His Rod and Staff

“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. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, 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. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs 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.”

 

Today is the fourth Sunday of Lent, and we continue with our series through the 23^rd psalm. If you were here last week, you will remember we spent our time with verse four: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me.”

 

You may also remember that the Hebrew words translated as the ‘valley of the shadow of death’ can also be correctly translated, ‘the valley of deep darkness.’ Regardless of its translation, whether shadow of death or deep darkness, it’s a lonely place to be. A harsh place. A cold place. Our valleys are often shrouded by chronic pain or broken relationships, or financial pressures, or the ongoing stressors of living in a world that seems to be falling apart. And if you were here last week, you will remember David reminds us we have no need to fear those valleys because our Good Shepherd is with us. Always. On mountain tops AND in the valleys.

 

So, today we turn our attention to the last part of verse 4: “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Here is the entire verse for context: 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.”

 

And how does God's rod and staff provide us comfort, especially in the valleys of deep darkness? There are two primary interpretations of this ‘Rod and Staff’ reference. The first understands them as God's instruments of disciplining His children. The second understands them as God's instruments of protecting His children. Both interpretations have merit, but today I’ll focus on the rod and staff as the Good Shepherd’s means of protecting His sheep.

 

John Gill, 18^th century pastor and theologian, put it this way: “The shepherd with his rod, staff, or crook, directs the sheep where to go, pushes forward those that are behind, and fetches back those that go astray; as well as drives away dogs, wolves, bears, etc. that would make a prey of the flock.

 

And of such use is the word of God, attended with the power of Christ and his Spirit; it points out the path of faith, truth, and holiness . . . and of preserving the flock from the ravenous wolves of false teachers: [Such] are the comfort and safety of his people, in the worst of times and cases.”

 

I know I’ve said what I am about to say many times over the years. I repeat myself again today without apology because of my unshakeable conviction that familiarity with God's word – His rod and His staff – is absolutely essential for our protection and our comfort, whether spiritual or physical. Or both.

 

For example, the entire 119 psalm – all 176 verses – extols the safety and the comfort of knowing God's word and allowing it to work its work in our lives and circumstances. For good reason Paul wrote to the Christians at Thessalonica: “[We] constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.”

 

Comfort and protection. When St Paul wrote of the Christian’s spiritual armor, i.e. the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the rest of the armor – he added: “And take . . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17).

 

Haven’t YOU needed God's comfort in your valleys? And don’t you think you will NEED His comfort in whatever valleys you still have before you, regardless of the darkness?

 

Please hear this. You will never find lasting comfort in any of the hundreds of self-help books that line shelves in bookstores. You won’t find it there because long before you and I were born, long before Genesis chapter one, God designed lasting comfort to be found only in His voice found in printed form in what we call the Bible. Remember: Jesus said the sheep hear His voice, and they follow Him.

So, are you consistently reading it? More than that, are you regularly reflecting on it? Are you listening to the Holy Spirit as He speaks to you through His word which alone is a lamp to our feet and a light in our valley of deep darkness.

 

Comfort and protection. There have been times in my life when I have DESPERATELY God's comfort. There have been times – and I think of one in particular, when I had a nearly overwhelming sense of guilt because of a particular personal failure I’d experienced in my walk with Christ. I suspect some of you have also experienced a feeling of guilt over your own personal failure in your walk with Christ.

 

And so, it is to that point – the feeling of guilt – that I now turn our attention. We must not be ignorant of Satan’s schemes to discourage us, dishearten us, to trick us into disbelieving God's word –especially when His rod and staff assure us of God's complete forgiveness of our sins and failures.

 

The devil knows if he can persuade the Christian to disbelieve God's Word about His full forgiveness of our confessed sins, then eventually our feeling of guilt will overwhelm us, rob us of our Christian joy, and make us ineffective in our work for the Kingdom. In some cases, an overwhelming sense of guilt can cause some to abandon Christ because they wrongly think God is always angry with them, or they give up their walk because they think they’ll never be able to live up to God's expectations of them. 

 

There’s not a mature Christian alive – the important word there is, ‘mature’ Christian – who has not, at one time or another, felt a sense of guilt over their sins. Perhaps even now, some in this sanctuary are struggling with guilt over past confessed sins – sins which God has completely erased.

 

Please hear this: It is only our confidence in what God's word tells us about forgiveness that a conscience still troubled by guilt can find peace. God's ‘Rod and Staff’ alone can restore the penitent Christian’s assurance regarding God's utter forgiveness that flows from Calvary’s cross. True and eternal forgiveness and the cleansing of a guilty conscience. Such is available to all who confess to God their sins.

 

King David is a good example of that critical point. If ANYONE had a reason to feel guilt about his sins, it was David. But listen to what he wrote after his confession of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah:

 

“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity . . . When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer . . . I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin.” (Psalm 32:1-6)

 

Riddled with guilt, David felt God's hand heavy upon him day after day. Night after night. And who among mature Christians has not been in the same place as guilt because of unconfessed sin dug its talons into our spirits. But now look at verse six of this 32^nd psalm:

 

When David confessed his sins to God, God FORGAVE him. Completely. Thoroughly. And David’s sense of guilt was gone. THAT’S why he wrote: “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity.”  In other words, David KNEW that God had wiped his account clean. His sin no longer appeared in God’s ledger.

 

The apostle Paul is another example of a sinner redeemed by the blood of Jesus – the blood that wiped his guilt from his conscience. You who know your Bible know the kind of murderous and blasphemous man Paul was before he met Jesus on that road to Damascus.

 

And you also know it was this same Paul who wrote to the Christians at Rome: “Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1) The Greek word translated as ‘justified’ means God declares the penitent to be ‘righteous.’  And that’s also why Paul could write to the Christians at Ephesus: “In Him [Christ Jesus] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.” (Ephesians 1:20) 

 

Throughout the New Testament, the word translated as ‘forgiveness’ means that God treats the repented sin as if it had never been committed.

 

Justified. Forgiven. Cleansed. Declared righteous. As if the sin had never been committed. Oh! Do you see how God's word is a rod that beats back the lies of Satan and how His staff pulls us from the traps the devil lays along our paths?

 

Did you ever wonder what would have happened if Judas had repented to the One whom he betrayed? If you have even an iota of doubt as to what Jesus would have done for Judas, then that might explain why you still have doubts about Christ’s forgiveness after you repented to Him of your sins.

 

OF COURSE, Jesus would have forgiven Judas. There should be no doubt whatsoever about that. So, listen, please. This is important: Jesus forgave Peter for denying three times that he knew Him. And the Lord forgave Saul (later known as the apostle Paul) who at one time ravaged the fledgling Church, dragging men and women off to prison and who tried to force them to blaspheme Christ (see Acts 26:11). And Christ’s mercy has continued through the era of Church history, to this present moment.

 

OF COURSE Jesus would have forgiven Judas if he’d repented to Him. And of course, Jesus will forgive ME and YOU and anyone else who repents to Him. And THAT is why the Shepherd’s rod and staff – His infallible and inerrant word – COMFORT us who believe His promises.

 

Murderer? Denier of God? Adulterer? Blasphemer? Fornicator? Read what God promised the penitent sinners in Corinth: “Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

 

No sin is so deep that Christ’s mercy and forgiveness is not infinitely deeper. But Satan wants us to believe that Christ’s atoning blood is insufficient to cleanse our sins – especially our darkest sins. But remember what Jesus said of Satan: “Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44b).

 

Whatever is the sin that troubles you, whatever is that sin which you believe is beyond Christ’s forgiveness and mercy – listen once more to God’s promise: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

 

I don’t mind telling you that I know from personal experience what I’m talking about. Every so often I get to thinking I’m NEVER going to get it right. I’m never going to love the Lord as I want to love Him and serve Him as I want to serve Him.

 

And then the Holy Spirit reminds me of something He showed me several years ago in the Scriptures, and immediately He comforts me and assures me that He not only knows my failures, AND that His stubborn love endures through my failures. Oh, hallelujah.

 

The New Testament writers used two words for “love” – phileo and agape. Phileo carries the idea of tender affection. Agape is often used to describe God's unconditional, merciful, and enduring love.

 

When the Lord Jesus told Peter that before a rooster crowed, Peter would deny three times that he knew Him. Peter vowed he’d never deny his Lord. But he did, didn’t he?

 

I want us to now focus on this scene in our imagination. After Peter’s third denial, Luke tells us: “The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.” (Luke 22:61-62)

Hold that thought as we now look at the 21^st chapter of John’s gospel. The apostle records this conversation between Jesus and Peter: "Simon, son of John, do you love (agape) me more than these?” He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love (phileo) you.” He said to him, "Feed my lambs.” He then said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love (agape) me?” He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love (phileo) you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love (phileo) me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, "Do you love (phileo) me?” and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love (phileo) you.” (Jesus) said to him, "Feed my sheep.”

A modern version of the conversation might sound something like this:

“Peter, do you love me with all your heart?” Peter answered, “Lord, I have great affection for you.” Jesus said, “Peter, feed My lambs.”

The Lord said again, “Peter, do you really, really love me?” Peter replied, “Lord, I think you are wonderful.” Jesus answered, “Peter, tend My sheep.”

Again, Jesus asked, “Peter, do you have great affection for me?” Peter answered simply, “Lord, you know I do.” And Jesus said once again, “Feed My sheep.”

 

Two things caught my attention in this exchange between the Lord and Peter, as I hope they also catch YOUR attention. First, Peter obviously felt miserable about his repeated denial of his best friend and Lord. But I then noticed how the Savior tried to help Peter move beyond his self-recrimination and guilt. When Peter wouldn't say, when he couldn’t say with honesty that he passionately, fully, completely loved Jesus, the Lord came down to his level: “Okay, my friend. Then, do you have affection for me?”

And second – and equally important – after each agape/phileo exchange, the Lord’s charge to Peter was the same: “Take care of My sheep.” In other words, “Peter, I know you feel guilty, but your repentance has fully restored our relationship. Your sorrow and guilt are totally unnecessary. Don’t let them keep you from your task to tend My flock."

How like the merciful Christ to call each of us out of our sorrow and self-recrimination AND our inability to fully love Him as we want to love Him. Jesus knows our hearts. He knows our weaknesses of the flesh. But base on this important text, the Lord is content even for our ‘phileo’ affection. He knows that if we give Him THAT, a maturing agape love will always follow. 

 

Christian, don’t be discouraged by your failures to live up to what you want to do for Christ. The Shepherd knows very well the sheep’s weaknesses. So, believe God's word. Let His rod and staff comfort you and protect you from Satan’s lies. God loves you. He completely forgives the penitent.

 

Be at peace.

Church Labels

 I started reading again through Matthew’s gospel and paused in chapter three. The context of verses 8-10 is the baptism of John in the Jordan of those who came to him. Some of those who came were the religious folk – Pharisees and Sadducees. John told them:

“You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; 9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 10 The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

I paused here because there’s a principal in this text of which we should all be aware – and be warned. It is not enough to say we are Catholic, or Baptist, or Methodist, or we are ‘whatever.’ Labels will not get us into heaven. Only repentance and obedient faith gain us entry into heaven. The Lord Jesus warned His listeners often enough to get our serious attention:

“Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up to us!’ then He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets’; 27 and He will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from; depart from Me, all you evildoers.’ (Luke 11:24-27)

Church labels matter nothing. Only ongoing repentance and faithful obedience pleases our Lord and guarantees eternal life.

Valleys of Darkness

Shepherd Psalm

Valleys of Darkness

 “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. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, 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. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs 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.”

 

Last time we looked at the last part of verse three which reads: “He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” And we reminded ourselves that our Shepherd leads us on paths of righteousness because it is ONLY those paths lead to an abundant life in the here and now – an abundance not of material gain, but of intangible benefits of peace of heart that passes understanding, and the blessings of loving relationships and so much more.

 

That’s why ‘repentance’ is such a critical step in our relationship with our Shepherd – not only during this season of Lent – but around the calendar and day after day. Without ongoing repentance, we have no biblical reason to hope to be led in the paths of righteousness – and we must never forget that truth, or minimize it, or rationalize it away. Our natural human trajectory will always and inevitably lead us to ever increasing degrees and frequencies of sin. That simply is our natural bent as fallen creatures.

 

But sometimes – as the Psalmist notes here in the text – sometimes the paths of righteousness lead to the valley of the shadow of death. The Hebrew word David used in this verse is also translated, “the valley of deep darkness.” Such a place is a dreadful place, a lonely place, a desolate place, a dangerous place. And it is to this point that I want to speak for a while this afternoon.

 

Many of us in America have grown very accustomed to our comforts. Even as followers of Jesus, we try to avoid “the desert.” We don’t like when life gets hard, or barren, or lonely. The wilderness can be financial, or physical, or emotional. But whatever our wilderness experiences, we feel isolated – sometimes even from God. And don’t think for a moment that the devil will not whisper subtle lies into your mind during your wilderness experience that God has turned away from you.

 

Please remember our Lord’s trial in His own wilderness. Satan used a similar tact with Jesus, trying to seduce Him into doubting His own relationship with the Father. He said to Jesus: “IF you are the Son of God . . . .”  turn these stones into bread. “IF you are the Son of God . . . .”, cast yourself down from this cliff.

 

And Satan will whisper similar lies to you in your own wilderness of sadness, or illness, or loneliness, or whatever may be your trial. “If God loved you, if God was protecting you, if God cared for you – why are you going through this?”

 

But Christians need to always remember that the same God who created majestic fields of grain also created the empty wilderness. So, there will be times of beauty and tranquility, and there will be times of trial and pressure. And yes, we should expect it because He TOLD us to expect it: Our faith will be tested. But our God promises to meet us even in the wilderness.

 

Maybe we need to also remind ourselves what the Lord told His audience in Mark 8:34 “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me”?

 

But listen also to St Paul tell us about the wilderness: (2 Corinthians 4:7-11) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”

 

It is helpful, I think, to look back at verse 7 of this Corinthian text in which the Holy Spirit explains through Paul at least one reason for our valleys of deep darkness: So that we recognize “that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.” In other words, the Holy Spirit is trying to teach us that it is only the power of God that give us the power to overcome the dark valleys.

 

Listen to St John’s words in the first chapter of his gospel: “The light [of Christ] still shines in the darkness and the darkness has never put it out.” (John 1:5, JB Phillips)

 

Listen also to Isaiah (Isaiah 9:2, 6) “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them . . . For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

 

Are you in a dark place? Are you struggling with ongoing and chronic physical pain that limits your quality of life? Well, THAT certainly qualifies as darkness. But I think the worst kind of darkness is emotional, the kind brought on by fractured relationships and fed by a sense of poor self-worth and hopelessness. Those kinds of wilderness experiences can eat like a cancer at our very souls.

 

But if we will only believe in our ‘heart of hearts’ God's promises to us who believe and obey Jesus, we will know we are not alone in our emotionally dark wildernesses. We are never alone in our emotionally dark wilderness.

 

Have you ever thought how the Lord Jesus felt as He hung on that cross? The mob mocked Him as He suffered. With the exception of John and some of the women, all of His closest friends had left Him. And then came His agonized cry: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

 

I could spend yet more time talking about the wilderness and cite numerous examples of those in Biblical AND Church history who not only endured but overcame the darkness of their wilderness trials. But let me instead talk about some of the spiritual lessons we might learn as we walk WITH Christ in our valleys of deep darkness.

 

First, while valleys of deep darkness are often terribly unpleasant parts of our faith journey, those valleys prove to be necessary parts of our faith journey. Listen to Peter explain it: (1 Peter 1:3-7) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵ who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 

 

Next, notice David’s confidence in that next clause: Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil FOR THOU ART WITH ME.

 

Some of you know the name, Andrae Crouch. He died in 2015 at the age of 72. He was an American gospel singer, songwriter, and pastor. He’s often referred to as "the father of modern gospel music” by many contemporary gospel musicians. One of the songs he wrote – Through it All – encourages the faithful with these words of truth as we journey through our dark valleys:

 

“I thank God for the mountains/And I thank Him for the valleys/And I thank Him for the storms He's brought me through/For if I'd never had a problem
I'd never know that God could solve them/I'd never know what faith in God could do.

 

“Through it all, Through it all/I've learned to trust in Jesus/I've learned to trust in God/Through it all, Through it all/I've learned to depend upon His Word.”

 

Do we believe what GOD has promised His beloved children throughout His infallible Scriptures to be true, or do we believe what WE think is true? When God told Abraham that his wife, Sarah, was going to have their child, Abraham could have defaulted to how things LOOKED to him. He was old. Sarah was old. But he chose to believe what God said – and God counted his faith as righteousness. You’ll find that in Genesis 15:6.

 

Dozens of Scriptures from Genesis through Revelation illustrate how dark valleys ALWAYS lead to spiritual maturity for the Christian who chooses to believe God, who chooses to walk by faith and not by sight. And many of you can also quote the same passages. Whatever the dark valley – chronic illness, loneliness, financial stressors, or whatever: Through it all “Immanuel” walks with us.

 

Many of you are familiar with the poem, Footprints in the Sand. Listen to it again: “One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: One belonging to him, and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it.

"Lord, You said that once I decided to follow you, You'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why, when I needed you most, you would leave me."

The Lord replied, My son, My precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints – it was then that I carried You."

 

Christian, please hear me. Sometimes the paths of righteousness lead us through the valley of the shadow of death, through the wilderness of deep darkness. Don’t be surprised when they occur. And as difficult as it often is to patiently walk through those valleys, perhaps the words of Paul – who knew of those valleys from personal experience – perhaps his words of encouragement to his readers in the first century will also encourage you:

 

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ . . . and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation about perseverance, and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:1-5)

 

Christian, listen – the God who is sovereign over all of nature, who stills the wind and the waves, who controls all of the affairs of nations and of individuals . . . The God who delivered His only Son to rescue you from ETERNAL darkness – this God is your Father and He is in absolute control of your life circumstances, including your journeys through life’s valleys of deep darkness.

 

I’m out of time this afternoon, so we will stop here. We'll continue next week with this powerful psalm of encouragement and hope. 

Paths of Righteousness

My texts today come once again from the 23^rd Psalm and also from John 10. Here is the 23^rd psalm: “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. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, 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. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs 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.”

 

Here now is a portion from John 10 in which the Lord Jesus applies to Himself the title of Shepherd: (John 10:1-11 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”

 

“This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them. So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them . . .The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” . . . .” My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:1-8, 10-11, 27)

 

In the past few weeks, we’ve talked about the magnificent promises inherent in the first verses of this Shepherd psalm. We know from the whole of Scripture that Jesus, our Good Shepherd, will supply His sheep with everything they need – as He alone understands our needs. It is also He who, in His great and incomprehensible love for His sheep, makes us lie down in green pastures, He leads us beside quiet waters, and He restores or ‘refreshes’ our lives. We also noted last time the verbs in verses two and three: He makes, He leads, He restores – and I made the point: It’s all about Him. It’s all about who He is, what He does for us, and why He does it.

 

We often forget that – or at the very least, minimize it in our minds. Our sin-saturated nature deceives us into thinking life is really all about us – what WE are, what WE do, what WE want. But Scripture tells a different story – the true story about how we should focus our lives. For example: Psalm 115:1 - “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.” Listen also to how the angels proclaim it: (Revelation 15:3-4a) “Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For all the nations will come and worship before You.”

 

No, it’s not about us, regardless of how we like to think of our lives, day after day. Some of you may be familiar with this plea by CT Studd, 20^th century missionary to China, Africa, and India: “Only one life, it will soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” And that begs the question of each of us, doesn’t it? What have you and I done for Christ?  What are you and I doing NOW for Christ?

 

So, back to our texts: “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” David tells us WHY our Shepherd leads us in paths of righteousness. It’s right there in the text: He leads us in those paths for His name, for His glory. I’ll return to that point in a few moments. But although this text here does not say it, we know from the context of the whole of Scripture that there is another reason – a love-saturated, intimate and very personal reason – why the Shepherd leads us along those paths of righteousness.

Have you ever given much thought to what your life would be like today if God had not led you – and CONTINUES TO LEAD YOU – along the path of righteousness? Have you ever thought about the personal benefit you derived from being led on the path of righteousness AND following the Shepherd’s voice on that path?

 

It's easy for many of us to extrapolate from where we’ve been and what we’ve done before Christ brought us to Himself – it’s easy to deduce to where we would be and what we’d be doing if not for God's merciful call to walk along those paths of righteousness.

 

I often think how my life would have become a complete moral disaster if God had not led me to those paths of righteousness, if God had not opened my eyes to my wretched and despicable sins I had willingly made part of my life before Christ.

 

And then I think of the untold MILLIONS of men and women, young and not-so-young, who today are actively yet typically unknowingly walking along paths of unrighteousness and headed inexorably toward destruction in this life and in eternity.

 

I’ve spoken to women who had abortions ten, twenty, even forty years ago and longer and who STILL grieve over what they’ve done. And then there are these tragic statistics: Nearly 30 million people, many as young as 12, abuse alcohol. Recreational drug use among 13–14-year-olds increased by more than 60% between 2016 and 2020. Drug overdose deaths in the US since 2000 are nearly one million.

 

Yes, the Thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy those who walk along paths of unrighteousness.

 

Among adults 20-54, nearly 1/3 of marriages end in divorce. Among those ages 55 to 64, that number is about 43%. What is not included in those tragic statistics are the numbers of children who live without the security of a stable two-parent home. I am nearly 75 years old, and I still remember when my mother told me my father had left us. I was four years old. That’s more than 70 years ago.

 

Yes, the Thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy those who walk along paths of unrighteousness.

 

I could go on to cite equally tragic statistics about suicide, and the growing number of young people who say they are LGBTQ+ - but it ought to be sufficiently clear by now that the Thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy those who – knowingly or unknowingly – walk the paths of unrighteousness.

 

Our Shepherd leads us on paths of righteousness because ONLY those paths lead to an abundant life in the here and now – an abundance not of material gain, but of intangible benefits of a peace of heart that passes understanding, and the blessings of loving relationships and so much more.

 

That is why repentance is such a critical step if we hope to be led in the paths of righteousness. We must not forget that biblical truth or overlook it, neither now during the season of Lent, nor throughout the year.

 

Not long ago I was ministering to a group of men and women in varying stages of dementia, and I asked the question, “What does it mean to ‘repent’?”  One gentleman looked at me and immediately answered, “Stop doing what you’re doing.”

 

I don’t think I’ve heard a more succinct definition of ‘repent’ in all my years.

 

“He leads me in paths of righteousness . . . .” It is the Good Shepherd who calls His sheep by name, and they follow Him and His commandments which are, as Scripture tells us, light and life. The Lord reminds us: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow.” (Isaiah 48:17, CSB). And again, “For the commandments are like a lamp, instruction is like a light, and rebukes of discipline are like the road leading to life (Proverbs 6:23, NET)

 

Listen, unless He leads us in paths of righteousness, our natural trajectory will always and inevitably lead us to ever increasing degrees and frequencies of sin. That simply is our natural bent as fallen creatures. As the Scripture repeatedly reminds us: (Psalm 14:2-3) “The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one.”

 

So, we can see in ourselves the personal benefits we derive from following the Shepherd’s voice – hope, purpose, fulfillment, peace of heart, and eternal life. Now let’s return to what David writes as to WHY the Shepherd leads us on those paths. The text is pretty straightforward. He leads us for His Name’s sake. He leads us in those paths for the glory of His name, for the honor of His name, for the praise of His name among the peoples of earth and among the angels in heaven.

 

No one is born an atheist. But people make conscious choices to disbelieve in the one true God and Creator. Listen to His indictment of fallen humanity in Romans 1:18-22

 

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

 

From the very beginning, in that Garden of Eden, God certainly could have let us all go our own way, and each of us would surely end in fiery torment for eternity. But that is not the way of the Good Shepherd. It is He who seeks the one lost sheep. Listen to this text of Scripture:

 

(Ephesians 2:1-7) And you were dead in your trespasses and sins . . . and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

 

The Good Shepherd, rich in mercy, stopped me and you in our tracks from continuing on the path of unrighteousness. He could have turned His face away and let us continue to our inevitable destruction. But for the sake of His holy name, His merciful name, His loving name, He set us who want to be set – He set us on the paths of righteousness.

 

That’s why the former murderous Saul of Tarsus could eventually write to his protégé Timothy: “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:15-17)

 

Yes, the Shepherd leads us in paths of righteousness for His glory and for the praise for His incomprehensible mercy for NOT letting us go our own way. No wonder the Psalmist cried out: “Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forever. From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens.” (Psalm 113:1-3)

 

As I bring today’s message shortly to a close, let’s return for a moment to the text I read from John’s gospel at the beginning of this message. Jesus, our Shepherd, told everyone who chooses to listen: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27) 

 

How do true sheep know the voice of the Shepherd, and how does the Shepherd lead His true sheep along those righteous paths? We’ve looked at these questions multiple times in the past years since I have been here at Ashwood. Simply said: If anyone, regardless of their titles, degrees, positions in the church, popularity, and so forth – if anyone voices a different message than the clear and unambiguous message of Scripture regarding faith and morality – that person is a false teacher and will be cursed and condemned by God. You can find such a decree in the first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Christians at Galatia.

 

How does the Shepherd lead His true sheep? Listen to the Psalmist: (Psalm 119:9) How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to your word. (Psalm 119:11) Thy word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You. (Psalm 119:105) “They word is a lamp to my feet, a light to my path.” 

 

True sheep listen to God's voice speaking from the pages of Scripture. Phony sheep do not. Pay attention to God's warning to those in Jeremiah’s day who THOUGHT they were true sheep, but were not: (Jeremiah 6:16-17) “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ “And I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’

 

I’ve asked this before, and I ask it now again: Have you ever wondered about the spiritual anemia and the rampant immorality that run like a plague through so much of the Body of Christ?

 

I’ll tell you the reason as clearly as I know how: It’s because people in the pew AND the pulpit are unwilling to listen to the Shepherd’s voice and obey His commandments. They know what God says, but they respond as Israel did in Jeremiah’s day: “We will not walk in it. We will not listen to it.”

 

Those who want to live in sin will always pick and choose what they like and what don’t like of God's commandments. The only way sin and false teachings can make headway in churches is when pastors do not preach the full inerrancy and infallibility of Scripture, and when their congregations blindly follow their local shepherd. There is simply no other way for sexual perversions and immorality of all kinds, along with their attending heresies, to spread through churches.

 

“The Lord is [our] shepherd . . . He leads [us] in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. But, as we will see in that next verse, sometimes those paths of righteousness lead to the valley of the shadow of death. But we will not fear, because we know from our knowledge of scripture that God is always with us.

 

We’ll talk about that next time.