The Shepherd: Who He Is
Key Takeaways
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
These words (only four words in Hebrew) summarize the entire gospel and our relationship with God.We are sheep.
This is insulting before it's comforting, as sheep are helpless, defenseless, prone to wander, and completely dependent on their shepherd.We cannot spiritually care for ourselves.
We cannot feed ourselves spiritually, defend ourselves spiritually, or find our way home spiritually.God is profoundly mysterious yet intimately involved.
He is self-sufficient, self-existent, and needs nothing from us, yet he chooses to shepherd us.Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
He fulfills Psalm 23 by becoming the lamb who dies for the sheep, meeting our greatest need.
Study Questions
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In what areas of your life do you most resist the idea that you are spiritually helpless like a sheep, and why is it so difficult to accept your need for a shepherd?
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John read the "Psalm 23 for Social Media" as an example of a bad shepherd. What other bad shepherds are you tempted to follow and how have they failed to meet your deepest needs compared to the Good Shepherd?
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The Navigators once published a discipleship book on the Lordship of Christ that included a simple but searching exercise. It asked readers to write down every area of life (political, social, sexual, professional, financial, family, recreational, your thought life, everything) and then put each one to two questions: Am I willing to obey everything I know God wants me to do in this area? And am I willing to thank him for whatever he is bringing into it?
In which areas of your life are you challenged to be obedient or thankful for God's shepherding? -
What does it mean practically for you to believe that the goal of the Christian life is not greater self-sufficiency but greater dependence on the Shepherd?
“Psalm 23 for Social Media”
by Jon Tyson, Church of the City (New York)
The algorithm is my shepherd I shall always want.
It makes me doom scroll through digital pastures.
It leads me beside the rapids of engagement.
It activates my anxiety.
It guides me along paths of monetization
for profit's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of comparison,
I'll fear missing out,
if you're always tracking me;
your notifications in your ads,
they compel me.
You prepare a curated feed before me
in the presence of those I envy;
you fill my head with validation;
my anxiety overflows.
Surely dissatisfaction and envy will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in your monetized data analytics
forever.
Seeking God’s Face Devotional
This year, we’ll be using the devotional “Seeking God’s Face” for our personal daily discipleship. Also, please join us for our Sunday Morning Class, “Whole-Life Discipleship,” next Sunday at 10:30 a.m. following the 9 a.m. worship service.
This Week’s Liturgy
Call to worship
Psalm 23:1-3
Leader: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
All: He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Confession of FAITH
New City Catechism Q & A #25
Q: Does Christ’s death mean all our sins can be forgiven?
A: Yes, because Christ’s death on the cross fully paid the penalty for our sin, God graciously imputes Christ’s righteousness to us as if it were our own and will remember our sins no more.
Confession of sin
Most merciful God, we confess that we believe we are self-sufficient. That we can feed and defend ourselves, and find our own way home. We have turned, every one, to our own way. We are sheep who refuse to be sheep. Thank you that you are our Good Shepherd. Forgive us and bring us home. We need you. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
1 Peter 2:24-25
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.
This Week’s Playlist
Looking Ahead
Invite a friend, bring the kids, and join us next week as we continue our Summer in Psalm 23!