“A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SHEEP”
TEXT: Psalm 23:5
THESIS: To show that the entire 23rd Psalm depicts “A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SHEEP” and v.5 and 6 are the climax activities at he end of the “day.”
INTRO: A. Perhaps the 23rd Psalm depicts not only “A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SHEEP” but may even show an overview of the entire life of a sheep. But for our purposes we will examine the application as it relates to one day.
B. During the day the Shepherd has given his sheep REST in green pastures, REFRESHMENT beside still waters, provided RESTORATION to help the sheep’s attitude and inner peace, gave the sheep GUIDANCE so it would be secure, imparted COURAGE when walking thru the dark valleys and COMFORT to the sheep to keep it near the Shepherd and safe from its enemies.
C. Now it is nearing the end of the day and the Shepherd evaluates the sheep’s needs and continues to meet them. Just before they bed down for the night, the Shepherd leads them to a safe grazing plain or “mesa” (the Spanish word for “tables”) and provides a feast for them.
BECAUSE THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD...
I. I SHALL NOT WANT FOR SUPPLY:
A. Supper Time: “...Thou preparest a table before me...”
ILLUS: The good shepherd would scout out an area as open as possible so he could keep watch over the flock as far from the lair of predators as possible, would remove poisonous weeds, be sure the area was not contaminated by disease, provide some salt and other helpful minerals and the best bedding grounds for the coming evening possible.
1. The shepherd wanted the sheep to be as free from anxiety as possible at feeding time and before the bed down for the evening.
ILLUS: Our Shepherd wants us to as free from anxiety as possible also. The end of the day needs to be a time to rid ourselves of the pressures and problems of the day and not “let the sun go down upon our wrath.” Make things right and go to bed as free from worry and fretting as possible. As one preacher put it: “I found out that I didn’t have to count sheep to go to sleep, all I had to do was talk with the Shepherd.”
2. The Shepherd knew that the sheep were incapable of finding pasture for itself so he had to supply it for them!
ILLUS: Actually it is not so much a lot of “things” He wants to supply for us as much as it is Himself. He is the great “I AM.” It is His blank check handed to every believer to fill in as needed. Do we need peace? He says “I AM thy Peace.” Comfort? “I AM thy Comfort.” Joy? “I AM thy Joy.” In the hour of our deepest need He can and will supply an adequate table for us.
In Jn.6 Jesus had led His disciples apart for a little rest, but the multitudes were there too. Jesus asked Philip: “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” His motive is found in v.6:
“And this He said to prove him, for He Himself knew what He would do.” Both Philip and Andrew failed in faith, but then Jesus took 5 loaves and 2 SMALL fish and fed them all - with leftovers! (It is sweetly significant that in the account we are told that there was not only grass for them to sit upon, but that it was green grass.! Obviously the Spirit wanted us to think back to Ps.23!)
3. The Shepherd is none other than El-Shaddai: The Breasted One who supplies nourishment for His sheep!
II. I SHALL NOT WANT FOR PROTECTION:
A. Rest Time: “...in the presence of mine enemies”
1. All around the mesa (table land) were rocks and cliffs where the predators lie in wait while the sheep were feeding.
ILLUS: Even in our most intimate times of fellowship Satan is on the prowl “as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Sheep have many natural enemies: bears, lions, wolves, serpents, poisonous weeds (disguised as flowers), parasites, etc. The secret of feasting with out fear is to stay close to the Shepherd! The secret of victory over sin is to reckon ourselves dead to it and alive to the Shepherd-Savior.
Two recently saved ladies were invited to a cocktail party with their old friends. They knew instinctively it would be wrong to go. They asked the Lord for guidance and came upon Col. 3:3: “Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” They filled out the RSVP invitation: “Sorry we cannot come, we are dead.” When you finally reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to Him, the danger disappears or dissipates. Sin and Satan must then look on helplessly.
2. Every believer who takes a clear stand for the Lord will have other “enemies” as well.
ILLUS: The little boy had been told to sit in the corner at meal time because he had not behaved at the table. As he sat down with the hot plate of food in the corner, facing the wall, his father reminded him: “Don’t forget to pray for the food.” The little culprit intoned: “Lord, I thank Thee for this food that Thou hast prepared in the presence of mine enemies.” My enemies would like to see me starve, but the Lord is waiting on my table, so I will never starve!
III. I SHALL NOT WANT FOR POWER:
A. Private Time: “...Thou anointest my head with oil...”
1. Often oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit and relates (as in the case of the O.T. priest) to service.
2. Oil also is a symbol of healing from hurts (and possibly both pictures are included here);
power to serve and power to heal.
ILLUS: Nose flies are not only a nuisance and an aggravation to the sheep, but are dangerous and can be fatal. In the summer these pests buzz around the sheep’s head and try to lay eggs in the mucous membranes of it’s nose. If these hatch, the slender, worm-like larvae will work their way up the nasal passages into the sheep’s head, burrow into the flesh and set up irritation and inflammation, infection and even blindness. The alert shepherd will apply a balm to every sheep’s head to protect him and heal him on a daily basis, so the sheep will stay healthy.
We need a daily anointing of the Spirit of God to heal us and to enable us to stay healthy and to keep us serving Him. There are all kinds of distractions and irritations to aggravate us (not only sins) which will rob us of power and spiritual strength. We need some private time with the Shepherd so He can “anoint us” afresh.
3. I not only need the Savior for salvation, I need the Shepherd for anointing for power to serve Him.
ILLUS: A man stopped to help a lady with car problems. It turned over but wouldn’t start. He noticed the gas gauge read “empty.” He said: “Lady, there’s nothing wrong with your car - it’s just out of gas!” She asked: “Do you think it will hurt it if I drive it home like this?” (He could have said “Without gas, you can only drive it downhill!” Without God’s power working in and thru us, we can only go downhill!)
IV. I SHALL NOT WANT FOR ABUNDANCE:
A. Contentment Time: “...my cup runneth over”
NOTE: For going on 60 years I have been drinking of His cup and it still runs over! He has never failed me - even when I have failed Him. His cup of abundance has been running over all this time with blessings I didn’t deserve, answers to prayers, power in preaching, souls saved, lives changed, physical and financial needs met, young people called to full time service thru my ministry and serving him in various parts of the world today! Truly “my cup runneth over!”
1. As the sheep went to sleep for the night with the Shepherd standing guard, they could peacefully reflect on the day’s activities with the Shepherd and be content!
2. The application not only holds for “A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SHEEP” but can be equally applied to an entire life of a sheep; when we “walk thru the valley of the shadow of death” and place our head upon the pillow for the last time, we will be content - IF we have learned to walk with the Shepherd during our lifetime.
CONCL: Every sheep has a right to be contented and enjoy a full cup. Very few do. He wants to feed us, lead us, give us power to serve Him and make us contented. Hey sheep, how’s it going?
TEXT: Psalm 23:5
THESIS: To show that the entire 23rd Psalm depicts “A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SHEEP” and v.5 and 6 are the climax activities at he end of the “day.”
INTRO: A. Perhaps the 23rd Psalm depicts not only “A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SHEEP” but may even show an overview of the entire life of a sheep. But for our purposes we will examine the application as it relates to one day.
B. During the day the Shepherd has given his sheep REST in green pastures, REFRESHMENT beside still waters, provided RESTORATION to help the sheep’s attitude and inner peace, gave the sheep GUIDANCE so it would be secure, imparted COURAGE when walking thru the dark valleys and COMFORT to the sheep to keep it near the Shepherd and safe from its enemies.
C. Now it is nearing the end of the day and the Shepherd evaluates the sheep’s needs and continues to meet them. Just before they bed down for the night, the Shepherd leads them to a safe grazing plain or “mesa” (the Spanish word for “tables”) and provides a feast for them.
BECAUSE THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD...
I. I SHALL NOT WANT FOR SUPPLY:
A. Supper Time: “...Thou preparest a table before me...”
ILLUS: The good shepherd would scout out an area as open as possible so he could keep watch over the flock as far from the lair of predators as possible, would remove poisonous weeds, be sure the area was not contaminated by disease, provide some salt and other helpful minerals and the best bedding grounds for the coming evening possible.
1. The shepherd wanted the sheep to be as free from anxiety as possible at feeding time and before the bed down for the evening.
ILLUS: Our Shepherd wants us to as free from anxiety as possible also. The end of the day needs to be a time to rid ourselves of the pressures and problems of the day and not “let the sun go down upon our wrath.” Make things right and go to bed as free from worry and fretting as possible. As one preacher put it: “I found out that I didn’t have to count sheep to go to sleep, all I had to do was talk with the Shepherd.”
2. The Shepherd knew that the sheep were incapable of finding pasture for itself so he had to supply it for them!
ILLUS: Actually it is not so much a lot of “things” He wants to supply for us as much as it is Himself. He is the great “I AM.” It is His blank check handed to every believer to fill in as needed. Do we need peace? He says “I AM thy Peace.” Comfort? “I AM thy Comfort.” Joy? “I AM thy Joy.” In the hour of our deepest need He can and will supply an adequate table for us.
In Jn.6 Jesus had led His disciples apart for a little rest, but the multitudes were there too. Jesus asked Philip: “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” His motive is found in v.6:
“And this He said to prove him, for He Himself knew what He would do.” Both Philip and Andrew failed in faith, but then Jesus took 5 loaves and 2 SMALL fish and fed them all - with leftovers! (It is sweetly significant that in the account we are told that there was not only grass for them to sit upon, but that it was green grass.! Obviously the Spirit wanted us to think back to Ps.23!)
3. The Shepherd is none other than El-Shaddai: The Breasted One who supplies nourishment for His sheep!
II. I SHALL NOT WANT FOR PROTECTION:
A. Rest Time: “...in the presence of mine enemies”
1. All around the mesa (table land) were rocks and cliffs where the predators lie in wait while the sheep were feeding.
ILLUS: Even in our most intimate times of fellowship Satan is on the prowl “as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Sheep have many natural enemies: bears, lions, wolves, serpents, poisonous weeds (disguised as flowers), parasites, etc. The secret of feasting with out fear is to stay close to the Shepherd! The secret of victory over sin is to reckon ourselves dead to it and alive to the Shepherd-Savior.
Two recently saved ladies were invited to a cocktail party with their old friends. They knew instinctively it would be wrong to go. They asked the Lord for guidance and came upon Col. 3:3: “Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” They filled out the RSVP invitation: “Sorry we cannot come, we are dead.” When you finally reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to Him, the danger disappears or dissipates. Sin and Satan must then look on helplessly.
2. Every believer who takes a clear stand for the Lord will have other “enemies” as well.
ILLUS: The little boy had been told to sit in the corner at meal time because he had not behaved at the table. As he sat down with the hot plate of food in the corner, facing the wall, his father reminded him: “Don’t forget to pray for the food.” The little culprit intoned: “Lord, I thank Thee for this food that Thou hast prepared in the presence of mine enemies.” My enemies would like to see me starve, but the Lord is waiting on my table, so I will never starve!
III. I SHALL NOT WANT FOR POWER:
A. Private Time: “...Thou anointest my head with oil...”
1. Often oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit and relates (as in the case of the O.T. priest) to service.
2. Oil also is a symbol of healing from hurts (and possibly both pictures are included here);
power to serve and power to heal.
ILLUS: Nose flies are not only a nuisance and an aggravation to the sheep, but are dangerous and can be fatal. In the summer these pests buzz around the sheep’s head and try to lay eggs in the mucous membranes of it’s nose. If these hatch, the slender, worm-like larvae will work their way up the nasal passages into the sheep’s head, burrow into the flesh and set up irritation and inflammation, infection and even blindness. The alert shepherd will apply a balm to every sheep’s head to protect him and heal him on a daily basis, so the sheep will stay healthy.
We need a daily anointing of the Spirit of God to heal us and to enable us to stay healthy and to keep us serving Him. There are all kinds of distractions and irritations to aggravate us (not only sins) which will rob us of power and spiritual strength. We need some private time with the Shepherd so He can “anoint us” afresh.
3. I not only need the Savior for salvation, I need the Shepherd for anointing for power to serve Him.
ILLUS: A man stopped to help a lady with car problems. It turned over but wouldn’t start. He noticed the gas gauge read “empty.” He said: “Lady, there’s nothing wrong with your car - it’s just out of gas!” She asked: “Do you think it will hurt it if I drive it home like this?” (He could have said “Without gas, you can only drive it downhill!” Without God’s power working in and thru us, we can only go downhill!)
IV. I SHALL NOT WANT FOR ABUNDANCE:
A. Contentment Time: “...my cup runneth over”
NOTE: For going on 60 years I have been drinking of His cup and it still runs over! He has never failed me - even when I have failed Him. His cup of abundance has been running over all this time with blessings I didn’t deserve, answers to prayers, power in preaching, souls saved, lives changed, physical and financial needs met, young people called to full time service thru my ministry and serving him in various parts of the world today! Truly “my cup runneth over!”
1. As the sheep went to sleep for the night with the Shepherd standing guard, they could peacefully reflect on the day’s activities with the Shepherd and be content!
2. The application not only holds for “A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SHEEP” but can be equally applied to an entire life of a sheep; when we “walk thru the valley of the shadow of death” and place our head upon the pillow for the last time, we will be content - IF we have learned to walk with the Shepherd during our lifetime.
CONCL: Every sheep has a right to be contented and enjoy a full cup. Very few do. He wants to feed us, lead us, give us power to serve Him and make us contented. Hey sheep, how’s it going?