Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Bible Study / Summer Psalms

Psalm 23 Part 1 06/24/01

Introduction: The  23rd Psalm is the most loved of all 150 psalms. And it is perhaps the best known chapter in all the Bible. But for those who may not remember it all, let be read a version of it by Paul Borthwick.

ILL: 'The clock is my dictator; I shall not rest.  It makes me lie down only when exhausted.  It leads me to depression.  It hounds my soul.  It leads me in circles of frenzy for activity's sake  Even though I run frantically from task to task  I will never get it all done, for my "ideal" is with me. Deadlines and my need for approval, they drive me. They demand my performance from me beyond the limits of my schedule. They anoint my head with migraines.  My in-basket overflows.  Surely fatigue and time pressure shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the bonds of frustration forever.'

     OK, so it wasn't a direct quote, kind of  like a 'dynamic equivalent'. But I digress. We live in a world where many are engulfed by fear and anxiety. Some fear the future others the past..some fear the clock. Anxiety has gripped their souls and they can not fathom how they will cope with the pressures of the present.

     Many, many people wake up each morning with fear and anxiety and no hope of relief. Are you one of them? Are you secretly bearing a burden of fear or anxiety? Is it the burden of your finances, your job, your children, or your inattentive spouse? or maybe not knowing what God wants for you.

    Then this Psalm is for you, just as it was for David who suffered from fear and anxiety like no other. Yet, he understood that there was a God honoring way to respond to fear and anxiety in his life. And that was to put his faith and trust in God alone.

     Of course we know that. But the depth of his faith  took David to the very throne of God. And that is what we all want, isn't it? To be forever in God's comforting presence.

     Someone has once said 'There is no Psalm in which the absence of all doubt, misgiving, fear and anxiety is so remarkable.' Have you found that to be true?

Trans: This Psalm is about dependence on the Lord, thus the title, 'I shall not want'. What does it mean 'not to want'? Let's look. Open your Bibles to Psalm 23 vs 1. Where we will see that we shall not want because...

I. The Lord is my Shepherd (vs 1a)
     If ever a Psalm could stand on one sentence, this is it. The Lord is my Shepherd. The word 'Lord' here is YHWY or 'I am who I am' It refers to God's timelessness and to His total self-sufficiency.

     Self-Sufficiency means God needs nothing. He does not need to be worshipped, He does not need to be helped or served and He is accountable to no one.

     It is this timeless and self-sufficient God who is our shepherd. Let's think about this for a moment.

    Shepherd: In Israel, the job of shepherd was considered one of the lowest and was despised by most. Shepherds were looked down upon by society's upper crust. The job of shepherd was described as 'unclean' by Rabbinic law and was avoided by all but the lowest of Israelites.

    Is anyone here the youngest boy in your family? Well, the job of shepherd would usually fall... to you.  I bet you are glad you live here and not in Israel because shepherds had to live 24/7 with the sheep. Day and night, summer and winter, sun and storm.  Knowing what you do of the life of the shepherd, who would ever want to be one...voluntarily?

     Jehovah God! Your heavenly Father, the great God of the Universe. The timeless and all sufficient One took on the undesirable job of shepherd to His chosen people.

NOTE: His chosen people... I want you to note the use of the word 'my'. David had such an intimate relationship with God that he believed God was personally concerned with his well being. God is not just the God of the Universe, He is my God, personal, intimate and in a forever relationship with all those who are His.

ILL: The mother of a young boy who was dying of cancer taught him the 23rd Psalm having him repeat the lord is my shepherd by counting his fingers. His ring finger was the word my. When he got to that word his mother told him to hold that finger in his fist symbolizing the personal relationship which Jesus had with him. When the boy died he was found holding his ring finger. He died in the shepherds arms.

     All of us must come to the place where we can say, the Lord is my shepherd. We also must come to the place where we understand and accept the fact that if the Lord is our shepherd, then we are His sheep. Simple enough, till you know something about sheep.

Sheep: Sheep are mentioned in the Bible over 500 times. While most of the references are to  literal sheep, almost all references in the NT speak of the relationship of Christ and His followers. With His followers being the sheep. Sounds nice? Really?

     Those who know sheep, say that they are the dumbest of all animals. They are dirty, timid and totally defenseless. They need constant supervision because they are always wandering away from the flock. They are stupid animals who literally don't know enough to get out of the rain. Sheep are miserable creatures.

    Then, get this, God says 'we are the sheep of His pasture'. Ouch! That hurts my feelings God. But if we are honest, we know it is true. We are self absorbed, and inclined to wander just like sheep. We are dirty and get into trouble due to our own stupidity. We are sheep!

Trans: If I am a sheep and God is my shepherd, I must realize that I need shepherding. That is the pace to start. Because when we start there, in our place of need, we will find...

II. I shall not want (vs 1b)
     Doesn't this make sense? Consider once again who our shepherd is...God, the timeless, self sufficient One.

     That means there is never a time He cannot provide for us (timelessness) and there is never anything that we need that He can't provide. (self sufficiency)

     So David, who believed God was His shepherd, could say that in life, he will lack nothing. And those who are in relationship with God through the Great Shepherd Jesus Christ can say the very same thing.

Trans: David said 'I shall not want ...

 A. For Rest and Refreshment (vs 2)
Read: Psalm 23:2         'He makes me to lie down'

     It is interesting that the first need mentioned is rest. The Christian life begins with rest in the finished work of Christ on Calvary. Our lives are so frantic, so busy that we truly need the rest the Lord gives. However, sometimes, if we do not follow His leading, He may force us to rest..anyone know what I am talking about?

     We are so goal oriented and compulsive that we feel guilty when we rest. But we so very much need the delight of a personal quiet time with the Lord, dwelling peacefully in the presence of God. When we rest with God there is no guilt. And we are refreshed.

             'In green pastures He leads me besides still waters'

     Sheep need nourishment, food to eat and water to drink and the shepherd leads them to a place of abundance.  Here is a very picturesque scene of a flock of sheep laying down quietly and peacefully in tall soft green grass and close to clear, fresh water.

     Note this is not running  water but a quiet pool. You see sheep will not drink from running water. The picture is one of calm and tranquillity where the basic nutritional needs of the sheep are met.

     The relationship to our lives is evident. God brings spiritual refreshment to His people. This refreshment is found in His Word, which does not fade or wither like the grass, and His Spirit, which flows deep and pure.

     The first blessing David and all Christians enjoy from the Lord their Shepherd is rest and spiritual refreshment.

Trans: David trusted in and depended upon His God, and so can we. David also said that because the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want...

 B. For Restoration and Righteousness (vs 3)
Read: Psalm 23:3

 'He restores my soul' Does your soul ever need to be restored?
     How about when it is sorrowful: then God will turn your mourning into dancing.
     How about when your soul is sinful, God will  sanctify it by the forgiving presence of His Spirit.
     How about when your soul is weak and burdened, God will bring strength through His right hand.
     How about when your soul is anxious and fearful about the future? God will bring comfort and peace that passes all
          understanding.

     God does it. God ministers to your soul. Not food, work, drugs, alcohol or self help books. God restores your soul. God sets you right again.

ILL: A heavy, fat or really big sheep will sometimes lie down comfortably in some little hollow or depression in the ground. It may roll on its side to stretch out and relax. Suddenly, his center of gravity shifts and he turns on his back far enough that his feet do not touch the ground. He may panic and start to paw frantically but this only makes things worse. Now, he cannot regain his footing. In this position, gasses build up in his body cutting off circulation to the legs. It is often only a matter of a few hours before the sheep dies. The only one who can restore him to health is the shepherd, when he comes to the sheep's side and gently turns him over onto his feet.

God sets us right..amen?

             'He guides me in the paths of righteousness'

ILL: Martin Luther has said ' the paths of righteousness does not just mean a straight way, but a right way, a righteous way. We stray by sinning but God leads us back to the way or path of right living or righteousness.

     The Hebrew word for 'Paths' means a well defined, well worn trail. Once again we are reminded of how stupid we are as sheep. Even though the path on which God leads us is well known, well laid out with markers, clearly visible and easy to follow...we miss it. We are inclined to wander off the path of righteousness to the path of wickedness.

    But God brings us back. Why?             'For His names sake'

     When we are traveling the paths of righteousness, following the Word and Will of God in our lives, we bring glory to God and make His name great.

     Someone once said that 'the will of God will not lead us where the grace of God can not take us.' And it is the grace of God displayed in the lives of His people that bring glory and honor to His name.

Conclusion
     Well, I will close here for this week. We will continue with verse 4 next Sunday. But let me leave you with this.

     It seems to me that most fear and anxiety is based in our uncertainly about our future. What will happen tomorrow, next month, even next year? There are decisions we make every day which have a dramatic impact on our future.  And not only on our future but on those around us as well; our families, friends.
     We are constantly making decisions, how do we know they are the right ones for our future?
     We need wisdom to make right decisions because, well, we are stupid sheep, remember?

    So we need a wise shepherd to guide us. Some one who knows the road ahead and someone in whom we can trust.

 That shepherd is Jesus Christ. Trust Him, depend on Him
        when your future seems unclear,
        when your life seems ready to fall apart,
        when you are weak, struggling, doubting...

     The Great Shepherd will bring you rest and spiritual nourishment, He will restore your soul and set your feet on the right path. That is the promise of Psalm 23.

    If you are here this morning and Jesus is not your shepherd, then you are heading into that uncertain future alone. But it doesn't have to be that way.

     You can know the right path to walk,
     You can have your battered and weary soul refreshed and restored,
     You can find nourishment and rest in this hectic and demanding life. How?

         When you seek the shepherd, Jesus Christ.
         When you ask Him to be your shepherd.
         When by faith in His death on the cross as payment for your sin you claim it as your own.

 Remember,  the Lord can only be your shepherd when His Son Jesus Christ is your Savior.
                                                                 The Lord is my shepherd...is He yours?