Good morning. Let's open our
Bibles to the 23rd Psalm. Thankful for the opportunity
to be with you this morning. Appreciate Obie and Stacia opening
their home to us last night. We had a good, never long enough,
but we had a good visit with them. And again, appreciate you
guys finding room for us. Here in Psalm 23, familiar passage
of scripture. Let's begin in verse one. We
read the Lord is my shepherd. Now David here in this text compares
the Lord God to a shepherd. And probably no one was more equipped to talk about a shepherd
than David. David knew much about what it
meant to be a shepherd. Turn over to 1 Samuel chapter
16. Look at verse 11 of 1 Samuel
16. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are
here all thy children? And Jesse said, There remaineth
yet the youngest, and behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel
said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him, for we'll not sit down till
he come hither. Here we see David, David was
a shepherd himself. Look at 1 Samuel 16 verse 19. Wherefore Saul sent messengers
unto Jesse and said, send me thy son David, which is with
the sheep. David was a shepherd, he kept
the sheep. Look at 1 Samuel 17 and verse 15. David went and returned from
Saul to feed his father's sheep. He was feeding the sheep. Look
at verse 34 of 1 Samuel 17. David said unto Saul, thy servant
kept his father's sheep. He said, there came a lion and
a bear and took a lamb out of the flock. Here we see him as
the shepherd willing to lay down his life for the sheep. Now the
work of the shepherd is often portrayed. We see images and
pictures of a shepherd and it's always some little guy in a white
robe laying out on a hillside daydreaming while the sheep wander
around in the pasture. Portrayed as weak and helpless. And isn't that how our Lord Isn't
that how a man named Jesus, I shouldn't say our Lord, isn't that how
a man named Jesus is portrayed in our day? Weak and helpless,
dependent upon others, but not a true shepherd, not the shepherd,
not the shepherd of the sheep. David told an account there in
1 Samuel, if you still have it, 17, look at verse 34. We'll pick
up where we left off. David said unto Saul, he said,
thy father kept his servant's sheep, and there came a lion
and a bear and took a lamb out of the flock. Now anyone but
a true shepherd would have just let that lamb go, wouldn't they?
Wouldn't have been concerned about that lamb. But not the
true shepherd, not the shepherd of the sheep. He said, I went
after him. and I smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth.
And when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and
smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion
and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall he, he'll be
as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living
God." You know, I went back, David went, that one lost sheep,
He went after it, didn't he? And he slew that bear, and he
slew that lion, and he brought it back. I went back, and you've
probably read some of these accounts of those who went out and observed
the shepherds back in those days where men still kept sheep. And there were a few things they
commented on about the shepherd. I thought these were interesting.
They called their sheep by name. Isn't that interesting? That
he calls his sheep. Men still do, they call, true
shepherds, they call their sheep by name. And the sheep, they
said those sheep would recognize the shepherd's voice and they'd
follow him. We read in the scriptures, my
sheep, hear my voice. Second, how they would fight
to the death. to protect those sheep from thieves and robbers
and wild animals. Our Lord said, I lay down my
life for the sheep. And then listen, their appearance
was described. I was reading this, said they
often They weren't dressed in these little white robes just
prancing through, playing a flute up on the hillside. They were
dressed like warriors, marching into battle. A long gun maybe
slung over the shoulder, a dagger and a pistol stuffed down in
their belt. Fierce eyes and a scowling countenance gave the indication
that they were willing to protect the sheep at any cost. Hebrews chapter Turn over there
with me, the book of Hebrews. Look at verse 20, Hebrews 13
and verse 20. Now the God of peace, that brought
again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd
of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
make you perfect in every good work, to do his will, working
in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ,
to whom be glory forever and ever. He is the great shepherd
of the sheep. Turn to John chapter 10, the
book of John. Look, beginning with verse 27.
The Lord Jesus Christ, the great shepherd of the sheep. He said,
my sheep, hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow
me, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My father which
gave them me is greater than all. And in case we didn't hear
that the first time, he says, no man is able to pluck them
out of my hand. Safe and secure in the hands
of the shepherd. We read this, we're bound up.
Bound up in the bundle of life. Held safe and secure in Christ,
our shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd. Turn to Luke chapter 15. David told an account where one
of those sheep was taken and he went out and he slew a lion
and a bear and he brought it back to himself. Look at Luke
chapter 15 in verse four. Our Lord told a parable about
a shepherd. He said here in verse four, what
man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them,
just one, does he not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness
and go after that which is lost until he find it? And when he
has found it, he lays it on his shoulders rejoicing. And when
he cometh home, he calleth together all his friends and neighbors,
saying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep
which was lost. I say unto you that likewise
joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than
over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance. One
lost sheep. One lost sheep. And here we again
see the work of the shepherd. What do we know? What do we know
about the sheep? Well, there's a pretty quick
description there. Lost. Lost. That which was lost. This is
our condition. Lost and ruined. And listen,
we're not just a little bit lost. We don't need just a little bit
of direction. We're not just a little bit fallen.
We didn't just trip and stumble. We fell. The scriptures say we're
dead in trespasses and sin. We've wandered far from the fold. Like that prodigal son, we've
said, give us what's ours, and then we've taken our journey
into a far country and wasted our substance. Wasted our substance
in righteous living. lost, without help, without hope. Look at Ephesians 2, verse 12.
Hold your place there, Luke, but look at Ephesians 2, verse
12. In verse 12, we read that, at
that time, ye were without Christ, being aliens from the Commonwealth
of Israel, strangers from the covenant of promise, having no
hope, and without God in this world. Listen, we're helpless. We're helpless. We're hopeless
to do anything. We're lost and helpless to do
anything about it. And that's a description of each
one of us by nature. But what's the shepherd do? Huh? Here we read in Luke that he
seeks, that he finds, that he brings home, and he rejoices. He rejoices in his work. He seeks
it. He goes after that which was
lost. Think about this. Think about
Paul and Silas. Our Lord sent Paul and Silas
to a jail for one reason, that Philippian jailer and his family. Wherever they're found, he sins. He sins after. Our Lord went
through a little town called Samaria. We read that he must
needs go through Samaria. He had to go through Samaria.
Why was that so important? Well, there's a Samaritan woman
there drawing water from the well, one of his lost sheep. He's going to Jericho. What's
in Jericho? There's a publican there. There's
a fellow named Zacchaeus climbing up a tree just to see what all
the commotion's about. And we read that when our Lord
came to the place, there was no accident, he came to the place,
And he looked up and he saw Zacchaeus and he said, come down, come
down. And we read that throughout the
scriptures. And today, today he continues to send forth his
preachers to declare the truth of his word for the purpose of
calling out his sheep. He seeks it. And then listen,
we read he finds it. Nothing, nothing is hid from
our Lord. Nothing is hid from Him. Look
at, in John chapter six, verse 39, this is the Father's will
which has sent me, that all which the Father hath given me, I'll
lose nothing. I'll not lose one, but I'll raise
them up at the last day. That lost sheep, he seeks, He
finds, and listen, he brings it home. He brings them home. We read here that he picked it
up and he carried it home. The Lord Jesus Christ bore our
sins and carried our sorrows. Verse five of Luke 15, it says,
when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. Who's doing the work there? Huh? It's all of Him. He does the
work. He's the one that finds. He's
the one that leans over and picks it up, puts it on His shoulders. He bears it up on his shoulders.
And I was thinking about this, and maybe some of you have done
this. I worked on a farm as a younger
fella, and we would go out certain times during the year because
the cattle were having their calves, and those calves had
to be carried in. And those calves would be covered
in mud and blood and a whole lot of other stuff that I won't
talk about. And I found this to be true,
there's no way of carrying that calf without getting what's on
them on me. Filthy, just covered in it. Our little ones, I don't know
if kids still do this or not, we used to go around and find
toads and pick them up. I don't know why I wanna know
what's so much fun about that, but has anybody ever picked up
a toad? And in a short amount of time, your hand's not dry
anymore, is it? Huh? And what's on your hand?
It takes a lot of soap and water to wash it off. Our Lord, what he bore is far dirtier than
anything an animal can get on us. He bore our sin. When He picked us up and He carried
us, He bore our sin. And that's what the scriptures
declare. He was, listen, He was made sin, made sin. God made Him sin that we might
be made the very righteousness of God in Him. And yet, He's
the spotless lamb of God. He is perfect. The scriptures,
how do we know that? The scriptures declare it must
be perfect to be accepted. How do we know Christ was perfect?
Well, the scriptures declare it, and we know it by this, God
raised him from the dead. and he set him at his right hand. He said this, this is my beloved
son in whom I am well pleased. Here you can. He's the lamb without
spot and without blemish. And over in Isaiah 40, I'll read
this to you. Isaiah 40 verse 10, behold, the
Lord God will come with strong hand and his arm shall rule for
him. Behold, his reward is with him
and his work is before him. He shall flead his flock like
a shepherd. He shall gather the lambs with
his arm and carry them in his bosom and gently lead those that
are with young." Oh, that lost sheep, he finds it. and he brings
it home, and then we read he rejoices. He rejoices. Why does he rejoice? Because
he's found his lost sheep. Verse seven up there in Luke,
he said, likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner. One sinner that repenteth more
than 99 just persons. this work, it's all of Him. He seeks, He finds, He brings
home, and He rejoices. Why wouldn't He rejoice? It's
for His glory, isn't it? Isn't that a description of the
Great Shepherd? Turn back to Psalm 23. Look back there again at verse
one. The Lord is my shepherd. He is. You see that? He is. David said he is my shepherd.
Not could be, not might be, not will be if I let him. He is. He is my shepherd. That's personal,
isn't it? He's my shepherd. David says
with confidence, the Lord is my shepherd. all to protect,
to keep, to defend. He's my shepherd. And as a result
of that being true, he said, I shall not want. I shall not
want. I may be nothing but a weak and
helpless sheep, but I shall not want. I may be a dumb sheep,
I shouldn't say may, I am a dumb sheep, right? That wanders and
strays, but I shall not want. I may be an old and feeble sheep
that is sick and sorrowful, but I shall not want. Why? Is it for anything in the sheep?
No, for the Lord is my shepherd. Verse two, he says, I shall not
want for rest, Why is that? He makes me to lie down in green
pastures. We're not even smart enough to
do that on our own. You see that? He says, he makes
me. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. I shall not want
for peace. Verse two, he says, he leads
me beside the still waters. Verse three, I shall not want
for redemption or forgiveness, for he restores my soul. He leads
me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. He leads
us in paths of righteousness. He clothes us in righteousness,
the very righteousness of God. We're made righteous. He's made
us righteous. I shall not want for, look at
verse four, for companionship or comfort. Why is that? Because thou art with me. Thy
rod and thy staff, they comfort me. I fear no evil, for thou
art with me. That rod and staff, he comforts. And with that rod, he also rules
his flock and defends his flock and directs his flock as to where
he would have them have us to go. Verse five of Psalm 23. Thou preparest a table Before
me in the presence of mine enemies, thou anointest my head with oil,
my cup runneth over. I shall not want for any provision,
because he supplies every need. Abundantly, abundantly above
all we could ever hope or imagine. I shall not want for anything
in this life or in the life to come. Look there in verse six.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my
life. And I'll dwell in the house of the Lord forever. And listen,
not as a guest, not as a guest, but as a son. Remember Mephibosheth
when David sent and fetched him and had him brought back. He
said, he said, David, is gonna sit at the king's table. How? As a son. He sit there just like
anybody, as sons. We're made sons. How? The Lord
Jesus Christ. He's the great shepherd. The
Lord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd of the sheep. He is
the chief shepherd. When the chief shepherd shall
appear, You shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
And he's the good shepherd, the good shepherd that giveth his
life for the sheep. Our Lord said, I am the good
shepherd. I know my sheep, and I'm known of mine. And our hope
is this. And may this be our comfort through
all time, that the Lord is my shepherd. All right, may God
be pleased to bless His Word.