PEACE IN THE MAKING

Psalm 23 “A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 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. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 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.”

------

PRAY //

------

Ever remember a time where it seemed like you needed to just STOP what you are were doing? felt like you were being made to stop doing whatever it is that you were doing?

This is something we remember because thats often the time when it annoys us.

We dont want to stop

We want to be RULERS of our DESTINY and in CHARGE of OUR LIVES

Our Pace, our Speed, Our Movement - WE WANT TO BE IN CONTROL!

its a bit like when your kids are being a bit naughty at a restaurant when your out and they are just misbehaving and its getting a bit out of hand - and its like i have to ‘MAKE YOU STOP” what you are doing right now otherwise this is going to get worse, and worse .... and worse.

There are times even as a parent that i need to MAKE my KIDS STOP.

Here is the big idea today: “GOD CAN MAKE STUFF HAPPEN”.

There is something in the MAKING here in Ps 23.

.......

in Psalm 23

King David writes down what the Lord does ,for him, with him, in him ..... as His shepherd.

Its crucial to understand here that he DENOTES The Lord is my SHEPHERD.

Ps 23:1 “1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

ps 23:2 “2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.”

He MAKES me LIE DOWN

What does he MAKE ME?

Is it because He’s MEAN

is it because He’s controlling?

Is it because HES GOT INSECURITY ISSUES?

Or could it be.... that its BECAUSE HE KNOWS THAT WITHOUT THE MAKING.... I’d BE IN A WHOLE LOT OF TROUBLE.

This is why there is peace in the making

****so i want to unpack this a little today - then we’ll pray - There MUST BE SOMETHING IN TBE MAKING!

IF JESUS IS OUR SHEPHERD......What is it about The making that can have us in the will of God and that can give us peace!

A few thoughts for us today:

1.HE WILL MAKE ME STOP

“He makes me lie down.”

The word here in the Hebrew means to “stretch out” and lay in a way like it’s a time of sleeping or rest.

God SELF DEFINES himSELF as one who DOES this ON OUR BEHALF.

He declares that he DOES This for HIS PEOPLE ISRAEL… and YOU AND ME

Ezekiel 34:11-14 “11 “For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel.”

“There they shall LIE DOWN”

or in other words.....They shall STOP.

What’s He maybe trying to get you to STOP doing right now?

(Doing that same thing that’s not healthy, maybe HES TRYING TO GET YOU TO LIE DOWN on that CYCLE)

IS IT TO STOP SOMETHING YOU ARE SAYING? Is he making you stop saying those things about yourself? (Women, Men....).

IS IT O STOP THINKING THOSE THOUGHTS ABOUT YOURSELF / Or others?

Q:.... Is he making you stop going everywhere and at a million miles an hour? We already live in a digital social age but we can fall I to the trap of GOING at a level where it’s JUST NOT HEALTHY. You cannot sustain it. Is Jesus trying to MAKE you stop?

Often times he is making you STOP NOW, so you can SUSTAIN through whatever he has for yo NEXT.

Jesus knows this & taught that SABBATH was MEANT TO BLESS US not BLESS HIM!

Mark 2:27 “27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

(Summer is already crazy: but you know your kids don’t have to go to every bday party, every play date and be signed up for EVERY SPORT imaginable).

Is Jesus trying to say “STOP THAT” I’m trying to make you lie down!!!

2.HE WILL MAKE ME GO.

We serve a God who Makes us STOP.,.. but KNOWS WHEN ITS TIME TO GO

When Jesus walked on water - the passage in Matthew - We see something really interesting here: He just finished feeding the 5 thousand.

Matthew 14:22 (ESV): Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.

JESUS IS THE GOOD SHEPHERD WHO MAKES YOU STOP… but he also KNOWS WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO GO:

We might thing we serve a feel good All the time God but we don’t: we serve a "this is whats RIGHT for you NOW”......He will always lead us to do what’s right for us at the time it’s right for us to do it….

And sometimes that requires MOVING OFF THE DOCK’s - and GOING out to SEA.

Listen to me:

Jesus will make you leave safe harbor.

(If he’s truly your shepherd, he’ll move you)

Jesus will at THE RIGHT AND PERFE T time tell you to go and do something. In faith in trust. In Him.

But here’s the best part - whoever he is asking you to go - he’s already made a way and even better - he’s already there. Jesus is the ultimate teacher but leader of our souls. He always knows what’s best.

Jesus knew there was going to be trouble ahead as he MADE THEM get into the boat.

He knew.

He knows.

He knows whats ahead for you.

Now what does that do for your anxiety?

Next point…..

3.HE WILL MAKE ME CALM

Ps 23:2-3 “2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

GREEN PASTURE’s.... Still Waters. PEACEFUL.

He will bring me to green pastures

He will lead me beside STILL WATERS.

Only JESUS can give you the PEACE you need - BEcause He is the PRINCE of PEACE

Are you worked up?

HIS MAKING BRINGS PEACE

What does that mean?

HIS MAKING BRINGS CONTENTMENT

HIS MAKING BRINGS SATISFACTION & FULFILMENT

HIS MAKING IS WHAT MAKES MY HEART BE AT EASE....

(king David had some serious trouble in his life: but he knew where to go in HIS HEART when it all Got a bit too much:

Im going to say something that is maybe something that only your pastor can say to you: but i wanna risk it because i believe it could be what you are needing to hear today:

You need him more than you need that other thing that calms you down:

You need him MORE than you need that addiction, that coping mechanism : relaytionships, drug, drink, hidden thing that just CALMS YOU DOWN....

Jesus is MORE than a quick FIX. Hes the ONLY ONE who can CALM an ETERNALLY RESTLESS SOUL.

“he makes me lie down in green pasturs

He leads me beside THE still waters”

To me the … THE.. is the that its the THE Best .

The Still waters arent just ANY STill WATERS

they are THE still waters

The eternal Waters of HIM.

If you let him lead you - He will MAKE you calm.

HE WILL MAME YOU STOP, HE WILL MAKE YOU GO, HE WILL CALM YOU DOWN

(if HE LEADS ME.....

4.HE WILL MAKE ME WHO I NEED TO BE

(In him).

but only if i am willing to trust

to submit you his leading

to SURRENDER what i WANT

for what HE WANTS, which is always the best for me,

HE MAKES ME FOLLOW HIM TO BECOME LIKE HIM.

Wow!

2 Cor 3:18 “18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

He makes me stop: is Jesus making you stop?

He makes me rest: Jesus knows that you need to stop going and going otherwise hurt will come, tiredness will take over. Life will become unbearable: is Jesus trying to lead you to a place of rest?

He makes me pause: Jesus knows the very best for your life. He’s the shepherd who cares for the sheep.

is Jesus trying to keep you in the current season and teach you something here? Are you open and willing to be led by him

He makes me trust:

Trust him with what’s next. What’s ahead. What food we need. How we’re gonna get it what it all looks like.

Related Media

Related Sermons