The Lord is My Shepherd - College

These past 2 years have been nuts.

I’m still trying to figure out what to think of it all.

I still am not sure about what my thoughts are about all that we’ve been through.

I have learned that our Western culture and society are incredibly fragile.

We once thought that we were the strongest and sturdiest of all societies.

The things that we have boasted in suddenly seem very weak.

Our economy has been hurt.

There is inflation.

Things cost more than they should cost.

It’s hard to purchase things.

I work for a company that provides technology services to schools.

Late last year we ordered 30 computers, paid the money, and we only receive 15.

The company then refunds the money.

It’s like they don’t money.

Our culture has been rocked.

Our massive entertainment industry is at the mercy of Covid.

Sports seasons done before they started.

It’s not uncommon for a concert, or football game to be cancelled hours before it starts.

Just a couple months ago, there was supposed to be the Holiday Bowl at Petco Park in San Diego.

The cost to transform Petco Park from a baseball stadium to a football stadium for 1 game was $2.2 million.

4 hours prior to the game it was cancelled.

$2.2 million gone.

Our society has panicked.

Grocery stores are empty.

Remember you couldn’t buy toilet paper?

Our culture, our society is scared.

At times it seems as if we are on the edge of insanity.

We are like a brushfire about to erupt.

Everything is ready for a massive inferno .

And yet, we are told to be different.

Peter told us that we are to have a hope that lies within us.

In Philippians 4:4-7, Paul gave a series of commands to describe Christians in hard times.

And the message was this:

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

That should describe us now.

We should be distinct from the culture around us.

We should be able to rejoice.

Our rejoicing and our reasonableness, our level headedness should be known to the world around us.

We should not be panicking.

We should not be a voice of anger.

Paul said to not to be anxious.

So the grocery store has no toilet paper … God is still ruling.

So you have to wear a mask … God is still ruling.

So you have to get a vaccine … God is still ruling.

We should be a people who are seen as level headed, who:

Make their requests of God.

And who are seen as calm even while turmoil is all around us.

People should want us around them because we don’t feed into the frenzy.

And how do we do this?

To answer that question we will look at a familiar Psalm.

You’ve probably got it memorized.

Psalm 23.

A Psalm that tells us the Lord is our shepherd.

Why is this appropriate?

Because we need to be reminded, we need to be comforted in the reality that the Lord is our shepherd, who guides us through life.

We need to find hope and live as a people who have hope.

Let’s look at Psalm 23.

Read Psalm 23.

Psalm 23 gives us 3 reasons to trust God as our shepherd through perilous times.

The first reason to trust God in perilous times is because God is a Shepherd who is proactive.

There is a heretical doctrine called open theism.

This heresy says that God has no plan.

That He just makes things up as they go.

That God is just responding to trouble as they come in life.

You ever play ping pong.

Ping pong is a game of reflexes.

And you got to have quick reflexes.

Open theism makes God a ping pong player with life.

You hit the ball here.

God reacts and hits the ball back.

He’s a juggler keeping all of life in the air.

Always responding.

Open theism is not a comfort.

If God is not in control of everything, then He’s not God.

If anything were to take God by surprise, then we should panic.

If God were to ever say, “Oops” you should be worried.

God is not reactionary.

He isn’t in heaven wondering what will happen next.

He is sovereign.

He has eternal decrees.

There are things that He has planned.

And He planned these things before the foundation of the world.

When He said, “Let there be light ...” He knew where creation was going.

In fact, that’s what prophecy is.

It’s stating what He will do.

Compared to open theism, David gives us a different view of God.

Look at Psalm 23.

Verses 1-3 give us a God, a Shepherd who is proactive.

He begins with “The LORD is my shepherd.”

LORD in all capital letters, means we are talking about Yahweh.

This is the holy and precious name of God.

Verses 1-3 give us 5 ways that Yahweh, proactively leads us as a shepherd.

First, the Lord provides what you need.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

When I was a kid, I read that line wrong.

I read it as, “The LORD is my shepherd, who I don’t want.”

As if it is saying, “I shall not want God.”

Obviously wrong.

But you notice, that there is a semi colon after, “The Lord is my shepherd”.

So the phrase, “I shall not want” is the reality of God being my shepherd.

I need nothing.

I want nothing, because I have a good shepherd who gives all that I need.

There is never a want that is unfulfilled, because God is a shepherd.

Like a shepherd who sees His sheep and leads them to places of food.

God sees you and makes sure you have all that you need.

The culture around us is not living like this.

My neighbor has more toilet paper then me.

I better buy more.

God provides exactly what you need.

This means learning to live with what God has given you.

In Philippians 4:11-13 Paul says something interesting, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

He had to learn to live in contentment.

He said those words while in prison.

That contentment was present when he had a little and when he a lot.

Does this mean that you will never be short of cash or ever be hungry?

No.

You’re college students.

Not exactly the most wealthy demographic.

But it means that as far as the plan of God is concerned, He’s giving you all that is needed.

I remember being a kid and playing Zelda for the first time on my NES, my original Nintendo.

There were times I’d be in a dungeon.

I was stuck.

I didn’t know where to go.

I didn’t know how to pass the dungeon.

The designer of the game, had given me all that I needed.

I’d go through my inventory.

I had a boomerang.

I could use it to freeze a bad guy.

Pass the level.

In the same way, God has given you what you need to do what He has commissioned you to do.

Our job is to learn to live with this understanding.

Learn to be content.

We have to learn to find our satisfaction in knowing the Lord.

And He is our Shepherd.

He is leading us.

My satisfaction is not in whether or not I have to wear a mask, get a shot, or eat outside.

My satisfaction is trusting that God is a shepherd who gives us all that we need.

It’s not in having the newest phone.

Getting what I want right now.

Or seeing sports or the newest movie.

Satisfaction is that you know the Lord.

Knowing that He gives what we need.

2. The second way that God proactively shepherd’s is God is a shepherd who provides rest.

“He makes me lie down in green pastures.”

You can picture the scene.

The shepherd leads his flock, to a green valley.

The sheep are tired.

There may be predators on the prowl.

But He leads them to a place of rest.

And they forget their concerns, and they lie down and sleep, because their shepherd is watching over them.

This is interesting, because we don’t always want rest.

There are two extremes of those who need rest.

There are those who work too hard.

I read a report that says Elon Musk, the leader of Tesla and Space X, that he has at times regularly worked as much as 120 hours a week.

There’s only 168 hours in a week.

Since then he has pulled back to 90 hours a week.

That’s one extreme.

Working too hard.

Or there’s the other extreme, and this is people who play too hard.

The problem for the person who plays too hard isn’t that he works too much, but that he has too many extra-curricular activities.

This is the person who has something every night.

He is out 7 nights a week.

This is the family that is so busy, that they are exhausted.

They are too busy to go to church on a Sunday.

I one time had a guy come to me and ask if we could do church on Saturday nights instead of Sunday mornings.

He wanted to go mountain bike riding on Sunday mornings.

He told me he was too busy for church on Sundays.

It’s easy to become so over-scheduled, that you lose all rest.

And this could easily be the college student.

You aren’t married.

You don’t have kids.

You’ve got time.

So you fill up every second of your calendar.

The two extremes are playing too hard or working too much.

In God’s providence, He has given us the 4 commandment.

We are commanded to remember the Sabbath.

The Sabbath is a day of rest.

Just like how God created in 6 days and rested on the 7th day.

We work for 6 days, then rest on the 7th day.

This is God’s command for us.

Even Christians are guilty of this.

They’re either so busy that they don’t have time to worship the Lord.

Or their schedule is so full, that church is just one of many things that they do on the Lord’s day.

I love to look at the sovereignty of God, especially in how he leads us.

Do you remember when we went on quarantine 2 years ago?

We were told:

To stay home.

To not travel.

Only 2 weeks.

I learned something during that self-quarantine.

There was something good that happened.

Not the not going to church part.

But there was forced rest.

It reminded me of “He makes me lie down in green pastures.”

We were forced to get rest.

He made me lie down in green pastures.

We were forced to:

Stay home.

Spend time with families.

In God’s sovereignty, we were given rest.

3. The third way that God proactively leads as a shepherd, He provides safety.

He leads us to still waters.

He leads us beside quiet waters.

In order to understand this, we must also think about the kindness of God.

Even in the most dangerous of times, God is always kinder to us than we deserve.

When Adam and Eve sinned, mankind should have ended on that day when Adam ate of the fruit.

Think of Noah’s day.

Genesis 6 says that God was grieved over the sinfulness of mankind.

They were wicked from their youth.

It says every intention of their thoughts was wicked.

God brought the flood.

But as awful as that flood was, God did not eliminate mankind.

Though every thought of mankind was wicked even from their youth, He spared mankind.

Mankind was still in the image of God.

It says in Genesis 6, “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”

This was safety from the waters.

The first time you sinned, your life should have ended there.

Ezekiel says the soul who sins shall die.

Yet God gives grace.

He spares us.

He gives mercy.

He doesn’t give us what we deserve.

He leads us beside quiet waters.

4. The 4th way God proactively shepherds is He provides reconciliation.

As we start seeing our own weaknesses, we see that He gives us more than we deserve in salvation.

David says “He restores my soul.”

The word for restores means to recover, turn back, or change.

He revives my soul.

In our sin, we deserved Hell.

We were lost.

There was something wrong with us.

Ephesians 2 says that we are dead men walking, that we were dead in our trespasses.

Romans says that the wages of sin is death.

And yet, through the work of Christ on the Cross, He has paid for our sin.

Through the work of the Spirit, He has regenerated our hearts.

If you are in Christ, the Lord has restored your soul.

He changes something about us.

He has brought it back from death.

This is a radical change.

Like Lazarus in the tomb, He has given you life.

He has restored my soul.

If this change has happened, then let’s live like it.

Let’s be different from our culture.

The lost are frantic.

There is panic about politics.

There is panic because of the direction of our culture.

And this doesn’t matter which side of politics a person is on.

Conservatives are freaking out.

Liberals are freaking out.

There is panic over the morals of our society.

There is panic over vaccines and mandates.

But there is even greater concern for those without Christ.

Without Christ they going to Hell.

Why are they panicking over toilet paper and vaccines?

Because what else do they have?

To those in Christ, to those who have God as their shepherd, we are different because we have souls that have been restored.

And how was this soul restored, by Christ Jesus.

He gave His life for you.

This gives me a comfort that goes beyond what’s going on in the world around us.

5. God is a shepherd who provides a path.

In other words He has a plan.

Remember, the Lord is my Shepherd.

God is not open-theistic, He has decrees.

There are paths, that He has planned before the foundation of time.

And He is leading us down them.

In fact even in this time, I have a confidence that whatever is going on in the world around us is His plan.

The Coronavirus didn’t take God by surprise.

The governments response didn’t take God by surprise.

And this is a path of righteousness.

His plan is good.

Trust it.

It’s a good path.

We are the sheep, and we don’t see what’s ahead.

Right now, the terrain looks rocky.

It’s uncertain.

But we trust in the sovereignty of God.

He knows where He is leading us.

He’s not a blind guide.

And this path is for His name’s sake.

That means God will get glory through it.

We will look back on this time, and praise God for where He has brought us.

By extension, I can also say that if this path that we are on is righteous, and part of His plan, and if He is our shepherd … it’s for our good.

What blessings are you seeing already?

Do you ever stop to look at where you are and where you’ve been and rejoice?

Have you praised God for these past two years?

Maybe the uncertainty is making you realize you have put your confidence in culture, society or yourself.

You have made yourself a God by thinking your plans are supreme, only to see them change.

Huge events cancelled and you’ve been rocked.

You’ve built your life on the sand.

And you should have built it on the rock.

Don’t let this period go to waste.

Don’t waste this season.

You have a Shepherd!

The second reason to trust God in perilous times is that we have a Shepherd who protects.

Verses 4 through the first half of verse 5 explain this.

“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. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; ...”

Verse 4 says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death ...”

That’s what our big fear is.

Death is near.

The threat of death is near, and David says, “I fear no evil ...”

And as Christians, we must say, “I fear no evil.”

The world, they fear.

There is no hope.

Ephesians 2 describes the unsaved as being without God and without hope in this world.

I will not fear.

You must not fear.

Why shouldn’t we have fear?

Because God is with us.

That’s what it says.

“I will fear no evil ...”

Why will I fear no evil?

What does it say?

“for you are with me.”

Seems overly simplistic doesn’t it.

I’s not that He is watching from a distance.

It’s not that He is Facetiming us or watching us from a Zoom meeting.

No, He is with us.

Jesus is called the Emmanuel, God with us.

He is near.

The Holy Spirit dwells within the believer.

If you are a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit within you.

He is literally with you.

I don’t know how else to say that, other than the Spirit of the Living God is within your heart.

If you want God with you … He doesn’t get any closer.

God is with us.

If He is with us, then He does things.

David says, “your rod and your staff, they comfort me”

The rod brings comfort.

The rod was the staff used as a weapon.

It’s s piece of authority.

At times it is used for discipline.

It’s used to correct.

This is a reminder of the kindness of God.

Hebrews says The Lord disciplines those He loves.

If you are His He will protect you … even from yourself.

God is a protecting God, and He protects those who are His.

And he has a staff.

This is the staff of a shepherd.

It’s used for leading the sheep, and for directing them.

The rod and the staff bring comfort, because it means that God is leading us.

He will not allow anything or anyone to take you from Him.

Jesus describes Himself as a shepherd.

He loves His sheep so much that He was willing to lay down His life for them.

Nothing will ever slip past God.

Paul had times when his life seemed uncertain.

When there dangers.

He never panicked.

We’ve seen he said he learned to be content.

Philippians 1:21 describes a life that understands that God guards those who are his even unto death, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Death doesn’t mean we lose.

It means to be with Christ.

Don’t forget that.

Look at verse 5, the other way that we do not have to fear while in the valley of the shadow of death, is that God prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies.

I used to have a buddy who was a cop.

This probably wasn’t very nice of me, but cops have a certain edge to them.

He was not very trusting of people.

Probably because he saw the worst.

And if we went out to eat, he’d always want his back to the wall, so he could see the room.

So he could detect any threats.

I knew this about him, and if we went out, I’d usually try to get there before him.

And I’d take the corner seat for myself, so his back would be against the entire room.

He was very uneasy in those settings.

And yea, I did it just to be a jerk.

He wasn’t comfortable, because he thought someone was going to get him while his back was turned.

It’s hard to rest when you think everyone is out to get you.

Yet, God as our shepherd, prepares a table in the presence of our enemies.

While at war, God provides rest.

In times of turmoil, God provides rest.

If you trust in the sovereignty of God, and in His leadership, then you can go to bed at night.

You can sleep.

You can even have joy through hard times.

I’m saddened by all the Christians who are just as panicky as the world around us.

Sure I’m not happy with culture.

But we have a Shepherd who protects.

Even with enemies around, He still provides.

The third reason to trust God in perilous times is that we have a God who is a Shepherd who makes promises.

We pick this up at the end of verse 5 into verse 6, “you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

He has made great promises to us.

There are certain things that God has decreed for us.

And these promises mean that we can march into any circumstance, and not fear.

There is a branch of theology, called eschatology.

This has to do with end times.

And for too many Christians, eschatology is the forgotten, silenced, or ignored theology.

It’s said to be too divisive, and to start too many arguments.

You need to have an eschatology.

You need to think through, where is everything going.

What is the direction of history?

Becauseif we don’t have an eschatology, then what is our hope?

If we don’t have any concept for what’s coming in the future, then what are we trusting to happen?

Your best life now?

Just live for today?

Paul describes a Christianity where there is no eschatology.

Where there is no hope for the future.

Where there is no resurrection from the dead.

I Corinthians 15:19 says “If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.”

He says if there is no resurrection, then we are to be pitied.

And not just pitied.

But most of all.

If there is no resurrection, we are the saddest of all people.

Life wasted.

Our great hope is that if Christ died for you, that He will keep you to the very end.

Our great hope is that if Christ died for you, then when you die, you will not go to Hell, but that you will go to be with Him.

Our great hope, is that though we suffer now, one day we will have resurrected bodies, and reign with Christ.

Our great hope is that as miserable as this world is right now.

A world that suffers the affects of the fall.

A world that suffers from cancer and disease.

Our great hope is that God will make a new heavens and a new earth.

And this new world, will be perfect.

Revelation 21:4 says, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

There’s be no more death or disease.

And I look forward to this.

I don’t hope for less disease.

I don’t hope for flattening the curve.

I know that there will be no curve, because one day there will be no disease.

No sin.

No suffering.

No heartache.

David says, “Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life ...”

And what about when my life ends?

“I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

You know why so many people fear death?

It’s because they think this is it.

The Psalmist speak differently.

As great as this life is he looks forward to something else, “dwelling in the house of the Lord forever.”

When you understand that eternal life is real, your view of life changes.

When you realize that God grants you a handful of years in this body, but eternity in another, you begin to wonder, “What’s taking so long?”

And you march forward, boldly, trusting in the work of Christ.

John Calvin’s ministry in Geneva demonstrated this.

During his ministry, the city of Geneva was terrorized by the plague 5 different times.

In 1542, he personally visited plague infected homes.

This was seen as a death sentence.

The leaders of the church begged him to stop.

They thought they couldn’t afford to lose him.

He was the main preacher and trainer of pastors.

Other pastors joined in his ministry.

During this time of plague, souls were saved.

People were converted.

But Calvin continued with his pastoral ministry.

He oversaw the development of hospitals for people who had the plague.

And when believers died.

He preached the Gospel.

He preached with passion.

Because he knew that those who are in Christ shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

This little Psalm is beautiful.

But it’s more than poetic language.

It describes the heart of those who are under the Great Shepherd, Yahweh.

It gives His sheep reason to trust.

I want you to have this trust.

Life is not going to be easy, but we must be different.

Peter told his readers in I Peter 4:12-13, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”

That was under the context of persecution.

And you aren’t being persecuted.

But there is a threat.

There is a trial.

You are being tested.

I want you to rejoice and have a confidence in Christ.

You have a good shepherd.

He leads and protects those He loves.