06/15/25 – Harrisonburg Campus: The Psalms: I Didn’t Know That: Psalm 23 – Pastor Kevin Griffin

• WELCOME-
• LAST WEEK INVITED YOU TO GIVE
• RICHARD AND DANIEL DUNN- PLANE CRASH
• MONEY WILL GO TOWARDS TEENS WANTING TO ATTEND CAMP/OTHER TEEN ACTIVITIES

WANT TO INVITE YOU TO PAUSE WITH ME TODAY AND PRAY:

• WE HAVE MUCH GOING ON IN OUR COUNTRY
• MUCH GOING ON IN OUR WORLD
• WARS/ PLANE CRASHES
• HOW DOES A PLANE SOLVE/FIX IT? IT DOESN’T

PSALMS SERIES

• PSALMS WRITTEN OVER A PERIOD OF 1000 YEARS
• DAVID WROTE ABOUT HALF
• DAVID WRITER OF TODAYS PSALM
• 150 CHAPTERS LONGEST BOOK
• LONGEST CHAPTER AND SHORTEST CHAPTER
• THIS BOOK IS DIFFERENT- GODS WORD TO US
• THIS BOOK IS OUR WORDS TO HIM
• 70 % OF THE BOOK IS LAMENT
• PSALMS OF LAMENT- FOLLOWED BY PRAISE
• JESUS QUOTES THE PSALMS (2 ON THE CROSS)

PSALM 22:1

“MY GOD MY GOD- WHY HAVE YOU ABANDONED ME? WHY ARE YOU SO FAR FROM HELPING ME, SO FAR AWAY FROM AWAY FROM THE WODS OF MY GROANING.”

10                     JESUS SPEAKING.                                   

 JOHN 10:10

  10. “I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD; I KNOW MY SHEEP AND MY SHEEP KNOW ME-SO I GIVE MY LIFE FOR MY SHEEP.”

 JOHN 10:27

  27. “MY SHEEP LISTEN TO MY VOICE; I KNOW THEM AND THEY FOLLOW ME.”

VIDEO SHEEP

• OVER 500 REFERENCES TO SHEEP AND SHEPHERD

 PSALM 23:1-2

1. THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, I LACK NOTHING. HE MAKES ME LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES, HE LEADS ME BESIDE QUIET WATERS

 PSALM 23:3

• HE REFRESHES MY SOUL. HE GUIDES ME ALONG THE RIGHT PATH FOR HIS NAMES SAKE.

PSALM 23:4

• EVEN THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE DARKEST VALLEY, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL, FOR YOU ARE WITH ME; YOUR ROD AND YOUR STAFF, THEY COMFORT ME.

 PSALM 23:5

   YOU PREPARE A TABLE BEFORE ME IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES. YOU ANOINT MY HEAD WITH OIL; MY CUP OVERFLOWS.

 PSALM 23:6

   6. SURELY GOODNESS AND LOVE (MERCY) WILL FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE, AND I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER.”

• DAVID WRITES THIS AS A SHEPHERD- HE’S LOOKING BACK AT THAT RELATIONSHIP

 PSALM 23:1

1. THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, I LACK NOTHING. (FIRST PERSON)

ITS PERSONAL- DOESN’T SAY HES A SHEPHERD- (MINE)

• HE MAKES ME LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES, HE LEADS ME BESIDE QUIET WATERS,

                              (THIRD PERSON)

 PICTURE OF SHEEP GRAZING

• MIDDLE EAST SHEEP GRAZING/FEEDING
• SHEEP ARE LED- NOT DRIVEN
• SHEPHERD HAS TO GO OUT AND PREPARE BY LOOKING FOR PLACES TO FEED THE SHEEP

 TUFT OF GRASS PICTURE

• MIST AND SPARSE DEW COME OFF 3
• FEW BLADES HERE AND THERE TO FEED ON
• SHEPHERD IS PROVIDER

FLOODING IN THE DESERT

• WHEN IT RAINS- NOT OFTEN- IT POURS –
• FLOODING TAKES PLACE
• CREATES MUD/MIRE

PSALM 40:2

• HE LIFTED ME OUT OF THE PIT OF DESPAIR, OUT OF THE MUD AND MIRE. HE SET MY FEET ON SOLID GROUND AND STEADIED ME AS I

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DAVID LOOKS BACK AS A KING ON BEING A SHEPHERD

I CAN LOOK BACK AND USE COACHING LANGUAGE

 PSALM 23:3

• HE REFRESHES MY SOUL. HE GUIDES ME ALONG THE RIGHT PATH FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE.  (SHEEP DOG)
• GREEK FOR REFRESH RESTORES/BRINGS BACK

 PSALM 23: 4

• EVEN THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE DARKEST VALLEY (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.

LANGUAGE SHIFTS- GOD WALKS INTO THE SCENE

DAVID HAS A DIRECT CONVERSATION WITH HIM

• ACTUAL PLACE CONSIDERED VALLEY OF DEATH
• NOTICE YOU DON’T STAY THERE
• TWO DIFFERENT IMPLEMENTS- ROD AND A STAFF
• STAFF HAD A CROOK/HOOK ON THE END
• REACH DOWN AND RESCUE ANIMALS IN NEED
• THE ROD- THE CLUB HAD SPIKES AT THE END
• MEANT TO FIGHT OFF ANIMALS
• THOSE TWO WEAPONS BROUGHT THE SHEEP COMFORT
• THE LORD IS THE LIFTER OF OUR HEAD
• HE FIGHTS AND IT SAYS THE BATTLE IS THE LORDS

CAN’T HAVE A SHADOW WITHOUT LIGHT

23                                  SUNDAY NIGHT MID JULY     

PICTURE FOOTBALL PLAYER

• 6’8 315  POUND HUMAN
• STANDING IN DOORWAY
• WENT ANYWHERE WITH ROB- NO FEAR
• BURGER KING
• SHEPHERD IS PROTECTOR

HOW MANY GUYS SHEEP TATOO?

PSALM 23:5

• YOU PREPARE A TABLE BEFORE ME IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES. YOU ANOINT MY HEAD WITH OIL; MY CUP OVERFLOWS.
• OIL IS USED FOR MANY THINGS
• CALM THE SHEEP
• KEEP INSECTS OUT
• SNAKE REPELLENT
• OIL SIGN ”YOU ARE WELCOME HERE”
• SO WOULD THE OVERFLOWING CUP
• HE PREPARES A TABLE BEFORE ENEMIES

PSALM 23:6

• SURELY GOODNESS AND LOVE WILL FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAY OF MY LIFE, AND I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER.”

SHEPHERD IS PURSUER

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• YOUNG GIRL- HORSE RIDER- HORSE INJURED
• YOUNG GIRL IS STRUGGLING
• MOM SEES HER FADING- SHE LOVES HER HORSE
• PEOPLE TOLD MOM PUT THE HORSE DOWN
• MOM DECIDES SHES RESCUE AND REACH BOTH

• ON FATHERS DAY
• WE HAVE A GOOD SHEPHERD
• HE SOMETIMES COMES AFTER US
• SOMETIMES WATCHES AND WAITS
• UNDETERED GAZE IN OUR DIRECTION
• WHEN WE TURN IN HIS DIRECTION
• HE LEADS US SAFELY HOME

SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY (LOVE) WILL FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE AND I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER

• PROXIMITY TO THE SHEPHERD= HIS PRESENCE
• MORE I LOVE SHEPHERD- MORE I LOVE THE SHEEP

TATOO