Introduction:
Whether David knew
it or not he was revealing to us, the Church which,
would not be formed until Pentecost, a wonderful and
beautiful truth that should be so precious to us as
to bless our very being today. Here's the wonderful
truth!
The "Jehovah"
of the Old Testament is the "Jesus" of the
New Testament. You see, when we say "Jehovah"
we speak of Deity and when we say "Jesus"
"Shepherd" we speak of Humanity.
Why, it was Jesus Himself
in John chapter 10 who unlocked the amazing mystery
of Psalm 23 for us when He said, "I am the Good
Shepherd."
So what was David talking
about when he said in Psalm 23 v 1" "The
Lord is my Shepherd?" He was very powerfully
saying, listen! Listen! Not only do we have Sovereignty,
"The Lord" we also have sympathy, "The
Shepherd" not only do we have one who is able
to do exceedingly above and beyond all we could ever
imagine but we have one who is available to us at
all times and in all circumstances. If only we could
grasp the wonder of that amazing truth!
There is one who is
God in Heaven, yes, but one who is Shepherd in our
hearts. The Lord Jehovah is my Shepherd!
I am not depending
on the arm of flesh, it will fail me big time, I am
depending, says David, on one who shall, must, can,
will, never fail me.
One minister was phoning
his sermon title to the weekly local newspaper that
carried his advertisement, with the title of his sermon.
"What's your title this week Reverend?"
said the editor. "The Lord's My Shepherd"
said the minister. "Is that all Reverend?"
Said the editor. "That’s enough,” said
the minister. The paper advertisement carried his
add alright but his sermon title read, "The Lord's
My Shepherd, That's enough! The advertisement could
not have been more correct.
Abraham did not know
the way, but he knew the Guide.
Be simple; take our
Lord's hand and walk through things.
The Lord Jesus has
been teaching His disciples about a False Shepherd.
John 10 v 8-10 in order
that he might teach them about a True Shepherd.
A. He Is The True
Shepherd:
(1) The True Shepherd
Brings Salvation! v9.
"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 true shepherd comes
bringing the assurance of salvation and an enjoyment
to life never before known.
(2) The True Shepherd
Brings Security! v10a.
"The thief cometh
not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:
I am come that they might have life."
The thief is a predator
and not to be trusted, the shepherd is a protector
and to be completely trusted.
(3) The True Shepherd
Brings Sustenance! v10b.
"I am come that
they might have life, and that they might have it
more abundantly."
The Lord Jesus gives
the deepest sustenance when we receive this wonderful
life but only as we receive it on his terms of engagement.
Then it will be abundant life! It will be life on
a higher plane, a life that leads us to those higher
echelons of holiness, a life that carries us to greater
depths of spiritual experience and blessing.
If we view the microcosm
of the human body, we find that the heart does not
receive blood to store it up. While it pumps blood
in at one valve, it sends it out at another. The blood
is always circulating everywhere, and is never stagnant.
The same is true of all the fluids in a healthy body;
they are in a constant state of expenditure. If one
cell stores for a few moments its particular secretion,
it only retains it until it is perfectly fitted for
its appointed use in the body. For if any cell in
the body should begin to store up its secretion, its
store would soon become the cause of inveterate disease.
The organ would soon lose the power to secrete at
all, if it did not give forth its products. The whole
of the human system lives by giving. The eye cannot
say to the foot, I have no need of thee and will not
guide thee for if it does not perform its watchful
office, the whole man will be in the ditch, and the
eye will be covered with mire. If the members refuse
to contribute to the general stock, the whole body
will become poverty-stricken and be given up to the
bankruptcy of death. Let us learn then, from the analogy
of nature the great lesson, that to get we must give,
that to accumulate we must scatter, that to make ourselves
happy, we must make others happy; and that to get
good and become spiritually vigorous, we must do good
and seek the spiritual good of others.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon,
The Quotable Spurgeon, (Wheaton: Harold Shaw Publishers,
Inc, 1990)
B. He Is the Tender
Shepherd: Hebrews 13v20-21.
"Now the God of
peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,
that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood
of the everlasting covenant. Making you perfect in
every good work to do his will, working in you that
which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus
Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever."
That wonderful tenderness
is displayed for us in the writers closing benediction
The writer gives praise
and glory for His Person. Who is this person he speaks
of? Why He is "The God of Peace" ch.13v20a.
He despises war and loves peace. War with God was
begun, as far as man is concerned, in the Garden of
Eden. And peace means that war is now over, God is
the God of peace and He and He alone can bring peace
to the troubled heart and to a warring world.
To turn your back on
Christ is to turn your back on peace, eternal peace,
and put your hand up for war against God and Heaven
for all eternity. Is it any wonder the writer praises
God for His person.
The writer also gives
praise and glory for His Provision. He is after all
the God who "brought again from the dead the
Great Shepherd of the sheep with the blood of the
everlasting covenant." ch.13 v 20b. So we can
see in Christ a Shepherd who has the best good of
others continually at heart, we can see in Christ
a Shelter in a time of storm, we can see in Christ
a Succour in ever time of need, and of course, much,
much more. The assurance of the genuine believer is
based on the blood of the everlasting covenant. You
see, there were Hebrews here who were professing Christianity
but in fact preferred the security they found in the
rites and rituals of the old religion of Judaism to
what they found in Christ. They were satisfied to
go back to a fold without a shepherd and a fold without
a shepherd is a desolate place indeed.
Thirdly the writer
gives praise and glory for His Power. The Lord Jesus
is able to "make you perfect in every good work
to do his will, working in us that which is well pleasing
in his sight, through Jesus Christ." ch.13v21a.
This is a wonderful
piece of writing from the unknown penman to the Hebrews.
Notice it begins with a reference to the "Lord
Jesus" and ends with a reference to "Jesus
Christ" this is delightful! He is "The Lord
Jesus" that refers to His position, to His coming
out from eternity into time to take upon Himself humanity.
Then He is "Jesus Christ"; that reminds
of the fact that He was a man who, anointed by God,
passed through human life and who now occupies a position
as the Great High Priest in Glory. Only he can perfect
God's amazing work in us, His children. His power
alone can turn our hearts from sin and cause us to
live the way God wants us to live.
Finally, the unknown
penman to the Hebrews reminds us in his benediction
that he gives honour and glory for His Praise. "To
whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen" ch.13
v 21b. You see the Hebrews were absolutely besotted
with thoughts of the beauty and wonder of the Temple.
They relished the amazing rituals and rites, they
loved the rich and costly vestments, they were in
awe of the beautiful choristers singing, they revealed
in the powerful orchestra's music, it was all so magnificent.
All this they had to give up for a meeting with a
little handful of people who carried through their
service in such a simple way. Give up all this for
the singing of a few hymns that came from half-hearted
singers, who had no song in their hearts anyway. Give
up all this to meet outside the city walls in some
dingy damp cave or in someone's poorly furnished home.
Give up this splendour for what?
They desperately needed
to understand true glory, true wonder, true praise
did not reside in a building but in a person the person
of Christ. If they could but fix theirs eyes upon
Him they would behold His glory, wonder and praise
and would never want to trade what He is for anything
else.
He was without doubt,
the most tender of shepherds and would only lead them
into pastures green and beside the still waters.
In the physical universe,
energy does not perish but is transformed. In like
manner, religious values are lifted into a higher
case or degenerate into a lower one. When the nuns
gave up their long habits, the girls put on maxi coats;
when the rosary as a devotion was dropped, the hippies
put beads around their necks; when mysticism evaporated
into an irrelevant ideal, youths sought the ecstasy,
not through the long haul of asceticism, but the short
trip through pharmaceuticals; when seminaries, schools,
and convents dropped discipline, which is an inner
violence against our vices, the street mobs picked
up violence but directed it against neighbour, race,
and state. When the pulpits no longer resounded with
the Name "above every name," the young began
calling themselves "Jesus people."
C. He Is the Triumphant
Shepherd: 1 Peter 5 v 4.
"And when the
chief shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown
of glory that fadeth not away."
Here, the shepherd
who saved us from the penalty, power and practice
of sin, now called the great or triumphant shepherd,
is going to take us away from the very presence of
sin. Beloved are you ready for such an event?
You see it’s the
triumphant shepherd who alone can assess a person's
ministry and life. Oh, I know the world and its neighbour
endeavours to assess our lives and ministry while
we are on planet earth but they always end up making
a bad job of it. Why? Because they are not in possession
of all the facts! And it's only the triumphant shepherd
who will give us the proper reward for that life and
service.
Go to Anwoth in Scotland,
stand amid the ruins of that small church which seated
only about 150 people and was never filled. His people
never considered the pastor of that church a success;
in fact many of them had not a good word to say about
him. But the man who pastored that church was the
saintly Samuel Rutherford, whose book called; Letters
of Samuel Rutherford is a spiritual classic. There
is not a Bible Seminary today but who advise their
students, before entering the ministry, to read again
and again the letters of this saintly man. What men
deem failure God sees as triumphant! Are you ready
for the coming of the triumphant shepherd? Work as
you know he would have you work and you will have
nothing to fear.
The triumph of His
resurrection is about to be seen.
The triumph of His
reign is about to be seen.
The triumph of His
relationship is about to be seen.
The triumph of His
Return is about to be seen.
When the triumphant
shepherd shall appear, will you be ready?
He is The True Shepherd!
The Tender Shepherd! The Triumphant Shepherd! Think
about the Manner of the Shepherd!
