The Shepherd

It’s said commonly that there are 3 types of people in this world you NEED to know. A Doctor, a lawyer, and an accountant. But utterly neglected in the trio of wonder is Shepherd. Today we are going to hear from the Shepherd and see that you can replace all 3, with one good shepherd. psalm 23- let’s read.

Intro: Jordan has been an incredible and different experience thusfar. while being in a foreign country brings plenty of differences, Jordan is definitely different. Anyone been off post and get to do a little sight seeing/traveling here? while several things are similar to the states or more similar to europe even, one thing that stood out as we were getting around last weekend is the herds of animals on the side of the roads. Camels? Herds of Sheep and Goats? it’s crazy in comparing it to the states that they still have shepherds here. I saw some manipulating some sheep around a ditch on the typical rocky/dessert terrain and just thought sheesh, what a tough gig. Out in the elements, leading/controlling dozens of unintelligent animals. yet ensuring that they don’t go places that they harm themselves, lead them to places where they can drink and eat and rest, and then protecting them. I have 3 kids and that’s tough enough. and yet, the text that we’re in today likens us to sheep and God as our shepherd.

v. 1 The Lord is my shepherd- and oh what a good shepherd he is. “I lack nothing”.

not speaking about having everything- but having everything that we need

traveling- journey- don’t want everything- want enough of what you need

focus of this psalm on who God is, but don’t lose awareness of who we are (pilgrims/soujourners/ SHEEP)-

The shepherd is not dependent on his sheep for life; the sheep on the otherhand, are dependent on the shepherd.

As americans the idea of dependence is highly frowned upon. We just celebrated Independence day- deeply engrained in our culture. there is some value independence (particularly in certain categories-financial-physical)- but many times we don’t equate a relationship with God as dependent. I hear it more as an add on to improve like adding yoga to our workout regimine. “I could do fine without, but I should really add some God in to my routine.”

we are far more dependent than we may realize. and we ought to recognize and accept our spiritual dependence in a manner that makes us rather sheeplike. inasmuch as we are sheep, let us turn our attention back to the shepherd and why he is both essential and good.

Having not been a farmer/shepherd or spent much time around one- perhaps a similar metaphor in a more american sense could help. Think of a coach.

I grew up playing soccer- seen good and bad coaches. The bad ones make you appreciate the good all the more. The best I had was an Irish grad student playing college soccer at a local university. Fun, Funny, gave us knicknames, knowledgeable, challenging… made us want to both listen to him and improve and enjoy it in a life giving way… not play in spite of him in a life sapping way. We felt cared for and nourished for our good, not oppressed for the glory of a u-11 boys travel soccer coach. It was easy to follow him (his accent helped).

Our shepherd is a good shepherd who, while he does not depend on us sheep, loves us and cares for us. David highlights how this shepherd reveals his goodness to us in 4 ways.

v.2-3a provides nourishment and rest (Green pastures, still waters, restores)

Base survival says you can survive 40 days without food, 4 days without water, 4 hours without shelter (in harsh conditions), and only 4 seconds without hope.

This provision (green pastures/still waters/ and restoration) encompasses physical and spiritual care.

As a sheep/Soldier it is common to just sort of drive on. Fatigue affects performance. we’re not as sharp when we are tired. basketball- shots are affected. soccer- ball control/touch. jobs/life- decision making/creativity.

Human nature when growing tired/uncomfortable seeks the shortcut to make things easier (whether for good or bad) as an act of self preservation. And if we cannot, our bodies and souls will slowly but surely begin to cope and enter into survival mode.

I remember my last year of seminary. I had been a full time seminarian, a full time youth pastor, engaged to my now wife, working a part time job (30 hours/week) saving for marriage, drilling army reservist, and still trying to maintain any semblance of physical and social well-being. I had already been driving hard throughout my first 3 years of seminary and I was burning out hard. After I had submitted my final paper and effectively graduated, boom, I had mono and was down about 10 days (covid-sick; mono- survivor). My body and soul had built up so much stress that once a huge burden was released, I was forced to rest.

I love that our Shepherd MAKES us rest. he knows us far better than we know ourselves. He knows that we need rest and can’t function like a machine. He will ensure that his sheep get rest, even if we think we’re good!

And he will ensure we have all the nourishment available to us. He makes us lie down, but he leads us by still waters.

You can lead a horse to water...

The living water forces no one to drink, but if we know how satisfying he is for our thirsty souls, we will endulge to our fullest. If there is a practical application here…we have Bibles galore, no oppression to keep us from praying, and fellow believers to edify if we are intentional.

Here in the desert of jordan ought to play as both a literal and spiritual metaphor for the dire need of a spiritual brook as lush as the house of the Lord. Our shepherd is so good to provide nourishment and rest… but he also provides guidance...

v. 3b provides guidance (paths of righteousness)

paths- wagon track of righteousness

OGP- Land Nav: 3 ways- Dead reckoning; terrain association; last option- follow the little ranger trails laid out by the myriads of students who have gone before you. could totally create our own path and potentially get lost or simply make things FAR more difficult- follow the paths of students who have gone before us hundreds of times that have made a clear path.

doesn’t just hand us points, he actively leads us.

path with law/word on one-side- testimony of his faithfulness to it in our and other’s lives on the other keeps us saddled in the middle.

He leads- For his name’s sake-

Much in a name. Carries a reputation. If I give you a name, you generally have an impression. If discussing cars and I say Ford… what do you think?? If I Say Ferrari?

If I say the Lord/ YHWH/ Jesus- love and faithfulness (at bare minimum- the attributes of God by AW Pink is a great resourse to expand knowledge of his attributes for when we think of our God).

God stakes his name/reputation on how he cares for us as his people! He provides nourishment, rest, guidance, lastly...

v. 4 Provides Protection

Even in the darkest of circumstances, we need not fear danger/calamity, hardships

point of clarity- Not saying: these things will not occur. Because of sin- terrible things occur. Wicked people prosper sometimes here in this life. Good people are harmed, get sick, die. We will go through some valleys in this life (some deeper and darker than others). But these things are neither permanent, nor are they ultimate.

Though we may experience calamity and hardship, we need not fear it or be anxious about it. Why?

Because our shepherd is with us. (language changes from 3rd person he, to 2nd person- You)

In this vulnerability we don’t just need to talk about God, we need to talk to God. to profess truth about him as a reminder to our soul that our shepherd loves us and cares for us even in the most grievous of trials. You are with me… that is enough to endure this trial. Your rod and your staff provide comfort and protection knowing that, like Job, you will not let the trial consume us. like peter, our faith will not be sifted from us. the wolves encompass but won’t devour because you won’t let them. you’ll stave them off with your rod and hold us back with your staff.

Oh how he protected me from the depths of my sinful desires when I wandered from his fold. He is doing the same thing for each of us now by drawing us close to him through the hearing of his Word.

The wondrous thing about God’s presence is the abundance he provides in it.

v. 5-6a provides abundantly

movie: If you’ve seen any number of movies we are attracted to the stories of the wimpy ordinary kid who is kind of picked on getting endowed with either a role, a power, or adventure by a generous benefactor and then wins the day in the face of the bad guy who is left either dead or so disempowered that they can only watch as your hero enjoys the fruits of victory by the power of the benefactor. So many of these characters be it Forest Gump; The 4 siblings in the Chronicles of Narnia (Peter, edmund, lucy, and susan; Bobby Boucher… effectively we connect with plain people the losers in society because they’re situations and apparent capabilities externalize the internal insecurities that we live with daily. And we love when they become winners because it gives us hope that similar things can happen to us.

How Ian Roberts ends up a winner with a spot at the banquet table of the king of the universe is not because I’m a moral person, cool, appealing, successful, wealthy… It’s not because of who my parents are or are not. It’s because of who Jesus is… apart from him I’m far from those adjectives. Apart from Jesus I’m selfish, conceipted, poor in spirit, sinful, and lost. but Christ, the Good Shepherd has found us. He’s saved us from our enemies, sin and death. and lays a table before us in their presence as both a warning to them that He won us at the cross and they can’t touch us, but also as a reminder to us of what ends he would go to have us.

He annoints my head with oil and fills my cup is a picture depicting joining with him in celebrating his victory over these enemies… we can rejoice in his love and faithfulness to us in Christ.

The oil- depicts health and cleanliness

The cup overflowing- depicts prosperity

and in the presence of my enemies declares that they have been defeated and are watching in defeat, disarmed, and without claim to us.

because of Christs victory at the cross- goodness and mercy follows us all the days of our lives

v. 6b- likewise, we have access to the house of the Lord and these benefits forever!

Those days you romanticize about your childhood. endless summer days filled with swimming pools, popsicles, bike riding, peace and joy.. that sensation intensified infinitely in the presence of God, but without end. no nestalgia to chase after for the good feelings sought after are present infinitefold in the house of the Lord.

This comes by faith in Jesus.

Fellow sheep, do you trust the good shepherd? Do you hear him calling to you to follow him? Do you recognize your need for him and what he has done and does for us? As sinners, we desperately need forgiveness which is only attained by faith in Christ. When speaking with his disciples in John 14- Jesus tells them that he is going to his father’s house to prepare a place for them. He wasn’t talking about the temple or church. Jesus was talking about heaven and his preparation was to die for our sins (thus defeating sin) and be raised from the dead (thus defeating death). That HE and he alone is the way, the truth, and the life and no one get’s to his father’s house apart from him.

Friends, if you have faith in Christ, your enemies have been defeated, Christ has won, and we get to feast and dwell in the house of the lord with our good shepherd forever!

We enter now to a time of feasting. Where we remember the sacrifice of Christ made the celebration of Christ victory won and the anticipation of Christ’s presence upon his return. We do all of this each time we take communion. This is for His sheep. for all those who believe in their heart and profess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord. If you are not a believer, this meal is not for you. Scripture calls to you to repent of sin and trust in Jesus before you eat with him. I’m going to give us a minute to pray silently, then pray for us as we prepare our hearts, then when I finish praying you may come forward to receive the elements and return to your seat where we will take them together.

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for[f] you. Do this in remembrance of me.”[g] 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Stand- Sing

Benediction: 20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us[b] that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.