Good morning. I wanted to deliver a sermon, so I asked Pastor Dan, and he said “Yes.”
The Bible has much to say about sheep, shepherds, and pastures. It was almost auniversal language in these times. I’m basing my sermon today on the 23rd Psalm. If the 23rd
Psalm were written today, it might be like this:
The Lord is my Local Area Network Administrator, I shall not want. He maketh me
backup my hard drives to floppy disks, he leadeth me to delete old e-mails. He restoreth my
passwords, he leadeth me in the paths of Office 200 help-file righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of internet viruses and canceled America
Online privileges. I will fear no evil, for my local area network administrator is with me, his
firewall and unlimited power supply comfot me. Thou preparest an IMAC workstation before
me in the presence of mine employer: thou anointest my floppy drive heads with oil, my cashe
runneth over. Surely internet SPAM and e-mail attachments shall follow me all the days of my
life, and I will dwell in the house of group distribution mail lists forever.
PROBLEM: A COMPUTER DID NOT DIE FOR US!
The book of Psalms teaches us that God has a personal concern for his people and he
wants us to come to him. If we offer ourselves to God, he is willing to help us and give us
strength and comfort. The Psalms often speak of God’s awesome power. This Psalm is about
the Shepherd calling us to walk behind him and follow so closely that we become like him. The
shepherd calls us to follow him regardless of the risks, the terrain, or what the enemy may try to
do to us. The Good Shepherd leads and asks us to follow. I would like to talk about the primary
phrases of the 23rd Psalm.
The Lord is my shepherd.
All of us know that shepherds are good, kind, and gentle. Why would you want the Lord
to be your shepherd?
He leads his sheep;
He leads them to good pastures;
He defends them when attacked;
He searches them out when they stray;
He attends to them when they are sick.
We are the sheep in God’s flock. We have seen the picture of Jesus, the Good Shepherd,
caressing a lamb in his arms. By seeing that picture, we know that Jesus loves us, is a good
shepherd, and a figure to be trusted. These are the reasons to have the Lord as your shepherd.
I shall not want.
Is it wrong to want? How about a meal, reliable transportation, a job that can pay the
bills, a good marriage, good children, education, and health. These are all wants, but not bad
wants. We can achieve these wants through prayer, hard work, and faith in God. The phrase “I
shall not want,” actually means I shall not be IN want. But you will have wealth. The wealth
that you will have around you is not material things, but the wealth of love from your friends and
family. Happiness in the life does not come from material things, it comes from relationships.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, leads me beside still waters, he restores my
soul. How many of you rushed to get to church this morning? In America we live a
very fast-paced life, which causes us to rush for everything. God calls you to spend time with
him, to take time out of your fast-paced life to lie down in green pastures and be led beside still
waters. God will make you lie down and be quiet and in this stillness, we will feed in the green
pastures and absorb the food which is the scriptures. In this stillness we will drink the water of
God’s spirit, and he will restore our souls. The soul includes the heart, the mind, and the
strength. The soul gets used and abused so it needs to be restored regularly. Prayer, faith in God,
and quiet time with God restores our souls.
He leads me in the paths of right relationships, right values, and right choices for our
lives. Human beings have the largest brain capacities, but we make the dumbest choices
for our lives. God puts us on a narrow path of right relationships and choices, and by walking the
paths we are helped to make good and wise decisions. God is asking us to follow these paths in
his presence.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you
are with me.
Every one of us likes to have a mountain top experience with God because it feels good
and refreshing. And on top of that, it makes us feel close to God, and we don’t want it to end.
That is not how we walk this life. We walk through the valleys of darkness, great pain, and
tragedy. God will be there to strengthen you and comfort you during your time in the valleys.
Comforting you does not mean God’s going to give you a pity party. He will strengthen you and
the people around you. He will help you walk through the valleys of darkness.
Your rod and staff, they comfort me.
How can the rod and staff be comforting? The rod speaks to us as the word of God and is
used for many reasons. It can be used as an instruments of protection to guide us and keep us
from straying. It’s reassuring to be able to turn to the scriptures and say I need your word to
guide me, to keep me from straying, to keep me from confusion, and to give me comfort. The
staff is used to lift fallen sheep and the shepherd draws us back with his staff and he lifts us out
of the pit. Many of the jams we get into are our own doing, and the shepherd comes to us, and
lets his rod and staff comfort us. We serve a great God who rally loves us.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
God’s table provides nourishment, opportunity for growth, a place for fellowship, a sense
of security, abundance, and a place of acceptance. We are all invited to sit at God’s table. We
don’t sit there because we are perfect, we sit there because of his grace, his acceptance, and
because we accepted the invitation. In order to continue to grow in the Lord, you have to eat
from his table. God puts everything on the table that we need. God’s table is a place of
protection, even in the midst of the enemy. It is prepared for anyone who will come in.
You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over.
In the times of the of the Bible, oil was considered and antidote. God has an antidote that
he applies to us. It is the Holy Spirit, which protects us from bitterness, anger, depression, doubt,
fear, guilt, low self-esteem, and jealousy. It makes our cup run over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the
house of the Lord forever.
Did you ever wonder what a special house is like? Is it the biggest house in town? The
fanciest? Or one with some uncertain mystery about it? Is it God’s house? And will you be
content there? If you dwelling the Lord’s house forever, he will watch over you and care for all
your needs. There will be no other shepherd for you in your life. You will trust him, be proud to
belong to him, and want to spend more time with him. You will be totally contented by being
under the good shepherd’s care.
The shepherd has called you to follow him and become like him. He will take you to the
green pastures and through the darkest of valleys. His paths are the way of perfection, but they
are not always easy. His journey for you is one of the truth and righteousness. Along this this
journey you may meet with opposition. The way of today’s world is the way of self; but the way
of the shepherd is the way of joy and peace and sacrifice.
You need to be able to know how to recite the 23rd Psalm. The way you say the first lineis the key to knowing how to recite it. If you say :The Lord is my shepherd,: you miss it! You
need to say the first line like this: “The Lord is MY shepherd.” A wedding ring is on the fourth
finger of your left hand. It is the finger of love. Say the words of the first line as you count your
fingers, then grab the fourth finger when you say the word, “my.” That will remind you that
Jesus is always your personal shepherd. THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD.
Amen.
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