2003.6.15. My Cup Overflows(1) - Rev. Young Jin Cho

"The LORD is My Shepherd"

Psalms 23:1-6

Many people choose Psalms chapter 23 when they are asked to recite words most commonly known from the Bible. This poem, written by David, the second king of Israel, has comforted and encouraged numerous people in all of history. It inspired people with courage, and filled them with hope in their lives.

For six weeks starting today, I would like to start a series of sermons focusing on the words of Psalms chapter 23. Under the title of "My Cup Overflows", I would like to explore the works of love and grace, which God pours into our lives.

There are several background reasons why I recently chose these words of Psalms chapter 23 for a series of sermons. First of all, our church slogan of this year is "Comfort Our People." Our church is determined to provide those who are currently plowing through hard and difficult lives with comfort and hope this year. Of course there is no need for repetition here. It is something that the church as a body of Christ is duly obliged to do. Not only exclusive to this year, the church should always carry out this mission. In this sense, spreading the words of Psalm chapter 23 on the pulpit is what Jesus agrees with as a course our church pursues this year.

There is another reason. This year is the 20th year since our church became a member of Virginia Annual Conference. At the Virginia Annual Conference held twenty years ago in Roanoke, our church was welcomed with applause. I also received applause at a pastors meeting after I transferred my membership from the Methodist Church of Korea to the United Methodist Church of America. Though a pastor of the Methodist Church is dispatched anew every year, I feel a special sentimental connection with this year's Meeting. The past 20 years, or the works of 20 years, have been hours of obedience that our shepherd the LORD has led. Ever since I preached my first Sunday sermon titled "Following after Christ" when I was appointed and dispatched here, I have wandered much but our LORD has been a really good shepherd. Therefore, after concluding a 20 year term and starting another term, I would like to share this song of David who praised God's being a shepherd. I request you to diligently pray for this series of sermons.

I.

Today, I would like to tell you about the first verse of Psalms chapter 23. David praised: "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want." This first verse is simultaneously the introduction and the conclusion of the poem. In these words David expresses the LORD as a shepherd.

The word shepherd has three important meanings in the Bible. The first was literally a person who kept and cared after sheep. It was a person who ran a farm. Secondly, the Bible used the word shepherd when it referred to leaders as well as kings of Israel. In the Bible, we discover many instances where prophets rebuke shepherds. In this instance, the shepherds referred to kings and political leaders as well as religious leaders. And third, when Jesus came in the New Testament, Jesus referred to himself as a shepherd. Particularly in the Gospel John, Jesus told himself as being a good shepherd who would give up his life for his sheep.

David applied this definition of shepherd to the LORD. He praised the LORD as his shepherd. This word was not from simple theory or logic. This word was a confession coming out of his personal experience. David himself had worked as a shepherd. Therefore, he felt more deeply in his heart the responsibility and love of a shepherd than most others. He praised out of the experience "The LORD is my shepherd."

There is something David confesses in his song stating that the LORD is his shepherd. They are God's fulfillment, guidance and protection. A shepherd leads sheep to green patches and lets them graze. He feeds something to eat. And he guides sheep to the waters edge and lets them drink. Further, he keeps and protects his sheep when they are in trouble or danger. In David's life, God was just such a shepherd. He was such a God who fulfilled his demands, guided his steps in the life, and protected him in hardships and adversities. Therefore, David praised, "The LORD is my shepherd".

Dear everyone, please ask yourself this. Which God do you believe? Are you capable of confessing who God is? Because there are not so many ranchers in Korea, it may be more natural to say the LORD is my farmer. The confession that God is my path makes me feel more sympathy in my heart. Since the LORD is the road for our life and history, we feel the grace of God, which allows us to realize the path and to be more intimate with Him through the expression of the road. Dear everyone, who is the LORD in your lives? Who could you praise the LORD as?

II.

Next, I would like to tell you this. David praises: "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not be in want."

Dear everyone, what do you think about this confession of David? Could you agree with him? Those who live regarding the LORD as your shepherd, do you feel the same way? David might have said so because he had escalated from being a shepherd to a king of Israel. However, for laymen like us or others who came to this land and live a hard and tough life, could they shout that they are not in want? Are they not rather in great want? Could we say Amen to this praise of David today?

(1) I would like to say this first: Everyone, in many cases an issue of deficiency depends on the mental state. Some may feel deficient, while others feel no deficiencies at all. Apostle Paul's confession in Philippians chapter 4 verse 14 and thereafter that he had learned to be self-sufficient under any circumstances makes us realize where is the key to resolve deficiency.

Dear everyone, it is not necessarily true that the more you have, the happier you are. It is also not true that the less you have, the unhappier you are. If you live as having the LORD as your shepherd, you may feel abundant in any circumstance. You may realize the true value and meaning of life and that happiness or unhappiness does not depend on the amount of possession. You will realize that it is enough when God guides and protects you.

Max Lucado wrote a book under Psalm chapter 23 titled "Traveling light"-translated in Korean as "Take off the Burden and Ask." In the book, there is a story: It was on an island named "Tobago", part of a small nation "Trinidad & Tobago". There was an unknown patient suffering from Hansen's disease, also known as leprosy. A missionary on the island for an evangelistic trip told the story of this patient. The day before the missionary finished his evangelistic trip, he entered the village where the leprosy patients live gathered together, and led the worship service. As soon as he finished his words that anyone might request a Hymn she/he wanted to sing, a woman raised her head. Her face was in such horrible shape that he had never seen such a face before. It was a face without ears or a nose. Her lips were completely folded inward. She raised her fingerless and stumpy hand, and requested her favorite Hymn to sing. Dear everyone, do you know what was the Hymn the leprosy patient requested? It was hymn 489 titled "Count your many blessings."

When upon life's billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
(Repeat) Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by.

So amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey's end.

The missionary began to sing the Hymn, but however could not finish it. Someone present stated: "You will not be able to sing that Hymn again." Then the missionary answered: "I don't think so. I will be able to sing it again, but not in the same manner as she sang."

While there are those without joy and thankfulness or feel numerous deficiencies in spite of their popularity, wealth and million dollar homes, there are those without deficiencies who count their many blessings even though they have no ears, nose or fingers. When the LORD becomes a shepherd for our lives, we can also count many blessings and sing Hymns. We can live a true life without deficiencies.

(2) Secondly, I would like to say: When the LORD really becomes our shepherd we can truly live without deficiencies. Why is it so? It is because we can live lives together with God and within the LORD's responsibility.

We prepare many things for our lives' safety. I am not advising you that all of these preparations are useless. However, if we compare all of the countermeasures we prepared with those prepared by God, which one is the better? Which one is the safer? Which one lacks less? Is it our countermeasures or those God provides us?

I say this again. I am not saying that human preparations are unnecessary. The issue at hand is where we put more faith. The problem of God's countermeasures is that there is nothing tangible or visible. Therefore, people rely on tangible things or rely on themselves as their own shepherd. However, these are idols. Anything you believe and rely on more than God is just an idol.

Everyone, think about this. If God really exists and if God is no more believable than our abilities or possessions we accumulate, what is the need to believe such a God? What is your benefit from believing such an idol? Countermeasures of God are far better than those of us. Although God's countermeasures are invisible, if God becomes our shepherd, we shall really not be in want. Who is the God as our shepherd? Isn't He the God who created the universe? Isn't He the God as the LORD of all things in this world? When such a God guides and protects our lives, how could deficiencies have any chance to surface?

Pastor Chuck Smith, who has wide reputation for the Calvary Chapel, was establishing a local church, when he got into a debt of a couple of million dollars. He sincerely prayed to God with a list of the debts. As soon as he finished his prayer, a close and rich friend called him. The rich friend told Chuck Smith that he would send some money to him to use it as necessary. The amount of the money the rich friend would send was larger than the amount of the debts. He rejoiced so much that he hugged and danced about with his wife in the kitchen. Then inside of his mind, God's voice resounded: "What are you dancing about for?" Smith answered: "Yes, a friend of mine promised to send money in response to my prayer. That's why I dance." Then God asked: "But I promised you to be with you, to help and guide you. Have you ever been thankful for the promise? Have you ever danced for it?"

Yes. There are times when we feel as if something visible is the better shepherd than invisible promise of God. But it is never true. When a property or person becomes the shepherd, there is always something missing. However, when God becomes the shepherd, we shall not be in want any longer. When God as the LORD of the whole world is with me, when the God guides my life, how can there be anything missing? It is enough with the God alone. When we accompany with Him as our shepherd, that's it! That's sufficient! That's enough! Truly there is nothing in want.

(3) Thirdly, I would like to say this: When the LORD becomes our shepherd, we may really live being free from anxiety about the future.

Dear everyone, why do people try to pile up materials? Isn't it to lessen anxiety about the future? Aren't you trying to pile up more and certainly, with hope in your ability to protect yourself from uncertainty of the future? It may be helpful to some degree if you pile things up. However, none of them could completely relieve us from worries about the future.

When the World War II ended, the Allied soldiers gathered many children in camps and took care of them. Although they fed and clothed the children, they could not solve one problem. The problem was that the children were not able to sleep at night. After lengthy thought and discussion, the Allied soldiers accepted a suggestion from a psychologist. The psychologist suggested that every child clutch a loaf of bread to their bosom when they went to bed. With this, children soon became to sleep well.

Dear everyone, why could these children not sleep? It was due to worries about the future. What effect did a loaf of bread produce? It gave them relief because they knew that they had something to eat the next day. Everyone, we do not know what will happen tomorrow or what will happen beyond death. Man cannot know even if he stocks up and prepares. However, there is one who knows about tomorrow. He is Jesus Christ. If you have Him as your shepherd, you can be relieved. You may also overcome anxieties about the future. There is no deficiency in preparation for uncertain future.

The English Bible conjugates the phrase of having no deficiency in a future sense. "I shall not want, I shall not be in want." It records there will be no deficiency or shortcoming. That's right. If the LORD becomes our shepherd, there shall be no want in our future. Our future shall be smooth. Only the LORD can save us from anxiety about the future. If you have the LORD as your shepherd, there shall really be no want today, and also no want tomorrow.

III.

Dear everyone, there is one thing required for such a sufficient life. That is for the LORD being a shepherd for our lives. In other words, all of us should become sheep. We should become the sheep that follow the guide of a shepherd.

There is a stereotype for sheep that it is a meek, tame, and clean animal. However, the opposite is thought in Middle East. One of the insults they use is "a sheep-like guy." It is because sheep is regarded as a shortsighted, stubborn and messy animal. The distinct weakness of sheep is that it has such bad eyesight that it cannot see farther than three meters, or ten feet. Its teeth are not strong, and it has no horn to protect or attack others. Consequently, what we find out from these features that a sheep is an animal that surely needs help, protection and guidance.

That all of us should become sheep means that we should live in help of the LORD and in his guide and protection. It means that we should live a life having the LORD as a shepherd of our lives. Only when we become sheep having the LORD as our shepherd, will our life stand healthy and upright and will we live a truly sufficient life.

Dear everyone, who is the LORD in your life of today? Is He really your shepherd? Is He the shepherd for me, and my life? If the LORD becomes my shepherd, my life shall really have no want. If all of us become sheep having the LORD as our shepherd, our lives shall be in no want. As the LORD guides, we can live abundant lives without want.

There is a story in the book titled "God's Psychiatry" written by pastor Charles Allen, who served for Houston First Methodist Church. One day, a businessman who started a business and developed it into a big corporation visited the pastor. The CEO, having come through the even road of success, earned great money but was missing one thing. That was happiness. He was oppressed by tension, and had no easy day without apprehension and anxiety. While he was treated by a psychiatrist, he came to the pastor according to his doctor's advice. Pastor Allen issued a prescription to this person. The prescription was that he should thoughtfully and meditatively read in depth Psalms chapter 23 five times everyday for a week. He advised him to sincerely read Psalms chapter 23 once after rising in the morning, after breakfast, after lunch, after dinner and before going to bed. He warned him it will have no effect if he reads at a time after he delays and skips turns to read or if he skips through certain parts he thinks he knows well after two or three days repetition. The pastor advised him to adhere to the prescription like a patient taking medicine in accordance to a doctor's order. The pastor's reason for such a prescription was clear. It was because many people had found their sufficient lives while they were following the prescriptions.

I would also like to introduce the same prescription to you. First, you should take it for a week. With your best sincerity, try it on times. Our LORD as the shepherd will grant you the grace. A life without any want shall begin. If the LORD becomes your shepherd, there shall be no want. These words have not changed even today. These words are perpetually the words of the LORD.