23 He leads me in paths of righteousness

Title: HE LEADS ME IN PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Text:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, 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 runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Intro: 1. A shepherd looks at the 23rd Psalm- Phillip Keller who grew up as a shepherd in East Africa

2. The 23rd Psalm is a year in the life of a shepherd

3. This Psalm is more about the shepherd than it is about the sheep

4. Doug last week talked about He restores my soul

5. Tonight- He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake

I. HE KEEPS THEM ON THE PATH

A. God has a path for each of us

1. While He is talking about leading the entire flock He also emphasizes the individual sheep

a. He leads me

b. David went beyond the basic model of a shepherd and his flock to emphasize God's guidance for the individual.

c. Jesus cares about each individual sheep

d. The good Shepherd calls His own sheep by name and leads them out

2. Most paths we learn from the Bible

a. Right from wrong

b. Some paths are specifically for us- His will for our lives, marriage partner, jobs

3. We trust the shepherd to take us along the right path

a. He works all things after the counsel of His will

b. For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the Lord. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope

c. all of us like sheep have gone astray we have each turn to our own way

d. and 16:25 there is a way which seems right to a man but the end leads to death

e. NLT- Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take

B. Path of righteousness

1. Righteousness is what is right with God. What lines up with His will for our lives

2. The right path brings the right results

a. We may not like it. It may not be the easy way. It is His will, His plan for us

3. Our lives are about Him

a. If we really believe the Bible then our lives on this earth are about obedience to God’s will

b. Fulfilling the plan He has for us in His grand scheme of things, whether long or short

* He keeps us on the path

II. HE KEEPS US ON THE MOVE

A. Routines can become ruts

1. Sheep are creatures of habit. If left to themselves they will follow the same trails until they become ruts, graze the same pastures until the ground is corrupt and diseased

2. A common misconception is that sheep can get along anywhere but the truth is no other class of livestock requires more careful handling and more detailed directions than sheep

3. There is a saying that a piece of land has been “sheeped” to death. If Sheep are not moved they will eat all of the grass and even the roots so that the land will not grow food any longer

4. Then these barren worn-out areas become infested with parasites of all kinds

5. I am a creature of habit. I like my routine and don’t like for it to be interrupted

6. If we aren’t careful that routines don’t become ruts

a. Places where we get bored, stagnant and starve to death

B. Keep the sheep moving

1. The greatest single safeguard a Shepherd has in handling his flock is to keep them on the move

a. A good shepherd might move his sheep to a fresh field almost every week

b. Some shepherds set up a base camp and fan out in wide circles like a cloverleaf covering a new pasture every day returning to camp each night

2. How do we keep growing in our walk with God and not get stuck?

a. Keep moving

1) Walk (keep walking) in the light so that the darkness does not overtake you

2) Oral Roberts- Salvation is like riding a bicycle, if you stop you will fall over

3) You can’t steer a car unless it’s moving

b. Try new things

1) Get out of your comfort zone- Madison- tent, bucket showers

2) Stretch yourself- the thinner you are the easier it is for God to break through

3) New challenges- Sacred pathways, new version of the Bible, commentary

* He keeps us on the move

III. FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE

A. It’s His reputation that is on the line

1. People judge the shepherd on the condition of his sheep

a. On the way to Colorado we saw feedlot/slaughterhouses- no grass, no care

2. People make judgments about Jesus based on our lives

3. The purpose of our lives is to bring Him glory

a. What glory does God get out of a sinful life?

b. Glory- to form an opinion

4. He leads us in good paths for us so He can be glorified, for the sake of His name

B. Christian maturity

1. Self-centered

a. Most people get saved because of what God can do for them, their own good, feelings

2. Others-centered

a. We care about others, sharing our faith, serving, helping (how it makes us feel)

3. God-centered

a. Our motivation is our love for God

1) We avoid sin because of how it makes God feel

2) We are concerned for how God feels and how He is viewed by others

* He wants us to bring Him glory

Cncl: 1. One of the reasons I got saved is because I was hurting our family name

2. Healthy sheep are a good reflection of the shepherd

a. He keeps us on the right path

b. He keeps us moving and growing

c. So we can represent Him well

Altr: 1. Salvation

2. In a rut

3. Self-centered, others-centered, God-centered