Lars Larson Live Stream

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But it expressed the fact of our inability to do that, even though we're
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Christians. We need the grace of God, the help of God to do so, but he's provided for that in the gospel through the presence and power of the
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Holy Spirit. And so whereas the non -Christian is not capable because of sin to live according to the law of God, Paul sets forth in Romans 8, the
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Christian is and does live according to the law of God by the power of the Holy Spirit, through the life of the risen
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Christ that empowers them. Romans 8, there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the
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Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law weakened by the flesh could not do, by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the
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Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the
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Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the
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Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law, indeed it cannot.
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Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the
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Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the
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Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the
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Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised
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Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his
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Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brothers, we are dead oars not to the flesh to live according to the flesh, for if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the
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Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live. For all who are led by the
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Spirit of God are sons of God, for you did not receive the Spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the
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Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children then heirs, heirs of God, fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
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For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy or worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us, for the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
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For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
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We know the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now, and not only the creation but we ourselves who have the firstfruits of the
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Spirit groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
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And for this hope we were saved. Now the hope that is seen is not hope for who hopes for what he sees, but if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
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Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the
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Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts know what is the mind of the
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Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love
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God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
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For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his
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Son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
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What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
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He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
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Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
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Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died, more than that, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
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Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword, as it's written, for your sake we are being killed all the day long, we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.
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Now in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us, for I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our
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Lord. That's quite a chapter, isn't it? Filled with so many wonderful truths it's hard to even digest them, let alone meditate upon all of them at the same time.
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Well, let's pray. We thank you, our God, that there is no condemnation for the one that is in Christ, that that condemnation that was due us fell upon him when he died upon the cross.
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And therefore, our God, we stand exonerated in your presence, forgiven of our sins, and indeed we're righteous before you, for the righteousness of Christ has clothed us through faith, and we thank you for that.
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And yet, Father, we still continue and fall in sin so many different ways, so frequently, yet thank you for the provision that you have for us in Christ, through the blessed
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Holy Spirit that you've given us, our God. That as we look to him and trust him to empower us, enable us, you are able to strengthen us and enable us, our
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God, to defeat sin in our lives, and to think and to live righteously before you.
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All too often, our God, we fail in this, we resort to our own thinking, our own strength, and we certainly fall short and fall quickly and hard, but we thank you, our
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God, for your patience toward us, you forgive us of our sin, you pick us up, and you exhort us and encourage us and instruct us once again to look to you, because only you can enable us to live as you require of us.
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We thank you, our God, that we groan and the Spirit and even the creation groans, we're thankful that the
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Holy Spirit, too, groans, but he does so on our behalf as he makes intercession for us, our
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God, before you, our Father, praying for us as an intercessor. We know, our
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God, that all of his prayers, just like the prayers of the Lord Jesus, are in accordance with your will, and you hear them, and you grant every petition that he requests, and we thank you, our
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God, that within the petitioning of the Holy Spirit, we have this persevering grace, our
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God, that you will keep your own even on to that final day, and so even in the midst of our difficulty, our hardship, our sufferings, we are confident, our
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Lord, because we know these things are just not worthy to be compared to the glory that you will reveal in us on that day when
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Jesus returns. We pray, Lord, that you would help us to look for and anticipate that return of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of our bodies when we're transformed into utter and complete holiness before you.
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May that day come soon. And yet, our God, we have a great desire to be able to proclaim your glory to the world, so many lost or loved ones, ones for whom we're concerned that by their behavior and by their thinking, they seem to be outside of Christ.
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Help us, our God. Send great revival in our midst, in our church, and in our world. Help our church and every church attempting to be faithful to proclaim
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Christ according to your word. May you bless it, our God, particularly in our New England region.
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We just pray for a great, great revival, our God, before the coming of the
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Lord, and yet we do pray that he would come soon. And so may your grace help us and encourage us.
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We pray now, our God, you'd help Jason as he brings your word to us. May the Holy Spirit, our
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God, use the instrument of your word to instruct us, to purify us, to empower us that we might live,
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Lord, lives of contentment as you desire, Lord, and have designed for your people that are in Christ Jesus.
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In whose name we do pray, amen. Jason, if you would please.
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Thank you. Morning, everybody.
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In junior high, I played basketball for one year in 7th grade, and I wasn't very good.
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And so they put me in the 5th quarter team, and the 5th quarter is when they played all the kids that couldn't play.
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So you can imagine my pain when Lars told you this morning that he schedules me for the 5th Sunday of every month.
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Maybe we could just say I preach every once in a while. I do want to thank you all.
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Last week, we received a lot of Christmas cards and gifts from the church and a lot of encouraging things that you wrote to me and my family.
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And we're just very thankful for this church, very thankful to be a part of this church and for just the love and grace that you've shown me and my family.
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So thank you very much. Well, let's go to the Lord in prayer. Heavenly Father, we exalt you and we praise you and we thank you that we are here this morning to worship you.
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For Lord, you are worthy of all of our praise, all glory, all honor. And we pray that as we open the word today that you would teach us something about who you are, that you would teach us about who we are and how we can better align our lives to your purpose and your will.
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So Lord, help us now as we open up the word. Thank you. In Jesus' name, amen.
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What do you believe about God? Do you believe that God is the creator?
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That from nothing, he made the heavens and the earth? Do you believe that God is sovereign?
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Do you believe that he is the greatest, that he is the highest, that he is the authority?
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That he alone is over all of creation? That he is over all of the heavens and all of the earth, all of the nations, all people and all circumstances?
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Do you really believe that God is omniscient? That he knows all things? Do you believe that God is omnipotent?
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That he is all powerful? Do you really believe that the Lord God reigns supreme?
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Do you believe that God is love? Do you believe that God has saved you from sin by love with purpose, so that he might show you the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness?
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My guess, my hope, is that every person here would answer yes to every one of these questions.
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Yes, I believe that God is the creator. Yes, I believe that God is sovereign and authoritative.
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Yes, I believe that God is omniscient and omnipotent, and that the Lord God alone reigns supreme.
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And yes, I truly believe that God is love, and that I am in his hands, and that by his providence he cares and guides me in all things.
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But here is a far more important question. Does your life reflect these truths?
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Does your life genuinely reflect these confessions? The proof that these confessions are genuine are found in a life that is characterized by contentment.
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One of the most powerful and visible proofs of your salvation, one of the strongest witnesses before your spouse, your children, your co -workers, friends, family, before a watching world, is a life that is satisfied and content.
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To be content means that you believe that the Lord God will deliver what he has promised. It means that you truly believe the
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Lord God and take him at his word. That he will care for you. That he will meet all of your needs.
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And that he will work all things in all circumstances for your good and his glory.
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No matter your circumstances or the trials that you face in this life, the content person is able to say, like Paul in Philippians 4, 11 -13, not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation
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I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound.
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In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
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I can do all things through him who strengthens me. No matter your circumstances or the trials that you face in this life, the content person is able to cry out, like Asaph in Psalm 73, 25,
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Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
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My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart.
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And God is my portion forever. No matter your circumstances or the trials that you face in this life, the content person is able to worship like Job in Job 1 -21.
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And he said, Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return.
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The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the
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Lord. Though he slay me, I will hope in him. So, beloved, what about you?
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Where do you line up? Are you a content person? Are you really a content person?
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Do those who know you the most intimately consider you to be a content person? Are you content with where you're at in life?
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Are you content in your marriage? Are you content with your spouse? Are you content with your singleness?
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Are you content with your school, with your friends, or with your parents? Are you content in your job, with your boss, with your paycheck?
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Are you content with your stuff, your house, your clothes, your car? Are you content with yourself, with your appearance, with your intellect, with your health?
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Are you content when you lack any of these things? Beloved, your answers to these questions is your true confession about the
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Lord God. Your answers to these questions reveal what you truly believe about the
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Lord God. If He really is sovereign. If He really is all -powerful.
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If He really is love. You see, the secret to being content is not rooted in your circumstances.
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It's not rooted in your present prosperity, or success, or even in your comfort.
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Being content is rooted in your knowledge and faith in the
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Lord God. It is rooted in your belief that God is in fact over all things. That God is in fact ordaining all things.
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That He is working all things for your good and His glory. So to be discontent in your circumstances is really to be discontent with the
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Lord God. To be discontent with His character. To be discontent with His word.
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To be discontent with His promises. 2
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Peter 1 .3 says, His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.
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Through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence. As Christians we have been given everything we need to be content.
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We have been given everything we need to be satisfied. Everything pertaining to life and godliness has been granted to us.
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So that regardless of the state of your finances. The state of your health. The state of your marriage.
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Or any other difficult circumstance. You can be content because the
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Lord God reigns. You can be content because the Lord God is good.
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You can be content because the Lord God is faithful. Unfortunately in the lives of many professing believers the opposite is often true.
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The rare jewel of Christian contentment has been replaced by the rocks of restless striving.
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And because you don't fully trust in the Lord God. In His provision and in His goodness.
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You seek satisfaction elsewhere. You seek contentment elsewhere. But believe me.
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You'll never find it elsewhere. Please join with me to the book of Psalms.
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Our text is Psalm 23. And in this very familiar
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Psalm. King David shows us that a life of contentment does not stem from the temporal blessings of this world.
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But rather true contentment comes from knowing the Good Shepherd. And from experiencing all the blessings that the
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Good Shepherd has graciously and abundantly provided for us. This morning we're going to take a look at four simple steps.
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That will help lead you to a satisfied life of great joy and great contentment.
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Step number one. You must know the Shepherd. Step number two. You must know the
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Shepherd's provisions. Step number three. You must walk closely with the Shepherd.
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And step number four. You must see the Shepherd's goodness in every circumstance and every situation.
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So know the Shepherd. Know His provisions. Walk closely with Him. And recognize the goodness of the
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Shepherd in every sphere of life. Let's look at the text together.
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Psalm 23 verses 1 to 6. A Psalm of David. The Lord is my
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Shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
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He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His namesake.
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Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For You are with me.
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Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
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You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
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And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. The first step to contentment is to make sure that you know the
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Shepherd. Make sure that you are known by the Shepherd. The key to not wanting in verse 1 is to have the
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Lord Jesus Christ as your Shepherd. Look again at what David says in verse 1.
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The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. David's response is emphatically personal.
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The Lord is my Shepherd. It's important to remember that not everyone knows or belongs to the
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Lord Jesus Christ. The good Shepherd is not the Shepherd of everyone. You may recall in John chapter 10 the
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Jews were in suspense as to whether or not Jesus was the Christ. So finally they asked Him plainly,
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If you are the Christ, just tell us. In John chapter 10 Jesus answered them,
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I told you and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me.
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But you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.
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And I give eternal life to them and they will never perish. And no one will snatch them out of my hand.
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In your search for contentment, this is the first and the most important question that you must answer.
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Is the Lord Jesus Christ my Shepherd? Is He truly my
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Shepherd? Do I hear His voice? Do I obey His voice? Do I turn from my sin and follow
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Him? Do I live for Him? Matthew 7 verse 21
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Jesus Christ says, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my
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Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and cast out demons in your name and do many mighty works in your name?
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Then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.
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Now I want you to reflect for a moment on the reality of what this passage is telling us.
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Imagine that you're living your life in obedience to God, or so you think.
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You're serving the Lord God. You're serving others in the church, in the community, or so you think.
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You're casting out demons. You're performing mighty miracles in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. You have seen firsthand the power of God.
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You have seen renewed and transformed lives. And at the end of your life, on that day, you're standing before the
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Lord Jesus Christ who is the righteous judge. And after a lifetime of perceived devotion and service to Him, you see
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Him there in His holiness, in His majesty, in His splendor. And you proudly recount all of the things that you have done in His name, on His behalf.
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And the Lord Jesus Christ pauses and looks down at you and proclaims,
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I never knew you. Imagine that. Now you're starting to panic.
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Your heart's pumping. Sweat is pouring off your body. Your mind is racing. How can this be? Everything I've done, my work, my service, my entire life, how can it be of absolute no meaning?
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And the answer is that you didn't really know the shepherd. And the shepherd didn't know you.
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Then from His glorious presence, because of your lawlessness, because of your pride and your unbelief, you are cast into hell to pay for every one of your transgressions.
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And there, in agony and despair and darkness, you will forever exist as a monument to God's justice,
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His holiness, and His infinite wrath. And beloved, this will be the terrifying reality for many.
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Not just a few, but many. And this will be the terrifying reality for some of you here today.
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The question that each one of you must individually answer, is the
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Lord Jesus Christ my shepherd? Do I truly know the shepherd? Does the shepherd truly know me?
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I think it's significant that Psalm 23 follows immediately after Psalm 22.
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Psalm 22 is a messianic psalm where we see a very clear picture of Jesus Christ, the suffering servant.
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Psalm 22 says, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint.
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My heart is like wax, it is melted within my breast. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws.
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And you lay me in the dust of death. For dogs encompass me, a company of evildoers encircle me.
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They have pierced my hands and feet. I can count all my bones.
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They stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them, and from my clothing they cast lots.
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From Psalm 22, we see the immense suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ, as He was mocked and beaten and nailed upon the cross at Calvary.
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Here we see the Lord Jesus Christ as our sacrificial substitute. We see
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Him as our propitiation. As He who fully absorbed the wrath of God.
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Beloved, until you know Psalm 22, you cannot know Psalm 23.
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Until you place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, in His perfect life, in His death, in His resurrection, in His ascension.
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Until you place your trust in the suffering servant. Until you repent of your sin and place your faith in His finished work, and follow after Him.
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Then and only then can you say with David, The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.
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Without Psalm 22, there can be no Psalm 23. The first step to contentment is to make sure that you know the shepherd.
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Make sure that you are known by the shepherd. Beloved, make sure that you know beyond any shadow of doubt that you belong to Him.
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The second step to contentment is to make sure that you know the shepherd's provisions.
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Psalm 23 verses 2 through 3. He makes me lie down in green pastures.
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He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His namesake.
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So often in our striving for contentment, in our striving for fulfillment and satisfaction in life, we forget the blessings that the
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Lord God has abundantly provided. We forget that the Lord God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
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In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet prophesied against the house of Israel. And he stated that they had forsaken
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God. God who was the fountain of living waters. And they forsook the
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Lord and they hewed out for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water.
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Looking for contentment outside of Jesus Christ is like the thirsty man who ignores and turns away from the fountain of living water that is right in front of him.
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And he goes off into the distance searching for water. And he digs out an old broken cistern.
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A cistern that is dried and cracked that can't hold water. That will never hold water.
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Now does that make any sense? Who would waste their time and their energy on such a fruitless and futile endeavor?
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Beloved, we do it all the time. Looking and turning to anything other than the
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Lord Jesus Christ to find contentment is like ignoring that fresh water and searching out and drinking from a muddy puddle on the side of the road.
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Far too often, sheep ignore the abundant provision of the shepherd and they seek after a substitute.
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A substitute which cannot, which will not satisfy. Well what are some of these provisions that the good shepherd provides for his sheep?
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David mentions two things. Firstly, the good shepherd provides his sheep with restful security.
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Green pastures and quiet waters. Take another look at verse 2.
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He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.
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In my life I've had very little exposure to actual sheep. So most of my information about sheep and the behavior of sheep has come from books.
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And one of my favorite books that deals with sheep is called A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23.
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Written by Philip Keller. And for eight years Keller made his livelihood as a shepherd.
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And he has some very helpful insights about the manner and the conduct of sheep.
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An interesting fact about sheep. According to Keller, sheep will not lie down unless they are free from hunger.
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It is only after the sheep are fed and satisfied that they will lie down in peace and chew their cud.
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The good shepherd provides his sheep with everything they need to be able to lie down in perfect satisfaction and rest.
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Ezekiel 34 verse 15, the Lord God states, I will feed them with good pasture.
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There they shall lie down in good grazing land. And on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel.
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I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep. And I myself will make them lie down, declares the
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Lord God. I think one of the main reasons why Christians often lack contentment.
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One of the main reasons why we struggle to lie down in restful security. Is because we are hungry.
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We haven't eaten. We need a healthy meal. But rather than filling up on a healthy portion of God's word.
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We fill up on other things. Other things which cannot satisfy our hunger.
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And so we never lie down. We are fidgety and we are restless. And we end up wandering away.
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Looking for someone. Looking for something else to fill us up. I would say that most
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Christians are underfed. Most Christians are malnourished. Because they are not constantly feeding upon the word of God.
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They are not hearing the word of God or reading the word of God. Studying, memorizing, nor meditating upon the sufficient word of God.
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Even though it is readily available. Rather than taking in a healthy meal of God's word.
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A quick and easy substitute is sought after. Other things are sought after for their contentment.
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They try to fill their hunger with career. Or with materialistic pursuits.
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Or with pleasure or comfort. Or music or movies or books. Exercise or any other activity.
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Beloved, the word of God is milk for the baby. And it is meat for the mature.
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It is God's provision for us to make us healthy. So that we will be able to lie down in restful contentment.
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2 Timothy 3 .16 says that all scripture is breathed out by God. And profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.
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That the man of God may be complete. That he may be whole, equipped for every good work.
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Beloved, do not substitute anything for the hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating of God's word.
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Because nothing else will fill you up. Nothing else will satisfy you.
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Nothing else will make you whole. In your search for contentment, don't pursue the poison of the world.
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But wait for the leading of the shepherd who will guide you to the green pastures and the quiet waters.
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The second provision that the good shepherd provides for his sheep is spiritual restoration and guidance.
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Look again at verse 3. The good shepherd restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake.
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If it weren't for the guidance of the shepherd, sheep would settle for dead, crusty stubble and stagnant, contaminated pools.
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Sheep are creatures of habit. If left to themselves, they will follow the same trails until they become ruts.
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They will graze in the same hills until they turn into bare dirt. They will pollute their own ground until it is corrupt with disease and parasites.
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Now does this sound familiar? Have you ever found yourself settling for that which does not satisfy?
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For that which you know will not satisfy, but it's convenient? It's there, so you settle for it?
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As creatures of habit, do you ever find yourself following the same patterns of behavior which results in the same miserable consequences?
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Do you ever make things worse for yourself? Have you ever dug yourself into a hole so deep that you have no possible way of getting out of it?
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Where you multiply sin upon sin upon sin until you can't even remember how you got to be in this place.
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These situations are all too familiar to the children of God. But thanks to the guidance of the shepherd, he leads us past the dead, crusty stubble.
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He leads us past the stagnant, contaminated pools. He leads us out of the holes that we dig until we reach the grassy meadows and the quiet waters.
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And there, our souls are restored. Do you know how the good shepherd restores his sheep?
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He does it two ways. He does it through his word and he does it through other sheep. Psalm 19 .7
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says, the law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. And the word perfect here is a translation of the
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Hebrew word meaning to be whole, to be complete, to be sufficient. It conveys the idea of something that is comprehensive.
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It covers all aspects of an issue. God's word is comprehensive. It covers all aspects of an issue.
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It also revives or it restores the soul. God's word is so powerful and complete that it can transform the entire person.
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Changing someone into precisely the person that God wants them to be. God's word is perfectly sufficient to restore the most broken and sinful and mixed up life.
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The other way that the shepherd restores his sheep is through other sheep. Galatians 6 .1
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and 2 says, brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.
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Keep watch on yourselves lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.
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If you stray off the path, go to God's word for direction.
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God's word will point out where you are off the path and how to get back onto the path.
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But if you are a particularly stubborn sheep and you stray and you stray and you stray and you either cannot nor will not return to God's word for restoration,
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God has entrusted those who are spiritual to help restore his straying sheep. And who are the spiritual of Galatians 6 .1?
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Paul actually qualifies the spiritual in the last verse of Galatians 5. Those who are spiritual are those who bear the fruit of the spirit.
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Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self -control.
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God has entrusted you, the spiritual, to go after straying sheep.
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This is what is referred to as church discipline. Or better yet, it should be called church restoration because that's the goal, to restore a sinning brother or sister into the body of Christ.
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Those in the church are called to lock shields with one another, to stand shoulder to shoulder with one another.
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I have your back and you have my back. And if I stray, you had better come after me.
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And if you stray, I had better come after you. Beloved, this is what it means to be a member in the body of Christ.
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Church discipline, church restoration, is one of the greatest benefits to being a member in the local church.
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The first step to contentment, you need to know the shepherd. The second step to contentment, you need to know the shepherd's provision.
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The shepherd provides restful security. The shepherd provides green pastures and quiet waters.
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The shepherd leads us in the paths of righteousness. The third step to contentment, you need to walk closely with the shepherd.
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Psalm 23 verses 4 and 5. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
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I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
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You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows.
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You see, on the way to the green pastures, on the way to the quiet waters, the shepherd will often lead his sheep through dangerous territory.
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God, our shepherd, leads us when necessary through bitter experiences and difficult trials.
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The shepherd does not keep us from the valley of the shadow of death. He could, but rather he leads us through it.
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You see, it is the shepherd's presence that is our comfort. No matter how awful the circumstance,
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I will fear no evil because you, the good shepherd, are with me.
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It's interesting, in verses 1 through 3, David uses the third person, he, to refer to the
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Lord. The Lord is my shepherd. He makes me lie down. He leads me. He restores my soul.
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He guides me. But beginning in verse 4, David starts to talk, as David's starting to talk about times of trial, about walking through the valley of the shadow of death, he shifts to the more intimate second person, you, to refer to the
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Lord. I think this is very significant. It's in the times of trials and distress.
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It's in the times of the crisis of life that we are drawn closer to our Father God.
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We have a tendency to talk a lot about God while we're in the green pastures and while we're beside the quiet waters.
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But when we are in the valley of the shadow of death, we don't just talk about God, we cry out to Him.
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And we rely upon Him. It's also important to note that the
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I shall not want of verse 1 does not mean the absence of hardship. If anyone knew a life of hardship and sorrow, it was
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David. But David could say with integrity, the Lord is my shepherd,
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I shall not want. Because the Lord God was his portion. Because the
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Lord God was with him in the valley of the shadow of death. Romans 8 .38,
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which we read earlier. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all of creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our
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Lord. Nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our
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Lord. And nothing can snatch us out of His hand. If God is for us, who can be against us?
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Who will bring a charge against God's elect? Who is there to condemn? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
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No one. We are protected, we are secure, even in the presence of our enemies.
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Take another look at Psalm 23 verse 5. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
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You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. In the presence of the shepherd there is no need to fear.
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There is no need to be anxious because there is no lack of protection.
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The enemies of the sheep are helpless when the shepherd is present. And the picture here is of God as a gracious host throwing a banquet sparing no extravagance for the invited guests.
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The host provides him with abundance, an overflowing abundance, so that David says his cup overflows.
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And all of this in the presence of his enemies. For those who fear
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God, Psalm 34, there is no want. There is no want.
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Those who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing. The first step to contentment, know the shepherd.
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The second step to contentment, know his provision. The third step to contentment, walk closely with him.
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The fourth and final step to contentment is you need to make sure that you see the shepherd's goodness in every situation, in every circumstance.
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Verse 6, surely 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. Life can drastically change for the worse in a moment of time.
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Life can be very challenging and difficult. If you haven't experienced this yet, believe me, you will.
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But in the midst of difficulty, you must always remember the character of God.
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You must remember the Word of God. Always remember what it is that follows the sheep all of their days.
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It is the shepherd's goodness and his mercy. God's goodness and God's mercy are like two sheepdogs.
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Sheepdogs are never far away from the sheep, but they're always nearby. They're always leading the flock, they're protecting the flock, and they're seeking the flock's good on behalf of the shepherd.
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The Hebrew word translated follow implies a very active kind of following, much like a pursuit.
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The good shepherd's goodness, the good shepherd's mercy, will pursue you all the days of your life.
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All the days of your life. Imagine this. Imagine that you are in your car, you're driving along the interstate, and you pull over at a rest stop to get gas.
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You grab a few snacks, you get back in your car, you get back on the road, but you're running a little late.
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You need to make up some time. So you're driving 20 miles an hour over the speed limit. And all of a sudden a police car comes tearing up behind you, flashing his lights and honking his horn, and you panic for a second and you take off.
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You try to outrun the police. Well, eventually you come to your senses and you realize it's crazy to try to outrun a police officer.
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You've got no place to go, there's no way you can outrun his car. It's too fast, so you pull over.
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First you were speeding, and then you were fleeing. You know you're in a mess of trouble, so you wait for the officer to come to your window, and he knocks on it.
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You sheepishly roll down your window, and you look up at the officer. And he says to you, you left your wallet at the rest stop.
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And he hands you your wallet back to you. And then he goes on to tell you, and you won the $10 ,000 door prize, but you left before we could give it to you.
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And he hands you a stack of cash. You thought he was pursuing you to give you a ticket, but he was actually pursuing you with good, with mercy.
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In a far, far greater way, our Father God is like that police officer.
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He is actively pursuing you. He is pursuing you with his goodness. He is pursuing you with his mercy.
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And he will continue to pursue you all the days of your life.
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All the days of your life. The heart of the Lord God, our
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Good Shepherd, overflows with goodness. He overflows with mercy.
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And when it comes to doing good for his sheep, he gives us more than we can handle. He gives us a super abundance of good.
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He overflows our cup with good. Beloved, if you want to be content in this life, you need to make sure that you truly know the
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Shepherd. You need to make sure that you know the Shepherd's provisions. You need to make sure that you closely walk with the
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Shepherd, especially during the hard times of life. You need to make sure that you see the
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Shepherd's goodness and mercy in every situation. Contentment is found in a person.
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Contentment is found in the Good Shepherd, in Jesus Christ. Why do you think our
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God shepherds us in this way? Why does God go to such great lengths to pursue fallen sinners like you and I?
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We wander. We flee from him. We stray. In our lives, we're not content.
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We're not satisfied with his provision. We're not satisfied with his blessings. We're self -centered.
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We're prideful. We're unbelieving. Why is it that the Lord God pursues us in this way?
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What is the motive behind his pursuit and his provision for us? Look at the second part of verse 3.
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For his namesake. For his namesake. Beloved, God's motive, his purpose, is to display the honor and the magnificence of his great and glorious name.
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And there is nothing that displays his honor, his character, his glory, and his all -sufficiency more than overflowing in goodness and mercy toward needy, sheep -like people like you and me.
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So for his namesake, for your restful security, for your guidance, for your protection, for your nourishment, for true contentment, know the
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Good Shepherd. Know the Good Shepherd. Know the
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Shepherd's provisions. Walk closely with the Shepherd. Acknowledge his goodness and mercy in every circumstance, in every situation, no matter the difficulty.
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Beloved, be content in your circumstances. Be content in your trials.
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Be content in your suffering by being content with the Good Shepherd.
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Follow the Good Shepherd. Follow the Lord Jesus Christ. And if you do, and when you do, you will not lack anything.
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You shall not want. Let's pray. Our Father, we thank you for your faithfulness to us.
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Even in the midst of our faithlessness. Even in the midst of our unbelief.
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Even in the midst of our pride and our self -centered ways. Lord, you are the
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Good Shepherd. And in Jesus Christ, you have provided all that we need. So Lord, help us remember who we are in Christ Jesus.
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Help us to remember the great riches that we have in Christ Jesus. And Lord, help us to live in a manner that is worthy of who we are in Christ Jesus.
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Lord, help us be wise in the decisions that we make. Help us to be wise in the perspective that we take on trials and difficulty.
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Lord, help us always look to you. And Lord, we know this is difficult, so we must rely upon the
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Spirit of God. And Lord, we pray for those who think they know you, but in reality they don't.
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We pray that you would convict them. We pray that you would draw them. We pray that you would do a great work in their life.
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We pray, Lord, that they would see their sin. And that they would see their great need for Christ. That they would repent and believe.
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We pray that you would save them, Lord. And for those who have no interest in the
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Good Shepherd. We pray, Lord, that they would see that a life without you is a life of futility.
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It is a meaningless life. It is a miserable life. And we pray, Lord, that you would touch them and grant them the repentance that leads to saving faith.
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Lord, do a great work in our lives. Do a great work in our families. Do a great work in our church.
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Lord, as we approach a new year, we pray that we would devote a lot of time to knowing the
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Shepherd. That we would study who you are as you revealed yourself to us in the scriptures.
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That we would know your attributes. That we would know your character. That we would know and understand the great salvation that you have given to us.
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We pray that we would remember your provisions. That we would remember your promises. Lord, help these things just become on our minds every day.
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Lord, help us to remember that you pursue us with good. That you pursue us with mercy. Lord, help us live our lives in light of these truths.
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Reflecting upon them daily. To your praise and your glory. For your namesake. In Jesus' name, amen.