“THAT’S ENOUGH!”
TEXT: Psalm 23:6
THESIS: To show that as the Shepherd has cared for His flock in life, He will do so after death.
INTRO:
A. A preacher called a newspaper to report his sermon title for the next Sunday. He announced his title as: “The Lord Is My Shepherd,” and paused. The newspaper man asked “Is that all?” The preacher replied: “That’s enough!” The newspaper printed the title of his message as “The Lord Is My Shepherd - That’s Enough!”
B. What the Psalmist has been trying to show in this simple Psalm of a Day in the Life of a Sheep is that the Good Shepherd is ENOUGH!
***He has shown that for the one who knows the Shepherd
he will always have...
...enough REST (“He maketh me to lie down...”)
...enough REFRESHMENT (“...He leadeth me beside the still waters”)
...enough RESTORATION (...He restoreth my soul”)
...enough GUIDANCE (“He leadeth me...”)
...enough COMFORT (“...of death...rod...staff”)
...enough SUPPLY (“...a table...”)
...enough POWER (“Thou anointest my head with oil...”)
...enough ABUNDANCE (“my cup runneth over”)
...and if that’s not enough...there’s more...
BECAUSE THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD...
I. I SHALL NOT WANT IN LIFE:
A. Goodness:
NOTE: God’s double promise of goodness and mercy in the life of His sheep is not an uncertainty.
🔹The word “surely” is emphatic: ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, CERTAINLY! The word “surely” appears 273 times in the Bible; the first and last are spiritually significant. Gen.2:17 God promised Adam that he would “surely” die if he ate the forbidden fruit. And die he did! And billions of other graves testify that God was right even though Satan said “Ye shall not surely die.”
🔹In Rev.22:20 God promises again “Surely I come quickly.” Satan is trying to deceive the world by scoffing at this promise also. But surely with God means surely! He is coming and soon! ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, CERTAINLY!
🔹Here God’s promise is that He will provide goodness and mercy throughout the entire life of His sheep!
1. The goodness of God leads me in green pastures and beside still waters; the mercy of God restores my soul.
2. The goodness of God leads me in paths of righteousness; the mercy of God comforts me with His rod and staff.
3. The goodness of God prepares me a table; the mercy of God anoints my head with oil for service and power and makes my cup run over.
NOTE: This goodness is not of human origin. It is imparted by God. “The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.” Rom. 2:4
B. Mercy:
1. I have His imparted goodness, because I have none of my own and I can only fall upon His mercy because without it I would be sentenced to hell.
ILLUS: 🔸I must come before the bar of God’s justice and plead guilty and throw myself upon the mercy of God. Not only must I receive God’s mercy to be saved, but I must receive His mercy for constant forgiveness day-by-day.
🔸Someone likened “goodness and mercy” to two sheep dogs who are under the Shepherd’s control who bark at our heels constantly to keep us in line. “My Shepherd has two dogs that follow the flock while He leads: one is a German Shepherd named ‘goodness’ and the other is a Scotch Collie named ‘mercy.’ They nip my heels once in a while when I don’t stay in line, but I sure like to have them around when the bears and lions show up. They keep them busy until my Pastor (Shepherd) can load His sling.” - Ruckman
2. Goodness takes care of my steps, mercy takes care of my stumbles.
3. From my spiritual birth day to my physical death day, goodness and mercy follow me.
ILLUS: “All the days of my life..”is like the promise of the “all things” of Rom.8:28. Many things and many days taken by themselves and pulled out of the context of life may look as though they were characterized by anything but goodness and mercy. But when you put all the days and all the things together, and they are seen in relationship to all other days and things we will be compelled to confess that it was goodness and mercy ALL THE DAYS of our life!
II. I SHALL NOT WANT FOREVER!
A. Death and Dwelling: “I will dwell...”
1. Death for the believer is here, not in v.4 (“the valley of the shadow of death”).
2. After being followed by goodness and mercy all our life the word “and” steps across the
threshold of the Father’s House leaving the valley and all its enemies which might have caused us harm behind us.
3. Note the statement of determination: “I WILL dwell...”
ILLUS: Dr. Wm. Evans was preaching years ago at the World Fundamentalists Assn. at the Academy of Music in Phila. The auditorium was packed to its topmost balcony. In a front seat of the first balcony sat the famous little old scrub woman of N.Y. known as “Sophie, the scrubwoman.” Dr. Evans text was in Rev. l:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.” At a climactic point in the message Dr. Evans dramatically quoted the verse: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end” in a voice which filled that mammoth auditorium, then paused for oratorical effect. In the dead silence of the moment, the squeaky little voice of old Sophie rang out from the balcony: “Yes, and He’s everything between.”
Sophie was right. Jesus is not only the beginning and the ending, He is everything in between. Christ was here before the first sin was committed and He will be here when the last sin and sinner is locked up forever in the penitentiary of the universe. He was here before the first human tear was shed and He will be hear when His own nail-pierced hand has wiped away the last tear from the cheek of God’s blood-washed throng. He was here before any human heartache and He’ll be here when the last pang of sorrow has been dealt with and removed from the heart of His anointed. - R.T. Ketcham
B. Heaven and Home:
1. “The House of the Lord” is heaven itself where the Lord of the universe sits enthroned.
Rev. 5:6-14
6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
2. What a fantastic place! And to think it will be our home forever!
3. Note the connection between v.1 and v.6: “The Lord” begins and ends the 23rd Psalm!
a. We started our journey with “the Lord” when He became our Savior and Shepherd and found Him more than enough throughout our lifetime.
b. We will end our temporal journey on this planet and be welcomed home to heaven where we will dwell forever!
ILLUS: It is sad but true that many who want to “dwell in the house of the Lord forever” want little to do with His “house” down here. Those who are comfortable in His house with His people down here will be most comfortable in His house up there! Others will have a hard time of adjustment.
c. We will finally be with all the other sheep in the Shepherd’s great flock in His “home ranch.”
CONCL: Oh yes - “The Lord is my Shepherd” - and THAT’S ENOUGH! He is enough in this life and He is enough in the life to come! He is the all-sufficient Savior and Shepherd of every born-again, blood washed sheep! Is He your Savior? your Shepherd? Is He enough for you?
THESIS: To show that as the Shepherd has cared for His flock in life, He will do so after death.
INTRO:
A. A preacher called a newspaper to report his sermon title for the next Sunday. He announced his title as: “The Lord Is My Shepherd,” and paused. The newspaper man asked “Is that all?” The preacher replied: “That’s enough!” The newspaper printed the title of his message as “The Lord Is My Shepherd - That’s Enough!”
B. What the Psalmist has been trying to show in this simple Psalm of a Day in the Life of a Sheep is that the Good Shepherd is ENOUGH!
***He has shown that for the one who knows the Shepherd
he will always have...
...enough REST (“He maketh me to lie down...”)
...enough REFRESHMENT (“...He leadeth me beside the still waters”)
...enough RESTORATION (...He restoreth my soul”)
...enough GUIDANCE (“He leadeth me...”)
...enough COMFORT (“...of death...rod...staff”)
...enough SUPPLY (“...a table...”)
...enough POWER (“Thou anointest my head with oil...”)
...enough ABUNDANCE (“my cup runneth over”)
...and if that’s not enough...there’s more...
BECAUSE THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD...
I. I SHALL NOT WANT IN LIFE:
A. Goodness:
NOTE: God’s double promise of goodness and mercy in the life of His sheep is not an uncertainty.
🔹The word “surely” is emphatic: ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, CERTAINLY! The word “surely” appears 273 times in the Bible; the first and last are spiritually significant. Gen.2:17 God promised Adam that he would “surely” die if he ate the forbidden fruit. And die he did! And billions of other graves testify that God was right even though Satan said “Ye shall not surely die.”
🔹In Rev.22:20 God promises again “Surely I come quickly.” Satan is trying to deceive the world by scoffing at this promise also. But surely with God means surely! He is coming and soon! ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, CERTAINLY!
🔹Here God’s promise is that He will provide goodness and mercy throughout the entire life of His sheep!
1. The goodness of God leads me in green pastures and beside still waters; the mercy of God restores my soul.
2. The goodness of God leads me in paths of righteousness; the mercy of God comforts me with His rod and staff.
3. The goodness of God prepares me a table; the mercy of God anoints my head with oil for service and power and makes my cup run over.
NOTE: This goodness is not of human origin. It is imparted by God. “The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.” Rom. 2:4
B. Mercy:
1. I have His imparted goodness, because I have none of my own and I can only fall upon His mercy because without it I would be sentenced to hell.
ILLUS: 🔸I must come before the bar of God’s justice and plead guilty and throw myself upon the mercy of God. Not only must I receive God’s mercy to be saved, but I must receive His mercy for constant forgiveness day-by-day.
🔸Someone likened “goodness and mercy” to two sheep dogs who are under the Shepherd’s control who bark at our heels constantly to keep us in line. “My Shepherd has two dogs that follow the flock while He leads: one is a German Shepherd named ‘goodness’ and the other is a Scotch Collie named ‘mercy.’ They nip my heels once in a while when I don’t stay in line, but I sure like to have them around when the bears and lions show up. They keep them busy until my Pastor (Shepherd) can load His sling.” - Ruckman
2. Goodness takes care of my steps, mercy takes care of my stumbles.
3. From my spiritual birth day to my physical death day, goodness and mercy follow me.
ILLUS: “All the days of my life..”is like the promise of the “all things” of Rom.8:28. Many things and many days taken by themselves and pulled out of the context of life may look as though they were characterized by anything but goodness and mercy. But when you put all the days and all the things together, and they are seen in relationship to all other days and things we will be compelled to confess that it was goodness and mercy ALL THE DAYS of our life!
II. I SHALL NOT WANT FOREVER!
A. Death and Dwelling: “I will dwell...”
1. Death for the believer is here, not in v.4 (“the valley of the shadow of death”).
2. After being followed by goodness and mercy all our life the word “and” steps across the
threshold of the Father’s House leaving the valley and all its enemies which might have caused us harm behind us.
3. Note the statement of determination: “I WILL dwell...”
ILLUS: Dr. Wm. Evans was preaching years ago at the World Fundamentalists Assn. at the Academy of Music in Phila. The auditorium was packed to its topmost balcony. In a front seat of the first balcony sat the famous little old scrub woman of N.Y. known as “Sophie, the scrubwoman.” Dr. Evans text was in Rev. l:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.” At a climactic point in the message Dr. Evans dramatically quoted the verse: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end” in a voice which filled that mammoth auditorium, then paused for oratorical effect. In the dead silence of the moment, the squeaky little voice of old Sophie rang out from the balcony: “Yes, and He’s everything between.”
Sophie was right. Jesus is not only the beginning and the ending, He is everything in between. Christ was here before the first sin was committed and He will be here when the last sin and sinner is locked up forever in the penitentiary of the universe. He was here before the first human tear was shed and He will be hear when His own nail-pierced hand has wiped away the last tear from the cheek of God’s blood-washed throng. He was here before any human heartache and He’ll be here when the last pang of sorrow has been dealt with and removed from the heart of His anointed. - R.T. Ketcham
B. Heaven and Home:
1. “The House of the Lord” is heaven itself where the Lord of the universe sits enthroned.
Rev. 5:6-14
6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
2. What a fantastic place! And to think it will be our home forever!
3. Note the connection between v.1 and v.6: “The Lord” begins and ends the 23rd Psalm!
a. We started our journey with “the Lord” when He became our Savior and Shepherd and found Him more than enough throughout our lifetime.
b. We will end our temporal journey on this planet and be welcomed home to heaven where we will dwell forever!
ILLUS: It is sad but true that many who want to “dwell in the house of the Lord forever” want little to do with His “house” down here. Those who are comfortable in His house with His people down here will be most comfortable in His house up there! Others will have a hard time of adjustment.
c. We will finally be with all the other sheep in the Shepherd’s great flock in His “home ranch.”
CONCL: Oh yes - “The Lord is my Shepherd” - and THAT’S ENOUGH! He is enough in this life and He is enough in the life to come! He is the all-sufficient Savior and Shepherd of every born-again, blood washed sheep! Is He your Savior? your Shepherd? Is He enough for you?