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[Music] welcome to everyone we have a few announcements before we begin our worship first we want to welcome Pastor Lee McKinnon and his wife Wanda they are here from the covenant Reformed Baptist Church in Bluefield West Virginia so it's a long trek for them to come and to be with us this morning and we're very thankful for that they're not just visiting us I think they've got some other things they're doing as well and then in terms of our joint service that will be next Lord's Day that's at 4:00 p.m. so please make sure that you remember that if you come at 5:00 p.m. we will be in full swing and there is a list of items that persons can bring in terms of the fellowship afterward and then finally we want to announce the engagement of Hannah Porter and Joo young Kim they are engaged to be married on April 27 2019 so we can rejoice in God's goodness to them and having said that please turn with me now in your Bibles to Psalm 79 we're gonna read the latter half of Psalm 79 for our call to worship this morning Psalm 79 beginning in verse 8 oh do not remember former iniquities against us let your tender mercies come speedily to meet us for we have been brought very low help us o god of our salvation for the glory of your name and deliver us and provide atonement for our sins for your name's sake why should the nations say where is their God let there be known among the nations in our sight the avenging of the blood of your servants which has been shed let the groaning of the prisoner come before you according to the greatness of your power preserve those who are appointed to die and return to our neighbors Sevenfold into their bosom the reproach with which they have reproached you O Lord so we your people and sheep of your pasture will give you thanks forever we will show forth your praise to all generations amen well please turn in your Trinity hymnal to him number 12 hymn number 12 will stand as we sing together [Music] well let us pray a blessed God and most high we come before you now on the Sabbath day to rejoice in your loving-kindness and in your mercy we come to confess that you are from everlasting to everlasting the God who made the world the God governs the world and the God who has redeemed his elect out of the world we praise you Father Son and Holy Spirit for who you are we praise you for what you accomplished and we praise you with all of creation because you alone are worthy you were worthy to be glorified loved and honored and we would pray this day that you would fill us with your Holy Spirit enable us to come before you with reverence and with awe and as well with great joy as we consider so great a salvation that we have in and through the Lord Jesus Christ we thank you for the sending of the son of your love into this world we praise you for his life of obedience to the father's law for his death as a sacrifice and a substitute on Calvary's cross and for his resurrection the third day we thank you and praise you that he ever lives to make intercession for us and as well that he saves to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto God through him we pray today that you would encourage and strengthen our hearts we come here weary we come here oftentimes tempted in this world that we live in we come with various spiritual trials and afflictions and we thank you that you've provided this haven of rest for us we thank you for what it typifies and what it points us forward to even that eternal rest that we have when we get to the new heavens and earth we ask that you would bless our time together this morning she would help us to worship you in spirit and in truth that you would help us Lord God to see you as the Scriptures reveal you as the God who is altogether lovely and chief among ten thousand we would pray even now that you would forgive us of our sins we see that refrain throughout the Psalter we see it throughout the scripture itself the people of God praying to the God of heaven and earth for atonement and for cleansing and for forgiveness and how we thank you that you've provided a means by which we have forgiveness it's not because of our goodness it's not because we merit it's not because we deserve but it's because of your gracious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ how we thank you that you made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him and how we thank you that because of him we have forgiveness even cleansing in its blood so please wash us even now we confess those transgressions against your holy law that lack of conformity under that law asking you to cleanse us in that that precious fountain that is open for sin and uncleanness wash us and purify us and help us Lord God to have that that clean conscience before you and men we ask as well for any and all who have come here this morning Unforgiven those who have not yet tasted and seen that the Lord is good we pray that today would be the day of salvation we pray that your Holy Spirit would break the hardened hearts of men and women and boys and girls that you would bring that conviction for sin and as well that that realization that in Christ alone is forgiveness in Christ alone as a righteousness that avails with God may that gospel go forth in this place and may you give ears to hear and hearts to receive so that sinners may come out of Darkness and the marvelous light confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior we pray that for our meeting together here we pray that for other churches in our community throughout this nation to the uttermost parts of the earth we pray that your word would run swiftly and be glorified that it would accomplish the purpose for which you send it and that father you would be pleased to cause your face to shine upon the nations cause the nations to be glad not because of their goodness but because of the righteousness of Jesus Christ we ask us well Lord God that you would encourage your people she would sanctify us conform us unto the image of the Lord Jesus Christ more and more each day and may you through your word today speak a word of comfort unto unto each and every one of us may you help us God to find that that encouragement from Scripture help us to find that stability and that security that scripture affords to that M we pray for our brother pastor McKinnon that you would fill him with the spirit she would give him a commitment to accurately proclaiming the word of truth to us and may the spirit be at work in the preacher and in the hearer and may you indeed do great and glorious things for your name's sake and for the good of your people here we pray for our brothers and sisters in Surrey thanking you for the work going on they're praying continuously for a brother pastor Kirkpatrick we ask that you would bless this young man keep him in the way of truth and cause him to handle accurately your word we also pray for the Saints and Vernon thanking you they have a pastor today we pray that you'd bless Dabney and use him God to proclaim your truth for the good of that body and all over the world father's we read in the last hour we know there is such persecution against the Church of Jesus Christ and as our brother reminded us this is evidence that the church is indeed going forward we know that jesus promised triumph when he said the gates of Hell will not prevail against it they also promised the gates of Hell would continue to resist and we see that evident in those nations steeped in Islam we see that evident a nation's steeped and other false religion and in atheism and secularism and our God in heaven we pray that you would keep your people you would bless them and help them father realize that these are momentary light affliction and that that exceeding weight of glory far outweighs anything that we experience in this lower world and may you cause your gospel to go forth in these lands and may you cause those who are committed to false gods to come to the Lord Jesus to bow the knee and to know that he alone is the one who saved sinners we also pray our Father for your blessing upon those in our midst with with temporal physical needs we prayed for them again in the last hour we just want to to call upon you that you would indeed encourage those who are racked with pain those who are discouraged by affliction we pray that in the midst of these things they would look beyond these these dark clouds of Providence to the smiling face of God Almighty she would come to their aid that she would come to their rescue that you would encourage their hearts and that you would heal their bodies we know that you own the cattle on a Thousand Hills and we know that you were able by your power by your grace by your mercy to bring restoration to your people we ask now that you would continue with us we pray that your spirit would be freely at work in our hearts and our minds and in this place and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well please turn with me again in your Trinity hymnal to number 457 457 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] well please turn with me in your Bibles to Luke's Gospel where in Luke chapter 22 for our scripture reading this morning Luke chapter 22 after announcing the coming destruction of Jerusalem our Lord Jesus enters into the passion and essentially what we find in that last week of our Lord's earthly life we see in terms of we see the opposition to him specifically waged by the religious leaders basically instigating the people ultimately to turn against Jesus and instead of worshiping him and praising him they say away with them away with him crucify him this is holy ground when you read the gospel records when you come to this section of Scripture to see how our Lord was treated by men but ultimately not we know it was the plan and purpose of God Almighty who was pleased to bruise his son putting him to grief in order to save us from our sins it certainly does display the great love of God for sinners beginning in chapter 22 at verse 1 now the feast of unleavened bread drew near which is called Passover and the chief priests and the scribes saw how they might kill him for they feared the people then Satan entered Judas surnamed Iscariot who has numbered among the twelve so he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains how he might betray him to them and they were glad and agreed to give him money so he promised and sought opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of the multitude then came the day of unleavened bread when the Passover must be killed and he sent Peter and John saying go and prepare the Passover for us that we may eat so they said to him where do you want us to prepare and he said to them behold when you have entered the city a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water follow him into the house which he enters then you shall say to the master of the house the teacher says to you where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples then he will show you a large furnished Upper Room there make ready so they went and found it just as he had said to them and they prepared the Passover when the hour had come he sat down in the twelve apostles with him and he said to them with fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer for I say to you I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God then he took the cup and gave thanks and said take this and divide it among yourselves for I say to you I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes and he took bread gave thanks and broke it and gave it to them saying this is my body which is given for you do this in remembrance of me likewise he also took the cup after supper saying this cup is the New Covenant in my blood which is shed for you but behold the hand of my betrayer is with me on the table and truly the Son of man goes as it has been determined but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed then they began to question among themselves which of them it was who would do this thing amen well we are pretty familiar with this particular section of Scripture I've often wondered what would a man or a woman or a boy or girl do when they come to this passion narrative having only read it for the first time in other words you read Matthew Mark Luke and John and you read about this heroic figure that only goes about doing good he heals people he raises the dead he multiplies fish and loaves and he feeds great multitudes he he only ever goes about doing what is good certainly you see along the way there's a bit of antithesis between him and the religious leaders he poses some degree of threat to them and to their sort of strong hold on the people of Israel but you don't really count it as being as serious as all that and then you come to a passage like this and the religious leaders are plotting how they might kill him I mean again a man who only went about doing good they were certainly threatened by his popularity they were certainly threat in terms of their sort of religious dominance in the lives of the people of Israel but it is truly outlandish that men men sinful men would ultimately want to kill the set of the Savior but it is according to the plan of God so all that happens in these first few verses in terms of the religious leaders plotting how they might and then enabling or rather soliciting the aid of of Judas who is all two together willing to turn over his Lord for thirty pieces of silver it's all explained for us and in theological language that we see there at the supper our Lord Jesus takes this cop it's the cup that is representative of his blood and it's his blood that is shed for for the remission of sins for the many Lords the Prophet Jeremiah spoke of a new covenant and that new covenant is realized in our Lord Jesus so as outlandish as the tax may appear in terms of the religious leaders response in terms of Judas's response it is according to the plan and purpose of God we need to understand that nothing happens apart from God in this world that means not just good things but bad things as well our people know that I've often said with reference to Romans 8:28 that's a useless tax for us when everything's going well we don't need to be told by God that everything is gonna work out good for you when everything's working out good for us I would suspect the emphasis in Romans 8 is that God works out good things for you even in the midst of misery trial affliction pain suffering and anguish all terms which apply to the reality that men delivered up the Son of God unto crucifixion but God had his purpose God had his plan God had his decree and it was by this means that God would save his people from their sins the Son of God went through this in order to fulfill God's righteous requirements in order to satisfy God's righteous wrath not so that no one could ever be saved but rather that sinners would look to him and be saved the gospel is in good news and all sinners everywhere I hope and pray are being told today to look unto Him and be saved all the ends of the earth for I am God and there is no other if you have not come to Christ please listen to the preaching of the gospel please listen to the Word of God please consider the implications of a passage like this Jesus didn't go to that cross because of his crimes he didn't go to that cross because of his sins he didn't go to that cross for any other reason than to save his people from their sins it's it truly is good news it it ought to make us to leap and to praise and to rejoice and to sing with earnestness and gussto to the God who has released us the God who has freed us that God who has put us on a course not to hell that we deserve but to heaven we don't but it has been won for us and secured by for us by that darling of heaven even Jesus Christ our Lord so while it's outlandish that anybody would rise up in opposition to our Lord Jesus Christ it was according to the plan and purpose of God Almighty so that he could in fact save his people from their sins well let us pray father thank you for your word and thank you for these these narratives that highlight what our Lord Jesus went through to save us God may we again stand and marvel may we be amazed and may we indeed rejoice as we sing as we pray as we respond to the holy scripture for God in heaven you have so loved the world that you gave your only begotten Son you have granted us the grace to believe on Him and to know the joy of everlasting life we pray that a great multitude today would come but a great multitude today would hear and believe and and know the joy of being found in him I pray that specifically for our time here bless our brother bless the word bless hearts and open them to receive the truth as it is in Jesus and we pray in his most blessed name Amen well please turn in your Trinity Psalter to Psalm 45 Psalm 45 will sing verses one to seven verse 17 you'll see what that means when you turn there but Psalm 45 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] they said pastor Lee McKinnon is here visiting with us from Bluefield West Virginia we have known each other for several years it was one of those times in my life where I met somebody and immediately we clicked I don't know that that's the nicest thing to admit about oneself but but nevertheless we've kept in touch typically when our prayer letters go out he always emails me very lengthy emails to tell me how he is praying for us and I respond in my obligatory one sentence or two so it is a pleasure we had good fellowship yesterday with him and Wanda been great to catch up with him and I'm looking forward greatly to hearing her brother preach the word well it is a joy to be with you I think it was like seven years ago that my wife and I had the privilege of being here and I had the privilege then of opening the scriptures and so it's again my joy and privilege to do that and I do very much appreciate the fellowship I've enjoyed with your pastor and is very succinct emails it's always good to have that interaction let me begin with by giving you greetings from your sister church there in the mountains of West Virginia our mountains be a good bit shorter than yours but nonetheless mountains by East Coast standards your brethren there at covenant Reformed Baptist Church we do pray for you brethren it is a delight so to do and and to hear over God's blessing and how he has used you especially now with the church plant and in the situation in Vernon as well and just what God is doing here in your myths we're truly grateful well I would ask you to open your Bibles please to Psalm 23 Psalm 23 health Billy are you with this soul perhaps you can quote it I would think you at least know a good deal about the Psalms certain statements in it it's very well known and because it is so well known there can be a reluctance to actually preach on it well sure everybody knows this in fact that's what gave rise to my preaching on this not too terribly long ago in Bluefield we were in our regular scripture reading and we were in Psalm 23 and I thought yeah I've never preached it after 20 plus years never preached it well it was a reluctance but also there can be a failure on the part of the Lord's people to spend time really looking at it I'm sure we know it we've got the gist of it and and we're ready to leave it at that giving it little further thought well even so as you would sure agree this psalm deserves our attention perhaps especially because it is so well known and we can just take it for granted without really thinking that truths through and feeling the impress upon our own soul so let's start with reading of it then notice now Psalm 23 the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want he makes me to lie down in green pastures he leads me beside the still waters he restores my soul he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me your rod and your staff they comfort me you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies you anoint my head with oil my cup runs over surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever my God be pleased to grant his blessing on his word now as you know this is recognized as a psalm of David a man who himself was had been a shepherd in fact we had begs the question was this pinned even in those early days when he was a shepherd and reflecting on these things in that context well you recall how our Lord Jesus in John Timm spoke of a hireling how a hireling he sees that what sees the wolf and he flees because they're not his sheep he doesn't care about the Sheep well David himself as a shepherd was no hireling he can say in second sent in 1st Samuel 17 how he had actually rescued sheep from both lion and bear he knew what it was to care about the sheep he himself had been a good shepherd in that sense well when David here wrote then the Lord Jehovah is my shepherd it was with a view to what a true Shepherd is one who truly cares about the Sheep and one who will do whatever is needed for the good of those sheep and so in that sense there's a comparison but at the same time there's a contrast it's no mere man who is my shepherd but rather it's the true and living God is the creator and ruler over all it's that covenant making covenant keeping self-existent all together Gloria god he is the one who's my shepherd I am his I belong to him and he is entirely for me and has that Shepherd's heart and that infinite wisdom and that limitless ability in all of his dealings with me that's Davis posture here as he's writing these words now David does not tell us how it is that Jehovah became his shepherd no mention of his own native state that of all of us remember isaiah 53:6 all we like sheep have gone astray each has turned to his own way or how the bible old testament and new speaks of people in their native state as sheep without a shepherd and it speaks of them as being in a bad way and helpless etc by that kind of language well that's the native state of all well the idea of a shepherd and sheep surely that bespeaks a relationship a relationship which is not ours in our native condition as we came into this world we come in all sheep going astray so for anyone who can truly say the Lord is my shepherd was only because they have been made his David does not go into that here but it would include being rescued from sin rescued from Satan rescued from so many evils by God's amazing grace remember how the Lord Jesus spoke more than once about the Shepherd going after lost sheep and he himself says I am The Good Shepherd and he came seeking that which was lost well again it underscores that man in his native condition he doesn't know this God as his shepherd even in the Old Testament Ezekiel 34 psalm 119 it speaks of God Himself coming seeking his lost sheep it all points to a special relationship with the true and living God that is entirely by grace all we like sheep gone astray turned our own way even so here is a man born a sinner who nonetheless say that the Lord is my shepherd and what great grace that bespeaks and of course we see this from our new covenant perspective of God manifest in the flesh coming to seek and to save that just lost the one who could say I'm the Good Shepherd and I lay down my life for the Sheep well we have even greater light if you please then did David in that regard well David does not go into how it is that he came to belong to the Lord but rather his focus in this Psalm is more on the blessings of belonging to the Lord he speaks especially of blessings that were his but obviously they're not only his he's not speaking and well this is something peculiar something exclusive to me the rest of you lot you don't get these things no no he's speaking in terms of belonging to the Lord as his sheep the Bible uses that language even in the Old Testament of God's flock not only corporately but individually and in fact there's something very precious about David speaking here in that that a very personal way the Lord is my shepherd not to the exclusion of being the shepherd of all of his people he is that as well but as one commentator has said David here shows God to be a shepherd who is interested in each she's not just well we're the flock of God generally no no each no it's me my shepherd do you remember again how the Lord Jesus spoke of that shepherd going out seeking leaving the 99 to seek that one that was lost that individual attention so when David's here writing in the first person here's what God is to me it's not just a subjective thing but he's saying here's blessing that belongs to those who belong to the Lord if you belong to the Lord then the blessings that are listed here they belong to you the Lord is indeed your shepherd well rather than going through this all in verse by verse what I propose to do is to sum it up look at it under four heads the four blessings that are here clearly stated and as we do I would have you to know that the emphasis in this Psalm is especially on the here and now your life Christian right now okay he closes with and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever so that's our eternal blessedness but the rest of this is really in something of a contrast as if he's saying I have this and this and this and this now and then that forever okay so that is again how David opens up this song well first that he mentions really an order here is that God provides for his own now of course he does I mean after all Psalm 136 he gives food to all flesh or you come to the New Testament acts 1725 he gives to all life and breath and all things well of course he provides for his own he provides for everybody yes and surely if he provides for his own how much more so for the sorry fee provides for all how much more so his own special people right but David is not simply thinking in terms of well generically it's the Lord is my shepherd and therefore the first thing he says is I shall not want I will lack nothing and this opening statement goes beyond all the other matters the material supplies so forth that we would perhaps normally come to mind it includes all the other matters that are included in this psalm but it certainly would include the Lord providing our daily bread remember how David can write in Psalm 37 I once was young and now I'm old and all my days I've never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread no good thing will God withhold from those who walk uprightly or our award Jesus there and that well known Sermon on the Mount speaking of how our great God feeds the birds and clothes the grass of the field but he underscores and he's your father in heaven if he so cares for mere creatures birds and even grass in the field how much more so for his own dear children well David is underscoring he's opening that up throughout this Psalm when he talks about in verse 2 being led to those green pastures and by still waters well from a sheep standpoint what more could you want that's going to include all necessary material supply and then in the last two verses the imagery changes from the shepherd with his sheep to that of a host spreading out a table in order to provide even a lavish feast remember how David can say he prepares this table before me in the presence of my enemies and while not limiting that to just material supply surely that is a natural suggestion that arises from this and indeed that God provides even abundantly so he says my cup runs over its overflowing supply now without at all countenancing that so-called prosperity gospel which is no gospel at all we mustn't lose sight of a basic truth of Scripture that God is very very generous as I say he gives food to all flesh but especially if he's feeding birds of the air and clothing grass of the field and he is our Father in Heaven then it's very right that we should see his hand and his heart in our daily provision nobody here looks so emaciated by starvation that you're ready to just drop off the face of the planet here so I'm assuming that you like weed in Bluefield see God's provision even abundantly day by day he's proven himself to be very generous you remember how the Lord Jesus is opening that up in Matthew chapter 6 saying don't be like the Gentiles just so after all you can eat all you can drink and that's all life is about God provide so you can get on seeking first god's kingdom and god's righteousness now it's true that we may not always have an abundant supply of material good various reasons trials persecution they made the fruit of our wrong decisions God teaching us like he did Paul to be content in whatever state we are in but even so materially isn't it true brethren God provides he's very generous and it is right for us to trace back our daily bread not only to God's hand and Providence but to God's heart towards us not simply as his creatures but as his children I say all of that to say this if God so provides materially abundantly so generously how much more so does he provide for his children spiritually and I believe that is something of the emphasis here in Psalm 23 David's concern isn't simply a literal table spread out in the wilderness for him but rather God doing great spiritual good this is the argument even from Romans 8:32 if God spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all how I not also with him freely give us all things Paul in that context I doubt seriously is thinking about bread and water here okay he's thinking in terms of every spiritual blessing that is ours in Christ Jesus as he writes there in visas chapter 1 God's abundant blessing as as Peter puts it he's given us all things pertaining to life and godliness even these great and exceeding promises that we should be conformed to the divine image by way of God's moral character all we need Grace cleansing every spiritual blessing and how then that is reflected in the words they're a spiritual equivalent in verse 2 of God making us to lie down in green pastures and leading us beside still waters you think of the many days of peace of spiritual refreshment of God prospering us or even as he says here in verse 3 he restores my soul a quickening that comes especially after being weary or overwhelmed well surely you know something of that you've experienced times perhaps of being greatly troubled downcast or maybe it's just spiritually dull even to the point of a spiritual declension and did at times it seems almost quite unexpectedly God comes to your soul and revives and quickens you and refreshes you with his own spirit and gives you a an increased measure of his felt presence and love for Christ etc even known times of reviving restoring in your soul right well that's something of what David is here glorying in here's what he does whatever the case whatever the cause reviving is needed but he came and he provided that spiritual refreshment to my soul and quickened me in the inner man when he goes on to say verse five my cup runs over surely God gives the experiencial spiritual blessedness beyond what we can contain how remember Peter writes about a joy unspeakable and full of glory that's not talking about our eternal bliss that's talking about in they hear it now you've known something of that dear brother dear sister right well that's what David is here saying this is the blessedness God does exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think you see his generosity may provide so for us materially oh I think of what he gives us yet more spiritually in and through Jesus Christ remember how our Savior said the father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom and then using that kind of language there in Luke 12 it's to underscore God's generosity not just my way of bread on the table but by way of that spiritual refreshment in God's working by the Holy Spirit member Paul's statements there in Ephesians that lofty prayer that we should be filled with all the fullness of God whatever that means it certainly speaks of God again doing great and marvelous things in the soul God provides well that's one of the things that David is saying see his generosity and for you dear brother dear sister see God's abundant generosity you too can say no less than David I shall not want I will lack absolutely nothing not by way of temporal need but even more every spiritual blessing all we need her life and godliness but David doesn't stop it well that's all you get right rather he also underscores repeatedly here that God protects his own he speaks of God's watchful care even as a major emphasis another very idea of a shepherd surely conveys that right the idea of protecting remember in Luke chapter two those Shepherds out on the field that the angel came and said the saviours born in Bethlehem well what were those Shepherds doing the middle of the night out in the field just kind of hanging out you know maybe they couldn't play hockey in those days but a soccer perhaps or something right no what were they doing well they were watching their sheep because that's what Shepherds do they guard they protect there or David himself was a shepherd and lion came took a sheep a bear came took what after him bow that's what Shepherds protect so the very opening words the Lord is my shepherd it would communicate that and even the picture of peace they are being made to lie down and those green pastures are here you got these lovely still waters they're flowing by helpless sheep maybe easily spooked and yet they're unmolested they're enjoying they're at peace why well not just because they happen to have found that but no it's the idea of they're protected by our infinite and loving Shepherd or even when David comes down to verse 4 it says I will fear no evil I will not be afraid of possible calamity why well because protected by our great and glorious God and even speaks of those instruments of the Shepherd your rod your staff they comfort me unprotected by these things in the Shepherd's staff etc defending from beasts or that shepherd's crook to rescue a straying sheep guiding them along the way it's because of you you're with me you're protecting me all pointing to that as in every potential danger God Himself being there and protecting David that's what he's rejoicing in and recognizing and of course that would include even protecting David and protecting us from ourselves you know when the Lord Jesus said I give my sheep eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any snatch them from my hand well it means absolutely no danger can befall us by way of were protected from by that Savior even from ourselves perhaps you've heard the silliness oh he said that doesn't mean they can't jump out of his hand let's not be silly here right no it means he saves and he keeps he protects as our Good Shepherd well it's interesting that when David speaks of God providing this table he says it's in the presence of my enemies why does he add that the presence of my enemies except to underscore God's protection and you got enemies about enemies who would devour who are right there present and yet no bother his people enjoy the feast without fear because God himself that Good Shepherd that loving hosts he protects his own there his very words show that does not mean there are no dangers out there right the very wording shows that there are danger you've got enemies and of course in David's case he had many enemies and many who truly literally wanted him dead and yet even though there are enemies in the plural who would harm him you say no no God still protects me and provides for me even in that kind of context or when he says in verse 3 the Lord restores my soul what does that mean but there are times that restoration is needed even greatly needed oh why would that be well due to problems being weary or overwhelmed or dull or in a declension or whatever the case might mean others these are not good States and yet even so he restores I've got problems but he still is their circumstances problems things that would overwhelm his people he's still engaged in protecting and doing good in fact he says in verse 4 even though there is a valley of the shadow of death he still protects now what does that mean valley of the shadow of death well job uses it in job 10 to speak of death itself or it could speak of the act of dying the dark shadow that it casts as one is entering into the death throes as it were Bunyan and his pilgrims progress he used it to speak of anytime of great sadness and darkness and trial the language certainly points to that which could cause a sense of impending doom valley of the shadow of death and by valley it doesn't mean a lovely fertile valley like the Fraser Valley here but rather it would be more like the maligne Canyon that you have up in Jass if you've ever been there this very narrow chasm of a thing that there's you know the the very hills being so closed in like a gorge that you don't see any sudden sunshine there in a daylight and so this canyon itself this narrow Gorge is casting a dark shadow over everything well that's something of what David is here describing causing this sense of dread while under the shadow even such as this caused by death or is like unto death and true it is that the Lord tarries everyone in this room will die saved and unsaved alive right and for us is the Lord's people even though we know as Paul said in second Corinthians five to be absent of the body is to be present with the Lord or Philippians chapter one to depart and be with Christ is far better we know that even though we know as Hebrews two puts it that the Lord Jesus Christ has delivered us from bondage to the fear of death even though the Bible does still speak of death physical death as an enemy right it's an unnatural rending of the soul from the body and it can bring with it the fear of the unknown we've not passed that way before and then the act of dying itself can be very painful difficult protracted you think of how Bunyan captured this - with even regard to Christians lack of assurance remember as a Christian and hopeful or crossing the river and Christians not feeling the bottom he's kind of shaking of course it was hopeless said no no I feel the bottom and it's solid not to worry but the point is bunions capturing the fact that Christians may not always die with a great sense of assurance and comfort in their souls it can happen it's a valley of the shadow of death and who knows what kind of deep dark valleys like unto death itself that we will pass through in the meantime it's quite possible David's using the language that says this is not something peculiar not something Almond rather there is that valley of the shadow of death and yet he can say with no hesitation I will fear no evil and that's not a personal boast you know I'm a good military guy I'm not afraid of anybody no it's all as he says for you or with me all because I see your rod I see your staff he knew that God would protect him even then be it trials as dark as death whatever they might be be it in the act of dying or entering into death itself in fact he closes on that note you recall I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever whatever comes in the meantime God will protect and then come that day I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever and he says also there in verse six that every day in the meantime all the days of my life God's goodness God's mercy shall follow me that will be my portion until all the way to the end in which it's in the house of the Lord forever David realized he was protected well do you realize dear brother dear sister that you no less are protected no less is this your Shepherd doesn't mean trials won't come doesn't mean death won't come doesn't mean that we're somehow going to be exempt from hard times no no Jesus himself said in this world you will have tribulation Bank on it we have enemies not like David's enemies but nonetheless we all have that enemy are our souls who goes about like a roaring roaring lion seeking whom he may devour right we're all engaged in that spiritual war we've all got our ongoing struggle with remaining corruption like the Apostle Paul when I would do good evil is present with me and you know the grief that that causes and as I've said if the Lord tarries we will die but we can say Psalm 23:4 no less than David even in the dark Valley even that valley of the shadow of death with all the impending doom I'll fear no evil you're with Jesus gives his sheep eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any snatch them from his hand we have greater light if you please than David from our new covenant perspective the coming of the Messiah so we see the blessings that David is articulating throughout the song God's provision God's protection but then David also emphasized that God gives great consolation to his people you know how Paul wrote in 2nd Corinthians 1 describing God is the God of all comfort or encouragement well great comfort in encouragement and encouraged heart even in hard times a frightening times and the like and how clear the this is as an emphasis here when David says here in verse 4 that in that valley of the shadow of death whatever it is it's very discomforting and it's noteworthy that he does not say your rod and your staff they protect me though that's true but you know the sword you know the wording your rod and your staff they comfort they encourage me protected yes after the fact he's increasing what God has done but he's saying even in the midst of that deep dark Valley again whatever it may be there's this encouragement there's the experiencing knowing that God is for him that God it was a shepherd were his sheep therefore this great consolation this great encouragement comfort from that knowledge that God has his shepherd even then and always or again when he comes to verse 2 and he speaks of those green pastures and at still water that speaks not only of God's provision and it even speaks beyond God's protection what a very comfortable situation our condition right and view our sheep well you've got this nice tender shoot so grass there a lovely stream there's still water you can drink from I'm not trying to get water out of a fire hydrant or something right it speaks of a very comfortable position well that's what God gives such consolation regardless of what's going on in the world and this is further seen in those words in verse three that I've already referred to he restores my soul overwhelmed downcast gripped with sadness or fear or the like and God comes and restores and the idea again it's encouraging giving comfort to the soul and not just some kind of emotional fix well I got a little bit of a pet me up here from God and I feel good now well it's the idea and you know this your brother dear sister you know this and your own experience of God coming with this truth your pastor made reference earlier to Romans 8:28 that even in a hard times I would venture to say that every Christian here the suck sweetness from that flower you know when some great trial that has come upon you or some all of a sudden surprisal that grips you and yet the text comes and we know all things work together for good to those who love God to those called according to his purpose and then you don't stop there but you go on verse 29 who before knew he predestined to be conformed to the image of his own son that he should be the firstborn among many brethren and you recognize that even these trials they come to make you more like Christ and you've drawn great encouragement well that's God himself that robbed his staff not just protecting you but rather God himself and his promises coming to comfort you or those words sub or referred to John 16:33 when our Lord Jesus had in this world you will have tribulation but he doesn't stop there but be of good cheer I have overcome the world texts like that truths like that so much so that even remember how James says to count it all joy when you encounter these various or diverse trials God's using these to produce patience let patience have our perfect work that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing God comes with this truth and encourages your heart you know what I'm talking about you experienced that you could give me I'm sure with the time to take particular instances where you have been overwhelmed and discouraged but low and you God brings his truth to bear on your mind on your heart and lifts the spirit again not just an emotional fix but great truth upholding you Peter can talk about various trials of Kwan and come on you and you're now grieved the through this a real sense of heaviness and yet he also speaks of rejoicing because you know you've got this inheritance incorruptible undefiled not fading away and you now look ahead to that with great joy and rejoicing knowing that you are kept by the power of God through faith for that blessedness when he speaks here in verse five of the table being spread and pictures God as a host you anoint my head with oil now I've seen perhaps you have a picture of a sheep with oil being poured on his head III don't think that that's really what David is envisioning because as I've said in verse five he shifts the picture from a shepherd to a host and it's the idea of a table being spread and a host would do this remember even in Luke seven when Jesus was invited to a meal there was Simon the Pharisee and one of the things that he had left out the niceties you know you didn't kiss me but you didn't anoint my head with oil it's not so ritual or we recall in second chronicles how you got some had been taken captive out of Judah and the people is very saying wait a minute we deserve God's judgment what are we doing here and so they not only fed them and clothed them but they anointed them it's not a ritual it's a health and beauty aid it's something that a host would do again Simon the Pharisee failed to do that they're in Luke chapter 7 so what he's saying he anoints my head with oil was the idea of comfort it's the idea of encouragement it's extending a warm welcome and even giving honor that's the idea here as he comes to give great comfort and consolation and encouragement and welcomes me readily that's what David is seen and then he's encouraged to by the truth that God's goodness and for his portion all his days every one of those days irrespective of what those days held but he says goodness mercy follow me and it's actually the idea of pursuing me and chasing me ever close at hand each and every day everywhere I go hear God's goodness God's mercy pursuing me and overtaking me again the idea of rich encouragement and then of course at last we have what Paul referred to in second Thessalonians as everlasting consolation what David here speaks of as and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever when God Himself will wipe away all tears no more pain no more sorrow no more crying no more death God making all things new and again we dwell in the house of the Lord forever whatever happens in the meantime David was encouraged by all of this in fact David in even that Old Testament light he's looking ahead to his eternal blessedness dwelling in the house of the Lord forever and he's drawing great consolation and comfort in that when he's pinning these words I have all of this in the meantime and when we're done I have this unendingly forever and ever and ever he's drawing great consolation let me ask you is that so with you how mindful are you of our eternal blessedness as you know the Bible doesn't speak on this just once or twice it's throughout Old Testament and knew our eternal blessedness all because of God's grace to us in Jesus Christ do you think of it or you mindful of it are you enjoying your blessedness even here and now that's what Peter's talking about what he's saying though now for a time if need be you're grieved by these hard trials yet even so you're rejoicing because you're looking ahead to that glorious undefiled unfading inheritance that is ours again all because of God's grace well that's the consolation that David was here speaking of he comforts my soul but then in addition another emphasis found throughout a facet of our blessedness is the Lord's presence with us people now I've got three P's there right God provides God protects and God's presence and I couldn't find a synonym that began with P for comfort if you find one I would be grateful to hear it okay so but anyway so here we have the fourth blessing that at least I would open up from this that runs throughout the psalm is God's presence now again as I've already said it's going to be God's presence forever when it talks about dwelling in the house of the Lord forever he's not envisioning some tabernacle that would be before the days of that Old Testament temple being built he's talking about dwelling where God dwells being with God forever in that eternal blessedness however much he understood of what that would involve he knew it would at least involve being with God himself and surely this is set forth in Scripture as what makes heaven heaven right being with the Lord Himself our never-ending blessedness even upon dying that disembodied or intermediate state to be absent from the body is we present with the Lord to depart and be with Christ far better but that's not the end we don't live eternally in a disembodied state the spirits of just men made perfect but rather as you know comes the day when Christ comes and he raises these bodies and body and spirit are reunited and glorified together with Christ and as Paul says writing of this and first Thessalonians and there shall we ever be with the Lord and Jesus myself said that if I go to prepare a place I'm going to come again to receive you to myself that where I am there you may be also and whatever glories it involves it especially involves this he is there we shall be with him and back even that eternal state as pictured in Revelation 21 and 22 it speaks of as it were a heaven and earth merging and becoming one and God's people before him and were told there in chapter 22 they shall see his face enjoying God's glorious presence I find it interesting that picture that Jesus gave of the Judgment Day in Matthew 25 all nations gather before him the sheep on the right and their goats on the left and it's not simply judging of Nations but all the individuals who constitute those nations remember as you've done to the least of these my brethren you've got that right you're familiar with that it's interesting that when Jesus speaks to the unsaved to those who forever perish his word to them as depart from me his word to his people just come come yes it is receiving that Kingdom prepared for us but the point is the very word come coming to be especially with him well that is our eternal blessedness as Psalm 16 puts it in God's presence is fullness of joy at his right hand pleasures forevermore without interruption that's our future the Lord's presence that makes heaven heaven but our blessedness is not simply that unceasing enjoyment of God's presence in the future David's emphasis in this Psalm as always said is on the here and now what was then his portion even at this time in this world and we see that especially that even in that valley of the shadow of death there in verse four you are with me not just in the valley of the shadow of death but even in the valley of the shadow of death and it's not simply that yes he's the omnipresent God he is everywhere present nowhere absent no no David speaking of this in a more personal sense of God man testing his presence and his glory a deliberate companying with his people that's the idea here as my Shepard not just as the omnipresent God you are with me even in this world even in that deep dark Valley whatever that was and the idea of a Shepherd surely suggests that right I mean scheppers not out for lunch somewhere you know she will take care of he's with the Sheep come on that's what he does he's right there with them extending his care and so forth even here in the psalm actively making us to lie down in green pastures doing his people good not from a distance but right there present more than once David here speaks so he leads me he leads me in the paths of righteousness he's leading not again from a distance but has one very present with his people and David speaking very personal here not just he leads all of us corporately along yeah that's true but know me as an individual God present with me even in this world I mean the Lord Jesus spoke of his people as they hear his voice and they follow him well yes okay we know that means obeying but it's the idea of being with him so much so then he says that none shall snatch him from his hand that's pretty close she held in somebody's hand their presence right there with you right that's the picture we have here that even in this world God present with his people it not only conveys that by way of the sheep Shepherd analogy but when we come to that second analogy verse five especially the Lord as a host I mean doesn't that again he spreads the table right there not that he sends the servant and angels come and they spread the table and well know he is right there spreading that table and it's reflected even in David's words notice again verse five through much of the psalm he's saying the Lord is he's talking about the Lord but here he actually addresses him you prepare a table before me in the presence of mine you anoint my head with oil I do he's right here it's not like well he's off in the Stratis no he's right here preparing this table and anointing my head it's Sara he's speaking to God as very one very aware of God's presence with him do you pray that way I mean after all he's the one who said I'll never leave you nor forsake you and heaped together five negatives to drive the point home there in Hebrews 13 well when you pray do you recognize he's here it's not like well you know 20 universes away from here he can still hear he's there he's present he draws near to those who draw near to him the idea of knowing God as near and real well there you have just something of the blessedness that David is out lying in this song there's more to be said but certainly those are four prominent traits not just mentioned once but they're found running throughout the song God provides God protects God comforts and encourages and God is present with his people now David could see that again as I've said from that Old Testament perspective if anything brethren we should be thrilled all the more because we understand it in the light of him who said I'm the Good Shepherd and I lay down my life for the Sheep the one who came into this world to suffer and die bear the wrath of God in the place of sinners like us the one who though he died yet lives and as Jesus himself said in John 10:16 having said in verse 15 a lay down his life for the Sheep the very next verse he foretells his resurrection I have other sheep that are not of this home they're not Jewish Gentiles they'll also I must bring point the fact that he be resurrected ascended on high and gather in sinners like us and make us his own well when you read Psalm 23 see it in light of him who is the Good Shepherd of the Sheep now there are a number of applications that come out of this psalm especially from David's response okay here's the truth but it's not enough just to say well okay we got truth now how are we to respond to that truth and God willing I want to come to that this evening to look at David's responses as our set forth in this song but the application I would give now really is vile to that those applications to those responses if David's blessedness as our blessedness our response should be as his response right that want to make sense but leading to or necessary for that response is this David was clearly aware of his blessedness at least when he's pinning these words he's writing of this very experientially here's something that he was aware this is me this is the Lord my shepherd and because he's like this is me now and forever very aware of his blessedness right well let me apply it that way I speak to you as Christians now whether you're strong the faith weak and all kinds of struggles whether you're mature or a babe or one who's still a babe though you should by now being mature doesn't matter the question I would ask you is this how aware are you of your blessedness the things that we see here that's wonderful for you David but we didn't get that no no no no this is us to write us to how where are you you know this all right everyone surely you know something in the psalm perhaps you know it very very very well perhaps you can quote it out but how conscious are you that all of this is that's true of you as it was of David not only that you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever but do you have all of this present blessedness all the days of your life in the meantime are you always aware of that actually I don't know that David was always aware of that when I see some of the Psalms you begin to think yeah he wasn't so aware of it at those times that at least at this occasion he was very very aware and all these blessings were always his whether he had some subjective sense of them or not but are you at least consistently aware of your blessedness the Lord is your Shepherd and especially in light of Jesus Christ and every spiritual blessing that is yours in him even in specifics not just yeah I'm a blessed man I've gotten heaven I've got salvation I mean but even specifics like we see David focusing the Lord does this he leads me the Lord does this he provides for me he protects me always do you think in terms of your blessedness how where how conscious are you of these things and really I should be asking this how oh where are you of your relationship to or with God because this all grows out of that it's not just Davis counting his blessings naming them one by one and oh I've got this this and this and this it all grows out of his relationship to God that's the note on which he begins it's the Lord it's Jehovah it's the true and living God my shepherd who's made me him and has that intense loving concern for me that Shepherds heart that limitless ability and that infinite wisdom by which he deals with me in His grace he's aware of his relationship with the Lord Himself I have all this blessedness because of who he is and who he has made me to be by way of taking me to himself though a sheep going astray yet now recovered and belonging to the true and living God by His grace Christian that's you well how aware are you of your relationship with the true and living God not only is our Shepherd but as our Father in heaven is that Realty is he real to you in the midst of day-to-day routine the blessings that grow out of this how real how much even experience will delight do you have David is here clearly delighting in these truths he's not just listening there's so many facts well this I got this I got he's certainly doing it by way of complaint he's glory in this the warring and it's the Lord Himself he's my shepherd all because of him even if we never recognized that yet this is still our blessedness the brethren he should be very real to our own consciousness right he's brought us into this blessed relationship or you're more aware of your blessedness and your relationship to the true and living God in Christ than you are of your enemies are you more aware of him than you are of your trials are you more aware of him and your blessedness then you would be say in that valley and that shadow and that impending doom that you see all around you whether it's a heavy trial or the approaching of death itself no it's still going to be the Lord is my shepherd and in my mind is very much on him he is still very real to my faith is your blessedness as real more real than those things that now trouble you than those things that would frighten you and give you that sense of impending doom that's what we see going on here and did brothers see what is true here's the application see what is true of you and believe it and believe it mind you it's true as a Christian is true of you even if you're failing to believe it you might as well believe it then alright we just like Romans 8:28 and we know all things work together good doesn't say if they will believe doesn't say that even if they refuse to believe it it's still working for your good so you might as well believe it suck sweetness from that flower well so too was Psalm 23 I don't feel that way today I feel kind of you know grumpy or feel kind of dull or I feel kind of the clinching you don't know my struggles which remain in corruption and what I've done and this is still true therefore believe it even think in these terms brethren this is what we see we're going to see David's responses to these things but these responses grew out of his consciousness of his relationship to God and his blessedness because of God's grace to him well again how aware are you of how you blessedness how where are you that is because Christ came that good shepherd and he laid down his life for the sheep and then raised and exalted and glorified and laid hold upon you and made you his own how mindful are you I am what I am by the grace of God and what great grace it was like a sheep going astray going my own way whatever way it was it wasn't God's Way it's my way but now by God's grace I'm the very opposite all because of Christ well are you mindful of that you are grateful right you are grateful but how consistently so well only is consistently mindful of it as you might be right is this our controlling reality the Lord is my shepherd and I know how that happened all because of saving grace in Christ if we are as blessed as David as I said then our response to these things these truths should be as his but if that's to be so we need to start on this foot we must be aware of our blessedness even as David was when pinning this song and therefore let me just encourage you you know Psalm 23 well then really know it if you're kind of bit shady on some bits I can remember some not well then look at it rehearse it before the Lord himself and recognize it's not just David's to be and recognize how it's so it's all because of Jesus Christ rehearsing the blessings rehearsing reminding yourself of the relationship believe it and think in these terms isn't that what Paul meant when he said don't be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you actually are thinking in terms of what is true all right not just how I feel some subjectivism but here's what God has said well brethren there's the application for us now the unsaved will sometimes quote or refer to Psalm 23 as even a source of comfort for themselves maybe you've seen even some of the old westerns you know you'd have somebody who they buried him and and nobody knows any portion of scripture what was say but some scallywag will come along maybe and start quoting bits and pieces Psalm 23 you ever seen that they don't make westerns like that anymore I date myself I suppose they're showing it but you know you get the unsaved liberal theologians you know they were happy there some liberal preacher in a church and they'll quote Psalm 23 over this person who was clueless of the gospel all their days and died to rebel against God but here they're going to now read Psalm 23 of their funeral you've seen them can I say that's entirely a misappropriation of these words and the blessedness that is here described because the unsaved cannot say the Lord is my shepherd he's not their sheep going astray it's very clearly seen by the fact that they are going their own way whatever way it is doesn't say all we like sheep gone astray each has gone the same way know our own way be it over wickedness viet religious hypocrisy be it just living for this world a nice guy with a lot of common grace and a reasonable morality good neighbor still he's going his own way it's not God's Way he's still living as a rebel against the true Living God jesus said my sheep hear my voice they hear in the gospel they hear his word and they follow him in that very context in John 10 Jesus said in the verse right before that to some you're not my sheep you do not believe on me you are not my sheep they could not save the Lord's my shepherd no he said you're not well so it is with the unsaved still and therefore they cannot say I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever no they will hear the Savior say if they die in that impenitent state depart from me you cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels well what about you as Christ saves you are you still going your own way is he truly your shepherd or you want to living like a straying sheep I don't care what God says I want to do what I want to do oh I'll go to church I'll be religious I'll be a nice guy I'll be a and I hope that my good will outweigh my bad or etc etc but bottom line never been laid hold of by the Good Shepherd you're still going your own way when the Bible speaks of people as sheep without a shepherd that's not a flattering picture okay well I look at them how marvelous no it speaks of a very real sense in a very dangerous way in fact not just in danger of being taken but the unsaved are already taken they've they've been overcome by their own sin living as a slave to sin more than that or to captured and held by Satan himself in all of this his designs and evil cruel devices against the soul of the ungodly if you here without Christ your sheep without a shepherd it's Satan himself who has you in his grips if it was an actual literal lion they had you ready to devour you I suspect you might be ready to cry out for somebody to give you a hand here right well it's far worse than a literal lion but he's gotcha and he holds you tight I've got good news for you there's a shepherd who saves his sheep one who calls sinners to repent and believe the good news the one who suffered the just in place of the unjust that he might bring us to God the one who died to save sinners who now lives to save sinners and who saves who lives and saves to the uttermost all who come to God by him the one who said repent and believe the good news the one of whom Paul spoke when he said believe on the Lord Jesus Christ you will be saved well what about you are you his sheep or your sheep going astray will you hear his voice now in the gospel but we even be saved or we wait till that last day to hear him say him say depart from me you cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels what's it gonna be my God have mercy believe on the Lord Jesus you will be saved let's pray our great and gracious God our Father in heaven we thank you for your rich mercy and kind grace to us in Jesus Christ or though like straying sheep very much in our own rebellion and we would not be controlled and yet you had mercy upon us O God that you would send your only begotten Son into this world for sinners like us Lord Jesus that you would suffer and die to pay the debt to receive the penalty for our sin and that you would then lay hold upon us and make us your own and then all this rich blessedness that is ours Oh Father grant that we would be very mindful of these things grant that our minds would be consciously and consistently occupied not simply with the blessings that are ours but rather the relationship that is ours all because of your grace to us in Christ it's in his name we pray amen [Music] the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace amen God go with us now we thank you for the word preached we thank you for this blessed testimony concerning the the lordship the glory the majesty of our Our Blessed God and father who is our Shepherd we pray that these things would continue with us that they would provide great comfort to our hearts and help us to sanctify this day help us to call the Sabbath a delight and bring us together tonight that we may worship you in spirit and truth and we ask this through Christ Jesus our Lord amen well please be tired seated for a brief time of meditation