Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today.
We lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. That's all we're going to deal with today.
So much we can continue to deal with, but I want us to kind of, as you would call in English terms, I want to dissect this sentence. And I want us to look at some things and really consider some things about my shepherd this morning. By the way, I hope you know that he is your shepherd. I could spend all morning telling you how great a shepherd Jesus is, but if he's not your shepherd, it doesn't do you any good. And you need to make sure that this wonderful, good shepherd is your shepherd. It's personal. David didn't say the Lord is a shepherd. He said the Lord is my shepherd.
It's personal. Do you know Jesus as your personal savior today? Let's pray. Lord, we love you. Thank you for all you've done. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Every once in a while I pray short just to see who I'm going to catch trying to leave.
Nobody left today, so I didn't catch anybody. I want to look at this word shepherd in Psalm 23. And I don't know if maybe you have known this or come across this, but obviously the Old Testament is written in what we call Hebrew and the New Testament is written in Greek. So I wanted to look at this word for shepherd.
What does this really mean? Now we know what a shepherd is and what a shepherd does, but I have found in the Bible when you begin to dig, you always find some things that God uses in your life. And so I wanted to look at this term shepherd. And in these couple following verses that we have read, it kind of describes some things that the shepherd does, but in a very different way to me once I began to dig in a little bit.
And so I want us to look at this today. This word shepherd, this will be on the screen for you just in case, so you can try to get all the facts, is a Hebrew word called ra'ah. It's R-A apostrophe A-H and ra'ah.
Now Hebrew has no vowels and so words are a bit different and we certainly understand that. But notice this ra'ah. Now what does ra'ah mean, this word for shepherd? So when Davis says the Lord is my shepherd, he said the Lord is my ra'ah, which means shepherd, but I want you to see what it means. It means to tend to flock. It means to pasture it. That means not just to watch the sheep and take care of the sheep, but to make sure they get somewhere where that they can feed. It means to graze generally or to rule. It means to associate with as a friend.
What? So that means that the shepherd doesn't just watch them and feed them. He's a friend.
Interesting. It means this. It means to break. It means a companion. It means to keep company with. It means to feed. It means to make a friendship with. It literally means pastor. It literally means a shearing house or a shearing process, which is part of what a shepherd does. It means to wander. It means different things. You see, when David said the Lord is my shepherd, yes, it means shepherd, but it means so much more than just shepherd.
David is saying here, folks, if you can get this, the Lord is my everything. You might as well give up looking at people in your life, a husband, a wife, a mom, a dad. You might as well stop looking at people in your life expecting them to fill a need in your life.
You're looking for a life full of disappointment. We put unfair expectations on people. We think they need to meet all these needs, emotional needs in our life and all that. Then when we don't, we are disappointed. We get mad at them. We make them feel worthless. We go on to another person. Then we're disappointed. We do it with friendships.
We do it with all these things. David said the Lord is my everything. That's who God is to you, by the way. He's your everything.
I want to look a little bit closer. This word raah, I want to see how it's used in the Bible. This same word that David said, the Lord is this, my shepherd. I want to see how that word is used to describe some of the different things that the shepherd does. I just want to show you quickly in these verses a bit up on the screen. One is this in Micah chapter 7 verse 14. He says raah or feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage which dwells solitarily in the wood in the midst of caramel.
Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old. So here David said my shepherd, he feeds me. Do you know God feeds you? Do you know you're here today and you haven't died yet? Because you have eaten in your lifetime. If you are born and you don't eat, you die eventually. I would last a while, but eventually I would waste away. How do I feel right now?
I feel like I'm wasting away right now. I need nourishment. David said God you feed me.
I want you to know you and I take it lightly sometimes. The fact that we have any food to eat, whether you go get it at a restaurant, you have it in the cupboard, you have it in the oven, you have it on the table, God gave that to you. Genesis chapter 48 verse 15. Look at this verse. And he blessed Joseph and said God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day. The God which rah-ah fed me all my life.
Wow. Look at this verse. Jeremiah 17, 15. Behold they say unto me where is the word of the Lord?
Let it come now as for me. I have not hastened from being a rah-ah, a pastor to follow thee. David said that God feeds me and God is my pastor. Do you know dear friend when you get in God's word and what do we usually look for a pastor to do? Well we look at him to visit us or whatever the case but we want to learn God's word.
We want to have God's word explained to us, taught to us and that's what we consider a pastor preaches as kind of one of his main duties in a sense that he's got to share God's word. Do you know that when you got saved the Holy Spirit moved inside of your life? And when you get in God's word the Holy Spirit is your pastor. If you'll stay faithful to reading the Holy Spirit will allow you to understand certain things in God's word that you used to not be able to understand. David said God's my pastor.
Let's look at this. 2 Kings 10, 11. So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab and Jezreel and all his great men and his kinfolk and his priests until he left him none remaining and he arose and departed and came to Samaria and as he was at the shearing house in the way, the rah-ah in the way. The shearing house. What is a shearing house? A shearing house is obviously where we take sheep and they will shear off that wool.
What is that shearing process? That shearing process is taking what is valuable on that sheep and using it. Do you know sometimes God has to shear us? Do you know sometimes there's things in our life that God wants to use but until he breaks us down, until he puts us through that shearing process it's never going to be usable. I mean God didn't save us to sit here and just for our wool to keep growing.
Just so we can comb our fingers through it. He wants to use us. David said God does that to me. Oh God had to shear David a few times.
Maybe today you're in the shearing process. Like God I don't really understand what's going on right now. God is making you usable. Notice this in Jeremiah 2.15. Don't get bored yet.
I'm almost done but I want you to just see some of these uses. This same word for shepherd. The young lions roared upon him and yelled and they made his land waste. His cities are burned without inhabitants. Also the children of Naph and Taliphanes have raha the crown of thy head. Have broken the crown of thy head. David said God you're the one that breaks me. Have you ever been broken by God?
Now I would love to just like maybe some that you'll find if you can you know give you all the positive. Get up here and just say oh God just he just loves you. Life is rosy and God does love you and all those things. But listen to me dear friend. The truth is from God's word. God has to break us to use us. David said God you are my breaker as we preached a few months ago. I want you to notice this if you don't mind in Proverbs 13 20. He that walketh with wise men shall be wise but a companion.
A raha. So this word companion. David says God you are not just my shepherd who is literally the one above looking down at the sheep. You're my companion that's why David said in Psalm 23. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death thou art with me. Our shepherd is our companion. He goes through the valleys with us. He's our raha our shepherd.
Maybe I'm the only one really excited about that. Judges chapter 14 verse 20. But Samson's wife was given to his companion whom he had used as his raha. His friend. David said the Lord is my friend. Do you know he's your friend? He's not just your God he's not just your father he's your friend. He's your companion.
That was very encouraging to me. First Samuel 17 34 and David said unto Saul thy servant kept raha his father's sheep. That means David's saying the Lord's my shepherd he keeps me. I wouldn't exist without him. I wouldn't have what I need without him. To keep sheep means you provide what they need. And dear friend I'm here to tell you today the Lord is the one that provides what you need.
He keeps you. Numbers 14 33 and your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years shall raha. David said God you always bring me back when I've wandered away. You've kept me when I wandered.
Are you starting to see where we're going here? So David said the Lord is my raha my shepherd and he does all these things. So that brings us to verse two.
Isn't this interesting look at verse two. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures so as my shepherd my friend my companion. The one that breaks me the one that molds me the one that keeps me.
The one that meets my needs the one that protects me. David said you make me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. Now I want you to look at these three separate phrases.
And it's amazing as I talk to you today and we're almost done. I want you to get the sense of what David is saying here about the Lord. Notice number one David says this my shepherd is aware of my physical needs. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. This word down means to crouch to be on all fours.
To make oneself low. By the way you know what this word green means? He maketh me to lie down in green it means tender grass.
You say preacher why is this important at all? Well let me tell you what it means to make me lie down in green pastures. Number one it means that he provides rest.
He makes me lie down. God sometimes does things in our life to put us in a place where we can't hurry. We can't scurry. We can't just run off and do something else.
We have to stop. Can I have an amen right there? Rest. You know sometimes you and I do rest. Sometimes we need rest from doing good. Sometimes we need to rest from doing what's right.
David said God you're the one that takes care of everything. You are aware of my physical needs. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. Number one it means rest. Number two it means to refuel.
It means to refuel. See this word green you know what it means. Number one it means that there's herbs in the grass.
I found out once I dug. It means that this is talking about quality grass. It's got nourishment. It's got vitamins. This isn't dead grass. This is green grass. And it's green because it has nutrients inside of it. So David said God you know when I need rest and you know when I need to refuel. Do you ever get to the point that you need to refuel? And I'm not talking about gas.
Well you know how expensive that is. Don't get it started. Green means that there's herbs in the grass. It means it's quality grass. But get this.
Green also means that it's thick. There's plenty of it. David said God you know when I need to rest and God you know when I need to refuel. And you put me right where I can get all that I need. By the way you say well preacher I just can't seem to find time to you know get refueled.
Well who's fault's that? Has God gone anywhere? Is it that God's too busy and God just says hey I don't have time to spend with you today. I'm kind of busy. I'm taking care of billions of Christians.
No no no no. The only reason you and I don't have time for God is because we don't have time for God. God's prepared green pastures for us to eat as long as we need. Get as much as we want to refuel with him. Notice the third thing it means to renew.
It means to renew. It means that for me to know I'm doing right and you know what it's just a struggle sometimes being a Christian and living life and paying bills and having responsibilities and all these things and God knows that and God's aware of that and David didn't he just says literally about he says the Lord's my shepherd. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures and sometimes that's what God has to do. He has to make us.
You and I continue to try to do it alone and it's not going to work. David says you renew me. You make me lay down, get rest. You make me get nourishment and you let me renew. Notice this fourth thing it means to remember.
This was my favorite thing. Now I know you don't understand this but do you know why this picture is given here where David says he maketh me to lie down in green pastures? Why does a sheep lay down in green pastures?
Now I didn't know this. I had to dig. I realized that sheep eat standing up. So God brings them there and there's green grass and there's plenty of it and he brings you there so you can take the time to refuel and renew and get some rest. But why are these sheep laying down? The sheep laying down is a sign I have eaten all I can handle.
I'm just going to lay down and enjoy all of what I've taken in. Do you know why God makes us lie down in green pastures? Because every day you and I ought to remember what God's done for us.
You and I ought to realize you know what? I don't need to go through life wanting everything that I don't have. God's been good to me to give me what I do have.
It means the sheep's content. It means he's had enough. I got what I need. I don't want anymore. In fact I'm worn out with all the blessing.
I'm just going to lay down. My wife used to make fun of me. My mother-in-law is a very good cook. And my wife is a very sweet lady. Happy anniversary to me. I know. I'm sorry. My wife's a very good cook too.
When we dated I would sometimes go over to their house and my mother-in-law would cook a big meal or something like that. And I know this is hard to believe. But sometimes I eat a little bit too much.
And there have been times. And my wife has laughed at me about it. That I eat so much or that you just eat too much of something or whatever and you get one of these Thanksgiving type meals or one of these whatever meals. There's only one thing I can do. I go to the living room and I do what? I lay down on the floor.
I just kind of lay there and I rehearse that whole experience. I am so full that I just want to lay down. That's what David's saying here. God, you're aware of my physical needs. God, you've given me so many blessings that I just got to lay down and take it all in. I'm not worn out because I'm serving you. David said I'm worn out because you've been so good to me. I'm not laying down because I'm just so worn out because I got to have you as a shepherd. He said I'm laying down because I've been given so much because you're my shepherd. My shepherd's aware of my physical needs.
I love what one commentator I just wanted to see. I was kind of on the right track here with this and I was reading one and he said this. I want to read this phrase.
He says this is a picture. It is not merely a flock enjoying rest. It is a flock whose wants and desires have been supplied and they are laying down in the midst of their abundance.
They are laying down and there's still plenty of green grass to go around. Is that not God? Is that not how good God's been to us?
Number two. David says my shepherd is aware of my emotional needs. Not just my physical needs. He makes me to lie down in green pastures but David remember you and I are a trinity. We were created in the image of God. God's a trinity. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. You and I are a trinity where there's the physical, there's the emotional and there's the spiritual. There is the body, the soul and the spirit. We all understand that. Or if I can put it in your terms there's the body, the mind and the spirit. We're a trinity. That's how we're put together.
And just a quick commercial. That's why so many times husbands and wives they feel like they're working so hard and we don't understand why we don't feel to be close. Because they think physically if they get close physically it means they're close. No that's just one of the three. Then they think well maybe if we find some common interest together then we can be close.
No that's just one of the three. In order to be close we've got to be close physically, emotionally and spiritually. And when there's not that joint commitment to Christ there'll never be closeness.
That's why usually a couple goes to trials. And when they draw closer to God despite the fact they've been through so many hard things they're now closer. I've seen couples that were closer when physical ailment meant that they couldn't even be intimate with each other. But they were now closer.
Why? Because of the spiritual connection. David here says God you're aware of my physical needs. You make me to get rest and you make me refuel and you make me renew and you make me remember. But number two he says God my shepherd is aware of my emotional needs.
He leadeth me beside the still waters. This word still means to repose or peaceful. It means consolation. It means comfortable. It means quiet.
It means still. David said number one God you're aware of my physical needs. Number two my shepherd is aware of my emotional needs. He leads me beside still waters.
You say preacher what does that mean? Well number one it means it's a calm place. Still David said God you provided a place for me to get peace. A place where there's quiet. A place where there's retreat.
A calm place. Dear friend I don't know about you but there's enough chaos in this world and there's enough confusion everywhere you look. And you can turn on Fox or the news or whatever the case might be and you see nothing but fighting and turmoil. And you turn on the local news and you find murder and robbery and rape and all these things.
I don't know about you there's enough of that out there. I need a calm place. You go looking for the things of this world that's exactly what you're going to find is the things of this world. But David said my shepherd leads me beside calm places. That's why you and I can be calm in the midst of a confused world.
That's why you and I don't have to be up and down with everything that happens in the news. We can have peace. Do you know what this world is really looking for folks? They're looking for peace.
And they can't find it. A calm place second it's a comfortable place. A comfortable place.
Why do you say that preacher? Well do you know why he led them beside still waters? We've talked about this but he's talking about quiet or gentle waters here.
Running in a small area. And I didn't realize this but if you bring sheep beside water that's a little bit rapid the sound of the water and the movement of the water frightens sheep. Even though they're thirsty and even though there's water sheep will not go near it because the sound scares them. Also if sheep get into water that's moving too quickly because of their wool and because it's heavy water gets into it and it begins to soak in the water.
And if they're not careful while they're drinking water will tip them over and carry them down the river. So David a shepherd by the way said my shepherd leaves me beside still waters. A calm place. A comfortable place.
Notice this. A consoling place. Do you know what the Bible says that the Holy Spirit he always refers to this Holy Spirit as water. Do you know who consoles us? The Holy Spirit is the great comforter. That means you and I because we're saved and the Holy Spirit lives inside of us we have still waters inside. That means in the midst of chaos we can have consolation that the Bible says through the Spirit. The consolation of the Spirit.
That means when my loved one dies and people don't know how you handle it. The Holy Spirit consoles me. My shepherd leaves me beside still waters.
I love it. Number four it's a contented place. David said in verse one I shall not want. Because he leads me beside still waters. Everywhere you look in this world it's going to be raging waters. But when you spend time with God he leads you beside still waters. Look at this verse. Psalm 46 verse 4.
There is a river. The streams whereof shall make glad the city of God. The holy place of the tabernacles of the most high. What are we talking about in Psalm 46?
Are you listening? The love of God. This is how David describes the love of God.
There is a river. The streams whereof shall make glad the city of God. David said the Lord my raah is aware of my physical needs. He's aware of my emotional needs.
Notice this last. You know it. He's aware of my spiritual needs. He restoreth my what? He's aware of my physical needs. My body needs rest. My body needs refueled. He's aware of my literally mental needs. My emotional needs. And I need a calm place. I need a quiet place.
I need a consoling place. David says my shepherd does that for me. But now he needs help with his soul. David said let me tell you, I've got a shepherd that's aware of my physical needs. He's aware of my emotional needs.
But he's aware of my spiritual needs. He brings back, that's what the word restore means. He brings my soul back. When I'm spiritually wandering off and when I'm spiritually dead and when I'm spiritually dry, David says, my shepherd, my raah, he brings me back. He restores my soul. Now listen to me. I'm gonna let you go.
Thank you for being patient this morning. I want you to think about this restoration. He restores my soul. Do you need some restoration? Does your soul need restored a little bit? You know that's why I'm excited about revival. Because my soul needs restored.
I need spiritual restoration. Yes, I'm physically tired. Many of you are too. Yes, I'm emotionally drained.
Some of you are too. But I have a shepherd that is aware of my soul. And we have revival so that we concentrate on that. You can go on vacation for the physical.
You can go talk to somebody for the emotional if you need to. But we're having revival. This is for the spiritual. Thank you for listening today. We hope you received a blessing from our broadcast. The Kirtland Baptist Church is located at 4520 Old Hollow Road in Kernersville, North Carolina. You may also contact us by phone at 336-993-5192 or via the web at kirtlandbaptistchurch.com. Enjoy our services live and all our media on our website and church app. Thank you for listening to the Kerwin broadcast today. God bless you.
Whisper: medium.en / 2023-05-11 15:06:22 / 2023-05-11 15:17:16 / 11