“HE LEADETH ME BESIDE THE STILL WATERS” (PSALM 23:2)
1. Those of you who are at least 25 years old grew up during the “cold war”
2.
You likely grew up thinking that
3. I grew up with this kind of belief.
4. I have met others who had a similar belief.
5. In fact, one woman shared a story with me.
6. In about 1953 this lady, who is now about 55, was a teenager.
7. As a teenager, this woman followed some of the important new stories.
8. One of the stories during this time period involved Nikita Khrushov.
9. Khrushov was at the United Nations. He got angry.
10. This Russian leader began to beat his shoe on the table.
11. Khrushov also made a statement that struck fear into the hearts of some:
12. He
said, “We will bury the
13. When the woman I am describing heard this statement, she started to shake.
14. She went to bed trembling and praying as hard as she could.
15. After hearing Khrushov speak, she was sure the Communists were coming.
16. If
you were ever concerned about
17. There
were and still are some Russians who would take over the
18. However, a takeover was not and is not on the mind of most Russians.
19. Dozens
of common people in
20. “We
never wanted to fight with
21. Most of the ordinary citizens of these two countries have always wanted peace.
22. These people have also desired information about religion.
23. When I spoke with people who had actually lived under Communism, I was told that Communist rulers had created a saying.
24. This saying was, “Religion is an opium.” Opium is a narcotic (drug).
25. Communists alleged that only weak Americans needed this kind of drug.
26. Russians were strong and religion was unnecessary.
27. Religion supposedly weakened societies.
I. THE LEADERS IN
A. In spite of the teaching, the officials were unsuccessful.
B. People under Communism saw that their lives were incomplete.
C. Because of this, these people felt as if they were missing out on something.
D. People desperately wanted to find out what was missing in their lives.
E. To discover what the problem might be, different solutions were tried.
1)
One solution was alcohol.
2) Wealthy Russians turned to the pleasures of life.
3) A vast number of Russians tried to work longer and harder.
4) A large segment of the Russian population also got married.
5) People thought that a family might fulfill the gap they felt.
6) Intelligent people sought after higher education.
7) When I say “higher education”, I mean higher education.
8)
Some of
9) A Russian university wanted a Christian professor to teach math.
10) A professor with a PHD in the right field was contacted.
11) Materials were sent to this brother and translated.
12) The material was beyond this professor’s ability.
13) In spite of the advanced education, a void remained in the lives of the Russians.
14) Many different things were tried to make people content.
15) I heard about some of these things 1st hand from people who had tried them.
16) In each case, the story always had the same ending:
17) The gap was not filled.
18) People living under Communism really lacked something.
19) The thing that was being missed was the gospel.
20) These people needed Christianity.
21) I know this because of Psalms 23:2.
22) David said, POINT TO BOARD.
F. To appreciate these words some background information is helpful.
G. We need to know that water is very important to sheep.
H. A sheep’s body is about 70% water- almost ¾ of a sheep.
I. Though sheep can do well in dry and semi-arid areas, they need water.
J. The one who insures that sheep get the water is the shepherd.
K. Good shepherds know where the best drinking spots are, and that’s where they take the flocks.
L. Shepherds know that if they don’t take their flocks, there are serious consequences.
1) One consequence is a sickly flock.
2) Without water sheep lose their strength and vigor.
3) Vitality gradually decreases.
4) A second consequence is desperation.
5) If a shepherd does not provide his flock with water, the sheep will find water on their own.
6) This can result in sheep drinking from polluted potholes.
7) If sheep do this and the water is bad,
8) They can ingest parasites and harmful germs.
M. Shepherds must pay attention to their flock’s water supply.
N. In Psalms 23:2 “still waters” indicate a good water supply.
O. Sheep are lead to waters that are still, deep, clean, and pure.
P. This water will meet the flock’s needs, and keep the flock strong.
Q. Just as sheep need water to meet their needs, so we need something.
R. The water we need is religion; a spiritual life.
S. People are not complete unless they have one.
T. I know of no better example of this than Russia.
U. Religion was called a drug; people were discouraged from practicing it.
V. What was the result?
W. People began to act like sheep.
X. Russians found themselves to be thirsting for something.
Y. To quench their thirst, Russians turned to what I mentioned.
Z. Some of the people began to drink from polluted holes (sin).
II. DAVID’S STATEMENT IN THIS PSALM, “HE LEADETH ME BESIDE THE STILL WATERS”, SUGGESTS THAT HUMANITY HAS A SPIRITUAL DIMENSION THAT MUST BE MET IF PEOPLE ARE TO BE COMPLETE.
A. The Lord repeated what David said.
B. Jn. 4 is the place I will be reading from momentarily.
C. In this chapter, John tells us that Jesus was in the area of Samaria.
D. John also gives us a time for this event.
E. According to the Roman system, it was 6 p.m.
F. According to the Jewish time, it was about noon.
G. Whichever system was being used, the point is that Christ was exhausted.
H. He was so tired that He sat down beside Jacob’s well.
I. As Jesus was sitting by this well, He saw a woman coming for water.
J. Jesus asked this woman for a drink.
K. The woman was a Samaritan and she reminded Jesus about how things were.
L. The Jews had no dealings with Samaritans (v. 9).
M. If you like marginal notes, you might underline the word “dealings”.
N. This word means kind acts.
O. Getting the water would have been a kind act.
P. The Samaritans didn’t do kind things for the Jews.
Q. With this in mind, let’s look at verse 10 together. READ.
R. What did Jesus promise this woman? Living water.
S. This water is further described I v. 14. READ.
T. The water that Christ offers is fulfilling; makes people complete.
U. When the Lord said that this water would remove thirst,
V. He indicated that His way offers contentment to people.
W. This is why David said, “He leadeth me beside the still water”.
X. David and Jesus presented the same message.
Y. Both knew that if man didn’t have religion, he is incomplete.
III. NOW THAT WE KNOW THAT MAN NEEDS RELIGION, I WANT TO DIRECT YOUR THOUGHTS TO HOW WE MIGHT APPLY THIS INFORMATION.
A. My first point of application involves children & parents.
B. Parents often want their children to become faithful Christians.
C. Some parents pull their hair out trying to accomplish this.
D. Some wonder what should be said/done so their children so their children will be faithful.
E. I am not a child psychologist. Neither am I an expert parent.
F. I do know that Psalms 23 & John 4 have a message for parents.
G. We can show children from these verses that man has a need to worship.
H. We can illustrate this need by pointing to countries like Russia.
I. We can also show children something that is not in the Bible.
J. As far as I know, there is no statement in the Bible with commands to worship.
K. I have not been able to find a command to worship in the OT or NT.
L. It seems that the Bible assumes that humanity will worship.
M. The only thing I have found regarding worship is guidelines.
N. Children need to hear this message.
O. While growing up, young people may be chided for attending services.
P. They may hear that religion is for people who are weak and old.
Q. They may hear that religion is restrictive & takes away joy.
R. All kinds of allegations may be made.
S. We can help the children from here by telling them the truth.
T. No person is fulfilled without some kind of spiritual life.
U. We might think some people are; this isn’t the case.
1) Some years ago I met a man in Montana.
2) This man was very friendly, but he refused to discuss religion.
3) I thought that this man was about as godless as any man could be.
4) Then one day in a private conversation this man said: I pray.
5) I nearly fell off of the chair that I was sitting in.
6) I couldn’t believe it.
V. This man is not some kind of isolated case.
W. Several of you are familiar with the name Madilyn Murrary O’Hair.
X. She is the famous atheist who hates Christianity.
Y. Madilyn’s son has said on more than one occasion:
Z. “I missed out on something while growing up.”
A. The thing this boy missed was religion.
B. Now this son is a denominational preacher.
C. Here is another example.
D. At every congregation, there are people who only come on Sunday mornings.
E. These people could come at other times; but they don’t.
F. Have you ever asked yourself why people do this?
G. Why do some show only a slight amount of interest?
H. A key answer is that people need spiritual water.
I. They may not want a lot of it; but they know that they need some.
J. Once a week they will come and take in a little.
K. We need to teach our children that religion is a need.
L. As we need to eat and sleep, we need religion.
M. The religion we need must be the one authorized by God.
N. Jesus said in Matt. 16:18, QUOTE.
O. This church is the way described in John 14:6.
P. Let’s teach people that all of us have spiritual needs,
Q. And that these needs must be met in the way God has appointed.
CONCLUSION:
1. This evening you may have some spiritual needs that have not been met.
2. You know that you want to be in fellowship with God.
3. You as an individual want God to respond to your prayers.
4. You want to spend eternity in heaven.
5. At this moment, you are not a Christian.
6. Tonight is the time for you to say: I need to become a Christian.
7. I believe in Christ, I want to turn away from sin; now I am ready to be baptized.
8. No better time will come for you to acknowledge the needs you have.
9. If we can help…