Rsbc
Sunday Morning
9/5/04
Series: “Christ The Sum & Substance of The Bible
Sermon # 13
Subject: “Christ The Shepherd”
Text: Psalm 23-1-6
Intro: This is one of the most beloved Psalms of the Bible. Much has been written about it, sermons have been preached by all who mount pulpits. It has books written of it. It is a source of great comfort to the true believers of Jesus Christ.
In it we have David unveiling his innermost desires and beliefs concerning the Lord being his Shepherd. Note the position of the Psalm as it relates to the one before it and the one after it. In chapter 22 Christ suffering for his people on the cross, and then the one after the ruling King over his people.
In the New Testament we see Christ is described as the good shepherd that gives his life for his sheep, we see him as the great shepherd that rose from the dead to reign over his sheep, then we see him as the chief shepherd that will come for us one day.
In this text I wish to give you my heartfelt thoughts from such a great Psalm. I trust that if you don’t know the Lord Jesus Christ this morning, that before you leave this house of worship you will.
I... “ THE PERSON OF THIS PSALM”... “ The shepherd”
Christ in the Old Testament as viewed this way...
“He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” (Isa 40:11 AV)
The Lord Jesus ask and then told Peter “Do you love me, Peter said yes, then the Lord as a shepherd would then feed my sheep. It was his job to gather his people to himself.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!” (Lu 13:34 AV)
In the remainder of this Psalm we shall see this great Shepherd of ours and the faith that David had in him as his Lord and master. Place yourself this morning in the place of David and see if you indeed can claim the benefits of this Psalm.
If we have faith this morning in this Shepherd it is because he hath given it to us and we act on it because he is in us also.
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II... “ THE SHEPHERDS GREAT BENEFITS TO HIS PEOPLE”...VS 1-6
None of this new to you this morning and yet it pays to be reminded of this great work and what great benefit we have this morning as the sheep of his pasture. Jesus said my sheep hear my voice and they follow me stranger they will not follow.
1st. His personal relationship to the Shepherd: “ He is my shepherd” vs 1
Christ is never looked on in the Bible as impersonal but very personal, he is a personal savior, personal redeemer, personal protector, personal priest, personal forgiver, and many mor things.
Paul said of him:
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Ga 2:20 AV)
Note how personal the Lord was to Paul... (1.) He died with him.. (2.) Christ lives in him. (3.) He exist by Christ. (4.) The very reason...
“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” (Php 3:10 AV)
We can clearly discern that Paul had a personal relationship with Christ. He wanted to know him even more. This should be our desire this morning if Christ is our shepherd. If he is not we probably don’t care one way or the other.
2nd. His great needs are meet: “ I shall not want” vs 1
The sufficiency of Christ. Once you are saved then you find complete fulfillment in him. Not that you want find fulfillment in others things, but Christ is supreme. Once again we go to Paul ..
“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;” (2Co 3:5 AV)
“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:” (2Co 9:8 AV)
The great need of our salvation Is meet in Jesus Christ our great and eternal shepherd. He will exhibit this role in heaven also.
3rd. The great peace that he gives his people...vs 2
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Note as our shepherd he will make us to lie down, indicating a time of rest, and in that rest he provides great tranquility, or peace. It is this peace that will get us thorugh this life and what it has to offer.
Listen to the savior:
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (Joh 14:27 AV)
The Lord calls us to this wonderful peace. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:28-30 AV)
This peaceable state that Christ gives us results in the tranquility of our souls. He leads us beside the still waters. There is such a benefit in water, that is in both the intake of it, and the restfulness that one gets from being around it.
This is why Christ is compared to water in the Bible, the water of life, giving sinners water to drink that will quench their need. Calming our souls. What a great shepherd the Lord Jesus Christ is for his people.
4th. He restores our souls so that we can walk in those guided paths..vs 3
I don’t know of the times that the LORD has restored me. I don’t know of anytime that I didn’t need to be touch by the LORD and lifted up. The word “ restore” means
“Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” (Ps 51:12 AV) You and I will never walk on guided paths if we are walking in sin. We must be restored then we will seek the paths that the LORD would have us walk.
There are six things about the paths of the Lord I wish to show you and I this morning:
(1.) That God’s path’s can be taught: Psa 25-4
(2.) That God’s path’s are merciful... Psa 25-10
(3.) The Lord’s paths are teachable in the house of God:
“And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (Isa 2:3 AV)
(4.) The Lord’s preserves us in his paths:
“He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.” (Pr 2:8 AV)
(5.) The Lord expects us to acknowledge him so he can direct our paths: Prov. 3-6
(6.) The Lord’s promise concerning his paths:
“And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.” (Isa 42:16 AV)
4th... As our shepherd he assures us no fear in death and we must believe it as david did...vs 4
(1.) He knows that he is going to die one day:
“And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.” (Jos 23:14 AV)
Joshua the man of God said:
“And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.” (Jos 23:14 AV)
When David did face his valley of death he said to his son Solomon:
“I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;” (1Ki 2:2 AV)
(2.) He faces it with assurance that the Lord will be with him:
There is an ongoing promise to the people of God that he will not leave us, in life, nor in death.
(3.) From whence he has this great assurance: “ the comforting rod and staff of the shepherd.
5th. The great provision of Christ for us...vs 5
Psa 22-26
Psa 31-1
Jesus said
“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (Joh 10:9-10 AV)
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6th. Christ as our Shepherd will encourage his sheep..vs 6
a. He does this by allowing his goodness and mercy to follow us..
“I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” (Ps 27:13 AV)
“Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.” (Jer 31:12 AV)
Jeremiah said:
“Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.” (Jer 31:12 AV)
b. The result of the goodness and the mercy of the Lord...
Dwell in the house of the lord forever..We began our journey here, but it never ends with the Lord it is forever that we will dwell with him. I would like to close by saying a word to the lost here this morning... the fact that you are here this morning is proof as to what I am saying.. You are here by divine appointment, God brought you here. Listen to what Paul said..
“Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (Ro 2:4 AV)