Peace

DATE: December 8th, 2024

SERIES: Advent 2024

TITLE: Our Shepherd of Peace

TEXT: Psalm 23

BIG IDEA: Our shepherd provides peace in a world that lacks it

SERMON NOTES:

GROUPS QUESTIONS:

RESPOND:

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul.He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake.

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.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,and I shall dwell in the house of the

all the days of my life,and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

Forever.

We are continuing our Advent series this week. Last Sunday we talked about the Hope that we have in Jesus Christ as we wait for his second coming, his second Advent. Much of last week’s sermon can be applied to this week as well because the four themes of Advent (Hope, Peace, Joy, Love) are all very intertwined.

Our passage today is arguably the most famous passage in the entire Old Testament. This psalm of David is one of the first sets of verses that children will learn after John 3:16 and The Lord’s Prayer. This psalm shows us how God provides peace for us through the troubling circumstances of our lives.

Big Idea: Our Shepherd provides peace in a world that lacks it

Psalm 23:1

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Here in this first verse, David describes God as a shepherd. This opening verse sets up the rest of the psalm to show us how God is like a shepherd for us as his people. The fact that God is our shepherd and overseer, we will always have everything we need. As a kid who heard this psalm a lot growing up in church, I often wondered why it said we would not want God as our shepherd. (Refer back to sermon on Hope)

Anyone else wonder that as a kid? I can admit that I usually heard Psalm 23 and did not actually read it, so I never knew the punctuation in the verse helped to separate the two clauses. I do appreciate the CSB translation of this verse as it says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I have what I need.”

In one of my study bibles, there is a note about sheep that I think really helps give us a clearer image of how God helps us as a shepherd:

“A sheep is one of the most unwise of creatures. It will go anywhere except in the right direction. It will leave a fat pasture and wander into a barren one. It will find many ways but not the right way. It would wander through a forest and find its way through ravines into the wolf’s jaws but never by its wariness turn away from the wolf. It could wander near its den, but it would not instinctively turn aside from the place of danger. It knows how to go astray, but it does not know how to come home again. Left to itself, it would not know in what pasture to feed in summer or where to retire in winter.”

This is not a very glowing report of sheep. What makes this description even worse is that I often see myself in this description. Do you see yourself? Have you ever walked away from a great situation and right into a terrible one that you had no business even looking at? I know I have. Or perhaps you have ignored the goodness of things around you to pursue a sin that would only destroy you? We seem to love to abandon peace in the pursuit of chaos.

In Isaiah 53 we see the description of Christ as the suffering servant. In this passage we see the prophet describing what would happen to Jesus when he was here on the earth during his first Advent. And in verses 4-6 we see these words that I know are very familiar to many of you:

Isaiah 53:4-6

Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned—every one—to his own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah says here that like sheep, we have all gone astray. And yet, God placed upon Jesus the pain, suffering, and chastisement we deserved. Christ took upon himself the punishment that we earned. And because of Christ’s sacrifice, we can have peace with God as Adam and Eve did in the garden of Eden. Christ took our sin upon himself, so that we could be clothed in his righteousness, thus tearing down the hostility between us and God.

Psalm 23:2

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

David says here that God “makes” him to lie down in green pastures. Often we can let the busyness of life keep us from taking the rest that we need. Have there been times in your life when you were going, going, going, and not taking the time to rest, and then God “made” you rest? Perhaps you suffered from exhaustion, maybe you had an anxiety attack or panic attack that forced you to take a break.

The Lord does not just have us rest, but he makes us rest in the place that is best for sheep - green pastures. The pastures provide good food for the sheep as well as a soft place to lay. David also says that the Lord leads us to water - not to the ocean or sea where there is chaos and unrest, but to still or quiet waters where there is life and peace.

When God gave Moses the first 10 rules by which we should live - we call them the Commandments - do know what the 4th rule was?

Exodus 20:8

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy”

The sabbath is a day of rest, a day of peace. It is a day to stop your work, to worship God, reflect on his goodness and provision, and to allow God to provide peace and renewal for our souls, as well as for our physical bodies.

Next Step: I will take a Sabbath day

Warning: Be careful about puting to many rules around the Sabbath. The Pharisees in the NT took the idea of the Sabbath so far that they would yell at someone like a paralytic, who had not walked in 30 years, after Jesus healed him because he was carrying his mat to go home. They were so afraid of possibly disobeying the commands of God that they put these outer fences and boundaries around the law to keep people from even coming close to maybe, possibly, looking like they might break the law of God.

Jesus said that the Sabbath was created for man. God created a rest day for us so that we can find our rest and peace in him, both for our souls and for our bodies.

Psalm 23:3

He restores my soul.He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

He restores my soul.He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

In the peace and rest that we find with our shepherd, there is restoration of our souls. We can have a renewed strength in our Lord when we take his rest.

It is interesting to see how God created our bodies to work and to heal, especially when sleeping.

When you're asleep, your body uses less energy, which allows cells to resupply and repair.

During deep sleep, blood flow increases, bringing oxygen and nutrients to help repair muscles and regenerate cells.

The pituitary gland releases growth hormones during deep sleep, which stimulate muscle repair and growth.

Your immune system secretes cytokines, which help your body fight inflammation, infection, and trauma.

Your body releases prolactin while sleeping, which helps regulate inflammation.

Sleep helps reduce stress levels.

If God created sleep to do all of this for your physical body, how much more will our Father in heaven give rejuvenation to our souls when we take our peace in him?

Our shepherd also leads us on paths of righteousness. When we have submitted our lives to Christ we will find ourselves choosing to do the right thing more often. That does not mean that we live perfect lives. We still fall prey to our sinful nature that we will be battling with until we die or Jesus comes again. But will find that the thoughts and actions that characterized our lives before we became part of God’s household will not be as attractive to us anymore. This is the Holy Spirit working within us to point us to Christ. As we grow in Christ, the Holy Spirit develops more of these fruits in us, making us more like Christ.

We are lead on the paths of righteousness for the sake of God’s name. God will not do anything that will bring shame or disrepute upon his name. He is perfect.

Psalm 23:4

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.

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.

David tells us here that God is with us even when we walk throug the valley of the shadow of death. That is not a fun place to be. Only the peace of God can keep you calm in that valley.

Many of you have seen our three kids, our oldest usually reading a book while the younger two are often running around. We are so thankful for the three of them and for the joy they bring to our lives. But there was a time when we weren’t sure if we would have more kids than just Nora, our oldest.

When Nora was a little over a year old, we found out we were pregnant again. We were excited. But when we went in for the 8-week ultrasound, the technician found the baby but no heartbeat. We were heartbroken but also realized that miscarriages happen. Five months later we find out we are pregnant again. We were hopeful. But after a couple of blood tests to check hormone levels, Emily’s doctor let us know that her hormone levels were already declining at just 6 weeks and that we had lost another baby.

Side note: Miscarriage is extremely painful and Emily and I can both understand and empathize with the pain of anyone else who has walked this same journey. If this has brought up hurt and pain that you are still figuring out how to deal with, I would encourage you to talk with me or Emily after service. We will pray with you and ask the Holy Spirit to heal the hurt and wounds you may still feel and to grant you peace.

Turn with me to John 14. In his last teaching with his disciples, Jesus is preparing them for his death and ascension to heaven after his resurrection. Jesus says that when he leaves he will send a comforter to his people, an advocate who will help remind them of the promises that Jesus made to them. And then Jesus talks about peace.

John 14:25-27

“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

The Holy Spirit, this advocate and comforter that Jesus told his disciples he was going to send, points us to the truth of Christ. He reminds us of the promises of God in his Word! Jesus calls him the Spirit of truth. God the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He is not going to go off and tell us to do something that God the Father and God the Son disapprove of. He is going to remind us of the truth of who the Father and Son say that they are in Scripture. The Holy Spirit is always going to point us to Christ. If the things that you are being pointed to are not Christ, his love, his death and resurrection, his taking our sin upon himself, taking the punishment that we deserved - if you are not hearing those things about Jesus, you are not hearing from the Holy Spirit.

It was in those days of depression and tears and anger that Emily and I would be reminded of verses like:

(S) Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

(S) Next Step: Memorize Isaiah 41:10

When we know that God is with is through the pain and heartache that we face, we can have peace that he will carry us to the other side of the hurt.

When Jesus says in these verses of John 14 that he will leave peace with his disciples, it sounds like a different idea from talking about sending the Holy Spirit, like it could be a new paragraph in what you are reading. But when Jesus is saying that he will leave his peace with us, I believe this is in reference to the sending of the Holy Spirit to his people. One of the fruits of the Spirit is peace. When we have been given new life and the Holy Spirit resides in us, these fruits start to become more and more evident. We love each other better. We have joy in life. We have peace in the midst of hardship.

David also says that the Lord’s rod and staff bring comfort to him. These tools of the shepherd bring comfort because they help to guide and direct the sheep along the correct path. They can also be used as weapons to keep the ravonous wolves and predators at bay.

Psalm 23:5

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

We can have peace in God because he provides for our needs at all times - even in the face of our enemies. When we think of enemies, we tend to picture people who hate us like the bully at school, or the co-worker who is always trying to one-up us. But in a Spiritual sense, our enemies are anyone who would try to point us away from God as our heavenly Father and the live that we have in him through Christ.

I think of the “friends” of Job who came to “encourage” him after he had lost all of his children, all of his livestock, all of his servants, and been stricken with boils and sores all over his body. All they did was try to tell Job that he had sinned and that God was punishing him. Job’s own wife asked him why he was holding on to his integrity toward God, telling him to, “Curse God and die.”

What does Job say in the midst of all of this loss? “Naked I came into this world and naked I will leave. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job tells his friends that God is just to do as he wishes (though there also is some complaining by Job to God about his circumstances). In the midst of all of this opposition from those close to him, Job still had all that he needed. Job did not die from all of the things that had happened to him. He continued to trust in God and his sovereignty. And God provided for his needs. We actually see in the end of the story of Job that God gives him 10 more children, and twice the livestock that he had before his disaster.

David says that God anoints his head with oil. Anointing in the bible was a sign of favor. The prophet Samuel annointed Saul as king and later anointed David as the one to follow Saul as king. The prophets Elijah and Elisha were both anointed with oil. This anointing again shows the provision of God for his favor is upon those he loves. The people mentioned above who were anointed were all chosen by God for the offices they were given.

The image of an overflowing cup may cause a trauma response for those who have young kids - thinking of how our kids have tried to pour their own glass of milk and an entire gallon of liquid ends up on the table or the floor. However, this overflowing cup that David mentions is the over abundant provision of God. The Lord has more resources that we could ever understand. He not only protects us with his rod and staff, he provides for us beyond what we can handle or even comprehend.

Psalm 23:6

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,and I shall dwell in the house of the

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

Forever.

In God’s peace there is a hope and a trust that the goodness of God and his mercy (or in some translations - lovingkindness) will follow you wherever you go. Remember, God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His mercy will not be there one day and gone the next. Scripture also says that Christ will never leave us or forsake us. We are the ones who leave him. We are the ones who like sheep have gone astray.

Because of the work of God in our lives, raising us from spiritual death to spiritual life, we can have confidence in his presence and peace. We can dwell with him forever. We have this constant, ongoing opportunity to have an intimate relationship with the Creator of the universe. It is only in that relationship, fully submitted to Christ, that we can find true peace.

Maybe you are here today and you don’t know what peace is like. Your life has been full of turmoil and pain. There is no hope to cling to. Everything seems to be falling apart. You can find peace in the arms of your Creator. The peace of God can be a very present reality in your life today.

Next Step: I will submit my life to Christ

If that is you, the elders and I will be available after service to pray with you, to talk with you, and to come along side you in this journey of following after Christ.

I want to leave you with one final story about how the Lord can provide peace in ways that this world never can. Horatio Spafford was a lawyer and businessman in Chicago in the 1800s. In the spring of 1871 he bought a ton of real estate to build his wealth. In October of that year, the great Chicago fire burned the entire city to the ground and he lost it all.

Two years later he had a vacation planned with his family to go to Europe to visit his friend D.L. Moody who was doing evangelistic crusades in England, but business forced him to stay home and so he sent his wife and four daughters ahead on a steamboat to Europe. On the way, another boat struck the steamship killing 226 passengers including his four daughters of 12, 7, 4, and a year and a half old. Once she reached the country of Wales, Spafford’s wife sent him a telegram that had two words – Saved Alone.

Spafford immediately left for Europe to meet up with his wife. As the boat was sailing past the place where his daughters had died, the captain let Spafford know. In his grief, Horatio Spafford went to the captain’s quarters and started writing what would become these famous words:

When peace like a river attendeth my way

When sorrows like sea billows roll

Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say

It is well, it is well with my soul.

I cannot tell you how many times Emily and I would find ourselves singing this song to each other as we grieved the loss of our two babies. No matter what we are going through in this world, we can have peace, knowing that this world is temporary, but the goodness of our God is everlasting.

Spafford and his wife eventually moved to Jerusalem in Israel after the death of their 4 year old son, setting up an American colony and doing philanthropic work with Muslim, Jewish, and Christian people in the area around Jerusalem and adopted a Jewish teenage boy of Turkish descent.

This life is filled with trial and hardship, but we can have hope and trust that the Lord is with us. That should give us the peace we need to remember that this life is temporary, our trials are not forever. We are pilgrims and sojourners in this life. When we submit ourselves to Christ, our citizenship is no longer to this world. And we can be so very thankful for that.

Let us pray.