Your Life Together with Christ – Psalm 23
“LIFEtogether” Sermon Series #1: Your LIFEtogether with Christ – Psalm 23
Pastor Jason Hebert – 2/2/2025
Please see the outline for this sermon below…
YOUR LIFEtogether WITH YOUR SAVIOR
Psalm 23
INTRODUCTION:
Your life is all about relationships. Life is meant to be lived in community with others.
These relationships range from the mundane to the meaningful, yet each one is
incredibly important. Relationships run in two directions: vertically with the Lord and
horizontally with others. In this series, we will examine both and help you make the most
out of the relationships in our life…with our Lord, within our home, and even within the
culture that we live in!
The most important relationship in your life is your relationship with the Lord. We were
created by God, and our life should be lived in connection to Him! This relationship with
Christ is as critical as the air you breathe! He is the giver of life! In John 11, Lazarus has
died, and Jesus tells Martha that He is the resurrection and the LIFE. Likewise, in John 14,
Jesus tells the disciples that He is THE life! Life can only be enjoyed and experienced as it
should be when it is lived TOGETHER with Christ.
Are you living your life in connection with Jesus, or are you disconnected from Him?
Sometimes, things cannot be connected because there is either too much distance OR
too much junk in between! How important is it to be connected to Jesus? John 15 says
that with Him we can do nothing, yet it says on the other side, Philippians 4:13 (often
misquoted), that THROUGH Jesus, we can do all things.
A recent 4-year Gallup Poll of 1000 congregants was done to see how they judged
spiritual commitment. Shockingly, 78% of those congregants (780/1000) considered
themselves NOT spiritual! One of those first indicators of spiritual growth was the
following: Do you spend (ANY AMOUNT OF TIME) in prayer or worship daily? 78%
answered NO! That shows more CHURCH people are living without connection to Jesus
than those who are: 78%-22%.
How important is your vertical relationship with Christ? Considering the success, joy,
happiness, peace, love, and grace in every horizontal relationship hinges on your vertical
one with Christ…it’s pretty important!
Perhaps David’s first psalm, the 23rd Psalm offers insight into this interconnected type of
relationship by using the analogy of a Shepherd and his sheep. He was no doubt
drawing upon his own experience as a shepherd and what it took to be a good
shepherd! The sheep would be dead without their shepherd’s protection. The health of
the flock would fail, the unity of the flock would be scattered, and the safety of the flock
would continually be in peril if not for the shepherd! The connection is ABSOLUTELY
VITAL! It is the same with our union with Christ.
BIG IDEA:
Our LIFEtogether with Christ begins, continues, and ends with Christ.
Vine Branches Jn. 15
-> overall theme of Paul’s letters !
BODY:
I. HIS LORDSHIP (vs. 1-3a)
Note: David recognized his position as a shepherd and how important of a relationship
it was. The continual care of the sheep was his responsibility. He declares that the Lord
Jehovah, is HIS shepherd! He was acknowledging God’s lordship over his life and the
benefits of this connection!
A. Our Relationship
1. Powerful—the LORD
2. Present—IS
3. Personal-MY shepherd
B. Our Resource—I shall not want
1. Satisfaction—lie down in green pastures
2. Stillness—leads me beside still waters
C. Our Restoration
1. Rest—he restoreth
2. Revival—my soul
II. HIS LEADERSHIP (vs. 3b-5)
Note: Since He is our Lord, that makes us willing and submissive to Him. If you aren’t
willing to submit to everything HE commends, even those things that you don’t fully
comprehend, then He isn’t your Lord. At best, he is nothing more than an attractive
piece of jewelry! Sadly, many times, we are just happy that someone sees a little bit of
Jesus in us every now and then, but it shouldn’t be so! Jesus isn’t just an actor! He
doesn’t just show up and make a cameo appearance in our lives. If you are just content
with taking a selfie with Jesus, then we are borderline committing idolatry. (Watch video
from Shawn Hill). The Lord provides for each of us the leadership that we need and,
honestly, crave! The catch is, are you willing to follow?
A. His Path—paths of righteousness for his name’s sake
1. The location of our path—valley of the shadow of death
2. The logic of our path—to glorify him
B. His Provisions—I will fear no evil
1. His presence—thou art with me
2. His protection—rod and staff—corrects me and rescues me
3. His plenty—prepared table, anointed head, cup runs over
III. HIS LIFE (vs. 6, John 10:10)
Note: When you understand His lordship and leadership, you will automatically begin to
experience his life! There is no greater life to live than the life lived for Jesus! It is truly the
greatest adventure! I wonder sometimes how people would describe their lives? A
rollercoaster? A near drowning existence in a deep pool or being dragged away in the
ocean? A rock n roll concert with noise constantly pounding in your ears? A circus? Or is
it like sheep at peace no matter the weather, enemy, or difficulty…just simply at peace
with your shepherd?
A. Our Exciting Life—surely goodness and mercy shall follow me…just hit me as I
prepared this outline…this is what is left in the wake of our experiences…doesn’t
mean it’s easy…but after it all…goodness and mercy are the results of EVERY
experience!
B. Our Eternal Life—dwell in the house of the Lord forever—our life on Earth is
temporary…we have an eternal home, not made with hands that is reserved for
us in the Heavens!
CONCLUSION:
How connected OR disconnected are you from Jesus? If life begins and ends with Jesus,
it be continued with Jesus!
If your other relationships are suffering because of continual perceptions of the other
person’s fault…it would be a good idea to check your relationship with Jesus first! Is it
what it is supposed to be?
NEXT STEPS:
• Start every day with Jesus
• Spend every day with Jesus
• Tell your loved ones that they are loved