23 He makes me lie down

Title: HE MAKES ME LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES, HE LEADS ME BESIDE STILL WATERS

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

4. The strange thing about sheep is that it is nearly impossible to make them lie down unless certain requirements are met

5. The shepherd must create an environment of peace and security for the sheep to lie down

I. FREE FROM FEAR

A. Perceived fear

1. Sheep

a. They are timid and easily panic so that even the straight jackrabbit can stampede a whole herd.

b. When one startled she runs in fright dozen others were bolt with it in fear not waiting to see what is frightening them

c. As long as there is the slightest suspicion of danger from dogs, coyotes or cougars or other enemies sheep standup ready to flee for their lives

d. They have little or no means of self-defense

e. They are helpless timid feeble creatures who’s only recourse is to run

2. Us

a. Fear and worry are usually spent on things that will never happen

b. FEAR- False Evidence Appearing Real

c. Worry doesn’t take away our problems, it takes away our peace

d. Worry is the darkroom in which negatives are developed

e. Faith and fear are the same. Faith or fear is the expectation of an event that hasn't come to pass or the belief in something that cannot be seen or touched- Andy Andrews

f. People say I just want to prepare for the worst

g. The inspiration of the Christian comes not from fear of what God will do to him, but from the inspiration of what God has done for him- William Barclay

h. 18 We need have no fear of someone who loves us perfectly; his perfect love for us eliminates all dread of what he might do to us. If we are afraid, it is for fear of what he might do to us and shows that we are not fully convinced that he really loves us.

B. Shepherds Presence

1. Sheep

a. The only thing that will quiet and reassure them is to see the shepherd in the field with them

b. The presence of their owner and protector puts them at ease as nothing else can do

2. Us

a. There is nothing like Christ's presence to dispel fear panic and the terror of the unknown. generally it is the unknown and unexpected that produce the greatest panic

b. If a sheep hears a noise they should only look up to see if the shepherd is there

c. Sometimes you just want to have your parents there or your pastor there

d. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you

e. Fear not for I am with you

f. Not 365 times but 103 times in the KJV but that’s enough

g. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but love, power and a disciplined mind

* To calm our fears He gives us His presence

II. FREE FROM FRICTION

A. Friction with others

1. Sheep

a. And every animal Society there is the stamping order of dominance within the group

1) Birds- pecking order, cattle- horning order, sheep- butting order

2) Generally an old domineering ewe will be the boss of any bunch of sheep

3) She maintains her position of dominance by biting and driving either use or lambs away from the best grazing areas

4) , I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign Lord. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak. But I will destroy those who are fat and powerful. I will surely judge between the fat sheep and the scrawny sheep. For you fat sheep pushed and butted and crowded my sick and hungry flock until you scattered them to distant lands. So I will rescue my flock, and they will no longer be abused.

b. Because of the competition for status and self-assertion there is friction in the flock and the sheep cannot lie down and rest in contentment 1) Always they must stand up and defend their rights in contend the challenge of the intruder

c. The only thing to stop them is the presence of the shepherd

1) He will discipline them in front of the other sheep

2) Sometimes the shepherd will break their legs to make them less independent

d. Rooted in selfishness- want to be first

2. Us

a. Stronger personalities taking advantage of weaker ones

b. I’ve seen many small churches controlled by older domineering men & women

c. Do it behind the pastors back, never in his presence

d. God works through unity

1) Every time in Acts “accord” there are miracles around it

2) Be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace

B. Oppression

1. Sheep

a. Sheep that are tormented by flies and parasites will not lie down

1) Sheep in the summer can be driven crazy by nasal flies and ticks

2) Instead of lying down and resting they are standing on their feet stomping their legs shaking their heads ready to rush off into the bushes for relief from these pests

b. A good shepherd will apply various types of insect repellent on his sheep

1) He will see that they are dipped to clear their fleeces of ticks

2) He will see that there shelterbelts of trees and bushes available where they can find refuge from the tormentors

2. Us

a. It is not God’s will for us to be oppressed

1) Christians can not be demon possessed, but they can be oppressed

2) When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd

3) The Lord also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, A stronghold in times of trouble

b. The good shepherd anoints us with the oil of the Holy Spirit

1) This is one of the main functions of the Holy Spirit

2) He is symbolized by oil which brings healing relief and comfort from the abrasive of life

* For the friction in our lives He gives us His protection and peace

III. FREE FROM WANT

A. Food and water

1. Sheep

a) They won’t lie down as long as they feel in need of finding food or water

b) Green pastures don't just happen by chance

1) They are the product of tremendous labor time and skill in land-use

2) Clearing rough rocky land, tearing out brush, stumps

3) Planting seeds and irrigating with water

4) Providing green pastures help the flock to fill up quickly so they could lie down and rest comfortably

c) Still waters

1) The body of an animal like a sheep is about 70% water

2) Water is needed to maintain normal body metabolism it is a portion of every cell

2. Us

a) To eat and drink spiritually means to take in or to believe it

b) Our food is the Bible and prayer is our drink

c) Jesus said in if any man is thirsty let him come to me and drink

d) First command- eat freely

e) Last command- drink freely

f) For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water

g) We continually fight our independent spirit, self-sufficiency

B. Preparation

1. The shepherd must go before the sheep and prepare the land for them

a. Clearing and fertilizing the fields, salt, minerals

b. Finding the best paths were clean water Is available

2. No matter what you are going through, the shepherd has already been there

a. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin

b. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested

c. Through suffering He became the pioneer of our salvation (trailblazer)

d. He’s been there, done that, bought the T-shirt

3. Provision

a. My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory

* For our needs He gives us His provision

Cncl: 1. We have such an amazing shepherd. Our job is just to stay close to Him

2. In horse races they put blinders on the horses to keep them focused

a. Blinders were invented by a preacher who bet that his horse could walk up the stairs in his home, which the horse did with no problem at all. But, when he tried to coax the horse down again, it wouldn’t budge! So, the preacher covered the horses head and lead him down. He realized that covering all or part of the horse’s vision could encourage the horse to take chances it would not normally take

b. Horses have their eyes at the sides of their heads, which indicates that they are hunted in nature, similar to rabbits and deer, as opposed to the hunters such as cats and dogs

3. The sheep’s entire goal is to keep their eyes on the shepherd

4. If you are fearful- His presence will give you peace

5. If you are dealing with friction He will be your protection

6. If you have a need He will be your provision

Altr: 1. Is He your shepherd?

2. Fear/Worry, Friction/oppression, Needs