Psalm 23: The Lord is my Shepherd & my Host

Psalm 23, Psalm 23, and you know that there I call it, the Lord is my shepherd and my host. So the song is divided into two sections of the first section from 1 to 4. We see God there as a shepherd and then the last of 2 verses 5 and 6, it talks about God has a house. So let's read it together cuz the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, he makes me lie down in Green Pastures, he leads me beside Still Waters, he restores my soul, he leads me in Paths of righteousness, for his name's sake. And it say even 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 mine enemies you anoint my head with oil my cup overflows. Then say this one we made you all look dead. Remember this is a Psalm of the living that stayed with me. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever forever. Father, please teach us this morning in Jesus name, we pray, amen. Amen, Shepherd, we all know what a Shepherd do. I hope Shepherd care for a flock of Shepherd, TENS for sheep. They provide the care that protect. You see a sheep's on that, very smart. So she came to wonder all the time and end of a Shepherd. The shepherd is there to guide and to protect the sheet and provide for what they need. And sheeps really would not survive without a Shepherd. Actually does a story about civil Shepherd? We got together and turkey, I believe it was in 2005 and they all had their ships together. They kind of put them together as they went in together and they were eating and as they were in there, they had about fifteen hundred sheep stair, one sheep just went on and just look over a cliff and just decided to jump. And after that she jumped down there. Guess what? 399 father's K about 400 of them died that day. So sheeps are not the smartest animal K. Hear David was a shepherd and David is speaking, like from personal experience, he is not just a hypothetical cuz David was a shepherd and David knows of the shepherd, how you protected, See how he let him, see how you got. Isaac careful. He see Mal David is using that on him coming back, and David is saying a I'm the sheep and God is my shepherd. So don't take it as an insult. If we have referred as sheep, David refer to himself as a sheep. And God is his Shepherd, three things. We want to see this morning. And the first one is that, if the Lord is your Shepherd, you can always count on God's promise for direction. You can always count on God's promise for direction. For the word, says, the Lord is my shepherd. Take the, we need to ask ourselves, is the Lord, my shepherd, the David here, makes it personal the David did not just say that. God is a Shepherd, but David says, the Lord is my shepherd. So David is understanding that, whatever that David had done for his sheep, God does the same for him. If the Lord is Our Shepherd, you can always count on God. Promise for direction, says the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. If I know that God is guiding me. And God is leading me. I really don't have anything to worry about. but a lot of us can say, the Lord is my shepherd, but a lot of us struggle with the part where it says, I shall not want Contentment, read all of us. We're not content with life. We're not content with where we are and we always want something more. The dammit is God, is leading us. If God is guiding us, if the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, because is God going to lead us in the right path? Is that going to direct our steps? Exactly where we need to go? If our life has some bumps in the road, does, God know about it. Sees a David is saying, the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want to hear your idea. Is that if God is leading me in guiding me, I need to be content. Because if God is leading in God, is guiding me. I shall not want you. See, when God is your Shepherd, you don't have to worry. About anything. If God is your Shepherd you don't have to worry about anyting say that you went to another city that you don't know. And then a to guide from that City will really knows the city grew up in the city has led thousands of Tours. If you get into a place where you feel like you lost you have to worry much, you bring the tool guide, got it right? Otherwise it should not be a tour guide but God leads and directs our steps. So as a Christian when God is our Shepherd, we don't have to worry about anything. Look at what Isaiah. 40 verse 11 says he will 10 Keys block like like a shepherd. It's not a concept that David come up with, that's from scripture before the saying that the Lord will lead us like a shepherd, He will God of the land in his arms, He will carry them in his bosom. He gently lead. Those that are with young gently, their feet. That's how God leads us. God leads us. Gently God. Is your Shepherd? You never have to feel lost because God got you covered. I love John 10. Verse 11 says, I am the Good Shepherd. Can you have a bad Shepherd? But Jesus says, I am the Good Shepherd, the Good Shepherd, lays down his life for the Sheep. God's love is sacrificial and as a Shepherd, God is ready to Died for us. Is he in the old days when when you have the shepherd's would have the sheep. That would put the sheets in the sheet pan and then, there will be a gate, guess where the shepherd will sleep at night. At the gate. So if anything were to happen to the Sheep, it had to happen to who first to the shepherd. That's how God Lives leads us. God doesn't ask us to just do you go ahead and do this, but God is always leaving. He's the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd, lays his life for the Sheep. That's why Jesus died for us, Jesus laid down his life so that you and I can be safe. And it gives the contrast with a Hired Hand is not the shepherd and does not own the Sheep. So, when he sees the wolf coming here, bending the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks, the flock, and scatters. So, Jesus is saying, I'm not a hired and I am the Good Shepherd. I will be with you flew, thick and thin, no matter what you face. I am your ever-present God. This is the man runs away because he is a Hired Hand. He cares nothing for the Sheep, but look at verse 14. Jesus say it again, I am the Good Shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me. Jesus says, 8, I am the real deal. Okay, I know who belongs to me and those will be long to me. They also know me. So if you are a Believer you walking with God, you have nothing to fear because you know, your steps are ordered by God. So when the good comes in grey, but when you have the difficult times also knowing that God will use those things to grow you to shape your character to give you what you named. Because Jesus says, he is the Good Shepherd, whatever God do to meet will be good, for me. See God may not give this all that. We want that he will give us what all that you need. God may not give you all that you want but he will give you all that you need. We live in a culture that is just a saturated like weird stuff. It's like you turn around OU stud. Finding out things that you didn't know that you needed. Now all of a sudden now you see it. You need it. I was just talking to my son yesterday about 8. If you go to the to the supermarket, you already had a shopping list and you had 10 things that you needed. But now, you're so five other things on sale. If you go ahead and buy those things, you really get a deal. They just find a way to make you spend more money. Hey, that that's just the way. That's why they've been pulled all those things in the aisle and then you going to put that you buy to put in the fridge and you never think about it. And then they go and spoil. Any Witness. Or you end up. Now you already had 10 in your list and you didn't really have that extra money but they make you spend that extra money. Telling you it was but you didn't have the money to spend. Did you really win or did the store win? The store actually had a bigger deal than you did. Yes, you might have had something that you can save for later but a lot of times those things are just like our once because we are disconnected with what we have and now people tells us what we need. That's why I didn't work so well, you driving down the street, you not hungry, but all of a sudden you see a burger on the billboard and then all of a sudden, now, you want to stop by Fry's Food. Ever happened to you, right? Only me, okay, a lot of us. We just cannot control the knee. Like we always need something K contentment, but that's why Paul talks about godliness with contentment is great gain. So next time, you go to supermarket, stick with your little, whatever you have on your shopping list, that's all you get everything else you close your eyes on and it takes discipline. It takes discipline to do that. If you just go and try to buy everything that's on sale, you actually losing its, the story, that is winning. So God says he will give us all that we need, but not necessarily all that we want. That's why David says the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. Look at it as he makes me lie down in green. Pastors, he leads me beside Still Waters. See when God is leading us is going to lead us in a good path. You bet. God is going to lead us in a good path. Is going to be peaceful but if you feel like you're going to Direction and then the Reason God is leading me there and then it feels like it's hell on Earth. Maybe God was not leaving you. Cuz God's path will be peaceful. It says he makes me lie down in Green Pastures. That's a picture of Peace. Aleve me beside Still Waters. See it's quiet. It's not like Buster has water. That is just running but it does if it's quiet. The god leading comes with peace. It's it's refreshing to the next verse will say that he restores my soul. It's it's it's for rest but I love our Stewart says he makes me lie down in Green Pastures. You realize a lot of things God has to make you do the right thing. For a lot of us we just like overworked and I never have time to ourselves and then we feel overwhelmed. God has a way of making us sick so that we have to sleep. Know anybody will just overworked working 80 hours a week, never have any time for anything else at some point. It's going to catch up with you where you going to get sick. It says he makes me lie down in Green Pastures. Are you going to have a breakdown? And it happens to people all the time, but is he God says he makes you lie down in Green Pastures, she has Believers. We need to follow God's leading and God will lead us and right back. But sometimes God will make us do certain things because we fail to care for ourselves and God will make us lie down in Green Pastures. You will leads us besides Still Waters and he says he restores my soul ever felt down and then God's word comes to you and it just refreshing to your soul. That's what God does. God restores our soul. You see. Peace comes from spending time with him and his word. A lot of people have Hope it's because you might go weeks and never open your Bible and then no wonder why your mind is going crazy. And you feel like, man, I'm lost Peace comes from his word. See, if you don't go to his word, how can you find, peace, if you just going and going and going and going and all different directions, you become like, oh man. That's it's like I'm pulling my hair out. I'm get, I'm getting crazy. Please come from spending time with his word. If you're not spending time with God, you cannot enjoy. He's piece. It says, the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. Look at Matthew 11:28, come to me. All you who are weary and burdened. I will give you rest was going to give you a rest God, but if you don't bring the burden and all your weariness to him, God cannot do that for. You. Says a you bring them to me, I will give you rest, Isaiah 26:3. You keep him in. Perfect Pizza. If you leaving your data living in peace, something is wrong. It's really wrong. If you are a Believer, you need to live in peace. Maybe there's something that you are not doing, but as a Believer piece is yours. It doesn't mean you're not going to have trouble, but in your trouble, you still going to have peace because God promises. To you, you keep him in perfect. Peace. Those, whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you. You have to be to have to turn to God. You know, there's a really experienced, he's being phillipians 4:6. 7th is do not be anxious about anything but in every situation by prayer and petition with Thanksgiving, present your requests to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds. In Christ Jesus. This is a new international version. I'm used to the English Standard Version.

See when you give it to God, you can really live that way. Were you not anxious about anything but in everything you just give it to God by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving, you make your request known to God and God promised. What peace, the peace of God which transcends? Which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in who in Christ. Our peace is found in Christ. So if God is your Shepherd, God's promise. Do be in your Corners. God promise, to give you his peace, God can take all your stress and all your burdens if you would simply follow his leading leading cuz that's what God does. As the Good Shepherd, he leads us.

Isaiah, 40 verse 31. It says Those Who hope in the Lord will do, what? Renew their strength. They will soar on wings. Like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Will you have problems solutely? It's a fact of life, but God says, when you're hoping him, he will do what he will give you new, screw, you will soar on wings, like eagles, you will fly high.

You will run and you will not grow weary. You will do a lot of things, but you will still keep your sanity. You will run and not grow weary. You will walk and not faint, you still strong. Despite what you going flu verse 3 again says he restores my soul and I love this part here. It says he leads me in Paths of righteousness for his name's sake. You know that God cares about his name. In the storms, it says that God magnify his name, his word above his name. So, really the only thing that's above God's name is his word and it says, he restores, my soul. He leads me in Paths of righteousness for his name's sake. That's why we have to walk in righteousness because anytime we don't work in the righteousness, we make a mockery of God and then God's name is that being lifted high and God cares about his name. He leads me in Paths of righteousness. That's why God calls us to walk. Worthy of the call that is placed in each of our life. God cares about his name and it matters how we live. See, if God is guiding your steps, can you live in soon? Absolutely. Now boss says, in the Book of Romans, can we continue in sin because of Grace and never, God cares about his name and it matters how we live and as Believers we need to walk worthy of the Gospel of the call. That is placing our life, that's what Olivia's 127 says, only let your manner of Life, be worthy of the gospel of Christ as God is leading. You you need to walk in his path. You need to walk in his way so you can glorify his name. So the Lord is your Shepherd. You can always count on God's promise for Direction, but you can also count on God's promise for protection. You can count on God, promise for protection invoice. For it says, even though I walk through the valley of The Shadow, Death, I will fear. Some evils. No evil for you are with me. You're riding your staff. They comfort me. Is he in voice123? He was talking about God. The Lord is my shepherd and then, but after that, what do you see? I shall not one, but it says, he leads me beside Still Water. Okay, and he restores my soul, but now he's stalking personally to God. And you saying, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Why? Now he's talking directly to God for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me. See here. It says, even though I walk through the valley Valley, the picture of problems said, back, can you go down in the valley? And the picture. There is just that the shepherd. Sometimes we'll leave the Sheep down a hill so they can go down. So they can find Pastor because usually that's where the water will be running. But sheeps do not see. Well they don't like going down And that's why there. It says, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. See, David an experience as a Shepherd. He knew what it meant for the Sheep. When they were going down to the valley and jaiva saying the same just in his personal life, even though I work for the Valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil notice. Their what does it say that? It's a deaf always says shadow of death. What can I say I do? Do to you.

That's big. But as a kid, have you as some people got to be scared of your Shadow, my siblings. Did it to me, I'll look at your Shadow is about to eat you. And then you try to turn all the front Direction so you would not See Your Shadow. You know, your Shadow is going to come and pinch you at night. I have the bed siblings, I'm sorry, but I did tell you all kinds of crazy stuff. But you see as Believers, that's why we can not fear death, because what does 1st Corinthians? 15 says, oh death, where is thy sting? Oh death, where is thy Victory? Jesus already overcome death. That's why. Paul was able to say, for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. So we never have to fear that only we only see the shadow of death. You see, that's why it's Christians. We have to grow up. So that we're not like little kids like when I was a little kid that my siblings older siblings used to scare me about my shadow. You see, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, it's not real. Cuz I will fear, no evil. We can count on God. It says for you are with me. We can always count on God for protection because God will always be with us. Wherever we all remember, God is the one leading us safe is leading us. Is he going to be with us? Is it going to protect us? You are with me again. You're right and your staff. They comfort me. The the Shepherd in those days, they would have to stake day. They would have a broad. The word is for beating the animals. That might come trying to eat the sheet or hurt the sheep. And then their Shepherd also had a staff which we had like a whole where, if a ship, remember they prompt the one that they go crazy and they get stuck in a place so they can hook them so they can pull the Sheep out. Remember, they have all those usually get cut in places. Be here, it says you are rod and your staff. They comfort me. And sometimes also we going to do she might be somewhere. You might need to hit the ship a little late. Getting out of there, okay? God do the same to us when we're not doing the right thing. We're wondering. God has to take his staff and pull us out. And sometimes also, it's not just, you know, people coming to hurt us but we doing the wrong thing. We got to the eighth time this way. Come this way, come this way. This is your rod and your staff. They comfort me. They are Comforts. Why? Because God is trying to lead us in the right path see the beating we got or the pulling that we got was for what our protection. doesn't God protecting you from so many things but I remember like, for us, When we tried to purchase for, we're in a city, we moved a lot. We're in the city, we wanted to plan, it route there and we're about to buy a house didn't work out. Then we went to another city. Okay. This is it you want to buy this house? Neither of them worked out. We were not able to purchase those houses, but guess what? That first city when were not able to purchase the house. We move. Six months later. What's what's that God protection? We would have been stuck with a house when we had to. The same in the other City, we try to purchase the house, we're ready to go and this is that didn't work out last minutes or so disappointed. Like we really wanted.

But all that was God's protection. Probably like less than probably three months later guess what? We moved.

You see sometimes things don't work out in your life. You want to get mad at God of why? Why why? But you all along, you just don't know. It was God's protection. I sometimes feel things will not work in your life but it's going to be for your protection. Once you've done all you, can you done your part just live? The rest to God, says your rod and your staff they comfort me. And then I love some 46 verse 1. It says God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of me, the very present help in trouble. I love that in IV to ever present help in trouble. Will God always be on your side. You bet God is your right in time. God. And I remember also, when things don't go your way, God says, because of the Lord discipline discipline is the ones he loves, and he chastises, everyone will accept his son. Sometimes, God will discipline you in that, give you what you want yet because of the Lord disciplines those, he loves as a father, the son, he Delights in, sometimes things just will not go our way. God wants to use his staff to pull us out. And sometimes God has to use his Rod to give us a little spanking to turn us where we need to go. No discipline seems Pleasant at the time, but painful later on or ever it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by. So if the ship was stuck in a play, And in the shepherd's, I don't want to pull him out. It's going to hurt. What does a Shepherd do more harm to the Sheep by leaving? The she being stuck in a Fickett somewhere or would it be better to pull it even eat my heart.

I'll be pulled out and sometimes God will use disciplining our life. We will not like it. We will feel like it's not fair, it's not pleasant, but we need to know that I as our Shepherd. God directs us. He leads us. And sometimes things. We will feel like it's harsh, but it's for our protection. That's the way that God lead us. And now the second part of the psalm, verse 5 & 6, verse 5 & 6 here, we see that David, kannel, transitions from verse 1. 2 3, we saw that, he was being a Shepherd in the field than in verse for we kind of seeing him there. As a Shepherd kind of like moving like to the Hills and Valleys. But in verse five year we see that it moves to the 10th or in the house where it says they're so. When we get to verse five words talking about, he prepares a table before me. Now we see that it moves inside. So as a house you can always count on God. Promise for provision. You can always count on God, promise for provision. So let's look at verse five. It says you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. It's like a banquet house. Okay. You see there. You see the table there. That's it. That's a picture of a feast. Having you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows be here. Pretty much David is saying hey

You make things work out for me, even in the presence, while my haters are just looking on.

I think sometimes people don't expect much from you or they don't they think that whatever you have going on right now, may not work. But God says, I'm going to prepare a feast in front of their eyes for you.

Ever experienced that that's one of the nicest thing ever. So I got to prepare a table for you in the presence of your enemies, anointing you with oral. That's a picture of the holy spirit in your life. You see the blessings are not just physical, they are but they are also spiritual. You, anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows, and you see the way that God blesses and provide its with abundance,

This is my cup overflows. You have enough to give to others. See, that's how God blesses us. God blesses us with abundance and then it says against more spiritual blessing, surely goodness. And mercy, shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. See some, some of us were Christians. We think that we can never have a good time. We are masochists. We feel like it's going to as a Christian things have to be bad for me. And if you feel that way ever met, some Christians alike that it's like, you know, things always have to be, got they feel bad. When something is going good in their life know, it says surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. So when God blesses, you enjoy, what you have do, not feel guilty about what you have, a God, blesses, you, and enjoy your blessing from God. Now, don't go get like, you know, a big long that you cannot pay now, too sure that how big my house is scary, but you cannot afford the mortgage payment. It's a burden on you. That was okay. I will give you enough dude to put enough in that house with the paramedics. Just a breeze for you, okay, when you know that is God bless you. Give you enough money for that house. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my God wants good. Isn't that what Jeremiah 29:11 says? I know the plans I have for you, they are plans to do what passed for you. Not to harm you, but to give you a future and to give you hope Got this. Surely goodness and mercy, shall follow me all the days of my life. We don't want to go before God and our marriage. You want to go or God? Look what I did for you. Give me my reward. Now, you want to go with God and mercy. Thank you for saving me. I am so grateful and so thankful to have the privilege of being able to participate in your working. What you doing? You David on the students. It's about God's goodness and mercy in his life that follows him all the days of his life. And David says, I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. The God's presence, God's presence. So David says, I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. To David is making a commitment to seek God's presence. All the days of his life. You think God is able to bless you while your enemies are all looking on. God is able to bless you with all your enemies. I'll looking on. Look at Philippians 4:19. What does it say? And my God Will Supply every need of yours according to his riches, his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. But it's according to his riches and I love Ephesians 3:20. What does it say now to be able to do what are more abundant leaving all that we ask or think according to the power. At work within God is ready to give us far more than we meme. So is it wrong to have something good? Enjoy Lamentations. 3 2223 says, because of God's Great. What love? We are not consumed for his compassion's. Never fails this eve. God is your Shepherd? You don't have to worry about anything because God will direct your steps. If God is your Shepherd, you can count on his promise for protection. You don't have to fear anyting and as your house, God will provide for you and God make more provision than we ever need. Because when God gives God gives us abundantly cuz it says his mercies they are new every morning. And then what does it say? Great is. Your faithfulness, you know that God is faithful. God is faithful. We can always count on him. He's a message in a nutshell is in the form of a question. Is God, your Shepherd and your host. See if God is not your Shepherd, in your house, you cannot count on him for direction. Neither can you count on him for protection? And neither, if he's not your house? You can I count on him for provision, really? You just on your own?

But if God is your Shepherd and God is your host. You got everything that you mean. John 10:27. Says my ship, listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me. She, that's why we have to leave great lives where we really following after God. Because we know his voice. And where do we find what he says? In his word, if we stay in his word we stay in this book. God will lead us, he will protect us and God will provide for us. Isaiah 53 verse 6 says we are like we all like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to our own way and the lord has laid on him. The iniquity of us all he does the problem we all like sheep we have gone astray like sheep dogs. We have gone astray. We just want to do our own things. Sounds familiar instead of being a good sheep and follow after God and do what God's word says and leave. According to God's way, but we have our own idea. We have our own plan. You see we all maybe exclusion here. We all. Including the pastor all like sheep. We have gone astray. Each of us as turning out on way. See, we want to do things our own way. We all like Frank Sinatra donated. That was a good. Frank Sinatra in person. They shouldn't hear But that's what that's the problem today. All of us, we want to do things our way, I want to do things my way, but none of us want to submit the scripture and do it God's way. And that's why it says you, you didn't die for you. Christ died for you says, the lord has laid on who Jesus? The iniquity of Us. All Christ died for you. You, you, you, you you you you you, you you.

And me. So we need to stop living like sheep were a rebellious, but instead we want to put our life in the hand of the shepherd, and the house when is everything, so he can direct us, he can protect us and guide us. my question for you is are you committed to your Shepherd and your house as much as he is committed to you cuz God Is So committed to you he gave his only son for you, so would you Give your life to him that just for salvation before, sanctification, where you walk with him, and also for service that you serve the needs of others. Amen. Father. Thank you for your grace this morning. Thank you for reminding us of your great love for us. That is our Shepherd. You promise to guide us and you going to guide us with perfect peace. You say to bring all our burdens to you. And you will give us. Peace. So father, we thank you for your direction for your guidance. Reminder so God that you lead us in path of righteousness for your namesake, you care about your reputation. So father help us to build a great reputation for you flew our lives, but you be magnified, may you be glorified, oh, Lord, in everything that we do. We love you. We praise. You would magnify. And we glorify your name. Thank you for your protection. And each of Our Lives continual guy to lead and guide our steps in every way. And father, as our house, we take you for all the provisions that you have made for us. You have showered us with blessings. That we can never. Repay.

Thank you. Thank you, Lord, for your mercy for your grace, for your goodness, for your presence in our life that you help us. Lord God, To be as committed to you, as you are to us. It's in Jesus name. We pray. Amen. Amen, amen.