1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:07,000 You’re listening to a sermon from pastor Colin Smith of Open the Bible. 2 00:00:07,100 –> 00:00:14,100 To contact us call us at 1-877-OPEN-365 or visit our website OpenTheBible.org Let’s get 3 00:00:17,459 –> 00:00:23,680 the message. Here is Pastor Colin Please open your Bible at Psalm 23. We’re 4 00:00:23,680 –> 00:00:29,959 looking at this best known and best loved of all the psalms in order to find strength 5 00:00:29,959 –> 00:00:35,279 and encouragement for these difficult and dangerous days in which we’re living. 6 00:00:35,279 –> 00:00:40,820 If you were here last week you will recall that we began by seeing that this is a psalm 7 00:00:40,820 –> 00:00:47,820 first about the Lord. The Lord is my shepherd. Every line of this psalm is about who he is 8 00:00:48,540 –> 00:00:54,540 and what he does for his people. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me 9 00:00:54,540 –> 00:01:01,380 beside still waters, he leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 10 00:01:01,380 –> 00:01:06,519 But then we also saw that very wonderfully this is a psalm about us. It’s about God 11 00:01:06,519 –> 00:01:13,519 in his relationship with us. The Lord is my shepherd. Every line of this psalm is about 12 00:01:13,839 –> 00:01:20,839 us and what is ours in and through our Lord. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he 13 00:01:20,839 –> 00:01:27,839 leads me besides still waters, he leads me in paths of righteousness for his own name’s 14 00:01:28,139 –> 00:01:31,559 sake. And we saw last time that the very first 15 00:01:31,559 –> 00:01:36,360 and most important thing about the relationship between the shepherd and the sheep is that 16 00:01:36,360 –> 00:01:43,360 the shepherd owns the flock. So when I say, the Lord is my shepherd, it also means that 17 00:01:43,559 –> 00:01:50,559 I am his. And we saw last time that a shepherd takes ownership of sheep in one of two ways. 18 00:01:58,959 –> 00:02:05,959 Either sheep are bought into the flock or they are born into the flock, and we saw that 19 00:02:06,040 –> 00:02:12,199 with regards to our relationship with our shepherd, that both of these things are true. 20 00:02:12,220 –> 00:02:18,100 You were bought with a price. The Lord Jesus ransomed you, purchased you by the shedding 21 00:02:18,100 –> 00:02:24,940 of His own blood. And you have been born into the flock of God – born again by the Spirit 22 00:02:24,940 –> 00:02:31,940 of God through the living and enduring Word of God. So being the flock of God, we are 23 00:02:32,520 –> 00:02:39,520 wholly owned by the shepherd. And the question that is then answered by this very wonderful 24 00:02:40,259 –> 00:02:47,259 psalm is very simply this – what will the shepherd do for the flock that he owns? And 25 00:02:48,160 –> 00:02:52,460 the psalm gives five marvelous answers to that question. We’re going to look at the 26 00:02:52,460 –> 00:02:58,460 first today. That he will lead you, because you are in his flock, because you are his 27 00:02:58,460 –> 00:03:05,139 sheep, he will lead you. Then we will see that he will restore you, he will guard you, 28 00:03:05,199 –> 00:03:09,679 he will feed you, and he will love you forever and forever. 29 00:03:09,679 –> 00:03:16,679 Now today, then, the first of these – the shepherd will lead you. You’re his. Born, 30 00:03:17,899 –> 00:03:23,000 bought, into the flock of God, and here’s what that means. You can absolutely count 31 00:03:23,000 –> 00:03:28,580 on this, that your shepherd, the Lord, will always lead you. Notice that David states 32 00:03:28,580 –> 00:03:35,580 it twice. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters, he restores 33 00:03:36,160 –> 00:03:43,160 my soul, he leads me in paths of righteousness for his own name’s sake. 34 00:03:43,699 –> 00:03:50,339 Now, do you see, then, that the first blessing – this first wonderful truth – that belongs 35 00:03:50,339 –> 00:03:57,339 to all those who were wholly owned by the Son of God, is that he leads you. And David 36 00:03:58,779 –> 00:04:05,779 states this as a fact, a given. There’s not something that you have to do in order to 37 00:04:08,399 –> 00:04:15,399 make this happen. If you are in the flock of God, this is true of you, this is what 38 00:04:16,000 –> 00:04:22,480 he does for you, he leads you. And what that means very wonderfully, brothers and sisters, 39 00:04:22,480 –> 00:04:27,299 is that whatever is happening in your life and whatever is going on in the world is not 40 00:04:27,299 –> 00:04:34,299 a matter of random chance. We’re not stumbling through life moving from one thing to another. 41 00:04:35,100 –> 00:04:41,299 We’re surprised by what comes, but we are actually being led by a shepherd and the shepherd 42 00:04:41,299 –> 00:04:47,140 is taking us on a journey that will lead us to his own home where we will be with him 43 00:04:47,140 –> 00:04:54,140 forever. And he knows the way that he is going and he leads you on the right path. 44 00:04:54,179 –> 00:05:00,519 Now I want us to look at two things today. The first is where he leads us? And there 45 00:05:00,519 –> 00:05:05,660 are two specific statements about that here in this psalm and then very wonderfully why 46 00:05:05,660 –> 00:05:12,660 he leads us which is explained to us here. First then, where does he lead us? And the 47 00:05:13,339 –> 00:05:20,339 first thing we are told is that the good shepherd leads us into rest. He makes me lie down in 48 00:05:21,160 –> 00:05:28,160 green pastures. He leads me where? Beside still waters. 49 00:05:29,959 –> 00:05:36,959 And these are two very, very beautiful descriptions of rest. Green pastures, of course, are places 50 00:05:37,420 –> 00:05:43,059 where the sheep can graze. Notice that the emphasis here in this verse is not on grazing 51 00:05:43,059 –> 00:05:49,760 but on resting. He makes me lie down in green pastures. Not feeding there but lying down 52 00:05:49,760 –> 00:05:56,640 in green pastures is the point here. He leads me besides still waters. Sheep, of course, 53 00:05:56,640 –> 00:06:02,540 are scared of moving water. When sheep falls into moving water, its fleece will be like 54 00:06:02,540 –> 00:06:08,559 a sponge and soak up so much water that the weight of it will cause it to drown. And, 55 00:06:08,559 –> 00:06:15,040 therefore, good shepherds will dam up a river in order to have quiet pools where the sheep 56 00:06:15,119 –> 00:06:22,119 can drink without the danger of falling into a river. So here are two beautiful descriptions 57 00:06:22,640 –> 00:06:29,640 of rest. There’s a meadow with lush green grass. There are pools of water that provide 58 00:06:31,660 –> 00:06:38,040 a drink at the side. Now, let me just make one or two observations 59 00:06:38,880 –> 00:06:45,880 on rest. And the first is this, that rest does not come easily or naturally to sheep. 60 00:06:50,440 –> 00:06:56,160 By the way, this is so practical today. I wouldn’t ask for a show of hands, but if I 61 00:06:56,160 –> 00:07:01,220 was to ask for a show of hands as to how many of us are just feeling tired and jaded right 62 00:07:01,579 –> 00:07:09,779 think we’d get a pretty good representation. And what we’re being told here is that your 63 00:07:09,779 –> 00:07:20,660 Good Shepherd leads you into what you don’t easily find, rest. Notice, he makes me lie 64 00:07:20,660 –> 00:07:26,260 down. I don’t find it easy to lie down by myself. I don’t find it easy to rest. That’s 65 00:07:26,260 –> 00:07:31,799 what David is saying. Now, think about the analogy that is so wonderful 66 00:07:31,799 –> 00:07:40,299 all the way through this psalm. Why is it difficult for sheep to rest? Well, the answer 67 00:07:40,299 –> 00:07:48,820 to that is that sheep are timid creatures who have very limited means of defending themselves. 68 00:07:48,820 –> 00:07:59,059 I mean if you think about this, a bull can charge, a snake can bite, a skunk can – well, 69 00:07:59,059 –> 00:08:04,179 let’s not go there, shall we? It can spray. It can do its thing, right? It’s got a means 70 00:08:04,179 –> 00:08:10,959 of defending itself. What can a sheep do to defend itself? The only thing a sheep can 71 00:08:10,959 –> 00:08:15,200 do to defend itself is run. Frankly, they’re not very good at that either. You compare 72 00:08:15,220 –> 00:08:21,279 them to deer, they’re pretty slow. Compare them to the wolf, they’re pretty slow. So 73 00:08:21,279 –> 00:08:26,059 if the only means that you have of defending yourself is to be able to run away when a 74 00:08:26,059 –> 00:08:31,160 dog comes, or whatever, then what is your experience of life going to be? You’re going 75 00:08:31,160 –> 00:08:36,059 to be standing on your feet all the time. You’re always going to be on edge because 76 00:08:36,059 –> 00:08:42,340 you know your own vulnerability. You’re always going to be in this position of anxiety, and 77 00:08:42,520 –> 00:08:47,640 therefore find it hard to rest. How can you lie down if your only means of defense is 78 00:08:47,640 –> 00:08:54,640 to run? And maybe that is actually a very powerful picture of where you are today. You 79 00:08:55,239 –> 00:09:01,919 don’t find it easy to rest, don’t find it easy to sleep. Why? Because there is a problem 80 00:09:01,919 –> 00:09:08,919 you need to solve. There is a challenge you need to face. There are fears that are constantly 81 00:09:09,159 –> 00:09:16,159 assailing you, and your mind won’t rest. How am I going to get through this? And so 82 00:09:16,380 –> 00:09:20,659 you lie awake at night, and you’re going over all that has happened and all that might 83 00:09:20,659 –> 00:09:27,000 happen, all that could happen. You need rest, but you don’t know how to find it. 84 00:09:27,000 –> 00:09:32,179 And of course, David has been there. He knows what this is like. In other Psalms he describes 85 00:09:32,679 –> 00:09:39,679 it very vividly. Rest did not come to him easily or naturally. If you think about that, 86 00:09:41,919 –> 00:09:47,400 it’s hardly surprising all those years he spent on the run from King Saul, who was pursuing 87 00:09:47,400 –> 00:09:54,400 him for his life. Years of worry over a divided nation and over a dysfunctional family. The 88 00:09:54,940 –> 00:10:01,940 sheer weight of responsibility that is on this man’s shoulders as the King of God’s 89 00:10:03,039 –> 00:10:07,599 people, the weight of that responsibility. How’s he ever going to rest? And here’s his 90 00:10:07,640 –> 00:10:14,640 answer, the Lord makes me lie down. Now how does the shepherd make the sheep 91 00:10:17,700 –> 00:10:22,419 lie down? Does he come with a stick and beat them? No, no, no, how does the shepherd make 92 00:10:22,719 –> 00:10:29,719 the sheep lie down? By his own presence. Sheep rest when they can see their shepherd. They’ll 93 00:10:34,299 –> 00:10:40,460 only lie down when they feel safe, and the time that they feel safe is when they can 94 00:10:40,460 –> 00:10:47,460 see their shepherd. Try and put yourself in the position of the sheep. You know that you’re 95 00:10:47,960 –> 00:10:54,960 vulnerable. Your only defence is to run, so you stay on your feet, just in case any danger 96 00:10:55,840 –> 00:11:02,840 comes. But when you can see your shepherd right there in the field, when you can see 97 00:11:04,440 –> 00:11:11,440 your shepherd, then you will be able to lie down and rest because if the wolf comes, you 98 00:11:11,599 –> 00:11:16,419 know that the shepherd is there, and the shepherd will deal with the wolf on your behalf. That 99 00:11:16,479 –> 00:11:21,200 is therefore why you can rest. He makes me lie down. 100 00:11:21,200 –> 00:11:26,140 If the shepherd were to leave the field, you would be back on your feet again, watching 101 00:11:26,140 –> 00:11:31,359 out for danger, ready to run, but as long as you can see your shepherd, you will be 102 00:11:31,359 –> 00:11:38,359 able to rest. And David says, this is what my shepherd does for me. He makes me lie down. 103 00:11:38,840 –> 00:11:43,320 And he explains it more directly in verse 4 which we’ll come to later in the series 104 00:11:43,580 –> 00:11:47,679 because even though he says, I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, even there 105 00:11:47,679 –> 00:11:54,679 you are with me, if the worst happens, if I go through the valley of the shadow of death, 106 00:11:55,460 –> 00:12:00,580 even there I have nothing to fear because still my shepherd will be with me, and when 107 00:12:00,580 –> 00:12:07,580 I know that he is with me, I can rest. Rest doesn’t come easily or naturally to sheep. 108 00:12:07,580 –> 00:12:14,580 They rest when they can see their shepherd. Therefore, here’s the application to us, the 109 00:12:16,239 –> 00:12:23,239 way to find rest is to keep the shepherd in view. Notice then this very important fact 110 00:12:24,719 –> 00:12:31,719 that the shepherd does not bring rest to the sheep by ridding the world of danger. It’s 111 00:12:32,340 –> 00:12:37,440 not that the shepherd says, Hey, you can rest because this is a wolf free zone. It’s not 112 00:12:38,380 –> 00:12:45,380 wolf free zone. The dangers are out there. The sheep lie down not because the world is 113 00:12:45,820 –> 00:12:51,340 free from danger but because they have the shepherd in view and it is his presence that 114 00:12:51,340 –> 00:12:58,340 gives them rest. Now do you see very practically. This is how then we must address our fears. 115 00:12:58,659 –> 00:13:05,659 I do not face this alone. And whatever may come my shepherd is with me and my shepherd 116 00:13:12,440 –> 00:13:19,440 is the Lord God Almighty. The good shepherd leads his sheep into rest. Rest here and rest 117 00:13:28,340 –> 00:13:32,479 here. He makes me lay down. 118 00:13:32,479 –> 00:13:39,479 And then, secondly, the Good Shepherd leads us into righteousness. He leads me into paths 119 00:13:42,960 –> 00:13:49,960 of righteousness. Now, notice you have a full description of the Christian life right here 120 00:13:50,960 –> 00:13:56,000 in these two phrases. There are times for lying down and for rest, and there are times 121 00:13:56,000 –> 00:13:57,880 for moving forward. 122 00:13:58,200 –> 00:14:03,000 There’s the whole Christian life. We rest in order that we may have strength to follow 123 00:14:03,000 –> 00:14:08,400 Him on the right path. The natural order, you might think, would be that we walk the 124 00:14:08,400 –> 00:14:13,619 right path, and then that we rest. But here it’s the other way around. That’s the gospel 125 00:14:13,619 –> 00:14:20,619 principle, that we rest in order that we may be able to walk in the right path. 126 00:14:21,260 –> 00:14:27,539 The Bible speaks about righteousness in two ways. There is a righteousness that Christ 127 00:14:27,539 –> 00:14:34,539 gives us, and that is what enables us to rest. And then there is a righteousness to which 128 00:14:34,719 –> 00:14:41,719 Christ calls us, and that is what David is speaking of here. The righteousness that Christ 129 00:14:42,479 –> 00:14:49,479 gives us, Paul says in Philippians, I want to be found in Christ, not having a righteousness 130 00:14:51,799 –> 00:14:58,059 of my own that comes from the law but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness 131 00:14:58,059 –> 00:15:05,059 that comes from God and depends on faith. We become right with God not through a righteousness 132 00:15:05,859 –> 00:15:12,859 that we produce, but through the perfect righteousness that Jesus Christ himself gives to us. He 133 00:15:15,940 –> 00:15:21,940 lived that perfect life, and when he laid it down on the cross, he offered up that perfectly 134 00:15:21,940 –> 00:15:26,960 righteous life on our behalf. And, brother or sister, isn’t this wonderful? All the 135 00:15:26,960 –> 00:15:31,140 righteousness you will ever need is given to you fully and freely in the Lord Jesus 136 00:15:31,659 –> 00:15:33,659 Christ. And it becomes yours when you become his. It’s a marvellous thing to be holy-owned 137 00:15:44,619 –> 00:15:51,659 by the Son of God, and that’s why you have rest. The righteousness of Christ is yours 138 00:15:52,320 –> 00:15:59,320 when you are his. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 139 00:16:00,760 –> 00:16:07,380 But now do you see how this fits with Psalm 23? That that is not the end but the beginning 140 00:16:07,380 –> 00:16:12,880 of the Christian life. It is not simply that we lie down and rest in the given righteousness 141 00:16:12,880 –> 00:16:18,719 of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we have received this and have this by faith in him, he calls 142 00:16:18,719 –> 00:16:26,539 us now to follow him in right paths. And that’s what’s referred to here in the words of David. 143 00:16:26,539 –> 00:16:34,760 There is a righteousness to which Christ calls us. Peter puts it this way. He himself bore 144 00:16:34,760 –> 00:16:45,640 our sins in his body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. There 145 00:16:45,840 –> 00:16:56,539 are right paths that your shepherd calls you to pursue. Right paths, and he will lead you 146 00:16:56,539 –> 00:17:01,640 in them. Clearly, that is what David is talking about here. Paths of righteousness simply 147 00:17:01,640 –> 00:17:13,640 means right paths, and where the shepherd leads you will always be the right path. 148 00:17:13,880 –> 00:17:17,900 You’ve to notice a couple of things here. And the first is that the right path will 149 00:17:17,900 –> 00:17:27,459 not always be an easy path. The psalm makes that very clear. If you look at verse 5, the 150 00:17:27,459 –> 00:17:35,099 right path takes you through the presence of enemies. In verse 4, the right path takes 151 00:17:35,500 –> 00:17:47,479 you through the valley of the shadow of death. But even there your shepherd will lead you. 152 00:17:47,479 –> 00:17:53,739 Psalm 23 makes it very, very clear that the pastures will not always be green and that 153 00:17:53,739 –> 00:18:02,160 the waters will not always be still. When Jesus said to his disciples in the gospels, 154 00:18:02,180 –> 00:18:10,579 let us go to the other side of the lake, remember he led them into a storm, but it was a storm 155 00:18:10,579 –> 00:18:15,760 in which they saw his glory, and it was a storm in which they learned that they could 156 00:18:15,760 –> 00:18:20,780 truly trust him. So the good Shepherd won’t always lead you 157 00:18:20,780 –> 00:18:28,000 beside the still water. Sometimes he’s actually gonna lead you right through the water. In 158 00:18:28,000 –> 00:18:34,260 another Psalm, Psalm 77, we read these remarkable words referring back to when God led his people 159 00:18:34,260 –> 00:18:40,560 through the Red Sea. Your way was through the sea, your path was 160 00:18:40,560 –> 00:18:49,239 through the great waters, your footprints were unseen, but you led your people like 161 00:18:49,239 –> 00:18:57,900 a flock by the hand of Moses and of Aaron. Now, there will be times in your life where 162 00:18:57,900 –> 00:19:02,359 the way in which God leads you seems to be absolutely impossible. That was the situation 163 00:19:02,359 –> 00:19:07,219 of God’s people when they came to the Red Sea, but God was with them, He was leading 164 00:19:07,219 –> 00:19:13,020 them. And there will be times when you find it 165 00:19:13,020 –> 00:19:22,500 hard to detect the presence of God. Notice what he says here, that God’s footprints 166 00:19:22,500 –> 00:19:34,040 were unseen. God led His people through the Red Sea, but there was not a visible evidence 167 00:19:34,040 –> 00:19:39,739 of God’s presence that was given to them in that experience. His footprints were unseen. 168 00:19:39,739 –> 00:19:47,719 There will be times where you will say, now where is God in this? Can’t see Him. Can’t 169 00:19:48,199 –> 00:19:55,119 see Him. figure out what He’s doing. Can’t feel His presence. God’s ways will sometimes 170 00:19:55,119 –> 00:20:00,920 be a mystery to you. That’s what we’re being told here. But you can be sure of this, 171 00:20:00,920 –> 00:20:05,859 that when the Lord is your shepherd, even where you cannot see His footprints, He will 172 00:20:05,859 –> 00:20:14,959 lead you even when His footprints are unseen. And then there will be times when God’s direction 173 00:20:15,000 –> 00:20:18,900 in your life comes through people He puts beside you. Do you see that in this verse 174 00:20:18,900 –> 00:20:26,199 from Psalm 77? You led your people like a flock. How? By the hand of Moses and Aaron. 175 00:20:26,199 –> 00:20:33,400 Seek the wisdom and counsel of other godly people God puts beside you. When you’re trying 176 00:20:33,400 –> 00:20:40,520 to discern a right path. It’s one of the ways that God will lead you. He gives undershepherds 177 00:20:40,859 –> 00:20:51,760 to the flock. He puts other believers around you. You’re not alone on this journey. So we’re looking 178 00:20:51,760 –> 00:20:57,680 at this marvelous blessing that belongs to those who are wholly owned by the Son of God. When 179 00:20:57,680 –> 00:21:03,260 you’re in the flock of God you have this great blessing that He leads you. Where does He lead 180 00:21:03,260 –> 00:21:09,699 you? He leads you into rest and you’ll find it more and more as you keep the shepherd in view. 181 00:21:09,839 –> 00:21:23,880 He leads you into righteousness, and where the shepherd leads is always the right path. He leads 182 00:21:23,880 –> 00:21:36,920 me in paths of righteousness. Now I said earlier it’s so very practical because many of us feel 183 00:21:37,119 –> 00:21:46,760 like we need rest—Jaded. How are we going to find rest and refreshment? And we’ve seen how 184 00:21:46,760 –> 00:21:57,359 the psalm speaks to that. Here we come to another very practical issue—handling change. And I 185 00:21:57,359 –> 00:22:01,020 expect that among us again here this morning, there’ll be many of us will say, 186 00:22:01,160 –> 00:22:10,979 why do things have to continue just to change so relentlessly in my life? Now, that is addressed 187 00:22:10,979 –> 00:22:19,680 right here. You see, he leads me in paths of righteousness. Why does the shepherd have to 188 00:22:19,680 –> 00:22:26,160 lead the sheep? Why can’t the shepherd just leave them where they are? And you will have come across 189 00:22:26,339 –> 00:22:31,900 this in your own life. You’re happy in a particular situation and then something changes. And you say, 190 00:22:31,900 –> 00:22:41,859 Why does it have to change? I liked it as it was. I didn’t want to have to go to another place. Why 191 00:22:41,859 –> 00:22:49,219 couldn’t things have remained as they were? Why does the shepherd have to lead the sheep on? Why 192 00:22:49,219 –> 00:22:55,260 can’t he simply leave them in this lush, green meadow beside these pools of water? Well, the 193 00:22:55,260 –> 00:23:03,060 answer is that a shepherd has two responsibilities. The shepherd has a responsibility to care for the 194 00:23:03,060 –> 00:23:11,119 sheep, and the shepherd has a responsibility to care for the land. When the sheep are put in a 195 00:23:11,119 –> 00:23:17,979 lush field of grass, I mean, they’re given a feast. The problem is that the sheep don’t know 196 00:23:18,020 –> 00:23:25,300 to stop. And if sheep are left in one field for too long, they will eat not only the grass, 197 00:23:25,300 –> 00:23:30,699 but they’ll eat right down to the very roots and they will then leave the field 198 00:23:30,699 –> 00:23:38,780 completely and utterly barren. So, a good shepherd therefore has to have what we might call a land 199 00:23:38,780 –> 00:23:46,540 management plan. And before the field gets to the point where the sheep have overgrazed, 200 00:23:46,540 –> 00:23:55,780 he will move the sheep on. And he moves them on for the very obvious reason that he must now 201 00:23:55,780 –> 00:24:00,540 nourish them somewhere else, and if he did not move them on, they would no longer be nourished 202 00:24:00,540 –> 00:24:09,300 where they were. Now, knowing this will help you when you face change in your life. And we all have 203 00:24:09,300 –> 00:24:18,199 this experience. God puts you in a field where the grass is green. You are happy in the field, 204 00:24:18,199 –> 00:24:24,500 and then when change comes into your life, and it is evident that the shepherd is moving you 205 00:24:25,380 –> 00:24:31,000 don’t want to go. Why can’t I stay here longer? I don’t want this change. I don’t want to have 206 00:24:31,000 –> 00:24:37,339 to leave this field that I love. But do you see that when the shepherd moves you on, 207 00:24:37,339 –> 00:24:42,339 when change is brought into your life, the shepherd is saying to you, Now this is no 208 00:24:42,339 –> 00:24:49,920 longer the field where you will be nourished. I have another place and there I will provide 209 00:24:50,099 –> 00:24:57,099 for you. There I will feed you. There I will make you to lie down. Do not be afraid. This 210 00:24:57,180 –> 00:25:04,680 is the right path. You may not want to move to the new field where the shepherd 211 00:25:04,800 –> 00:25:10,479 will lead you, but he will feed you there. And he will feed you in a way that your soul 212 00:25:10,479 –> 00:25:16,300 would not have been fed if you had continued where you were beyond the time that he intended 213 00:25:16,380 –> 00:25:26,380 you to be there. So trust the shepherd when he moves you on. Trust the shepherd where 214 00:25:26,660 –> 00:25:35,660 change comes into your life. He knows what he is doing, and he leads you where he is 215 00:25:35,920 –> 00:25:45,439 taking you. For a reason. There’s an old hymn that says, in heavenly love abiding, no change 216 00:25:46,040 –> 00:25:56,619 my heart shall fear. And when the Lord is your shepherd, you do not need to fear change because 217 00:25:56,619 –> 00:26:03,619 where the shepherd leads you is always the right path. 218 00:26:03,660 –> 00:26:07,819 Now here’s the last thing, and it’s something very wonderful. We’ve looked at where the 219 00:26:07,819 –> 00:26:17,939 shepherd leads us. Into rest, into righteousness. I want us to see one more thing, and it is 220 00:26:17,939 –> 00:26:26,739 why the shepherd leads us. The Good Shepherd leads us for His name’s sake. 221 00:26:26,739 –> 00:26:34,500 Now friends, it would be so easy to pass over a little phrase like this, but I want us to 222 00:26:34,500 –> 00:26:42,619 see that it is the most wonderful phrase of all. How can I be sure that the shepherd will 223 00:26:42,619 –> 00:26:48,939 lead me? What assurance and confidence can I have that He will, indeed, bring me all 224 00:26:48,939 –> 00:26:56,619 the way home? When you come to a dark valley in your own life, you may have had the experience 225 00:26:56,619 –> 00:27:03,199 of saying, oh I feel like giving up on myself. And when you feel like giving up on yourself, 226 00:27:03,199 –> 00:27:09,280 the thought will occur to you, well I suspect that God must feel like giving up on me too. 227 00:27:09,280 –> 00:27:13,859 How do you know that God will never give up on you? The answer lies in these wonderful 228 00:27:13,859 –> 00:27:23,939 words, for His name’s sake. Why does the shepherd buy the flock? Why does he birth 229 00:27:23,939 –> 00:27:32,479 the flock? The Bible’s answer to that question is for His name’s sake. This is all over 230 00:27:32,479 –> 00:27:37,800 the Scripture, let me just give you two examples. Ezekiel chapter 36, therefore say to the house 231 00:27:37,800 –> 00:27:42,959 of Israel, thus says the Lord God, it is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I’m 232 00:27:42,959 –> 00:27:51,699 about to act, but for the sake of my holy name which you have profaned. I’m not acting 233 00:27:51,699 –> 00:27:56,959 in the first instance for your sake, I’m acting in the first instance for the sake 234 00:27:57,219 –> 00:28:01,959 of my own name. And then God goes on to say and this is why I will sprinkle clean water 235 00:28:01,959 –> 00:28:06,599 on you and make you clean. This is why I will take away a heart of stone and give you a 236 00:28:06,599 –> 00:28:14,540 heart of flesh. Or the prophetic word of Isaiah, God says, I am He who blots out your transgression 237 00:28:14,540 –> 00:28:25,959 for my names, for my own sake, my own sake. It’s a remarkable statement. When God blots 238 00:28:25,959 –> 00:28:35,319 out your transgression, the first reason He does it is not for your sake but for His sake. 239 00:28:35,319 –> 00:28:40,280 Now think through with me why that is of such importance and why it is such marvelous good 240 00:28:40,280 –> 00:28:52,459 news. In His early life the Apostle Paul was among the worst of men. He tells us candidly, 241 00:28:52,459 –> 00:29:07,420 I was a blasphemer, I was violent. And then he says this, that God chose me, the worst 242 00:29:07,420 –> 00:29:19,239 of people, in order to show just how patient He is. God did not choose me the Apostle says 243 00:29:19,239 –> 00:29:25,959 because He saw something lovable in me, I was a blasphemer and a violent man, but I 244 00:29:25,959 –> 00:29:36,479 received mercy for this reason, that in me, the worst, the foremost of sinners, He would 245 00:29:36,479 –> 00:29:44,300 display His perfect patience. Now, I can imagine someone at this point saying, 246 00:29:44,300 –> 00:29:50,979 no, I’m not sure I like this, I like to think that when God looks at me He sees something 247 00:29:50,979 –> 00:30:00,319 beautiful, I like to think that He is drawn to me because of what He sees in me, that 248 00:30:00,319 –> 00:30:09,719 He loves me because He finds something supremely lovable in me, but where would that leave 249 00:30:09,719 –> 00:30:20,079 you when you are no longer beautiful? Where would you be when what God sees in you is 250 00:30:20,079 –> 00:30:29,800 not attractive but is ugly? What would become of you when your persistent and tiresome wayward-ness 251 00:30:29,800 –> 00:30:37,280 makes you far, far, far from lovable? Now friends, here is the really good news. God 252 00:30:37,280 –> 00:30:48,319 does not lead you for your namesake. He leads you for His namesake. He did not set His love 253 00:30:48,319 –> 00:30:55,560 upon you because He saw something wonderful in you. He set His love on you in order to 254 00:30:55,560 –> 00:31:04,920 display His own patience and His patience with you will never run dry. The Good Shepherd 255 00:31:04,920 –> 00:31:11,119 has staked the reputation and the honor of His own name on leading a sinner like you 256 00:31:11,119 –> 00:31:18,380 safely home. He has said, my sheep will never perish, I will not lose a single one of them. 257 00:31:18,380 –> 00:31:25,300 What God is doing in your life is for His namesake. His grace, His patience, His faithfulness 258 00:31:25,300 –> 00:31:31,420 will be put on display forever through the completion of His redeeming work in you. That 259 00:31:31,459 –> 00:31:37,400 is why He will never give up on you. That is why no angel in heaven will ever say, oh, 260 00:31:37,400 –> 00:31:43,660 what a shame it is that that sheep was too weak or too wayward to make it. What a pity 261 00:31:43,660 –> 00:31:48,859 that that one wandered off and somehow never found its own way back. No, God has given 262 00:31:48,859 –> 00:31:55,859 His Word. Every sheep in His flock born and bought will 263 00:31:56,000 –> 00:32:01,719 be brought safely home. Not one of them will be missing, and what has been accomplished 264 00:32:01,719 –> 00:32:08,680 in your life and in mine will be for His praise and glory and honor forever and ever. He’s 265 00:32:08,680 –> 00:32:14,459 staked the honor of His own name on it. Do you see how that gives assurance to a Christian 266 00:32:14,459 –> 00:32:19,619 believer? The strongest assurance you can ever have is that the Good Shepherd has staked 267 00:32:19,699 –> 00:32:25,900 the honor of His own name on your ultimate salvation. So even when you feel like giving 268 00:32:25,900 –> 00:32:35,239 up on yourself, the Good Shepherd will never give up on you. 269 00:32:35,239 –> 00:32:40,500 Do you see today, we’re just really at the beginning of this series, but the central 270 00:32:40,500 –> 00:32:48,099 theme is this, it is the most marvelous thing to be wholly owned by the Son of God, and 271 00:32:48,099 –> 00:32:52,459 it is a marvelous thing to be wholly owned by the Son of God for this reason that when 272 00:32:52,459 –> 00:33:01,900 you’re His, He leads you. He’ll lead you into rest. He’ll lead you into righteousness. 273 00:33:01,900 –> 00:33:09,579 He’ll lead you for His own name’s sake. And that is why He’ll never lose you. That is 274 00:33:09,579 –> 00:33:16,739 why He will never give up on you. And that is why He will bring you all the way safely 275 00:33:17,060 –> 00:33:28,239 home. Let’s pray together. Father thank you for the strong encouragement of Your word. 276 00:33:28,239 –> 00:33:37,260 Some of us are jaded, help us to keep the shepherd in view and so find rest and restoration 277 00:33:37,400 –> 00:33:43,839 for ourselves. Thank you for your irrevocable commitment 278 00:33:43,839 –> 00:33:50,839 to lead us in paths of righteousness and thank you that you have not set your love on us 279 00:33:54,520 –> 00:34:01,520 because of something of something changeable in us, but because of that which is unchangeable 280 00:34:02,520 –> 00:34:09,520 in you, the honor and glory of your own holy name, and in this we trust and for this we 281 00:34:14,280 –> 00:34:21,280 are forever thankful that the Lord is our Shepherd. Hear our prayers in Jesus’ name. 282 00:34:21,600 –> 00:34:23,080 Amen. 283 00:34:23,080 –> 00:34:30,080 If you�ve been listening to a sermon with Pastor Colin Smith at Open The Bible, contact 284 00:34:36,000 –> 00:34:43,899 us at 1-877-Open365 or visit our website, OpenTheBible.org.