The Shepherd Loves Us Sermon Script
An 80-year-old man was fishing one day by himself. He was so glad to get away from the all the distractions in life, all the noise. Just fishing, having a good time, when all of a sudden, he hears this voice. “Hey! Pick me up!” He thought he was just dreaming or maybe going crazy, and so he ignored it. Again he heard, “Hey! Pick me up!” He looked down and there was a frog talking to him, just floating on the water, talking to him. He looked down and the frog said, “Hey, pick me up and kiss me and I’ll turn into a beautiful woman and I’ll be your bride. You’ll make all your friends jealous.”
The guy thought for a moment. He picked up the frog, put it in his pocket. The frog said, “Hey, didn’t you hear what I said? Are you nuts? If you kiss me, I’ll turn into a beautiful woman and I’ll be your bride.” He said, “Nah, at my age I’d rather have a talking frog.”
Now, the point of that story is clear. Perspective is important! We interpret things from our point of view and our stage in life.
This is certainly true when we read the 23rd Psalm. The 23rd Psalm is one of the most popular and beloved passages in all of scripture. It is prayed and read at more bedsides, funerals, retreats, worship services and hospitals than perhaps any other passage of scripture. It strikes a deep chord within people.
But some of us have had that same point of view of the 23rd Psalm for years and need a fresh look at it. My hope in the next few weeks is that we gain a new perspective of the 23rd Psalm. As we do, I hope we grow deeper in our faith and closer to the Shepherd. After all, the 23rd Psalm begins this way: “The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.”
Right of the bat, this amazing Psalm names our desperate need for a shepherd. David boldly begins “The Lord is my shepherd.” Most of us recite that rather plainly…But for David this was a proud statement “The LORD is my shepherd. You know who my shepherd is??? The LORD! And because the Lord is my Shepherd, my deepest desires, yearnings and hungers have been fulfilled!
The truth is we need a shepherd. Because, believe it or not, we are a lot like sheep. There is a reason why we are compared to sheep in this psalm. Sheep are completely dependent on their shepherd for their survival. Sheep would get lost, abused, and devoured without guidance and protection from the shepherd. Their lives are in the hands of their shepherd.
Like sheep, we desperately need our shepherd.
And so I have question for you today: Do you know the Shepherd?
That’s the central question of the Christian faith. As you read through the New Testament, you see that the critical question of the Christian faith is not, “What denomination are you a part of?” It is not, “Do you believe in the virgin birth?” The central question is not, “What is your theological position of said issue.” The central question of the Christian faith is, “Do you know the Shepherd?”
Folks, when I preach, I’m not trying to perpetuate a political view. I’m not promoting a religion, a theological perspective, or doctrine. When I preach, I am lifting up our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as the help and hope of the world. That is my job.
Today I want to share the most compelling reasons why we need the Shepherd.
We Need a Shepherd Because We Need Strength for Living
What do we do when crisis hits and we are devastated? What do we do when we get that phone call in the middle of the night that rocks our world? What do we do when the doctor calls and gives us test results? What do we do when we make a bad decision and find ourselves in the dark feeling helpless and hopeless? We do the only thing that will give us the comfort and strength we need. We call on the Shepherd.
Some of you remember the old epic movie “Ben Hur” starring Charleton Heston. During the filming of the movie Heston had trouble learning to drive a chariot. He practiced and practiced but did not feel very confident about it. He told the director, “I think I can drive the chariot but I am not sure I can win the race.”
The director replied, “You just stay in the chariot and I will make sure you win the race.”
Life is a lot like struggling to drive a chariot through overwhelming obstacles. Raising teenagers, confronting marital problems, suffering financial difficulties and health concerns can sap our energy and take away our hope and joy. How do we overcome? The secret is to stay in our chariot and trust our Shepherd with all of our fears, worries and concerns.
Our Lord will never disappoint. He will never fail us. He is forever faithful. He is in control and will see to it that evil and darkness never prevails. He will give us strength for living.
A preacher friend of mine recalls when he was in seminary and his favorite professor received the news that his only son had been killed in a car accident. The professor immediately left the classroom, got into his car, and drove to the city where his son lived.
A month went by and no one had heard from the professor. Obviously, everyone was concerned and feared he had fallen apart.
Then one morning during a chapel service he slipped in the back door and participated in the service. When the service concluded he stood before the faculty and students and said, “I am here to tell you that I have been to the bottom, the very bottom…” He paused for a second and then said, “But I am also here to tell you that the bottom is solid…very, very solid.”
We need a shepherd because no matter how deep we go into darkness, no matter how far we fall, the grace and strength of the shepherd will always be underneath you and it’s solid, very, very solid.
We Need a Shepherd Because We Need a Savior
In John 10:11 we see that Jesus knew the 23rd Psalm for he said “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
Like sheep, we are vulnerable and can’t save ourselves. Between the predator of sin and our own stubbornness and fear, we are without hope without a shepherd. We like to hide this truth or dress it up but if we are ever going to live with freedom and joy, we have to be honest about it.
A preacher I know used to own a farm in the hills of Tennessee. One day he took a drink from his spring and it tasted terrible. He knew something was wrong. So he went to the spring house, dug up all the weeds and cleared away all the trash. He even painted the outside of the spring house. It looked better but the water still tasted awful.
Finally, he called a repairman who was able to reach down to the very bottom of the well. There he found the source of the problem. It was a decaying carcass of a huge bullfrog that had fallen into the well. That’s what was ruining the taste of the water.
The point of the story is that it doesn’t matter how much you clean up the spring house, until you get the bullfrog out of the well, you have not solved your problem.
Many people think that by just dealing with the surface issues of life they can solve their problems and find peace and joy. If they buy new clothes, a new car, a new house that it will make them feel better. If they find a new relationship or job, they will feel whole. But it never works. You see, life stinks until we find the real cause of our problem.
Our real problem is at the very bottom of the human soul. It pollutes the flow of life, joy, and wholeness. It is sin. Nothing to be ashamed of. We all sin and we all are broken and lost. And what that means is that we can’t fix it ourselves. That’s why we need a Savior!
Roy Lessin said:
If our greatest need had been information,
God would have sent us an educator.
If our greatest need had been technology,
God would have sent us a scientist.
If our greatest need had been money,
God would have sent us an economist.
If our greatest need had been pleasure,
God would have sent us an entertainer.
But our greatest need was forgiveness,
so God sent us a Savior.
We need a shepherd because we need strength. We also need a shepherd because we need a savior.
We Need a Shepherd Because We Need the Shepherd’s Love
I have been a pastor for about 30 years and after listening to people from all walks of life I have come to the simple conclusion that what people really need is love. People don’t need criticism or five cent advice. People desperately need love. People need the unconditional love of the shepherd. People need the light of compassion and mercy to shine in their darkness and make them whole again.
Many years ago mules were used in coal mines to pull cars of coal from one part of the mine to the other. The mules were stabled underground and spent all of their time there. The miners discovered that if the mules were not taken up into the sunlight at least once a week, they went blind. They needed regular exposure to light to retain their vision.
The world can be a cruel and dark place. It can distort our lives. Like a progressive cataract, the dark and hateful experiences of life can cause us to go blind without noticing it. Our lives can go into a downward spiral. We don’t see our worth. We don’t see how much we are loved. We don’t see the wonderful blessings of God. We don’t see God’s plan for our lives. We don’t recognize God’s mercy.
But there is one who is always there to love us back to life. There is one who can restore our sight. There is one who can overcome our darkness. There is one whose love will never leave us. I am talking about the love of the shepherd. The love of the shepherd is always there to embrace us. We just have to open our hearts to it. We just have to turn from the darkness and embrace the shepherd’s light and love.
The love of the shepherd is relentless. When we wander off, he follows us. When we fall down, he picks us up. When we fail, he gives us another chance. When we sin, he forgives. When we betray him, he is waiting for us when we turn back to him. We are never outside the reach of God’s love.
You may be here today and think, “Well, Charley, you don’t know what I have done. You don’t know what I have said.” You are right. I don’t know. But let me tell you what I do know. I know there is nothing you have done that can keep you away from God’s love and God’s desire to bring you home. Jesus did not come for perfect people; he came for those who are falling apart. Jesus says, “You are of infinite worth to me. I love you beyond your imagination.”
It is the love of the Shepherd that all of us are really looking for.
Many of you have heard of U2, the rock band? Many years ago they had a very popular song entitled, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.” Remember that? Here are the words. “I’ve climbed the highest mountain. I’ve run through the fields. I have run, I have crawled, I have scaled these city walls, but I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.”
Does that describe you today? You know, Augustine said it best. “There is a God-shaped void in all of us that only God can fill.” Money can’t fill it. Escapades can’t fill it. Pleasure can’t fill it. Success will never fill it. Trophies will never fill it. Awards will never fill it.
Only the Shepherd will fill that void. There is no golf score low enough. There is no action movie exciting enough. There is nothing so awesome in life that compares with the love of the Shepherd who fulfills that void. Will you embrace the Shepherd’s love today?
Maybe you are thinking, “I’ve tried religion before. It doesn’t work.” You’re right it doesn’t. Religion is a trap. Religion is about getting a set of rules, getting a list of rules of obligations, and checking them off. “I’m not gonna cuss. I’m not gonna tell dirty jokes. I’m not gonna drink. I’m gonna throw money in the offering plate. I’m gonna hold the door. I’m not gonna scream at my friend. I’m gonna show up on Sundays.”
Religion is thinking that the more we check off these things, check, check, check, check, then life will somehow find meaning.” Then we are devastated when we discover that there is no meaning in that. It’s exhausting and always leads to disappointment because we will always fail. You know anybody like that? They don’t show up to church anymore. They used to go, but not anymore. Why? Because they didn’t find any power in checking off a list. It never occurred to them that all the power and the love and the encouragement they desire and need comes from a love relationship with the Shepherd.
Is that you today?
Or maybe what’s holding you back from embracing the love of the Shepherd are unanswered questions. “I can’t become a Christian. I can’t join the church until all my questions are answered.” Let me let you in on a little secret. We come to the faith heart first, not head first. There’s something you can only understand with the heart. Also, this side of heaven will never have all of our questions answered. You think I have all the answers? No. God’s going to be really busy when I die and go to heaven, answering all my questions.
I still have doubts. I still have questions. That’s not the point. Becoming a Christian and following the Shepherd doesn’t mean giving intellectual assent to all points of doctrine. It means surrendering to and embracing the love and the grace of the Shepherd. All the learning will come later. What’s holding you back?
Do you know the Shepherd? Do you want to know the Shepherd? You can today. That is what Holy Communion is all about. Come and find strength. Come and find forgiveness. Come and find love and hope and peace. Come, the Shepherd is here, waiting to embrace you