Well, as Steve has said, we come to this psalm that we all know so well.
It has thousands of articles written about it.
It has thousands of images on Google.
If you want to look at Google for the 23rd Psalm,
beautiful pictures with all the words of the psalm that you can download.
Actually, you can buy them.
But in any case, you can see that there's many songs that are written about the 23rd Psalm.
And it is the number one psalm that is preached at funerals.
It is the most popular psalm, as Steve has mentioned.
And so it is because of that, and it is because it is so familiar,
I'm going to plead with you today that you put everything you know about this psalm aside.
I want you to put it aside so that you can allow God to speak to you and to speak afresh to you.
A psalm that has great richness in it.
And let's ask the Lord to tell us something new.
Okay, so let's pray with me.
Or please pray with me.
Our Father, we ask that by your Spirit, you will indeed speak to us.
We thank you for this particular psalm.
And Father, we ask that each and every one of us, including myself,
will see new and fresh things about the Great Shepherd.
Father, open our eyes and our hearts so that we would see you and be changed by you in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Okay, so it is a psalm that is written by David, as Steve has already said.
It's in actual fact a song.
I suspect David may have sung it, sitting under a tree.
And David, as we know, knew a lot about shepherding because of his history as a shepherd boy.
David knows that the shepherd is the one who watches over the sheep.
He's the one who takes care of them.
He's the one who protects them.
He feeds them.
He gives them water.
And he gives every provision that is necessary for those sheep.
And so with the majestic Lord of all that we've been listening to some fabulous sermons these last few weeks,
this majestic one that we hold high, this one is given the character of a shepherd.
I personally find that remarkable.
I don't find it so remarkable that we are called sheep,
but I find it pretty remarkable that the majestic one who is lifted high,
that he is called a shepherd.
Now, David compares himself with a sheep.
As Steve has said, he's a creature who is weak.
He's foolish.
He's defenseless.
He takes, but in this, he takes God as his provider.
He takes God as his preserver, his director.
And indeed, he takes God as his everything.
But here's the thing.
You see, I think that many, many people,
and I think it's why 23rd Psalm is used in funerals so often,
I actually think that everyone thinks that everyone is one of these sheep in this precious paddock
where the Lord is the good shepherd.
And we all know that there's many, many different paddocks out in the farming rural area,
and not all the sheep belong to all the same shepherds.
But I think people do think that.
I think that we make the mistake of thinking we're all one of these sheep.
But only those who can call the shepherd their full,
to give the shepherd their ownership,
that the shepherd owns them,
that there is a total dependence upon this shepherd,
only those sheep are the ones that we're talking about today.
And David had this dependence,
because he didn't say,
I hope that the Lord will be my shepherd one day.
He didn't say,
the Lord is my shepherd only on a Sunday,
and all the rest of the days,
I can do it all by myself.
He didn't say that.
The Lord is my shepherd.
He watches over me.
And the word is in the present tense.
That meaning that whatever a believer's position is right now,
the great Jehovah,
even now,
is watching over each and every one of us.
And it is because he knows that the great Jehovah
is watching over him at all times,
he can say,
I shall not want.
The Lord is my shepherd.
I shall not want.
When the Lord is over me and caring for me,
there is nothing that I want except him alone.
And he will provide all that is needed
because his heart is full of love,
and therefore,
I shall not want.
It means that I don't need to be wanting
to match the money and the possessions
of every other person that I look out and see.
It means that if famine was to strike our land,
and certainly in rural country areas,
they have had it hard,
and we have had a blessed time here in the city,
or calamity was to strike our city,
or when old age and the limitations
that come with old age,
when they strike,
or the position of a great job is not forthcoming,
or the life partner that I dream of
doesn't seem to appear,
I can even say in every one of those situations
very confidently,
I shall not want.
And it is because the Lord is my shepherd.
And it is only if the Lord is my shepherd.
Those who do not know this shepherd,
those who do not know the Lord,
will always be left wanting.
Always.
And yet with this great shepherd,
I shall not want.
Because everything I need is found in him.
He will care,
he will provide for those he loves
in ways that we cannot even dream of.
So how dare we even think
that something over there
is going to be even better.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside still waters.
Now Charles Spurgeon,
the great theologian,
points out that the Christian life
has two elements to it,
the contemplative and the active.
Now first the contemplative.
He says is in this psalm,
he makes me lie down in green pastures.
Now what are the green pastures exactly?
Well Spurgeon says that the green pastures
are the scriptures of truth.
It's God's word.
Always fresh,
always rich,
never exhausted.
sweet and full doctrines of the gospel.
It's food for souls,
just like the green pastures
are nutrients for the sheep.
When by faith we can rest
in the promises of God,
we are like the sheep
who can rest in the pastures,
finding peace,
finding refreshment,
safety,
security
and deep satisfaction.
You see,
a sheep will not lie down,
my sheep owning friend told me this,
I know nothing about sheep,
but apparently,
sheep will not lie down
if they believe that they are in danger
or they suspect that there's potential danger.
They need to be on all fours
so that they can quickly make haste
and get away when the danger comes.
But in confidence,
these sheep,
they're resting in complete security and comfort
for they know and understand
that the shepherd is nearby
and the shepherd is actually going to protect them
from every angle.
David has been nourished
by God's word
and it is that that sustains him.
He rests in the comfort
that only God himself can satisfy.
Now,
spending time in God's word
will nourish
all of our souls.
It will grow you
in wisdom
and discernment.
It will correct
and rebuke you
where needed.
It will constantly
show you
the glory
and the majesty
that we've been learning about
all these weeks
and it will cause you
to surrender
to him
because all
is already his.
That's what happens
when we spend time
in God's word.
Now,
some of you may be
distracted
from the truth
and so remain restless
and find it impossible
to lie down
in those green pastures
and if that is you today,
I need to say to you,
you need
to seek
the shepherd.
You need
to spend time
in God's word.
You need
to be fed
and you need
to be nourished
for that
is what
will be lacking
in your life.
I know
personally
that when
my life
goes
off
on the wrong track,
I can immediately
look and see
how much time
I am spending
in God's word
and I know
that there is
an absolute
direct correlation
between the two
and I know
there is many
of you out
there who
think the same
too.
The second
element of the
Christian life
that Spurgeon
talks about
is gracious
activity.
Now,
we are not
only to
think
but we are
to act.
We are not
only to talk
but we are
to walk
the talk.
You know
what I mean.
You see,
we have a real
danger
of just
gathering
heaps
and heaps
of head
knowledge
of the
Bible
and we
do not
walk
the talk.
Now,
what is
the point
if we
can find
any verse
at the drop
of a hat,
find all
those little
letters
that we
find in
the Bible?
We can
go to
them
because we
know our
Bible so
well.
What is
the point
of being
able to
do that?
What is
the point
of being
able to
discuss
every
theological
debate
and feel
that you
have come
out a
winner?
What is
the point
of that
if in
fact you
are not
loving
people as
Christ wishes
for you
to love
them?
What is
the point?
See,
the life
we live
needs to
reflect the
truths
that we
know.
Otherwise,
we run
the risk
of being
in the
pasture
not as
a sheep
but as
a wolf
dressed as
a sheep.
And as
you might
know,
scripture
tells us
that Jesus
will be
coming back
and he
will call
his sheep
to himself
and there
will be
many who
say,
Lord,
and Jesus
will turn
and say,
I never
knew you.
I do
not want
for any
person in
this building
today to
be one of
them.
I want
you to
be the
sheep that
calls out
and Jesus
welcomes
you with
open arms.
Now,
in our
living
out this
walk,
we are
slowly
being
changed
to reflect
the character
of Jesus.
Not for
our own
sake,
but for
the Lord's
and for
his glory
and for
his majesty.
And we're
all in a
process of
change.
None of
us have
arrived and
none of
us will
until
heaven,
but we're
all in a
process of
change that
the Lord
will give
us.
change.
We are
to expect
change in
ourselves and
we are to
expect change
in others.
The angry
person that
comes to
the shepherd
cannot expect
to continue
to get away
with being
angry.
Sure,
change doesn't
happen overnight,
but it does
happen when we
allow the
Holy Spirit
to touch our
lives, to
minister to
us, to
convict us
of sin,
and then
helps us
to become
the person
God wants
us to
be.
The one
with a
critical spirit
cannot expect
to be allowed
to continue
exercising the
negative traits
if the Lord
is their
shepherd.
That person
would be, on
the other
hand, be
grieved at
the criticism
and be asking
the Lord to
help them see
all that is
right and
pure and
honourable,
all of that
that is around
them every day,
every moment.
The person
who says
that the
Lord is my
shepherd and
yet is
totally self-centred
needs to
actively seek
what the
Lord would
have them
do to be
other person
centred and
to start
serving.
But the
great news
for all of
that, and
we all have
our own
little quirks
that need
changing,
they're just
a couple of
the common
ones, but
we all have
it, me
included.
But the
great news
is that we
are not
alone.
See, the
Holy Spirit
is there
graciously leading
all of us
by those
still waters
to minister
to us, to
change us, to
renew us, but
he will do it
quietly and he
will do it
gently.
And we
cannot change
ourselves and
we cannot be
the one who
takes ourselves
along the
still waters.
But with an
open and
willing heart,
we can be
led, we
can be ministered
to and we
can be
changed.
He restores
my soul.
At some
stage in our
life, we
have all
been in
the place
where our
soul needs
restoring.
The great
news is, when
our soul grows
sorrowful, he
revives it.
When it is
sinful, he
sanctifies it
and makes it
whole.
When it is
weak, he
strengthens it.
he does
it, the
shepherd.
He restores
my soul and
so I need
to stop and
ask you, does
your soul need
restoring today?
Is your
spiritual life
at a low
ebb?
Because if it
is, you need
to ask the
great shepherd
to restore
it.
don't leave
here today
feeling lost
and empty
and downtrodden.
And we can
confidently ask
the great shepherd
because as we
can see, he
is the one who
guides us in
paths of
righteousness for
his name's
sake.
Now it is
the one who
can truly say
the Lord is
my shepherd
that will
follow the
leading that
the Lord
gives.
And we
do that
because we
love the
master, we
love the
shepherd.
We cannot
pick and
choose which
parts of the
commandments we
want to
follow.
We cannot
ask the
Lord to
grow us
into the
people he
desires us
to be but
to say,
but please
don't touch
this part of
my life over
here because
that bit's
for me to
take control
of.
What we
come to the
shepherd and
we ask the
shepherd to
change absolutely
every part of
our life to
his glory.
When the
Lord is our
shepherd we
allow leading
to occur because
it will lead to
righteous living
because of
God's love for
each and every
one of us.
And we need
changing, we
need to be
made new, we
need a saviour to
deal with our
sin and we
have one and
the leading
occurs for his
name's sake,
not for our
own.
Even though I
walk through the
valley of the
shadow of
death, I
will fear no
evil for thy
rod and thy
staff, they
comfort me.
This verse has
always challenged
me because it
does not say
if you go
through the
valley of the
shadow of
death.
It actually
says when.
There is an
expectation that
there are tough
times and that
we're going to
go through
that valley.
That's a
given.
That's not a
surprise.
We should never
be surprised when
tough times come.
It's a given.
Now many of
you actually
know, have
known fear and
many choose to
live with fear of
going through the
tough times,
whatever they may
be.
But might I
say I actually
do not believe
that for
somebody who
is saying that
they follow the
Lord as their
shepherd, that
indeed living with
fear is possible
or that it is
allowed or that
it is correct.
It's not okay
because it
reflects a
lack of trust in
the shepherd for
all things.
Now there's a
word in this
particular verse
that excited
me and that
word is the
word shadow.
This is a new
revelation for
me.
You see, what
dawned on me is
that a shadow
cannot harm you.
It says that we
go through the
valley of the
shadow of death
and what I also
learned is that
where there is a
shadow, there is
always light.
light.
There is light to
cast the shadow
and I love
that.
I love knowing
that there is
light because it
is the light of
the shepherd that
is being cast.
See, a shadow
of a dog cannot
bite you, a
shadow of a
sword cannot
kill you, and
the shadow of
death cannot
destroy us.
So let us
not be afraid.
There is light
and the light is
the one who is
with me.
That is, I have
a perfect comfort
and security because
the Lord is with
me in any and
every situation
if he is my
shepherd.
And now finally
we come to the
last two verses
and we change
from a pastoral
scene and we go
to a banqueting
scene.
You prepare a
table before me
in the presence
of my enemies.
You anoint my
head with oil.
My cup overflows.
Now many of us
would like to
think that we
have no enemies.
I'd like to
think I have no
enemies.
But if we are
aligned with
Jesus, we have
many enemies
for the world
hates God
and the world
will hate
those who
belong to God.
But there is a
calmness in front
of the enemies
here.
Nothing is
hurried.
There is no
confusion, no
disturbance.
The enemy is
at the door
and yet God
is preparing a
table and the
psalmist sits
down and eats
as if everything
is at perfect
peace.
Is this your
life?
It's a
picture of
peace.
Is your
life a
picture of
peace at
this moment
in time?
Have you
ever tried to
eat when
you're worried
or you're
sick at heart
or you're
feeling heavy
at heart
or you're
afraid?
For some
reason, food
loses its
attraction when
we're worried
and when we're
afraid.
Our stomachs
are taut,
our adrenaline
sort of goes
sky high and
the last thing
our bodies
want to do
when we're
afraid is to
sit down and
eat something.
That's why
people lose
their appetite
when danger
is present.
But the one
who has the
Lord as their
shepherd is at
peace in all
things.
You anoint my
head with oil
and my cup
overflows.
If only we all
lived in this
daily enjoyment
of this
blessing,
receiving a
fresh anointing
for our
everyday duties,
day by day
we all need
to go to
God to be
refreshed by
his spirit,
to live the
day under
the Lordship
of Jesus,
to be refreshed,
to be renewed
by God alone
for we cannot
do this in
our own
strength.
But we are
not left
alone.
we have
God's
spirit to
daily empower
us to be
who God
wants us
to be.
So can
you say
your cup
overflows,
that you
are abundantly
and lavishly
filled with
the love,
the mercy,
the protection,
the forgiveness,
the renewal
of the Lord
that the Lord
offers you?
Can you say
that?
Or are you
quietly grumbling
to yourself
on the side
that you
deserve more,
that you
deserve things
to go your
way?
For whoever
is discontented
in anything
whatsoever
cannot say,
my cup
overflows.
I'll say it
again for you.
Whoever
is discontented
in anything
at all
in life
cannot say,
my cup
overflows.
Surely
goodness and
love will
follow me
all the days
of my life
and I will
dwell in the
house of the
Lord forever.
Goodness and
love here are
like guardian
angels that
follow every
believer
everywhere they
go,
through the
dark times
and through
the bright
days.
God is
more than
a God
who provides,
he is more
than a God
who protects,
he is a God
that makes
all of our
life,
both present
and future,
a wonderful
thing.
He is a God
of promise.
And Jesus
spoke of
having and
giving an
abundant life.
He says,
I have come
so that you
may have life
and have it
more abundantly.
That's what
David is
describing when
he says,
surely goodness
and mercy
shall follow
me all the
days of my
life.
With God
by our
side,
life is
good.
Our lives
are fulfilled
in ways that
we cannot
even begin
to imagine.
Not the
fullness of
possessions,
not the
abundance of
things,
but the
abundance of
God,
God's love,
God's peace,
God's joy,
God's goodness.
And I
can guarantee
you,
if you
have these
things and
nothing else,
you are
infinitely more
rich than if
you had all
the material
prosperity that
the world has
to offer.
But there's
more to this
psalm than
this present
earthly existence.
The shepherd's
psalm reminds
us that God
has prepared
for us a
marvellous
future, an
eternal
security, a
heavenly home.
Now many
people have
an uncertain
hope of
eternity.
I can tell
you for all
the people I
have asked
over the
years, many,
many people
will say, if
I ask, are
you certain of
heaven, they
will say, I
hope so.
Or maybe.
But these
words of
Psalm 23,
they're not a
vague expression
of uncertainty.
They are a
declaration of
certainty, a
confidence that
God has
provided a
glorious future
and an
eternal home
for us.
David doesn't
say, I hope
to be there.
He says, I
will be there.
And in the
New Testament,
the reason for
our confidence
is made clear.
Paul said, it
is not by
works you
are saved.
Lest any
man should
boast, it
is by grace.
What is
this grace
of God?
It is God,
it is the
God who
loved the
world, who
gave his
only son that
whoever believes
in him should
not perish but
have everlasting
life.
It is through
Christ's death on
the cross that
our sins are
forgiven.
It is through
his resurrection
from the grave
that we are
given an
assurance of
eternal life.
And it is
through faith in
what God has
done in
Jesus Christ
that we
receive this
precious promise.
And when we
come to God
in faith,
trusting in
his provision,
depending on
his protection,
we know that
we can rely
upon his
promise.
And with the
assurance of
faith, we
can declare
our confidence
as well.
And with
this, we
can also say
the Lord is
my shepherd,
I shall not
want.
Amen.