”Living a Psalm 23 Life”

Preach the Word Podcast

Episode 33

Title: “Living a Psalm 23 Life”

Text: Psalm 23

Introduction:

• Psalm 23 is by far, probably the most famous psalm, but one of the most famous Bible passages as well as words were ever written. You could put Psalm 23 right up there with John 3:16
• Psalm 23 is also a wonderful lesson we learn in the Bible as believers. We learn that everyone who belongs to God (trust in Christ as Savior) is a member of God’s flock and that we are cared for as individual sheep.
  • The Shepherd gives His life for the Sheep
  • The Shepherd leaves the 99 to find the 1 lost sheep.
  • No man can pluck the sheep from the Shepherd.
• Psalm 23 is also a picture of a life of Fellowship with Christ. (Read Title: “Living a Psalm 23 Life” What does it mean to live a Psalm 23 life?

We are faced with so many obstacles in this life:

• Pressure to achieve – the preset standard, make so much by a certain time, achieve certain things by a certain age, etc.
• Pressure to keep up – all the latest things
• Pressure to conform – comply with ideas
• Pressure to isolate – withdrawal from society and go to a happy place. Binge shut down, and go from one extreme to the other.

Not only do our souls need restoration, but we face a world full of souls that need redemption, and Churches that need reviving. But we are so bogged down by this world.

Meanwhile, God is calling us back to Him. We have been faced with the Question recently of How to really live in the Will of God. Our lives do not belong to us; Our life’s purpose is to pursue God; true riches are found in a life that is lived in faithful pursuit of the Will of God.

Living a Psalm 23 life is a timely message and calls us to a life with God. (Read Psalm)

Outline: The Psalm 23 Life:

1. A Life of Resources v.1
   • Resources needed to live: air (suffocate); water (organ failure from dehydration); soil (starve); minerals (essential organs would shut down) plants (no oxygen); and animals (we could not survive without animals = bees pollinate 1/3 of our global food supply. They keep crops and plants alive; Butterflies are also pollinators of our fruits & veggies. Food pollinators are responsible for 1 in every 3 bites of food we consume.)
   • Spiritual resources: His Word; The Holy Spirit; Direct access to God; The Body of Christ;
   • God is the source; Romans 11:36 “For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen”
   • “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” Ps 23:1; Translated, “The Lord is my shepherd I need no other”
   • The very Source of all creation; power; knowledge; understanding; strength, etc. comes from God… who David says “is my shepherd…keeper…watcher…protector…friend”
   • Who is your Shepherd? Before you say “The Lord” I want you to honestly ask yourself…
     1. Who am I following?
     2. Who or what do I turn to for supply, comfort, or hope?
        1. Your job, paycheck, Your 401k, social security, retirement
        2. Religion/Church
        3. Movement or social media page
        4. Family
        5. TV or Computer or Phone
        6. President or well the guy who was in there last

That must be the question we ask ourselves… “Who am I following, who or what do I turn to for comfort? The Psalm 23 life is a life of Resources (All Christians have these resource but a psalm 23 life makes the most of the resources we have been given: if not careful, we can:)

• Bible – live in disobedience; neglect; ignorance (lack of knowledge)
• Holy Spirit – Quench and Grieve the Holy Spirit ( let God be God)
• Prayer – Pray with ceasing (light switch) pray in vein repetitions
• Church – Be a stumbling block; the source of all envy and strife. (illustration of sour stomach and pagan)
• (where is it coming from – love/kindness/ministering/ submitting to God Will = Jesus; envy, jealousy, strife, argumentative, comebacks, confusion, lying, gossip, slander,being mean to your waiter, shame = satan)
• God is our Source. We don’t stand in want, we lack nothing. He has given us every resource we need to live a full life that is pleasing to Him.

A Psalm 23 life is a life of Resources. You make the most of the resources God has given you and you can honestly say, The Lord is my Shepherd, I need no other!

1. A Life of Rest v.2
   • “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters” Ps 23:2
   • Lying down in green pastures is sufficiency. Sheep do not lie down if they are hungry, so if they are lying down it means they are full.

2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

John 6:35 “And Jesus said unto them, I am the Bread of life: He that cometh to me shall never hunger; and He that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

John 6:67,68 “Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.”

“living below in this old sinful world, hardly a comfort can afford, striving alone to face temptation so, where could I go but to the Lord…Where could I go, Oh where could I go, seeking a refuge for my soul, needing a friend to help me in the end, where could I go but to the Lord”

• Leading beside the still waters. Sheep do not like turbulent water, it frightens them. Turbulent means disturbed. Sheep do not like stagnant water (not flowing or running, a pool of water) Sheep don’t want to eat the filth the hogs eat.
• This is a good illustration of us. We can’t rest while living an insufficient life. A life that is lacking. A life full of anxiety and fear. A life where we have to eat the sloppy seconds of the world.

Psalm 55:6” and I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for I would fly away, and be at rest.” (you ever just want to escape? You ever get tired of it all and wish you could just isolate yourself and find rest? Unfortunately that wont do it. But the good news is, there is a way to find rest.)

Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

The Sheep does not lie down if it’s hungry. We cannot rest if we are hungry, if we are troubled, if we are anxious.

• A Life of Renewal v.3a
  • “He restoreth my soul”
  • If anyone knew anything about being restored it was David.
  • He was the little lost sheep who got away from the fold that the shepherd had to come and restore.
  • Illustration of David’s sin with Bathsheba – the Devil is the great tempter, and the great accuser. The Great Psalm of Psalm 51
    1. Confidence: v. 1,2 (For a multitude of sins there is a multitude of mercies!)
    2. Confession: v. 3 NO ALLIBY FOR SIN

• Cleansing: v.2, 7
  1. Blot out = erase the record, clear the penalty
  2. Wash me = remove the pollution. Cannot tell a pig that it’s dirty.
  3. “Whiter than snow” = purge me

“If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Also we are renewed because living this life is depleting. Even Jesus knew when virtue would go out of Him (Luke 6:19 KJV And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.) He did not sin. Not talking about restoration of when we sin; but the restoration of the soul as we love, serve, and offer our strength. We need a season of restoration.

1. A Life of Righteousness v.3b
   • “He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His names’s sake”
   • The Will of God and giving God the glory. (The perfect Will; The prescribed Will; and the Personal Will. This is that Prescribed Will. It’s God’s Wil but we have a life in it.
   • “God is my co-pilot” illustration
   • Proverbs 3:5a is fun to quote and say it’s our life verse, but Proverbs 3:5b is the hard part.
   • He is leading and we are following. Not watching from afar or going in the opposite direction, etc. but we are following. SHEEP WILL FOLLOW THEIR OWN SHEPHERD.
     1. Ever heard someone who uses God as a buzzword; or cliché but it’s obvious that they are following someone else? “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” “For as he thinketh in His heart so is he.” (politics, famous preacher, facebook group, finances, family, etc. comes in)
     2. Illustration of dog and owner. When God comes between a person and their real master sometimes the claws come out.

1. A Life of Reassurance v.4
   • “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”
     1. Here is where we find great courage and comfort. Not just a deathbed experience, but like itself.
     2. “Your all going to die!” The moment you are born, you start dying. We all live in the shadow of death. But because of Jesus we do not have to fear evil. If we die in the shadow of death (or loved one who Is saved) To be absent from the body is to present with the Lord. HOW REASSURING!
   • “For thou art with me” When you’re a child you want to know that your parents are there. Children as stubborn as they are, if they go a moment without their parent they begin looking. Reaching for a hand at a time of discomfort. “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee!”
   • “Thy Rod and thy staff they comfort me”
     1. Rod = Defense (The God of our defense. Our protector)

“The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence . . . As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him." 2 Samuel 22:3, 31

"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God." Psalm 20:7, KJV

1. Staff = Direction/ Correction
   1. We are bound to stray. We are all bound to sin, therefore we are bound to suffer. We need correction. We need guidance. But remember, this is not shame. This is God’s conviction to restore us! How reassuring is it to know that when God convicts us it’s for our own good. It’s for fellowship, for comfort, for rest!
2. A Life of Respect v. 5
   • At the time the psalm was written, this verse was a promise to Israel for physical blessing. To Christians, this is a promise of Spiritual blessing.
   • In the presence of our enemies; we have Joy. We contentment, fruitfulness, and fullness. This comes from the Joy of the Lord.
     1. Annointest my head with oil = this refers to the life we cannot live alone. This is the Holy Spirit
     2. My cup runneth over = Joy found in a life with God

Proverbs 16:7 - When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Romans 12:9-11 9 Let love be without dissimulation (deception by pretending). Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

• A Life of Requirements (provisions) v.6

Provisions (supplies, food, necessities) What does a Christian need. We spoke earlier of the Resources available to us. But there are also Requirements (provisions)

• “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life”
  • Goodness = “all things work together for good”
  • Mercy =
• “and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever”
  • Hope, expectation “Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done”

Conclusion:

A Life of Resources v.1

1. A Life of Resources v.1
2. A Life of Rest v.2

• A Life of Renewal v.3a

1. A Life of Righteousness v.3b
2. A Life of Reassurance v.4
3. A Life of Respect v. 5

• A Life of Requirements (provisions) v.6