Nathaniel R. Martin

Our Shepherd: Psalm 23:1-3

No image in Scripture has haunted me more than the image of a shepherd. It is haunting because the image is often used negatively throughout the Bible. The Lord indicts the leaders of Israel for being self-serving, rather than feeding the sheep they feed themselves. 

Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. (Eze 34:2–5)

Passages like this remind pastors of the gravity of their tasks. Pastors are called to lead, protect, and provide for the sheep. 

After I walk through the valley of the hauting rebukes of these unfaithful shepherds, I see light breaking in on the horizon. The shepherd image offers a comfort that shines so brightly, the darkness cannot overcome it. God himself becomes our shepherd and does so most intimately in Jesus Christ. 

The rebukes of the shepherds in Ezekiel 34 are followed by the promise that God himself will become the shepherd using language filled with messianic hope and expectation. 

15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice. (Eze 34:15–16)

And listen carefully to verses 23-24 which remind us that there is one shepherd whom God will set up over us. 

23 And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken. (Eze 34:23–24)

There is hardly a better passage to contemplate the Lord as a shepherd for his people than Psalm 23. It is a royal Psalm of David, who was once a shepherd of sheep before being called to shepherd the people of Israel. In its verses we are led to the green pastures and still waters found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  In the next few posts, I’ll try and wring as much edifying truth as I can out of these verses. Today, I’ll reflect on verses 1-3, verse 4 next and conclude with verses 5-6.  For now, I want us to see that the Lord is our shepherd who provides for our needs and guides our souls to rest, refreshment, and righteousness.

I.) The Lord provides for His sheep (23:1)

  1. The Lord provides because we are his sheep: The Lord is my shepherd (Ps 23:1)

Notice how David speaks of God as his shepherd in a personal and intimate way. God is not a shepherd generally, but particularly. He has a flock and the flock is cared for by God who is their shepherd. This is why the Psalms also employ the shepherd image corporately, but no less intimately. Consider the corporate language of Psalm 100.

We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture (Ps 100:3)

This thought alone is worthy of our reflection, gratitude, and praise. The God who created all things by the Word of his power, who sustains all things by his sovereign hand so cares for his people, the church, that he uses the image of a shepherd,so we might know the personal and intimate way he leads us. 

“What condescension is this, that the infinite Lord assumes toward his people the office and character of a shepherd! It should be the subject of grateful admiration that the great God allows himself to be compared to anything which will set forth his great love and care for his own people.”- Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

This, of course, should lead to a question. Can you speak of God in this intimate way? God is only the shepherd of those who have humbled themselves in absolute dependence upon the Lord. God is only the shepherd of those who have embraced their weakness, and who know they need to be led, provided for, and protected. 

This humble act of dependence is faith in Jesus Christ, who is the good shepherd. 

9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (Jn 10:9–11)

All of the benefits in Psalm 23 depend on whether you have humbled yourself and placed your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Spirit through the Psalmist is proclaiming to us the grace of God in Jesus Christ, calling any who have not to repented of their sin to trust in the Lord, finding rest in the God who will become a shepherd in Jesus Christ. 

  1. The Lord provides so that we shall not want: I shall not want (Ps. 23:1) 

As our shepherd, the Lord provides for all that we need. As a shepherd meets the needs of sheep—providing food and whatever else is necessary, so the Lord provides what his people need, so that they are not in want. This does not mean that we will always have whatever we want, but that we shall not want. When the Lord is your shepherd, life circumstances don’t determine your safety and security. 

Those who depend on the Lord as their shepherd can say with Paul, 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Php 4:12–13)

So, whatever season of life you’re entering, let me encourage you: don’t fear the uncertainty or be anxious about tomorrow. The one who feeds the birds of the air and clothes the Lilies of the field is providing for you as a shepherd. 

On a more personal and individual level, some of you need to hear that although you don’t have everything you wish for, you shall not want. How often does the devil tempt us toward ingratitude and discontentment because he convinces us that we deserve all that we wish for? 

This text offers an opportunity to reflect on God’s goodness and provision for you. Yes, there are material blessings, but more than that, there are spiritual blessings in Christ: the forgiveness of sin, fellowship with the saints, and a future inheritance that awaits us in heaven. As God’s people, we shall not want. All of this provision by God should lead us to ponder his goodness and praise his name. 

II.) The Lord guides His sheep (23:2-3) 

  1. The Lord’s guidance leads to rest: He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. (Ps 23:2) 

A good shepherd knows where to lead his sheep so they can safely rest and enjoy the lush pasture. The image we are given is a green pasture covered in fresh vegetation that has grown after good rain. 

To be sure, there is an aspect here of material provision: food, comfort, and security. But there is most certainly a spiritual significance to this image. Those who have placed their faith in Christ rest spiritually while being guided by their shepherd.

The gospel of John equates this pasture to the abundant life that comes in Jesus Christ.  9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture….I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (Jn 10:9–10)

We experience God’s guidance to green pastures through the ordinary means of grace: the Word of God, prayer, and the ordinances. Through these means God again and again makes us lie down in the green pastures of the gospel. We hear and we see the grace of God in Jesus Christ. We are led to rest from our works and rest in the finished work of Christ. We are led to rest from our anxiety and rest in God’s care for us. 

We could spend all morning parsing out how God leads us to green pastures through the ordinary means of grace, but let’s consider just prayer for a moment. 

6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Php 4:6–7)

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Pe 5:6–7)

These are not empty promises. Rest is found in the good shepherd who leads you to the green pastures of the gospel. 

We should be concerned about the state of our souls when we seek rest in the things we know will fail to provide it. Perhaps during busy seasons of life and stress, you find yourself scrolling through social media an unhealthy amount. Perhaps you find yourself streaming show after show. Maybe you think spending money can offer rest and comfort. We can do this in many different ways: overeating, excessive drinking, etc. 

When we find ourselves in these unhealthy patterns, we’ve taken our eyes off the shepherd’s lead and begun to wander off on our own way. What we are doing is foolishly trying to find rest in “pastures” of our own making. Christ leads us on a better path.

Notice what happens when we are led by the Lord to rest. He restores our soul.

  1. The Lord’s guidance restores the soul: He restores my soul. (Ps 23:3)

Again the words of Spurgeon are too good not to share, “When the soul grows sorrowful he revives it; when it is sinful he sanctifies it; when it is weak he strengthens it.”

I am willing to bet some of you are sorrowful as you read this. Others of you are broken because of repeated temptation and sin. Many of you are weak emotionally, spiritually, and maybe even physically. Perhaps you’re carying more than you’re able to share with a church member or friend.

When we gather on the Lord’s day we are to attune our hearts and minds to God our shepherd who in Jesus Christ by His Spirit will restore our souls as we follow him. We are to be reminded of the gospel of grace, the promise of the indwelling Spirit, and the hope of Christ’s return. All of these truths offer comfort for those in sorrow, forgiveness for those who have fallen, and strength for those not sure they can continue to stand. 

Listen to the voice of your shepherd and believe he is the God of all comfort and Father of mercies. Confess your sin and believe that he is faithful and just to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Believe that you are weak and that the grace of God is sufficient for you today. 

  1. The Lord’s guidance leads to righteousness: He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. (Ps 23:3)

The rest and restoration that God provides lead us in paths of righteousness. God restores our souls not so we’ll keep sinning or be apathetic toward his holiness but so that we’ll live righteously before him and before the world. The righteousness mentioned here is the standard of God’s covenant, which reflects God’s righteous character. 

In the Wisdom literature of the Bible, there are two paths that one might walk. One path leads to life and the other leads to death. When the Proverbs personifies Lady Folly we read in Proverbs 5, her steps follow the path to Sheol; she does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it. (Pr 5:5–6)

The early Christians reflected on this in one of the earliest Christian writings called the Didache. The opening verse reads, There are two Ways: a Way of Life and a Way of Death, and the difference between these two Ways is great. (Didache 1:1) 

The Lord shepherds us by leading us into the path of righteousness, which is the way of life. His Word reveals his character and his character is righteous. We are to walk in righteousness so that we might live. 

The ultimate way that God leads us to paths of righteousness is to lead us to Jesus Christ, who is the righteous one. No matter how much righteous law we hear, we turn our ears, go our own way, and so have no righteousness of our own. The good news of the gospel is that we may be found righteous in Christ Jesus whose perfect obedience to the law is attributed to us through faith. 

21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Co 5:21)

For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith (Php 3:8–9)

It is the person who has been led by God to Jesus Christ who truly learns the paths of righteousness. After we are justified, we are, with the help of the Spirit, transformed into the image of Christ and less like our old self in Adam. We are sanctified and grow ever more to become what God has declared that we are—righteous. 

What are you looking to for rest? Think about the habits and patterns of your life. How much of your pursuit of rest can be described as mindless, a distraction, or the pursuit of pleasure? Can your Christian life and the way you worship be characterized by the language of green pastures and still waters? Are you always in motion and never still? Are you always speaking and never silent? 

The Lord is our shepherd who provides for our needs and guides our souls to rest, refreshment, and righteousness.

Praise be to God.

Nathaniel R. Martin

The Joy-Filled Christian Life: Philippians 1:12-26

Sermon Idea: The joy-filled Christian life trusts that God works in us to advance the gospel and for our progress in the faith. 

Introduction: C.T. Studd was a renowned cricket player in England, the best of his time. He was the son of a wealthy father and inherited a large inheritance upon his father’s death. His story is not one of fame or fortune but of forsaking both. 

Studd gave away a large inheritance and became a missionary to China with the China Inland Mission in 1885. According to the Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions, this decision “caused a sensation in the public press.” Except for some breaks because of health reasons, Studd would spend his life committed to foreign missions, first in China and then in Africa, until he died in 1931. Part of his legacy is a poem with a famous refrain. I want to read a portion of this poem to you, and I would be grateful if you could listen to the refrain at the end of each stanza. 

Only one life, yes only one,

Soon will its fleeting hours be done;

Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,

And stand before His Judgement seat;

Only one life,’twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep,

In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;

Faithful and true what e’er the strife,

Pleasing Thee in my daily life;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,

Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;

And when at last I’ll hear the call,

I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;

Only one life,’twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last. 

Studd’s life and this famous poem testify to a single devotion: Christ is all of life, and all of life is for Christ.

We can say this and more about the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:12-26. As Paul provides an update about his circumstances, he sums up how he understands his entire Christian life in two verses. 

12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel… (Php 1:12)

25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith (Php 1:25)

The word “advance” in verse 12 and the word “progress” in verse 25 are the same, just translated differently to better fit the context. 

Paul sums up his whole life in two ways: the advance of the gospel, and the progress of Christians in the faith.

This is why one of my former professors, Andy Davis, speaks of the Christian life as two journeys: the inward journey of sanctification and the outward journey of gospel advancement. We are to grow more like Christ and to proclaim Christ to the glory and praise of God. 

These ways, Paul tells us, are the way of joy. Paul knows joy in all circumstances because his life is Christ and all his life is considered in light of Christ.  

So this morning I want us to learn from Paul about the joy-filled Christian life. 

I want us to see that the joy-filled Christian life trusts that God works in us to advance the gospel and for our progress in the faith.

I.) God works in us to advance the gospel (Phil. 1:12-18) 

Verses 12-26 are essentially an update about Paul’s missionary efforts, much like we would hope to receive from missionaries that we support. He wants the Philippians to know that God is still at work even through his imprisonment. Their partnership and friendship are still needed. 

There is one encouraging update that Paul wants to give the Philippians: his imprisonment has served to advance the gospel, and he provides two means of testimony to support this. 

The first testimony Paul gives is that the gospel has advanced so much, that even the imperial guard and many others have come to learn that Paul is imprisoned for Christ.

12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. (Php 1:12–13)

In Rome, where Paul is likely imprisoned, those held were done so as they awaited a trial or waited to be executed. Paul doesn’t share the details of his imprisonment, but we know that he was chained. The phrase “my imprisonment” is literally “my chains,” as the NIV and NKJV translate it. Whatever the details, it was not a pleasant experience. It was one of suffering, and it was suffering in chains. 

Paul would likely have been chained to a rotation of guards who changed shifts every four hours. This would provide Paul with numerous opportunities to share the reason for his imprisonment, the gospel of Jesus Christ. So words begin to get around, and that word is about Christ. 

Not only did these chains not stop the gospel, but Paul’s chains became the means for the gospel’s advancement, even among the imperial guard, which was an elite group of troops who were like special bodyguards for Ceasar. 

The second form of testimony is found in verse 14. Many people have been inspired toward greater confidence and faithfulness in preaching the gospel. 

14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. (Php 1:14)

It is not that these brothers were excited about imprisonment and suffering, but saw firsthand what God was doing through Paul’s suffering in chains and it was God’s work in this situation that made them confident in the Lord, and so they began to preach Christ boldly without fear. 

God has used Paul’s imprisonment as a servant for gospel advancement. The chains of Paul become a means to accomplish God’s purposes. 

There is nothing that a government can do foreign or domestic to subvert, silence, or stop the advancement of God’s Word in the gospel. Paul’s testimony in Philippians reminds me of God’s promise in Isaiah 55 about his Word and purpose. 

10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, 

giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Is 55:10–11)

The gospel’s advancement is not only one way Paul understands his life purpose and current circumstances; it is a source of joy. Even when Paul reports that some are preaching with poor motives, Paul’s focus is rejoicing that Christ is being proclaimed. 

15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. (Php 1:15–18)

A lot of ink has been spilled in an attempt to understand the nature of this division. Are these two factions of one larger group of true brothers and sisters in the Lord? Or are these two different groups? What matters most though is not the historical background, but Paul’s perspective. 

Paul’s life is of such singular devotion that he rejoices in the proclamation of Christ no matter the motive.

So, if God works through Paul’s imprisonment and works in others to advance the gospel, how might we reflect on God’s providence in our own lives so that the gospel might advance through our lives? 

How has God providentially ordered your life? What neighborhood do you live in? What vocation do you have? What recreation spaces do you find yourself in? Who are the people that God has brought close to you? 

If Paul can view his suffering and imprisonment as a means for gospel advancement, why can’t we view our regular lives that way? 

Who has God brought close to you? Have you considered that God might be preparing someone for salvation by bringing them near to you? 

If you want to rob yourself of joy in this life, view all of your circumstances apart from God’s providence and apart from the purpose of advancing the gospel. 

Your job is not a cosmic accident. God was not careless when your realtor found your house. Your networks of recreation—sports, dance, outdoors, etc— are not meaningless extracurricular activities. 

In the words of a dear friend of mine, God has you where has you to advance the gospel through you. 

A really practical way to respond is to start thinking about the people in those areas of your life. Write down one person in your neighborhood whom you can pray for, get to know, and befriend. Do the same for your job, your recreation space, etc. 

What might happen if we all thought about our regular lives in light of God’s providence to advance the gospel? 

Paul’s joy is not only in the gospel’s advance but in the truth that Christ is his life. Paul’s life is for Christ, for the progress and joy of others in the faith. His life is Christ, so that even in death he gains more of Christ. 

Let’s look at the end of verse 18 and see that God works in us for our progress and joy in the faith. 

II.) God works in us for our progress and joy in the faith (Phil. 1:18-26) 

Paul is confident that he will ultimately be saved or delivered despite his suffering. Now, Paul might be convinced that he will soon be released from prison, and that makes sense because he expresses his hope to revisit Philippi in verse 26, “so that in my you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.” 

He may be convinced of this, but he is confident in much more than this. He is confident that he will be saved and delivered no matter what happens to him. 

Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Php 1:18–21)

If he is executed for preaching Christ, he will share in the suffering of Christ in his body but will be saved through prayer and the help of the Spirit. Paul isn’t going to compromise, he isn’t going to fall away, he isn’t going stop preaching Christ. He will honor Christ in his body even in death. And if he dies, he will die in Christ and live forever in the presence of Christ.

Last week, I introduced the sermon with a question from the Heidelberg Catechism. The most famous question of that Catechism is the first one. It fits our text perfectly and is simply too rich not to share.  

Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death?

A. That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul,

in life and in death—to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

Finding comfort in these glorious truths, memorized by Christians for hundreds of years is only possible by someone who believes what Paul has written in verses 20-21. 

as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

The deliverance that Paul is confident of his salvation in Christ Jesus by God’s grace, a salvation that will be fully realized in glory. Salvation in Christ is the only way death becomes gain! 

Paul believes that death is gain, but we must not miss what it means to live as Christ.

22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. (Php 1:22–23)

All of Paul’s life is for Christ, and so if he continues to live in the flesh, he will fruitfully continue labor. He will preach the gospel, make disciples, plant churches, and strengthen other believers. 

Paul speaks as if he’s hard-pressed between life and death, not because he is suicidal or hoping to die. It’s a rhetorical device that speaks of his life in uncertain terms. Paul may not be released and at worst be executed. Paul may be released and at best continue to be fruitful in ministry. 

By speaking of both with uncertainty, we have to consider equally what both life and death mean for someone who is in Christ. Paul wants us to see death as gain in Christ and life as Christ that consists of fruitful labor in the gospel. 

His love and affection for the Philippians leads him to ultimately say that he desires to pursue their progress and joy in the faith. 

24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. (Php 1:24–26)

Much like God used Paul’s sufferings to advance the gospel, God is going to use Paul’s life toward the progress and joy of the Philippians faith. In the next few weeks, Paul is going to parse out what this progress looks like. To progress in the faith means to live in a manner worthy of the gospel (1:27), to stand firm in one spirit (1:27), and to live in humility, seeking the interest of others over one’s own (2:1-4). 

We will get to that in time, but what I want us to see is that God works in us, often through others, for our progress in the faith. We are meant to grow in our adoration of Christ and into great Christlikeness. 

This is the way of joy! A life that is spiritually stagnant, discontent, and apathetic toward sin will not cultivate joy. 

A joy-filled Christian life progresses in the faith and works toward the progress and joy of other believers. Every Lord’s Day gathering is an opportunity to walk into this building to contribute to another believer’s progress and joy in the faith. 

This is one of the primary drives of my entire life. It is to show myself progressing in the faith and laboring toward the progress and joy of God’s church. Another occurrence of “progress” appears in 1 Timothy, and its use is similar to Philippians 1:25. 

15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Ti 4:15–16)

One of the things God is doing in your life at this very moment is working through the preaching of the Word toward your progress in the faith and toward greater joy in the faith. 

Friends, sin is the path of shame and guilt masquerading as a path toward joy. Our sin patterns are broken cisterns. They’ll never satisfied, and they will never be a source of Joy. 

Believe God and trust His Word. Believe that a life devoted to a single vision is the path to joy.  Christ is our life, and our life is for Christ. 

When we do this, we’ll see our lives as a means of gospel advancement, and we’ll work toward not only our progress and joy but the progress and joy of other believers. This is a life’s purpose worthy of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Only one life,’twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last.