A Sunny Little Psalm - [Psalm 23]

Bethlehem Bible Church

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March 22, 2020

00:00: Father in heaven we are so thankful today that we can call you our father and that you're gracious and merciful
00:05: Slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Thank you for being good to us We're thankful that even though we now as Christians still sin
00:15: You are faithful and just to forgive us our sins So would you cleanse us this morning father that we might think about you rightly and worship you
00:23: We know every sin was taken care of at Calvary past present and future and we stand before you
00:29: Legally as righteous because of our Lord Jesus Christ But still in our walk we stumble and fall and we don't always love you and love our neighbors
00:38: And so we'd ask that you'd cleanse us and wash us We're thankful for the righteous robes of our dear
00:44: Savior Jesus who perfectly loved you and perfectly loved his neighbor And we stand in his stead today
00:51: And so we know you accept our praise and worship and works Simply because you accept us and only because you accept the
00:59: Lord Jesus and we are in him I do pray for Dave copper today and Maureen in Boston I pray that there'd be good diagnosis that you would grant them peace
01:09: We know that you've granted them peace with you. That is They're your friends. They're your children, but also there's that internal peace too that passes all understanding
01:19: I pray for any of those in trials and I know some here at the church have even lost their jobs
01:24: I pray that you would help them to fight worry and fret and anxiety
01:29: We're so prone to wander Lord as the hymnist said, so would you please help us to to not do that?
01:36: I pray especially for the doctors with Dave they know exactly what to do. We're thankful for the testimony of Dave copper and how he
01:44: Has been a man who's responded to you rightly and he looks to you and he understands your faithfulness
01:51: And he realizes you're righteous in all your ways May we learn from your handiwork in our dear friend
01:57: Dave copper bring him back to us quickly and heal him Lord God So today we pray that you would open our eyes
02:05: So we might see wonderful things in your law and we would like to meditate day and night So may you bless this word as it goes out via the internet and even to the dear people that are here in Jesus name
02:17: Amen Well, we will deviate one more week from the book of Hebrews, I've been thinking a lot about a particular
02:27: Section of Scripture well -known section if I were to say to you Let's say you go to a wedding
02:34: And you say well, there's a particular verse that's read at a wedding a particular chapter
02:39: Is there a wedding chapter in other words and you would probably say? Oh, I know the wedding chapter. It's first Corinthians chapter what?
02:47: 13 and so people go. Oh, that's the wedding chapter and it's wonderful to read at weddings but it's not necessarily in context for weddings if I were to say to you you're visiting someone with a brand new little baby and They say well, there's a good
03:00: Psalm to read when there's a new child born and we're praising the Lord That would be Psalm what
03:06: Psalm 139. I call that kind of the child Psalm those of you who have been trained here at Bethlehem Bible Church for Assurance and how to think about assurance of salvation.
03:19: There's a chapter for that It's the assurance chapter and that would be what Romans chapter 8 But if I were to say to you
03:26: Where is Psalm 23 often read what kind of Psalm is it? You probably would say it's the
03:33: Psalm for funerals and while it's fine to read at funerals It is not associated
03:39: Primarily with death. It's a song not of death but of life of peace of comfort
03:46: It's a song for the living even with the Anglican Book of Prayer. It wasn't a song for death for funerals until 1928
03:55: Associated with the church for a long time in England You would read Psalm 39 or Psalm 90 when it was a funeral you would rarely read
04:02: Psalm 23 yet today It seems like Psalm 23 is for death and death alone
04:07: It's fine for a funeral, but it's better for life So I'd like you to take your Bibles and turn to this well -known
04:14: Beloved Psalm as Alexander McLaren called it a sunny little Psalm.
04:19: I think we need a sunny little Psalm today Psalm 145 we just read but today we're gonna look at Psalm 23
04:29: Charles Haddon Spurgeon called this the pearl of Psalms and I think if you understand
04:35: Psalm 23 through exposition through a frail preacher You'll you'll understand not only the text better, but you'll appreciate the
04:43: Lord God even better This is a wonderful Psalm. I was teaching it yesterday on the radio.
04:49: I don't think I've ever cried on the radio Before and if I did you wouldn't know it because you couldn't see it but I was actually tearing up as I was preaching through Psalm 23 on the radio because it is a
05:01: Balm for the soul. It is really the sunny little Psalm Wherever I travel
05:07: I usually have chapstick with me and there's kind of a fight in our family because I will take any kind of chapstick, but my wife will only she only likes
05:17: Carmex right and When your lips are parched and you just think you know what it's dry out
05:23: And I might and I have to have chapstick with me and when I apply that chapstick
05:28: It's just a soothing feeling is it not it's just a balm for the lips well today whether you're happy or healthy or sick
05:36: Or lonely or elderly or young this psalm is a perfect psalm for you now.
05:42: Here's what we're gonna do today I'm gonna give you three Interpretive keys for this psalm so that you can understand the
05:48: Lord better and appreciate this psalm more I love to preach well -known things because there are so many nuggets hidden in there that you will
05:57: Learn even if you've heard this psalm preached 25 times So let me give you three interpretive keys for this psalm before we go through it
06:06: And I think it will help you in the end the first interpretive key is the placement
06:13: The theological center of the psalm do you understand the theological center of the psalm and it is found in verse 4 if you take a look at poetry sometimes you'll see things at the front or at the end
06:27: Will help you as book ends would help you understand something But here there's a theological center, and it's found in verse 4 if you don't understand the theological center
06:37: You're going to miss the psalm For you are with me if you can understand in verse 4 that this ties everything together
06:46: You'll get this psalm better He starts off as a shepherd Then he talks about himself as a host and then dwelling in the house of the
06:54: Lord together How can all these things go together with this theological center? You are with me
07:01: Let me read you Psalm 23 and let me highlight by adding in this refrain to make my point
07:10: The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want for you are with me
07:16: He makes me lie down in green pastures for you are with me. He leads me beside still waters for you are with me
07:23: He restores my soul for you are with me He leads me in paths of righteousness for his namesake for you are with me
07:31: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil for you are with me
07:38: Your rod and your staff they comfort me for you are with me You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies for you are with me
07:48: You anoint my head with oil my cup overflows for you are with me
07:54: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the
08:00: Lord forever For you are with me. This is the unifying
08:07: Theological theme behind this whole psalm that that the Lord God is with you
08:12: I can think of the Lord Jesus and he would say at the Great Commission and behold our low I am with you always what even to the end of the age
08:22: If you understand this you will grasp this psalm better Hebrews 13 says
08:27: I will never leave you nor forsake you Can you imagine and in the book of Hebrews that language is with about five negatives?
08:33: There's no way I will ever ever ever ever ever leave you Jesus is not the hireling.
08:40: He's not the shepherd that just runs. He says I'll never leave you And so whether there are joys or sorrows in your life
08:47: This theological center is that God is with us Emanuel God with us Well secondly to understand this psalm better.
08:55: I want you to think about where it's placed in the Canon There's a theological Center God is with us and there's a placement in the
09:02: Canon And so what do you mean by Canon? Well as God has arranged the books of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation There are also arranged psalms and the placement of psalms is by no
09:14: Coincidence no happenstance no chance Psalm 23 is surrounded by two other psalms that you need to know
09:21: Psalm 22 and Psalm 24 These are three psalms that go together and we'll call them a messianic trilogy
09:30: We'll call them a shepherding trilogy where we have the Good Shepherd in Psalm 22
09:36: We have the Great Shepherd in Psalm 23 and we have the Chief Shepherd in Psalm 24
09:43: Psalm 22 is about the shepherd who dies for his people and I can hear Jesus say
09:48: John 10 I'm the Good Shepherd the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep Remember Psalm 22 starts off with my
09:55: God my God. Why have you forsaken me? It's a psalm about the Good Shepherd laying down his life for the sheep
10:01: Psalm 24 on the other end of Psalm 23 Is about the Chief Shepherd and he's going to return for his people and he's the king of glory and the king has a crown and He crowns others and it reminds me of first Peter 5 when the
10:15: Chief Shepherd appears You will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away And so if you've got the
10:21: Good Shepherd that died and rose in 22 the Good Shepherd That's ascended in 24 and it's going to come back and in the center.
10:27: You have the Great Shepherd Jesus Christ himself Hebrews 13 says brought back from the dead our
10:34: Lord Jesus the Great Shepherd of the sheep Will equip you with everything good for doing his will
10:40: And this is the present care the present comfort the present Protection of the shepherd and so you have
10:46: Psalm 22 the death of our shepherd you have Psalm 24 the return Of the shepherd and in the middle, what is he doing now?
10:53: He's the Great Shepherd of the sheep He cares for the people. I don't know if you remember
11:00: J Vernon McGee I used to listen to a lot of Christian radio and there was a man with a southern drawl
11:05: J Vernon McGee He was the man that Bill Bryant told me that he showed up at Dallas Seminary Building with a cigar in his mouth.
11:13: He was not allowed to enter after that, but he put out the scar and then it went in J Vernon McGee sees this tie -in between 22 23 and 24 with this messianic trilogy of Three great shepherds who were the same the
11:28: Lord Jesus. Listen to what J Vernon McGee said without the drawl in Psalm 22
11:34: Christ is the Savior in Psalm 23. He's the satisfier and in Psalm 24
11:39: He's the sovereign in Psalm 22. He's the foundation in Psalm 23 He is the manifestation in Psalm 24.
11:47: Jesus is the expectation in Psalm 22 Jesus dies in Psalm 23.
11:52: He is living in Psalm 24. He is coming Psalm 22 speaks of the past Psalm 23 speaks of the present and Psalm 24 speaks of the future
12:02: It's Psalm 22 McGee says he gives his life for the sheep in Psalm 23
12:07: He gives his love to the sheep in Psalm 24. He gives us light when he shall Appear what a great picture of the
12:15: Lord Jesus in Psalm 22 23 and 24 I could say it this way. I dare you to read
12:21: Psalm 22 23 and 24 without saying that's Jesus Like Augustine who would say my shepherd is the
12:30: Lord Jesus Friends the life death burial resurrection Ascension session and soon return of Jesus changes everything
12:39: You mean to tell me you can look back at the Old Testament and not see Jesus James Boyce said even if you only use an
12:47: Analogical application quote to see Jesus as our shepherd and to apply the lines of the psalm carefully and in detail to ourselves
12:57: Everything changes with Jesus. And so when we look back at the Old Testament, I don't think we say to ourselves
13:03: Well, I don't want to read Jesus into too many places. He's already there Let's not read him out of these places
13:09: Psalm 22 23 and 24 three great psalms that talk about the Messiah the
13:15: Lord Jesus Maybe if I had to summarize this theological center and the canon placement it would be with question one of The Heidelberg Catechism, which is essentially derived from Psalm 23 kind of theology
13:32: What is I only comfort in life and death that I with body and soul both in life and death and not my own but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ who with his precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins and Delivered me from all the power of the devil and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly
13:51: Father Not a hair can fall from my head Yea that all things must be subservient to my salvation and therefore by his
13:59: Holy Spirit He also assures me of eternal life and makes me sincerely willing and ready henceforth to live unto him
14:08: By the way, I don't know how long that took but that seems like about a good 20 seconds if you want a hand -washing
14:15: Forget singing happy birthday when you wash hands, you could do some Bible verses or how about Heidelberg Catechism question one it really
14:24: Emulates Psalm 23 and then the final thing about Psalm 23 before we dive in Not only is the theological center you're with me verse 4
14:32: Not only do we think about where it's placed in the canon 22 23 and 24 always go together as we see the
14:38: Messiah Jesus They're the Good Shepherd the Great Shepherd and the Chief Shepherd But also number three the third hermeneutical helper is that there's nothing in here to do
14:48: There there are no imperatives. There's no law. I love the law. I love
14:53: God's imperatives I understand that Jesus was a man born Under law and he kept those laws not for himself
15:01: But for us I get all that and now it's important and even now as Christians We want to use
15:07: God's law as a guide and try to obey him. I understand all that and it's good But here in Psalm 23
15:13: You're not going to see anything except an extolling and praising of who this Great Shepherd is
15:19: Who this Good Shepherd is who this cheap shepherd shepherd is it's about the grace of God and the comfort of God and the character of God and the promises of God to his people and of course when you see this and when you read it there should be
15:32: Kind of a an eliciting of oh, thank you. Oh praise you. Oh, I want to respond rightly
15:38: I want to believe in this I want other people to believe in this great truth about this shepherd
15:44: But it's not a psalm of duty Peter Jeffrey said it's a psalm of privilege What has
15:51: God done for his people he's not saying God would you please do this God would you do that?
15:56: Oh, God be merciful. It's a psalm about what God has done, and he's rejoicing in that It's a great way to look at this psalm
16:06: Maybe that's why it's so beloved the care of God and the praise of God this psalm Yes invites your praise and trust, but it doesn't demand it
16:15: Now let's look at verse 1 with those hermeneutical helpers in mind
16:24: Psalm 1 Psalm 23 verse 1 The Lord Yahweh is my shepherd.
16:30: I shall not Want now there's so much to be said even here, but let's just think about a couple words
16:41: Lord and Shepherd You have Lord and if you see it's all capitals there
16:48: This is the personal name of God, and you'll notice right away. This is not a we psalm
16:53: This is an I psalm my psalm. This is very personal psalm the Lord is my shepherd
17:00: So you've got the covenant keeping God who keeps his promises to his people who loves his people
17:05: And he is going to be their shepherd Lots of personal pronouns here
17:11: And I read this and I think to myself God is try you and Yahweh the Father Yahweh the Son Yahweh the
17:17: Spirit And you should be thinking the Lord Jesus is my shepherd now when you think of that word
17:23: Lord other things should come to your mind remember Moses Meets God himself and God says
17:30: I am who I am at the burning bush This is the God who is independent.
17:35: This is the God who is self -sufficient This is the God who is of himself. He has a saiety.
17:41: He is completely transcendent and different and yet What does he do he stoops as it were he he bends low to be the shepherd of his people?
17:50: He shows himself to be Compassionate and kind and full of forgiveness and warm care even though he's this transcendent.
17:58: I am who I am Lord of the universe Galatians 2 says
18:05: I've been crucified with Christ It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives into me and the life
18:10: I now live in the flesh present tense I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me and now
18:18: David the psalm writer who knows a lot about shepherding Understands this God of the universe is his personal shepherd.
18:26: Jesus is his shepherd The eternal self -existent covenant -keeping God of Israel is my own shepherd
18:34: Is my own personal Jesus is my shepherd He's gonna praise
18:39: God for that that he would be my shepherd. We talked about Jesus. He's my personal Savior Yes, he is and the
18:45: Lord eternal omnipotent self -existent Self -sufficient says
18:51: I'm gonna be your shepherd. I'm your shepherd. I'll take care of you That's amazing to me
18:58: Calvin said It were by a taste of his fatherly sweetness There is nothing into which we more fall easily than to for have a forgetfulness of him when we are enjoyment an enjoyment of peace and comfort
19:14: Under the similitude of a shepherd he commends the care which God in his providence had exercised toward him
19:21: His language implies that God had no less care of him than a shepherd has of a sheep who are committed to his charge
19:28: God in Scripture frequently takes to himself the name and puts on the character of a shepherd and this is no mean token of his tender love toward us he has a strong affection for like a shepherd does to his sheep and Those sheep then can say he's my shepherd and then can rest and know he's taken care of I don't know if you remember, but there were a lot of bad shepherds in Israel and Eventually God had to say this in Ezekiel chapter 34
20:00: Behold I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out as a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his
20:07: Sheep that have been scattered So will I seek out my sheep and I will rescue them from all places where they have been
20:14: Scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness I will bring them out of the peoples and gather them from the countries and will bring them into their own land
20:22: I will feed them on the mountains of Israel by the ravines and in all the inhabited places of the country
20:27: I will feed them with good pasture and on the mountain places of Israel shall be their grazing land
20:33: There they shall lie down in good grazing land and on rich pasture. They shall feed on the mountains of Israel.
20:39: Listen Ezekiel 34 I Myself will be the shepherd of my sheep and I myself will make them lie down Declares the
20:49: Lord God I will seek the loss and I will bring back the strayed and I will bind up the injured and I will
20:55: Strengthen the weak and the fat and the strong I will destroy I will feed them in justice
21:03: All the other shepherds are bad shepherds So the Lord says I'm gonna have to be the shepherd and we know who that shepherd is the great
21:10: I am the Lord Creator God of Israel Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the way when
21:19: David says the Lord is my shepherd He's saying I trust him. I'm committed to him because he's committed to me and he loves me because of the
21:28: Lord Jesus Christ I'm part of his flock. I'm part of his church Psalm 28 be their shepherd and carry them forever
21:37: Psalm 80 give ear Oh Shepherd of Israel Psalm 95 he is our
21:43: God and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand Psalm 100 know that the
21:48: Lord he is God it is he who made us and we are his we are his people and the sheep of his pasture
21:54: Revelation 7 for the lamb is in the midst of the throne and he will be their Shepherd and he will guide them to springs of living water and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes
22:05: Can you imagine the Lord God Almighty the king of the universe has taken up the small task the shepherding task?
22:13: The menial task of being a provider and protector to us to me to you if you're a
22:18: Christian And when you read the Lord is my shepherd
22:24: I know you're automatically thinking the Lord Jesus is a good shepherd for his sheep. Of course he is
22:32: Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and loses one of them Does he not leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it and when he finds it?
22:40: He joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says rejoice with me.
22:47: I have found my lost sheep Jesus said I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99
22:56: Righteous persons who do not need it to repent the Lord Jesus is my shepherd
23:03: He'll take care of me. He'll take care of you and because he's the shepherd.
23:08: What's he say verse? One I shall not want I lack nothing
23:14: That's what that means. It doesn't mean I need new things. I'm desiring new things I want to have a bunch of new things.
23:20: It means there's nothing that I need spiritually or temporally Because I've got a good shepherd
23:27: I mean if you had a bad shepherd you probably need water and you need health care and you need this that and the other But if you have a good shepherd, there's nothing you need.
23:34: I shall not be in want the NIV translates it Since God is such a good shepherd a chief shepherd a great shepherd since the
23:41: Lord Jesus loves his people won't he Satisfy them won't he provide for them when he protect them left to myself
23:49: I Lack everything left to yourself you lack everything, but when the
23:55: Lord is your shepherd There's nothing that you lack. I don't lack anything because he's a good shepherd
24:03: Sheep as you know are helpless animals and They are not self -sufficient they are not
24:11: Able to take care of themselves, but when the Lord takes care of you You're set
24:18: One writer said the Lord of heaven and earth came for me lived for me suffered for me died for me rose for me
24:24: Ascended for me praise for me and constantly cares for me. I Don't lack anything.
24:30: I don't like temporal things. I don't like spiritual things What does Ephesians chapter 1 say blessed be the
24:35: God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every what? Spiritual blessing in the heavenly places he takes care of everything true young lions do lack and suffer hungry
24:46: Hunger, but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing Jesus is your compassionate
24:54: Savior. Who's both a Lord and Shepherd. He's a king who also stoops down low to be a shepherd
25:01: So how can anyone lack nothing let me give you two reasons if you want an outline everything so far has been an introduction a
25:08: Theological centering and then an introduction verse 1 let me give you two reasons
25:13: Why you're not going to lack anything with this great Lord Jesus the first is he's an abundant provider and protector
25:22: Now I don't usually do alliteration, but today I'm going to do double alliteration abundant provider and in verses 2 through 4 and then we're gonna see secondly that he's an amazing
25:33: Proprietor an amazing proprietor. I don't know if you know this but alliteration comes from the Latin word
25:38: Lettera meaning a letter of the alphabet and in the 15th century an Italian Humanist came up with this idea of literation at least he coined the term
25:48: Giovanni Pantano is the one who did that It sounds like a racecar driver to me does it not to you so how can
25:56: Jesus Be such a great shepherd, and we don't lack anything number one.
26:02: He's an abundant provider and Protector let's take a look at verse 2 and 3 he makes me lie down in green pastures
26:09: He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his namesake
26:17: Now you can tell without even me saying it that this still has the sheep shepherd metaphor
26:24: It's the similitude of an idea of a pasture and where sheep need to go and what they need to do when it comes to eating and care
26:34: If you live back in those days you would realize that water is not very available You have to be careful where you go, and there's lots of undeveloped lands in the
26:45: Bible and not a lot of drinking water But this particular sheep These sheep they understand that the shepherds going to take care of them, and they don't have to worry about any of this
26:56: God knows his sheep need food and water and clothing and everything else The Apostles returned to Jesus and told them all that they had done and taught and he said to them come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest for a while for many were coming and going and they had no leisure even to eat and They went away in a boat to a desolate place by themselves
27:17: Now many saw them going and recognized them and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them
27:23: When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them because they were like what?
27:29: Sheep without a shepherd and he began to teach them many things God knows
27:35: His people need things and he takes care of them. That's the point with the shepherding metaphor I don't know if you've read the book a shepherd looks at Psalm 23 by Philip Keller Keller says this quote.
27:48: It's almost impossible For sheep to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met
27:53: Owing to their timidity they refuse to lie down unless they're free from all fear Because of the social behavior within a flock sheep will not lay down unless they're free from friction with others of their kind If tormented by flies or parasites sheep will not lay down only when free of these pests can they relax?
28:11: Lastly sheep will not lie down as long as they feel in need of finding food They must be free from hunger and so Keller says whether it's fear friction flies or famine sheep need help and Here we have this great shepherd of the sheep this good shepherd of the sheep the
28:27: Lord Jesus He knows everything matter of fact He says I'm the bread of life he who comes to me will never go hungry and he who believes in me will never be
28:34: Thirsty and so what does he give he gives what the text say green pastures?
28:40: I mean if you were a sheep and you had to pick some place to go you would pick this lush rich green
28:46: Verdant pasture would you not and that's what this God provides because he's a good shepherd.
28:52: He's the Lord God Shepherd. He's our Savior the Lord Jesus He cares for his people one man called it a refreshing care for his people and not just physically
29:03: But spiritually does this sound like a good shepherd to you? Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest
29:11: Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart And you shall find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and my load is what?
29:21: Light God provides everything and by the way he also restores. Do you see it in verse 3 he restores my soul
29:27: He leads me in paths of righteousness for his namesake He restores my soul.
29:33: I don't know if you realize how Ugly and gross and defiling and dirtying and selling and deforming sin is
29:44: But this shepherd he restores he cleanses he grants repentance he he
29:50: Recovers those who are in the misery of their own sin That's what that means he restores my soul in the
29:59: Old Testament this restoration often means repentance and conversion and It can mean relief and refreshment my soul
30:09: Is tainted by sin and I've sinned this week, and what does this shepherd do well? You know used to be part of my flock, but you've sinned and now you're out of the flock
30:17: No, he restores my soul because if the Lord Jesus says you're my sheep. You'll always be a sheep
30:23: He restores and refreshes. That's what a good shepherd does He leads me in paths of righteousness for his namesake
30:31: I mean a sheep when they go from one place to the next they're going through a certain path What kind of path does this shepherd and take them on dangerous path by the presser precipice path?
30:41: No a path of righteousness for his namesake. He guides us in a way that says this is what
30:46: I want you to do This is how I want you to live in light of who I am This is how I want you to live a holy life, and he guides us in that way
30:52: The Lord Jesus who is the shepherd who said I am the way the truth in life guides us on the right pathway
31:00: So he restores and he guides because he is a good shepherd and we need this kind of shepherd
31:06: Isaiah 53 we all like sheep have gone astray Each of us has turned to his own way and the
31:12: Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all We need this guidance and God does it for one reason and one reason only
31:22: Primarily and that is do you see it in the text for the sake of his name? Why does he do all this? Yes, he loves us and that's a wonderful spillover
31:30: But this is for his namesake because what if God was not be a good shepherd a providing shepherd a protecting shepherd
31:36: And he just said you know what I'm that by name, but I don't really do it I don't follow through but for the glory of his name for his namesake
31:43: He acts in a manner that is completely consistent with who he is And he protects to verse 4 he is an abiding abundant provider and protector
31:55: Even though by the way, we're switching gears here from verdant luxury water streams
32:03: Restoration to now dark terrifying times even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
32:09: I'll fear no evil for you're with me your rod and your staff. They comfort me I mean we go from oh
32:14: We're just kind of laying by the water and eating grass too. There's a threat there's a fearful threat and something's going on here and you can just imagine back in the day if there's a shepherd with sheep in real in Israel and there could be threats of of rain and torrents of Floods there could be wolves and lions and other kind of Ferocious animals after the sheep and here he says
32:42: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death The Hebrew is very interesting.
32:47: It's two words shadow and death jammed together and it kind of makes a Superlative it's something like saying he's the king of kings.
32:57: He's the Lord of Lords He's the great great one and here it's kind of like you put these words together
33:04: God takes care of you and the shadowest shadows. Is that a word shadowiest?
33:10: I Look over at my kids the shadowiest There's danger
33:20: Will the shepherd run? Am I on my own? But remember underlying everything the
33:28: Lord's with me the Lord's with me the Lord's with me whether it's dying moments are danger
33:36: Jesus isn't a hireling. He's not going to forget you What's the problem on earth today if I could summarize everything told myself?
33:43: I probably wouldn't say the word virus in the sermon, but I just said it the problem is fear People are panicked.
33:49: And of course the ultimate fear is the fear of death This shepherd here though for all you dear
33:54: Christians You ought not to fear The only fear you should have is the fear of the Lord is the beginning of what?
34:00: Wisdom and if you fear God properly and reverence him and give him all and have even a fear fear of him because he's so great
34:06: And transcendent yet, you know because of the person and work of the Lord Jesus that the scepter that he's handed to you and extended out to you is one of love and not judgment
34:14: It's one of kindness and not punishment you say to yourself. You know, what? Why do I fear anything?
34:21: When this God is my shepherd, he's provided everything I need in life and death spiritually temporary temporarily
34:27: Why would I be afraid? The shepherds right by me. He's not afraid.
34:33: Why should I be afraid? Even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death this talks about a threatening awful place
34:41: It's left open so we might say whatever trials we're going through even up to and including death
34:48: The Lord will be there. And by the way, do you notice the text? He's not walking in the valley, but he's through the valley.
34:54: We're going through this and he will bring you Together with himself through this and therefore this writer can say and you can say dear
35:02: Christian. I fear no evil Everybody else is afraid but I'm fear Yahweh and therefore
35:07: I'm not going to fear anything or anyone else John Stevenson said danger my darling.
35:16: Oh do not use that word There can be no danger to the Christian whatever may happen all is right all is well
35:23: God is love all is well Everlastingly well Everlastingly well because God is your shepherd
35:31: James Janeway said come muster up all your jovial blades together call for your harps add
35:37: What you will to make the concert complete bring in your richest wines Come lay your heads together and study what may still add to your comfort
35:49: And then I was reading something I thought found fascinating. I don't know what you did when you were a kid I grew up in Nebraska and We didn't have a lot of animals around that would be dead or ferocious animals that would die but I could identify with this as a writer talked about it as Boys when they see a bear a lion are a wolf dead in the streets
36:12: They will pull their hair insult over them and deal with them as they please right you got a dead wolf.
36:17: What's it gonna do? They'll trample on their bodies and do that under them being dead
36:23: Which they durst not in the least measure venture upon while they're still alive
36:29: Such a thing is dead and Such a thing is death a furious beast a ramping lion a devouring wolf
36:36: Yet Christ has laid him at his length has been the death of death so that God's children triumph over him
36:42: Such as those refined ones in the or of the church those martyrs of the primitive times who cheerfully offer themselves to fire
36:50: This hungry beast by the faith that they had in the life of Christ Death is dead the death of death and the death of Christ as John Owen Would say dear
37:01: Christian the darkest of your valleys the deepest ravines God's with you
37:07: The text says it I will fear no evil for thou art with me and by the way Do you like the text there in verse 4 and I rod on my staff or your rod and your staff they comfort me
37:20: You're with me and these things that you use both to protect and ward off animals And to kind of get in line and make us kind of go on the right path.
37:29: They're there You save us with those instruments Lord you drive away predators with those instrument
37:34: Lord you keep us You defend us you guide us the rod basically was something to to club down Wild ferocious animals and the staff you just kind of keep the sheep in line
37:47: Keep the chief sheep going the right way Well, and then we need to Speed up a little bit
37:54: Jesus is your shepherd How can you lack nothing number one he's an abundant provider protector and number two he's an amazing proprietor
38:03: Versus five and six this is why I don't do alliteration very much. He's in this part of the psalm.
38:08: He's a host There's a victory feast and he's the host and you get to go to the banquet the first part
38:15: He's a shepherd and we move from shepherd to host so when I looked up several synonyms that start
38:22: With P for a host the only one I could find to make this work was proprietor, so he's a generous host
38:30: Verses five and six you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies you anoint my head with oil my cup overflows
38:35: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever
38:42: Now if you're not careful you forget about this section everything's about Jesus as a shepherd, and he's a wonderful shepherd
38:47: He's a great shepherd. He's a chief shepherd. He's a good shepherd. He lays down his life for us. He's coming back He's with us now.
38:53: That's all true, but now it changes the metaphor moves from shepherd to host
39:00: Well now you get to go to the Kings Banquet you get to go to this wonderful God's special festive
39:12: Banquet I don't know if you've been to big banquets or not. I remember years and years ago Kim and I were in Hawaii for the first time and She and I thought it might be good to go to a luau and so we paid for this luxurious banquet luau
39:26: I think with 18 different courses and It was a total tourist trap ripoff
39:31: And I remember if I remember right it was held by some kind of nuclear power plant or something is that right pretty close
39:41: This banquet isn't going to disappoint you though Went when Yahweh the king because of the sons work has you for a banquet.
39:50: What must that be like? The children of God are now the guests friends the
39:56: Privilege of sitting at the table of God this reminds me of David who would say to the crippled
40:02: Meshivotheth You know what you can sit at my table and dine with the king. How'd you like to dine with the king of Kings?
40:09: Jesus is not just a shepherd He's a host this is table fellowship
40:17: It doesn't just stop with he's rescued me from hell And he's assured my pardon and he's purchased my soul with his blood and he reigns victoriously he he intercedes for me
40:27: But he's given me this big banquet, and it's not would you please treat me as one of your hired servants?
40:35: this is the God who now brings the best robe for his people and the best ring and The shoes for the feet and the fat and calf and kills it and says join with the celebration and dancing
40:49: Enjoying the fellowship and communion of God because of the Lord Jesus Christ And this is by the way in the presence what your tech say in the presence of my enemy
40:58: By the way God's blessing on me is so great That it's just it's done in front of enemies
41:04: Hey you enemies you ought to see my blessings for my people because I love them and I care for them
41:09: And I'm such a great shepherd. I'm gonna declare it in front of you They have security and blessing you might be an enemy right there in my presence, but they're not going to be afraid one
41:24: Egyptian writer and not a Bible context said May it please him to give gifts to his servants while our enemies look on If you are a great king you bring in your enemies
41:34: And then you treat your your beloved ones really well in front of those enemies just to show them who is king who to show them who is
41:42: The Shepherd and by the way when you see language like this in Psalm 23 of oil and a cup you ought to be thinking lavish hospitality
41:53: Blessings we can go to the store any time and buy about anything until this last week But it would be difficult to have this special oil and this wonderful wine and having everything that it would take to go with it
42:04: And you've got to have the olives and the grapes and you just can't grow wine you know you can't just get it out of the river and you have to have the grapes and take care of them and do
42:12: This and do that and then get the wine Same thing the olives and what they have to do and how to prepare them It takes a lot of domestic tasks to do and here you walk into the
42:20: Kings banquet hall And what do you get oil and you get wine and you get so much oil?
42:28: There's anointing on your head and you get so much wine the cup is never empty because he is such a gracious host
42:34: I don't know if you're a Baptist and you want to make it There's so much grape juice around Welch's grape juice that it never stops.
42:41: You can say whatever you like You know it's kind of hard to preach in a congregation of just the sound guy the sound guy and my three my three peeps
42:50: They're my family The shepherd it's almost like you know you the shepherd guides the sheep into the banquet hall and now they just have this huge banquet
43:02: It's amazing what great imagery here last lavish hospitality
43:10: You anoint you refresh you soothe what a gracious God we have one of the
43:16: Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him and went into the Pharisees house and reclined at table and behold a woman of the city who was a sinner when she learned that he was reclining at table in the
43:25: Pharisees house brought an alabaster flask of ointment and Standing behind him at his feet weeping she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of his her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with ointment
43:40: Now when the Pharisees who had invited him saw this he said to himself If this man were a prophet he would have known who and what sort of woman is touching him for she's a sinner and Jesus answering said to him
43:53: Simon. I have something to say to you He said say it's teacher a certain moneylender had two debtors
43:59: One owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty when they could not pay he canceled the debt of both now
44:04: Which of them will love him more? Simon answered well the one I suppose for whom he canceled the larger debt
44:11: And he said to him you have judged rightly then turning to the woman. He said to Simon. Do you see this woman?
44:17: I entered your house You gave me no water for my feet But she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair you gave me no kiss
44:25: But from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment
44:35: Therefore I tell you her sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much For he was forgiven little loves little and he said to her your sins are forgiven
44:45: Those were at the table with him began to say with themselves. Who is this who even forgives sins?
44:51: And he said to the woman your faith has saved you go in peace. I Came to your house, and you didn't anoint my head with oil.
44:58: She's anointing my feet with oil you didn't kiss me she kissed me when you're gonna have a banquet when you're gonna have a
45:03: Time of food and plenty there's certain things you do and this guest this host that we have this proprietor
45:10: He doesn't forget any of that and you get the overflowing cup of God's gracious Wonderful lavish grace.
45:17: What's a text say my cup? Overflows so much food so much wine so much drink it never runs out.
45:25: This host is generous This host is wise. This is the kind of of wine that satisfies.
45:31: It's the kind of food that overflows Psalm 104 wine which makes a man's heart glad So that his face may glisten with oil and food which sustains man's heart
45:43: And it doesn't just last on earth. It follows you to eternity verse 6 How good is this proprietor?
45:50: What kind of a wonderful host is this not just with temporal things, but eternal things You ever want to talk about assurance versus?
45:58: How do I know? I'm saved. How do I know God will get me home to heaven? surely
46:06: Confidently Exactly Goodness and loving -kindness will pursue me follow me track me down all the days of my life
46:16: For I dwell in the house and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever This is not
46:22: God saying, you know what? Hope you make it. This is God pursuing and tracking and actively
46:27: Aggressively, there's nothing passive about any of this. Is there? It's like God's steadfast.
46:33: Love hunts down aggressively his people to make sure they get home safely
46:40: To the Lord's house of eternal dwelling. That is heaven It's amazing to me
46:47: Jesus said I'm going to prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come back and take you to be with me that you may be there also with me
46:58: He's gonna bring us. It's all on him. It is sure it is certain it is trustworthy
47:06: David think about him. He understands a sheep motif motif He understands what it's like to be a host as a king who would have these big banquets
47:15: But this banquets not gonna just end He can I be a guest for a day and be at your banquet
47:23: Well, there's something better than being a guest for a day eternally I'd like to live in your bountiful presence forever
47:30: I mean if you went to some kind of lavish banquet that a king would give back in those days
47:35: You would say this when you walked out I wish that would never end and that's exactly what's happening here and God's gonna make it happen
47:42: We don't keep ourselves safe. God preserves us. Oh, we respond with perseverance of the
47:47: Saint. That's true, but it's all on God What's the text say? I will dwell in the house of Yahweh forever all my length of days forever and ever and ever
47:58: Happy is that people Whose God is Well, it's pretty amazing.
48:08: Is it not God is an abundant provider protector and he's an amazing proprietor. I As shepherd
48:18: Psalm 49 says death is the people shepherd who don't believe and if you're watching today listening today
48:26: Everybody has a shepherd you either have death as a shepherd or you have Jesus as a shepherd and you want to lay down your
48:32: Arms as it were Repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ this great shepherd
48:39: That tells you how bad sin is when you say, you know what? I don't want this good shepherd I don't want these blessings
48:45: Temporally and spiritually I don't want to dwell in the house of the Lord forever. I don't want him as a shepherd
48:50: I'll be my own shepherd and I don't want to be a guest at his table only sin says that but when
48:56: God opens your eyes, you realize what a magnificent gracious Shepherd and host he is
49:04: Romans 8 32 he who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us all how he also not with him freely
49:10: Give us all things So Jesus said to them again truly truly
49:16: I say to you I'm the door of the sheep I'm the door if anyone enters through me
49:23: He will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy
49:28: I came that they may have life and have it what? More abundantly.
49:36: I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. I Am the
49:42: Good Shepherd. I know my own and my own knows me Dear friends Psalm 23 is not a psalm of death
49:50: Even though it is very apropos because God is with us even unto death. It's a psalm for living
49:56: It's a psalm that talks about the presence of our Savior The Lord Jesus as the Good Shepherd the
50:01: Great Shepherd and the Chief Shepherd your shepherd The Lord is my shepherd and if you're trusting in the
50:07: Lord Jesus, you can say that that's amazing to me And therefore we can fear no evil my homework for you this week is every day
50:16: I'd like you to read Psalm 23, excuse me, Psalm 22 23 and 24 Together so you can understand what it's like to have the shepherd who died
50:27: The shepherd who lives and the shepherd who is coming back Psalm 23
50:32: The Lord is my shepherd bow with me if you would please Our Father in heaven.
50:37: We're thankful That we lack nothing because of your great abundant kindness found in the
50:45: Lord Jesus Christ You provide everything we need through him nourishment peace restoration guidance
50:52: Thank you. You've never let us down nor will you ever let us down? I pray for those who are
50:58: In different trials that they might recognize that in fact, Jesus is Emmanuel God with us
51:04: Thank you that you'll never leave us nor forsake us. Thank you that you're a protective Shepherd and a gracious host.
51:12: Oh, what will heaven be like so many pleasures on this earth? But what will heaven be like to dwell in your presence forever without sin?
51:20: And to be able to see you face to face. We look forward to that day in Jesus name. We pray. Amen Well, thank you for watching today
51:29: If you've got friends and you want to have them link to this or see it I think in light of our YouTube difficulties, we'll probably get it burned on YouTube and then we'll send out that link as well
51:39: We are just going day by day Dear congregation, and I don't know what's gonna happen next week
51:44: We've thought about maybe expanding this a little bit are just continuing as we go
51:50: I think a couple of you have been in home groups with zoom and other things Some have have wondered and said well, you know what what's gonna happen to churches because everybody's gonna be all discombobulated
52:01: And they won't understand this that of the other and I I don't think that's gonna happen at all I think the real
52:07: Saints of Bethlehem Bible Church while we long to worship with one another The Lord will take care of us even though we're at home and we want to do the right thing and and obey the government
52:15: And of course if the government says we can never get back together Then of course, we we don't obey the government in that regard.
52:22: We'll all be the Lord Jesus Christ, but I'm not worried You can have a great day today knowing that Jesus is your shepherd and a great banquet provider and That would be enough for us today
52:35: It does make me think Lord it would be good for you to come back soon I would take care of a lot of problems and so that also is another thing.
52:43: So may you Be blessed by God. I think about the great Aaronic blessing Remember in Numbers chapter 6 because I'm thinking about oil and wine and those other things about God's face and how it
52:57: Glistens as it were with pleasure because of the Lord Jesus Christ Toward us the
53:02: Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you and lift Up his countenance upon you and give you peace.