Portrait of the Good Shepherd Message Series: Part 1 CONTENT UNDER HIS CARE Scripture Reading: Psalm 23 Text: Psalm 23:1 There is likely no more familiar Psalm than Ps. 23. Many of us could probably recite it from memory. In fact, over the past several weeks, our Kid s Life ministry has been doing just that -- learning about shepherds & sheep and memorizing Ps. 23:1 together. Even those of us with little church background have been exposed to this great Psalm. Sometimes called The Shepherd s Psalm ; it is a simple, yet profound piece of Hebrew poetry. Although its 3,000 years old, it s just as fresh and relevant as when it was first written. Now I ve never preached a series on this beloved Psalm. But after our recent trip to Israel where we learned about Middle-Eastern sheep & shepherds; I thought it was time. So this morning I want to begin a new series entitled, Portrait of the Good Shepherd by inviting you to take out your Bibles and turn with me to Psalm 23. It s a psalm penned by King David -- most likely when he was an older man. Although it looks back to his younger days as a shepherd boy, it also references the struggles & deep valleys he went through as an adult. And ends with a reference to eternal glory awaiting him. Follow along as I read. Today we focus on vs. 1, The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. Recognizing that we can be Content Under His Care. To help us get into the setting of this Psalm, let s watch a video entitled The Shepherd Connection. We begin by noticing The Two-Fold Metaphor Played Out in this Psalm. First David
Compares God to a Shepherd. He says, The Lord Jehovah, the Maker & Ruler of heaven and earth, is my shepherd. Now as city folk, most of us are not very familiar with the ways of a shepherd. But shepherds were (and still are) a common sight in Palestine. And throughout Scripture, they are used to help us understand some of the great qualities of our God. Psalm 78:52-53 says, The Lord brought his people out [of Egypt] like a flock; he led them like sheep thru the desert. He guided them safely, so they were unafraid. Isaiah 40:11 says, He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. When Jesus walked on this earth, He claimed this role for Himself as well -- calling Himself the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. A shepherd s primary responsibility is to find the good pasture & available water for their flock. This becomes critically important when you realize the dry, barren terrain these shepherds found themselves in. Here are a couple of pictures I took of a flock of sheep and goats while we were in Palestine. Shepherds know that sheep can t find these life-giving provisions of food & water on their own. Each morning they would gather their flock and lead them out from the fold to a pasture land where they could find nourishment. Shepherds provided both nourishment & protection for their sheep. As we saw in the video, they lead from out front. Calling to the sheep who get lost, so they will follow the shepherd and find their way back home. Good shepherds are faithful, gentle, and strong leaders. They take delight in his flock, making sure the sheep are safe, secure, and flourishing under his care. By observing the behavior of a true shepherd, we learn much about what God is really like. But this psalm not only compares God to a Shepherd, but it also Compares God s People to Sheep. Now honestly, that s not a complimentary comparison. Because sheep are basically naïve. More than any other class of livestock, they require constant attention and meticulous care. They are just not very good at taking care of themselves. Sheep often display a form of mob psychology -- blinding following the crowd. They are timid, fearful, and stubborn by nature. Often, they don t know what s best for them. They keep their heads down -- nibbling on tuffs of grass, paying no attention to the fact that they have wandered far away from the fold. It s no wonder that Isaiah writes, All we like sheep have gone astray. Once a sheep gets lost or separated from its shepherd, it is in grave danger. For they have no natural defenses against their predators. And they can t find their own way back home. Which gives new meaning to I Pet. 5:8 where Satan is pictured as a prowling lion, seeking (some helpless Sheep) whom he may devour. The reality is that without a divine Shepherd to protect us, we are sitting ducks for Satan. The reality is that sheep are completely dependent upon the shepherd for their survival.
That s why staying close to him is so important. Yet sheep do possess the ability to recognize their master s voice. As we saw in the video, when their shepherd calls, they can eagerly respond and joyfully follow him. So it s no accident that God has chosen to call us sheep. Secondly, This Metaphor is All About Us Being in a Life-Giving Relationship with God. That s the whole point of this comparison: to highlight the unique relationship between a shepherd and his sheep. Where over time, they grow fond of each other. When you read thru Psalm 23 looking for the personal pronouns you will notice that the Psalm is full of them. Over a dozen times the words I, me, or my are used in reference to us. And over a dozen times the words you, he or his are used in reference to God. All that taking place within 6 verses. Clearly this Psalm is about being in a personal life-giving relationship with God. Notice that David doesn t say, The Lord is the Shepherd of His people. Instead, he says, The Lord is my shepherd. This word my points out the fact that God is not everyone s shepherd -- but only the shepherd of those who let Him be that to them. We have to claim Him as our personal shepherd. We have to come under His care and control in order to receive the benefits of this relationship. When David says, The Lord is my shepherd ; he is speaking with a strong sense of devotion, pride, and admiration. He s saying, Look at who I belong to. The most magnificent and magnanimous Shepherd that there is. There are lots of bad owners out there, but mine is the best. He is gracious, trustworthy, and true. He provides for me. He protect, guides and directs me. In Him, I am safe & secure, regardless of how steep the path or how desolate the way. Since David was a man after God s own heart, He knew that God had the heart of a true shepherd -- always looking out for the well-being of His sheep. Now we today, know even more of the heart of God than David did. For we know that the Good Shepherd loved us enough to lay down His very life for us. There is no greater sacrifice that could be made for us than this. Proving once again that knowing and belonging to the Good Shepherd is the best way to live and the only way to die. Friends, we are all sheep that desperately need a Shepherd to provide, protect, guide, and save us. Thirdly, Psalm 23 says that Belonging to this Good Shepherd Means My Worries Can Be Replaced with Contentment. We all have our pet worries: finances, jobs, relationships, kids, health. The list goes on. Worry seems to the default mode of our lives. But when you think about it, plants and animals don t worry. God doesn t worry. We are the only living creatures that do. The old English word for worry means to strangle or choke. That s what worry does -- it strangles the life out of us. We know that it s unhealthy, unwise, unproductive
-- yet we do it anyway. God knew our propensity to worry, fret, and fear. That s why His most frequent Scriptural command is Fear not. That s also why He gives us a picture of Himself as a caring and reliable shepherd. When you get down to it, worry is really a control issue. It s always an attempt to control the uncontrollable (things like kids, the economy, or the environment). Worry is a warning light. Whenever the light goes off, it should warn us that we are trying to control too much and play the role of God. But friends, that s what we have Good Shepherd for. Friends, if you are trying to control your life, trying to run your life witho God s protection & direction, you ought to be worried. Since most things in life you can t control, you have every reason to worry, fret, and fear. But if God is running your life, if He is your Good Shepherd and you are under His care -- you have nothing to fear or worry about. He is able to control and handle everything that comes your way. That s exactly why David could say, Since the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. Other translations says, I shall lack nothing. Now that s a bold statement to make. A statement of supreme faith & confidence in God. We find a similar statement of David in Ps. 34:10, The lion may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. David knew that he belonged to a good & gracious Shepherd. One who never slumbers nor sleeps nor takes a day off from caring for him. He knew that he was held secure in His Shepherds arms. That nothing and no one could snatch him away. That his needs would be met and his future was secure. That s why he could say, I shall lack nothing. All that I need is found in Him. The Apostle Paul expressed this same level of confidence when he said in Phil. 4:19, My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. What we have here in Ps. 23 is the picture of a perfectly contented sheep. One that is utterly satisfied with the care and provision he is receiving from his master. Not craving or desiring anything more or anything else; for he is at peace and well-supplied. Friends, is that a picture of you? One who lives under the constant care & control of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. One who lives with a deep sense of contentment and is completely satisfied in Christ and with Christ? Can you say along with David, I lack nothing, for I have all that I need in Him? Or are you fretting and fussing, stressing out and worrying about your life? Acting as if you have no Good Shepherd who cares for you? Here s the reality: We cannot enjoy the benefits of God s protection and provision, unless we belong to Him. Unless we admit our need for a Shepherd, recognize His claim on our lives, and give Him our full allegiance. Then, and only then, can we experience all the benefits and blessings mentioned in this Psalm. There may be some here this AM who cannot say with any
degree of certainty, The Lord is my Shepherd. Yet you want to make Him your Shepherd; You want to experience the peace, contentment, the soul-satisfaction that He brings; then put your name on a Connection Card and check the box on the back that says, I would like information about how to become a follower of Jesus. Then place the card in the offering plate that gets passed in a few moments & we will be glad to follow up with you. Friends, contentment should be a hallmark of everyone who has made God their shepherd. Are you resting confidently & contentedly under His care? I hope so. For you can do no better that to claim Him as your own.