Our Personal Shepherd

 

Scripture Text

Psalm 23

Intro: A lot of people think God is way up there somewhere in the blue and He doesn't care what happens to me. Yet scripture shows God to be a very personal God. The fact that He is personal distinguishes Him from all false Gods. Notice the personal aspect of a Christians relationship with God in Psalm 23. Seventeen times David uses personal pronouns such as I, me and my. We see God active in the affairs of His people in Ps. 23.

I. The Lord is my Shepherd. Psalm 23:1 (NKJV) The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. The term my Shepherd means you must have a personal relationship with God. That can only happen when you confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and save you. Then God becomes very active in your life as your personal Shepherd. A shepherd meets all the needs of his sheep such as guidance, food, shelter, protection and health. They want for nothing. Phil. 4:19 says My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

II. God fills my life with overflowing abundance. Psalm 23:2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; Green pastures symbolize abundance provision. God makes me to lie down and rest in my spirit because of His abundant provisions for my life. I have been given every spiritual blessing in the heaven places in Christ. [Eph. 1:3]

III. God leads me into peace and tranquility. Psalm 23:2b He leads me beside the still waters. Running water scares the sheep. They are afraid of drowning. Still waters bring contentment to the sheep as they nourish themselves. When the situations in my life are running out of control, God leads me to a place of peace and tranquility which is found in meditating on His word to me.

IV. God restores my soul and leads my path. Psalm 23:3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Sometimes my soul gets worn out. It becomes weary and anxious due to the demands of life. When I do God restores my soul through the promises in His word and His continual presence in my life. God's Spirit inside of me takes God's word and leads me in the way I should go to enjoy the blessed life. Without God's leadership in my life, I would go astray and find myself in a dangerous position which would bring me harm. He does this for His name's sake. When He became my Shepherd, He promised me His blessings and that He would take care of me. God fulfills His word in me for His names sake because He can't lie and in order to prove Himself as He has declared Himself to be.

V. God comforts me in my trials. Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. I will not give way to my fears but will confidently rely upon the word and promises of God, persuaded that his grace shall be sufficient for me, His Spirit is my Comforter, so support and comfort cannot be wanting. His gospel is the rod of his strength, and there is enough in that to comfort me, both while I live, even in my greatest troubles, and also when I am dying. His upholding grace under all my trials is sufficient for me. [2 Corinthians 12:9] His grace brings me sufficient protection, comfort and guidance regardless of what I have to face.

VI. God provides me victory. Psalm 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. God prepares a table for me with every spiritual blessing and promise of victory over the world and the devil. He does this in the presence of my enemies. They see and envy me as God anoints me with His Holy Spirit. My cup runs over because He has blessed me above all that I could even ask or think.

VII. God's goodness and mercy follow me. Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. God is ready to do good and have mercy on me All the days of my life here on this earth. I conclude that from the past instances of God's favor to me and because of His unchangeable nature, and the stability of his covenant and promises. I have a covenant with God through Jesus Christ's shed blood. I am His child. And I have the promise of an eternal home in God's kingdom when this life is over. [John14:1-3]

Conclusion: We conclude from these passages of scriptures that God is very concerned about His people, and He is active in our lives every day working out His will for us. Romans 8:31-32 ³¹  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³²  He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

Invitation: Is God your personal Shepherd? Have you confessed your sins to Jesus and asked Him to forgive and save you from hell? If not now is the appointed time. Confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you save you and invite Him into your life. Then you will know Him as your personal Great Shepherd.

We Remember!

 

Scriptures From N.K.J.V.

Intro: This coming Sunday we celebrate “Jesus' Resurrection form the dead. After the Lord's Supper, as Jesus made His way to the “Garden of Gethsemane” where He would pray for Himself, He prayed for all those who would serve in His kingdom's work and all those who would believe on Him as their personal Savior and Lord. Jesus shows His love for us. He was not concerned with Himself but us. He ever lives to make intercession for us. (Hebrews 7:25)

1. In just a short time after Jesus' prayer for us, He would be suffering great agony and pain as He made His final steps to the cross. As we celebrate the Lord's Resurrection Sunday,we remember that severe agony and pain Jesus suffered for us on His way to the cross. LUKE 22:39-46 Says as He prayed there in the garden, Jesus was in such agony the angels came and ministered to Him, strengthening Him as He sweat drops of blood. There while He was praying, His disciples went to sleep on Him. They could not stay awake to help Him pray for what was ahead.

2. Even after suffering such agony in the garden, Jesus was betrayed by one of His own disciples.

Luke 22:47 (NKJV) ⁴⁷ And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. ⁴⁸ But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"

3. He was deserted by His disciples. Matthew 26:31 (NKJV)
³¹ Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' Not one disciple stood by Him. Jesus walked the road of suffering to the cross all alone.

4. Peter denied Him 3 times, last time with a curse. Matthew 26:74-75 (NKJV) ⁷⁴ Then he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know the Man!" Immediately a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵ And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So he went out and wept bitterly.

5. Jesus was falsely accused and denied a proper trial before the religious leaders and Pontius Pilate.

No fault could be found in Him. Luke 23:13-16 (NKJV) ¹³ Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, ¹⁴ said to them, "You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; ¹⁵ no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. ¹⁶ I will therefore chastise Him and release Him"

Even though Jesus did no wrong, He was unjustly condemned to die on a cross by His own people the Jews.

Luke 23:18-24 (NKJV)¹⁸ And they all cried out at once, saying, "Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas"--
¹⁹ who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.
²⁰ Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. ²¹ But they shouted, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" ²² Then he said to them the third time, "Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go."
²³ But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed. ²⁴ So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested.

This week we remember how He endured that cross, hanging there in agony with His arms outstreched in love until He gave His Life to pay the penalty for our sins. He was left alone even by the Father God while He bore our sins in His body.

Matthew 27:45-46 (NKJV) ⁴⁵ Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. ⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

John 19:28-30 (NKJV) ²⁸ After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" ²⁹ Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. ³⁰ So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. The payment for mankind's sin was now paid in full.

6. This Sunday we will celebrate Jesus' resurrection from the dead.

A. Jesus' body was taken from the cross and put in a borrowed tomb and sealed. Matthew 27:64-66 (NKJV) ⁶⁴ Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead.' So the last deception will be worse than the first." ⁶⁵ Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how." ⁶⁶ So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.

B. But on the third day He arose! Matthew 28:1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. ⁵ But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. Hallelujah, Jesus Christ lives and He lives in His people.

As resurrection day approaches we remember Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection as we worship and praise Him in God's house for all He has accomplished for us. What a Savior, we are free from the penalty of sin.

Invitation: All I ask is that you each respond to what you have read as God's Spirit leads you before its too late! Death is certain! Be sure you are right with God. If you have not been saved and you are not right with God, then ask Jesus to forgive your sins and then invite Him into your life to save you from Hell and live in you to guide, guard, and direct each day of the rest of your life. You will be so glad you did, so sorry if you don't!