A Trilogy Unlike Any Other (Part 2)

Introduction

Last week we had the first part of a 3 part series through Psalm 22-24, looking at what some call the Jesus Trilogy of the book of Psalms. Last week in Psalm 22 we saw the Psalm of the Cross and were reminded of the sacrifice that Jesus made to save us from our sins and the suffering that He endured in our place. Last week we saw that Jesus is the Suffering King - now, suffering is a real thing, but it isn’t exactly a fun topic to discuss. The Bible addresses suffering, but the Bible provides us with hope in our suffering. Psalm 22 was part 1 and it was a good chapter for us, but today we come to part 2 and it’s even better. This morning we’ll see how Jesus is our Shepherd King. How He leads us. Loves us. And lays down His life for us. How many of you have heard of or watched Toy Story before? I think they’re up to 5 different movies now, but if you’re old like me, when you hear Toy Story, you think of the ones made before 2000. Now, maybe it’s the fact that I liked playing with knights, dragons, and those plastic army soldiers as a kid, but the idea that my toys got out of the box and had massive battles and adventures whenever I was asleep or traveling was a fun thought.

In the second Toy Story, one of the main characters, Woody, is stolen and about to be sold for several thousands of dollars to a collector. Before this transaction takes place, though, an inspector comes to clean him up. All is well until the inspector looks at the bottom of Woody’s boot and realizes that there is a name that is written there: Andy. Andy put his name on each toy so that if they were to get lost, people would know who the owner was. What on earth does this have to do with Psalm 22-24? This: Did you know that as a Christian, you belong to a forever family?

Colossians 1:13 CSB

13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.

Today, because of the work of Jesus on the cross of Calvary, we have been transferred and transformed. We are under new ownership. We are no longer slaves to sin, we are children of God! However, some people still live in darkness. They do not know Christ. We could say this: They don’t have that name written on their boot because they’re not saved. Today, as we get ready to study one of the most encouraging and hopeful chapters in the Bible, my question for you is simply this: Is God Your Shepherd? When you look at your boot, do you see His name?

Psalm 23 CSB

A psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. 2 He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, 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 overflows. 6 Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.

Aren’t you thankful for this incredible Psalm? Short but sweet. Simple but solid. If you’re in the green pastures or if you’re walking through the valley of the shadow of death, friends, you can trust in your Good Shepherd today. Let’s pray

The Shepherd Leads His Sheep

Many of us have heard Psalm 23 before, but not always during a sermon on a Sunday. Psalm 23 is a chapter that many people have read during their funeral. It’s a chapter that I know I’ve heard from pastors during good days and bad days in my life. Because of the content of this Psalm, many say that if the average American knows anything in the Bible, it is Psalm 23. This is a Psalm of David, nearly 3,000 years old. David is the author of this Psalm and this Psalm is certainly for Christians today, but this Psalm ultimately is about Jesus Christ. See, Jesus was both a sheep and a shepherd.

John 1:29 CSB

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Jesus came to this earth as the spotless, blameless, perfect lamb of God who came on a mission to sacrifice Himself in our place on the cross. As a sheep, we can say, Jesus trusted in His Shepherd, His Father, to deliver Him from the valley of the shadow of death. But Jesus was also a shepherd of sheep. We’ll be in 1 Peter 5 a little bit later this morning, but verse 4 tells us this

1 Peter 5:4 CSB

4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Jesus is the Chief Shepherd. He is both a sheep and a shepherd and this is good news for us that Psalm 23 is all about Jesus.

There’s one tiny problem with all of this talk about sheep and shepherds, though. This is a totally different context from our world today. Thousands of years ago, many people were farmers and in an agricultural society, even if you weren’t a shepherd, you knew things about sheep that we just don’t know today. Back during 2020, I think I saw the word “sheep” more than the rest of my life combined and it wasn’t in relation to the animal, it was a title that was given to people that disagreed with others. What is the big deal with sheep? I’m not a farmer or shepherd, but in being around those who are, you discover that sheep aren’t exactly the smartest of animals. They aren’t the quickest of animals. They aren’t the strongest or most fierce of animals. They are vulnerable and if they don’t have protection, they can get in trouble. In other words, sheep need a shepherd!

Think of all the different shepherds we see in the Bible. Who is the first shepherd in the Bible? Genesis 4, we find out that Abel was a shepherd. Fast forward and we see many others, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David. What did these human shepherds do? They protected their flock. David knew what it was like to defend them from lions and bears and possibly even poisonous snakes too! He kept them safe from harm. David would guide his sheep. He would defend his sheep. He would help his sheep. David, the shepherd, in Psalm 23 makes a remarkable point - the Lord is a shepherd as well. Think of the story of the Israelites leaving Egypt in Exodus. What did God do? He guided them with a cloud of smoke and a pillar of fire. He fed them with manna from the sky. He protected them from Pharaoh’s chariots. He guided them as a shepherd guides and defends his sheep from those who would do them harm. In the Old Testament, the people of Israel knew that God was a shepherd. But Psalm 23 doesn’t just say that the Lord is a shepherd, although He is. David makes a powerful, personal claim - the Lord is MY Shepherd. This one word anchors our hope! This means that David is claiming to be what? A sheep. Whenever the Lord is your shepherd, that means that He’s going to defend you, protect you, and potentially smack you upside the head with His shepherd staff whenever you do something silly. Be He does this in love as a shepherd does to His sheep. Look at what our God has done for us

Isaiah 43:1 CSB

1 Now this is what the Lord says— the one who created you, Jacob, and the one who formed you, Israel— “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine.

The Lord is our shepherd - He has not only created and formed us, but He has redeemed and called us! He is good. Do you have that hope today? Is this your story? Do you realize that the only reason that you are where you are today is because of the saving power of Jesus Christ? If so, the second half of verse 1 is true - “I have what I need.” Now, I memorized this like many of you as “I shall not want.” What does this mean? Does this mean that because of Jesus, we have everything that we want and will no longer have any needs in life? In school we learn that there are 6 basic things that everyone needs: Shelter, Clothing, Sleep, Food, Water, and Air. You can’t survive long without these basic things. You can go 30 days without food. 3 days without water. 3 minutes without air. But you can’t go 3 milliseconds without Jesus. Just like God provided manna from heaven for the people of Israel in the wilderness, God provides for our needs today. Friends, God has a plan and purpose for your life and God will provide you with everything that is necessary for you to accomplish HIS will for you. Shepherds know what their sheep need.

God is both a good Father and a good shepherd. He knows what I need before I even do. Therefore, because I have what I need, I shall not want. We live in a world that struggles with being content with what we have. Everyone always wants more. More money. More friends. More followers. More cars. More clothes. More kids. More numbers. Fame, Food, Finances, Friends, Fitness. MORE. Contentment in life is found in trusting in the fact that God is good enough and big enough to provide for your needs. If I’m not content, it’s likely because I’m not trusting in God’s goodness or bigness, and instead think that I need something else to give me what I’m seeking. Yet Psalm 23 tells us that our cup overflows. There are many things that we might now have, but God gives us what we need. All Believers should have what we call an attitude of gratitude as we look back on all that God has done for us. Look at the sheep of God’s pasture - He lies down.

Again, I’m not sure what you know about sheep, but I discovered this from a pastor who worked for 8 years as a shepherd. “It’s almost impossible for sheep to be made to lie down unless 4 requirements are met. The are free from all fear. Free from friction with other sheep. Free from flies/parasites who pester them. And free from hunger.” What does our shepherd do? He leads us well. He renews our life. He leads us along the right paths. That phrase, “renews my life” means that God strengthens us. He lifts us up. We can say, He saves us. Why? Why does God lead us? Why does God save us? Why does God guide us? It’s not because we have it all figured out. It’s not because we are the missing apple in God’s eye. It’s not because of our goodness. It’s because of His. Whenever God saves you, He leads you. His path for your life isn’t always the one that you would’ve chosen for yourself. But as Jim Johnston shares, “The road He leads us on is the best, most direct route from here to our heavenly home… The sheep don’t know where they are going, but the shepherd does. He has good pasture in mind. Not a single step of this journey is wasted.”

Have you been this stubborn sheep before? “God… why did you do this?” “God… why did you bring me here?” Y’all, that has been a question in this brain many times before. I think this is a question we all ask, not only of God but of other people in leadership positions. Why are we doing this? Why is this happening? Why is this change taking place? Why should I follow this leadership? Friends, we follow the Lord because He leads us along the right paths not only for our good, but for His name’s sake. As God saves, guides, and leads us, His glory and character is displayed to others through us! Think about the right path that we are on, it started because of God’s grace and it will end with God’s glory when we see Him face to face, and from this point until that point, our mission is to follow Him each step of the way and call on others to experience the fact that our shepherd leads His sheep well.

The Shepherd Loves His Sheep

The reason that the shepherd leads his sheep is because the shepherd loves his sheep. Whenever I was at SBU, I had a professor who said this, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Have you experienced this before? Someone might know a whole lot, but if you don’t think that they care about you, you’re going to be a little skeptical whenever they try to lead you. I remember experiencing this as a teenager at First Ozark. Our longtime Senior Pastor had a couple serious health complications and retired. This left the growing church in some uncertain and uncharted. I remember eventually we had a transition pastor come in, that’s different from an interim pastor like John Marshall here. A transition pastor does exactly what the name implies, he helps the church transition usually after a long tenure pastor either resigns or retires, and this isn’t an easy position to be in. You know what you don’t have a lot of as a transition pastor? Leadership capital. You have a title. You have a position. You have a badge to wear and a sign on your office door… but very few follow initially. Why? Because people are hurting. People are wondering what’s next. People don’t know if you care about them. In the months that followed, our church was led so well by our transition pastor. I would come home from SBU and we’d talk on Sunday morning about the theology topics that I was learning in my classes. I experienced this truth: It’s easy to let someone lead you when you know that they love you!

Lindsey and I closed on our house in Ozark the end of July, which means that it’s been one year since we’ve been at South Gate. You can’t learn everything there is to learn in one year. As a pastor, you stub your toe a LOT in your first year. Looking back, are there things I wish I knew and I wish I had done differently in year one? Yes, and yes! They say usually year one is a “honeymoon” at a new church - I knew that year one was going to be challenging. Changes. Lots of new. Still loves of emotions and grief to process through. I had 2 chief goals in year one, are you ready? Glorify Jesus by being as Biblical as possible and being as much like Jesus as possible by loving this body. Through all of one year, I hope you all know this, you have a pastor who loves you. Not so much a preacher who preaches. Not so much a leader who leads. A pastor who seeks desperately to live out 1 Peter 5

1 Peter 5:1–3 CSB

1 I exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder and witness to the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory about to be revealed: 2 Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed for money but eagerly; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

This is God’s call to elders. There are 2 Biblical offices in the local church. Deacons are leading servants and Elders are servant leaders. Deacons are a body that serve and assist, specifically behind the scenes so that the elders can focus on the “ministry of the Word” as Acts 6 says. We have some great, godly deacons at this church and I thank God for those men. 1 Peter 5 is instructed to the other office, the elders. There is one command, shepherd God’s flock. (Lofty command - hence the plurality) Oversee the sheep. Lead the church. This is God’s command for the office of pastor/elder/overseer to be men who shepherd and lead as God would have. In Christ’s church, pastors are in this strange position of both being a shepherd and a sheep. Remember verse 4

1 Peter 5:4 CSB

4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Christ is the chief shepherd who leads all His sheep… and pastors are in the God-ordained position of also shepherding sheep. This is a grand mystery and I’ve seen it done well, and I’ve seen it done not so well, as I’m sure you have too. The greatest thing that an imperfect pastor can do is to point His people to the Chief Shepherd who leads perfectly because He loves perfectly. Do you believe that Jesus loves perfectly? What a glorious truth. Look at how He demonstrates that love in verse 4 - He leads us at times through the valley of the shadow of death. Hear this - just as the right path includes the water and the green pasture, sometimes the right path includes this dark valley too. God gives us valleys just as He gives us mountains.

What are we tempted to ask in the valley? “God, where are you!?” “God, is this the end!?” In the valley we can’t see as clearly. Enemies can ambush us from the higher ground. We’re tempted to worry about our problems and enemies and circumstances, but what does David say even in this dark and dangerous place? I FEAR NO EVIL. How can this be the case? Church understand this: Because the God of the mountain is the God of the valley! God doesn’t change. He is immutable. “As thou has been, thou forever wilt be.” God protects His sheep because He loves His sheep. Sometimes God says no to the mountain and yes to the valley, and God’s YES is a million times better than God’s NO.

Billy Graham once shared, “The will of God will not take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us.” God leads us. He sustains us. He uses His tools, the rod and staff, to protect us from harm and to defend us from those who want to destroy and devour us.

Has this expression, the valley of the shadow of death, ever struck you as interesting? Why is it called the valley of the shadow of death, and not the valley of death? There was a pastor who was trying to explain this to his daughter after the unexplainable death of his wife. As they drove to the funeral, he was struggling to explain the grief and the hope that we have as Christians… and finally it hit him as they were at a red light. On a hot, sunny day, a semi-truck stopped next to them at the light, and cast a large shadow over their car and he asked his daughter, “Sweetie, would you rather get hit by this semi or by its shadow?” She says, “Of course, the shadow!” He nods and says, “What Jesus has done is He was hit by semi-truck of death, so that all we have to face as Christians is the shadow of death.” Shadows are real. Shadows can be scary. Death is a real thing, after all! But because of Jesus, we face a defeated foe and we know that whatever happens, one day everything will be alright.

Romans 8:18 CSB

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.

Suffering is real. Loss is heavy. Death destroys. But death is not the end. This is why we hear Psalm 23 preached at funerals so often, because we know this about death. It’s just a comma, it’s not a period. It’s not the end of the story. But look at verses 5-6 with me that often get overshadowed because of the shadow of death before it. The same God who shepherds his sheep is also the God who celebrates with His children. Do you see this? The Shepherd of verse 1 is the Host of verse 5. The Shepherd who leads us in the right paths welcomes us to eat with Him in His house. You remember the song Big House? It’s a Big Big House, with lots and lots of rooms… It’s a Big Big Table with lots and lots of food? This house isn’t just about food, it’s about fellowship. Psalm 23 starts with sheep, but ends with sons. We’re in the house of the Lord and the only way we have this access is through the blood of the Lamb.

What makes a house a house? It’s not the rooms or the things in the home, it’s the people. Without people, a house might be big and filled with toys, but it’s an empty building. The joy of heaven is not the mansions, streets of gold, river of life, or banquet feast… the joy of heaven is Jesus. Because of Jesus, we know where we’re going. We know what awaits us. We know that we will dwell with Him forever! But can I give you some great news? You don’t have to wait, you can dwell with Him today. We call this the already and the not yet. See, whenever you realize that you are a sinner in need of a Savior and Jesus saves you from your sins, something dramatic happens. The Holy Spirit of the Living God comes to live inside of your heart immediately. We had 3 baptisms today and I told our Deacons on Wednesday that I love nothing more than starting off a Sunday in gym shorts because we celebrate that incredible truth of God’s saving power together! But that baptistry water doesn’t save. It’s normal Springfield water. What saves us? The blood of Jesus that washes us white as snow. When do we experience that? Today! You can experience the joy of salvation now… but it’s just a taste of what’s to come. Because one day, we’ll be in glory with our God without sin. Pain. Shame. Death. Tears. Heartbreak. This is where our Shepherd is leading us and it’s because of His love for us.

The Shepherd Lays Down His Life for His Sheep

We know that God loves us because of what Jesus has done for us. Romans 5:8 says that God proves His own love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. Psalm 22 last week was the Psalm of the Cross as we saw that Jesus is the Suffering King who died to save us from our sins. This week we see that Jesus is the Shepherd King who leads His sheep. Next week we’ll see in Psalm 24 that Jesus is the Sovereign King who rules and reigns. But there’s a problem - as those who are called sheep, what assurance do we have that the Shepherd will help us whenever we go astray? We like to think that we just need a little advice or tune up here or there, I don’t know about you but I need more than that, though.

Have you seen this video before? That’s me so often! Everyone knows Psalm 23, but how can we know for sure that we are His sheep and that we will dwell in His house forever? Look at what John 10 says about what Jesus has done

John 10:10–11 CSB

10 A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

John 10:14–15 CSB

14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep.

John 10:18 CSB

18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

John 10:27–28 CSB

27 My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.

In John’s Gospel, there are 7 “I Am” statements that Jesus makes and this is the one that we see directly from passages like Psalm 23. Who is David’s Shepherd? None other than the Lord, Jesus Christ. What has the Good Shepherd done for His sheep? He lays down His life. He knows His sheep. Notice, no one took His life, and no one can take His followers. He lays down His life and He gives us life today. Today, Jesus knows your story. He knows your past. He knows your present. He knows that you and I are stubborn, straying, silly sheep… and you know what He says? That sheep is mine. Broken leg? It’s mine. Stubborn? It’s mine. Drops the ball? It’s mine. Jesus welcomes us as we are, amen! But we have to tell the whole story. He doesn’t leave us as we were. He loves us so much that He changes us!

Psalm 23 is a passage that many of us know. We’ve heard it. Some of us have memorized it. But have you experienced it today? Have you tasted and seen that Jesus is this Good Shepherd who lays down His life for sinful sheep like you and me?

Maybe you’re wondering how you can know if Jesus is your Shepherd or not. John 10:27 tells us how we can know by asking ourselves 2 simple questions

Is Jesus Your Shepherd? (See John 10:27)

Do I listen to His Word?

Do I do what His Word says?

Am I Willing to Lay My Life Down?

Acts 20:28 calls on elders to be on guard as they oversee and shepherd the flock. Pastors are to shepherd, serve, and suffer for the sake of their flock. Husbands, guess what? Ephesians 5 calls on you to love your wife as Christ loved His Church and to be willing to lay down your life for her. Every believer is called by God to consider others as more important than themselves - to love their neighbor. How do we live out Psalm 23? Not just by having hope whenever we face death, but by living for glory of Jesus in this life by obeying His Word and telling others of His Gospel.

Today, your Shepherd Saves, Sustains, and Satisfies. You may not know where you’re going today, but your Shepherd isn’t lost. He’s got you. You can trust in Him with the big things and the little things and everything in between. Today, have you trusted in Christ to save you from your sins? Have you come to the realization that there are things in this life that you can’t face yourself? We have a great need… but we have a greater Christ. Our sins are many, His mercy is more. Today, trust in the finished work of the your Shepherd King and become a part of His flock through repentance and faith.