My Shepherd

Sermon Notes

[Psalm 23:1-6 ESV] 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.

A Good SHEPHERD takes care of their flock.

[1 Samuel 17:34-35] But David persisted. "I have been taking care of my father's sheep and goats," he said. "When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, [35] I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death.

God is HANDS ON in our life.

[1 Peter 1:18-19] For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. [19] It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.

Jesus paid a HIGH PRICE so He can be your Shepherd.

[John 10:10-15] The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. [11] "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. [12] A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don't belong to him and he isn't their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. [13] The hired hand runs away because he's working only for the money and doesn't really care about the sheep. [14] "I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, [15] just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.

Sheep THRIVE when they have a Good Shepherd.

[Matthew 9:36] When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

God doesn't LEAD those who want to DIRECT their own lives.

[John 10:27-29] My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. [28] I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, [29] for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand. 

Our Shepherd is so GOOD that He comes after us when we get LOST!