The Good Shepherd
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· 6 viewsThe LORD God cares for us through his provision, presence,
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Illustration: Our common need of a Shepherd to give us rest for our weary souls
Illustration: becomingminimalist.com
Contentment: How to Find This Unmistakeable Freedom
Realizing joy is not found in our possessions.
Contentment is the lifeblood of minimalism
Finding Contentment:
Practice Gratitude
Take Control of your Attitude
Break the buying habit
Stop comparing yourself to others
Help others
Be content with what you have, never with what you are
Content is a choice
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
Transition To Body- King David’s Good Shepherd
Transition To Body- King David’s Good Shepherd
1 I love you, O Lord, my strength.
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
1 Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
Psalm 23 within group of Psalms from Psalm 18 to Psalm 30
Body
Body
Sufficiency of the LORD’s Nurturing Guidance
Sufficiency of the LORD’s Nurturing Guidance
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
Why green pastures?
The “green pastures” are the rich and verdant pastures, where the sheep need not move from place to place to be satisfied (Eze 34:14; Jan 10:9)
Why still waters?
The sheep can drink without being rushed (Isa 32:18)
The LORD makes me...
The LORD leads me...
Restoration of my Soul Through Righteousness
Restoration of my Soul Through Righteousness
3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Restores- gives enjoyment to life
Soul in this context means “me”
Leading Me Where I Need To Go
Leading Me Where I Need To Go
Again, The LORD leads me...
Although “paths of righteousness” may have an unusual ring to our ears, it can mean no more than the “right path,” that is, the one that gets you where you need to go.
(for His namesake)
1 The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. 2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. 3 Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
6 By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil. 7 When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. 8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice. 9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
Comfort of the LORD’S Protecting Presence
Comfort of the LORD’S Protecting Presence
4 Even 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.
The Shepherd’s care is symbolized by the “rod” and the “staff.” A Shepherd carried a “rod” to club down wild animals (1 Sa 17:43; 2 Sa 23:21) and a “staff” to keep the sheep in control.
The rod and staff represent God’s constant vigilance over his own and bring “comfort” because of his personal presence and involvement with his sheep.
Power Of The LORD’s Overflowing Anointing
Power Of The LORD’s Overflowing Anointing
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”
anoint, smear, rub on, i.e., smear an object with a liquid or semi-liquid, as a ceremony of preparation for a feast
James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).
overflowing, i.e., to run out a mass of fluid over a container
James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).
The LORD Vindicates His Anointed Servant
The LORD Vindicates His Anointed Servant
The LORD vindicates his servant “in the presence of his enemies,” expressing both the adversities of life itself as well as God’s demonstration of his love towards his own.
Transition To Close- The LORD God The Good Shepherd
Transition To Close- The LORD God The Good Shepherd
The psalmist’s experience of God’s “goodness and love” is equivalent to dwelling “in the house of the LORD.”
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Surely = only
Mercy= steadfast love
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Our Good Shepherd Through Scripture
Our Good Shepherd Through Scripture
The LORD God the Good Shepherd to Adam & Eve- Covering our sin!
The LORD God the Good Shepherd to Noah- Showing Favor & Remembering the Righteous & Blameless in their generation
The LORD God the Good Shepherd to Abraham & Sarah- Keeper of promises
The LORD God the Good Shepherd to Joseph- Turning what they meant for evil into Good.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
The LORD God the Good Shepherd of Moses & God’s people-
I love the LORD! He heard my cry!- link to John 6
The LORD God the Good Shepherd of David- Psalm 23
The LORD God the Good Shepherd of Solomon- providing wisdom to his chosen one!
The LORD God the Good Shepherd of the prophet Elijah- turning back the hearts of the people to the LORD God!
The LORD God the Good Shepherd of the prophet Jeremiah-
7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.”
Jacob’s Good Shepherd
Jacob’s Good Shepherd
14 And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn). 15 And he blessed Joseph and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,
Israel’s Good Shepherd
Israel’s Good Shepherd
8 The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed. 9 Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever.
1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.
6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! 7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice,
1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 3 Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Close- Jesus Christ The Good Shepherd
Close- Jesus Christ The Good Shepherd
4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?
13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.
14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
1 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.
18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”