The Shepard & His Sheep
Sermon Notes
Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I have what I need.
2 He lets me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside quiet waters.
3 He renews my life;
he leads me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even when I go through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
as long as I live.
Good morning and welcome to City Awakening. Pastor Louis is taking the next several weeks for a much-needed time of rest and renewal, so continue to be in prayer for him and his family. Last week, we ended Revelation 12 right in the thick of the tribulation, as Satan was on the prowl to hunt and destroy Christians on earth. That study has been intense as it provides us with a very raw and necessary picture of God’s wrath and justice in the end times. But each week we’ve been able to see how we find peace in the middle of the chaos. There’s peace when we understand who God is and we believe that Jesus’ promise of victory will come to fruition. We’re breaking from that study over the summer, and over the next few weeks, we’ll be studying a few Psalms, the first being Psalm 23. This is such a fitting chapter to transition with because in Psalm 23, we see some of the same themes that we do in Revelation, primarily peace in the midst of chaos, but with a very different visual representation.
Psalm 23 is one of the most well-known passages in the Bible, and I bet many of you can quote at least some of it. If not, you’ve at least heard it or seen it printed on a coffee mug or poster somewhere. That’s because it’s only six verses, simple and beautifully written, and they speak to our hearts in a very practical way.
We know that King David wrote Psalm 23, but we don’t really know when it was written. Some of David’s Psalms can be connected to specific events in his life, but not this particular chapter. Some scholars believe it was written later in David’s life because of the tone, but we don’t really know. Nonetheless, because David is the author it gives us some deeper insight and understanding as we study it. Before David was a great King, he was a shepherd boy. He spent his days in the fields tending sheep. He knew the importance of that job and how the sheep depended on a good shepherd. The interesting thing is that David chose to write Psalm 23 from a sheep’s perspective. Although he was a shepherd, he took on the mind of the sheep. He put himself in their shoes.
We can relate to this because like David, like his sheep, we need tending. We need someone to lead and guide us through life, whether we want to admit it or not. We need someone more experienced, who can anticipate the challenges and dangers, who can make sure we have what we need. If you’ve ever been whitewater rafting, you know the importance of a good guide. In that boat, you are at the mercy of the river, but somehow a guide knows how the water flows, where the rocks are, and when to paddle forward or backward or just sit. Without him, you’re going to end up in the water.
So today, as we study Psalm 23, we need to remember that we are sheep in need of a shepherd, and that’s a good thing! Sometimes we resist being a sheep. We don’t want anyone leading us or knowing more than we do. We want to do things our way, but if we’re honest our way usually doesn’t go so well. So, it’s a good thing to be a sheep, but not just any sheep. We’re talking about being a sheep under the care of the Good Shepherd, Jesus. There are a lot of different “shepherds” we can look to for guidance, but there’s only one that’s worthy of the role. Today I want to give you 3 benefits of being a sheep with Jesus as your shepherd.
The first benefit of being a sheep is Complete Satisfaction. Look at verses 1-2.
1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I have what I need.
2 He lets me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside quiet waters.
The word, Lord, might be in all caps in your Bible, depending on the translation, because it is a translation of the Hebrew word, Yahweh, which, for the Israelites was the personal name of God. It was distinctly different from just saying God. Yahweh was the God of the covenant, I am, who appeared to Abraham and Moses. In 1 Sam. 16, the Spirit of Yahweh (the Lord) rushed upon David when Samuel anointed him. This first line clarifies who David trusts as his shepherd. It’s not just anyone.
There’s a very intimate nature to this Psalm because that’s the nature of the shepherd-sheep relationship. As many of you know, there’s a very personal relationship between people and animals…even farm animals. That’s why David can confidently say, “I have what I need.” Under the care of the shepherd, he knows that all his needs will be met. There’s a deep sense of satisfaction in that. I don’t know about you, but as I read these first two verses it gives me this feeling of rest. In my mind, I’m lying in a hammock by a creek. I’ve got a book, a Dr. Pepper (in a glass bottle), maybe some dark chocolate, and I’m completely at rest. And that’s what David intends…rest. In fact, sheep only lay down to rest. They eat standing up, and they are pretty skittish animals. They spook easily. But they lie down when they’re satisfied.
Notice the verb usage here, too. David says he lets me lie down or a better translation is he causes me to lie down. This and the phrase, he leads me beside still waters, have imperfect verb forms that show God is continually giving us what we need, even when we don’t know what that is. On their own, the sheep naively go looking for something to eat or drink, not knowing where they are going. They wander from place to place. On the other hand, you can just imagine a shepherd herding his sheep along, away from a rapid current or dangerous part of the river where they might get swept away to a calm part of the water where they can safely drink, or to a fresh pasture that’s not already been grazed over. There’s intentionality and purpose.
And aren’t we like the sheep? We tend to wander about looking for something to satisfy us. We’ll try a little of this…maybe this job will be better and I’ll make more money. We’ll try some of that…maybe this relationship will be easier and less demanding. Then we’ll walk over this way…. maybe this church will have what I like. This new car, this new dress, this drink after work, this vacation…. All along we’re just hoping that we get what we need…. something that will satisfy our souls. But there’s a shepherd who knows exactly what we need. This makes me think of Isaiah 55 which says,
“Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Our souls long to be content. We long to have our needs fulfilled, and that will never happen on our own. But there’s hope even in our wandering and searching because our Shepherd is watching and knows what we need. As one of his sheep, we can have complete satisfaction.
The second benefit of being a sheep is Unwavering Confidence.
3 He renews my life;
he leads me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Some of your versions say He restores my life. Restore or renew, the meaning is that the shepherd is turning the sheep back right. Sheep can get stuck on their backs. It’s called being cast. A sheep gets cast when it lays down on its side and accidentally rolls over on its back. This tends to happen more when it has a thick coat of wool or it’s pregnant. But it gets stuck on its back and can’t get up, and then the gases in its stomach start to build up and it can die within 24 hours. So, a good shepherd is always watching out for cast sheep, and when he sees one, he immediately runs over to turn it right side up. If it’s been like that for a while he may even have to stay there to help it stand up or even put it on his shoulders until it regains its strength.
This is exactly what God does for us. Sometimes we roll over and get stuck on our backs. This was the state Jesus came to us in the first place - destined for death by our own doing, and he rescued us. He renewed us and gave us a chance to live. Because we are foolish and sinful we can still get turned upside down again. We go back to those same patterns of unbelief, the same lies that we believed before, the same behaviors that got us stuck before. But Jesus is a good shepherd. He comes along and helps us back on our feet again. He’s watching for us, and he loves to come to us in our time of need. So, we can have confidence in a shepherd who has and will restore our lives. He has proven that he cares about us and wants what is best for us.
That’s why David says we can also have confidence that he will lead us on the right path. The Bible talks a lot about the path of righteousness. Many Proverbs mention the path that leads to life versus the path that leads to death. Every day we are faced with decisions that lead us toward God or away from Him, decisions that are in line with His kingdom or go against it. It’s so easy to make a choice based on the path that we want, the path that seems like it will benefit us or that’s easier at the time. But the right path is not about what’s easy or hard, it’s about trusting the Shepherd. He knows the way and he sees things we don’t. We have to trust that he’s not just leading us on some useless journey or leisurely stroll. No, he has a purpose for our lives, and that purpose is even bigger than just surviving or even thriving. David says the righteous path always has God’s glory as its purpose.
He leads us along the right path….for his name’s sake. Truthfully, this is why we can have such unwavering confidence in Jesus as our shepherd. Because he has one primary goal – God’s glory. That may seem counterintuitive but it’s not. In the garden, Jesus prayed “Not my will be done but yours.” He was concerned about God’s glory. Before that in John 17, he prayed that he would be glorified because that’s what the Father sent him to do. He knew that his glory was the glory of the Father. And it was his primary pursuit of God’s glory that led him to lay down his life on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven. That was the will of the Father and that would bring him the most glory. So, we should rejoice in the fact that the shepherd leads us in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake….for his glory. Would you rather him lead you on a path for your glory? Or my glory? No! That would be a pointless journey that would end in disappointment and despair. On the other hand, when we are trusting God and walking in His life-giving path, not only does he get the glory, but that’s when we are most satisfied. As John Piper says, “God is more glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in him.”
We can have unwavering confidence in the shepherd who always leads us along the right path for his glory and, therefore, our good.
Let’s look at verse 4 and we’ll see why this is so important.
4 Even when I go through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
Now David is expressing confidence in his shepherd in the hard times. It’s easy to have confidence when lying in the green pasture and drinking from the calm waters. It’s much more difficult when we’re walking through the dark valley. For sheep, the valley means vulnerability. It’s where you get caught in the storm with no shelter. It’s where the wolves can run in packs. It’s where the floodwaters rise. But David knew that you couldn’t stay in the hills forever. Sometimes you have to lead your sheep through the dark valley. This is the part of Psalm 23 that challenges us. We read this verse and find comfort in the difficult seasons of life, but how often do we read this verse and remember that God doesn’t just lead us through the valley, but he is the one leading us into the valley? You might be wondering why he would do that. Why would God intentionally lead us through the darkest valley? We’ve already said….for his glory and for our good. It’s always the same. And because of that David has confidence in his shepherd.
He says, “I fear no danger, for you are with me.” Notice the shift in language here. David moves from using “he” to “you.” It becomes much more personal. That’s because his confidence comes in the presence of the shepherd himself. Again, he knew the importance of a caring shepherd, and how that had a calming presence for the sheep. When the shepherd is around, they know they are being protected. Animals have that instinct. A lot of you are pet owners. You know how nervous and jittery your animals can be when you’re not around, or how they act during a storm. But your presence gives them a sense of peace.
This year we’ve been talking weekly about peace. In Revelation, we’ve seen the peace we can have in the power and promises of God. Here we see the peace we can have in the presence of God. He is with us. What can offer more peace than that? So often we want to find peace in the circumstances. We want peace in our health, our financial security, our relationships… all those things that come and go. Our shepherd doesn’t come and go. He is with us. In Isaiah 43:1-3 God gives a very similar message but from his (the Shepherd’s) perspective rather than the sheep:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you,
and the rivers will not overwhelm you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be scorched,
and the flame will not burn you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior.
God doesn’t say he’ll lead us away from those things…but that he’ll be with us as we walk through them! A shepherd may lead his sheep through the valley, but he doesn’t abandon them. We can find comfort in that because with his presence comes protection. Notice that David says the rod and staff comfort him. Shepherds had two tools of the trade. The rod was a short club-like weapon that shepherds carried on their waist. It could be used to beat off wild animals. As a shepherd, David himself fought off lions and bears to protect his sheep. The Hebrew word is the same used for a King’s scepter, which tells us there’s a sense of power and authority with it.
The staff was the long stick, often with a hook on the end, that was used to correct the direction of the sheep. It could be used to tap them back in line or the hook used to pull them away from danger. With these two instruments, there’s protection from outside harm but also protection from self-inflicted harm. David knew he needed both….and so do we.
There’s a very real enemy that wants to hurt us and pull us off the right path. Pastor Louis talked about this last week from Revelation 12. He wants to isolate us from the pack and get us as far away from the shepherd as possible. But there are also times when we are a danger to ourselves. We wander away and need correction and discipline. This can especially be true when we are in the darkness of the valley. We start to doubt God. It becomes easy to listen to the lies and we start to look for answers and solutions to our problems in things besides God. My family has been in some dark valleys…even recently. We’ve felt the threat of the enemy…circling, trying to attack us. I’ve had those moments of doubt, moments of looking for solutions that I felt like God wasn’t providing. But then we get on our knees and the Holy Spirit reminds us that the shepherd is there. Thankfully, Jesus is there to fight off the enemy and he’s there to gently pull us back to the right path. I’ll be the first to tell you that as a sheep I need his rod to protect me and his staff to correct me! And I can tell you there’s comfort in knowing both are there to keep us safe and moving in the right direction. We can have unwavering confidence in Jesus as our shepherd.
This leads us to the final two verses and the third benefit of being a sheep, which is a Gracious Belonging. Look at verse 5.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
This still fits within the shepherd/sheep metaphor as shepherds need to walk a field before their sheep graze to make sure there aren’t poisonous weeds or other pitfalls to avoid. But I also think David is mixing in some of his battle experience. No one was setting up a banquet table on the frontlines of the battlefield right in the face of the enemy. That would be a bold and cocky move. But that’s what David says the shepherd is doing for us. He has set out a banquet for us right on the frontlines of the battle. He’s inviting us to his table to eat because he knows the victory is secure. Our Shepherd, Jesus, has already defeated sin and death. Our study of Revelation has reminded us of this over and over again. There are still daily battles for us to fight. The enemy is still waging war on the earth, but we know who wins in the end. The message for us is to stop trying to fight the battle ourselves and to sit back at the victory table. As we so often sing, the battle belongs to Jesus.
However, there’s more than just victory in this imagery. In ancient times, being invited to eat at someone’s table was a big deal….especially the table of a king, political, or military leader. After a battle, it was a sign of victory and celebration, but even outside of battle, it was a sign of belonging and acceptance. The table was an intimate setting where friends reclined together. That’s why it was so offensive when Jesus ate with the sinners and tax collectors. It signified a relationship in good standing. So, when the table is set before us, it shows that we belong and that God is extending his blessing over us. He extends this idea with the oil metaphor.
For sheep, oil is used to protect against flies and insects. You cover their heads with oil, and it gives them a covering they can provide for themselves. If you read much of the Bible, you will see that oil was used similarly as a symbol of both protection and blessing. It was a physical covering that demonstrated God’s spiritual covering. David experienced this when God selected him to be King and Samuel anointed his head with oil. That let David and everyone else know that he had been chosen and covered by the Spirit of the Lord. As His sheep, we get that same covering. We are chosen, accepted, blessed, and protected by the Spirit of God. It helps me to think of this idea of God’s blessing as an umbrella. An umbrella provides you with cover. When it’s raining it protects you from getting wet. When it’s sunny, it provides you with shade. In Florida, we know the value of both. If your kids play outdoor sports, you especially know how valuable a good umbrella can be. You don’t want to be sitting at a ballfield all day without one. God’s blessing is like that umbrella. He covers us with his presence, his power, his mercy…all the things that we cannot provide for ourselves. He wants us to be under the umbrella of his blessing. In the Old Testament, we see the Israelites step outside of the covering over and over again. They turn to worship other gods. They disobey God’s commands. And outside of God’s covering, other nations come in to defeat them and take them captive. But what happens? We see God send a judge, king, or prophet to bring them back under the umbrella because that’s where He wants His children to be. This is why we have a gracious belonging…because it’s God, in His grace, who comes after us.
This leads us to verse 6:
6 Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
as long as I live.
David understood that no matter how many times he strayed from the right path. No matter how many times he wandered away from the shepherd and stepped outside the umbrella of his blessing, the shepherd would always come looking for him. This phrase, goodness and faithful love, gets translated several ways in Scripture (often loving-kindness) but it’s always the same meaning. It’s expressing God’s love, kindness, mercy, and faithfulness, which never fail. And it’s not just that they are there, following us wherever we go…. like a puppy on a leash. This CSB translation is more accurate, God, in his goodness and faithful love is pursuing us…He is chasing after us.
Jesus taught this same concept in Luke 15 when he talked about the shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine sheep to go after the one that’s lost. God’s goodness and faithful love will never stop pursuing us! He loves His children and thankfully in His mercy, He comes after us because He knows that we will never find our way to Him on our own. Who here today can honestly say that they came to Jesus on their own? Wasn’t there a stirring? Wasn’t there someone or something that God used to chase you down? Even if it was allowing you to hit rock bottom, like the prodigal son, all the time the Father was there ready to come running to you.
Being a sheep doesn’t mean the path is going to be easy and prosperous or free from pain and mistakes, but no matter how far we stray from His path, God’s loving kindness chases us down to bring us back under the umbrella of his blessing. Our shepherd is there with us and he’s leading us to a much better pasture.
The last line of this chapter says, “I will dwell in the house of the Lord
as long as I live.” In other words, Jesus is going to lead us all the way through this broken and deteriorating land into the Promise Land where we can experience his presence fully. There will be no enemy to attack us. There will be no temptation to go find greener grass on our own. Sin and death will not exist, and we can rest at His banquet table for eternity.
This is the Big Idea: You can delight in being a sheep when Jesus is your Shepherd. You can delight in having complete satisfaction in knowing your needs are met, unwavering confidence in knowing God is with you, and a gracious belonging, knowing you have a place in His eternal kingdom.
Who else would be better to lead you? Who else cares about you like this? Who else has your best interest in mind? Who else can protect you and bless you? Who else can promise you rest for eternity?
If you’ve not trusted Jesus as your shepherd, then I want to invite you to do that today. Maybe today is the day you recognize that he’s been chasing you down because he loves you. See, the amazing thing about all of this is that we can trust Jesus as our shepherd because he is the shepherd who became a sheep. He loves us so much that he was willing to leave his place in heaven, come walk the earth, and lay down his life as the sacrificial lamb. 1 Peter 1:18-19 says, “18 For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life…..not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb.”
Put your trust in the shepherd who was willing to be sacrificed as a sheep. Jesus took your place, he took my place, on the cross. With his blood, he made a way for us to dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Communion is a great reminder and picture of the Gospel. As we eat the bread and drink from the cup, it symbolizes the broken body and shed blood of Christ. It also reminds us that we are united as sheep, no one more worthy than the other. Not a single person in this room has done anything to deserve or earn a place before God, but we are all recipients of His grace. If you don’t believe that yet, if you’re not ready to trust Jesus as your shepherd, then we would ask that you don’t participate in communion. You can stay seated and just reflect on the things that you’ve heard today. If you are taking communion, let it serve as a moment of thankfulness and surrender.
On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
