Pastor Dan Eddy
Psalm 23
How the Lord
Jesus Christ is your Good Shepherd
5-15-11
Grace, mercy, and
peace be yours from God our Father and from our Good Shepherd, our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Please pull out
your bulletin insert and follow along as I help you by the power of the Holy
Spirit to see vividly how the Lord Jesus Christ in your Good Shepherd.
But first…I have
to tell you it’s good to be back home here in
While I was there
I learned that my father, in his wiser older age, has become quite an
ornithologist…he studies, loves, and cares for birds.
He has bird
feeders all over the back yard. One particularly big bird feeder he hung from
the bottom branch of a tree, so that as he eats his breakfast he can see the
birds eating theirs.
However, there’s
just one problem. Many times the squirrels get to the feeder first and eat up
all the bird’s food.
So my dad has
attempted to devise a way to discourage the squirrels from eating the bird’s
food. My father has nothing against the squirrels. He just wants them to get
their food elsewhere.
First, he put
slippery petroleum jelly on the branch above the feeder, but that didn’t work. Squirrels
just run right along the branch like it wasn’t there.
Second, my father
wrapped the branch with two aluminum tubes on the right and left of where the
hanger hook was and put petroleum jelly on them. But, the squirrels would jump
down from another branch on little bit of the branch still exposed, and shimmy
down to the feeder, spill the contents, and eat all the food.
Frustrated my dad
had me hold the ladder while he bolded the two metal pieces together, bolded
the strap down the bird feeder to the tubes, and then extended the tubes
practically to the length of the branch so that the squirrels couldn’t jump
from anywhere to get to that food. The squirrels still manage to walk on the
aluminum tubing…but it was way too risky so they have moved on.
My father was
serving as a shepherd over the birds and other animals in his backyard. And his
actions reminded me of this text from Psalm 23 where Jesus is our Good Shepherd,
as He exclaimed in our Gospel reading. He wants us to have an abundant, full
life with Him.
Please pull out
your sheets as we fill in the blanks to show vividly how Jesus is your Good Shepherd.
(Graphic #1)
The Lord is my Shepherd = That's Relationship!
I shall not want = That's Supply!
Notice it doesn’t
say: “The Lord is my Shepherd I get what I want.” It says I shall not want. The
Lord gives you what you need to keep your faith in Christ strong.
It’s not a wish. The
word, “shall” may sound like it may or may not happen. No, King David, by the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is saying that with our Lord as our Shepherd “I will not want.” It’s a certain
reality for those who have faith in Christ. It’s ongoing. Literally in the
original Hebrew the phrase can be translated “The Lord is shepherding.” It’s present and ongoing.
(Get out crook)
Jesus gives you
what you need, and keeps you away from the dangers of the unhealthy things that
you desire.
These are things that
you don’t think are dangerous (the sensual, the greedy, the idolatrous). You may
think God is being cruel and mean at the time. It’s like you’re a squirrel and aluminum
tubing and slippery petroleum jelly have been added branches to keep you away.
From the shepherd’s knowledge and perspective He knows more than you and knows
what’s best for you.
Think about that
the next time you feeling God is withholding what you think is a good thing
from you. Ask yourself why, and it may reveal a sin or sins in your life.
The next phrases
tell us the specifics of how the Lord is fulfilling your wants.
(Graphic #2)
He maketh me to lie down in green
pastures = That's Rest!
You are enjoying
that now here in worship and He is removing the burdens of life here in prayer
and praise. The sense from the text is He is the source and the cause of your
rest, and He dwells with you as you rest. He is resting with you.
(Graphic #3)
He leadeth me beside the still waters =
That's Refreshment!
He is feeding you
His Word to strengthen your faith. He is the bread of life as John 6 says. He
literally feeds your faith with His body and blood in the bread and the cup.
The Lord gives
you what you need when you need it. With the waters of baptism you will not
thirst, because with faith you are His sheep.
The idea here is
He has and will continue to do this. It’s not a one time or even an infrequent
event.
(Graphic #4)
He restoreth my soul = That's Healing!
He gives you
forgiveness again. It’s intensive experience. He is not forgiving you
half-hazardly. He’s not saying, “Oh
that’s okay. Don’t worry about it. You can keep sinning.” He really want
you to know, believe, and confess that He has removed sin that otherwise would
kill you for eternity. And because of He has restored your soul your
everlasting existence will be in Heaven not Hell.
From our Epistle
Reading from 1 Peter 2:25 ESV: “For you
were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of
your souls.”
(Graphic #5)
He leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness = That's Guidance!
For His name sake = That's Purpose!
He is guiding you
not to live as foolish sheep, but to act like the wise Shepherd. He is the
cause of all of the good works you do. He has done this and will continue to do
this if you stay with the Good Shepherd.
Now He takes all
you have been given and provided, and He will show you how powerful you are as His
sheep. Yes, powerful sheep. You rarely hear those two words together…..powerful sheep.
(Graphic #6)
Yea, though I walk through the valley of
the shadow of death = That's Testing!
I will fear no evil = That's His Protection!
For Thou art with me = That's His Faithfulness!
The idea here is like
you are traveling in the dark shadows of a deep valley like the
In ancient times
robbers would be hiding behind rocks to jump out to mug you, steal from you and
hurt you…but the Lord is emphatically saying here: “I will protect your faith. I will not leave you….when you are
financially strapped, physically ill, and spiritually challenged. I am there in
the darkest moments of your life, even if you don’t think I am.”
It’s like how the
Apostle Peter described it in our Epistle Reading; 1 Peter 2 verses 20 and 21:
ESV “But when you do good and suffer for
it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you
have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example,
so that you might follow in his steps.”
(Graphic #7)
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me =
That's Discipline!
(Take crook) Shepherds used their crook a lot to keep
the sheep from falling off the cliff. Because, if one sheep went over the
cliff, the others would follow if the shepherd wasn’t there with his crock.
That’s what happens to people outside the church…they fall off the cliffs
because of materialism, adultery, greed, and chasing after other gods. You can
be comforted in knowing the Lord has saved you from danger, because we can act
like greedy squirrels trying to steal the bird’s food.
(Graphic #8-9)
Thou preparest a table before me in the
presence of mine enemies = That's Hope!
Thou annointest my head with oil = That's Consecration!
My cup runneth over = That's Abundance!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life = That's Blessing!
Jesus has given
you the hope…that’s faith. He has set you apart for holy purposes. Those are
the callings He gives you in life…father, mother, sister, brother, husband,
wife.
And church
callings…the Lord gives to you abundantly here in this congregation to bond
together, serve together, and live together. The idea here is He gives us the best
tools we need to save the lost sheep out there and bring new sheep in.
The sense from
the text is that you are being intensely blessed and equipped for your own
benefit, to give blessings to others in order to show God’s loving Will to them.
That’s why we put
these postcards (hold up postcard) in your bulletin so you can invite your
under-churched, and un-churched friends to join you on Friendship Sunday…two
weeks from now.
That’s why we are
embarking on our first community outreach event in a long time with Thrivent
Financial to invite your friends and family here on Tuesday night, June 21 to learn
how to better budget, spend and save money.
That’s why Janet
Schmitz will be installed here in a few moments as our Parish Nurse…so she can continue
to set the example for all us to compassionately care for those hurting the
most in our congregation.
All of these
blessings we pass on so people vividly see
the Lord caring in their lives, shepherding them, today.
(Graphic #10)
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
= That's Security!
Forever = That's Eternity!
Never act today
without keeping your eye on what’s ahead after this life. Live today with the End
in mind.
Look at how the
Heavenly Father lived this Psalm for His Son Jesus. Nobody would ever say that
God the Father didn’t love His Son except for that moment on the cross when God
the Father showed you He loves you so much He let His Son take the deadly fall
for you.
But then He still
restored His Son in the resurrection. So if God did that for His Son…and His
Son is Your Good Shepherd, why would you doubt that the Lord is shepherding you
life today…if you let Him?
It is not what we have in our lives that defines us, but Whose we are that
shapes us.
And do you want
to know how powerful God’s Word is in this Psalm…to shape and mold and preserve
our life with Him even in its darkest moments?
As many of you
know my 104 year Grandma has full dementia. She was at one time very sharp. You
wanted her on your Trivia Pursuit Team when it came to literature or history.
But today she
doesn’t know what year it is, or who the President of the
And it’s
upsetting to my family. And it can be frustrating to visit her in this
state…when she keeps saying “Help me.
Help me.”
And I shared with
you a couple months ago when I see her I end each of our visits reading this
psalm to her.
And even though
she can’t remember hardly anything when I say: “The Lord is my shepherd,” She will say from memory, “I shall not want.” Then I said; “He maketh me to lie down in green
pastures,” and she response: “He
leadeth me beside the quiet waters. He restoreth my soul.”
Then about here she
might get stuck and so I’ll just say “He
leadeth me,” And then she’ll pick right with confidence in
the paths of righteousness, for His name sake.”
And then to hear
her say these next words is quite profound: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy
staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine
enemies.”
Then
again she might get stuck and I’ll help: “Thou
anointest my head with oil…” And she will usually go on a roll “my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of
the LORD for ever.”
“Amen, Grandma. Amen.” She’s done something like that every time
I have visit her.
But this last
Mother’s Day when I visited her, I took a picture of Jesus (hold up picture) like this one off her wall…and I asked her to
tell me who he was…she looked at the picture intently and said, “He looks like a minister.” I said, “He is a minister. He’s the minister of all
ministers. He’s your Good Shepherd…Jesus…here today preparing you soon to go to
Heaven.”
And then she
said, “I hope so.” And I said, “Grandma, I know so.”
God’s blessings
that you may see the Good Shepherd, the risen and exalted Christ shepherding in
your life all the days you are blessed to live here as He shepherds us into
eternity. Amen.