Services | Psalm 23 | Part 3

Bulletin

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Scritpures

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Transcript of Service

Welcome to part three of SBC West Bible study on the 23rd songs. As we've said before the 23rd psalms is probably one of the most well known scriptures in all the Bible. It probably even surpasses John 316, but as we said in the past.

Sometimes because we are so well acquainted with a scripture we read it and we just go by, and we don't Plumb the depths of the riches of it and so we're going to be going through this. Bible study line by line in Word by word to just kind of look at the richness of the Scriptures. Now I understand that I am not going to Plumb. The entire depth that there will be things that you will see and I hope you will continue to study and.

Meditated consider what this great chapter has to say now.

All of the word of God is the word of God, but I also know that there are times that we have our favourites, and sometimes we even wonder why particular passages Orinda Scriptures. I know in my younger initial.

Walk with the Lord looking at the begats you kind of wonder you know why the begats even there? They kind of boring until you start to understand a little more about the scripture and you see the value of the big apps. Now I'm not saying I'm super spiritual because I still find the.

Numeration of the various tribes of Israel and their location as they travel something that just doesn't enthuse me, but there are certain passages in the scriptures that really just strike you with richness and depth.

When David wrote this Psalm, he wrote it as a song and notice he didn't say the Lord is David Shepherd, or that the Lord was Israel Shepherd. But the Lord was my Shepherd. It's personal. And as we sing it, the song ought to be a personal statement of not only to ourselves who leads us or Texas guides us and directs us virtuous statement to the rest of the world and community.

That is the Lord that is our Shepherd, and that we follow him, and that we as his sheep hear his voice and follow his leading. And so the first 3 verses that we took a look at earlier, simply said the Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul.

He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake, and then we're going to come to a verse. Four that is going to have some.

Really awesome statements. We don't look at it too quickly and so verse four says, even though I walk through the Valley of the shadow of death. So that first line that even though I walk through the Valley of the shadow of death, even though says regardless in in our world, and in many people who are believers are claimed to be believers, they look at God, for vision is only positive that God gives us great things.

And no evil or difficult times ever comes in our lives.

But the scriptures make it clear.

That it rains on the just and the unjust. Good things happen to good people. Good things happen to bad people. Bad things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people. And in this Psalm is saying that the Lord has led me in all these various ways for my good. But there are times when there will be difficult circumstances, maybe even deadly circumstances. And even though as I walk with him, it still I'm going to walk with him regardless.

So even though regardless it doesn't matter, I again it's me.

I'm the one that is doing this with the Lord Walk.

It's a phrase that simply means that we are continuing to move at a steady pace. It is consistent, is, but it's not. We're not running in that Valley because were panicked and were not frozen in that Valley because of fear. We are simply journey on in life that we walk.

Rue.

The Valley through doesn't mean that the Valley is a dead end. It isn't a cul-de-sac is something that we move through.

The Valley.

Now most people, especially in our generation, look at the Valley as low points in life with depression. We have, quote Unquote, mountaintop experiences, an Valley experiences but I think a David is telling us a little more than that that a Valley is something that as we go through that our enemies have a strategic advantage because they have the high ground. So even though I'm walking through this this Valley which may put me.

Add a strategic disadvantage. It's OK even though I walk through this Valley.

So it may be 1.

That is not.

Apparently.

The best tactical move.

This is the Valley of the shadow of death.

The shadow.

A shadow is not the substance of something, it is a.

Casting off of from this light that passes by an blocks and presents a shadow.

But a shadow cannot harm you. I'm going to give you 2 examples of that, one personal and one that was expressed by another when I was a child, my.

Dad, what in our my bedroom was placed in the corner of the room?

By a window.

And there was an evening. There was little windy an by my.

Bedroom window was the porch and there was a porch light on.

And what I was trying to go to sleep. I saw what appeared to be a shadow of a man moving outside, and it scared me. So I called out for my mother. And she came in turn the light on.

And the shadow was gone, so I told her what it was and she said well is not there now it's OK. Just turn the light off and left.

But then almost immediately I saw that shadow of what appeared to be a man moving outside my window and began, I began afraid I called out to my mother, and she came in turn on the light, and upon further inspection we discovered that it was simply a banana tree limb that was moving in the wind, and because of the porch light, it casts a shadow.

And that was what was scaring me. You see I thought the shadow was more dangerous than it was.

But it was just a shadow. It was not a man in that shadow couldn't hurt me.

The second example we come from, Donald J. Barnhouse, he was a pastor and he wrote various commentaries in a theologian.

And his wife died while they had a young daughter and driving from the funeral.

You wanted to expressed his daughter what had happened.

And as they were at a red light.

Up drove next to them. A truck that cast a shadow on their car.

You turned to his daughter and he said, would you rather be hit by that truck or its shadow?

And his daughter. She had said the shadow.

Because it can't hurt me.

And Barnhouse said, that's exactly what happened to your mother. She was simply hit by the shadow of death.

Do not harm her.

It is only the Shadow and the scriptures tell us that death is not something to be afraid of. It's not something to be fearful. It is the shadow in First Corinthians chapter 15, verse 2228. It says this, but now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep, or since by a man came death by a man also came the resurrection of the dead, or as in Adam all die. So also in Christ all will be made alive.

But each in his own order Christ the first fruits, after that, those who are in Christ at his coming then comes the end when he hands over the Kingdom to the God and father, when he has abolish all rule in all authority and power.

Or you must rain until his put all his enemies under his feet in the at last enemy that will be abolished, his death.

For he has put all things in subjection under his feet. But when he says, all things are put in subjection, it is evident that he accepted who put all.

All things in subjection to him, when all things are subjected to him, then the sun himself also will be subjected to the one who subjected all things to him, so that God may be All in all in so.

God is going to place under the foot of Jesus death and subjected to him and verse continuing on in Corinthians 15 starting with verse 50 picking up there. It says now what I say, this brother and that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable you hold. I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep well, we will all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.

For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed, or this parish will must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this parish will put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the same that is written death is swallowed up in victory. Oh, death, where is your victory? Oh, death, where is your sting, the singer of deaths in and the power of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God who gives us the victory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. So again all the same that as we remove like a.

Worn out clothing, this perishable we will place on an imperishable body, and that last enemy that sting of death has been defeated and we're given to victory through Jesus Christ.

John 316 the one verse that many of the world knows for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life again.

John tells us, through Jesus is word. It is not death life or I'm sorry it's not life, death life but is eternal life.

In John's gospel, again in Chapter 11, verse 25 and 26, it says, and Jesus said to her, that's Martha Mary. I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Then he asked the question, do you believe this?

And then John in his writings first John Chapter 4 verse nine says this by this a love of God was manifested to us. That God sent his only begotten son into the world, so that we might live through him. So again, death is just the shadow we have eternal life. We don't have anything to fear in death because it really can't hurt us, it simply a shadow and one of my favorite.

Passage of scripture on this subject is found in the Old Testament, is found in job chapter 19, verses 23 through 27.

And job making a statement an which.

I wish to make, as my declaration of faith.

Oh, that my words were written oh that they were inscribed in a book that was an iron Stylus and lead. They were engraved in the rock forever. As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives and at the last you will take a stand on the earth even after my skin is destroyed. Yet from my flesh I shall see God, whom I myself shall Behold, and who my eyes will see and not another my heart.

Thanks within me, the.

Aspect that death is not.

Final that God gives us life and he gives his life eternally, and he gives us life eternally. Not in an ethereal sense, but that we will have a resurrected body that is imperishable, that it is built for the heavenly living.

And we see this and even the Old Testament.

Believers saw their resurrection and seen the Lord Face to face.

And because even though I walk through the Valley of the shadow of death.

The song continues, I fear no evil.

Or you are with me.

Hi again me it's personal as I'm walking through these difficult deadly times.

I fear fear is being afraid or anxious or intimidated. It's described as an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that something or someone is dangerous likely to cause pain or a threat.

You see, when we're walking through this Valley of the shadow of death.

There is No Fear.

Because we know who is leading us, we know what he has promised us that we have eternal life and so there is no unpleasant emotion because we believe someone or something is going to be harmful to us.

This so I fear no.

Pretty simple, no zero nada. None there is not even a little bit of fear or a little bit of.

Bad consequences though I fear no evil.

Or what is evil? It sinfulness, it's harm, its wickedness.

Even though I'm walking through this Valley, or the enemy may have a strategic advantage.

I fear no evil, I'm not worried.

And this is the explanation why?

I fear no evil for.

Or means the reason?

The reason I don't fear?

Is because of what's going to happen now? It's interesting when it comes to evil.

That in Genesis all way back in Chapter 2, verses 16 and 17, God told man what he could eat and what he could need from the garden. In verse 16 says the Lord God commanded the man saying from any tree of the garden you may eat freely. But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat or in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die. So from that very moment in the garden, when the man disobeyed God.

And eight of that fruit.

And I'd spiritually.

Man was very well acquainted with evil, and yet the psalmist says, I don't fear evil any longer.

For the reason for that is.

You

This is an amazing statement.

Notice all the previous versus up to this point. I said the Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. He leads me.

He guides me, he restores me.

He makes me. It's always a third person pronoun.

My wife and I were married in July.

1972

I told her then that I loved her.

Notice I said her is she's not here.

Anne, I've continued to this day to love her.

But I don't say when I meet her an we're together. I don't tell her I love her.

I say I love you because were in each others presence and when we are in each others presence, I don't use the third person pronoun. I use a pronoun that addresses her in my presence and so notice the reason I fear no evil.

Is because you got the god of Heaven and Earth, the God whose by Good Shepherd the God who created all that is there. The God that redeemed me.

And leads me.

For you.

Are presently not sometime in the future, not sometime in the past, but you are presently.

With me

Is with me is he doesn't send a representative for me. He doesn't say go through this Valley alone. He says I am going through the Valley with you.

When Jesus came the first time.

He was told that he would be Emmanuel. God with us.

But when were walking through the Valley of the shadow of death, and we're not fearing evil because it is God Emmanuel. But he's not just with us, he's with me as I walk through this Valley.

We go through it together.

And one of the great promises we found in Romans Chapter 8, and it's a lengthy quote I'm going to read it all. Verses 28 through 39 Romans 8. One of my favorite chapters.

It says this.

And we know that God causes all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.

For those whom he foreknew he also predicted to become conformed to the image of his son.

So that he would be the first born among many brethren, and these whom he predestine he also called, and these whom he called he also justified in these whom he justified. He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us, or he who did not spare his own son, but delivered him over for us all, how we not also with him, really give us all things?

Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies who is the one who condemns Christ Jesus is he who died? Yes brother who was raised who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

And now the special versus.

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation or distress? Or persecution? Or famine? Is or nakedness or peril or sword? Just it is written for your sake we are being put to death all day. We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

But in these things, we are overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us.

And then pauses for I am convinced.

I don't just believe this, I just don't hope this. I know this for certain or I am convinced that neither death, not that shadow, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor things present, or things that come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, or any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Nothing can separate us from his love. No adversity, no circumstance, not even death.

And let's face it.

Death will eventually come, everyone.

As an attorney.

I do a lot of probate in the state planning an. I read this gentleman's will.

And it started out if I die.

Now, the reason I read his will.

Is because he was dead.

In all of recorded biblical history, only two people.

Do not die.

And they're still not with us.

And so it is a common experience that we all face, but the Comfort Inn it is not only is that shadow of death. Not only is it something that can't harm us, that when we're walking, it is God himself who walks with us and we are not separated even at the critical time.

And not only is he walking with us, the next line says your rod and your staff. They comfort me.

So as we're walking through this Valley with the Lord, I can see is a picture. The Sama sane. I turned a look.

And not only as I see my Good Shepherd leading me through this difficult time.

I see.

It is rod and he has a staff.

You're so it's gods implements.

This what God has with him, and that is why I do not fear.

A rod erod is like a baton or a club. It is used as a weapon if you will to prevent any harm to the shoot.

The club off if you will. Wolves and Lions or thieves so it is A is a defensive or offensive weapon to protect the sheep in so it's almost the same. I see that you're holding that rod and it's there to protect me.

And then he says.

Your staff again. It's gods implement its God. Step yourself again. He's walking with God through this Valley.

And the staff's staff is a curve stick that's used by a Shepherd or a couple reasons. One, it allows and extends the reach of the Shepherd to go further than in. So I seen this. You know I'm never out of reach from the Shepherd and it has a curved hook on it which allows the Shepherd not only to guide the sheep but also if they find themselves going too far off or perhaps in danger to use that hook to draw the sheep back.

And so this AMA susane.

I look and I see your rod and that's my protection and I see your staff and that's which will make sure that I'm going the proper direction that I'm not out of your reach.

And there is the two of them together. The protection and the guidance those two implements of God they together.

Comfort.

Comfort is this sued in time of reflection or distress to feel safe relieve that everything is well and so as.

The summer says, as I'm walking through this Valley of the shadow of death.

The reason I fear no evil because God you're with me and God you have with you.

Your rod, which would text me in your staff, which continues to guide me and brings me back into the fold.

So I'm comforted by them. I know that you will never leave me nor forsake me that I am comforted even in this most difficult situation. And again, it says me.

I this whole Psalm is a statement of faith.

Of the Sommers I hope a statement of faith of yours in a mine. It says Yes the Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not do not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside quiet water.

We stores my soul.

He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake.

Even though.

I walk to the Valley of the shadow of death.

I fear no evil.

Or you.

Or with me.

Your rod and your staff. They comfort me.

And as we go through life.

I see that even though this song is so well known and so popular, it is something I think that we need to consider.

Daily, especially in difficult times or when were emerging through difficult times.

Unfortunately, this Psalm is often read because of this line. The shadow of death. But this Psalm is so rich and when we are going to walk through that Valley.

We're not alone.

When we go through that Valley, not only is God with us.

And we have no reason to fear.

Because we are comforted by his presence.

It is authority.

His protection, his guidance.

So as we continue to look at the song, I hope that you would continue to Meditate on this verse on these lines and have a sense that you two are comforted no matter what the situation is. Or if God can walk with you through the Valley of the shadow of death, then there is no circumstance that God and not walk with you through it, and they God is more than just Emmanuel, God with us and God is.

With me was that May God bless you.