Sermon Tone Analysis
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The Good Shepherd
David begins this Psalm by telling us that God is his shepherd.
The God who created the universe and all that is within it is being compared by David to a shepherd herding sheep.
David isn’t disrespecting the power or majesty of God, but rather David is identifying God’s character in a way that he himself best understands.
David was once a shepherd.
He knew all the effort, love and energy that went into taking care if sheep and he also knew the importance of the bond between a shepherd and his flock.
Because of this, David was able to parallel shepherding a flock of sheep with Jesus shepherding his children.
Not only does he equate God to be a shepherd, but he makes God out to be the best shepherd that ever existed.
He gives God the quality of being a shepherd who is so perfect, that the sheep do not need anything.
They are so well taken care of that they do not need anything at all.
If sheep are left to themselves, they are one of the most helpless animals on the planet and therefore it is essential for them to have a good shepherd.
I’m here to let you all know today that Jesus is the best shepherd anyone could ever want or need.
Anyone who has ever tended sheep would know that the process is not easy.
It takes a lot of time, love, care, and intimacy to complete.
A shepherd has many key responsibilities that he must complete daily in order for the sheep to be content.
If a sheep is not content, then he will not lay down to rest!
The text tells me that Jesus fulfills all of responsibilities needed to make a sheep lie down in peace.
There are four key things that must be satisfied in order for a sheep to lay down peacefully!
Firstly, a sheep must be free from fear in order to lay down comfortably.
Sheep are easily frightened.
Something as small as a bunny rabbit hopping around near them can send them into a giant panic.
So, because of this, sheep must be calmed down and feel safe and secure before they can rest easy.
This is where a shepherd would step in and insure that there is nothing around his sheep that would scare them and cause them to become terrified.
He would go next to every sheep and pet them and calm them so that they would become comfortable and not afraid.
The presence of the shepherd near them is enough to give the sheep peace.
The shepherd is their peace!
The second thing that a sheep must be free from in order to lay down is friction within the flock.
Just like many other animals, sheep have a culture of domination.
The male sheep butt heads just like deer and other animals to fight for dominance.
The biggest, strongest sheep is the sheep who is the dominant male.
Because of these battles, often times sheep develop rivalries.
These rivalries make it very hard for sheep to sleep in peace.
Imagine every five minutes waking up to look over your shoulder to see if someone is trying to battle you for top spot.
In order to stop this, the shepherd has to constantly be in the presence of his sheep.
The presence of the shepherd brings calming relief to his sheep.
When sheep are in the presence of their shepherd they tend to forget their contests and discontents and become more peaceful, restful and calm.
The shepherd is the protector of his flock!
The third thing that a sheep must be free from in order to lay down comfortably is a freedom from pests.
It’s impossible for a flock to lay down comfortably if they are being constantly harassed by flees, ticks and other insects.
I know that I could not lay down peacefully if a bunch of mosquitoes were biting me all through the night.
Similarly, sheep can’t sleep while being attacked.
“A good shepherd is diligent to keep his flock free from these pests.
Insect repellents, dips, and other methods of care are most important to the sheep’s health.
The shepherd is in and among his flock, keeping a watchful eye for problems.
He wants to catch them early so as not to allow them to spread or cause serious disease in the flock.
He is there to provide relief for his flock.”
The final thing that a sheep needs to lay down comfortably is to be free from hunger.
Sheep will not fall asleep if they are still hungry.
They will continue to look for food until they are filled and content.
A key part of a shepherd’s job is to ensure that his flock is well fed.
Many times, this would not only include finding food for the sheep, but also planting food for the sheep to eat.
This means that the shepherd would have to remove rocks and bush and plant grass.
It means that he would have to till the land and water it every day to ensure that his sheep will have a place to eat.
At the same time, the shepherd needed to have a place for the sheep to eat while he was growing a field.
Finding food for his sheep was an intimate labor of love.
The shepherd loves and provides for his flock!
Just like sheep, we need these things in order to feel comfortable.
Without these things, our minds race and we become anxious.
Sometimes we end up suffering from stress or anxiety because we do not have these things.
But I came here to let you know that you don’t have to suffer from these things because every one of these conditions is fulfilled in Jesus.
· When you are anxious and afraid Jesus is your peace!
At the end of my Jr. year of college I began to suffer from anxiety.
I was afraid of what the future held for me and I wasn’t sure whether or not I would have a job or be able to support myself after college.
I used to come home from class and break down because I was anxious and afraid and I did not know how to deal with it.
But then I would pray and whenever I let it go and talked to Jesus, I would feel peace.
He heard my prayers.
He started to work them out.
He not only gave me peace, but he brought my family and I to Columbia to serve Him for his glory.
Jesus not only brought me peace, but He brought my family security.
· When you feel like your in danger, Jesus is your protector!
In the middle of my Sophomore year in college I got my first car.
It was a 2007 Suzuki Forenza.
I loved that car and I had already started to fix it up and make it look good.
I got tints on the windows and was looking to get a stereo system for it.
I had big plans for it, until one fateful Wednesday night when I was taking one of my friends to Walmart and I got into a car accident.
A car had pulled out of a gate and I swerved off the road to avoid that car.
I ended up in a ditch that had a concrete sewer drain in it.
Both my passenger and I were in immediate danger.
I had literally hit a concrete wall head on going 45 MPH.
Truth be told I should probably be dead or at least hurt.
I ended up walking away from that car crash without a single scratch!
Jesus is my protector!
How many of you have been through a situation where you know that if it wasn’t for Jesus you might not be here right now?
Because Jesus is a good shepherd he protected me from death and I know He will protect you!
· When your going through a situation Jesus is your relief!
I have asthma.
Asthma is a condition that effects your lungs and therefore your ability to breathe easily.
Most people with asthma have an inhaler and often struggle to do sports and other activities that take a lot of physical effort.
As a kid I used to feel it way worse than I do now, but whenever I would have gym class or whenever I got sick I would have an asthma attack.
Basically, I couldn’t breathe, and I would get rushed to the emergency room.
And I remember one time sitting in the ER and praying asking God to bring me some relief and within 15 minutes I was able to breathe better and the doctors sent me home.
When your going through your problem and it feels like there is no help, Jesus is your relief!
· When you are in need He is your provider!
I graduated college about a month and a half ago.
Praise God!
And my wife and I had been praying about where we would go next, and the Lord directed us to come down to Columbia.
We didn’t have the finances to make this move.
I didn’t have the experience driving a U-haul with a car on the back.
We didn’t have a place down here to stay.
We were in need of so much, BUT GOD made provisions for it all.
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