Trusting the Good Shepherd: Guidance and Provision
Summary
In my sermon today, I began by acknowledging the presence of Pastor Steve Pruitt and his wife Doris, honoring them for their years of faithful service as they prepare to relocate closer to family. I then welcomed our online campus and introduced our new series on Psalm 23, emphasizing the importance of memorizing and reciting Scripture, particularly this Psalm, which we then recited together as a congregation.
I focused on the profound statement in Psalm 23:1, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want," exploring the tension between the sufficiency promised in this verse and the constant societal messaging that we need more. I challenged the congregation to consider whether it's truly possible to lack nothing, as the verse suggests, and to reconcile this with the reality of our daily needs.
Delving into the imagery of God as both shepherd and host, I highlighted the personal nature of God's guidance and provision. I emphasized that understanding "The Lord is my shepherd" should fill us with gratitude and a sense of God's intimate involvement in our lives. I shared the importance of recognizing God's lordship before we can truly appreciate His shepherding.
I recounted a personal anecdote about a harrowing car ride with a friend, contrasting it with the assurance that comes from being led by God Himself. I stressed the need for personal submission to God's guidance, instruction, and decisions, and the difference between being led by human influences versus being shepherded by the Lord.
I then spoke about the role of a shepherd and the deep care and responsibility they have for their flock, including the lengths they go to protect and provide for the sheep. I drew parallels to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who pursues us when we are lost, protects us from harm, and provides for our needs.
I addressed the difficult concept of God's protection, which sometimes involves allowing us to experience challenges to prevent us from greater harm. I used the example of a shepherd breaking a sheep's leg to prevent it from wandering into danger, illustrating God's protective love.
I concluded by discussing the provision of the Good Shepherd, who supplies all our needs according to His riches in glory. I encouraged the congregation to seek God's perspective on what we truly need, rather than insisting on our own desires.
Throughout the sermon, I wove in the theme of listening to and recognizing God's voice, emphasizing the importance of spending time with Him to discern His guidance. I corrected the misconception that sheep are depicted as dumb in the Bible, clarifying that they are meant to be seen as dependent on their shepherd, just as we are to depend on God.
I ended with an invitation for individuals to accept Jesus as their shepherd and Lord, leading the congregation in a prayer of salvation. I reassured those who made this decision that they are now part of God's family and provided resources for their next steps in faith.
Key Takeaways:
1. Recognizing God as our shepherd requires acknowledging His lordship over our lives. It's not enough to desire the benefits of His shepherding without surrendering to His authority. This surrender leads to a life of contentment and sufficiency, as we trust in His provision and care. [21:50]
2. The Good Shepherd's pursuit of us is relentless and personal. Even when we lose ourselves and our way, God's love compels Him to seek us out and bring us back into His fold. This pursuit is a testament to His deep love and commitment to each one of us. [13:13]
3. God's protection often comes in forms we might not understand or even appreciate at the moment. Like a shepherd who may break a sheep's leg to save its life, God's interventions are always out of love and for our ultimate good, even when they involve temporary pain or discomfort. [17:17]
4. True provision from the Good Shepherd goes beyond our material wants and encompasses our deepest needs. When we align our desires with God's will, we find that He supplies all we need according to His riches in glory, leading to a life free from want. [18:51]
5. Hearing God's voice is not a special gift for a select few but the fruit of proximity and time spent with Him. As we cultivate a daily, intimate relationship with God, we learn to discern His voice and follow His leading, which is essential for living a life guided by His wisdom and truth. [26:39]
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Psalm 23:1 (ESV): "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."
- John 10:11 (ESV): "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
- Philippians 4:19 (ESV): "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."
#### Observation Questions
1. What does Psalm 23:1 mean when it says, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want"? How does this verse challenge societal messages about needing more? [05:45]
2. In John 10:11, Jesus describes Himself as the "good shepherd." What are the three roles of the good shepherd mentioned in the sermon? [12:14]
3. According to Philippians 4:19, who is responsible for supplying our needs, and how does this align with the message of Psalm 23:1? [18:51]
4. What personal anecdote did the pastor share to illustrate the difference between being led by human influences versus being shepherded by the Lord? [08:14]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does recognizing God as our shepherd require acknowledging His lordship over our lives? Why is this important for experiencing contentment and sufficiency? [21:50]
2. The sermon mentioned that God's protection sometimes involves allowing us to experience challenges. How does the example of a shepherd breaking a sheep's leg to save it illustrate this concept? [17:17]
3. What does it mean to align our desires with God's will, and how does this lead to true provision from the Good Shepherd? [18:51]
4. How can spending time with God help us discern His voice, and why is this important for living a life guided by His wisdom and truth? [26:39]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt you needed more than what you had. How can you practice contentment by trusting in God's provision as described in Psalm 23:1? [05:45]
2. Have you ever experienced a situation where you felt God's protection in a way that was initially painful or challenging? How did this experience shape your understanding of God's love and care? [17:17]
3. Think about an area in your life where you struggle to submit to God's lordship. What steps can you take to surrender this area to Him and trust in His guidance? [21:50]
4. How can you cultivate a daily, intimate relationship with God to better discern His voice? What specific changes can you make in your routine to spend more time with Him? [26:39]
5. Identify a current need or desire in your life. How can you seek God's perspective on this need and align your prayers with His will? [18:51]
6. Consider the people or influences you allow to guide you. Are there any that you need to reevaluate in light of the sermon’s message about being shepherded by the Lord? [08:14]
7. How can you support and encourage others in your small group to recognize and follow the Good Shepherd's voice in their lives? What practical steps can you take together to grow in this area? [26:39]
This guide is designed to help your small group delve deeper into the themes of Psalm 23 and the sermon, fostering meaningful discussion and personal application.
Devotional
Day 1: Surrender to Divine Lordship
True contentment is found in surrendering to God's authority over our lives. This surrender is not a passive resignation but an active trust in His provision and care. It is a recognition that God's wisdom surpasses our understanding and that His plans for us are for our good. When we acknowledge God as our shepherd, we admit that we are like sheep—dependent and in need of guidance. This dependence is not a sign of weakness but of wisdom, as it aligns us with the One who knows us best and loves us most. By surrendering to God's lordship, we open ourselves to a life of sufficiency, where our wants are shaped by His will and our needs are met by His hand. This is the path to a life free from want, where our desires are fulfilled not by the accumulation of things, but by the presence of the Good Shepherd in our lives. [21:50]
"Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation." - Habakkuk 3:17-18
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?
Day 2: The Pursuit of the Good Shepherd
The relentless pursuit of the Good Shepherd is a profound expression of His personal love for each individual. Even when one strays away, the Shepherd does not give up but actively seeks out the lost sheep to bring them back to safety. This pursuit is not a general call but a specific, targeted effort to rescue those who have wandered. It is a testament to the value that the Shepherd places on each life within the flock. The Good Shepherd knows the dangers that lurk beyond the safety of His care, and His pursuit is motivated by a deep desire to protect and to restore. This personal attention assures that no one is beyond the reach of His love and that each person is worth the effort of pursuit. [13:13]
"For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness." - Ezekiel 34:11-12
Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt lost or distant from God. How did you experience His pursuit, and what changes occurred in your life as a result of being brought back into His fold?
Day 3: God's Protective Love
Understanding God's protection requires a shift in perspective, recognizing that His ways are not always our ways. The shepherd's role is not only to lead to green pastures but also to protect the sheep from harm, even if it means allowing them to go through difficult experiences for their ultimate good. This protective love is sometimes hard to comprehend, especially when it involves pain or discomfort. However, it is rooted in a deep knowledge of what is truly best for the sheep. The shepherd's actions are driven by a desire to keep the sheep safe and to prevent them from wandering into danger. This analogy helps us grasp the nature of God's interventions in our lives—they are acts of love, designed to guide us back to the right path and to keep us within the safety of His care. [17:17]
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28
Reflection: Can you recall a difficult situation in your life that, in hindsight, you can see was part of God's protective plan? How might this perspective change the way you view current challenges?
Day 4: Aligning Desires with Divine Provision
The provision of the Good Shepherd extends beyond material wants and encompasses our deepest needs. When we align our desires with God's will, we discover that He supplies all we need according to His riches in glory. This alignment is not about diminishing our desires but about elevating them to match the heart of God. It is about trusting that what God provides is not only sufficient but also superior to what we could secure on our own. The Good Shepherd knows the needs of His sheep and ensures that they lack nothing essential for their well-being. This divine provision leads to a life free from want, where our satisfaction is found not in the abundance of possessions but in the richness of our relationship with the Shepherd. [18:51]
"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:19
Reflection: What is one desire you have been holding onto that may not align with God's will for your life? How can you begin to seek His perspective on what you truly need?
Day 5: Cultivating Intimacy with God
Hearing God's voice is a natural outcome of spending time in His presence and developing a close relationship with Him. It is not a special gift for a select few but an opportunity available to all who seek to know Him better. This intimacy is cultivated through daily practices such as prayer, meditation on Scripture, and quiet reflection. As we draw nearer to God, we become more attuned to His voice and more familiar with His ways. This familiarity enables us to discern His guidance and to follow His leading with confidence. The sheep's ability to recognize the shepherd's voice comes from time spent in close proximity, and similarly, our ability to hear God's voice grows as we invest time in our relationship with Him. [26:39]
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." - John 10:27
Reflection: What is one step you can take today to deepen your relationship with God and become more attuned to His voice?
Quotes
1) "We are talking about the great Jehovah, God himself, God almighty is the one that is shepherding us. The one that is leading us, the one who is steering the ship. Make note that it's not a pastor. Not a denomination, not your favorite YouTube streamer or social media influencer... if you put those people or things in the place of where only the Lord should be, you will live a life with lack." [09:48]
2) "The Lord is my shepherd, not their shepherd. He is making it for us to know that it is personal, that he is declaring. I'm not speaking on behalf of other people. I can't talk about you, but I can talk about me. The Lord is my shepherd. He has possession of me... It is my shepherd. I belong to him for it to be personal though, We must submit. To his guidance. To his instruction and to his decisions." [11:15]
3) "The shepherd does not rule from afar, but rather the shepherd lives among the sheep, walks among the sheep, sleeps among the sheep, eats among the sheep... Shepherds truly are responsible. They are responsible for tending to the needs of the flock, from getting and transporting the flock from location to location and protecting the flock from predators." [12:14]
4) "Listening, understanding, and obedience. If the worship team can come, please. My sheep, listen to my voice. We have to be those who can listen to his voice. How can we follow him if we don't hear his voice? We'd be wondering... No, we have to be able to hear his voice. Secondly, we have to be able to understand what he is saying and that he understands us." [28:35]
5) "The good shepherd pursues us when we are lost, protects us from predators and even ourselves... The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep... He was a man of his word that he would lay his life down for you and I to have life, to have protection. When it got hard, he didn't give up." [14:50]
6) "The shepherd would see that sheep and determine, I need to do something to help this sheep, to save that sheep. And what the shepherd would do is they would take their staff and they would actually break one of the legs of the sheep... But what the shepherd was doing is saying, I care for you so much that I'm going to temporarily hinder you from walking." [17:17]
7) "The Lord is our shepherd, and when he is our shepherd, we lack nothing because he is with us. You might be experiencing lack and insufficiency, and that might be true with what you want. But the Lord is our shepherd, and therefore we lack nothing because he is with us." [18:51]
8) "The lordship of God precedes the shepherding of God. See, we can get this mutation in our hearts that we want all the benefits of the good shepherd... But yet I don't want to submit to the lordship of God. We cannot get the benefits of the good shepherd without being surrendered to the lordship of the good shepherd." [21:50]
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