Walking With the Shepherd
By Pastor Jim May
Hasn’t God been good to us! To sit back and just see the hand of God as He has so graciously moved on our behalf has been such a blessing. Who can doubt that the windows of Heaven have been opened and the blessings of God have been poured out on this church and upon this small body of Believers? Surely we are a blessed people this morning.
The church has been blessed, but then so has each of us individually. Though some may be going through some hard times physically, we must still confess that God is a good God.
Every one of us can identify with King David as he sings this song of praise in the 23rd Psalms. Is there any doubt that you are one of God’s sheep? Is there any doubt that He is your Great Shepherd?
Psalms 23:1, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."
A little over a year ago, God began to make some real changes on behalf of our church. I am convinced that if change is to happen to the church then it must begin with the Pastor and that’s exactly what happened.
It never ceases to amaze me how we pray and seek God for certain things and then when God begins to bring those things to pass, we tend to wonder just what God is doing and why things happen the way that they do.
For several years I had felt that God wanted to bring Victory Temple into a greater walk with Him. We were a bunch of sheep that had fallen into a rut that we couldn’t seem to break out of. We had gotten into some really green pastures where God’s Spirit was with us, the waters of life were still, we were being fed and all of our needs were met, so we just decided to stay right there for a while.
Meanwhile, the Great Shepherd is calling us to move on. You see, we are sheep and God loves us very much. He gives us everything we could want for. But, as sheep, we aren’t here just to receive the blessings of God and sit and enjoy them. We have a purpose in the plan of God.
Are you in want for anything this morning? I know that we live in a world of discontentment. People always “want” something. Jason Lehman wrote a poem that says it this way:
It was spring. But it was summer I wanted - The warm days, & the great outdoors.
It was summer. But it was fall I wanted - The colorful leaves, & the cool, dry air.
It was fall. But it was winter I wanted - The beautiful snow, & the joy of the holiday season.
It was winter. But it was spring I wanted - The warmth, & the blossoming of nature.
I was a child. But it was adulthood I wanted - The freedom, & the respect.
I was 20. But it was 30 I wanted - To be mature, & sophisticated.
I was middle-aged. But it was 20 I wanted - The youth, & the free spirit.
I was retired. But it was middle-age I wanted - The presence of mind, without limitations.
Then my life was over, & I never got what I wanted.
People always want what they don’t have, and then they don’t really want what they get when they get it. We are never satisfied with anything for very long.
But this isn’t the “want” that David wasn’t talking about. David was the King of Israel, and as king he could have anything that he wanted of this world’s goods. But the things that he is talking about in the 23rd Psalms aren’t what he could go out and get for himself but those things that he needs that can only come from God.
You can work hard, earn your money and then go out and buy possessions. You can buy food, clothing, cars, and homes or just about anything you need. It may not be the top of the line or the king of the crop, but it’s sufficient to meet your need.
But what can’t money buy? It can’t buy health – the physical ability to work and earn your wages. It can’t buy life itself – all the money in the world can’t purchase one breath when life is over. It can’t buy peace – America has tried that for centuries now and still there is no peace. It can’t buy satisfaction – the more we have, the more we want, and the more we worry about what we have. It can’t buy true love because true love isn’t for sale. It can’t buy the things we want most.
Take the case of Anna Nicole Smith. Here was a young woman who had it all. Beauty, fame, wealth and men lined up at her door to be her companion. But I wonder if she ever really had one moment of peace? I believe there was a source of true love in her life, but it wasn’t found in her mother; it wasn’t found in her many suitors and it wasn’t found in her millions in the bank, or in her mansions. Her only true love was found in the person of her son. It’s obvious that this is true since her will excluded everyone else, even her newborn baby, though it could be that she just never had the chance to include the baby before she died.
What a sad commentary on the life she lived when its not about how she changed the world or made a difference in the lives of other people, but its all about, “Who is the father of the baby still living”, and “who is entitled to inherit what she left behind”? She was never at peace with herself, and the turmoil that is in the magnifying glass of the media is only a result of the turmoil of how she lived.
Where she is right now God can only say for sure, but if her life, and the fruits of her life are any indication, I’d have to say that she never really got what she really wanted and never will.
As we follow the Great Shepherd, it is His responsibility to supply our wants.
Psalms 23:2, "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters."
We here at Victory Temple, and most of us, as individual “sheep” in the Lord’s house were lying in some truly green pastures. It’s so easy to just slip into that comfort zone and become satisfied. Why move when everything seems so good right where we are?
But let me tell you a few things about sheep. Sheep are some really dumb animals when you get down to it. Unless their shepherd makes them move on, sheep will actually ruin a pasture, eating every blade of grass, until finally a fertile pasture is nothing but barren soil. Sheep are near-sighted & very stubborn, but easily frightened. An entire flock can be stampeded by a jack rabbit.
They have little means of defense. They’re timid, feeble creatures. Their only recourse is to run if no shepherd is there to protect them. Sheep have no homing instincts. A dog, horse, cat, or a bird can find its way home, but when a sheep gets lost, it’s a goner unless someone rescues it.
I don’t know about you, but for the last year I’ve felt that we had hit a real dry spell in the church. While I knew that God was with us, and I knew that we still doing the will of God, it just seemed that something was missing. I can see now that what we were doing is just devouring the blessings but not much was being given back. Do you know what happens to a sheep that isn’t productive? Have you ever heard of lamp chops?
So what did the Great Shepherd do? He began to “stir the waters”. Things began to transpire that would take us out of those green pastures and out of that comfort zone. I hope and pray that we never have to be stirred in that manner again and that we keep our “missionary spirit” alive, reaching out to the community like we’ve never done before.
Psalms 23:3, "He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake."
That’s what God has been doing all along. He saved us, filled us with the Holy Ghost, gave us faith and helped us to trust in Him and then He began to lead us into paths of righteousness that some of us, and maybe none of us, had ever walked before. I can truly say that about my own walk. God is expanding my vision, pushing me toward a new horizon, and leading me into doing things and going places that I have never been before.
The past 14 months have been some of the most faith-building, and trust-building times that I have ever faced. True enough, there have been a few times when doubt or frustration may have tried to arise, but through the grace of God they were overcome.
There were times when I wondered if I had missed God. There were times when I even wondered if Victory Temple was going to continue as a church at all. But God is faithful and we are still here, and I might add, stronger than we have ever been.
Those of us who have been here through it all together have literally been through the fire and refined into fine gold that will be able to bring honor to the Kingdom of God. Where other churches may have failed, God has helped us to thrive. Where other congregations may have scattered to the winds or fallen by the wayside, this body of Believers has been held together by the glue of faith and God has brought us through it all with a great deliverance and with victory in Christ.
And not only have we been molded together, but God has seen fit to add to our numbers some new members. Though we may not be “exploding at the seams” with people, yet we have increased in the midst of the storm. And now I believe that the storm is subsiding. I believe that Jesus has said, “Peace be still” and I can sense that the winds of adversity are lessening and the waves that seemed to be so tall are coming down. The storm is nearly over. Just a few more breezes; a few more waves; and we will see a little smooth sailing once again. Not that all will be perfect, but we will be in those green pastures once again.
The Great Shepherd has led us through the dry desert, the hot sun, and the raging waters. Now the green pasture lies just ahead, and I believe that we are headed for a time now when God is really going to bless Victory Temple like we have never seen before. I’m looking forward with great anticipation to see what God is about to do for us.
Psalms 23:4, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."
Surely we have walked through the valley of the shadow of death. In the dark days when we in confusion as to what to do next, or where to go from here, we were in the valley. When we looked around to find a home and everything was out of range for what we could afford, I wondered a few times, “God, we can’t survive as a church at those prices, and the alternatives of a weekly room rental, or having church in a home, or in a tent, weren’t very feasible either.” Where do we go from here? Yet all the while, the Shepherd is leading. He has a vision of where we are going that we still can’t fully see.
I have to say that it is great to see that none of the sheep have lost faith. None of you threw up your hands in frustration and walked away. Oh yes, we saw a few people go during the past few months, but I know how people are, and they would probably have gone no matter what happened. That’s in God’s hands. They have chosen to join another fold and so we say, Lord bless them, and move on.
David says in that he feared no evil in the valley even though death stalked him like a shadow.
I can say that though death stalked Victory Temple, we were never in any real danger. For God has promised that evil will never prevail. We are His people; His church and His responsibility, and He will never let us fail. With the “rod”, representing his power and control, and His “staff” representing His provision and supplying of every need, the Great Shepherd has seen us through it all. That faith in the sustaining, keeping, controlling and providing power of the Great Shepherd has been our source of comfort all along, and it will never go away, even when this storm is past, and another may begin.
Psalms 23:5-6, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever."
We can certainly identify with David here. It wasn’t the enemies of men that we faced, but spiritual enemies from the supernatural realms. Satan’s attacks on our church were very real. His intentions were to burn us out of business and to close the doors of the church forever. He wanted to destroy this ministry and ruin our reputation as a church. He wanted to scatter the sheep and stop the preaching of God’s Word. He wanted to destroy the altar where souls are going to be saved and stop the voices that will be raised in praise and worship of Almighty God – BUT HE HAS FAILED!
In the midst of the battle, God sent us some wonderful people – people who weren’t even a part of our church – and used them to supply our need. We could never thank them enough. We never missed a “feast” as my grand-daughter calls them. I don’t think that there has been a service where we haven’t had something to eat or drink around the Lord’s Table before or after services.
Not only has God been good to us at his table where we eat and drink of food and water, but we have had some great moves of the Spirit. God has truly supplied our every need.
Today our cup is running over. It has been simply amazing to see how much God has done for us.
After all that has happened in the past year, we can surely say that “Goodness” and “Mercy” have followed us, and will continue to follow us into the future.
God has established his church. He is leading us onward. He is making our way. He is opening doors and supplying needs. Though each day will bring new challenges, we have learned that the Great Shepherd is leading the way and nothing can stop us. God is working all things out to our good, even though we sometimes can’t see it or understand how.
By faith we know that the Great Shepherd will never fail. We will dwell in the House of the Lord forever. We are truly a blessed people.
Some of you here today may not know the Great Shepherd that I have been talking about. You don’t know the peace, joy and love that only He can give.
Let me give you a personal invitation right now to come and meet Jesus, our Great Shepherd. He loves you too, and He is always so willing and happy to receive anyone who would choose to join his family.
If you don’t know Jesus, will you come and give your heart and life to Him and then allow Him to lead you and guide you? We will welcome you into our family with open arms and all of Heaven will break forth in shouts of praise and joy at your coming. Will you come?
