Psalm 23 series, part 10. Preached by Chris Broom, 12/2/2007

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You Anoint My Head with Oil - Outline

Katrina Tyler (2nd from left) is restored to our Good Shepherd

This continues our series on Psalm 23, “The Lord Is My Shepherd.”

Psalm 23:5 You Anoint My Head with Oil

As we have studied this psalm, we have learned that King David is guiding us through the events of a full year in a sheep’s life. He takes us from the home ranch where every need is carefully supplied by the owner, out into the green pastures, along the still waters, up through the mountain valleys to the high tablelands. It is in this beautiful setting that the sheep and their shepherd get to enjoy the summer together.
(BBQs with Mosquitoes that ruin everything.)

Today, we are going to talk about three problems that can ruin the summer for the shepherd and his sheep.

1. A Fly in the Ointment.

Someone or something that spoils a situation which could have been successful or pleasant. For example: The only fly in the ointment was my brother, who insisted on whispering through the first half of the show.

In the terminology of the shepherd, summer time is fly time. Warble flies, bot flies, heel flies, nose (nasal) flies, deer flies, black flies, mosquitoes, gnats, and other minute, winged parasites proliferate this time of year and make life a misery for the flock. The nasal flies attempt to land on the damp mucous membranes of the sheep’s nose and deposit their eggs there. If they are successful, their eggs will hatch a few days later and form slender, worm-like larvae which will work their way up the nasal passages into the sheep’s head. There they burrow into the flesh and cause intense irritation and inflammation. For relief, the sheep will deliberately beat their heads against trees, rocks, posts or brush. They will rub their faces into the dirt. In some cases, the sheep will kill itself in attempts to get relief from this torture. Often, advanced stages of this infection will lead to blindness. They will run back and forth frantically or toss their heads up and down for hours in search of relief until they drop from sheer exhaustion. Some refuse to graze in the open at all as wooded areas offer some protection. All of this has a devastating effect on the sheep, as the ewes and lambs rapidly lose conditioning and begin to drop in weight.

At the very first sign of flies among the flock, the shepherd will apply an antidote composed of linseed oil, sulfur and other chemicals to their nose and heads as a protection against nose flies. (He anoints my head with oil.) Immediately, the aggravation, frenzy, irritability and restlessness is gone. The sheep will begin to feed quietly again and soon they would lie down in quiet contentment. One application is not enough by the way, the process has to be repeated and the fresh application provides the antidote.

Isn’t it incredible how easy it is for problems to arise and ruin almost any day? So often it is the small, petty annoyances that ruin our attitude. Even the loftiest spiritual experience can be spoiled by a “fly in the ointment.” Little distractions that become burning issues drive us up a wall and cause us to bash our heads against that same wall. It is then that our behavior before God degenerates into a disgraceful and frustrated tirade. (Me this past week.)

So what’s the antidote for us?

(John 7:37-39); streams of living water / spirit gives life

John 14:1-3: The apostles had just received some disturbing news and Jesus says, “Trust in God” and “Trust also in Me” is the antidote for a troubled heart.

What Is Trust?

‘Trust’ indicates a sense of assurance that is based on strong but not logically-conclusive evidence, or based on the character, ability, or truth shown by someone or something over time or across situations. Trust makes for a sense of being safe or of being free of fear, enough so your focus can be on other matters because that matter is taken care of. It becomes easier to simply enjoy life. Trust breeds confidence and conviction.
No human is totally trustworthy.

No human is totally untrustworthy.
No human can always trust themselves.
No human is totally trusting of any one other person.

Trust is a risk. We leave ourselves open for loss. Betrayal of trust hurts so much because the lost sense of security multiplies the damage.

Some keys to building trust:

1. Communicate. Say accurately what you are doing, and don’t assume others ‘just know.’ Also helpful: suggest some way they can help out.

2. Do what you’ve communicated. Nothing is more important to building trust than actions which match the words, non-verbal cues, and stated reasons. (Actions that don’t have to have ’spin’ to make them seem like they match.)

3. No scorekeeping. The game of tit-for-tat does not create a sense of trust. Quit reminding others of what they did wrong in the past. Focus on what’s happening now.

4. Look in the mirror. Are you giving other people reason to distrust you? Were you acting this same way in a past instance where you were shown unworthy of trust?

5. Repetition. Each time you act in a trustworthy manner, you earn more trust. After a while, the trust starts adding up. Be thorough about it: build trust in every matter, big or small.

6. Show trust. People who are trusted are more likely to trust. Most people actually are trustworthy in most matters most of the time. Trust them, and the trust may spread. (That doesn’t mean blind trust, which is a way to become an untrustworthy person’s enabler.)

If you are stressed out all the time, you don’t trust God. We trust wealth and materialism. We put all our trust in things. God will test your trust in him. He wants to see if we will get up and have our quiet time. What makes you faith and trust collapse. Things go crazy and we go crazy. God’s timing and not our own.

John 14:15-18:
Many misunderstand the Holy Spirit. See First Principles for classes on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the Miraculous Gifts of the Holy Spirit

John 14:25 to end. Holy Spirit will remind you of all I’ve said to you.
He counsels ( John 14:26 )

John 15:26 HS. Will testify about me / We will testify.

Galatians 5:16-25 / Life by the Spirit /
Wherever the Holy Spirit is at work, so is self-surrender.

Just as the sheep need to be anointed with oil (so that the flies wouldn’t want any part of them), we need continuous applications of God’s gracious spirit to counter the attacks of our tormentors (so that the Devil won”˜t want any part of us). God alone can form in us the mind of Christ and when outside forces “bug” us, his Spirit alone can help us to react to aggravations and annoyances with quietness and calmness.

2. A Meeting of the Minds: Romans 8 / Acts 7:51 (Stephen) / James 4:7 and 1 Peter 5:8-9

Summer time is also scab-time. Scab is an irritating and highly contagious disease common among sheep the world over. It is caused by a minute, microscopic parasite that is highly contagious and spreads by contact. Sheep love to rub their heads together in an affectionate and friendly manner, but when they do this, the infection is easily spread throughout the flock. It is therefore common to occur on the head of the sheep. Keller, the author of “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23,” once purchased a few extra ewes from another rancher to increase his flock. They, unknown to him, had a small infection of scab that began to spread rapidly throughout the entire healthy flock. It took great amounts of time, heavy labor and great expense to purchase a huge dipping tank and put the entire flock, one by one through the solution to clear them of the disease. That’s exactly what David meant when he wrote “You anoint my head with oil.” The only antidote for scab.

(In the Old Testament, when they talked of offering an Unblemished Lamb, that lamb had to be free of scab. / Contamination, sin and evil.)

In our case, most of the contamination and sin that comes to us comes through our minds. Our world is about mind meeting mind to transmit ideas, concepts and attitudes, and all of these can damage us. When we put our heads together with those that do not have the mind of Christ, we come away with concepts that are not Christ-like. (People in or out of the church) In our day and age the danger of mass mind is grave. Television, magazines, internet, radio, newspapers, classmates and teachers influence our minds. Media is often controlled by those who are anti-Christian in thought.

Ellen Johnson, leader of the American Atheists went on the television show
OUT IN THE OPEN which aired November 13, 2007. because a United States governor had called for a meeting to pray for rain. The meeting was to be outside of any state building and he had invited Jews, Christians, Muslims and Hindus “¦ anybody who wanted to come and pray. Some of the things that Ellen Johnson said were:

“It’s 2007 and we’re conjuring the spirit world? This is a
Bronze Age mentality… I’m sick and tired of politicians acting like intelligence is the equivalent of a four-letter word. Even presidential politicians… I am just sick and tired of politicians acting like this idiot. There is no life after death. We weren’t poofed into existence in some mythological Garden of Eden. And there are no miracles.”

Twas the month before Christmas
When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying
Nor taking a stand.

See the PC Police had taken away

The reason for Christmas. No one could say.

The children were told by their schools not to sing

About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.

It might hurt people’s feelings, the teachers would say

December 25th is just a ” Holiday “.

Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!

At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter
To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.
And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace.

The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded
The reason for the season, stopped before it started.

So as you celebrate “Winter Break” under your “Dream Tree”

Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.

Choose your words carefully, choose what you say
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holiday!

3. The Butting of Heads:

As the summer changes into fall, there are also changes in the countryside and in the sheep. As the nights become cooler and the first touches of frost come, the insects disappear and the foliage on the hills turns to crimson, gold, and bronze. This is the season of the rut; the mating season. During this time there are great battles between the rams for possession of the ewes. The necks of the monarchs swell and grow strong as they strut proudly across the pastures and fight furiously for the favors of the ewes. The crash of heads and thud of colliding bodies can be heard through the hours of day and night.

Some of the sheep can and will actually kill, injure and maim each other in these deadly combats. The shepherd has a simple remedy for this problem. Generous portions of (axle) grease is applied to the head and nose of the rams. Then, when they collide in their great crashing battles, the lubricant makes them glance off each other in such a ludicrous way that the rams stand there feeling rather stupid, frustrated and embarrassed. In this way, much of the heat and tension is dissipated and little damage done.

In God’s people, when we don’t see eye to eye with one another, many times we try to assert ourselves and become “top sheep.” In this way, many become hurt and bruised. Much of the grief, wounds, hurts, ill will, the unforgiving things in people’s lives could usually be traced back to old rivalries or jealousies or battles that had broken out between believers. Many skeptical souls will never enter a church because at some point someone battered them badly.

In John. There was rivalry and then Jesus said the comforter would come and love one another. When we are stiff-necked with pride and self-assertion, we hammer each other. We get intolerant, dogmatic and show NO GRACE with other Christians. The Holy Spirit helps us see how petty that is, and the fruits of the spirit overflow.

Think of the song we sing to the Spirit of God:

Let Your living water flow over my soul
Let Your Holy Spirit come and take control
Of every situation that has troubled my mind
All my cares and burdens on to You I roll

Come now, Holy Spirit, and take control
Hold me in Your loving arms and make me whole
Wipe away all doubt and fear and take my pride
Draw me to Your love and keep me by Your side

Categories: Lord is my Shepherd, Sermons