The Lord - Our Shepherd - Part 2

Welcome to the intense podcast of child and family for Tuesday, March 22 from 23 reminds believers that is the one who restores yourself if you've been wondering follow God back to the safety and security of his flock here start to have the Lord our shepherd. Now I want to deal with the passage of Scripture, the probably most all of you have heard it and read it many times and many people have memorize the notes probably of all the passages of Scripture, the Bible is the one that is the most known and the most quoted, so I want you to turn to the 23rd Psalm was begin in verse one everything rest on this first statement, what is it say the Lord is my shepherd and then I shall not want. He says he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet, still waters.

He restores my soul he guides me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake for the long 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 lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Now if you'll think about it for a moment there only 55 Hebrew words in this song and hundred and 15 English words and when he says the Lord is my shepherd, you'll notice in your Scripture that it's capital all the letters a capital LORD that word is found 5996 times in the Old Testament is the word that we call Jehovah because this is the word apart for God and so we start out by saying here God Jehovah is my shepherd, and if you start with that.

You have to ask yourself the question of who is this God.

This God is the all sufficient eternal everlasting omniscient on the present omnipotent eternal God, who is loving and kind and gracious and good to is, that's who. This is so with that in mind, let's look at what he says here and I wanted to see. First of all, he says he Jesus says he is a personal shepherd that I'm glad he didn't say the Lord is the shepherd. He said David said the Lord is my shepherd. That makes it very, very personal.

That is, as we just read in John he says my sheep know my voice my sheep hear my voice.

I know them and they follow me.

He says unknown number, sheep, and I know mushy every single child of God is like a sheet that is where known by the father known by the Lord Jesus Christ and not only does he know us, but we know him that is a personal relationship, then listen what he says the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

And he leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul. That is when you think about. He's a pardoning shepherd. Every single one of us has strayed from God. At some point in some way for some period of time. It may be a short story or a long story and I can December send us the longer you live outside the will of God. The more costly it becomes what the sin due to the so what is sin to a person's sin creates barrenness in the inside of a person's sin creates a sense of emptiness and usually a sense of loneliness. Think about this. You and I have a personal, intimate relationship with God the father. There's nobody else in the world who can fill up in your life. The companionship of the relationship and intimacy that only Jesus Christ can fill as a way God made as he made us for himself. Only he can fill up his heart of hours and when people stray away from God. If you asked them to be honest about how what they're feeling, they'll tell you.

And often times I hear it I just feel empty and yet that's not what God offers. When you and I follow the Lord Jesus Christ is going to be fullness that is going to be plenty of whatever God wants us to have whatever he wants us to have it.

God doesn't come up short, and he says the literal here. He says my cup runs over.

That's not a stingy God.

He always has the best for you. The question is if you not experiencing God's best. It isn't because the shepherd has misled you, it's because you've taken your eyes off him and are you following something else you know we call the sheep dumb sheep and and in Isaiah chapter 53.

Remember the Scripture says all we like sheep have gone astray. We've each one turned to our own way while we do that because we not listening. I think about this I give you a perfect example of this that happened to me in 1963 in July. I'll never forget it. I was in generation in the holy land and the we were getting a bite or something is resting in my group in these two shepherd showed up at this well with their two herds I came to two different directions and I watched all of a sudden all the sheep mingled with the children of the world you going to get them separated. You had a staff in his rod and so forth and so they said the floor while in my curiosity, I couldn't wait to see how this happened and they talked for probably 30 minutes or less. Somewhere thereabouts and finally one of them. I couldn't understand what he said not too loud but loud enough to be heard and he to start walking and the sheep by themselves just separated themselves from each other. The next thing you know he and his flock. Removing this direction and the other shepherd. He said something in his flock move in this direction. L separated. Now why because those sheep had to learn to know the voice of the shepherd. They knew which one of those men was the ship they knew what they could separate from each other. They knew the voice of the shepherd. One of the reasons many of God's people get in trouble. You are listening to the wrong voice you hear the voice that promises this in the voice that promises that in the voice that says if you could just experience this if you just knew that if you just went there if you just tasted this if you tried that you listening to voices.

You and I had to listen to the shepherd and that's why sent you so often one of most valuable lessons you can learn as a Christian as a follower of Jesus Christ is to learn the voice of the shepherd. How do you know it's God speaking to exact the best way to learn. That's right.

Learn. Get the New Testament and begin to read just read the Gospels and see what Jesus said read Paul's epistles and see what he said.

Then when you hear a voice that tells you to do something or go somewhere that listen, that doesn't match what Jesus and apostle Paul the apostle said that you know that you hear in the wrong voice. Jesus is never going to mislead you. The word of God's never going to mislead you, but you close this book and you going to be misled you stop reading the word of God dwelling on the word of God listening to the voice of God when you pray that you ask God to speak to your heart. Yes.

Would God ever say to you after time of prayer. Maybe listen to you, you been tired, you're wearing you sort of wonder what God ever said you want, you can enter the bar about 6 o'clock. Find somebody you fellowship with and just have yourself a drink, but I can tell you, God's not going to tell you to go to a bar and have a drink with somebody and seller. Get yourself together.

Is he here is something about think about this the shepherd he protects is he's got a staff and rod, and the reason they care those and then you have dogs like we have today trained to go keep the sheep and so it is not a protection.

I think some believers have the idea when they get out of sorts regarding if you put in the shepherd and sheep got the shepherds not been to move ahead with a rod is not who is somebody since Rob disobeyed God and and and I don't since the love of God, the more listen because God's opinion was beaten. The consequences of sins beats up on us. We get out of sorts with God and so he's a loving God who loves us and he is willing to forgive us of our sin. And so you quit what you have to ask is this amount was enough to follow the shepherd he loves me like no one loves me. He always has the best for me. He's promised by his divine omnipotence that he's going to take care of me and that he's gonna watch over me and he's going to provide management not always understand it all, but that's who it is that's what he says he'll do. How could I ever go wrong.

Following the shepherd. That's why it's so important you learn to hear and detect the voice of the shepherd missing this even dumb sheep know how smart that is, then he's in protecting shepherd. What is he say he says, but, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. He says he will guide me in paths of righteousness as part of his provision. He's going again in paths of righteousness. Once this then he says even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, is there will is he guarding the years because the shepherd would lead the sheep through valleys from one mountaintop one hillside to the other that somewhere along the way. People have the idea that this has to do with death and funerals. That's not westerly talking about the shadow of death.

There's nothing wrong with reading this service because people usually want to read this, that's fine, even though I walk through the valley listen the valley of the shadow of death, listen the valley can be a shell of tears, heartache, doubts, all counterfeit and there was we all walk through certain valleys in our life, even after you become a believer and that listen, there's never going to be a time when you've gone through the last valley until God calls you names. We all go to sleep valleys a time in her life.

So how we respond afraid though because, listen wise of the sheep's not afraid even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, but one simple reason for thou art with me as King James, but I love it that old God art with me. What makes the sheep feel safe. The presence of the shepherd that rod and that staff that rod is to protect the sheep from wild animals and the staff. For example, has crooked when they get in the place that they can't reach you can reach down to get him by the neck pull amount. It's a matter of rescuing them safety. This book is like the rod in the staff when I see it. I know what that I am protected by Almighty God provided by him no matter what because he's with me.

Why, because he says he is has ever left you know you ever felt left yes why do you feel left because you listen to the wrong voices. Satan will tell you live. God cared he'd be with you. You tell Satan.

Satan let me tell you the truth, he is with me. He's always with me. Only the devil only that which is supported by the devil, something satanic to convince you that God's not with you.

I want to say again every single one of these verses is about something God is doing for you and me. How could you not love it.

How could you doubt I God who positions himself as a shepherd to help was in the understand this in the picture for us this wonderful relationship of the shepherd who guards the sheep provides for the sheep lays down his life for the sheep watches on that night provides from the that's who he is. You must learn to listen to them in the way you learn to listen to Mr. read his word compared to the other voices and recognize that when you listen to this word and you obey it. God honors you every time where listen to what he says his last four. He says you prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies even on in my head with all markups running over goodness and lovingkindness follow me all the days of my life I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Sorties talk about. For example, the word here. Prepare place means to prepare beforehand. The shepherd always had the place prepared where they were going to spend the night.

He thought ahead. He planned ahead, does it have a place where he could keep his arm and protect them. The Bible says in John chapter 14, Jesus, the good Shepherd said let not your heart be troubled or be afraid. You believe in God believe also in me. In my father's house are many mansions and dwelling places. If it were not so I would've told you I'm going to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you. I'm coming again to receive you and myself, that where I am, there you may be also. We have a heavenly home provided for us by the good Shepherd. He says I'm going to prepare place and I'm gonna bring you the time one of these days in some split-second God is going to call each one of us and at that moment we going to step out of this life into that life and you know what that'll mean that the good Shepherd kept his word and now here in glory you're in heaven I'll just give you a personal feeling. It's foolish not to be a follower of Jesus. It's so wrong to try to live your life apart from it is so futile.

It is so empty. No matter how hard you try.

No matter what you own. You can own all the property you can have all the money there is the world but you know what if you don't have Jesus in your heart beats. The last time how many people have come to the end of their life and would've given every thing they have if they could just live a few hours longer.

A few days longer for all of us who follow the good Shepherd is a done deal is a settled issue. He has already prepared a place for every single one of his children.

It's a matter of trusting and following.

One day that's right, you will be I think about this. Who are you following the civil I'm just following myself less dangerous. You following yourself.

Let me ask this way yourself going.

How is self going to get there. What is self depending upon and who is self depending on and when you think about your life. What's life all about. If you don't have Jesus is so futile. No matter what your arguments might be my friend, is what he says except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God, no. Will he enter into it. He's going to prepare place for those who follow him who know him is that good Shepherd. That's my prayer for you, whoever you are, no matter what you been passed in your life. The issue is if you're willing to asked Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins and accept him as your Savior and the good Shepherd of your life that you are eternally secure and he will guide you through the last day of the week in the balance on the mountain peaks you need to. Every single verse was what he is going to do for you eliminate him from your life and it's all about what you are going to do for yourself, and you have no promise. Not only up tomorrow, but of the rest of the hour in which your listeners. I trust you. Be wise enough to ask you to forgive your sins surrender your life to watch him. There is also more and watch things in your lightning in the corrupt and watch a sense of purpose and your goal relationships. Everything changes when Jesus Christ comes in that's my prayer for you. Thank you for listening to parity lab. The Lord are severed. If you'd like to know more about Charles Stanley or intense ministries, intense tantalizing podcast is a presentation of intense ministries. Mandatory