The 23rd Psalm Lesson 1
Psalm 23 Lesson one • Sermon • Submitted
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The Pearl Of The Psalms vs 1-2
The Pearl Of The Psalms vs 1-2
This has been labeled the "Pearl of the Psalms." This wonderful psalm has the perfumed fragrance of perpetual peace, secure serenity, triumphant trust, and confident calm.
This Psalm is one of the most well known and best loved of all the passages in the Bible. Here, Jesus is pictured as the Great Shepherd.
You see, Psalm 22
pictures the death of Jesus for sinners. His death is the event which made it possible for us to be saved, Rev. 1:5
Psalm 24 and 1 Thess. 4:17
pictures the end of the age, when the King Himself will reign in perfect righteousness. On that day, those who have been washed in His blood and saved by His grace will reign with Him,
But, between the time we get saved, and the day we go home to heaven, there is a life to live! That is where Psalm 23 comes into play.
In these six precious verses, we are allowed to listen in as one of the Lord's children lifts his heart in song to honor the Lord he loves.
In these verses, David tells us that there is plenty to get excited about when it comes to our Lord
and His goodness in our lives.
Friends, it isn't all doom and gloom today!
If you know the Great Shepherd, you have plenty to be excited about.
Let's listen in on David's song today.
Let's listen as one of God's little sheep sings The Song Of The Great Shepherd Psalm 23 has dried many tears
and supplied the vessel into which many hearts have poured their peaceful faith.
For some, the words of this psalm have been the final ones that have graced their lips before entering eternity.
I. THE PERSON OF THE SHEPHERD— Psalm 23:1
1 The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I lack.
1 The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I lack.
This is a short verse, but carries volumes of truth. David says, "The Lord is my shepherd." It is believed these words were penned late in David's life, perhaps when he was being pursued by Absalom.
A.When the Lord is truly first in our lives, He is our shepherd.
David calls Him Lord. Some people call Him God.
Some people call Him Friend. Some people call Him Father.
Some people know Him as Jesus. That is Who David is talking about!
This great God has placed His Name all over this Psalm.
* God is with us wherever we go. He will never leave or forsake us.
God supplied the need of Abraham when he offered up Isaac in Genesis 22.
God's provision of the ram demonstrated the truth that God provides the right things that we precisely need because He sees and knows what our needs are.
* God also provides for us in the right places.
God provided the ram on top of the mountain where Abraham needed it.
Sometimes we miss out on God's blessings because we are not in the right place at the right time.
We are not where we are supposed to be.
How many miss out on the blessings in church because they are absent from the service?
God's provision for Abraham demonstrated the fact that God always provides the right things for us in the right place at the right time.
* God is always on time. He is never late
David said with confidence and explicitness, "The Lord IS MY shepherd."
He does not say, "The Lord might be my shepherd or is --------- a ------- shepherd.
No, David states, "He is my shepherd."
Jacob said the same thing in Genesis 48. Genesis 48:15—And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,
The word "fed me" can also be translated "shepherded me."
* If Christ is your Savior, He is yours and you are His.
You can know this for certain because God tells us so.
13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
16 The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children,
Is the Lord your shepherd?
27 My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the true shepherd of mankind.
He never forget us, fails us, or forsakes us.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
B. Christians are His sheep.
A contented David speaks as one of God's lambs. As sheep, we need a shepherd in our lives. Isaiah made this very clear.
6 We all went astray like sheep;
we all have turned to our own way;
and the Lord has punished Him
for the iniquity of us all.
Sheep cannot exist without men. They are domestic animals dependent upon the care of men.
1.We are dependent upon the Lord.
We need Him to shepherd us! You won't find sheep being used as a national symbol like eagles, lions, and bears. Why not?
Sheep are stupid and stubborn.
Have you ever seen a group of trained sheep in a circus? Sheep are dumb animals that do not learn well and are not easily trained.
They do not see and hear well.
Their sight is fourteen feet and they do not see the approach of danger with ease. Sheep are dependent and defenseless.
They are awkward, not very fast, have no camouflage, and not much of a bite. They are not candidates for king of the forest.
They have no weapons for defense and no sense of direction which causes them to wander off and get lost easily. They are prone to stray.
Sheep also scare easily and are confused with little effort. In a panic, they have been known to plunge over the edge of a cliff. These traits reveal sheep need a shepherd. So do we!
* He finds us.
In religion, men seek-------- God.
In Christianity, God seeks -------------men.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness;
but is longsuffering to us; not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance
9 The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.
* He feeds .
He leads us to green pastures. He supplies our needs.
The shepherd's job was a lowly job and very demanding.
It was a 24-hour, seven days a week task. Our Lord stoops to take care of us every moment of the day.
Shepherds do not drive their sheep. They lead them.
Jesus leads us too. He does not drive us like cattle.
* He carress us with gentle love.
He holds us close and picks us up when we need His love and encouragement. David says, "The Lord is my shepherd." The word "shepherd" is also translated "feeder, keeper, companion, pastor and friend." The Lord is a feeder that provides for us. He is a keeper that protects us from danger. He is a companion that cheers and a friend that helps us up in our time of need.
He is a pastor that comforts and challenges His sheep and a shepherd that leads them on a narrow path.
* He flails us.
The Lord chastens us when we have been disobedient.
* He furbishes us.
The Lord washes or cleanses us by His Word and forgiveness.
* He folds us.
He dwells with us and will never leave us.
We are His temple and His Spirit lives within us
II. THE PLEASURE OF THE SHEEP—
1 The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I lack.
David is speaking as a satisfied, contented lamb.
Why do we have contentment and satisfaction in Christ?
What does the Lord provide for us?
A. God's Provision for the Believer
1. He provides our supplies and for our stress and straits.
19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
2. He provides security and sweet companionship.
5 Your life should be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.
5 You are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
3. He provides strength and shelter in trials.
1 Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me,
for I take refuge in You.
I will seek refuge in the shadow of Your wings
until danger passes.
4. He provides the way of salvation and victory.
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
5. He provides site and a sense of direction for us.
8 I will instruct you and show you the way to go;
with My eye on you, I will give counsel.
6. He provides the Scriptures for our spiritual growth.
6 If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished by the words of the faith and the good teaching that you have followed.
7. He provides sleep or rest.
29 All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves.
a) When God is doing the providing, He can use anything He wants, to bring the provision to you.
For Elijah—He used ravens.
For Peter—He used a fish that had a coin to pay the taxes.
For Balaam—He used a donkey to speak God's message.
b) Our provisions are limited not by our circumstances, but by the ability of God.
* No one has ever or will ever discover the limits of God's great ability.
Captain Johnson was serving as chaplain on an island in the South Pacific during World War II.
He prepared to go on a bombing raid on enemy-occupied islands several hundred miles away.
The mission was a complete success, but on the homeward course the plane began to lose altitude and the engines faded out.
A safe landing was made on a strange island.
It was learned later that the enemy was just one-half mile in each direction, yet the landing had gone undetected.
The staff sergeant came to the chaplain and said,
"Chaplain, you have been telling us for months of the need of praying and believing God answers prayer in time of trouble, and that He does it right away.
We're out of gas, our base is several hundred miles away and we are almost surrounded by the enemy."
Johnson began to pray and lay hold of the promises and believed that God would work a miracle.
Night came and the chaplain continued his intense prayer.
About 2 A.M. the sergeant awakened and felt compelled to walk to the water's edge.
He discovered a metal float, which had drifted up on the beach—and octane gas.
In a few hours the crew reached their home base safely.
An investigation revealed that the skipper of a U.S. tanker,
finding his ship in sub-infested waters,
had his gasoline cargo removed so as to minimize the danger in case of a torpedo hit.
Barrels were placed on barges and put adrift
six hundred miles
from where Johnson and the plane crew were forced down.
God had navigated one of these barges through wind
and current and beached it
fifty steps from the stranded men.
When God is doing the providing,
He can use anything He wants, to bring the provision to you.
Our provisions are limited not by our circumstances,
but by the ability of God.
25 I have been young and now I am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned
or his children begging for bread.
B. "My God" The Supplier
19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
1. The Sovereign of the Supply—"My God"
When you can't see a solution, my God shall supply.
When men ignore or don't recognize your need, my God shall supply.
When there is no other source, my God shall supply.
When you are alone and unknown, my God shall supply.
You may wonder, "Is the Lord personally involved in my life?
Is He available to me right now?
Does God just know about my needs or will He meet them?"
The answers to all these questions are "Yes!"
He is alive and well!
2. The Security and Sureness of the Supply—"shall supply"
David said in Psalm 23, "I shall not want or lack anything." When others do not come to your aid, He will.
When you cannot meet your need, He will.
When there is no way or solution to solve your need, He will.
He supplied deliverance for the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace,
for Daniel in the lion's den,
for David from Goliath's might,
and for Gideon when he battled the Midianites against overwhelming odds. He provided for His people as they wandered through the wilderness for forty years.
3.The Sum and Sufficiency of the Supply—"all your need"
God can care for all your needs. We fail to distinguish between needs----------- and desires sometimes. God will supply all your need, not all your greed; not all your wishes and desires, but all your needs; not all of what you "think" you need, but all your need.
4. The Standard and Source of Supply—"according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" * We have a wealthy Heavenly Father. His wealth is immeasurable.
He is the One who created diamonds, rubies, gold, silver, and oil. No one can come close to comparison in the wealth of God. He can supply any need we have now and in the future. In Christ we have a wonderful inheritance waiting for us. As we have seen in the Bible, God can supply our needs from the most unexpected sources. Animals have been His butlers and waitresses. John Brenz, a friend of Martin Luther, remembered , while he was hiding from the Spanish Cavalry. Emperor Charles V had repeatedly tried to kill him and on one occasion almost succeeded. Brenz barely heard of the dangerous plot when he quickly grabbed a loaf of bread and hid in his neighbor's hayloft. For two long weeks he concealed himself in the loft. The bread did not last long at all, but the Lord sent a hen who showed up and laid an egg each day for fourteen days, keeping Brenz alive. The chicken did not show up on the fifteenth day, but from the streets Brenz heard the shouts of the people, "The cavalrymen are gone at last!" God miraculously cared for his servant. In a similar way, a dog provided for the needs of another reformer, John Craig, who was arrested during the Spanish Inquisition. On the eve of his scheduled execution, John escaped. While fleeing through the Italian wilderness, John ran out of provisions. Suddenly, a dog approached him with a purse in its mouth. John tried to drive the dog away, but he persisted in bringing the purse to Craig. In the purse was enough money to take John to freedom. God used a spider to protect Robert Bruce of Scotland. He was running for his life, fleeing persecutors. He hid in a small cave and a spider immediately appeared and began to spin a web over the entrance of the cave. Bruce's pursuers searched the countryside. Two of them approached the cave, but when they saw the unbroken web of the spider, they concluded he could not be hiding in the cave. Bruce breathed this prayer, "O God, I thank Thee that in the tiny bowels of a spider, you can place for me a shelter." FOLKS,---------don't you see! All of creation is at God's disposal to take care of us!--------- and our needs!
David says with decisive confidence, "I shall not want....I shall not lack anything!" Can we have this kind of confidence too? What can we be confident about as Christians and where does our confidence come from? The Bible gives us the answers.
C. WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT "CONFIDENCE"
1. We can have confidence in Danger.
3 Though an army deploys against me,
my heart is not afraid;
though a war breaks out against me,
still I am confident.
The word "confident," in this verse describes a bold, secure, carefree confidence. God gives us a calm when there is calamity and confusion all around us.
2. We can have confidence in times of Death.
When death comes our way, or in the life of a saved loved one, we know that we will go be with the Lord when we die and can be confident of God's promise to us that we will be present with the Lord.
6 So, we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.
8 and we are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord.
3. We can have confidence when we are Down or Discouraged.
29 When others are humiliated and you say, “Lift them up,”
God will save the humble.
Job says, "When you are cast down, you will speak with confidence or lifting up, and the humble person He will save." The Lord can lift us up when we are having a difficult time.
4. We can have confidence when Delivering the Word of God.
We do not have to be intimidated when speaking the truths of Scripture.
29 And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that Your slaves may speak Your message with complete boldness,
The word "boldness" can be translated "fearless confidence."
