Dedicated To The Men of God Who Preach the Word of God As It
Is To Men As They Are
"Preach The Word"
VERSE 1
"The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want."
I.Sheep. Nature and habits of sheep. Most particular of all other
animals.
A. Sheep are born; Shepherd never gives birth to sheep.
B. Sheep are an object of property, not a wild animal.
Only domestic animal that cannot exist without man.
Horses, dogs, cats left to themselves will become wild.
Not sheep, they will be killed by wolves or winter.
Sheep are:
1. Property (of God).
2. Purchased possessions.
3. Price was great (blood).
C. Nearest like a man than any other animal. (We are the sheep of his pasture.)
1. They are dumb. Cannot train them to do anything. "Lambe"
"Dumbie".
a. Minds are blind.
b. Know their shepherd.
2. They are defenseless.
a. Don't hear well or see well (14 feet).
b. Not swift in flight.
c. No weapon for defense (Rod of shepherd).
3. They have no sense of direction. If ever lost cannot find way back. Must be brought
back by Shepherd; must be found by Shepherd.
4. They are easily disturbed.
a. Least little thing will frighten them (Least thing will tear up a church now days.)
b. Prone to stray.
c. Weak, very little strength. (Philadelphia Church Revelation 3:8)
5. They are willing to die. (Dumb before the shearers. Isa.53)
a. Follow the shepherd for protection and food.
b. Give up wool for comfort.
c. Give their life for meat.
d. Flock together. Do better in flocks and not separate.
e. Clean natured animal. Not goats, they eat anything.
f. Affectionate animals, loving eyes, lick hand, not hog.
g. Follow one another, one can lead another astray.
D. Relationship of sheep to shepherd.
1. Favor him. (Hear my voice. John 10:4, 16).
2. Follow him. Only a sick sheep will follow a stranger.
3. Furnish him.
a. Flesh; eat; food.
b. Fat; make a salve and ointment.
c. Fluid; milk; cheese.
d. Fleece; profit.
e. Fellowship; file line, turn face toward sheep, talk in its ear, sheep will
rub against leg. (John said, "Our fellowship is with the father, and with the son
Jesus Christ." I John 1:3).
II. Shepherd.
A. Shepherd's Redemption.
1. Three things mentioned. Verse 1.
a. Sheep.
b. Shepherd.
c. Supply.
2. Lambs, sheep and shepherds mentioned 1,140 times in the Bible. The Bible is full of
the shepherd, ministry of God. Mr. Spurgeon said Psalm 23 is a "He, Me" Psalm.
3. Abraham, Lot, Jacob, Joseph's brethren, Moses, David all were shepherds.
4. In the Old Testament, sheep died for the shepherd. In the New Testament, Shepherd
dies for the sheep.
5. God opened the
a. Virgin womb; gave us the good shepherd. (John 10:11).
b. Virgin tomb; gave us the great shepherd. (Hebrews 13:20).
c. Virgin sky; gives us the chief shepherd. (I Peter 5:4)
He died to save the sheep; Salvation.
He lives to keep the sheep; Security.
He is coming to reward the sheep; Service.
6. Moses had to learn to lead the sheep before he could lead a nation. Christ had to
redeem the sheep before he could reign over them.
7. Jesus as Shepherd.
a. Why did Jesus become a Shepherd?
1) All we like sheep had gone astray. We need a shepherd to lead us.
2) God would not trust the care of the sheep to an hireling.
3) He was the Son of God (the only).
b. What has the Shepherd done for the sheep?
1) Gave his life.
2) Door of the sheepfold. (John 10)
3) Given eternal life.
4) Keep them forever.
c. What are the characteristics of sheep in relation to the shepherd
1) Hear his voice.
2) Know him, he knows them, ear mark.
3) Follow him.
4) Will not follow a stranger.
They that hear him, know him. They that know
him, follow Him.
B. Shepherd's Relationship.
1. Finds them. Other sheep have I. I must bring. All religions seek God. Christianity is
God seeking man!
2. Foals them. Gives life to them. Be born again.
3. Feeds them. Green pastures. Cup runneth over. Only one kind of sheep gets restless (a
hungry one).
4. Foregoes them. Never drives them. (A butcher drives sheep).
5. Fondles them. Love, picks them up.
6. Fleeces them. Cuts off wool.
a. Sake of sheep.
b. Not make a new crop.
c. Get wool caught in briers and bushes.
d. Sickly and weak.
7. Flails them. Chastens, 4 steps.
a. Cleanses. (John 15:1-4)
b. Chastise, Child train, embarrass, use the rod. (Hebrews 12:5; Greek
"Pedegore")
c. Castaway. (I Corinthians 9:27)
d. Carry you home. (I Corinthians 11:30)
8. Furbishes them. Washes or cleanses the sheep.
9. Features them. Likes to show off fat and good sheep.
10. Folds them. There shall be one fold. "I shall dwell in them."
II Shepherd's Resources.
1. Lowly life. Youngest son,not the elder; only one son then the daughter.
2. Lonely life. Men forsook him. God forsook him. Never went home in 33 years.
3. Laborious life, hard life.
a. One of peril; robbers and weather.
b. One of a pilgrim; valleys and rocks, meager supplies.
c. One of program; constant care of the sheep.4. Loving life. Gave his life for
sheep (fall of Adam)
5. Lifting life. Up to higher levels or plains. (Psalm 40:2)
a. He lifts us from; penalty of sin.
b. He lifts us up; power of sin.
c. He lifts us out; presence of sin.
D.). Shepherd's Riches.
1. Our Saviour is a Shepherd. (John 10)
a. He is a provider of his sheep.
b. He is a protector of his sheep.
c. He is a preserver of his sheep.
2. He is the true shepherd.
a. He never forgets one of his own; knows them.
b. He never fails one of his own; knows their need.
c. He never forsakes one of his own; knows the dangers.
3. He is the abiding Shepherd. (Hostings, page 394, Vol. 23)
a. Shepherd's heart to love us.
b. Shepherd's eye to watch over us.
c. Shepherd's voice that we hear and know.
d. Shepherd's memory; calleth us by name.
e. Shepherd's knowledge; understands our needs.
f. Shepherd's nearness; always near night and day.
g. Shepherd's strength; to keep us.
h. Shepherd's tenderness; caring for the weak ones. Shepherd's faithfulness; that we may fully trust him.
F. "My Shepherd" expresses ownership. He is mine. I am his.
1. Identified with him. There are no "ifs", "buts", "I hope
so"
2. Psalm 18:2 talks of "my salvation", "my fortress", "my
rock", "my deliverer", "my God", "my strength",
"my buckler", "my tower".
a. We have heard "my bicycle", "my baby", "my toys",
"my wife", "my sweetheart".
3. We are his
a. By creation.
b. By redemption (purchased me).
c. By sustaining (Leads me by his Spirit and keeps me by his power).
4. He is mine
a. In January, February, every month.
b. Sunday, Monday and everyday.
c. In sunshine and shadow.
d. When I'm here and when I'm there.
e. In war and in peace.
f. In prosperity and in adversity.
5. "My Shepherd" is the language of
a. Faith.
b. Love.
c. Assurance.
d. Confession.
e. Grace
6. Verse 1 is like husband and wife.
a. "The Lord is my Shepherd"; that is the husband.
b. "I shall not want"; that is the wife. What God hath joined
together let not unbelief divorce.
Ill. Supply. "I shall not want."
A. George Henderson says I shall not want for
1. Rest.
2. Refreshment.
3. Preservation.
4. Guidance.
5. Peace.
6. Companionship.
7. Comfort.
8. Sustenance.
9. Anything.
B. James H. McConkey says I shall not want
1. When bread ceases. ("Man shall not live by bread alone.")
2. When toil comes. ("Toiled all night and caught nothing.")
3. When purse is empty. (fish and coin)
4. When wolf comes (He gives his life for the sheep)
C. Notice all the "nots" in the Bible. Here are a few.
What a difference that word makes.
1. Not want (Psalm 23:1)
2. Not come into condemnation. (John 5:24)
3. Not serve sin. (Romans 6:6)
4. Not be shut at all by day. (Revelation 21:25)
5. And fear not. (Matthew 10:28)
D. I shall not want.
1. His riches are unsearchable.
2. His joy is unspeakable.
3. His power is unlimited.
4. His faithfulness is unfailing.
5. His word is unshakable.
6. His love is unchanging.
NOTE: This is a verse of God's goodness and grace. It presents an analogy of the
shepherd and his total provision for his sheep. The ability is never in the sheep, but in
the shepherd. We like sheep are helpless and are entirely dependent upon the Shepherd.
E. Word "want" changes its meaning over the years. It means to "worry
over". Worry is a sin. Paul said in Philippians
4:6, "Be careful for nothing."
We are prone to worry:
1. Over our families.
2. Over our foes.
3. Over our food.
4. Over our finances.
5. Over our friends.
6. Over our future.
NOTE: I shall not worry when
1. Sickness comes.
2. Sorrow comes.
3. Shadows come.
4. Silent reaper comes.
F. A little girl quoted Psalm 23 as "The Lord is my Shepherd, He is all I
want."
1. "Want" is translated as "need". (Philippians 4:19)
Dr. Billy Kanoy
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