THE JOURNEY - PSALM 23

BIG IDEA: AS WE GO THROUGH SEASONS, WE COME OUT STRONGER FOR HIS GLORY.

TODAY MARKS THE BEGINNING OF OUR NEW SERIES: “REBIRTH.” THE PURPOSE OF REBIRTH IS TO DRAW OUR ATTENTION TO GOD’S DESIRE TO GRANT US NEWNESS - HOPE - COURAGE - ON THE OTHER SIDE OF WHAT WE’VE JUST GONE THROUGH...

REBIRTH - COMING OUT - STEPPING INTO - BEING MADE NEW (FOR OUR LIVES, FAMILIES, & ESPECIALLY, OUR CHURCH)!

I HAVE BEEN LED TO PASSAGES WHERE FOLKS “WENT THROUGH,” “PRESSED THROUGH,” AND CAME OUT!”

JESUS IN THE WILDERNESS..

PAUL ON THE DAMASCUS ROAD...

THE DISCIPLES ON THE SEA...

AND TODAY (PSALM 23), THE JOURNEY THROUGH THE VALLEY...

OF ALL THE TIMES I’VE READ PSALM 23, OF RECENT, IT STRUCK ME AS ONE ON A JOURNEY...

THE PSALMIST SEEMS TO BE MOVING THROUGH SEASONS AND SITUATIONS HEADED TOWARDS A DESTINATION.

AND AS HE STEPS, HE DISCOVERS SUPPORT - GUIDANCE AND PROVISIONS...

PS. 23 - 1 The Lord is my shepherd;

NOW WHILE TRANSLATIONS DIFFER ON EVERY PHRASE AND VERSE IN PSALM 23, THERE IS UNIVERSAL CONSENSUS ON VERSE 1A...

THE PSALMIST DECLARES: THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE IS PERSONAL TO ME...

MY SHEPHERD...

OF COURSE, DAVID, THE PSALMIST WAS A SHEPHERD, SO HE KNEW THE INTRICACIES OF THIS ASSIGNMENT...

SHEPHERDS LOVINGLY LEAD, AND SHEEP JOYFULLY FOLLOW.

THAT’S THE RELATIONSHIP...

YOU DON’T WANT TO GO ANYWHERE WITHOUT A LOVING SHEPHERD...

SHEEP NEED SHEPHERDING - PROTECTING - GUIDING - NURTURING - LOVING.

AWWW BELOVED, LOOK AT WHAT WE JUST WENT THROUGH:

SEPARATION - WORLD-WIDE TRAUMA - ILLNESS - LOSS - CHANGE...

AND AS WE ENDURED EVERY MOMENT - EVERY SEASON - EVERY LOSS - THE LORD HAS BEEN OUR SHEPHERD...

AND WITH THAT ONE CLAUSE ESTABLISHED, WE’RE ON THE JOURNEY...

HERE IS OUR FIRST MOVEMENT: I CALL IT -

THE BEAUTY OF THE JOURNEY!!!

1) THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD; I HAVE WHAT I NEED. 2) HE LETS ME LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES; HE LEADS ME BESIDE QUIET WATERS. 3) HE RENEWS MY LIFE; HE LEADS ME ALONG THE RIGHT PATHS FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE.

THERE’S BEAUTY IN OUR PARTNERSHIP IN THIS JOURNEY...

BUT DONT GET IT TWISTED…THIS PARTNERSHIP ISN’T ABOUT EQUALITY, BUT ABOUT SUBMISSION…AS WE SURRENDER - AS WE FOLLOW - OUR SHEPHERD ENSURES THAT WE ARE WELL CARED FOR...

SHEEP VS CATTLE: CATTLE ARE DRIVEN (BY FORCE & FEAR)…CATTLE MUST OFTEN BE BEATEN INTO SUBMISSION...

BUT NOT SHEEP…SHEEP ARE LED! LOVINGLY LED!

WATCH THESE VERSES:

WE HAVE (EVERYTHING) WE NEED

HE LETS US LIE

HE LEADS US TO

HE RENEWS OUR LIVES

HE LEADS US RIGHTLY

THIS IS THE BEAUTY OF OUR JOURNEY!!!

AND IT IS EVIDENT THAT THE SHEPHERD IS LEADING US SOMEWHERE!

HE’S NOT LEADING US IN CIRCLES - HE’S LEADING US TO GREENER PASTURES - HE’S LEADING US TO DELIVERANCE - HE’S LEADING US TO GREATER....

TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT UPON YOUR JOURNEY…ISN’T IT JUST LIKE GOD TO TAKE US TO SOMETHING, ONLY TO CARRY US THROUGH THAT SAME SOMETHING?

THE DIFFICULTY IN THE JOURNEY!!!

4) EVEN WHEN I GO THROUGH THE DRKEST VALLEY, I FEAR NO DANGER; FOR YOU ARE WITH ME; YOUR ROD AND YOUR STAFF - THEY COMFORT ME. 5) YOU PREPARE A TABLE BEFORE ME IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES; YOU ANOINT MY HEARD WITH OIL; MY CUP OVERFLOWS.

THE VICTORY THROUGH THE JOURNEY!!!

6) ONLY GOODNESS AND FAITHFUL LOVE WILL PURSUE ME ALL THE DAY SOF MY LIFE, AND I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD AS LONG AS I LIVE.