Sermon Series: The Lord is My Shepherd
Note: We looked at a personal possession, a plentiful provision, a precise place, and now today a perfect pathway.
Psalm 23 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 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: Thou anointest my head with oil; 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.”
Note: It’s a personal Psalm that records for us the work of God in our life.
Note: God is My Shepherd.
Note: He is all that I need.
Note: My soul is satisfied with Him.
Note: He leads me and He feeds me.
Note: I am resting in His promises and power.
When David recognized God as His shepherd, he also admitted that he was the sheep of His pasture.
Note: Can I be honest today, Sheep are not very smart.
Note: They are animals that constantly find themselves in difficult situations. Most of the time, it’s because sheep like to stray.
A sheep so easily gets lost. The dog can find its way home.
You can’t get rid of a cat.
The horse comes back to the corral.
The cows come home to the barn, but not a sheep.
A sheep nibbles here, browses there, just keeps on going and going.
Note: Animals can be trained.
I heard about a man in front of a country store playing checkers with a dog.
A man said, “That’s a smart dog you’ve got there.”
He said, “Oh, I don’t know.” Said the man, “I beat him every game”
Note: But sheep cannot be trained.
Note: You won’t find a circus act with trained sheep.
- Sheep are dumb.
- Sheep are dependent
- Sheep are defenseless.
Note: That’s why David celebrated that He had a Good Shepherd to guide him.
Note: But there are times in our life that we stray.
“Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,”was written in 1757 by 22-year-old Robert Robinson.
In the hymn’s lyrics is a line that always captures my attention and forces me to do some self-evaluation.
The line says, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.”
I feel that way sometimes. Too often I find myself distracted and drifting, instead of having my heart and mind focused on the Savior who loves me and gave Himself for me.
Robert Robinson and I are not alone in this.
In those seasons of wandering, our heart of hearts doesn’t want to drift from God—but, like Paul, we often do what we don’t want to do (Rom. 7:19), and we desperately need to turn back to the Shepherd of our heart who can draw us to Himself.
Note: Maybe your soul today is strayed from the Shepherd.
Note: Maybe you this morning are in need of restoration.
Note: The word Restoreth in Psalm 23 means to bring back.
Note: It speaks of a soul that has strayed from the shepherd’s pathway.
Note: The Sheep that will not follow the leadership of the Shepherd finds themselves in many troubles of the soul.
Note: When we follow our own way, it only leads to heartache.
We all love the story of Peter.
He had strayed from the Lord.
He denied the Lord three times.
Peter became depressed and decided that God wouldn’t ever be able to use him.Before His Denial, Jesus said to him in Luke 22:32
Luke 22:32 “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”
Note: The word converted means to turn back or to be restored.
Note: Even though Peter had strayed, God didn’t give up on Him.
Note: In John 21 Jesus came for Peter to encourage Him.
Note: Jesus gave Peter important advice.
Note: He said Peter, in John 21:22, Follow Thou Me.
Note: Peter realized that Jesus, as His Shepherd, restores His soul.
Note: It was Peter that also strengthened other Christians in 1 and 2 Peter.
Note: David was a straying sheep.
Psalm 119:176 “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; For I do not forget thy commandments.”
Note: God as the good Shepherd was seeking after Him. He didn’t give up on His Sheep.
Note: God is there to restore us when we go astray.
Note: He has a Perfect Pathway for our life.
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