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We are at Psalm 23. It is the Psalm of David. Let us
hear the word of God. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall
not want. He maketh me to lie down in green
pastures. He leadeth me beside the still
waters. he restoreth my soul. He leadeth
me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear
no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort
me. Thou preparest a table before
me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over. Surely, goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the
house of the Lord forever. Amen. May God add His blessing
to the public reading of His infallible Word for His name's
sake. Let's bow together in prayer. Gracious Father and Eternal God,
we come again to Thy holy and infallible Book. We thank Thee
that whatever our failings have been, Thy Word stands sure forever. And we rejoice that to it again
we turn today, to hear that voice that comes from the throne. Oh, Father, we pray today for
grace, not only to hear the word, but to receive it into our hearts
and to know the power of the word, to reorder our thinking,
to grant Confidence in all the demonstration of thy purpose. O Lord, thou dost see us today. We stand in need of a visitation
from on high. O Lord, hear thy saints today
as they plead with thee. Fill us with the power of thy
spirit to the very uttermost. O grant that utterance today.
that is needed rightly to proclaim thy word and to exalt thy son,
we ask in Jesus' holy name, amen. From the funerals of the famous
and powerful to the funerals of the obscure and weak, This
psalm provides a common theme. It speaks to those in the house
of mourning. Funeral homes feature the words
of this psalm in many of their printed programs as an option
for bereaved family members. It is a psalm that speaks to
those who face complex medical treatment, or those who have
received the news that there is nothing else that medical
treatment can do to bring healing to the body. For children lying
in their beds at night, the gentle words of this Psalm bring comfort
and confidence in the care of God. For adults whose minds consider
the troubling circumstances swirling around them, the 23rd Psalm opens
the vista of peace and safety. For the Lord's people at life's
end, the words that end this Psalm, breathe the atmosphere
of the promises of God. The 23rd Psalm is the middle
of a trio that focuses our attention on the triumph of our Redeemer.
The 22nd Psalm anticipates the anguish and suffering of our
Redeemer. It begins with those words that
we hear from the cross, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken
me? The 24th Psalm looks to the Redeemer's
triumph and His re-entrance to heavenly glory. But between the agony of the
cross and the glory of Christ's return to heaven is this psalm
of quiet reflection. These words have been in my mind
for nearly my entire life. My mother sat on my bed or that
of one of my brothers each night and repeated these words. Even before I learned to read,
I could say the words, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. And I'm confident that for those
who know the Lord, these words have similar impact in your life. Whether through the actions of
a parent or an acquaintance, you have felt the power of this
psalm. As Charles Spurgeon said in his
Treasury of David, this is the pearl of psalms, whose soft and
pure radiance delights every eye. He went on to say, of this
delightful song it may be affirmed that its piety and its poetry
are equal, its sweetness and its spirituality are unsurpassed. Psalm 22 presents our Redeemer
as the Savior. Psalm 24 presents Him as the
Sovereign. Psalm 23 presents him as the
shepherd of his people. He leads and feeds his people. He demonstrates his care and
protection and direction. He does not abandon his people
to their enemies, but instead makes full provision for them
while their enemies prowl in bitter jealousy against them.
He holds his people beyond the reach of hell's rage and guarantees
that he will bring them at last to their final home, the house
of the Lord. from which not one of the sheep
will ever go out. We are sure today that all those
who have crossed the valley of the shadow of death and who through
that final valley have reached the house of the Lord may consider
their journey through the wilderness of this world, the way of the
pilgrim. has many dangers and uncertainties. Sometimes the way seems so murky
as to breed the fear that is the opponent of faith. But when
Christ's people reach those mansions of the Lord, they may echo the
words of the hymn writer. When they lay down the burdens
of this life and rest forever in the presence of the Lord,
they can utter the words that we should write over our lives. Jesus led me all the way. 39 years ago this very day, was the first Lord's Day for
our family in Phoenix. We arrived in Phoenix 39 years
ago yesterday, and it was a very hot day. 115 degrees that day.
And we had car trouble. so that we could not use our
air conditioning when we were coming down into what I have
since learned to call the cauldron. We came here because we were
convinced beyond any doubt that the call of God was on us to
do so. We've never had any reason to
doubt that calling. And we were conscious that through
all the difficulties that we faced in our long cross-country
journey, when we left Greenville on August 13th, and we arrived
here on August 24th, we had a number of challenges along the way. But when we arrived, we were
conscious that we were where God led us to be. And so we can say Jesus led us
all the way. And wherever you find yourself
today, this psalm speaks to you. For children and young people,
this psalm carries the secret of confident, humble living.
The shepherd of his people will not leave you to flounder in
the gloom of fear. When you think of the future
and the decisions that will shape your life, you can rejoice because
Jesus is the shepherd of his people. He will lead you. He will feed you. He will secure
you. Are you in consternation today? Does the perversity of the age
in which you live unsettle your soul? We can easily understand how
it could. But look at the shepherd. He
is going before his people. He is not one of the sheep, he
is the leader of the sheep. Feel the touch of his rod and
staff. Hear his gracious voice. In your high school or college
years, or the years of young adulthood, life stretches before
you as an uncharted land. You may have certain ideas about
how things will unfold. So did I when I was that age. But then you must hear the shepherd's
voice. you must rest in the assurance
that not even the rage of your fierce enemy can overwhelm the
will of the shepherd. As the good shepherd said, no
man can pluck you out of his hand. In life's later stages, talking
about when you're past middle age, however you want to define
that, but when you get to be my age, you can look back and
see the evidence that Jesus led you all the way. And in that
phase of life, the words of this Psalm are more precious. The latter stages of the pilgrimage
through this world become sweeter because of the shepherd's direction. You know that He will not abandon
you now when you need His presence the most. And for those who are still outside
of Christ, who have not trusted in Him as Lord and Savior, the
words of this psalm present the prospect of peace. Come and trust. I want to divide this psalm in
three parts. The first part has three verses
to it. The second part has two verses
to it. And the final part has one verse
to it. And when I think of that organization,
that three and two and one, it reminds me of a dear professor
I had in college many years ago who taught public speaking. And I took that class. And she
was one of the best professors that I had. When I was studying for the ministry,
I happened to encounter her one day in the library. And she said to me that she had
been praying for me since I had been in her class, that the Lord
would make me a minister of the gospel. And when I think of that, I think
of how she taught us about this kind of an organization, three
and two and one, as a way in rhetoric of introducing movement,
pace. The first three verses present
the shepherd's provision. The next two verses present the
shepherd's protection. And the final verse presents
the shepherd's palace. So let us draw comfort from these
famous words today. First, the shepherd's provision,
verses one through three. The Psalm opens with the well-known
statement to which I have referred, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall
not want. That statement sets the psalm
on a personal, individual level. The Lord is the shepherd of his
people in a collective sense. And for that truth, we must be
grateful. But that direction and provision
are individual as well. The Lord deals with us individually,
where we are. and according to who we are.
He governs us and directs us according to his understanding
of us. Can you say those words today
as the testimony of your heart? Can you say, the Lord is my shepherd? David wrote under the inspiration
of the Holy Spirit and singled out each sheep for special attention. That simple statement often comes
to one of the sheep in dark and discouraging times. The Lord
is my shepherd. What does it mean? It means that
the character of our covenant-keeping God is on the line in his direction
of each life under his charge. That God is your shepherd, the
one who proclaims himself to be whatever his people need him
to be, the I am that I am. declared that he is your shepherd. He is the one who cares for you.
When I was young, there was in every place where our family
resided, when I was a boy, there was a simple plaque displayed
in a prominent place that simply said, Jesus cares. So, from my
earliest days, that was a message that penetrated my own soul.
Jesus cares. He cares for you. In the New
Testament, we find statements about this relationship. And
we find those in the Gospel of John chapter 10, first of all. John chapter 10, we read beginning at verse 11, I am the good shepherd, the good
shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. Verse 14, I am the
good shepherd and know my sheep and am known of mine. As the
Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down
my life for the sheep. He is the Good Shepherd. He lays
his life down for the sheep, and we read as well about him
that the sheep recognize his voice. that they do not recognize
the voices of those who are pretenders. They recognize his voice. And
for us, that means we hear his voice in the sacred scriptures. The apostle Peter described Christ
under this title in 1 Peter 2. 1 Peter 2. And verse 25, for ye were a sheep going astray. There's the echo of Isaiah 53
there, but are now returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your
souls. The Lord is my shepherd. So the shepherd guides his people
And the result of that guidance is that the people under the
shepherd's care will not want. The picture of shepherds in Bible
times is of figures who are out in front of the sheep where the
sheep can see them and follow after them. Modern shepherds
often are behind them and they use dogs and whatever else to
direct the sheep in the right way. But in Bible times, the
shepherd was always out in front. So they followed after him. And the message is that the sheep
will not lack anything that is necessary for their well-being. Notice the description of this
provision. We find in Psalm 23 in verse
two, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures. Oh, we love the image of the
green pastures. It's not something we see too
many times where we live here in the desert, but the green
pastures, that's a comforting image. speaks of softness and
luxuriousness. He directs his sheep into those
pastures to sustain them and to comfort them. And then we
read also in that verse, he brings them to still waters. Sheep are skittish animals. So
they are very sensitive to anything that is upsetting. And if they
come to water that is rushing, they can be very much afraid.
But if they come to still water, they can find refreshment there. So the shepherd brings them to
those places. And those images are a reflection,
not only of the shepherd's word, but the spirit's ministry in
applying that word to the sheep. And then in the third verse of
the psalm, the shepherd leads the sheep on the right paths. He leads them in the right way,
in the paths of righteousness, in the paths that speak of the
imputation of his righteousness to the sheep. But those paths of righteousness
are also paths of obedience, paths that mark the sheep off
as being separated from the corruption of the world. This is the shepherd's
provision. This is what the shepherd does
for his sheep. And that provision, we read in
verse 3, restores the soul. It provides strength, edification,
emboldenment. It emboldens you, enables you, and you need that provision.
You need that provision in these dark days When the enemy launches
his weapons against you, those fiery darts of which the Apostle
Paul spoke, when you encounter those fiery darts, then you come
back to the reality, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. And that brings us to the second
part of the psalm, the shepherd's protection. Because we read in
verses four and five, yea, though I walk through the valley of
the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort
me. Thou preparest a table before
me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil,
my cup runneth over. How is it possible? that the
psalmist will not be afraid in the valley of the shadow of death. That has to be one of the most
familiar images in the Bible, the valley of the shadow of death.
Even ungodly people use that language from time to time. The
valley of the shadow of death is an image that presents the
atmosphere of gloom and terror. When I was a boy and our family
was living on a military base in Germany, as boys will do, we were sometimes
out from under the direct supervision of our parents, specifically
our mother. And we found places where the
base had a boundary that was marked by a fence, but people
had breached the fence, and there was a way to get through the
fence. And on the other side of the
fence, because the base was on a hilltop, there was a valley. Not a valley as we understand
it with a stream running through it, but kind of a chasm, a ravine,
if you will. And that always has stuck with
me as a place of concern, a place from which to get out. And the Valley of the Shadow
of Death is such a place, it appears there's no way to understand
what's happening. It appears that there's no way
to see the way ahead. So we sympathize with the psalmist
here. Though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death, we feel the hair rising on the back of
the neck. We feel the sudden knot in the
stomach. And yet, here we find the comfort
of the shepherd's protection. For even in the valley of the
shadow of death, the shepherd is with his people. What a wonderful statement that
is. Thou art with me. Thou art with me. It's the concept of Emmanuel.
God is with us. We have the assurance that God
is always with us. In every time, in every place,
he is with us. And indeed the Savior comforted
his disciples with this truth before his ascension into heaven.
Those famous words at the end of Matthew's gospel, Matthew
28 and verse 20, teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I, Jesus said, I
am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. We can say amen to that promise,
but can we live in the light of that reality? That he is with
us. The psalmist spoke in verse four
of the comfort that comes from the rod and staff of the shepherd. The shepherd doesn't have a rod
and staff with which to beat the sheep. He has a rod and staff
with which to guide them. They are symbols of the shepherd's
office. So they pull the shepherd back from places of danger, and
they lead the sheep in the paths of righteousness. So we ought
not to fear that direction, that use of the rod and the staff. They are our assurance. They
are tangible tokens that the shepherd is with us. And the shepherd, we read in
verse five, goes so far as to protect his sheep when they face
their enemies. Sheep have enemies. Jesus spoke
about the wolves, some of whom come in the garb of sheep to
destroy the sheep. But the shepherd is with his
sheep. And we find here in verse five that he shows to the enemies
the reality of his care for his sheep. And so such is the extent
of that protection that we read in verse five, thou prepares
the table before me in the presence of mine enemies. So that the
sheep, and David's speaking here as an individual member of the
flock, the sheep is able to dine in the face of his enemies. The cup runs over, it overflows. These are the provisions that
speak of protection. And the psalmist's gaze reaches
beyond that dark valley of the shadow of death. And that brings
us to the third part of the psalm, the shepherd's palace, the shepherd's
palace. The last verse begins with the
word, surely. And I've thought of that word
many times over the years. Surely. There's no doubt. There's no doubt about this truth. Goodness and mercy, as the psalmist
said, will follow him all the days of his life. That's your
lot as well, if you are one of the Lord's sheep. Goodness and
mercy are the lot of the Lord's people in this life, in all the
days of this life, from the beginning to the end. There's no life that
is happy except the lives of those who trust God, who can
say the Lord is my shepherd. Only the one who trusts in the
Lord can be confident of the goodness and mercy of God as
companions through life. It's not a magical formula. Those
who trust in the shepherd know the reality of his goodness and
mercy. When you feel well, they're there. You may not sense your need of
them as much, but they are there. When you suffer affliction in
body or soul, they are there. The goodness of God is his perfection
and his care for you. The mercy of God is his kindness
toward you and his deliverance of you in the presence of your
enemies. This life for the believer in
this world is a blessed life. It is a life of happiness and
joy. But there is a greater day to
come, the psalmist said. I will dwell in the house of
the Lord forever. David has been dead a long time
in terms of his life in this world. He died at the age of
70, and that was nearly 3,000 years
ago. But he said here, under the inspiration
of the Holy Spirit, I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
So there's no question as to what became of David when he
died. And here the testimony is, the
sheep will dwell in the Lord's house forever. So the day is
coming when each of the Lord's sheep will arrive at that glorious
mansion, that blessed house of the Lord. David has been there for 3000
years. It will be a day for rejoicing
when the Lord's people reach that house. This is a prospect to provide
great comfort to the people of God through all the trials of
this life. Because the question about their
destiny, the question about what will happen to them when they
come to die, that's settled. They will be in God's house forever. When I think of this word, surely,
I hear the echo of another text, and that is in Isaiah chapter
53. Isaiah 53. A text, I believe, that links
to this word, surely. Verse 4. Surely, Surely he hath borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God and afflicted, but he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep
have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his
own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. You see, the foundation of the
blessing of Psalm 23 rests in the sacrifice of our Redeemer
on the cross. That's where we come ultimately.
We come to the cross. We look at what Jesus did on
the cross. He bore our guilt away. You believe
that? He bore our guilt away. All of our iniquities. That's what Isaiah 53 means. He laid on Him the iniquity of
us all, all of our iniquities. That heavy burden of all the
sins of all His people, the guilt of all those transgressions of
God's law, He laid upon Him at the cross. And you know what? He made an end of it all. He
suffered. He suffered the penalty of that
broken law and made an end of it. So he purchased by his death
upon the cross, the assurance that we will be in his house
and with him forever. We don't know what that experience
is like. There's some hints about it in
the scriptures, about that transition. The Lord has kept a veil over
that because we are so carnal that we would tend to focus on
that instead of on him. But on the cross, he did away
with all our guilt and purchased the guarantee that we will be
in his house forever. The Lord is my shepherd. I hope you can say, the Lord
is my shepherd. I shall not want. I hope you
can say, as you look upon your life, at whatever stage you find
yourself, Jesus led me all the way. He is the shepherd. And he will not leave his people
short of that goal. for which Christ our Redeemer
shed his precious blood. May the Lord give grace. And
if you do not know the Lord, may the Lord give you grace today
to repent of your sin and to trust in him so that you will
know the truth. The Lord is my shepherd. Let us bow together in prayer. Our gracious Father in heaven,
we rejoice today in the assurance of thy holy word, this simple
psalm that has been a source of comfort to so many through
life and in death. We rejoice today in the comfort
it gives to us and the confidence it gives to us that whatever
the circumstances are in our lives, We know that the Lord
is our shepherd. Oh, Father, we pray today that
thou would stamp thy word upon every soul. Grant there to be
fruit for the proclamation of the word. Grant there to be a
building up of the faith of the gospel in every soul of thy believing
people. And grant, O Lord, that for those
who do not know Thee, or who do not take seriously the call
of the gospel, that today Thou wilt speak to them with that
voice that wakes the dead. O Lord, we pray that Thou wilt
bring others into the shepherd's flock, so that they may arrive
at the shepherd's palace forevermore. Oh, hear us, we pray. We ask
these things in Jesus' name. Amen.
The Shepherd of His People
| Sermon ID | 922431796508 |
| Duration | 40:50 |
| Date | |
| Category | Sunday - AM |
| Bible Text | Psalm 23 |
| Language | English |
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