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Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Psalm 23:1

We can have all the things of this world and yet still be dissatisfied in our lives. Wealth, fame, and fortune do not fulfill a longing only God can satisfy.

The secret of satisfaction is found in Psalm 23:1, which says, “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” This short verse is packed full of promises that, when correctly understood, can change our perspectives. We can be satisfied no matter what material wealth we may or may not have.

First, we notice what the Psalmist, David, calls God: The Lord, which translates to “Jehovah.”

Jehovah is the most sacred name, for it claims God as self-existing, having neither a beginning nor an ending.

When we claim God as Jehovah, we speak of His deity. But in the next phrase: “...is my Shepherd,” we speak of His humanity.

Adrian Rogers says, “In the Lord Jesus, we have sovereignty and sympathy, a king and a shepherd. We have a God who is able and a shepherd who is available, a God in the heavens and a shepherd in our hearts.”

In John 10, Jesus is called the Good Shepherd, who will lay down His life for the sheep (v. 11).

But in Hebrews 13, He's called the great shepherd, who rose back to life for the sheep: “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant…” (v. 20)

He died to take care of the penalty of our sin, and He rose again to overthrow the power of our sin. And as the chief shepherd, He will one day take us from the presence of sin. Because He is sovereign, and He is our shepherd, the secret to satisfaction is the Lord, Himself. We must have a personal relationship with Him, as Jesus says in John 10:14: “I know My sheep and My sheep know Me.”

A personal relationship with God means we are eternally secure in Him, permanently His, and protected by His grace.

Apply it to your life

The Lord God is our Shepherd, our provider, our healer, our peace and righteousness; He is the ever-present banner. We will never be satisfied apart from Him. Do you have a personal, permanent, protected relationship with Him?

You know, for many people around the world, the notion of God’s judgment probably sounds like nothing more than science fiction—something that only happens in the movies. Yet, the fact is, God will judge the world. So, the question is, Are you prepared?