Well, brethren, it is again a joy to be with you today and to again have the privilege of directing your attention to God's Holy Word. And to that end, as I've announced this morning, we'll come back to Psalm 23. So Psalm 23. In light especially of the closing application from this morning's message, if you were here, I would ask you, how aware are you of your blessedness as one belonging to the Lord?

Your blessedness. God's Word tells us of it throughout. Genesis to Revelation. We could appeal to verses in both of those books and every book in between that speak of the blessedness of belonging to the Lord.

Well, that is most certainly so in this, what is perhaps one of the best-known Psalms, Psalm 23. And so

Scripture Reading: Psalm 23

we introduce our study this evening by again reading that well-known portion of God's Word. Notice now Psalm 23, beginning at verse 1. 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 namesake. 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 again bless his word for our good and his honor.

Introduction: Review of Morning Blessings

Now this morning, just by way of quick review, we saw four major blessings that belong to all who belong to the Lord. It's not just David's own personal experience and testimony and well, the rest of us, sorry, we missed out. No, no, this is that which really is the portion of all of the Lord's people. And not only that blessing in eternity, that is to say that we all together will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

But as I pointed out, most of the blessings that are here mentioned in this psalm have to do with the here and now, our present blessedness in this life in knowing the Lord and belonging to him. For instance, when David says, I shall not want, He isn't referring there to eternity, right? I mean, it's true we won't lack anything in eternal glory, but he's saying in this world he would lack nothing, and God would indeed provide for him. He amplifies that when he He uses the analogy in verse 2 of like a sheep being led into these kind meadows of tender grass and then the still waters from which he can drink a plenty.

He's showing God's provision even abundantly. In verse 5, he's even clearer when he says, my cup runs over a supply beyond what we can contain. Well, that's certainly an emphasis here. God provides.

But as I pointed out this morning, though that's true in the temporal, in the material, it's especially true in that spiritual realm in which he gives us every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ, Paul says. Or as Peter said, he's given us all things pertaining to life and godliness through these exceeding great and precious promises, even that we should be partakers of the divine nature by way of God's moral nature made more and more like unto Christ himself. Well, that's one of the blessings that belongs then to all who belong to the Lord. And then we also pointed out that God protects his own, the very idea of a shepherd.

It bespeaks that watchful care, a real concern for each of the sheep. Even as the Lord Jesus said, I give my sheep eternal life. They shall never perish. None shall snatch them from my hand.

He speaks of that in verse four. by way of that rod and staff, defending and that shepherd's crook, protecting or rescuing the sheep, guiding them along. He can say boldly, I fear no evil. Why? Well, not because he's such a courageous military man, but because it's the Lord.

He is my shepherd who is with me and protecting, and therefore it presupposes there will be a valley of the shadow of death, be it death itself, the act of dying, or dark trials in the meantime, presupposes that we will have enemies about us, and yet God prepares a table before us and protects us. You know, you think of the picture like that, of sitting down here at a table spread by our great host, the Lord God, with enemies about, we might be inclined to think, wait a minute, who can eat at a time like this, right? And yet, here is what David can say, he protects us. Or then also, not only that, but we saw another blessing is the consolation.

He doesn't simply say, your rod and your staff, they protect me, true that is, but they comfort me, that God himself comes. It's one thing not to fear evil, it's one thing, to recognize that God will protect us. But he speaks here of great comfort being enjoyed. Even in the midst of these hard times and the like, well, God himself comes as the God of all comfort and encourages us in the way.

And then finally, we'll also notice the promised blessing of the Lord's presence that throughout here. He's underscoring that. A shepherd who's actually with his sheep, with his people, right there in that valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil.

Ultimately, I'm going to dwell in his house forever. I'm going to be with him forever. But even now, and in the meantime, the Lord is near and does good to his people from very up close. Again, the idea of that table spread there for our feasting with God as that host.

Well, that in a nutshell is what we saw this morning as just constituting something of our blessedness, but please understand, David was not out to give an exhaustive list. Well, this is all you get. Sorry, we're done there. And in fact, I didn't even do an exhaustive treatment of the blessings that are found in this psalm that are currently ours.

For instance, Twice, David emphasized God's leading. Now, I suppose we could say three times, because the very idea of a shepherd, he leads. But David articulates it very clearly when he says in verse two, he leads me beside the still water. And then he follows in verse three, he leads me in the paths of righteousness.

And you know, this is a matter that perhaps we don't give enough attention to. But there is that blessed leading that we experience, and it's found throughout Scripture, and it's found even more than one way in which God does lead and direct our steps. We all understand that God works all things according to the counsel of his will. We understand that by providence, he shuts up our path and he opens doors that he directs.

He leads us in his providence, the steps of a good man or ordered of the Lord, as we see in Psalm 37. And elsewhere, we see that Proverbs makes reference to the heart plans the ways, but it's God who directs the steps. In providence, you are where you are, dear Christian, your context, because of God's providence directing and leading you. Well, that's a rich blessing, isn't it?

But that's not the only way he leads us, of course. I mean, when the Lord Jesus spoke in John chapter 10 of, my sheep hear my voice and they follow, obviously it means he leads us by his own word, right? He gives us the scriptures. He directs our steps according to his own word, right?

And in addition to that, there's that working of the spirit. Perhaps you're familiar with that statement that Paul makes in Romans chapter eight and And I think it's verse 14, as many as are led by the Spirit, these are the sons of God. That doesn't mean that God puts a hook on our nose and leads us here, you go witness to that guy, you go give this. It's the idea of that internal leading of the Holy Spirit, convicting us and leading us on in holiness.

He just got through there, Romans 8, 13, about mortifying the flesh by the power of the Spirit. Or Paul writes of it again over in Galatians 5, about God leading us, those who are led by the Spirit, they're not walking according to the deeds of the flesh. Rather, they're going on in that context, Galatians 5, bearing the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The point is, he's leading his people, and he leads us, he says, in the paths of righteousness.

So his word comes with power. There's that internal working of the Holy Spirit, inclining us to put sin to death and to pursue holiness and to grow in grace and to bear those fruits of the Spirit And then in all of that, he's also directing by his providence, not leading us into the way of temptation, but rather, again, in the paths of righteousness. Well, that's yet another blessing, and I didn't open that up this morning, so I'm happy to throw that one in now as well. And even this, brethren, it doesn't exhaust the blessings that are found, but it is a rich blessing.

And just as surely as God is leading us by those still waters, And just as surely as our good shepherd leads us in the paths of righteousness, so too when we come to that valley of the shadow of death, it's well, sorry, he quit leading there, you're on your own now. No, he leads us even there, right? And I find it interesting that David doesn't simply say when he walks into the valley of the shadow of death, is when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, kind of presupposing, and he comes out the other side. And so with us, because of that leading of our great and glorious shepherd.

Yes, we do go into the valley of the shadow of death, be it the act of dying, death itself, or even some dark trial that's as dark as death. Yet he doesn't leave us in the midst of it. He leads us all the way through. We come out on the other side.

Bless God. were his leading. Well, that is something then of David's blessedness, and it's our blessedness. And again, we have even greater light this side of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, God manifested in the flesh.

Our Response to Our Shepherd

If our blessing is as David's blessing, then our response should be as David's response. You agree? And that seems logical enough, right? And therefore, we come back to this text because David actually shows us much of his own response to these truths that he's here stating.

He doesn't just list them out as so many facts. We see David having a very experiential response to that which he here recognizes as true about God, his relationship to God, his blessedness belonging to the Lord himself. For instance, like David, we should then respond, if this is our blessedness,

First Response: Strong Confidence

we should then respond with strong confidence in the Lord, because that is what David is here voicing throughout. That's a major emphasis. One commentator has said, the Psalm breathes throughout a spirit of the calmest and most assured trust in God. David is saying, here is my blessedness, both now and forever.

And it's all because of the Lord, because of who he is and because of what he does. Even because of that relationship that David had with the true and living God by God's grace. And that being so, all because of his loving care, here is my blessedness. And he's speaking with a dogmatism.

He's speaking with a certainty. I shall not want, I can't, here's why. No lack in any sense I have and shall have all that I ever need, all from him. And so it is that he goes throughout this psalm really expanding on that, going into specifics.

He gives me this, he does this, he gives me this, he does... And all of this is the expression of his faith, of his confidence in God himself. He's gone, so for me, here is my state and my blessedness. And so too, when he comes and he says, I fear no evil, even in that dark valley, whatever that might be, he didn't deny that there would be some dark valley of the shadow of death.

He anticipated it. And he wasn't gonna trust in anything in himself. No, it's because you are with me. His confidence is in God.

And he's quite emphatic when he says here in the Hebrew, it's an emphasis there. It's your rod, your staff, not just any rod, not just any staff. It's because they're yours, oh Lord. It's because you are there present.

And it's what you do. The instruments of your shepherding are there, very visible and very active. And therefore I fear no evil. Is that your confidence in the true and living God, your shepherd?

Is that your confidence? You believe all that he's revealed of himself and you're trusting him always, always.

Confidence Against Dread and Fear

Are you living in dread of the valley of the shadow of death? Maybe it's fearful of death itself or what precedes it, the days leading up to the act of dying. Are you living in dread of that, fearful? Or do you live in fear of waiting for the next shoe to drop?

Yeah, things are going well now, but I just know a hard time is going to come. I'm going to get trials and it's going to be rough. And so you can actually live with a sense of dread in the anticipation of it. Is that you?

Anybody here? I mean, could it be that a Christian would be that, entertain that kind of sense of dread of what may come? Well, I've met one. In fact, I see him when I shave on those rare occasions, okay?

Brethren, recognize and believe what David knew. You won't be alone. Your good shepherd will be right there with you. whatever that valley is and whatever it entails, and he will be there in all that loving care as your shepherd, fully equipped to protect and to, again, not leave you in that valley, but he's going to bring you through it, okay? Bless God he does it even if we fail to have strong confidence, but how right it is that we should have confidence.

Even in the face of death itself, or even in the deep, dark trials that may come, our safety is certain. He will bring us through. We are kept by the power of God through faith. Therefore, trust him.

Confidence. That's what David's showing us here. Trust him. And as if verse four was not enough, by way of expressing his confidence and his reason for that confidence, we then have that verse five, he prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

I've got enemies. David had many enemies. Well, we can be grateful that we don't experience what he did. I personally have never had quite a multitude of people out to see me dead.

I'm not complaining, that's just never been my portion. Well, we can be grateful that his trials are not ours, but even as I said this morning, we all have that enemy who goes about like a lion seeking whom he may devour, Satan himself, right? And that spiritual warfare against Satan and his hellish host. But even so, again, God preparing that table God protecting us so that we can enjoy the feast, even with enemies round about us.

As I said earlier, who can eat at a time like this? Well, we can, because it's God himself who's there protecting. And the emphasis is David was trusting God. He does this, he does provide, he does protect, even with enemies all about.

And then there's that capstone that's expressed, that crescendo, if you please, when he comes to verse six, Ending in his confidence about his eternal future, I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. There's no doubt about it, so much so that David has even a joyful anticipation of, I will be with him forever. Whatever comes in the meantime, this is my lot. Well, again, that's so with us.

And the Bible speaks repeatedly, especially when we come to the New Testament, of our living in anticipation of eternal glory. When Paul says we're justified by faith in Christ in Romans 5, he then goes on to say, and we now rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. What's that all about? It means right now, so justified, so right with God, unchangeably so are we in the righteousness imputed to us, Christ's righteousness, so justified that we right now have nothing betwixt us and that eternal blessedness being a certainty, so we now rejoice in that confident expectation of eternal glory.

Or when Paul writes to Titus about how God now, by His grace, has taught us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, to live soberly, righteously, godly in the present age, Looking beyond the present age, we're now eagerly anticipating that coming of our great God and Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, living with that anticipation. The Bible describes this repeatedly as those who eagerly wait for Him. He's going to change these bodies to be like unto His glorious body, those who eagerly wait for Him. That's us.

So like David, We should have that kind of confidence. I'm so right with God all because of his provision for sinners like me in Jesus Christ. But now this is a certainty. And I can look ahead, I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

You see what I'm saying here? He's voicing confidence. Is that your confidence? Such that now causes you to joy in that eternal blessedness that is most certainly yours in Christ.

But again, David's not just thinking of the future. Because before he makes that dwelling in the house of the Lord statement forever, he says that surely goodness and mercy will follow. Surely, of a certainty, goodness and mercy shall follow me. Here's his confidence.

It's not like two dogs, one named goodness, one named mercy, and they're following me everywhere I go. It's the idea of the word is pursue, right? That God's goodness, God's mercy, It chases me down and it overtakes me all the days of my life. It said of your Royal Canadian Mounted Police, they always get their man.

God's goodness and mercy always gets his man and woman, okay? It pursues me and overtakes me every day, all my days. That's what David as you're saying, each one of those days, no matter what that day may bring forth, even in hardships, even in that valley of the shadow of death, all the way to the end, all of those days, God's goodness, God's mercy. Again, it presupposes we're gonna have needs.

Our soul needs to be restored. We have enemies round and about. There's that dark valley that we will go through. And yet we can have that kind of confidence no less than David.

God's goodness and God's mercy are just constantly chasing me down and overtaking me until they overtake me at last and usher me into his presence. That is your portion, dear brother, dear sister, by God's grace. Are you living with that kind of confidence? And if not, why not?

Well, we can write up a number of reasons, remaining corruption, failure to really believe, failure to be occupied, easily distracted, and on down the list. But recognize what is true, believe it, and trust God. I hope that's somewhat easy to do right now, sitting comfortably in the midst of God's people. But whatever tomorrow and the next day and the next day hold, We'll stop then and reflect on Psalm 23 and reckon, no, no, no, here's what's true of me.

And like David, have in voice that strong confidence in the Lord. Come what may, it's God's goodness and God's mercy. There they are, they're overtaking me again. Well, that's one response that we see in David, must be seen in us.

And that's important for another response of what we see here in David.

Second Response: Praise to God

David is here giving praise to God. That's what this psalm really is. What is praise? If I were to ask you, give me a dictionary definition of the word praise.

You know, sometimes we know words and we're just not quite able to articulate exactly what they mean, right? I cheated, I looked at a dictionary. The idea of to express approval or admiration. Well, that's what we see David doing here.

He's declaring truth about God and doing so with adoration and joy. He speaks elsewhere of his soul making its boast in the Lord, kind of a verbal overflow of here he is. Or to illustrate the point, Psalm 102. You know how Hebrew parallelism, Hebrew poetry, it'll be a statement and then another statement that says the same thing basically in other words, right?

Well, that's very telling as to show the meaning of things. For instance, he says in Psalm 102, 21, declare the name of the Lord in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem. To declare his name and his praise are synonymous. there, right? Same thing.

What does it mean to praise him? It means to declare his name. It means to declare truth about him. Psalm 106, verse 2, who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?

Who can declare all of his praise? What is praising? It's declaring his mighty acts. It's declaring truth about him with joy and admiration.

One more example. Psalm 9, 1, I will praise you, O Lord, with my whole heart. I will tell of all your marvelous works. Praising is telling of all of his marvelous works.

You get the point. It's speaking truth about God, not just as so many facts. In that sense, it's distinct from thanksgiving, though it's often joined with it. But it's actually focusing on truth about God, his attributes, his ways, his dealings with us, et cetera, and declaring and rejoicing in truth about him.

Isn't that what we see here in Psalm 23? Isn't that what he's doing? He's not talking about himself, and I did this, I did that, I got this. His focus is, well, from the outset, the Lord. is my shepherd, and here's what he does, and here is all that is mine because of who he is and what he does." And again, he's not stating it as just so many facts.

Well, I've got this, I've got that, he's this, I've got... He's saying this with an elation of spirit. He's saying this with adoration, with true joy in the Lord himself, and that especially to God's honor. David was very aware of his blessedness.

He's very aware of how it was his. And then out of the overflow of his own heart, these words come forth so that each verse is actually a declaration of truth about God, praise to God. Do you do that? Do you praise God?

David's even speaking of specifics about God, God and his dealings. Look at what he does. He leads me beside the still waters. He makes me to lie down as gentle passion.

He leads in the paths of righteousness for his namesake. How great and how good this God is. He's glorying in this truth and he's my God. It's noteworthy that at times, David talks about God, and at other times he's talking to God.

I remember hearing of a young man who was complaining about the use of the hymnal. And he said, well, you know, you like to sing about God. I want to sing Well, that sounds noble and spiritual and so forth, but it's a false dichotomy, because what we find in Scripture is both. For instance, when David says, verse 1, the Lord is my shepherd, it's like he's talking to us.

When he talks about he makes me lie down, great pastor, leads me, it's like he leads me in the paths of righteousness, he's talking to us. And yet, when we come, say, to verse four, suddenly it switches over, walking to the valley of shadow death, fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod. Now he's talking to God. Verse five, you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

So

Praising About and To God

whether he's talking about God or to God, it's one and the same. It's praise to God, to the honor of God, giving worship to God. And so too in our singing, the hymns and the like, brethren. Right?

Well, you're singing about God. Well, that's very biblical too, right? It's not just because it's all to and about and before God as expression of worship and adoration. Well, that's what we see then going on here.

I think of Psalm 66 and verse 16. Come and hear all you who fear God, and I will declare what he has done for my soul. I'm going to praise him. I will tell you.

But the Psalm actually early on, verses two and three of Psalm 66, we're commanded there, sing out the honor of his name. Say to God, how awesome are your works. So beware of that kind of false dichotomy. Whether you're singing about God to God, it's still the same.

It's praise and adoration for the true and living God. Well, do you do that? in addition to, in many ways distinct from, thanksgiving to God. I trust that we are doing that, though none of us can say yeah enough. But do you gladly declare truth about God to others?

Let me tell you about God. Let me tell you about His glory. Let me tell you about His goodness to me. Let me tell you.

Do you tell others about God? That's what it means to praise Him. You know, we're commanded repeatedly in Scripture, aren't we, to praise the Lord, right? But also, in your own prayer times, When you're alone before him, do you praise him?

It's easy to pray and bring something of a grocery list. I need this and I need that and I need this and I need that, right? But we're commanded to praise him. Well, do you do that?

Are these blessings in Psalm 23 your blessings because of God's grace in Christ? Then let me encourage you. If you have nothing else to bring before God by way of praise in your own private devotions, Come with Psalm 23. Read it before him, speaking to him with joy and adoration. and true praise, and keep the heart well stocked.

And again, standing this side of Calvary, standing this side of the good shepherd coming to lay down his life for sheep like us, and then being raised, exalted, glorified, and gathering sheep even from the Gentile fold to make all one fold under that one shepherd. Rather, we've got all kinds of ammunition here to bring before God in praise, shooting it up to heaven by way of praise and adoration. Truth about God declared to God or before men, but it's one and the same, and especially in our own private times. Isn't it easy to kind of go through that?

And we give thanks, at least somewhat, but do we actually praise Him?

Praise in Private and Public

Do you rejoice and speak truth about Him to Him as well as to others? Well, that's what we see David doing, and I think that is a very right application. If this is our blessing, then do as David, and that means being occupied with God and his goodness, knowing theology, if you please, knowing truth about God and God's ways, so much so that, again, I say, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Might God help us to be a praising people.

Third Response: Delight in God's Presence

But now, thirdly, by way of David's response, and it really ties right in to what we've just seen. We see David here having great delight in his shepherd, as before God, as present with God. As seen, the very idea of a shepherd communicates that, that the shepherd is with his sheep. He's very present, and David is very mindful of that.

He says, you are with me, not only in that dark valley, but even in that dark valley, you are very present with me. David was clearly mindful of this, that God's presence was comforting him. Here, no matter what goes on, here you are. It wasn't just consolation, it's a source of great joy.

When he's talking about, he leads me beside the still waters, surely it would be wrong to think in terms of a monotone, yeah, yeah, he leads me beside the still water, I don't know why. No, there's a sense of joy. Look what he's doing. He's leading me in the path of righteousness too.

Look at this. He's delighting in God himself. And knowing that he's leading not from a distance, but he's right here with me directing my steps, making me lie down in those dreams as if, you know, I'm a bit unsettled here. I'm a bit too nervous.

I can't be skittish. I can't be laying down at a time like this. I got too much on my mind to do. He makes me lie down.

And perhaps sometimes trials come that way, huh? To slow us down and make us lie down in those green pastures so that we might enjoy the Lord's goodness and enjoy the Lord himself right there in those green pastures beside that still water. David was enjoying the Lord as one who's truly glad, not simply for the blessings, but glad to belong to the Lord. He's my shepherd.

I'm tickled, I'm truly rejoicing that he is my shepherd, this God, he's mine, knowing him and seeing himself as before him. You know, the shepherd sheep analogy, it communicates that well enough that he's in God's presence, God is with him, right? But after all, I mean, there's not a whole lot of intelligent communication typically going on between a sheep and a shepherd. You know, it's not like they're having some great powwow here.

And perhaps that's why we find the shift in the analogy where he changes from talking about the Lord as my shepherd to, and God is my host. And here's what he does. He spreads out this table for me. As this host, even all that oil of gladness with which he anoints by way of that welcoming and honoring and consoling and comforting and encouraging me, and this table with this cup that's overflowing, well, the very idea of God as a host and spreading the table, what does that communicate? not simply delight in the feast, but delight in who he's feasting with.

It's the Lord himself here, that kind of mutual delight and fellowship. And that's why, again, I pointed out this morning, I say it again, that's why David here, he switches gears. He's not now talking about the Lord. He says, you, you prepare the table.

You're right here with me. You've got this luscious feast spread for me. You did that. And he's having happy interaction with God.

Doesn't the analogy of a feast, isn't that used repeatedly in scripture to speak of fellowship? You remember when the Lord Jesus, speaking to the church of Laodicea there in Revelation chapter three, it's nothing to do about knocking on the door of a sinner's heart when he says, behold, I stand at the door and knock. It seems more the picture is he stands knocking, if you please, on the church door that, look at Laodicea, he's not even in there because of the way that church had gone. But he says, I stand at the door and knock of anyone, anyone in that church, here's my voice.

I will come into him and sup with him and he with me." What does he mean? It's the idea of fellowship, a feast, having fellowship together. Or Luke 13 and elsewhere, when the Bible speaks of our eternal blessedness, so often, you know, it speaks in terms of a feast spread and we come feasting together. That's the analogy that David here employs.

It's not simply that I'm a sheep being shepherded by this good shepherd, but he's a host, I'm a guest, and he's wanting me to have fellowship with him. He's the one who made all the provisions and spread the table and filled the cup and anointed with oil. More than that, brethren, he's the one who sent his only begotten son into this world to redeem us and save us from our sins in order to bring us into fellowship with himself, right? 1 John 1. Here's the gospel.

This is what it is. It's so that we might have fellowship not only with one another, but our fellowships with the Father and with his Son. You think you desire fellowship with God? How much have you invested in it?

Think of what he's invested in having fellowship with you, right? Sending Christ himself. The idea of mutual delight, so much so that God delights in the prayers of the upright, Proverbs 15, eight. Well, that's something here of what's going on in this picture.

Eternally is considered as a feast and in God's presence is fullness of joy. But we've something of a foretaste of that even now in the meantime. Fellowship, delighting in God. You recall, you well know the Westminster Shorter Catechism, question number one, what is man's chief end?

A man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Well, we will forever. But that doesn't mean, well, only in eternity, and now not much, but no, forever means now, as well as forever, endlessly, right? To enjoy him, man's chief end.

Well, that's something of what we see reflected here in the words of David. He spread this feast, my cups overflowing. He's there with me. Well, how right then that we should be aware of God's presence. that we should be aware of His goodness and all that He's done for us in order to have us.

And especially again, in greater light of the new covenant and the good shepherd coming and laying down his life and laying hold upon us and giving us everlasting life, even beginning now. Remember what Jesus said in John 17, three, that he came as power over all flesh to give eternal life to as many as the father was given. And he says, and this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God in Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. Well, it means eternal life begins now, knowing him now. rejoicing in our blessedness.

That's what we see here. Acknowledging God's goodness, acknowledging God's presence with delight. Well, do you do that? That's what we see David doing here.

Lord, you're here. You spread this feast. You want fellowship with me? Hymn number 31 in your hymnals, that God should stoop to ask the love of our poor hearts.

Yet so it is. Fellowship. with us. Real and happy interaction. In fact, a New Testament trilogy of commands underscores this.

I just wanted to take a quick digression to direct your attention to it.

A Trilogy of Commands: 1 Thessalonians 5

Please come to 1 Thessalonians 5, because I would like this to have some practical demonstration or clearly practical outworking. As I said, it's a trilogy of very brief commands given us in 1 Thessalonians 5, verses 16 through 18. Paul begins, rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.

In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Now what do these three commands in particular have in common? Well, first of all, when he calls us to rejoice always, he's not simply saying flash out a 32-tooth grin at something you think is funny. It's just like what he says to the Philippians, rejoice in the Lord always, right?

In him and truth about him. So when he's saying rejoice always, it's rejoicing in your relationship with the true and living God. Well, does that not require some degree of mindfulness of that, right? And so too, when he follows with that other very short command, pray without ceasing, and it doesn't mean that's all we could ever possibly do, but it is the idea of with a great regularity, a great consistency, pray, not just times of your own personal devotions or not even just corporate prayer, but even throughout the day, those extemporary prayers.

But does that not again bespeak a mindfulness of God present, and we're speaking with Him even as we go about our daily routine, whatever that routine may entail, that you're praying without ceasing, that throughout the day you're having this conversation, this interaction. with God. And so, too, when he comes to the next verse and he talks about, in everything give thanks, well, in everything that means there's a mindfulness of God and of God's constant goodness to you so that there's, again, that expression before and to God himself. The point is, brethren, even in this commands, these three commands, we're actually commanded to have fellowship with God. that God is real to us. And throughout the course of the day, we're interacting with him and rejoicing him, glorying in him and thanking him as we constantly recognize his great goodness to us.

Well, if you please, that's kind of a practical demonstration of what I'm getting at from Psalm 23, that David was mindful of God's presence and he's enjoying him. He's having fellowship with him, real communication going on with him. That was David's response to his blessedness. Shouldn't it be our response, especially since it's commanded so clearly here in 1 Thessalonians 5 and elsewhere, right?

Well, there's yet one more element to David's response to which I would direct your attention.

Fourth Response: Following in the Paths of Righteousness

Coming back now to Psalm 23. If the Lord is our shepherd, then we are to live as his sheep. I referred in the morning message more than once to that Isaiah 53, six statement that describes all men in their native state. All we like sheep have gone astray.

Each has turned to his own way. That was us natively, right? But now by God's grace, that's not us. In fact, we're the opposite of that.

Not going our own way and not sheep straying, but rather we're with our good shepherd. And therefore we're to live like it. He leads in the paths of righteousness. Therefore, we're to follow in the paths of righteousness.

We're to show that love for him. We're to show that life with him by how we live. To follow him. The Lord Jesus, when he talked about he had other sheep, not of this fold, them also must bring it.

There'll be one fold under one shepherd. And it's in that connection that he says, my sheep hear my voice. and they follow. That's not simply the effectual call, it includes that, right, that effectual drawing us when the gospel comes with power, but it's ongoing. His people hear his voice and his word, and they follow.

He goes on to say, you love me, you keep my commandments in a later chapter there in John's gospel. If he's leading us in the paths of righteousness, it's for us to live as his sheep. were to listen to His Word and obey it, were to know it, we recognize, I trust, not only the authority of Scripture, but the sufficiency of Scripture, right? That, to me, is a hallmark, a distinctive of our churches, of the Reformed faith, of biblical Christianity. We believe it's sufficient.

When Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3 and talks about not only that the Word of God is God-breathed and profitable, but he says that the man of God, not just you, Timothy, but any man engaged in pastoral-type labors, will be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Timothy, whatever you have to deal with as a pastor, whatever anyone or as an apostolic delegate or whatever any pastor throughout the ages will ever have to deal with, he's got it all right there in God's Word, God's inspired and prophet Word. And if that's so for whatever any pastor anywhere ever will face, that would include what you and I face as individuals in our own life, right? God's Word being a light to our feet and a lamp to our path, and that means every step of the way is sufficient.

He leads us in the paths of righteousness, and that means He directs us by His Word, made effectual. My sheep hear my voice, they follow. That at least includes our loving obedience to Him, right? And I mentioned earlier that emphasis on the leading of the Holy Spirit.

As many as are led by the Spirit, these are the sons of God. As I point out then, it's not leading us with a hook in the nose to go do certain works, but it's the idea of leading us to put sin to death and to grow in grace, to not walk according to the flesh, but to walk in the paths of righteousness. That's his dealings. That's great blessing.

It's for us to follow, right? So when the Spirit convicts, when the Spirit inclines, that sin is exposed, what are you going to do with it? Don't hide it. Don't sweep it under the carpet.

Don't explain it away. Mortify by the power of the Spirit. He's leading you in that direction. When you see areas in which you desperately need to grow in grace, that you need the Holy Spirit's work in bearing those various fruits, love, joy, peace, etc. there, What are you gonna do?

You're convicted. You see, boy, I'm lacking in this one. Take your pick, which one it is in the list. What are you gonna do?

Well, follow the leading of the Spirit and apply the word of God, knowing also that God directs in providence to aid us, not leading us into temptation, but rather, again, in the paths of righteousness. Then live as his sheep. Follow. And recognize he leads us in the paths of righteousness, For his namesake.

What does that mean? Well, obviously it means for his honor and glory, now and forever. One point of that, for his namesake, it underscores it's not because of anything deserving in us. It's all of your grace.

But as such, my brother, my sister, that makes us trophies of his grace, right? We are to the praise of the glory of his grace, Ephesians 1.6. Well, how right then that we should live as trophies of his grace, as those sheep who've been rescued from Satan and the roaring lion that he is, those sheep who've been bought at such a price, those sheep who've been brought under the shepherd's loving care. Well, out of love for our shepherd, our gracious host, wanting to honor him, then follow in the paths of righteousness, even yielding our very bodies a living sacrifice in light of his great mercies, knowing it is our reasonable service, as well as being very acceptable before God.

Again, think of Jesus Christ. He gave himself to deliver us, to redeem us from every lawless deed and to purify unto himself his own special people, zealous for good works, Titus 2, 14. Not just redeeming us from the guilt of sin, but from the practice of sin, from the slavery that was ours in sin. Well then follow the shepherd.

That's what David's talking about. He leads in the paths of righteousness. How are you doing, my brother? How are you doing, my sister?

He is leading you in the paths of righteousness. He is. I mean, as providence, he's brought you here to this congregation, his church. Well, are you following?

How are you doing in your following? And is it for his namesake? Is that our priority, that he should be honored and glorified, and especially out of response to his great goodness? Lord, you redeemed me, you've led me, and you're leading me to this end.

Let me put it another way. Isn't His glory our desire? You as a Christian, if I were to take each believer here individually, I would say, isn't it your heart's desire to glorify Him, to see Him honored in the earth? And notwithstanding our remaining corruption and times of dullness and even declension, we would all say, yes, amen.

My grief is that it's not as I would wish it to be. Why do you have that desire? Well, we can answer, I suppose, in a number of ways, but let me just appeal to Paul's words in Philippians 2.13. God works in us to will his good pleasure.

That's why, so even that very desire that God should be glorified, his work, he works in us to will his good pleasure. But I suspect not a few of you are saying, oh, but wait a minute, preacher, you're not giving us that whole verse. Oh, you're right. Because Paul follows with, he works in us to will and to do.

His good pleasure. Not only that inclination of heart, but that enabling by His Holy Spirit that we should indeed follow in the paths of righteousness for His namesake. Brethren, that is our blessedness and how right we like David should respond in living consistent with it. How are you doing?

How will you do? By God's grace. Isn't this our desire? He works in you to will, then cry out, Lord, work in me to do, and keep leading me in the paths of righteousness for your name's sake.

Man's chief end, to glorify God and enjoy him forever. It's not one and the same, they are distinct, but they're both to be enjoyed in tandem. Oh, might God grant it to be so even ever increasingly in this congregation, in the lives of God's people here, and all to the praise, to the glory, of his grace.

Application to the Unconverted

The unsaved, they do not want God as their shepherd. Even that good shepherd who would lay down his life for his sheep and love them and protect them all the way to the end. Instead, they love their sin. That's why, like sheep, they go astray, going their own way. even though sheep having no shepherd are set forth in a bad way.

I think I used the analogy this morning of some lion had a sheep. Is it gonna be bleeding, crying out, or is it just gonna passively say, yeah, go ahead, take a bite, have lunch? No, it's gonna, and yet the unsaved, they don't recognize their precarious position that Satan already has them. Why wouldn't they want this shepherd to rescue them?

Well, I know, I mean, the idea of a shepherd, it means he's got authority. He's to be obeyed. But is that a bad thing? I mean, look at the mess that people make of their lives.

And you're telling me you're doing a better job than the good shepherd would do? Really? Proof's in the pudding, man. What great blessedness was held out?

Protecting, comforting, joy guiding, his goodness and mercy overtaking. Does it make sense to reject all of that in order to live a life at best that is in a bad way and ends with being damned forever? Does that make sense? I mean, just pure logic would show the folly of that.

And it shows the extent of the folly of man in sin, man in life, without God. You recall the parable of the prodigal son, right? And the picture of his repentance and how, you know, I'm going to return to my father and so forth. But you remember what's said kind of preceding his repentance?

He came to his senses. Paul uses that language of the unconverted generally over in 2 Timothy. Let's say, if perhaps they should come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil being taken captive by him at his will. That's the problem with the unsaved.

They're not in the right mind. I don't mean, if you're a non-Christian, I don't mean to sound belittling or insulting to you, but the point is, you're not thinking clearly, man. You're not seeing things very clearly here, young person or not so young person. What sense does it make to refuse reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ?

To live out your life here, what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? And yet isn't it true, the unsaved, they don't get the whole world. They sell their soul for just a tiny portion of the world, probably with a lot of misery attached to it. And then they're damned forever.

Does that make sense? Well, why do they do that? Well, because they're held by sin and they're held by Satan. What hope is there?

Ah, there's hope. Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. That shepherd who rescues from the lion and the bear, that shepherd who truly lays hold and changes lives, gives new hearts as well as forgives sins. He laid down his life for his sheep.

He lives to save and to keep his sheep. And it's this shepherd, it's this shepherd who's set before you in scripture. And when you're commanded to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, there's that glorious promise. You will be saved.

That's true, not only that Philippian jailer there in Acts 16, that's true of sinners everywhere. You, call upon the name of the Lord. He's rich to all who call upon him. Whoever calls upon him shall be saved.

Will you trust him? Will you believe on him? Will you cry out for mercy? Lord, save a sinner like me and trust him to do so.

Might God grant it to be so. Let's pray.

Closing Prayer

Father in heaven, we thank you again for your mercies to us, and even the greater light of the new covenant and seeing this psalm in light of Christ himself coming to rescue and to lead us. Father, we ask that we would very much take these things to heart, that we, like David, be very aware of our blessedness, even rehearsing these things from even this portion of your word, and grant too that we would respond with that strong confidence in you And grant, too, that we would know more of giving praise, even overflowing with praise to you. And grant us well, our Father, that we would delight in you, that we would have realized communion with you, sweet fellowship, knowing your presence even with great joy and rejoicing. but also grant that we would indeed follow. We would be led in the paths of righteousness, and we would live consistent with your law, with your loving word for us, and by the enabling of your Holy Spirit, by that grace given us in Jesus Christ, and grant especially it would be for your namesake.

Oh, for your honor and glory in the earth. Bless this church and all the members of this congregation, and grant, oh Father, that you would get honor for your name here in this place through them. It's in Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Scripture References

• Psalms 9:1; 23; 37; 66:2-3; 16; 102:21; 106:2; 119:105
• Proverbs 15:8; 16:9
• Isaiah 53:6
• Mark 8:36
• Luke 13:29
• John 10:27-28; 14:15; 17:3
• Acts 16:31
• Romans 5:1-2; 8:13-14; 10:13; 12:1
• Galatians 5:18; 5:22-23
• Ephesians 1:3; 1:6
• Philippians 2:13; 4:4
• 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
• 1 Timothy 1:15
• 2 Timothy 2:26; 3:16-17
• Titus 2:12-14
• 1 John 1:3
• Revelation 3:20
• 2 Peter 1:3-4