(Psalm 23 sermon 1) Contentment in the Presence of Our Shepherd
Notes
Transcript
Today we begin a journey through one of the most beloved and timeless passages in all of Scripture — Psalm 23.
For centuries, these words have been a refuge for weary souls,
a melody of hope sung in both green pastures and shadowed valleys.
It is a psalm that speaks to the heart like few others can —
full of simplicity, yet layered with eternal depth.
Every line breathes peace into chaos.
Every phrase reminds us that we are not wandering alone.
It is a psalm that has comforted kings and shepherds,
the strong and the broken,
the joyful and the grieving.
When I open to Psalm 23,
I don’t just read it — I rest in it.
Its beauty slows the hurried heart.
Its truth steadies the trembling soul.
Its words remind me that no matter where life leads,
my Shepherd is always there beside me.
So today, as we begin this journey through this sacred Psalm,
may we open our hearts anew to its richness,
and let its truth lead us beside still waters once again.
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
4 Even 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 overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Today’s sermon is titled, “Contentment in the Presence of Our Shepherd.”
David, who himself was a shepherd—
first of sheep in the wilderness,
and later of the people of Israel—
knew intimately the weighty responsibility of a shepherd’s care.
David understood the depth and intricacy of a shepherd’s role,
for the life of the sheep depended entirely on the shepherd’s vigilance, guidance, and provision.
Every decision and every step could mean life or death for the flock.
Thus a shepherd’s touch had ramifications that resulted in success or failure.
Sheep could be healthy and flourishing under one shepherd,
yet under another shepherd in the same area,
they could be sick, lost, and broken.
It was the shepherd who knew which ones needed protection,
which needed guidance,
and which needed restoration.
David begins this Psalm saying “the Lord is my Shepard”
(distorted terms) [Shepherd and Sheep]
No Shepherd, autonomous instead.
Sheep Vs Goats (Children Kingdom.… Content knowing I can trust...)
Jesus said
1 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
We need to know the voice of our Shepherd....
(many competing voices) [intimately familiar with a voice we should of cut out a long time ago]
Jesus continues...
7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 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; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Hired hands vs shepherds (Hired hands profit from sheep… the Good Shepherd sacrifices for the sheep)
[Paid the Price]
Don’t follow the voice of a stranger,
Don’t follow the voice of a hired hand,
Follow the voice of the good Shepherd… good interest in mind
When you truly know and follow the Good Shepherd,
you find contentment—
because you know the Shepherd Himself will supply every need,
according to His riches and glory.
David declares,
“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.”
I shall not want,
because I have discovered that contentment is not found in possessions,
but in the presence of my Shepherd.
If the Good Shepherd can clothe the lilies of the field
in robes of splendor more radiant than Solomon’s,
how much more will He clothe His own sheep in garments of grace and glory?
If the Good Shepherd feeds the sparrows that neither sow nor reap,
will He not surely feed His flock—those He calls by name?
I have all that I need,
because the Shepherd Himself is all that I need.
The Good Shepherd protects His sheep.
So I will not live in fear of the enemy that prowls in the shadows.
Though the wolves circle and the thief schemes,
the Shepherd stands between me and danger—
His rod drives away the devourer,
and His staff pulls me close when I wander.
Under the watch of the Good Shepherd,
I can rest.
I can breathe.
I can live without worry—
because the One who holds the world in His hands
also holds me.… Amen!
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
My wife usually cooks during the week, but on a special occasion we go out and eat at a restaurant.
Chili's chips...
Kids Fill up on chips.… I don’t have the capacity for anything else....
(A life filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit does not have the capacity to indulge and be filled with the pleasures of the flesh)
Contentment in the presence of our Shepherd
means I am filled to overflowing with His goodness and mercy,
therefore, I no longer have the capacity to fill my life with what the world offers.
Contentment in the presence of our Shepherd
is when my heart is so surrendered to God
that I no longer become caught up in the chase for what the world says I need.
Because let’s be honest — the world has crafted one of the greatest marketing pitches ever told:
“You need more.”
More money.
More success.
More beauty.
More recognition.
More of everything — because what you have right now, the world says, is never enough.
The world whispers,
“You need more money,”
so you sacrifice your family on the altar of your career.
You climb higher and work longer — but you never experience peace.
The world says,
“You don’t have the body you’ve always wanted,”
so you spend countless hours in the gym,
chasing a version of yourself that social media told you to be —
and still, deep down, you are not satisfied.
The world says,
“You deserve more experiences,”
so you book the vacations, swipe the card, take the pictures —
only to come home with a heavier load of debt
and an emptier sense of joy.
The world says,
“You need a nicer car, a bigger house, better clothes,”
so you buy them all — until the shine wears off and the new becomes normal.
And then what?
You go searching again for something else to fill the void.
But the problem is,
the world never delivers on its promise.
It tells you to chase more — but it never tells you when to stop.
It convinces you to keep running — but it never shows you where the finish line is.
The truth is, the world can only offer temporary satisfaction —
and temporary satisfaction always leads to perpetual discontentment...
Having lunch this week with a friend,
and we were talking about contentment,
“You know how much is enough,
just a little bit more...
Tom Brady… interview on 60 minutes… after 3 Superbowl rings...
“Why do I have three Super Bowl rings, and still think there’s something greater out there for me?”
he went on to say “there has to be more...”
Of course there is more,
but it can never be found in the treasures of this world. Amen!
I want to say that,
It is not wrong to dream.
It is not wrong to build, to work, to aim higher —
that’s part of how God designed us.
But when the dream starts to own your heart,
when the chase for more drowns out the Shepherd’s voice,
you’ve crossed a dangerous line.
When your identity is wrapped in success,
you are no longer content with the Shepherd calling you by name,
but have wandered onto a path of circumstantial contentment,
that leads only to future discontentment.
I think it also needs to be understood that contentment is not complacency.
Being content doesn’t mean settling for less or refusing to grow;
it means finding peace and fulfillment in the present,
while still pursuing what is good and right.
Ultimately, true contentment is found when we enter into daily communion with God.
When the rhythms of our lives don’t become so busy that we lose time to listen to the Shepherd.
Contentment is the desire to step away from the noise of the world
and spend quality time alone in the presence of the Good Shepherd.
Moments when it’s just you, His sheep, quietly listening to His voice.
Moments when you pray,
not from ritual,
but from relationship,
as you talk to the shepherd as a friend who is closer than a brother.
Moments when you worship in song,
pouring out your heart to Him in love, surrender, and aspiration.
In these moments,
we discover a peace that the world cannot give—
a contentment that flows from being fully known and fully loved by our Shepherd….
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
(We can say it but to we mean it)
[David.… Greatest highs and Greatest lows.]
