23
Big Idea: When the trials of life threaten to sweep us away,
remember that Jesus our Shepherd will always lead us through.

Greet Live- Venues- Thank JD.

Introduction: Welcome to week 3 of our summer series entitled “12

Essentials for your Spiritual Journey.” In our Spiritual lives, just as in
backpacking, there are essentials that we must have with us in order
to have a successful trip. Things like food, proper clothing, a
source of clean water, and a compass to find our way. Our goal this
summer is to examine 12 key passages of scripture and unpack the
tools that they give us for our journey through life.

[Transition]
If any of you have ever gone hiking or backpacking along the coast
or in the mountains you know that you need to be prepared for
sudden changes in the weather. When I was a kid I was a part of a
boy scout troop and one year we went backpacking in the high
country of Yosemite national park. We were all experienced and
well prepared campers, and loaded up on rain gear and water proof
equipment just in case. Well one evening, right about the time we
were unpacking our cooking gear and preparing dinner, it started to
rain. Then it started to pour, and then it started to dump.
Seriously, some of our tents began to float away it was raining so
hard. And if you have ever tried to cook on a little tiny backpacking
stove, you know how challenging it can be, even when the sun is
shining. Fortunately, earlier that day, one of my friends had found a
cave of sorts, a few hundred feet away. It was a massive boulder,
about the size of this stage, propped up on a couple of big rocks.
So all 20 of us grabbed our stoves and our soggy food and we
huddled under that rock and cooked dinner while we waited out the
storm.

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Friends, there are seasons in life, when it doesn’t matter how well
prepared or well equipped we are, the storms of life will hit us so
hard we won’t know what happened. We will wake up one morning
and find our selves huddling under a rock waiting for the storm to
pass by. You know what I am talking about. Some of you have lost
your jobs in the last few years, some your house. Some have been
diagnosed with cancer; some have lost loved ones, or lost marriages
and if you have never experienced anything like that, chances are,
some day you will. It is in these moments that we have to
remember that Jesus Christ is our Shepherd and he promises to
guide us through every trial and circumstance. This morning we are
going to talk about what we can do when the storms of life threaten
to wash us away.

If you haven’t turned there all ready, please turn with me to Psalm
23. If you didn’t bring a Bible, there is one under a chair near you.

[Read Psalm 23]

[Transition]
Next to John 3:16, Psalm 23 is the most popular, most quoted and
most read passage in the Bible. This Psalm is not an essential
passage of scripture because it is so popular; rather it is so popular
because it is essential to every Christian walk. We often read this
psalm at funerals and memorials; we read it at hospital bedsides,
and in times of hardship and loss. It is and has been a source of
encouragement for generations and will continue to comfort and
encourage for generations to come until Christ returns.

Psalm 23 was written by David, who himself was a shepherd before

he became a warrior and King. David, led by the Spirit, wrote this
psalm with words and terminology that was common to his culture;
one that was much more connected to the land and agriculture than
we are today. David’s point in the psalm is to declare God’s
character as a compassionate Shepherd who provides for and
protects his flock. God has revealed himself and his character to us
through this Psalm, and what is so amazing to me is that God

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revealed the same characteristics and priorities through Jesus Christ
his only Son. God declared that he is the same yesterday, today and
forever (Hebrews 13:8) so we can trust that when the storms of life
hit us, we can count on God to be the same God he said he was in
Psalm 23.

I have identified 6 key characteristics and priorities that God has

revealed about him self in the text.

# 1 The Lord is my Shepherd

When David declares “The Lord is my Shepherd, I will not want” he is
saying a lot with a few words. David is announcing that Jehovah-
the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God who led Israel out of
Egypt, who gave Moses the Law, who parted the waters and raised
up the judges, that God is David’s master, his owner, his care taker
and his provider. When David recognizes that The Lord is his
Shepherd he also recognizes that he himself is one of God’s Sheep,
he belongs to the Lord. The Sheep depends entirely on his
Shepherd for all of his needs in life. David belongs to the Lord and
puts absolute trust in him. Knowing this, David can say without
Hesitation “I will not want.” In other words, he says I will have
everything I need from the Lord.

God has chosen to reveal his shepherding nature through his Son.
In John 10:11 Jesus declares: “I am the good Shepherd; the good
shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” What psalm do you think
popped into the minds of his listeners when Jesus said those words?
Psalm 23. As God has chosen to reveal himself through his son,
Jesus clearly identifies himself with the Father. In fact, if you wanted
to re read, psalm 23:1 by saying “Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior is
my Shepherd, I shall not want”, you would be theologically accurate.
If we have the option between following our own lead through life or
following the Good Shepherd, the choice is pretty clear. It is so

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much better for us to follow the good Shepherd who laid is life
down for us.

# 2 The Lord is my Provider

In Psalm 23:2-3 David explains how God has always been his
Provider. The terminology of lying down in green pastures, still
waters, and restoration of the soul speak of satisfaction,
contentment and rest.1 The ancient shepherd living in Israel had to
work hard to find green grass and safe slow moving water. Sheep
are skittish and defenseless and will only lie down when they are
absolutely sure they are safe and provided for. The imagery of the
Psalm speaks to absolute trust in God’s provision for his people.

Jesus explained these same concepts in his ministry. In Matthew 6

he said “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or
about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important
than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the
birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and
yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more
valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour
to his life?

Jesus is our Provider for both Body and Soul: Each of the Gospels
tells the story of the feeding of 5,000. Mark comments that Jesus
saw the crowd hurrying around the lake to meet him, and he had
compassion on them because they were like Sheep without a
Shepherd (Mark 6:34). So he had them sit down in the grass and he
fed them. And John 6 says that afterword he told them: vs 36“I am
the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he
who believes in me will never be thirsty.” (See Also John 4 ) After
making sure their physical needs were met, he told them how to
satisfy the hunger in their souls as well. In Matthew 11 Jesus offers
us rest for our weary souls. “Come to me all you who are weary and
burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and

1 If you want to learn more about these terms and what they mean in the life of a shepherd read
A Shepherds Look at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller. Zondervan. 1970.

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learn from me. For I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will
find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

#3 The Lord is My Guide

Psalm 23:3 David says the Lord “guides me in paths of
righteousness for his name sake.” Throughout the summers,
shepherds would guide their flock into the mountains to graze on
the grasses that grew in the meadows and valleys. Finding safe
passage over summits was a critical part of survival. The Lord is
David’s guide and in the same way, Jesus is ours today. In John
14:6 Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes
to the father except through me. Mark 8:34 says If anyone wishes
to follow me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow
me. Just as the Shepherd led his flock to life giving pastures, Jesus
leads us to life in him. He doesn’t do this just for our sake, but to
Glorify the father who sent him. If we want to glorify God with our
lives, we have got to follow the leadership of our good shepherd to
do it.

[Application]
Have you been keeping track of God’s provision and guidance in
your life? When God does incredible things and shocks you with his
provision of your daily bread, do you write it down so you will
remember it? Phil regularly encourages us in Married with
Munchkins to write down those times in life when God surprises us
with his provision. Maybe you have prayed for provision for a bill,
only to be surprised with a tax return or a bonus for 2 or 3 dollars
more. Or you needed $20.00 for gas and found it in your coat
pocket that you haven’t worn in 2 years. Perhaps you have faced a
difficult decision and trusted God’s guidance to lead the way.
Friends I know that you have these stories, I do too, and we need to
remember them and write them down, because we so easily forget.
And when find ourselves down in the dumps or knocked to the
ground by one of life’s storms, it is so easy to forget all the things
God has done, and just wallow in our own struggles or hardship. If
you don’t have a journal detailing God’s provision and guidance
physically and spiritually, now would be a great time to start one.

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# 4 The Lord is my Protector
Read vs 4.
As the Shepherds lead their flock up into the mountains to search
for green pastures they often had to traverse dark valleys and
dangerous passes. At times they were miles and miles away from
anyone else and places of darkness were places of danger. Thieves,
Bandits, wild animals, were all possible threats, especially in narrow
passages that were hard to see through. David says that he will not
fear these threats of evil and death, because God is with him and
the tools of the Shepherd comfort him. The shepherd’s rod was a
club, made of wood that could be used to beat down whatever was
threatening to eat or steal his sheep. It could also be thrown with
great force and accuracy. The Staff was a long hook that could be
slipped around the neck of a wayward lamb, to drag it to safety.
These tools in the hand of a careful shepherd were the difference
between life and death for his flock.

My friends, the same God who delivered Israel from Egypt, who
protected David from Goliath, who rescued Daniel from the Lyons
Den, and Paul from the Viper, is the same God we serve today. Just
as David took comfort in the companionship and protection of the
Shepherd, we too can take comfort in Jesus Christ our savior. For
one thing, we know that Jesus walked through his own valley of the
shadow of death, and he knew exactly what was waiting for him on
the other side. He bore his cross and willingly laid down his life for
our sake. Friends we have a Lord and a Shepherd that knows what it
is to experience death and loss and grief and disappointment and
he knows exactly how we feel in the face of those trials. He is not a
detached, emotionless God who looks down on us, but a
compassionate God who walks with us in our darkest hours. What
comfort it is to know that he has gone before us and is walking with
us through life’s challenges. Amen?

I came across this story and want to share it with you because it so
perfectly illustrates God’s compassionate protection of his people.

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On Christmas Eve of 1875 Ira Sankey was traveling on a Delaware River
steamboat when he was recognized by some of the other passengers. He was the
song leader for the famous evangelist D. L. Moody. They asked him to sing one of
his own hymns, but Sankey declined, saying that he preferred to sing William B.
Bradbury's hymn, "Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us." As he sang, one of the
stanzas began, "We are Thine; do Thou befriend us. Be the Guardian of our way."

When he finished, a man stepped from the shadows and asked, "Did you ever serve
in the Union Army?"

“Yes," Mr. Sankey answered, "in the spring of 1860."

"Can you remember if you were doing picket duty on a bright, moonlit night in
1862?" "Yes," Mr. Sankey answered, very much surprised.

"So did I, but I was serving in the Confederate army. When I saw you standing at
your post, I thought to myself, 'That fellow will never get away alive.' I raised my
musket and took aim. At that instant, just as a moment ago, you raised your eyes to
heaven and began to sing...'Let him sing his song to the end,' I said to myself, 'I can
shoot him afterwards.’ But the song you sang then was the song you sang just now.
I heard the words perfectly: 'We are Thine; do Thou befriend us. Be the Guardian
of our way.' Those words stirred up many memories. I began to think of my
childhood and my God-fearing mother. She had many times sung that song to me.
When you had finished your song, it was impossible for me to take aim again. I
thought, 'The Lord who is able to save that man from certain death must surely be
great and mighty.' And my arm of its own accord dropped limp at my side."
K. Hughes, Liberating Ministry From The Success Syndrome, Tyndale, 1988, p. 69.

Our Shepherd and Protector is not timid and powerless, but great
and mighty.
Revelation 19 describes the return of Christ when he will ride a
white horse with a sword proceeding from his mouth, and he will
rule the nations with an iron rod. We can have confidence that we
follow the leadership of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

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#5 The Lord is my Blessing
Read vs. 5
David shifts his illustration slightly from Shepherd to Host in verse
5. God has welcomed him to dine at the table, has greeted him by
anointing his head with fragrant oil and has filled his cup to
overflowing. Everything in this verse points to God’s abundant
blessing pouring out on his beloved children. All through out the
Old Testament, God told his people that he longed to pour out his
blessing upon them if they would turn their hearts toward him and
live in right relationship with him. As Brian explained last week in
the 10 Commandments, the instructions were given in order to
show Israel how to live well and experience healthy relationships
with God and with each other. It was to bless them, not shackle
them with laws and regulations.

The same is true in Christ. Through Jesus we have been anointed

and sealed in the Holy Spirit and through his blood God has poured
out upon us the riches of his grace and every spiritual blessing.
(Ephesians 1). In so many ways Jesus has purchased our seat at the
kings table and invited us to live in the richness of fellowship with
him.

#6 The Lord will be with me

Verse 5 flows so well into verse 6. God Promises to be present with
us both in this life, and in the life to come. David declares, surely
goodness and loving-kindness will follow me all the days of my life.
And I will dwell in the house of the lord forever. David’s confidence
is not in the blessings he will receive in life, his confidence is in the
one who blesses him. He is confident that God is his Shepherd who
provides, protects, and guides him, the one who has invited him
into fellowship with him. Because God will always be with him,
David is confident that he will always be blessed and loved in his
presence. It sounds like David is looking forward to life, not simply
waiting for it to pass by.

In Christ we have even greater reason for confidence in his

presence. When we have placed our faith in Jesus as our God and

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savior we have invited him to dwell in us through his Spirit. His
loving-kindness, grace, mercy and forgiveness are ours for ever.
And the blessings of walking in relationship with him are
uncountable. At the end of the Great Commission, Jesus reminds
us, “lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” David
never said that life under the Good Shepherd would be easy, that it
would be free from struggle or strife, that it would always go his
way. Yet he was confident in his Lord and leader and invites us to
be confident as well.

The promise of being present with God is not just for this lifetime,
but for eternity. John 14:1-4 Jesus Said “ Do not let your hearts be
troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are
many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going
there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may
be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Each of us, at some time in the present or future will find ourselves
in the valley of the shadow of death. Whether we have lost a loved
one, a job or our marriage is falling apart, facing cancer or sickness
or even death itself. At some time we will each face hardship. My
hope and prayer is that when it happens, we will all hold on tight to
Jesus our Good Shepherd and trust that he will provide, protect,
guide and bless us along the way. Just as he promised that he
would.

This is one of the most powerful psalms of the scriptures and one of
profound significance for all of us. If you have not memorized it
yet, I would encourage you to do so, it will have a profound effect
on your life.

In light of all of these things, I would like to close by reciting the 23

Psalm together. Here and in the venues I would like to invite the
worship teams up to lead is in this reading. We are going to
alternate between men and women. Follow along on the slides.
Venues, I’ll hand it back to you at this time.

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