Are You Afraid? (AM Sermon Notes)
GIST: We have no reason to fear if we belong to Jesus— who comforts us as a loving shepherd and pursues us as a relentlessly good host!
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 23
The psalm we’re coming to this morning is probably the most famous Old Testament passage in the Bible. These words are familiar to church attendees and atheists alike. They really need no introduction, so let’s just open by reading these powerful words.
"1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever."
There are so many ways to work through this most beautiful psalm. In fact, I don’t know if anyone remembers this or not, but I preached a two-parter on it two summers ago when I was still the interim pastor. At that time, we were considering what the Bible teaches us about facing trials and hardships. This morning, I want to focus our attention on what is probably the most recognizable line from this very famous passage—“4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me…”(emphasis added).
There is a reason this psalm has been a source of comfort to many heartbroken people for thousands of years. In fact, where do you hear this psalm quoted most? At funerals. However, this is not primarily a psalm about death, though there is undoubtedly encouragement for Christians who die, it’s primarily encouragement for the living, those of us who are actively walking through valleys and seeing our enemies surrounding us and experiencing hunger and thirst. This is for those of us who are facing… fear. As a dad, when I think of fear, I think about when my kids call me in to their rooms at night and ask me to pray for Jesus to take all the “scary stuff away”. I also think about the paralyzing fear of seeing one of those sweet babies being taken away in an ambulance and being powerless to help. Fear is an experience we’ve all had and will continue to face. But, living in fear is sinful. Don’t hear me wrong. It’s natural to be afraid when terrifying and devastating things occur, but allowing fear to remain and reign in your heart when you know God is bigger is sin because it’s a failure to fully trust Him. So, the gist I want to point to this morning is this: We have no reason to fear if we belong to Jesus— who comforts us as a loving shepherd and pursues us as a relentlessly good host! (The second part will make more sense as we move forward!) Let’s dive in!
I. JESUS IS THE LOVING SHEPHERD
My Shepherd (1a). “1The LORD is my shepherd;” This opening line is deeply personal and incredibly humbling. David doesn’t say God is “a shepherd”, or even generally “the shepherd of His people”. He refers to God as his. We can too. We don’t deserve this. It isn’t “our due”. Yet, He does love us like this...and it’s amazing. Being a shepherd is dirty work. You spend all your time with stinky, stupid sheep which are dependent on you for every bit of their survival. Yet, that’s exactly what Jesus has done for us. He’s chosen to not only pour out His love for us by taking on Hell in our place and rising from the dead (as if that were not enough), but He also continues to guide us day by day. That’s what this psalm continues to point to actually→
Peace Provided and Needs Met (1b-2) “...I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.” This picture is beautiful. The sheep are led to rich pastures...and are lying down. Sheep don’t lie down to eat. In fact, from what I’ve read, they only lie down when they are both full and feel perfectly safe. If they’re hungry, they’ll be standing up eating. If they’re afraid, they’ll be up and watchful. These sheep are lying down. They’ve been fed and feel protected by the shepherd. The same thought is communicated in the idea of “still waters”. Sheep don’t drink from fast moving waters. Apparently, it is actually dangerous for them. They aren’t really strong swimmers and only do so if necessary for survival. In fact, when their wool gets wet, they get heavy...and tend to sink. Because of this, it was common for shepherds to actually dam up creeks to create “still waters” for their sheep to drink in peace.
Here’s the point being expressed here→since Jesus is my Shepherd, I have everything I need. He’s taking care of me, and I trust Him. Do we live like that? David’s not done yet either. In the next verse, we see even more→
Provision, Protection, and Spiritual Guidance (3) “3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.” If you remember anything from the last time we covered this passage, it’s probably this part. At least, it’s one of the parts that’s stuck with me most. From what I’ve studied, this “restores my soul” reference is still part of the sheep-shepherd metaphor. “Sheep are built in such a way that if they fall over on their side and then onto their back, it is very difficult for them to get up again...After a few hours on their backs, gas begins to collect in their stomachs, the stomach hardens, the air passage is cut off, and the sheep will eventually suffocate” (Williams). This position is referred to as being cast or cast down. Shepherds are definitely aware of this and watch their sheep diligently. If one is found in this position, they will immediately flip it back over and literally restore its life.
But we can definitely see the spiritual implication here as well, and the next part of the verse leaves not doubt. Jesus does the same for us. Not only has He saved us and, therefore, given us life, but He is there to pick us back up when we’ve fallen victim to complacency. He restores our souls, by leading us in paths of righteousness--His paths...where we should have been in the first place, instead of laying on our backs filled with our own hot air! Why? Yes, because He loves us like a good shepherd, but this verse tells it’s for His name’s sake. We’re His witnesses to the world. He’s chosen not only to love us, but to use us. He doesn’t want us to fall! He wants us to stand firm for Him. It’s easy to feel like your living this Christian journey on your own, but you’re not. You were never meant to; you can’t. But the overcomer is right there with you guiding and equipping you! So, you can be→
Fearless in the Face of Fear (4) “4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Notice the point of view shift here. David goes from talking about God, to speaking directly with Him. This is so awesome. Like I said, it’s the most famous part of the psalm. I just want to point out a few things here. This valley of the shadow of death is something we pass through. The picture isn’t of someone stuck in darkness, but walking through it.
Man, I feel like we could camp out so much here, but I don’t want to start rambling. I want to be clear. If you’re saved, bad stuff is going to happen. You’re going to face heartbreak and devastation because you’re still living in a broken world. In fact, it might even be harder for you because you’re going to be trying to stand for Jesus in a world that’s standing for itself. BUT, here’s the beautiful truth. You don’t have to run terrified in the valleys or crouch in fear. You can walk through what is merely a shadow of death because you’re walking beside the One who conquered death for you! We don’t face fear bravely because we have it all together. We face fear bravely because we’re standing next to Jesus!
And look at how He is comforting us in these dark hours. He has a rod and a staff. The rod was used by shepherds to fight off wild beasts, and the staff was used to direct the sheep— to bring back those silly animals who were prone to just wander aimlessly! Jesus has already defeated sin for us and continues to fight on our behalf as He leads us where we need to be. AMEN! That’s comfort.
II. JESUS IS THE RELENTLESSLY GOOD HOST
The imagery in the second half of the psalm shifts to that of a host welcoming a guest. As with the first, the picture is incredible. First, it shows us we’re→
Accepted in the Struggle (5a) “5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil;” Hospitality is becoming a bit of a lost art here in America. We simply don’t spend as much time welcoming people into our homes as we used to. Still, I think we can see what’s being said here. To spread a table was to welcome someone into your home as part of the family. It was giving them a place of belonging, showing them they were wanted. What’s so incredible to me here is that God is the one spreading this table. He is showing us that He wants us...and it happens in the presence of our enemies! This is reality! Enemies surround us. Life is hard. Life is broken. You might face a new trial every day. BUT, He’s spreading the table nonetheless. See, in case we missed it before we’re clearly reminded here that being a Christian doesn’t take hardships away, but it provides joy in the midst of them!
Then we have this picture of our heads being anointed with oil...which we don’t do now. However, when I think of anointing with oil in the OT, I usually think about anointing kings and priests. It was a sign of God’s presence being on them--the Holy Spirit working in their lives. It seems it was also customary at this time for hosts to anoint the heads of their guests, symbolizing the same type of blessing. It was a sign of the highest love and respect. It was literally like saying, “may you be filled with the Holy Spirit”. And when Jesus does it for us… it is filling us with the Holy Spirit! It is God working in us and through us...even when we’re surrounded by our enemies! Talk about comfort! And...it gets even better. Not only are we accepted, but we’re→
Welcome Forever (5b) “...my cup overflows.” This picture blows my mind. I’ll let Max Lucado explain what the filling of cups symbolized. “Hosts in the ancient East used it to send a message to the guest. As long as the cup was kept full, the guest knew he was welcome. But when the cup sat empty, the host was hinting that the hour was late. On those occasions, however, when the host really enjoyed the company of the person, he filled the cup to overflowing. He didn’t stop when the wine reached the rim; he kept pouring until the liquid ran over the edge of the cup and down on the table. (Lucado, Traveling Light: Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Intended to Bear, 137).
Let this sink in for a second. Jesus prepares a table for us, and wants us to stay. Now, hold that thought because the psalm ends with a picture of us being→
Relentlessly Pursued…Eternally! (6) “6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” The word translated follow here means to pursue. This is an awesome picture. Because God is our shepherd who welcomes us as His children goodness and mercy will chase after us while we’re here on earth, and we will enjoy His presence forever in Heaven! We need this perspective. Today might be hard on the outside, but is Jesus not still the overcomer who has chosen to pursue you His with grace? He is, so we have nothing to fear!
TAKEAWAYS
Let’s just wrap up with a few quick takeways here.
1. Fear is natural, but living in fear is sinful. Living consumed by fear is living actively doubting God. Remember→
2. Jesus is the loving provider. If you miss everything else this morning, don’t miss this. This psalm is one of comfort because it reminds us how passionately God loves us. We like to hear this, but must remember, this love isn’t what we deserve. We deserve His wrath. We’re sinful people who haven’t earned His favor. He loves us...because He’s awesome. And because of this unmerited love, we can face whatever comes our way. A few weeks ago, I was listening to a preacher talk about how fellow believers had tried to use fear to stop him from giving to God. There were things he knew he needed to do, but well-meaning Christians told him not to take the risk. They’d say things like, “Yes, but you have a family now,” or “Yes, but your circumstances are different than...fill in the blank.” I love his response. He basically said, “My circumstances might change, but my God does not.” No matter where you are in life, God is still the good shepherd! And→
3. You were made to be His sheep. I’ve heard a story several times about an actor and minister both reciting this psalm at a dinner party. The actor’s voice was beautiful and his inflections were perfection. When he was done, everyone applauded. When the minister spoke, his voice was more feeble, and he stuttered over his words. Yet, when he was done, everyone was weeping. When someone was asked what made the difference, they replied, “The first knew the psalm, but the second knew the shepherd.” If this all seems foreign to you today, do you know the shepherd? Because, you can. Jesus came and died and rose again to save you. You were made for this. If you believe in Him, seek His forgiveness, and give Him control of your life, you will be saved. Don’t live in fear; come to the shepherd!
