A New Beginning presents a great book to show you how to easily share the gospel by Pastor Greg Laurie. The book is called Tell Someone You Can Share the Good News. And I wrote it with this thought in mind. I acted as though I were sitting down with an individual and sharing truths I've learned about evangelism. And it's something that is really important to me.
And I want to share what I've learned with you in this book, Tell Someone. Yours for a gift of any amount at harvest.org. Coming up today on a new beginning from Psalm 23, Pastor Greg Laurie points out the parallels between shepherds and the good shepherd. The shepherd was more than just a guy who watched over a flock of sheep, he was a warrior, he was a protector. He was a provider.
Listen to this. No matter what you are facing, remember the Almighty God, the Creator of the universe, is your shepherd. This is the day. When the lost are found, this is the day for a new beginning. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.
But can you hear all the angels are singing? This is the day, the day will I begin. As many Bible students know, the Book of Psalms is a collection of songs. It's a spiritual songbook, primarily written by David. He was called the Sweet Psalmist of Israel.
They're rich in captivating imagery and candid confessions to the Lord. They offer great comfort and reassurance. And Pastor Greg Laurie is currently presenting a new series in Psalms here on a new beginning. Today we'll draw some fresh hope. from words we've read many, many times before.
Every day, the day when life begins. You know, we live in such a crazy Chaotic. Scary world right now. The fear is everywhere. People are so stressed out, war around the world, violence in our streets, an uncertain future.
Social media only fuels this Fear. And what we need is calm in the midst of the storm. We need an oasis in the middle of that hot Desert. A safe place to retreat to.
Now, in this beautiful book that we're studying together in this series that we're calling Psalms of David, we have the pearl of the Psalms. We have the crown jewel of the Psalms. Psalm 23.
Next to the Lord's Prayer, this is probably the best known. Passage of scripture in all of the world. This particular psalm, Psalm 23, has brought hope to millions of people. Through the world, through the years. Pastors have used it to bring comfort to those.
in hospital beds and even on death beds, People have passed into eternity. Hearing these words, Psalm 23 is an absolute Masterpiece from beginning to end, and every believer should commit it to memory. If you're going to memorize a scripture and you should. You got to start with Psalm 23. How many of you have memorized Psalm 23?
Oh, I'm so tempted to call on you. I'm so tempted. But I'll admit to you. I know Psalm 23. But when I recite it from memory, I get things out of order.
It's very easy to do. It's a very interesting psalm the way it's structured. But uh I remember hearing the story of uh Sunday school class. That was happening at church, and the teacher said, Okay, kids, next Sunday, I want you to memorize Psalm 23. And so they all were working on it.
One little boy was really struggling. And so that next Sunday came and The kids got up and recited it, and it was his turn, and he got up and he said, The Lord is my shepherd. He paused and he said, and that's all I need to know. And he sat down. I thought in a way that's true.
In the very simplest way of looking at that. That's all you need to know.
So let's read it now together. Psalm 23.
The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul.
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Isn't that the best? Psalm 23.
And that's all you need to know. God bless and goodbye. I can literally Walk away and We've already heard so much. But if you're taking notes because I'm a preacher, I have to give you a sermon now, okay?
So here's point number one, very simple, very obvious. The Lord is our shepherd. The Lord is our shepherd. Now, when we think of shepherds, we imagine an idyllic scene. a shepherd calmly watching over his tranquil little flock, out in a field somewhere maybe the sun is setting.
But actually The shepherd. Was more than just a guy who watched over a flock of sheep. He was a warrior. He was a protector. He was a provider.
A David, of course, who is the author of this psalm. Mentioned to King Saul when he was preparing to go fight Goliath in the valley of Elah in 1 Samuel 17:34. He said, As a shepherd, when a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and attacked him and rescued it from his mouth. That's hardcore. Maybe we should say They're more like a ninja than a shepherd.
This is a courageous person. that watches over a flock. of sheep. The Lord is your shepherd. The Lord is your protector.
David later wrote in Psalm 91, He will cover you with his wings. You'll be safe in His care. His faithfulness will protect and defend you. You need not fear any dangers at night, or sudden attacks during the day, or the plagues that strike in the dark, or the evils that kill in daylight. Listen to this: no matter what you are facing, remember the Almighty God, the creator of the universe, is your shepherd.
One night, probably watching over his flock. David wrote these words in Psalm 8. When I look at the night sky and I see the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars. that you have set into place, what is man that you should think of him? What are human beings that you should Care for them.
How true. You know, when I was in Maui a couple of trips ago, I went out one night and just looked up. Oh my goodness, you could see so many stars there. I'm thinking, what is the problem with California? It's the same night sky, but it's just beautiful and clear, and you can see so much.
You can just lay down on the beach and look up and see the handiwork of God. And when you do that, you're reminded of the fact that your father made all of those things. Astronomers estimate there are more than 100 billion galaxies. And in each galaxy there are more than a hundred billion stars. And each of these was created by God, and each has a name according to scripture.
Your father, your God, your shepherd created all of those. And notice that David does not say the Lord is a shepherd, though he is a shepherd. He says, the Lord is my shepherd. See, this is personal. The Lord is my shepherd.
The Lord is your shepherd. I love how We're told over in Jeremiah. God says, I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord. Thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you a future and a hope. He could have just said, I know the thoughts that I think toward everyone, and that would have been true, but that's not what he said.
I know the thoughts that I think toward you. You. This is personal. The Lord is your shepherd. Paul said.
Christ loved me and gave himself for me. Oh, it's true, Christ died for the whole world. Jesus said it best, for God so loved the world. He gave his only begotten son. But Paul personalized it.
He gave himself for me. The Lord is your shepherd. God has particular thoughts that are good toward you as an individual. Even if others forget you, God never forgets you. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment.
It's such a blessing to hear from listeners who take time to express their appreciation. I just want to say thank you to Pastor Greg. I would love to shake your hand someday. You take me back to my childhood with Billy Graham. You explain things so easily where either the brightest person in the world or the dumbest person in the world is going to get what you're saying.
I just want to thank you. Be blessed. If you have a story to share, why not call us and give us all the details? Here's the number: 1-866-871-1144. That's 866-871-1144.
Well, today, Pastor Greg is helping us explore the encouraging words of David in the book of Psalms. Let's continue. David wrote this: When my mother and father forsake me, The Lord will take me up. That's in Psalm 27. David knew what he was talking about.
David was not the favorite son in his family. In fact, when the prophet Samuel came to Bethlehem, the hometown of David, to find the next king of Israel. Because the Lord had told him that in the house of Jesse, Was the next one who would ascend to the throne? To take the place of the wicked King Saul, who had been rejected by God. All Samuel knew was one of these boys was God's choice.
So he comes at Jesse's house. He says, I'd like to meet your sons. And Jesse parades out these seven strapping boys. And one of them was taller than all the rest. His name was Eliab.
And so Samuel's walking down the line. Lord says, That's not the one.
Next one, that's not the one.
Next one, that's not the one.
Then he sees Eliab, tall, handsome. That's gotta be the one. This guy's like a movie star. It's like he came out of central casting. This has to be the next king of Israel.
The Lord says, That's not the one. Then the Lord says to Samuel, I don't judge by outward appearance, I look on the heart.
Well But we all judge by outward appearance, don't we? We make evaluations on how people look. Even when you take a photo. Let's take a group photo. Then you take it.
I'm going to post it. Let me see it first. Yeah. Why do you want to see it first? You want to make sure everyone looks really good?
You could care less about those people. You want to know how you look. And if you don't like the way you look, you say, please don't post that photo. We care about the way we look and we should.
Some of you should care more about the way you look honestly. But uh Just kidding. But not really. But anyway. But we place so much emphasis on the outward appearance.
Did you know that $16 billion a year? is spent on Cosmetic surgery. That's Newport Beach only. But we do make evaluations on appearance.
Now, some of you are not old enough. to remember this.
So this is a little history lesson for the kids, okay? Uh we had two men who were running for the Presidency. and it was Richard Milhouse Nixon. and John Fitzgerald Kennedy. They had a debate.
It was on television and radio. Nixon was a very uh competent, intelligent communicator. As was Kennedy. But come on now. Who's the best looking of the two?
So, those that watched it on television thought Kennedy won the debate. Those that listened on radio thought Nixon won the debate. Why did they think Kennedy won the debate over Nixon? Because he looked better. And we notice when people look better, don't say you don't because you do.
Even babies are judging us. Studies have been done that have revealed that babies. As young as one day old, are drawn to a more attractive face.
So if you want to know if you're attractive or not Go to a baby. Hi. If they look at you and smile. Good. If they turn away, poor little babies, you know, they're stuck in a high chair.
People come oh, hello, hello, hello and the baby's like Uh Don't want to look at your unattractive face any longer. God looks on the heart. And that's what the Lord was saying to the prophet, hey. I'm looking on the heart. And my choice is not in this line of young men, this magnificent seven standing here.
These are not the ones, and so. Samuel says to Jesse, Do you have any other sense? Yeah, I got one more. He's out on the field. He's kind of weird.
He's a musician. Probably writing a new song. There's a poet. Weird kid. Yeah, bring him in here right now.
So they bring in young David. And God says, That's the one. This young boy was the one God. had chosen. to be The next king of Israel.
And what did David do for a living? He was a shepherd. Number two, God is our shepherd and we are his sheep. We are his sheep, and that is not a compliment. Sheep are really one of the dumbest animals.
On the face of the earth. He could have said a lot of things. He could have said, We're his dolphins. Dolphins are very intelligent. Uh were his uh dogs even?
Even cats. Do better than sheep. We have a cat in our neighborhood. I love this cat. I know you think I hate cats.
I actually like some cats. And I like this cat. And he's old and he's wise and he has no fear. And I saw him the other day, he's just walking across the street like he's a lion. He acts like he's a lion.
He is walking across the street. And some person's walking a dog, and the dog starts lunging at this cat, and the person's holding the bag with a leash, and the cat just looks at him like, hey. You're looking at me. You want some of this? You know, forget about it.
I mean, I don't know why I made him Italian all of a sudden, but. Or a New Yorker. But but I just love the attitude of this cat. You know, cats have skills. They can jump so high, they can fall up the greatest heights and survive.
You've heard the expression: the cat has nine lives. They've got their claws, they've got their teeth. Sheep have nothing. They can't run, they can't claw, they can't bite. They're like leg of lamb for the taking.
Now might as well just walk around with mint jelly. Here I am. Make a sweater out of my fur and then have me for lunch. It'll all be good. They are completely dependent upon The shepherd.
They can't run fast. They put themselves in trouble. And then they go astray all the time. This is why the Bible says: all we like sheep have gone astray. We've turned everyone to his own way.
Read an article. About what happened in Turkey in 2005. One sheep walked off a cliff.
Okay, that's crazy. Just walk off the cliff. and fifteen hundred other sheep follow. That's how stupid they are. One sheep walks off, the other's like, okay, form a single line.
We're going off the cliff today. Everybody, come on. It's not that bad. Let's go. And they would have all been dead, but the fact of the matter is.
Only 450 sheep died because the ones that hit the ground first were like a cushion to absorb the others. Crazy. We say oh sheep are so stupid. Oh, and we're not. We're not influenced by peer pressure.
Look at the things that people will do. Look at these crazy TikTok challenges. I looked this up. I thought, well, what are these TikTok challenges? I've heard about a few of them.
These are real. I'm not making this up. These some of these things have gone viral.
So basically, someone does it, they film it, and challenge others to do it as well. One of them was called. The NyQuil Sleep Chicken Challenge.
So you took chicken. And you basted it in NyQuil. NyQuil is a cold medication. And you ate it. That's a challenge.
Brilliant. Then there was a corn cob challenge.
Someone took a corncob, attached it to a spinning drill bit. Fired it up, tried to eat it. One guy broke his tooth doing it. Yet stranger. The cereal challenge, you lay on the ground, and someone pours cereal in your mouth, then they pour milk in your mouth.
That makes a lot of sense. This one is crazy, the skull breaker challenge. You go up behind a person, knock their feet out from under them. With the hope that their head will hit the concrete and you film it. That's the challenge.
Then there's a blackout challenge. You choke yourself and film it. This is stupid behavior, people. We're just like sheep. Oh, but they're doing it.
I want to get more likes on my post when I'm doing it. You know, it's just crazy. And so sometimes the shepherd. has to save the sheep from themself. Because they're so wayward, they're so foolish.
and he has to be there watching over them. The Lord is our shepherd. Number three. Our shepherd is our provider. Our shepherd is our provider.
Verse 1: The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. Not only are our sheep defenseless, they're also helpless.
They're completely dependent on the shepherd for provision. And you are too.
Well, Greg, I don't know. Yeah. I mean, yes, but also I built an amazing career. through my hard work, my brilliant investments. my shrewd decisions and my deep humility.
I've become the success that I am. And there's no question that many people go out. often entrepreneurial folks and They accomplish great things and make a lot of money. But just remember, God gave you the ability to do that. We're told over in Deuteronomy 8:18, remember the Lord your God, it is He who gives you the power to get wealth.
Because the bottom line is, that beat of your heart right now, that's a gift to you from God. Not a gift from you to you. You can try to be the healthiest person you can potentially be and take care of yourself and eat right, but still, the beat of your heart, that's a gift from God. The thought in your head, that's a gift from God. Everything that you have has been given to you by Him, the breath you just drew in your lungs.
I read an interesting quote, a sad quote, really. From Steve Jobs when he was on his deathbed. and he made this statement, and I quote At this moment, lying on the bed, sick and remembering all of my life, I realize that all of my recognition and wealth that I have is meaningless in the face of imminent death. One can find material things, but there's one thing that cannot be found when it is lost. It's lie.
End quote.
So, when you're laying on your deathbed and you realize you don't have much longer to live, you realize what a precious gift life is. That's why you don't want to waste your life. And squander your life that God has given to you. Jesus said, What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? But listen to this.
When the Lord is your shepherd, you will not want. You'll find contentment. Paul wrote in Philippians 4:I've learned how to be content with whatever I have, I know how to live on almost nothing. Or with everything. But I've learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it's with a full stomach or an empty one, with plenty or little, the secret of contentment.
What is the secret of contentment? It's not what you have, it's who you know. It's not what you have, it's who you know. Over in Hebrews 13:5, Paul writes, or the author of Hebrews writes, rather. Keep your life free from the love of money and be content with what you have.
For He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you. Do you have Jesus? And you have more than enough.
Now, maybe you'd like a little more money or a little more of this or a little more of that, but the contentment comes from your relationship with God.
So you can say, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Yeah. The secret of contentment is not what you have, it's who you know. Pastor Greg Laurie with some important biblical insight from Psalm twenty three to day here on a new beginning. And there's more good counsel yet to come from this message.
And then, Pastor Greg, I know you had a further word you wanted to share.
So, as you've been listening today, maybe you've thought to yourself, man, I wish I had this relationship with God that is being talked about.
Well, you can't. He's only a prayer away. You see, becoming a Christian, it doesn't take years, it doesn't take months, it doesn't take weeks, it doesn't even take hours, it can happen in a moment. The Bible describes it as turning from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. But before that happens, the Bible says you need to have your eyes open.
And here's the amazing thing. It's just like in a flash, a light goes on, and you say, This is all true. That's how it happened for me. I just heard the gospel, and all of a sudden, I realized this is all true. And maybe you've realized that as well.
Let me ask you. Would you like Jesus Christ to come into your life? Would you like Him to forgive you of your sin? Would you like this relationship with God we've been talking about today? If so, why don't you just pray a simple prayer with me?
You could pray it out loud if you like, but Say this to God, Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner. But I know that you're the Saviour who died on the cross for my sin, and rose again from the dead. Jesus, I turn from my sin. And I choose to follow you from this moment forward as my Saviour and Lord, as my God and Friend. Thank you for hearing this prayer.
And I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Hey, did you just pray that prayer? If so, I want to send you at no charge. what we call a New Believer's Bible.
Here's Dave to tell you more, and let me just say Congratulations. You've made the right decision. Yeah, yeah, that's right. And to help you begin to live this new life, this life where you're at peace with God and can begin to enjoy the peace of God, let us send you Pastor Gregg's New Believer's Bible. It's the perfect resource for someone who's new to the faith.
We'll send it free of charge if you'll just contact us and request it. Call us at 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300. Or write a new beginning box 4000, Riverside, California, 92514. Or go online to harvest.org and click Know God.
Yeah. And then let us take a moment to thank you for praying for this ministry and for supporting it through your generous donation. It's an investment in kingdom business. Isn't that right, Pastor Gregg? Yeah, it's really true, Dave.
And I believe it's so important because, you know, the gospel saves lives. It saves eternal lives. Because when a person believes in Jesus, according to Scripture, they pass from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to the power of God. And then, of course, that changes the course of the future. That impacts their children and their children's children.
The gospel changes everything. And thousands and thousands of people respond every single year. Thanks to the Lord. Also, thanks to you for your investment in this ministry, enabling us to reach people. Wherever they are.
So if this is something you care about, I encourage you to make a financial investment. And a new beginning in Harvest Ministries. Yeah, that's right, and we really do appreciate your support. Thanks for partnering with us today. It can make a real difference, not just for today or this week, but for eternity.
So get in touch with your support today by calling 1-800-821-3300. That's a 24-7 phone number, 1-800-821-3300. Or write A New Beginning Box 4000, Riverside, California, 92514, or go online to harvest.org.
Well, next time, Pastor Greg offers more insight from this crown jewel of the book of Psalms. Join us here on A New Beginning with Pastor and Bible teacher Craig Laurie. This is the day, the day when life begins.
