Good morning everybody. So you can tell the people that
heard me before that y'all know I'm pretty particular about my
good mornings. This is the day the Lord has
made so let's say it like we mean it.
Good morning everybody. I still ain't feeling it.
Let's do it one more time. Good morning everybody.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
So I'm will what up like kind of like Jerry was saying, and if
you've been here the past couple of weeks, this is like our Psalm
intermission between series next week, actually cold comes back
from sabbatical. And if you were here last week,
you saw the departure of Carlos. So I'm like the substitute
teacher, if you don't mind, you know what I mean.
So as most substitutes, I'm going to try my best to go over
this, this Lesson plan the way it was given to me.
But I think we all know the Holy Spirit can make people a little
emotional. Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen.
So as we're giving our CG leaders, our, our roots leaders
a break this month, I'm at shocker, no roots.
He, he already said it, I'll say it again, the walkers, that's
what they call it, the little walkers.
Kind of creepy, but it's cool. We're going to call them
walkers. But no, no, no, I want you to
know that for me to kind of put this in perspective, I grew up
on my dad's side of the family, just my dad's side alone.
I have over 54 first cousins. So we exactly crazy nuts.
So we're separated by generations.
I'm used to being around little kids.
I even got a brother-in-law who has 12 kids and one on the way.
So I say all that to say it's OK if your children during this
service and if your babies during this service act like
children and babies, it's cool. I won't be offended.
Little confession. In fact, I I probably won't be
able to say much because my one year old is probably be the the
loudest and most destructive one here.
Shout out of the fact that he's quiet this long.
So Amen to that. But again, I just want you to
know it's OK. This is a family gathering to go
over a word that our father has given us.
Amen, Amen, Amen. So we're going over one of the
most popular and mainstream songs out there.
Cole had asked us to pick a song and to discuss like, wow, he's
on sabbatical. He's like, hey, yo, I need a
break. Can you 3 pick a song to to
preach over? And I remember singing this
Psalm in college and even when I sang it in college, I, I really
wasn't that familiar with it. I just to be honest thought it
was like, hey, this, this is certified banger of a song.
I love it. Certified banger means a really
good song. If anyone didn't know their, you
know, just like cultural translation, but, and I was
like, yeah, I want to, I want to do that.
And then I, I started like kind of discussing.
I was like, oh, this, this text is kind of like popular,
popular. And when it's like that when
discussing discussing a popular text, it it's really easy,
really easy to check out because you know it or even halfway
listen to the message because it's so familiar.
It's easy to reminisce on a study that you did, a sermon
you've heard that probably was way better, a book you read.
And you might even assume everything in the little point
I'm going to hit in today's message.
And I'm not going to lie, that might be the case.
But even if it is, stay locked in because we'll be going over
scripture, over word, over text that the creator of the universe
wanted you to hear today. Some of you, like me, had no
idea it was as popular of a song as it is.
And we're treated like any other sermon.
And and that's fine. I'm cool with that too, as long
as you lock in because the Creator of the universe has a
scripture that he wrote for you to go over today.
And lastly, some of you might still be new to church.
Might be your first Sunday ever and never heard of a Psalm or
you've been pronouncing it palm. I did it too.
Again, completely fine. The Creator of the universe
breathed words and scripture into this book, and we're going
over a passage today that he specifically has for you.
Amen. OK, stand if you're able and
let's let's read the word of God together.
Perfect. A Psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd.
I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green
pastures. He leads me besides still
waters. He restores my soul.
He leads me in the path of righteousness for His namesake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I
will fear no evil, for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my
life, and I shall dwell in the House of the Lord forever.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your word.
Thank you for your word. As we go through this, Father,
as you give us wisdom. Father, going through this text,
I need you to hold my hand. I need you to to guide me
Father, and I need you to hold me close.
And Father, see those who are listening.
Convict those who need to be convicted.
Encourage those who need to be encouraged.
Reassure those who feel that they are alone.
Father, we need you today like any other day, in Jesus name we
pray, Amen. You may be seated all right man,
a Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd.
I shall not want. That is a powerful statement.
Let's, let's, let's really dive into why that is so.
First, who is the Lord? Who is this Lord?
So Yahweh is the Lord, the creator of everything that is in
existence, the triune God. Psalm 136 tells us that God is
the God of gods, the Lord of Lords, the one who does great
wonders, made the heavens, the earth, the great light by day,
the moon and the stars at night, completely sovereign over the
rise and fall of kings. I want to emphasize that one
more time for for some of my political people, God our Father
is completely sovereign over the rise and fall of kings.
I just felt like I had to say that one more time.
He remembered us in our lowest states, rescued us from our
foes, and tells us in this Psalm constantly.
He says His steadfast love endures forever.
This is actually repeated 26 times, meaning once in all 26
verses. The fact that David, my
apologies, the fact that David is saying that Yahweh, this God
of Gods, Lord of Lords, who is over in the Creator of
everything, is his shepherd is a big deal.
So what is a shepherd according to Google?
Because I'm childish. Google says a shepherd is a
person who tends, herds, feeds and guards flocks of sheep.
This occupation is one of the world's oldest and plays a
significant role in the pastoralist animal husbandry.
In essence, a shepherd is responsible for the care and
manage of sheep, ensuring their safety and well-being.
One thing about sheep, especially in in, you know in a
lot of social media today too, sheep are dumb, right?
That's what everyone, everyone thinks and believes that they're
just honestly complete idiots of animals.
Fun fact, that is a misconception.
Translation. You're wrong.
I just want to say it. Just want to say it.
No no no, sheep aren't actually complete idiots.
Studies have shown that sheep are known to show empathy,
recognized faces, and they know when their name is called.
They also recognize their shepherd's voice, and each
individual sheep has their own distinct personality.
According to sheepraising.net, that's a real website.
The fact that sheep are individual, have individual
personalities mean that each individual can play different
roles in the herd and create a complex social organization.
As mentioned earlier, she experienced a full range of
emotions. The personality an individual
animal has will affect the way it experiences those feelings
and have an impact on the entire flock.
They ain't that stupid. So a Good Shepherd knows their
sheep individually. A Good Shepherd knows how to
lead fitting that specific sheep's personality.
David is not using this comparison for nothing.
He was a shepherd, an amazing shepherd at that, defending his
flocks from lions in wools, solo by himself.
He knows what it takes to be a Good Shepherd.
The Lord is my shepherd. Next part says shall not want.
The CSB version says I have what I need, period.
A Good Shepherd knows what his flock needs and make sure it's
done, as we're about to see in these next verses.
Verse 2, He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me besides the waters. Verse three, He restores my
soul, restores my soul. He leads me in the path of
righteousness for his namesake. So what does that mean for a
shepherd? One source says sheep do not
feed in pens, rather they they forge for their food in an open
field. In the winter months, the
sheep's coat wool protects them from the cold, but they died
from starvation. When the snow covers the grass,
they need help finding food. In the summer months, the
shepherd also leads the sheep by still waters.
Because they're timid, sheep will not drink from rushing
waters. Also, while it's really hot out,
shepherds leaves the flock to shady places where they can lay
down so they don't overheat. In addition, in barren
Palestine, sheep need to be kept near places where they may find
water. The shepherd is responsible for
that. In addition, the step, the
shepherd restores the sheep by providing rest and refreshments.
But how does God? How has he done it in the past?
One of the clearest depictions of God doing this is when Yahweh
LED his people of Israel through the wilderness, providing mana
from heaven, waters from a rock, and literally doing for them as
a shepherd would do for his flock.
Verbatim, Yahweh during this time told them to rest after
eating, lay down, and to not try to gather more food.
Don't try to do more work. Trust that I will provide for
you as your leader, as your shepherd.
And the only time to do it is when we were Sabbath thing for
the next day because during that Sabbath day you are too rest lay
down. Everyone say lay down everyone
say lay down. Are we going to be doing a lot?
We're going to be doing a lot of this repeating.
So y'all better get get used to it because I never want to
repeat after me right now. I like it.
The Lord was Israel's shepherd. The Lord was Israel's shepherd.
Amen. When it comes to the Lord's
restoration, David spoke about it in Psalm 19, seven.
The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewings one's life.
The testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the
inexperience wise. The instructions meaning the
scriptures of the Lord revives you, restores you making the
inexperience wise one translation is the I kind of I
love this one. It says making even the simple
wise one theologian also add God leads his sheep on the path for
his sake of his name. Because when David lives lives
out God's own righteous character, God's reputation is
magnified. God pursues what is right and
good for all people. And David acknowledges that
God's glory is at stake in the way he himself live.
Everyone repeat after me again. The Lord was David's shepherd.
Amen.
Verse 4 Even though I walked through the valley of the shadow
of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows, My cup
overflows. Amen.
So how do shepherds do that when leaving sheep?
Sometimes shepherds had to had to venture some ways out from
from home or even if they're making a long journey in
general, meaning that they're either not coming back home
until the sun is setting or if they're actually just moving,
they have to lead their flock through the dark valleys in
caves. This is when David would utilize
his his ride for fighting off predators like lions and wolves.
This is also where he would have to be tactful and savvy and
using his staff to guide his sheep, knowing how to use it on
the timid and skittish part of his flock to not 'cause panic.
You know the sheep that if you that take off running if they
hear a loud noise and how to use his staff for the bold hard
headed sheep in the flock. You know the ones that think
they can ram a tractor and everything in between.
While on these journeys, the sheep would still eat and drink
even when they're surrounded by danger, but felt secure because
they had their shepherd with them.
When it comes to God, we see in verse two and three that God
meets our physical and spiritual needs.
Now we're we're getting into the the peace of his presence of him
just being there. Like in Exodus, we see God
provide all these needs. We also see him provide.
These needs while the the Israelites were were surrounded
by the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perezites, the Hibites, the
Gemsites and the Amalekites. His rod gave them victory over
their enemies, and His staff guided them to the Promised
Land. Everyone repeat after me again.
The Lord was Israel's shepherd. Amen.
Peter Stevenson says.
David tells the Lord, Thou anointest my head with oil.
The verb never refers to an anointing for an office.
David thinks of this blessing, that God has given him all the
blessings. He thinks of this goodness.
He concludes, My cup runneth over, a metaphoric picture of
the abundant blessings the Lord has given.
Repeat again. The Lord was David's shepherd.
Verse 6. Surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the
House of the Lord forever. Earlier we learned that sheep
can can learn they're not as dumb as as some of us initially
thought. With that being said, a sheep
having a shepherd feed them, a sheep having a shepherd helping
them to rest and relax, a sheep having a shepherd helping
helping them and protecting them and guiding them in the way that
fits them best would know that everything will always go the
way they needed to go because they have a Good Shepherd.
Same with David as the perfect, almighty, all powerful Yahweh as
His Shepherd. Surely goodness and mercy will
continue in my life and when my life ends, when David's life
ends, he will get to dwell with Yahweh in His house forever.
Repeat again, the Lord was David's shepherd.
Cool. Now we did the the educational
part, right. I follow the game plan.
I promise now, now I'm about to be a real substitute teacher.
So now that we contextualize the text, now we understand what a
shepherd is, what a shepherd does, what a Good Shepherd is,
how did God do it in the past, how he continues to do it, who
God is. Now.
Let's make it personal with the same assurance that David had.
Let's let's go over this again. The Lord is my shepherd.
Repeat after me. The Lord is my shepherd.
I don't think I understand because we just talked about who
God was, who the Lord was the creator of everything, the God
of Gods, Lord of Lords. That Lord is your shepherd.
I need you to say it like you mean it.
The Lord is my shepherd. Hey man.
And he knows my unique needs when I am stubborn in verse 2,
he knows how to make me lie down.
I think of my my one year old at times.
He's so exhausted he, he can't function.
But he can't he, he, he can't lay down because he won't stop
moving. He doesn't know what to do.
He's overwhelmed. So I have to, I have to grab him
and hold him tight so he can just stop moving till he
realizes like, oh, this is all I need to do to rest.
I'm saying, son, just lay down and then he goes to sleep.
There are times in there, there there are moments and there
might be other people like you that's like me right now where
you, you just feel weary and beat up, broke down, stressed,
overwhelmed and you're like God. I just, I just need you to
comfort me. And I promise you, sometimes God
is just saying, son, just lay down and let me guide you.
Repeat after me. The Lord, He's my shepherd.
This Lord, the Lord my shepherd, sent me the Holy Spirit to
resurrect my soul, to guide me on the path of righteousness.
The Lord is my shepherd. When I go through trials and I
and I feel as though I'm surrounded by darkness, I know
the Lord my shepherd is with me, protecting me with this rod and
he is guiding me with this staff.
Repeat again. The Lord is my shepherd.
The Lord prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies.
It gives me blessings that overflow my cup.
The Lord is my shepherd. I know goodness and mercy will
follow me and that my eternal resting place will be in heaven.
The Lord is my shepherd. Amen.
Why do I know this?
Because God, who is the Good Shepherd that led his people out
of Egypt, freed them from slavery and Exodus, let them
through the wilderness. Also let David, yes, David, the
shepherd, the amazing shepherd. I told you he also needed a
shepherd. God then put on flesh and Jesus
the Good Shepherd. The good Good Shepherd broke the
bondage of sin and death. He did this by living perfect
without sin. Only accomplish this because he
was fully God, is fully God and taking on the burdens of the
world, being tempted, tortured, beaten, humiliated, and
eventually murdered. This was only able to happen
because he was fully man and he fully put on human flesh.
But because he is God rose from the dead and ascended into
heaven, and again the the bondage of sin and death are
gone, and even bigger exodus. And when he returns, taking us
to an even better promised land, a new heaven, a new earth.
And because of this, because Jesus fulfilled the law, we have
an even greater assurance than David.
We get to call him something far, far greater.
We get to call him something more personal than just
shepherd. We can call him Father.
Amen. Repeat after me.
The Lord is my Father. Because of Jesus, we have a
closer relationship than just a shepherd and his flock.
This could all be summed up like this in our big idea.
Because the Lord is my shepherd, I can rest in his provisions,
His protection, and His promise. As sons and daughters.
Because the Lord is my Shepherd, we can rest in His provisions,
His protections, His promises as His sons and daughters.
What does this look like to live this out right?
How? How do we apply this?
If we are His sheep and He is our Shepherd, then we must be
able to discern His voice. To do so, we must know what His
voice sounds like. We must know His words.
To know His words, we must read our Bibles.
We must read our Bibles. I know it sounds elementary, it
sounds basic. I, I, I think I told some people
earlier this, this message is simple.
It's, it's nothing complicated. It's no loose, it's no beautiful
poetic sermon. It is what it is for us to know
our shepherd's voice who is leading us.
We got to know His words, which means we must read His words #2
if we are His sheep and He is our Shepherd, then when we hear
His voice or the nudging of the Holy Spirit, not if when we hear
His voice, when we feel the nudging of the Holy Spirit, we
must submit. We must submit.
Lastly, if we are His sheep and He is our shepherd, we must be
active members of His flock. Everyone has a role in the
flock, meaning we must serve and use the gifts He has given us
for His Kingdom and His glory. So served in our church.
This is not a consumer based faith or consumer based
lifestyle or a consumer based building.
Serve His church. We talk often about fighting for
joy for the city of Des Moines. Again, that's not passivity,
that's not sit and just watch miracles happen.
We are part of His flock. Serve your community, serve your
neighbors. How much easier would it be able
to to do these things, discern these things, understand God's
will for your life if you constantly stay in His Word and
and not just listening to worship songs.
Those are that that's good, but it's not his word.
Not following your favorite pastor on Instagram that that's
not, that's not always just his word, not just a podcast, his
word. Some of you are still new to the
faith, maybe new to church. Again, this this may be your
first day and don't even know of what his flock looks like, even
if you're a part of it. Well, we have a Good Shepherd
that will leave the 99 for the one.
And he knows you by name. He knew you when you were in
your mother's womb and he loves you.
He loves you. After we're done here, there,
there are going to be people here and leaders here that would
love to talk to you about that. If you have any questions, we'd
love to pray with you about that and we'd love to walk with you
in that. I know I've been going for a
little bit. I thank you all for your
patience. I want to, I want to leave you
all with this. Because of Jesus again, we can,
we can call God more than just a shepherd.
We can call him Father. We can call him Father.
Repeat again. The Lord is my father, and he's
a good, good father. Some of you have great earthly
fathers. That's awesome.
Shout out to you. Yahweh is infinitely better.
Some of you have bad fathers who have done unspeakable things.
Yahweh can restore you and show you the love that you were
created to receive by the true Father.
And some of you have absent fathers.
Yahweh will never leave nor forsake you repeat after me.
The Lord is my father. So let's let's look at this
again in in that lens. The Lord is my father.
He knows what I need. He take care of me physically,
mentally and spiritually restores me.
He shows me how to live righteously to make Him proud
and glorify Him. He is with me, always protecting
me and comforting me and guiding me even in the presence of my
enemies. He provides my every need and
blesses me. I know goodness and mercy will
follow me because of my Father, and I know I'll be with him
forever when I go home. The Lord is my father.
Let's pray there of the Father. Thank you for your word.
Thank you for your son. Thank you for the sacrifice you
made so we can call you Father. Thank you for your patience.
Thank you for your grace. Thank you for your mercy because
I know just me alone. Father, I am a stubborn sheep.
Thank you for forcibly closing doors so I have to follow you
away. Thank you for picking me up when
I'm exhausted and carrying me to where I need to go.
I love you. And as we go on from today, as
we go on into the week, help us live a life that shows we love
you. Help guide our wants and our
desires to echo you, the Father, the Shepherd.
Help us stay in your word. Father, help us be active
members of your flock. And Father, help us know when it
is you talking to us, when it is you guiding us.
Give us comfort in the midst of this crazy world that we lived
in this darkness we see all around us and help us rest in
your sovereignty. In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.