Look
What The Good Shepherd Will Do
Ps 23:1-6
John 10:7-15 (9-11)
Welcome
How many of us really, really, really believe in Jesus?
Let’s look at four questions.
WHO is your Shepard? THE LORD is the shepherd
IS the lord really your Shepard? Yes the Lord IS my shepherd
WHOSE shepherd is the lord? He is MY shepherd
WHAT is the Lord to you? He is my SHEPHERD.
Now to get a full grasp of Psalms 23 you really need to read 22 & 24 with it.
THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD. Is he really? Are you not sure if he is? If he is your shepherd what then?
Let’s start by looking at what Ezekiel said this good shepherd would do (Ezek 34:11-12)
David
said “I shall not be in want (niv)”. What do you mean I shall not be in
want? Have you ever played the part of Eve, Achan, David, Jonah, Samson and many
others that when they went after their wants their fleshly desires they made a
mess of their lives. Look at what Paul wrote to the church at
Ps 23:2 Look at this verse green pastures and still waters.
If your life is always in the mud you just might be chasing your wants instead
of following the shepherd (Rom
Ps 23:3 Have you ever prayed to God and it seems that nothing has gotten any better? Let’s look at this verse really close. If the Lord is in the business of restoring souls and you are claiming to be following him should you not be bringing lost souls to him so he can restore them? If he is leading you in paths of righteousness why do you have such a problem standing up for him?
The
end of verse 3 tells us “for his name sake”. Mah-an = on the account of,
because of, the purpose of. God restores us and leads us because of who he is,
for the purpose of letting people see just how good he is and on the account of
he wants to. We all too often suffer pain and misery because our prayers are
selfish prayers. God help me get a better job, God help me get a nicer car, God
help me get better so I can go back to work full time, God help me with my wants
and we don’t even ask God to help us to do more for him. Our prayers need to
be more like Solomon asking for wisdom and understanding of what God would like
us to do for him. Look at what Jesus said (Matt
Ps 23:4 It’s easy to say this went you are not in the
valley. But what will you do and say when you are in the valley? Look at what
Jesus has to say about this (Matt
Many people today are trapped in this valley and can not seem to find their way out. The devil is constantly bring up their past and they feel that because of their past they can’t move forward and so the devil has them locked down in this valley and they are afraid to move forward.
How does one get out of this valley of the shadow of death? First you have to see that the shepherd is there trying to lead you, all you have to do is follow. How do you follow? You take all those terrible rotten disgusting things that you have done and let God use them. When God starts restoring you and leading you, you let people know with out a shadow of a doubt it was the shepherd. One can not be truly confessing Christ when they are doing the same terrible rotten and disgusting thing as the world is doing, but when you make the change to follow God and people see it then you can confess him and his rod and staff are there to bring you comfort.
Ps 23:5 David is saying, even when the world is trying to tear you down you can find peace in the shepherd. The shepherds’ job was to protect his sheep and for the sheep to receive his protection they had to follow him. When we are following the good shepherd his blessings are coming our way.
Ps23:6 As we go thought this life and as we follow the good shepherd he will, supply our needs, give us rest, give us guidance, give us strength, we will take care of the enemies, when fear comes he will be there to protect us, and if we live a life that has been faithful to the shepherd we will find rest with him in heaven.
Let’s close with another look at what a good shepherd has done (Jn10:11 & Jn 19:30).
HEAR, BELIEVE, REPENT, CONFESS, BAPTIZED, FOLLOW THE SHEPERD UNTIL THE END.