Church can be hard sometimes. There’s this old cliché that says, “if you ever find a perfect church, don’t go there or you’ll mess it up!” People are not perfect and ever since the beginning, there have been problems with all the people in church. It almost makes you wonder if it’s worth it! But God’s Word tells us that not only is the church worth it, it’s the body of Christ Himself!

Have you ever eaten at a really, really nice restaurant? One of those 5-star places with multiple waiters who take care of every need even before you know you need it? It’s quite an impressive experience! In verse 5 of Psalm 23, the language David uses is similar to that type of experience. He talks about sitting down at a table with the Lord and in that picture, we see so much about who God is and how He sees us!

Psalm 23 ends with one of the Bible's greatest declarations of confidence: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." Yet those words were written by a man who knew betrayal, suffering, fear, and loss. So where did his confidence come from? This week we'll discover that God's goodness isn't the promise of an easy life, but the assurance that our faithful Shepherd never stops guiding, providing, and protecting His people.

Have you ever eaten at a really, really nice restaurant? One of those 5-star places with multiple waiters who take care of every need even before you know you need it? It’s quite an impressive experience! In verse 5 of Psalm 23, the language David uses is similar to that type of experience. He talks about sitting down at a table with the Lord and in that picture, we see so much about who God is and how He sees us!

When most people think of shepherds, they think of something like a Precious Moments figurine. They envision placid, kind, gentle-looking young people dressed in pastel blue, carrying a question mark-shaped walking stick. It’s a very sweet picture, but it’s wildly inaccurate! In the hands of an ancient shepherd, they carried a rod and a staff. Instruments of protection and correction, guidance and provision. Psalm 23 uses this language to teach us something powerful about the Lord.

Have you ever seen the Tom Hanks movie “Cast Away?” it’s a fascinating look at what happens to a person when they are completely, utterly alone. There is a Harvard study that says loneliness is not just unfortunate, it’s actually deadly! It’s as deadly as smoking or alcoholism. So, when we get to Psalm 23:4 the promise that “God is WITH us,” no matter what, is more than just a heartwarming platitude. It’s life and death!

Have you ever seen the movie The Princess Bride? There’s this iconic line in that movie where the main character says “Life is pain, highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.” None of us want pain in this life, especially if we’re believers. We want everything to be puppy dogs and rainbows but that’s not real life, is it? What if, when those tough things happen, we saw it not as punishment but as refinement? What if God intentionally takes us through hard things as a way to shepherd us? What might the lesson be?

We are all called to ministry. We all have gifts and talents and we are to use those gifts and talents to serve others. Some are called to lead others as they minister and are used by God to help shepherd the flock. Every once in a while, God calls some above and beyond. Not just to shepherd, but to earn their living from the work of shepherding the flock of God. Today we ordain Matt McGrew to full-time Gospel ministry as one of God’s chosen shepherds.

I think it’s easy to say that humans are busier now than we’ve ever been. Even with all the modern conveniences that promise to help us have more time, we seem to have less time than ever. Psalm 23 promises us something different. It promises rest and peace and freedom but to find it, we must walk the path laid out for us by Christ and that’s a choice we have to make!

As we continue to unpack Psalm 23, there’s this crazy thing that David says in verse 1. It goes like this – “The Lord is my shepherd, I SHALL NOT WANT.” Really? You shall not want? Everyone wants all the time! Is David just a superhero Christian or is there something else God is trying to teach us in this famous passage?