1 00:00:01,420 --> 00:00:03,120 Psalm 23, please. 2 00:00:05,560 --> 00:00:08,580 And I'm gonna take 10, 20 minutes to 3 00:00:08,580 --> 00:00:10,660 allow lots of time for others. 4 00:00:11,540 --> 00:00:13,800 Psalm 23, the 23rd Psalm. 5 00:00:14,500 --> 00:00:16,960 I'm sure it's familiar to many, probably memorized. 6 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:20,320 It's read by many today, I'm sure, but 7 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:21,760 it's nice to be able to read it 8 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:25,300 with intelligence, knowing that the Lord definitely is 9 00:00:25,300 --> 00:00:25,940 our shepherd. 10 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:28,640 A few thoughts that I have enjoyed over 11 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:30,600 the past year on Psalm 23. 12 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:32,700 We'll read at verse number one. 13 00:00:34,620 --> 00:00:35,500 A Psalm of David. 14 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:38,200 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not 15 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:38,580 want. 16 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:40,600 He maketh me to lie down in green 17 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:41,160 pastures. 18 00:00:41,780 --> 00:00:44,460 He leadeth me beside the still waters. 19 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:46,720 He restoreth my soul. 20 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:49,780 He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness 21 00:00:49,780 --> 00:00:51,060 for his name's sake. 22 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:53,780 Yea, though I walk through the valley of 23 00:00:53,780 --> 00:00:55,680 the shadow of death, I will fear no 24 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:58,540 evil, for thou art with me. 25 00:00:58,540 --> 00:01:01,480 Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. 26 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:05,300 Thou preparest a table before me in the 27 00:01:05,300 --> 00:01:06,920 presence of my enemies. 28 00:01:07,460 --> 00:01:09,320 Thou anointest my head with oil. 29 00:01:09,900 --> 00:01:11,080 My cup runneth over. 30 00:01:11,860 --> 00:01:14,580 Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all 31 00:01:14,580 --> 00:01:16,900 the days of my life, and I will 32 00:01:16,900 --> 00:01:19,720 dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 33 00:01:20,860 --> 00:01:22,140 Wonderful words. 34 00:01:23,060 --> 00:01:26,080 They're very powerful, they're only six verses, but 35 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:28,280 there's much in that little psalm. 36 00:01:28,960 --> 00:01:31,280 The Lord was very kind during my sickness 37 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:34,140 to use this to encourage me greatly, and 38 00:01:34,140 --> 00:01:36,660 it's wonderful when you go through a trial 39 00:01:36,660 --> 00:01:38,440 that God gives you something from the word 40 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:41,100 of God that is able to put your 41 00:01:41,100 --> 00:01:43,300 eyes back on him and get them off 42 00:01:43,300 --> 00:01:44,180 of your circumstances. 43 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:46,120 Just for those that like to do a 44 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:47,760 little bit of a study, it's interesting that 45 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:50,900 in the Hebrew language there's only 55 Hebrew 46 00:01:50,900 --> 00:01:53,300 words in this psalm. 47 00:01:53,300 --> 00:01:56,140 That means you've got a middle word, and 48 00:01:56,140 --> 00:01:58,840 that middle word is in verse four, and 49 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:00,400 if you have a Newberry Bible, it's the 50 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:03,920 one that is emphasized, thou, for thou art 51 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:04,420 with me. 52 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:07,900 So right in the center of these six 53 00:02:07,900 --> 00:02:10,420 verses, God is the center. 54 00:02:10,820 --> 00:02:12,160 Now, if you go and look at the 55 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:14,540 very first part of the psalm, the Lord, 56 00:02:15,140 --> 00:02:16,680 and actually you have to read the title, 57 00:02:17,340 --> 00:02:18,840 you count three words in. 58 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:21,580 Our psalm is one word, of David, second 59 00:02:21,580 --> 00:02:22,820 word, the Lord. 60 00:02:22,820 --> 00:02:23,580 The third word. 61 00:02:24,260 --> 00:02:25,780 You come to the end of the psalm 62 00:02:25,780 --> 00:02:28,140 and count three words back from the end. 63 00:02:28,340 --> 00:02:30,620 Ever, one, four, two, the Lord. 64 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:33,400 So isn't it something how the spirit of 65 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:34,920 God has structured the psalm? 66 00:02:35,340 --> 00:02:37,660 Right at the beginning, Lord, right at the 67 00:02:37,660 --> 00:02:40,460 end, Lord, and right in the middle, thou. 68 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:43,760 Very interesting that it doesn't say God is 69 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:44,300 my shepherd. 70 00:02:45,100 --> 00:02:47,240 The Lord is my shepherd. 71 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:51,620 You'll notice in our English Bibles the translators 72 00:02:51,620 --> 00:02:52,860 used a nice little code. 73 00:02:53,300 --> 00:02:55,300 If you see Lord in all capital letters, 74 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:57,560 that's really your Hebrew word, Jehovah. 75 00:02:58,220 --> 00:03:00,300 If you see God in all capital letters, 76 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:02,040 that's the Hebrew word, Jehovah. 77 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:04,680 So maybe someone's sitting here today wondering, well, 78 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:06,060 what's the big deal about Jehovah? 79 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:09,640 Well, Jehovah is the covenant-keeping God. 80 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:13,040 The promises that he has stated, he will 81 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:14,540 follow through with his promises. 82 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:17,200 You and I look at time very differently 83 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:18,080 from God does. 84 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:20,900 We always talk about the past, the present, 85 00:03:21,260 --> 00:03:22,040 and the future. 86 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:24,020 But if you did a little study on 87 00:03:24,020 --> 00:03:26,800 the word Jehovah, it brings the three Hebrew 88 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:29,320 verbs, and it's the complete opposite of the 89 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:29,980 way we think. 90 00:03:30,380 --> 00:03:33,820 It starts out with the future, then it 91 00:03:33,820 --> 00:03:35,880 goes to the present, and then it deals 92 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:36,580 with the past. 93 00:03:37,140 --> 00:03:39,440 So really what the word Jehovah is telling 94 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:43,700 me is that in my future, God has 95 00:03:43,700 --> 00:03:45,080 promised to be there. 96 00:03:45,580 --> 00:03:47,140 And that's linked with his covenants. 97 00:03:47,140 --> 00:03:49,580 Only one who controls time, who is over 98 00:03:49,580 --> 00:03:52,460 time, can actually make a promise and guarantee 99 00:03:52,460 --> 00:03:53,860 that he will follow through with it. 100 00:03:54,260 --> 00:03:56,720 So I like to think that Harold Paisley 101 00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:58,420 is right when he makes the comment that 102 00:03:58,420 --> 00:04:00,920 this psalm was probably written at the end 103 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:01,800 of David's life. 104 00:04:02,540 --> 00:04:03,700 I think that's kind of nice. 105 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:05,320 I enjoy this thought from that. 106 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:07,960 You think of all the different words, the 107 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:10,120 pictures that David, through the spirit of God, 108 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:12,380 would use in relaying God to us, a 109 00:04:12,380 --> 00:04:15,079 fortress, a mighty tower, my rock, and all 110 00:04:15,079 --> 00:04:16,779 those sort of different pictures that you can 111 00:04:16,779 --> 00:04:17,180 think of. 112 00:04:17,519 --> 00:04:19,480 Isn't it lovely if the case is, he 113 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:20,640 wrote this at the end of his life, 114 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:22,980 he picked, the Lord is my shepherd. 115 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:27,760 There's something very tender, very personal about having 116 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:28,520 that relationship. 117 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:30,400 Pretty hard to have a relationship with a 118 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:33,920 rock or a raging waterfall, but there's something 119 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:36,100 about a shepherd, something alive about it. 120 00:04:36,540 --> 00:04:39,340 Now, when you look at this psalm, there's, 121 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:40,480 for those that want to get a little 122 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,340 technical, there's 14 verbs in the six verses. 123 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:45,820 But, and they fall into three different groups. 124 00:04:45,820 --> 00:04:47,220 But I'm only going to pick up on 125 00:04:47,220 --> 00:04:47,440 two. 126 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:49,900 If you look at verse number one, and 127 00:04:49,900 --> 00:04:53,400 verse number five, there's only two participle. 128 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:55,420 That means something that ends in an ing, 129 00:04:55,740 --> 00:04:56,040 okay? 130 00:04:56,280 --> 00:04:57,300 It's something that's ongoing. 131 00:04:57,580 --> 00:04:59,140 So the very first one is this. 132 00:04:59,380 --> 00:05:02,300 The Lord is my shepherd. 133 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:04,360 That sounds like a noun when we read 134 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:05,920 it, but it's actually a verb. 135 00:05:06,460 --> 00:05:07,840 So really, we could read it this way. 136 00:05:08,020 --> 00:05:10,760 The Lord is my shepherding one. 137 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:12,440 That's always ongoing. 138 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:14,560 Look at the next ing. 139 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:16,000 It's down in verse five. 140 00:05:16,580 --> 00:05:20,180 In the presence of mine enemies. 141 00:05:20,620 --> 00:05:23,080 That's a verb ending in ing. 142 00:05:23,780 --> 00:05:27,000 So isn't it interesting just how the psalm, 143 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:29,880 just looking at its structure, I start out 144 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:32,080 with the active work of the shepherd. 145 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:35,120 And in contrast to that is the active 146 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:36,240 work of our enemies. 147 00:05:36,700 --> 00:05:38,200 I'm glad that it's not the other way 148 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:38,580 around. 149 00:05:39,180 --> 00:05:43,140 It's the shepherding working first before the enemies 150 00:05:43,140 --> 00:05:43,860 are working. 151 00:05:43,860 --> 00:05:45,720 It's a wonderful person to know, isn't it? 152 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:46,220 Our savior. 153 00:05:46,500 --> 00:05:48,300 He's always on our side. 154 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:50,920 Now, it's amazing how it starts off. 155 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:52,940 Look at how he ends the first phrase. 156 00:05:53,280 --> 00:05:56,460 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not 157 00:05:56,460 --> 00:05:56,780 want. 158 00:05:57,640 --> 00:05:59,720 That's inward, inward contentment. 159 00:05:59,820 --> 00:06:00,640 I shall not want. 160 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:03,440 Look how he ends in verse number five. 161 00:06:03,860 --> 00:06:05,240 My cup runneth over. 162 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:06,880 That's the exterior. 163 00:06:08,020 --> 00:06:09,900 Now you and I will normally reverse that, 164 00:06:10,140 --> 00:06:10,820 don't we? 165 00:06:11,340 --> 00:06:13,500 When we start to get our eyes off 166 00:06:13,500 --> 00:06:15,620 of God and we start to get our 167 00:06:15,620 --> 00:06:19,580 eyes on our blessings, that is a recipe 168 00:06:19,580 --> 00:06:20,660 for disaster. 169 00:06:21,540 --> 00:06:24,700 You see, last weekend we were studying Genesis 170 00:06:24,700 --> 00:06:26,160 22, Abraham and Isaac. 171 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:30,580 And isn't it interesting that Abraham didn't get 172 00:06:30,580 --> 00:06:32,820 occupied with the blessing, the son. 173 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:35,800 He was always occupied with the blesser. 174 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:38,720 So when it came time to offer up 175 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:41,940 the blessing, he didn't crumble to the ground 176 00:06:42,580 --> 00:06:44,000 because he still had his eyes on the 177 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:44,440 blesser. 178 00:06:44,700 --> 00:06:46,700 And he knew with his confidence in the 179 00:06:46,700 --> 00:06:49,840 blesser that even if the blessing was to 180 00:06:49,840 --> 00:06:52,900 pass into death, the blesser would bring him 181 00:06:52,900 --> 00:06:53,820 back out of death. 182 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:56,780 So you can see, even for our own 183 00:06:56,780 --> 00:07:00,240 benefit, dear child of God, always try to 184 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:01,980 keep your eyes upon God. 185 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:04,820 Because God, as I mentioned yesterday, God will 186 00:07:04,820 --> 00:07:05,540 test our faith. 187 00:07:05,900 --> 00:07:09,280 We will be brought into circumstances that we 188 00:07:09,280 --> 00:07:11,240 might not deem are a blessing. 189 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:17,420 But never forget, the Lord is my shepherding 190 00:07:17,420 --> 00:07:17,900 one. 191 00:07:18,380 --> 00:07:19,700 Now notice what it says. 192 00:07:19,980 --> 00:07:23,060 I think David is reflecting on a long 193 00:07:23,060 --> 00:07:25,140 life of God dealing with him. 194 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:28,880 Look what he says, he maketh me to 195 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:30,260 lie down in green pastures. 196 00:07:31,740 --> 00:07:34,620 You know, ever sometimes try to train a 197 00:07:34,620 --> 00:07:37,160 dog and you got him on the leash 198 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:40,380 and you're saying, sit, he's not sitting. 199 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:43,440 So you put your hand on his behind 200 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:45,280 and you kind of try to push him 201 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:46,560 down when you say, sit. 202 00:07:47,060 --> 00:07:49,080 And you can feel the strength as he's 203 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:50,580 fighting against your hand. 204 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:51,780 You ever experienced that? 205 00:07:53,420 --> 00:07:55,440 I had to discover that I was doing 206 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:56,080 that to God. 207 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:01,760 God was wanting me to sit, but I 208 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:02,720 didn't want to sit. 209 00:08:04,340 --> 00:08:06,800 God, there's something not right. 210 00:08:07,340 --> 00:08:09,240 This sickness that has come into my life, 211 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:11,100 it's really derailed meetings. 212 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:14,140 I mean, it just doesn't seem to make 213 00:08:14,140 --> 00:08:14,600 sense. 214 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:16,500 I don't want to sit. 215 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:19,380 But look what it says, the Lord is 216 00:08:19,380 --> 00:08:20,380 my shepherd. 217 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:23,560 He knows what's best. 218 00:08:24,420 --> 00:08:25,780 And you know, I was mentioning this to 219 00:08:25,780 --> 00:08:27,800 the young people there last night. 220 00:08:28,180 --> 00:08:30,520 You'll never find this picture where you're driving 221 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:32,320 down a nice country road and there's a 222 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:34,659 field full of sheep and there is a 223 00:08:34,659 --> 00:08:36,820 shepherd on his elbow looking into the eyes 224 00:08:36,820 --> 00:08:39,039 of the lamb, asking him, now what would 225 00:08:39,039 --> 00:08:40,100 you like to do today? 226 00:08:41,860 --> 00:08:44,040 What field would you like to graze in 227 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:44,300 today? 228 00:08:44,900 --> 00:08:46,460 That's just not the way it works. 229 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:47,700 But isn't it something? 230 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:49,980 Did you ever find yourself, have you ever 231 00:08:49,980 --> 00:08:52,700 discovered in your heart that you think you 232 00:08:52,700 --> 00:08:54,220 know better how to run your life than 233 00:08:54,220 --> 00:08:54,540 God? 234 00:08:55,580 --> 00:08:56,460 You ever think like that? 235 00:08:57,720 --> 00:08:58,360 Well, I do. 236 00:08:59,260 --> 00:09:00,520 I have to confess it as sin. 237 00:09:01,300 --> 00:09:04,080 And there are times, there are circumstances when 238 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:06,540 I am brought into, that's really what's behind 239 00:09:06,540 --> 00:09:07,500 the word meekness. 240 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:10,420 Meekness is not the idea of gentleness. 241 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:14,300 Meekness, Moses with the meekness, meekness is seeing 242 00:09:14,300 --> 00:09:16,600 and understanding God in the circumstances. 243 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:19,340 So all of a sudden you're driving to 244 00:09:19,340 --> 00:09:20,880 a meeting and you have a flat tire. 245 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:23,380 Don't get angry. 246 00:09:24,300 --> 00:09:25,620 Don't try to blame your wife. 247 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:26,460 You ran over a nail. 248 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:29,240 See God in it. 249 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:33,300 There has to be something that God has 250 00:09:33,300 --> 00:09:33,600 for me. 251 00:09:34,130 --> 00:09:36,480 The next time there's a problem, you're faced 252 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:36,960 with a problem. 253 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:39,880 We're so quick to fly off the handle 254 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:41,660 and isn't there something in us? 255 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:43,020 It's the flesh, eh? 256 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:45,420 I remember Robert McFeet, a dear man that's 257 00:09:45,420 --> 00:09:47,060 gone to heaven, a full-time preacher from 258 00:09:47,060 --> 00:09:47,820 over the other country. 259 00:09:48,180 --> 00:09:50,640 He said, children of the flesh are born 260 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:51,100 quick. 261 00:09:52,260 --> 00:09:53,500 That was Abraham and Ishmael. 262 00:09:54,680 --> 00:09:56,540 Children of the spirit take a while. 263 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:57,840 It's Abraham and Isaac. 264 00:09:58,980 --> 00:10:01,020 And it's just built into us. 265 00:10:01,020 --> 00:10:02,620 I think maybe it's the fact that I'm 266 00:10:02,620 --> 00:10:05,020 47 going by middle age and maybe you 267 00:10:05,020 --> 00:10:07,940 start to realize, wow, when you're young, you 268 00:10:07,940 --> 00:10:09,680 got all kinds of strength and you just 269 00:10:09,680 --> 00:10:11,820 feel like, I'll just grab that thing and 270 00:10:11,820 --> 00:10:12,080 do it. 271 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:12,620 You know what I mean? 272 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:15,600 Sometimes God has to teach us things. 273 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:17,040 And you know what he has to do? 274 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:18,520 He has to take us and make us 275 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:19,000 lie down. 276 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:21,800 It says the green pastures. 277 00:10:22,700 --> 00:10:24,440 I'm glad it doesn't say just pastures. 278 00:10:25,140 --> 00:10:26,740 Do you know that little Hebrew word green? 279 00:10:27,500 --> 00:10:29,080 It's just what you're seeing right there. 280 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:33,080 It's the tender, fresh shoot of grass. 281 00:10:34,100 --> 00:10:35,300 A little kind of our God. 282 00:10:35,940 --> 00:10:38,780 Wonderful to understand from this Bible that any 283 00:10:38,780 --> 00:10:40,680 time with the Bible is not a waste 284 00:10:40,680 --> 00:10:41,040 of time. 285 00:10:41,740 --> 00:10:45,240 God has a pasture in this book that 286 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:46,580 will feed and nourish you. 287 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:47,660 Look what it says. 288 00:10:47,940 --> 00:10:49,820 He maketh me to lie down in the 289 00:10:49,820 --> 00:10:50,500 green pastures. 290 00:10:50,780 --> 00:10:52,960 He leadeth me beside the still water. 291 00:10:54,340 --> 00:10:56,180 It's not when you're ready to get up 292 00:10:56,180 --> 00:10:56,860 out of the pasture. 293 00:10:58,680 --> 00:11:00,420 He might lay you down for half a 294 00:11:00,420 --> 00:11:00,620 year. 295 00:11:01,300 --> 00:11:02,780 He might lay you down for a week. 296 00:11:03,660 --> 00:11:04,860 He might lay you down for a couple 297 00:11:04,860 --> 00:11:05,260 of years. 298 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:07,600 But the shepherd knows what he's doing. 299 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:11,280 And then it's time to come up and 300 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:13,340 it's time to go by not just water, 301 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:15,580 the still water. 302 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:18,980 The pool, the quiet little resting of the 303 00:11:18,980 --> 00:11:19,260 water. 304 00:11:19,900 --> 00:11:21,520 Now notice what comes next. 305 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:23,820 He restoreth my soul. 306 00:11:25,220 --> 00:11:26,840 That's how he restores my soul. 307 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:30,880 The green grass and the still waters. 308 00:11:31,820 --> 00:11:32,860 What is it? 309 00:11:33,140 --> 00:11:35,100 What is it about us that we deny? 310 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:38,020 I really don't need restoring. 311 00:11:40,260 --> 00:11:41,500 Do we not have that in us? 312 00:11:42,420 --> 00:11:45,100 We all think that we're just on top, 313 00:11:45,220 --> 00:11:46,580 we're on the top of our game. 314 00:11:47,060 --> 00:11:48,960 Listen, we're never on the top of our 315 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:49,180 game. 316 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:52,560 There's always things that have to be, there's 317 00:11:52,560 --> 00:11:56,020 always little tiny shoots, suckers. 318 00:11:56,020 --> 00:11:57,680 You know, this time of year you're gonna, 319 00:11:57,940 --> 00:12:00,060 you'll see the tree pruners and they'll be 320 00:12:00,060 --> 00:12:02,480 watching for the little tiny shoots that grow 321 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:02,980 up wide. 322 00:12:03,420 --> 00:12:05,540 They wanna cut them off to keep growth 323 00:12:05,540 --> 00:12:07,240 up on the top part for the fruit. 324 00:12:08,260 --> 00:12:09,980 I've got a wicked heart in here, dear 325 00:12:09,980 --> 00:12:10,680 child of God. 326 00:12:11,260 --> 00:12:12,820 Do you know what's always cropping up in 327 00:12:12,820 --> 00:12:14,100 my mind? 328 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:16,440 There's these little suckers. 329 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:19,440 And the spirit of God, he's gotta nip 330 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:19,580 them. 331 00:12:20,660 --> 00:12:22,100 I don't like that. 332 00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:24,800 But the shepherd knows what is the best 333 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:25,160 for me. 334 00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:27,100 So here's what, look at the progression. 335 00:12:27,420 --> 00:12:28,800 He maketh me to lie down in green 336 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:29,260 pastures. 337 00:12:29,460 --> 00:12:31,000 He leads me beside the still waters. 338 00:12:31,260 --> 00:12:32,040 Here's the end result. 339 00:12:32,300 --> 00:12:33,700 He restores my soul. 340 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:37,240 He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness 341 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:38,360 for his namesake. 342 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:41,100 That comes after you're restored. 343 00:12:41,860 --> 00:12:44,040 I'm sure every Christian here would, just would 344 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:45,720 love, you wanna live for God. 345 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:47,540 You wanna be able to do work for 346 00:12:47,540 --> 00:12:47,840 God. 347 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:50,660 You can't do work for God in the 348 00:12:50,660 --> 00:12:51,020 flesh. 349 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:53,800 Just from human effort. 350 00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:57,400 It's he leadeth me. 351 00:12:58,740 --> 00:13:01,760 He directs me into the right area to 352 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:02,580 bring glory to him. 353 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:04,980 But it's only after I've been restored. 354 00:13:05,260 --> 00:13:06,540 So here we are today, and if I 355 00:13:06,540 --> 00:13:08,220 was to ask a survey, how many people 356 00:13:08,220 --> 00:13:10,200 would love to just serve their God? 357 00:13:10,340 --> 00:13:11,220 All hands would go up. 358 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:13,300 You know what we have to experience first? 359 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:15,260 Laying down in the green pasture. 360 00:13:17,020 --> 00:13:18,500 Walking by the still water. 361 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:21,920 He restores them in the proper condition. 362 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:25,320 Then I'm able to work for him. 363 00:13:25,820 --> 00:13:26,620 Come a little further. 364 00:13:27,020 --> 00:13:29,140 Yea, though I walk through the valley of 365 00:13:29,140 --> 00:13:31,280 the shadow of death, I will fear no 366 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:31,640 evil. 367 00:13:32,460 --> 00:13:32,900 Why? 368 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:34,420 For thou art with me. 369 00:13:36,020 --> 00:13:39,400 Do you find that as you do activity 370 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:42,040 for God, you can get away from God? 371 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:44,480 Does that sound like a contradiction? 372 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:48,960 You can get all taken up with activity 373 00:13:49,660 --> 00:13:51,560 and your communion suffers? 374 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:55,120 Something that's been impressed upon me just the 375 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:58,460 last three or so weeks is being with 376 00:13:58,460 --> 00:13:59,840 Murray and listen to him a few bit 377 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:00,400 of ministry. 378 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:03,720 Do you know, we hear this all the 379 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:04,000 time. 380 00:14:04,580 --> 00:14:06,560 God saved us for what? 381 00:14:08,060 --> 00:14:08,360 Worship. 382 00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:11,800 But you know what I will put in 383 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:12,420 front of worship? 384 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:14,240 Activity. 385 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:17,640 Oh, we're all here to pass out tracts. 386 00:14:18,140 --> 00:14:19,620 We're all here to pick up kids. 387 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:22,020 We're all here to go this and do 388 00:14:22,020 --> 00:14:22,640 this and do this. 389 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:24,320 And then we all sit Sunday morning and 390 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:24,780 what happens? 391 00:14:25,660 --> 00:14:26,800 Just a handful get up. 392 00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:31,620 That is a very subtle trap of the 393 00:14:31,620 --> 00:14:31,820 devil. 394 00:14:33,780 --> 00:14:36,880 Paramount young men and young women, get it 395 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:37,740 into your minds. 396 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,540 God wants to hear your worship. 397 00:14:43,100 --> 00:14:44,500 I don't understand that. 398 00:14:44,980 --> 00:14:47,580 It's almost profound to think that a God 399 00:14:47,580 --> 00:14:48,420 that knows everything. 400 00:14:49,060 --> 00:14:51,520 But the spirit of God who God gave 401 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:55,720 me is in me to help me produce 402 00:14:55,720 --> 00:14:56,460 worship. 403 00:14:57,880 --> 00:14:59,100 And God wants that. 404 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:02,780 So that's what you discover when you find, 405 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:04,060 thou art with me. 406 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:05,640 Thy rod and thy staff, they come from 407 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:05,740 me. 408 00:15:05,900 --> 00:15:07,420 You ever notice the difference between those two 409 00:15:07,420 --> 00:15:07,640 things? 410 00:15:07,700 --> 00:15:08,960 Thy rod and thy staff. 411 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:11,020 Now, if I was driving down the road 412 00:15:11,020 --> 00:15:13,340 and I saw a shepherd, a sheepherder in 413 00:15:13,340 --> 00:15:14,920 the field and he had two things in 414 00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:17,120 his hand, at a distance I wouldn't know 415 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:18,320 which was the rod and which was the 416 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:18,720 staff. 417 00:15:19,500 --> 00:15:20,940 You know what this sheep here discovered? 418 00:15:21,940 --> 00:15:23,500 He found the difference when he was right 419 00:15:23,500 --> 00:15:24,400 up beside the shepherd. 420 00:15:25,700 --> 00:15:26,940 You know, isn't it something? 421 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:29,440 I find it hard to understand. 422 00:15:29,940 --> 00:15:31,780 We all enjoy the tremendous truth of the 423 00:15:31,780 --> 00:15:33,840 advocate, Jesus Christ, the righteous. 424 00:15:34,580 --> 00:15:37,460 When I sin, an advocate is a person 425 00:15:37,460 --> 00:15:39,420 that comes to your side and he puts 426 00:15:39,420 --> 00:15:41,500 his arm around you, he comforts you and 427 00:15:41,500 --> 00:15:42,900 he draws you back in. 428 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:44,700 My mind is in 1 John. 429 00:15:45,700 --> 00:15:47,440 Do you not find it amazing, dear child 430 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:49,200 of God, that when I'm at my lowest 431 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:53,600 as a Christian, I have sinned willingly against 432 00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:53,820 him? 433 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:57,160 Do you realize the only reason that I 434 00:15:57,160 --> 00:15:59,000 acknowledge that sin? 435 00:16:00,020 --> 00:16:01,600 He restored my soul. 436 00:16:03,160 --> 00:16:06,500 That is a proof that the advocate is 437 00:16:06,500 --> 00:16:09,800 doing his job and he has, how many 438 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:11,340 of us after we sin, we feel like 439 00:16:11,340 --> 00:16:11,560 reading? 440 00:16:12,900 --> 00:16:13,900 How many feel like praying? 441 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:15,920 Do you not feel ashamed? 442 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:17,980 You're just like, oh God, get away from 443 00:16:17,980 --> 00:16:19,640 me, I'm embarrassed. 444 00:16:21,020 --> 00:16:23,660 But the advocate, that's when he takes me 445 00:16:23,660 --> 00:16:26,400 and he comforts me and he draws me 446 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:27,860 back in to himself. 447 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:30,420 What a tremendous shepherd we have, eh? 448 00:16:30,780 --> 00:16:31,640 So keep on reading. 449 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:34,300 Thou preparest, notice this, this is beautiful. 450 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:37,100 Thou preparest a table before me in the 451 00:16:37,100 --> 00:16:38,540 presence of mine enemies. 452 00:16:39,260 --> 00:16:40,620 Did you notice what comes first? 453 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:43,440 Did you notice what's between you and the 454 00:16:43,440 --> 00:16:43,700 enemy? 455 00:16:44,940 --> 00:16:49,140 Thou preparest a table before me in the 456 00:16:49,140 --> 00:16:50,780 presence of my enemies. 457 00:16:51,980 --> 00:16:52,580 Isn't that wonderful? 458 00:16:53,820 --> 00:16:56,260 So I often go back to my father, 459 00:16:56,300 --> 00:16:57,500 when I was a young Christian, he always 460 00:16:57,500 --> 00:16:58,840 used to give me just a little tiny 461 00:16:58,840 --> 00:16:59,220 recipe. 462 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:02,080 He says, Scott, here is a victorious Christian 463 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:02,380 life. 464 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:05,960 You, God, and the problem. 465 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:10,079 Now he said, never allow the problem to 466 00:17:10,079 --> 00:17:11,579 come in between you and your God. 467 00:17:12,460 --> 00:17:14,400 Never view your God through the problem. 468 00:17:15,300 --> 00:17:17,560 Always look at the problem through the eyes 469 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:18,000 of God. 470 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:20,280 That's what's illustrated right here. 471 00:17:21,020 --> 00:17:23,220 You know the reason, you know the reason 472 00:17:23,220 --> 00:17:25,020 why this shepherd took me into the green 473 00:17:25,020 --> 00:17:27,180 pasture, took me by the still water, restored 474 00:17:27,180 --> 00:17:28,600 my soul, and he's leading me? 475 00:17:28,780 --> 00:17:31,220 He got me close to himself because I 476 00:17:31,220 --> 00:17:34,720 can't handle the enemy without him, can't. 477 00:17:35,940 --> 00:17:39,420 And not only is he with me, but 478 00:17:39,420 --> 00:17:41,360 he's actually put right in front of me 479 00:17:41,360 --> 00:17:44,620 the very nourishment I'll need to handle the 480 00:17:44,620 --> 00:17:44,920 enemy. 481 00:17:45,460 --> 00:17:48,880 Look at this, thou anointest my head with 482 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:49,180 oil. 483 00:17:50,100 --> 00:17:52,240 You know, you go through the word of 484 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:53,540 God, you look up anointing. 485 00:17:54,180 --> 00:17:56,320 It's anointing for service, it's the idea of 486 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:58,440 separating something or cleansing something. 487 00:17:59,140 --> 00:18:00,960 I thought of it as the idea of 488 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:01,340 blessing. 489 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:05,680 It's in the presence of your enemies that 490 00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:06,380 he anoints you. 491 00:18:07,460 --> 00:18:08,800 You know what we have tucked in the 492 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:09,420 back of our mind? 493 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:11,520 Well, if I was up in a cabin 494 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:15,140 in the woods and I didn't have any 495 00:18:15,140 --> 00:18:18,060 world to deal with, no flesh to deal 496 00:18:18,060 --> 00:18:19,580 with, and I just had the Bible, oh, 497 00:18:19,900 --> 00:18:22,660 I would just be going on, I'd be 498 00:18:22,660 --> 00:18:24,240 a mighty person for God. 499 00:18:25,140 --> 00:18:25,820 No, you wouldn't be. 500 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:27,360 No, you wouldn't be. 501 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:31,040 God wants to use us in the presence 502 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:33,940 of the enemies, and God is the one 503 00:18:33,940 --> 00:18:34,980 that anoints. 504 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:38,560 Finally, my cup runneth over, surely goodness and 505 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:40,500 mercy shall follow me all the days of 506 00:18:40,500 --> 00:18:40,940 my life. 507 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:42,880 Not wonderful to know that. 508 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:46,900 As believers, constantly behind us, goodness and mercy, 509 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:50,420 with us, the shepherd, before us, the table. 510 00:18:51,020 --> 00:18:52,820 I'll tell you what is a lovely devotional 511 00:18:52,820 --> 00:18:53,860 thing if you ever wanna do it. 512 00:18:54,340 --> 00:18:56,740 You contrast, with this I'll end, you contrast 513 00:18:56,740 --> 00:19:01,240 Psalm 22 with Psalm 23, and just look 514 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:04,700 at the ultimate shepherd came to a point 515 00:19:04,700 --> 00:19:05,660 where he had no shepherd. 516 00:19:06,820 --> 00:19:10,020 The ultimate shepherd, he wasn't laying down in 517 00:19:10,020 --> 00:19:10,520 green pasture. 518 00:19:11,700 --> 00:19:13,060 He was brought into a wilderness. 519 00:19:14,100 --> 00:19:16,440 Whereby the still water, he had no water. 520 00:19:16,940 --> 00:19:18,400 Just go down and just look at the 521 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:18,800 contrast. 522 00:19:19,140 --> 00:19:21,020 I think it's significant why the Spirit of 523 00:19:21,020 --> 00:19:23,220 God has put those Psalms closely together. 524 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:26,040 And isn't it wonderful to know, I will 525 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:28,400 dwell forever in the house of the Lord. 526 00:19:28,860 --> 00:19:30,740 May God encourage us with our shepherd.