Psalm 23 (02/29/2004)

Park Meadows Church

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This afternoon I want to look at the 23rd psalm If you'll open your

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Bibles to that This is a psalm of David And it says the

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Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want the little word thee

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Joy, tell me what it means and why it's there thee

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Why didn't he say a Lord a Lord wouldn't be right?

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The Lord so I points out the Lord There's only one thee the

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Lord My shepherd the little word is was added It's not there

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So read it without it the Lord my shepherd now

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What Virgin What difference do you get in meaning when you say the

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Lord my shepherd and The Lord is my shepherd All right

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Russell, what do you see in that? Well, if you read it the

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Lord my shepherd Or the Lord is my shepherd. What's the difference in those two statements?

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All right Then he says

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I shall not want again joy what what is shall I shall not want

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Well, you have to distinguish between absence and between need

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Now I think we'll all agree that it does not mean you can have anything you want when an object is

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Well absence is when something is not present Is that a fair statement?

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Absence is something when something is not present It's when needful good is not present if a man were to walk and Had not a staff

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Then something would be absent his staff was absent If a man were to walk and had but one leg he's in need

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You see the difference It is confessed that there are many good things which are absent from a good person but no good thing which he needs

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If the God be absent and I if the good be absent and I need it not

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This is This is no want

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That I need it he that walks without his coat walks well enough for he needs it not

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You were walking without your coat As long as I can walk carefully

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Cheerfully and the general or particular calling to which I have

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Not such a load of necessities as other men have yet. I want nothing For My little is enough

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Our corruptions are still cravings and when they are always inordinate

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They can find more wants than God needs to supply Were you ever?

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verge at a lack for a want of a thing No, you've always wanted things

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We all want things in James four and three of you find him touching on this subject

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You want or you lust and you have not? That it asked to consume it upon their own lusts

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Well, we can say that God will see that his people shall not want anything but He will never engage himself to the satisfying of their corruptions

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Though he does to supply of their conditions. It's one thing that the sick man wants another

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What is disease wants? Your ignorance your discontents your pride your unthankful hearts may make you to believe that you dwell in a barren land

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Far from mercies whereas if God did open your eyes as he did

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Hagar's You remember You might see fountains and streams and mercies and blessings and they would all be sufficient

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Though not many yet enough You would we would always want something else

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Though not so rich yet prosper in every way convenient for your good and comfort and Thus you have the genuine sense

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So far as I can judge of David's assertion. I shall not want

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Now let's look at the sheep a little bit He is my shepherd my shepherd

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Denotes ownership the sheep is an object of property

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God didn't steal them. It didn't just wander up and join the herd

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He's not a wild animal He is a sheep

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Frequently it is brought bought with a great price Not all sheep are alike

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It's well to know as certainly David did that we belong to the Lord Do every do you ever think

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I am the Lord? I'm sure we do but maybe in different words

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There is a noble tone of confidence about this statement Notice he said the shepherd is my shepherd

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There is no if nor but Or hope so about it

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But he said the Lord is my shepherd to He maketh me to lie down in green pastures he leadeth me beside the still waters

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I Think a better translation instead of he maketh me he causes me to lie down By the waters of quietness

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You know a sheep will not drink from turbulent rapid waters

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The shepherd always looked for a Quiet place of waters or he would dam up the stream

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So the waters would be still It's here that Silence is golden and which the

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Holy Spirit meets with the souls of his Saints not in the turbulent times but in the quiet a self -assuring

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Times spent with God He restores my soul.

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He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake John what's it mean for his namesake?

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All right. All right

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Clarence what does he mean for his namesake? Everything we do reflects on Jesus Christ on his name

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Because we belong to him man stands in reference to the

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Son of Righteousness By his power alone

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He is enabled to walk uprightly By his light he is like enlightened

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By his heat he is revived And enabled to bring forth good fruit

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When he keeps in his proper orbit having the light of the glory of God reflected from the face of Jesus Christ He is enabled to enlighten and strengthen others

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He that is enlightened may enlighten he that is fed may feed Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

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I Will fear no evil For thou art with me thy rod and thy staff they comfort me

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The first thing that you notice in that verse is what Russell? All right, what's that mean?

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All right. All right Diane what do you see in that?

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All right. All right

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We walk through it We walk through Concentrate on these through Yes, that's right,

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I will fear no evil Refers to my walking through the valley of the shadow of death shadow of death

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Death lives in the world Death is

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Put off by everybody Notice that we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we are doing it

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Individually we are This is a region of death death's country if you will, please

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I Shall fear no evil

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Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me Because you're with me.

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I Will fear no evil Clearance what's meant by thy rod and thy staff?

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All right Is there a difference between the rod and staff? Thy rod and thy staff

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Debbie he keeps us right where he wants us Just exactly where he wants you.

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That's where he keeps you Five thou prepares to table before me in the presence of mine enemies

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Thou anointest my head with oil my cup runneth over Now a little bit about the shepherd when he brings them into the fold and there out in the open country, so he will build a

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Protected place out of Maybe there's a hedge on three sides and he'll pile

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Rocks and sticks and everything else up across the fourth side with just one little little small gate getting in and out place

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Now as the sheep come in he'll hold his rod or his staff or the back of them and If there is any

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Burr or any cut or bruises he will anoint those

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Then right then Then he puts them when the last one has come in He himself lays down across the opening

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So nothing can come in or out without him knowing it Then the next morning

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He'll call them out and they know his voice In the real world there's several flocks here

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One shepherd can call his sheep and only his sheep answer So it's a great picture of Jesus and his sheep he

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Thou prepares to table before me in the presence of my enemies

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John it seems like He's saying that no matter what the world is no matter what the surrounding

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Circumstances are you prepare a table a banquet table for me and I sit down to that meal in a very calm

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Not turbulent matter and I feast as though nothing was wrong in the very presence of Those that are trying to kill me

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Back to the fold again the shepherd anoints each sheep with oil This speaks of the healing process of the oil and My cup runneth over back to the banquet.

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I will have more than I need more than I can use and The good man always has his enemies if he did not have them.

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He would not be like the Lord You have enemies If you don't you just haven't lived very long yet,

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I Want you to look at the quiet godly man in spite of and in sight of his enemies

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How refreshing is his calm bravery Nothing is hurried

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There is no confusion no disturbance The enemy is at the door and yet God prepares a table for the

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Christian sets down and eats as if nothing Were wrong and everything was perfect That's hard for me to do.

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I Hope you have an easier time But when the enemies are attacking

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It's hard for me to trust in the Lord. I do but In my carnal life,

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I don't Now I know it is my head with oil May we live in the daily enjoyment of this blessed receiving and freshly anointing for every day's duties and It takes that Do not start the day without first going to the

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Lord Every Christian is a priest But he cannot execute the priestly office without an unction

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Joy, what does unction me? Well, really it means a smearing a

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Smearing Now If it means a smearing what is it this priestly office without that smearing?

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John Well, every

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Christian is a priest we know that But he cannot execute the priestly

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He cannot execute the priestly office without an unction

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All right, what someone's over here No, not exactly

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That's right He touches you to smear something if I was to smear some butter on this that means

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I touch it I Smear on the butter. I can't do it from over here. I have to touch it

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That means every day we have the touching of the Holy Spirit in our life and you cannot operate without it to please

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God Unction those that have this happiness must carry their cup upright and say that it overflows into their

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Into other brethren's vessels sure as six surely

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Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the

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Lord forever now This sentence may be read only goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life goodness and mercy

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What are these two Debbie all right

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These Twin angels goodness and mercy

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Will always be with you back front center every place

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You're protected by the Holy Spirit all the days of his life

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Now what does that include John What about the black days

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That's right As well as the bright days the days of fasting as well as the days of feasting

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The dreary days of winter as well as the bright days of summer Goodness supplies our needs and mercy blots out our sins.

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I Will dwell in the house of the Lord Until 1962

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Forever forever I Will dwell What does the word dwell mean

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John? You abide there.

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That's where you'll get your meal. That's your home I will be at home in the house of the

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Lord forever Is it your house? No, it's the house of the

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Lord He may be built in mansions for us, but they won't belong to us.

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There is still is I Think that's all

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I Will dwell in the house of the Lord forever again of the

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Lord not someone else's but the Lord's house

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I Will dwell will imperative it's going to happen