I Shall Not Want is a sermon teaching us that the Lord is the Good Shepherd and will always care for us. We are His sheep and are to follow Him and be good examples so that others will want to join His flock.

The Lord is our Shepherd

Psalm 23 speaks of the shepherd relationship we have with God. David may have written Psalm 23 when he was young before he became a musician in King Saul’s court when he was still a shepherd. David writes in his psalm of mediation that we are as sheep and we will be cared for, and not be in want.

All we need is our Shepherd, our Savior. There is a huge difference between knowing the psalm and knowing the Shepherd. He leads us beside the quiet, still waters, restores our soul from trespasses and sin, and leads us in the way we should go. We will be a good testimony to others by living a life as God would have us to lead. We should influence others to be like Jesus.

We all walk through the valley of the shadow of death, leaving this world and going to the next. We will fear no evil because the Lord is with us. The Lord’s rod and staff comfort us when we walk through the shadow of death, it is in His hand, He will protect us. We can sit and dine in the presence of our enemies because we are at peace in a world that is at war.

The Lord anoints our heads with oil, a prophetic statement of when David is anointed king. The anointing is set aside for those who serve the Lord as kings and priests. We are anointed when we are called to serve the Lord. Our cup runs over with blessings because the Lord gives us more than what we need. Goodness and mercy will be with us while we live and we will be in the house of God forever. We are to be close to the Shepherd. When we go our own way we become as lost sheep. The safety of the sheep is with the shepherd. When sheep have gone astray they become victims of prey.

I Stand at the Door

In John 10, we are taught that the shepherd comes in through the door of the fold. Anyone coming in any other way is as a thief and robber and not there for the good of the sheep. The shepherd knows his sheep. he calls them out by name. The Lord knows each of our names and leads us. He leads us with his rod or staff in His hand and looks out for them. If there is any danger he will see it first. The sheep know his voice and will follow him because they trust him. They will not follow a stranger and will flee from him.

It is one matter to know the Word, and another matter to know the Shepherd. There is only one way to join the Shepherd’s fold and become one of His. In Jesus’ time, there were so many that came before Him claiming to be the true Messiah. Some felt the time was right for Messiah to come and to deliver His people from the Romans. They gathered men to become insurgents against the Romans but failed and most had died. But those looking for the real Savior did not follow those false messiahs. Jesus says “I am the door” and if anyone who enters through this door will be saved. There is only one way to be part of the Shepherd’s fold and become His, and that is through the Shepherd himself.

Recently we see Satan becoming more active because he knows his time is short. We need to be aware of it. Jesus says the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. These people are empowered by Satan himself. Often after the evil is done, the person who did the deed is also destroyed through suicide. The thief is undoubtedly Satan who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Contrast that with Jesus who comes to give life, abundant life for now and forever.

His Own Know Him

Jesus is the Good Shepherd and gives His life for his sheep. We have all gone astray in that sin separates us from the Lord who would be our Shepherd. But God loves us and while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  There are those who want to be in power and be the shepherd but they do not love the sheep. There are a lot of people who want to lead and have you follow them. They want authority over you and care about the position and the power it brings. They don’t care about you, but the Good Shepherd does.

The Lord is our Shepherd. The Lord knows His sheep and is known of His. There is one fold for this Shepherd. Jesus came as the Messiah to Israel and speaks to Israel of this fold, but also says there are others not a part of the House of Israel who can join His flock. He speaks of gentiles that can become a part of his fold. Jesus came to save Israel, but not just Israel, He came to save the world. We can all be of one fold, united in Jesus Christ.

It is our sin that crucified Christ, but it is Jesus who has the power to put down His life for us and take up His life again. No one has ever done that or can do that. Christ’s resurrection makes the stories of the bible come true. There was a division in Jesus’ time and there is still division today, of those that follow the Shepherd and those who reject Him. Jesus tells those who reject Him that they can’t be a part of His fold because they did not believe Him. Those that believe Him become part of His fold and they will have everlasting life and never perish. Jesus says He and His Father are one, meaning Jesus is God. He is the Good Shepherd and no man can separate us from His fold.

Not Left Alone

The Shepherd has gone away to do important work to prepare a place for us with the promise of returning, but He has not left us alone. He has called for under-shepherds, pastors, to do His work. When the Lord comes again, He will receive us unto His own so that where is, we will be there also. We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.

We do not wait to get to Heaven to know the mercies of God, we can never exhaust His mercies. Mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives. Whatever you give to God, He will pay you back. When we go to the Father’s house, we go to the house of the Lord to dwell there forever. Is the Lord your Shepherd? If so, are you following Him? Know and understand that He is always with you and that you have a home with Him forever.

I Shall Not Want sermon starts with verses from Psalm 23:1-6:

¹ (A Psalm of David.) The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

³ He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

And verses from John 10:1-30:

¹ Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

² But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

³ To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

⁴ And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

⁵ And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

⁶ This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.

⁷ Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

⁸ All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

⁹ I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

¹⁰ The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

¹¹ I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

¹² But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

¹³ The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

¹⁴ I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

¹⁵ As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

¹⁶ And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

¹⁷ Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

¹⁸ No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

¹⁹ There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.

²⁰ And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?

²¹ Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?

²² And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.

²³ And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch.

²⁴ Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.

²⁵ Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.

²⁶ But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

²⁸ And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

²⁹ My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

³⁰ I and my Father are one.

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