The Shepherd Provides
Communion • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 50:28
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· 30 viewsAs our shepherd Jesus Christ provides for our every need. His provision requires certain responses from us.
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Introduction
Introduction
A mother bird cares for here young with ceaseless devotion and undivided attention.
She warms the eggs until they hatch.
After they hatch she makes countless trips to bring the food to her young.
She chews it up and delivers it to them in a way they can digest it.
Those young birds are entirely dependent upon the provision of the mother.
They wait patiently with open mouths waiting for her to fill them.
They trust that she is going to keep them fed.
The are confident that when she flies away, she has their best intentions at heart.
They know she will return.
They know she will feed them.
They know every need is supplied in her.
They simply wait.
This is a picture of our reliance upon the Lord, our shepherd.
He will provide.
God’s provision requires three things of us as His children.
As we learn these requirements we will be equipped to receive His provision.
His provision supplies everything we need for service and growth in the Christian life.
Requirement #1…
1. Provision Requires Submission
1. Provision Requires Submission
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
According to this first line, what does God do?
“He makes me to lie down in green pastures.”
The Hebrew word translated “makes” is causal.
God causes us to lie down.
In our opening illustration we talked about baby birds waiting on their mother. They have no choice but to depend on her provision.
We are waiting on the Lord, we await His provision.
That sounds beautiful, right?
It sounds like this peaceful scene.
However, notice what is happening in this verse.
We, as His sheep, are in green pastures. There we are, surrounded by the green food, surrounded by His provision.
Yet we are not content.
We are not at rest!
I picture the sheep here standing in the middle of a green field, looking at the next field over.
What does the good shepherd do?
He makes the sheep lie down.
Provision requires submission.
We are in the green pasture.
We are standing, surrounded by the abundance of His provision, and yet, we do not enjoy His provision until we yield ourselves to it!
This is a lesson we learn in Philippians 4:18-19.
Philippians 4:18-19
18 Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.
19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
The Philippians submitted to God by giving to Paul and his ministry.
Here the promise is that God will meet all their needs!
We submit ourselves to God, He provides our needs.
We will never have peace when we are looking at where we aren’t standing, what we don’t have, and what we feel we deserve.
What looks like green pasture in the next field over might just be artificial grass!
It might have snakes roaming where you can’t see.
It might be poisonous!
As our Shepherd makes us lie down we submit to Him.
If this is the field He has chosen, stay there until He moves you.
He has chosen for our nation to have its current leadership.
Submit to Him.
He has chosen for this pandemic to continue.
Submit to Him.
The difficulties and trials we endure are for our good.
He has chosen them.
Submit to Him.
Lie down in the green pasture where you are.
He provides as I yield myself to Him.
There is no provision when I resist.
If the mother bird comes to the nest and the babies refuse to open their mouths, they get no food.
Don’t resist the provision of the Lord.
#385 “Near The Cross”
There is rest for those who are near to Christ.
When we submit ourselves to Him, we find the peace we desire.
Requirement #1. Provision requires submission.
Requirement #2…
2. Provision Requires Trust
2. Provision Requires Trust
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
What does the shepherd make His sheep do?
“Lie down in green pastures.”
We’ve already discussed how the Shepherd makes His sheep lie down.
Now I want to examine what exactly He makes the sheep do.
He makes us lie down.
For many animals, lying down is a position of vulnerability.
This is especially true for sheep.
Why?
Because if a sheep somehow rolls unto its back, it cannot get up without help.
Let me show you a video of what happens.
What David is communicating here is that the sheep have to trust the shepherd.
He makes us lie down.
He places us in positions of vulnerability and we must trust Him in those circumstances.
We lie down in the green pastures because we know that God is in control!
We know that our Good Shepherd cares for His sheep!
We trust His protection.
You do not lie down if you do not feel safe.
We are safe in the arms of Jesus.
We submit to Him trusting that where He makes us lie down there is safety and there is provision!
We don’t lie down in barren wastelands, we lie down in green pastures.
This doesn’t mean there are not trials and troubles, there are, and we will be looking at them later in this Psalm.
The point is that When He provides He does so abundantly and completely.
Notice that He makes us lie down in green pastures. Plural.
This is abundance!
He always does exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or think!
Paul makes this point in Ephesians 3:20-21.
Ephesians 3:20-21
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
He gets all the glory because of His abundant provision.
He also provides completely.
This means that even when the provision isn’t what we would want and how we would want it, we trust that it is exactly what we need.
There will be times of trouble and pain, there will be times when it feels like everything is going wrong and it feels like God is against us.
It is in those times that we must trust our Savior!
Sheep depend on the shepherd to provide.
That seems like an obvious lesson, right?
Here is what I want to emphasize.
Sheep do not depend on themselves.
They do not depend on the sheep dog.
Sheep depend on the shepherd.
They trust Him.
Who are we depending on?
Look to the shepherd!
He is good. He is kind. He is gracious. He is loving and full of mercy!
Trust Him!
#330 “Only Trust Him”
There is one source of provision and salvation.
Jesus Christ.
Don’t trust in the uncertain things of this life. Trust in Jesus.
Provision requires submission.
Provision requires trust.
Requirement #3…
3. Provision Requires Confidence
3. Provision Requires Confidence
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
Our shepherd makes us lie down in green pastures.
David continues with another revelation here.
“He leads me beside the still waters.”
Leads is active.
We follow Him because we are confident in His leadership.
He knows where He is going and so we follow His lead.
This demands that we choose to follow.
The only way to really be confident in someone’s leadership is to observe them leading.
We do this by following.
Scripture also reveals how God has led others in the past.
We can be absolutely confident that God is going to lead us exactly where we need to go.
He actively leads.
Leads is also past tense.
David could only see that God was leading him beside still waters in hindsight.
He didn’t know where God was leading until they arrived.
The faithfulness of God is seen in the past, experienced in the present, and promised for the future.
Therefore, to see the faithfulness of God we must review the past.
Go with me to 2 Peter 1:12-15.
2 Peter 1:12-15
12 For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth.
13 Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you,
14 knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.
15 Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease.
Peter tells his audience that he is simply reminding them of things that they already know.
Why? Because looking back is important.
If we live for the moment, we will miss the benefit of fully grasping God’s faithfulness.
If we live only looking to the future, we miss what God is doing now.
Confidence in the Lord comes through recognizing that as He has led in the past, He is leading in the present, and He will lead in the future.
He leads us beside the still waters.
The water is still. This is a picture of calm. A picture of peace and tranquility.
It is also a picture of destination.
The wording here is very important.
He doesn’t lead to the still waters. He leads beside them.
This paints a picture of a cool refreshing drink as we travel.
He refreshes us on the journey but the destination has not yet been reached!
We follow Him because we are confident that He is leading us somewhere spectacular!
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 says
1 Corinthians 2:9-10
9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
We are confident in where God is leading because He has revealed it in His Word.
Our destination is heaven!
The cool refreshing times of this life are simply rest stops along the way!
We follow our Shepherd in confidence that He knows the destination.
He has revealed it to us.
What He has promised He will perform!
“Give Him Glory”
We give glory to creation’s God.
The great I AM!
Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 11:23-32
This is a time for believers to remember the price that was paid. To be reminded of the penalty of sin. Taking part of communion does not save you. This is simply a way for us to be reminded of what Christ has done. If you know the Lord as savior this morning, please join us in bread and juice as we remember Jesus Christ. These are only symbols, they represent the body and blood of our Savior. Examination – verses 26-32
1 Corinthians 11:26-32
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
OBSERVANCE OF COMMUNION
OBSERVANCE OF COMMUNION
1 Corinthians 11:23-32
The Bread (His Body) vv. 23-24 “Hallelujah, What A Savior!” (v. 1)
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;
24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
The Cup (His Blood) v. 25 “Hallelujah, What A Savior!” (v. 2)
25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Conclusion
Conclusion
We have learned three requirements for God’s provision.
It requires submission, trust, and confidence.
Let’s talk about practical application for a minute.
Personal: Intellectually we know that God is going to provide for our needs. Sometimes we view this provision as something that God just does. As if we have no involvement or requirement at all. This is the wrong way to think of God’s provision. We must submit to God in order to experience His provision. This can be me setting aside my plans and dreams in order to walk when, where, and how the Lord is leading. Commitment: Follow God’s leading don’t just wait for Him to provide. Practically this means we get a job, we seek advancement, further our education if necessary, and we learn to keep family, work, and ministry all as part of our balanced life.
Relationships: One area of God’s provision is in relationships, both friendships and more. This is an area in which we must trust God. What do I mean? He is going to provide in His will and in His timing. That may mean He will provide new relationships, it may mean He will help us be satisfied with what we have. They key is in trusting Him and being content with what He has given. Practically this means we are friendly but not desperate. We stick to the boundaries God has laid out in His Word. We don’t compromise.
Parenting: All three requirements we have talked about today play a significant role in parenting. Submission - we parent how God says, not how we feel. Trust - even when our children don’t respond how we want, we believe that God is in control. Confidence - we cling to the knowledge that God knows the outcome. We are confident that He is at work in the lives of our children. Commitment: Learn what God says about parenting. Practically speaking this could be a class, a book, or simply through your own study of the Bible.
Marriage: Again, all three are vital. We submit to God and to one another. We voluntarily yield our rights. We trust that marriage, done God’s way, is a blessing, joy, and a display of the power and majesty of God. We are confident that as we submit and trust God is going to use our marriage for His glory and our good. Commitment: Daily work to have a better marriage. Practically this means we give way to one another, we earn trust, and we take everything to the Lord.
COMMITMENT:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
As we are faithful in our service to Him, God has promised to supply all our needs.
He is a faithful God, He does not change. He provides.
However, His provision does not mean that nothing is required of us.
Submit to God’s placement.
He has us where He wants us for the time that He wants us there.
Trust the Lord no matter what.
There will be times of vulnerability and pain.
There will be times of fear.
Our Savior is in control!
Be confident that God knows what is coming.
As He leads us, He has a destination in mind.
This is how we grow.
We submit, we trust, and we follow Christ with confidence.
Our great God and Savior Jesus Christ is going to provide. Serve Him faithfully.