Remember the Bear and the Lion: Walking Through Psalm 23
Dr RJ Sing, 49 min
Originally preached as “The Lord Is My Shepherd”
Sermon outline
The Lord is your shepherd who provides, restores and protects you, and remembering what he has already done gives you courage to face the giant in front of you.
Main text
- Psalm 23:1-6
Opening
He prays that God's sheep will hear his voice and be encouraged all week, then has the church read Psalm 23 aloud, making them read verse 6 again with feeling. He tells them he dreamt about Psalm 23 three times that week and knew the Lord wanted him to share it, and introduces it by looking at what David had lived through before he wrote it.
Go back in your mindset: David remembered the bear, the lion and Goliath
By the time David wrote Psalm 23 he had killed a bear, a lion and Goliath, and he remembered those victories when the next giant stood before him. We have a spirit of forgetfulness and forget how good the Lord has been. You may lean on someone else's faith at the beginning, but you need to build your own.
Illustration: David tried on Saul's armour, found it was not the right fit, and went down to the river for smooth stones and his sling instead.
“Sometimes you can't use somebody else's armor to fight your battles. You need your own faith.”
- 1 Samuel 17:34-51
- 1 Samuel 18:7
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want
Sheep are timid and rely completely on the shepherd for pasture, protection and care. David did not say people, his neighbour, a husband or sons are my shepherd: man, companies and banks will fail you, but the Lord, Jehovah Rohi, supplies every need and watches over you while you sleep. Jesus took our shame and rejection on the cross so we could be accepted.
Illustration: David was the youngest son, out looking after his father's sheep when Samuel came to anoint a king, and he drew the psalm from his own life as a shepherd boy.
“He didn't say my neighbor is my shepherd. He said the Lord is my shepherd.”
- Psalm 23:1
- 1 Samuel 16:7
- Isaiah 53:5
He makes me lie down in green pastures
God knows exactly what you need and when you need it, and wherever he leads you there is provision and open doors. This speaks of entering God's rest, depending on him more than on your pay cheque or the people around you, and of refreshment: the encouraging message that arrives on a gloomy day is no coincidence but a divine appointment.
Illustration: As a little boy he watched his mother knit, and saw a red thread running through all the other colours; God's blessings are woven through your life the same way. A boxer may be caught in the first rounds and still win with one punch in the third.
“You may lose a round, but you will never lose the fight.”
- Psalm 23:2
- 1 Timothy 6:12
- Proverbs 10:22
He restores my soul
God heals not only the body but the soul, the mind and the emotions. People put others down to make themselves look better because they are insecure. Forgive yourself and love and accept yourself, not boastfully but by the grace of God, because you cannot give what you don't have.
“Insecure people cannot love, but secure people can love.”
- Psalm 23:3
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Shepherds had to lead their sheep through a dangerous valley full of wild animals. God has promised never to leave you nor forsake you, so stop asking where he is. Stay away from people who keep putting you down; the ones who wrote you off did not know God chose you in your mother's womb and had a good plan for you. Look back and see what the Lord has done.
Illustration: Relatives still remind him that he was a naughty boy and that they thought he would amount to nothing, and in his high school years someone was counselled to cut ties with him because he was 'a nothing'. He calls Ruth up to lead 'Look What the Lord Has Done'.
“Go back in memory lane and see what the Lord has done.”
- Psalm 23:4
- Hebrews 13:5
- 1 Corinthians 1:27
- Jeremiah 1:5
God's constant companionship, and a cup that runs over
God protects you and is always with you. Don't keep looking to other people to encourage you or let someone else be your God, and don't play God for others; let them kneel and find God for themselves. Your cup runs over because it is abundance.
Illustration: Stop waiting for 'Auntie Pookie and Uncle Pookie' to encourage you.
“Don't let someone else be your God.”
- Psalm 23:5
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
Dwelling in the house of the Lord is true now and also means eternity. While others don't know where they are going, the believer does.
“When you say bye-bye here, you know, you're saying hello there.”
- Psalm 23:6
Putting it into practice
- Look back over your life and remember the victories God has already given you.
- Build your own faith instead of borrowing someone else's armour.
- Look to the Lord, not to people, as your provider.
- Forgive yourself and accept yourself, so you have love to give to others.
- Keep your distance from people who keep putting you down.
Closing
He closes with a story he read years ago about a debt collector sent to a Christian storekeeper whose family had been sick: the man prayed Psalm 23, and within moments money arrived to pay the debt twice over, followed by a playful business version of the psalm, 'The Lord is my banker, I shall not fail'. He prophesies supernatural doors and opportunities over the church and its extended family, tells them to go home remembering what God has done, leads a time of praise, and hands over to another pastor to close.
Declarations he led
- The Lord is my shepherd.
- Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
In his words
- “Sometimes you can't use somebody else's armor to fight your battles. You need your own faith.”
- “Go back in your mindset so that you may have a skill set.”
- “You may lose a round, but you will never lose the fight.”
- “Insecure people cannot love, but secure people can love.”
- “When you say bye-bye here, you know, you're saying hello there.”
Every scripture in this message
- Psalm 23:1-6
- 1 Samuel 17:34-51
- 1 Samuel 18:7
- 1 Samuel 16:7
- Isaiah 53:5
- 1 Timothy 6:12
- Proverbs 10:22
- Hebrews 13:5
- 1 Corinthians 1:27
- Jeremiah 1:5