WEBVTT 00:00:11.980 --> 00:00:16.260 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He 00:00:16.260 --> 00:00:19.800 makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads 00:00:19.800 --> 00:00:24.679 me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul. 00:00:24.980 --> 00:00:28.760 He guides me in the paths of righteousness for 00:00:28.760 --> 00:00:32.719 his namesake. Even though I walk through the 00:00:32.719 --> 00:00:35.979 valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, 00:00:36.100 --> 00:00:40.219 for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, 00:00:40.320 --> 00:00:44.380 they comfort me. You prepare a table before me 00:00:44.380 --> 00:00:47.859 in the presence of my enemies. You have anointed 00:00:47.859 --> 00:00:54.119 my head with oil. My cup overflows. Surely, goodness 00:00:54.119 --> 00:00:58.460 and loving kindness will follow me all the days 00:00:58.460 --> 00:01:01.679 of my life, and I will dwell in the house of 00:01:01.679 --> 00:01:04.760 the Lord forever. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. 00:01:06.659 --> 00:01:11.819 Father, we come to you this Lord's Day. Father, 00:01:11.859 --> 00:01:15.980 as we approach your word, we recognize, Lord, 00:01:16.159 --> 00:01:21.719 that if you do not bless it, that if your spirit 00:01:21.719 --> 00:01:25.560 does not work in our hearts and our minds and 00:01:25.560 --> 00:01:30.040 accompany the word of God, that it will be of 00:01:30.040 --> 00:01:36.099 no benefit to us. Lord, we ask today that you 00:01:36.099 --> 00:01:41.299 would bless the ministry of your word. to the 00:01:41.299 --> 00:01:44.099 sanctification, the edification, the comfort, 00:01:44.260 --> 00:01:48.859 the encouragement and the strengthening of the 00:01:48.859 --> 00:01:52.719 believer present. But Lord, we also ask that 00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:55.760 you would bless your word in such a way to convert 00:01:55.760 --> 00:01:59.840 men and to bring them to Christ, to open their 00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:03.939 eyes, to regenerate their hearts. Father, we 00:02:03.939 --> 00:02:08.000 ask for your spirit and his presence to be among 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:13.900 us, Lord. Be with each of us at this time. Help 00:02:13.900 --> 00:02:17.580 us to understand these grand and these glorious 00:02:17.580 --> 00:02:21.620 truths that are meant for our good, that are 00:02:21.620 --> 00:02:25.520 meant for our comfort. Lord, that are meant to 00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:30.300 help us to understand who you are. We ask these 00:02:30.300 --> 00:02:34.620 things in Christ's name. Amen. You may be seated. 00:02:42.280 --> 00:02:49.460 If we think about the unbelieving world and culture 00:02:49.460 --> 00:02:56.900 around us that exists apart from the church of 00:02:56.900 --> 00:03:03.460 Jesus Christ and apart from Christians, surely 00:03:03.460 --> 00:03:07.080 one of the things that we would come to think 00:03:07.080 --> 00:03:11.419 about the world and the culture is that They 00:03:11.419 --> 00:03:16.960 don't want a shepherd, but they surely want to 00:03:16.960 --> 00:03:20.819 be shepherded. And what I mean by that is this. 00:03:21.719 --> 00:03:24.919 The world doesn't want a shepherd who tells them 00:03:24.919 --> 00:03:29.479 what to do, where to go, what to be, and what 00:03:29.479 --> 00:03:34.139 they will possess. Who they ought to be. But 00:03:34.139 --> 00:03:38.620 the world and the culture does want the benefits. 00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:46.740 of being shepherded. Meaning, they want possessions. 00:03:47.840 --> 00:03:52.620 They want provision. They want the benefits and 00:03:52.620 --> 00:03:56.379 they want the blessings of being shepherded. 00:03:56.479 --> 00:04:00.599 They want somebody to comfort them. They want 00:04:00.599 --> 00:04:03.659 somebody to care for them. They want somebody 00:04:03.659 --> 00:04:06.039 to guide them and watch them in their lives. 00:04:07.340 --> 00:04:10.419 All the while, they cast off, they reject, and 00:04:10.419 --> 00:04:16.439 they deny the God who could be their shepherd. 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:19.699 And they seek after those benefits and those 00:04:19.699 --> 00:04:23.660 blessings and their own strength and carnality 00:04:23.660 --> 00:04:27.600 and their own power and their own striving and 00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:32.980 their own effort so that they end up never being 00:04:32.980 --> 00:04:38.720 content. never being satisfied, never enjoying 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:41.860 and being satisfied with the things they lay 00:04:41.860 --> 00:04:47.180 hold of. The world rejects the great shepherd 00:04:47.180 --> 00:04:51.699 of the sheep, the Lord Jesus Christ. The church, 00:04:51.720 --> 00:04:56.019 on the other hand, and believers, are those who 00:04:56.019 --> 00:05:02.500 revel, are those who glory in the reality. that 00:05:02.500 --> 00:05:09.720 we are not our own. We glory in the fact that 00:05:09.720 --> 00:05:15.600 we have a shepherd who provides for us, who guides 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:20.319 us and directs us, who cares for us, who leads 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:25.980 us and watches over our lives. The church and 00:05:25.980 --> 00:05:30.800 believers are those who revel in the reality 00:05:31.819 --> 00:05:39.000 That they have a God who superintends, who watches 00:05:39.000 --> 00:05:44.120 over, protects, and guides their lives and their 00:05:44.120 --> 00:05:50.000 souls for their good, but also for his glory. 00:05:50.459 --> 00:05:57.079 Today, we see that David derives great comfort 00:05:57.079 --> 00:06:03.519 and confidence. From this reality. And he does 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:08.399 in fact. Just glory in the fact. That God is 00:06:08.399 --> 00:06:15.220 his shepherd. We read. In verse 1 of Psalm 23. 00:06:16.040 --> 00:06:23.699 The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He 00:06:23.699 --> 00:06:28.660 makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads 00:06:28.660 --> 00:06:33.819 me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul. 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:38.660 He guides me in the paths of righteousness for 00:06:38.660 --> 00:06:45.120 His namesake. Today we're going to focus on the 00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:50.860 words, I shall not want. We're going to consider 00:06:50.860 --> 00:06:54.759 the fact that this is a conclusion that David 00:06:54.759 --> 00:06:58.980 has drawn. from the fact that God is his shepherd, 00:06:59.180 --> 00:07:02.959 but we're also going to consider the meaning 00:07:02.959 --> 00:07:08.779 of this conclusion, I shall not want. Now before 00:07:08.779 --> 00:07:12.860 we jump into the text, I want to clarify once 00:07:12.860 --> 00:07:20.160 again, the promises in Psalm 23 are for those 00:07:20.160 --> 00:07:24.420 who know the Lord Jesus Christ by faith and repentance. 00:07:25.930 --> 00:07:30.509 These are Christian promises. If you're here 00:07:30.509 --> 00:07:33.750 today, and you're going to sit under the preaching 00:07:33.750 --> 00:07:37.629 of the Word, and you don't know the Lord Jesus 00:07:37.629 --> 00:07:40.350 Christ by faith and repentance, and you have 00:07:40.350 --> 00:07:45.269 not been born again, you cannot claim the promises 00:07:45.269 --> 00:07:52.339 of Psalm 23 for yourself. You cannot come to 00:07:52.339 --> 00:07:58.319 Psalm 23 and say, the Lord is my shepherd. You 00:07:58.319 --> 00:08:03.240 have no right to do that. It is of no benefit 00:08:03.240 --> 00:08:09.600 or use for you to do that. Only those who know 00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:13.060 the Lord Jesus Christ, by faith and repentance, 00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:17.000 and those who are in Christ, a part of the new 00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:23.379 covenant, can claim, the glorious realities of 00:08:23.379 --> 00:08:26.160 Psalm 23, and they can lay hold of the promises 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:31.279 that are given to us. So first, the conclusion 00:08:31.279 --> 00:08:36.519 that David draws from the reality that the Lord 00:08:36.519 --> 00:08:41.360 is his shepherd. Now, the words, I shall not 00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:47.480 want, consider the text. Just verse 1. It's almost 00:08:47.480 --> 00:08:52.929 like this phrase is just, Stuck in there. There's 00:08:52.929 --> 00:08:57.129 no conjunction. There's no transition. The Lord 00:08:57.129 --> 00:09:02.610 is my shepherd. I shall not want. What is it 00:09:02.610 --> 00:09:08.090 related to? What's it based off of? What is the 00:09:08.090 --> 00:09:13.710 nature of this statement, I shall not want? It's 00:09:13.710 --> 00:09:18.960 an inference. It's a conclusion. It's a deduction 00:09:18.960 --> 00:09:23.759 on David's part based on the reality that the 00:09:23.759 --> 00:09:29.360 Lord is in fact his shepherd. David concludes 00:09:29.360 --> 00:09:36.059 with regards to his life that he will not lack 00:09:36.059 --> 00:09:46.600 because Yahweh is his God. Because Yahweh is... 00:09:47.049 --> 00:09:52.950 his shepherd. Because this is true of God, David 00:09:52.950 --> 00:09:57.090 comes to the conclusion that this must be true 00:09:57.090 --> 00:10:02.389 of me. Because I have, by grace, found myself 00:10:02.389 --> 00:10:07.590 to be in his flock, to be a sheep under his care, 00:10:07.850 --> 00:10:15.620 I will not lack. I shall not want. So it's based 00:10:15.620 --> 00:10:20.059 off of, more specifically, his knowledge that 00:10:20.059 --> 00:10:24.779 the Lord is his shepherd. Capital L, capital 00:10:24.779 --> 00:10:29.360 O, capital R, capital D. And everything that 00:10:29.360 --> 00:10:33.159 we considered last week. The reality that the 00:10:33.159 --> 00:10:38.240 name, the Lord, conveys the fact that it is the 00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:42.740 sovereign, self -existent, all -sufficient God. 00:10:43.549 --> 00:10:48.110 who is covenantal and redemptive in his treatment 00:10:48.110 --> 00:10:52.710 of his people. David knows this fact. He understands 00:10:52.710 --> 00:10:57.509 this with his mind. But it's also based on the 00:10:57.509 --> 00:11:04.289 fact that David knew the history of his nation. 00:11:04.809 --> 00:11:10.009 He knew the history of Israel. And he knew his 00:11:10.009 --> 00:11:15.149 ancestors. He knew Jacob. He was called Israel. 00:11:15.350 --> 00:11:19.289 Turn with me to Genesis chapter 48 very briefly. 00:11:22.990 --> 00:11:28.750 David's actually not the first person to say 00:11:28.750 --> 00:11:35.529 the Lord is my shepherd. Jacob or Israel, the 00:11:35.529 --> 00:11:42.899 patriarch, says essentially the same thing. We 00:11:42.899 --> 00:11:51.120 read, when Jacob or Israel is blessing, he's 00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:56.340 declaring blessing. We read these words in verse 00:11:56.340 --> 00:12:02.679 15 of Genesis 48. He blessed Joseph. And he said, 00:12:02.759 --> 00:12:07.580 the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac 00:12:07.580 --> 00:12:12.710 walked. The God who has been my shepherd all 00:12:12.710 --> 00:12:17.789 my life to this day. The angel who has redeemed 00:12:17.789 --> 00:12:23.009 me from all evil. Bless the labs. And may my 00:12:23.009 --> 00:12:26.929 name live on in them. And the names of my fathers 00:12:26.929 --> 00:12:30.269 Abraham and Isaac. And may they grow into a multitude 00:12:30.269 --> 00:12:33.590 in the midst of the earth. Now the setting of 00:12:33.590 --> 00:12:37.450 this is that Jacob is at the end of his life. 00:12:38.320 --> 00:12:42.700 He's old. He's about to die. And he's claiming 00:12:42.700 --> 00:12:46.779 that God has shepherded him all the way into 00:12:46.779 --> 00:12:51.399 his old age. Now, what would make Jacob or Israel 00:12:51.399 --> 00:12:58.340 be able to say that God is his shepherd? Think 00:12:58.340 --> 00:13:00.740 about his situation. Think about his circumstances 00:13:00.740 --> 00:13:06.340 over the years. Think about the fact that he 00:13:06.340 --> 00:13:12.789 lost. His beloved son, Joseph. And then he's 00:13:12.789 --> 00:13:17.070 given his beloved son back. He thought that he 00:13:17.070 --> 00:13:19.590 was gone. He thought that he was dead. He thought 00:13:19.590 --> 00:13:22.330 that he was no more. And then the Lord in his 00:13:22.330 --> 00:13:26.289 grace and then the Lord in his mercy brings him 00:13:26.289 --> 00:13:31.610 to Joseph. God is good. God is faithful. The 00:13:31.610 --> 00:13:35.750 Lord guided his path as the Lord guided Joseph's 00:13:35.750 --> 00:13:38.419 path. But we also see that there was a terrible 00:13:38.419 --> 00:13:40.500 famine in the land, wasn't there, brothers and 00:13:40.500 --> 00:13:44.639 sisters? And that his whole household almost 00:13:44.639 --> 00:13:51.639 died and almost perished. If it was not for the 00:13:51.639 --> 00:13:54.860 Lord's great mercy and his great provision and 00:13:54.860 --> 00:14:01.279 his great kindness, Jacob's household would not 00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:10.000 have survived. He rescued, he delivered his family, 00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:15.440 his sons. He preserved them. God was good and 00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:18.220 God was faithful. Brothers and sisters, David 00:14:18.220 --> 00:14:24.860 knew the life of Jacob. David understood how 00:14:24.860 --> 00:14:29.049 the Lord worked in Jacob's life. He knew how 00:14:29.049 --> 00:14:31.769 God was faithful to him and how he has preserved 00:14:31.769 --> 00:14:34.809 his people throughout the ages. He knew how God 00:14:34.809 --> 00:14:38.409 had provided faithfully in those situations out 00:14:38.409 --> 00:14:40.909 of his goodness and out of his faithful character. 00:14:42.009 --> 00:14:44.690 David knew and understood these things. But it 00:14:44.690 --> 00:14:47.929 wasn't just that he understood and knew Israel 00:14:47.929 --> 00:14:52.269 or Jacob. The man, he knew the history of the 00:14:52.269 --> 00:14:57.190 nation of Israel. Did he not? Turn with me to 00:14:57.190 --> 00:15:01.529 Exodus chapter 16. David, as the king of Israel, 00:15:01.730 --> 00:15:07.350 surely loved to study the great works and the 00:15:07.350 --> 00:15:10.929 great deeds of God throughout the history of 00:15:10.929 --> 00:15:17.110 his covenant people. I am sure that David was 00:15:17.110 --> 00:15:25.809 a church history buff par excellence. Patriarchs? 00:15:25.970 --> 00:15:31.129 And he knew where he came from because that is 00:15:31.129 --> 00:15:35.590 where God's hand had been working throughout 00:15:35.590 --> 00:15:41.909 the years, throughout the ages. We read in Exodus 00:15:41.909 --> 00:15:47.870 chapter 16, verse 18, and this is just following 00:15:47.870 --> 00:15:51.210 the Exodus. Remember the Lord has redeemed the 00:15:51.210 --> 00:15:55.230 nation, brought them up out of bondage. act of 00:15:55.230 --> 00:15:58.309 God in the old covenant is the redemption of 00:15:58.309 --> 00:16:02.049 his people out of Egypt and out of slavery, bringing 00:16:02.049 --> 00:16:05.289 them out to worship him. And we read in chapter 00:16:05.289 --> 00:16:11.230 16, verse 18, these words. When they measured 00:16:11.230 --> 00:16:16.009 it with an omer, he who had gathered much had 00:16:16.009 --> 00:16:19.889 no excess, and he who had gathered little had 00:16:19.889 --> 00:16:26.399 no lack. Every man gathered as much as he should 00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:32.879 eat. Were there times when Israel thought in 00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:36.279 unbelief and grumbling and moaning and groaning 00:16:36.279 --> 00:16:40.659 that they were going to starve to death? Yes, 00:16:40.659 --> 00:16:42.500 in their minds, in their unbelieving hearts, 00:16:42.559 --> 00:16:44.840 there certainly was. But, brothers and sisters, 00:16:45.019 --> 00:16:48.799 David recognized that the Lord always provided 00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:52.809 for the nation of Israel, did he not? What did 00:16:52.809 --> 00:16:56.389 He give the nation of Israel? He gave them water 00:16:56.389 --> 00:17:00.769 to drink. He gave them manna, bread from heaven, 00:17:00.870 --> 00:17:05.509 to eat and make their bellies full. He gave them 00:17:05.509 --> 00:17:09.970 water out of the rock. And then, we see even 00:17:09.970 --> 00:17:13.170 in the book of Deuteronomy. If you would, turn 00:17:13.170 --> 00:17:25.700 there with me. In Deuteronomy chapter 2. That 00:17:25.700 --> 00:17:30.380 the Lord's provision was not just limited to 00:17:30.380 --> 00:17:36.160 food and drink in the nation of Israel. That 00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:39.500 the Lord was gracious and generous to them in 00:17:39.500 --> 00:17:44.500 many, many ways. We read when Moses is recounting 00:17:44.500 --> 00:17:47.119 the history of Israel. Listen to this in chapter 00:17:47.119 --> 00:17:51.480 2 of Deuteronomy, verse 8. He says, So we passed 00:17:51.480 --> 00:17:59.039 beyond our brothers, the sons of... I apologize. 00:17:59.140 --> 00:18:03.519 Verse 7. For the Lord your God has blessed you 00:18:03.519 --> 00:18:07.740 in all that you have done. He has known your 00:18:07.740 --> 00:18:11.380 wanderings through this great wilderness. These 00:18:11.380 --> 00:18:14.720 40 years the Lord your God has been with you. 00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:19.980 You have not lacked a thing. They did not want. 00:18:23.480 --> 00:18:26.920 did not lack anything because God was with them 00:18:26.920 --> 00:18:31.839 and God provided for them. Moses is recognizing 00:18:31.839 --> 00:18:35.160 this, brothers and sisters. And then he even 00:18:35.160 --> 00:18:38.519 goes on and says the same will be true when you 00:18:38.519 --> 00:18:41.519 enter into the new land. We read in chapter 8. 00:18:44.319 --> 00:18:49.599 In chapter 8 of Deuteronomy, verse 9. A land 00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:53.190 where you will eat food without scarcity. And 00:18:53.190 --> 00:18:57.329 which you will not lack anything. A land whose 00:18:57.329 --> 00:19:01.730 stones are iron. And out of whose hills you can 00:19:01.730 --> 00:19:13.630 dig copper. We read back in verse 3. He humbled 00:19:13.630 --> 00:19:18.289 you and let you be hungry. And fed you with manna 00:19:18.289 --> 00:19:21.589 which you did not know. Nor did your fathers 00:19:21.589 --> 00:19:25.259 know. that he might make you understand that 00:19:25.259 --> 00:19:28.880 man does not live by bread alone, but man lives 00:19:28.880 --> 00:19:32.700 by everything that proceeds from the mouth of 00:19:32.700 --> 00:19:36.500 the Lord. Verse 4, Your clothing did not wear 00:19:36.500 --> 00:19:40.799 out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty 00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:47.579 years. So think about the Lord's great and mighty 00:19:47.579 --> 00:19:52.140 provision. And the life of the nation of Israel. 00:19:52.920 --> 00:19:57.480 He provides them with food and drink. Manna and 00:19:57.480 --> 00:20:01.140 water. He's with them. He guides them. He directs 00:20:01.140 --> 00:20:04.980 them. He promises the same for the promised land. 00:20:05.240 --> 00:20:10.319 But his provision is more clearly seen. In the 00:20:10.319 --> 00:20:15.319 supernatural sense. In that their clothing. And 00:20:15.319 --> 00:20:18.480 their sandals brothers and sisters. Did not. 00:20:19.339 --> 00:20:25.460 They did not wear out because the Lord provided 00:20:25.460 --> 00:20:30.359 for them. Their ankles didn't swear when they 00:20:30.359 --> 00:20:34.019 walked around in circles in the wilderness over 00:20:34.019 --> 00:20:38.180 and over and over. The Lord provided for them 00:20:38.180 --> 00:20:44.220 in every way as his people, as his covenant people. 00:20:45.140 --> 00:20:51.609 David understood. And David knew the Lord's gracious 00:20:51.609 --> 00:20:57.349 provision in the life of Israel. But I think 00:20:57.349 --> 00:21:01.410 even more than that, David knew firsthand the 00:21:01.410 --> 00:21:05.690 Lord's provision in his own life, in his own 00:21:05.690 --> 00:21:09.730 situation. Think about all the different and 00:21:09.730 --> 00:21:13.650 the various situations that David was in when 00:21:13.650 --> 00:21:17.769 he was running from King Saul. When he was fighting 00:21:17.769 --> 00:21:21.930 the Philistines. When he was dealing with Absalom 00:21:21.930 --> 00:21:24.369 in the overthrow of the kingdom. When he was 00:21:24.369 --> 00:21:27.430 on the run. Think about all of those situations 00:21:27.430 --> 00:21:33.769 David was always provided for. In Psalms, just 00:21:33.769 --> 00:21:38.769 a little bit further, in Psalm 37, when David 00:21:38.769 --> 00:21:49.710 is an old man, he says this. In verse 25, I have 00:21:49.710 --> 00:21:54.869 been young, and now I am old. Yet I have not 00:21:54.869 --> 00:21:59.809 seen the righteous forsaken, or his descendants 00:21:59.809 --> 00:22:05.369 begging bread. All day long, verse 26, he is 00:22:05.369 --> 00:22:10.650 gracious and wins, and his descendants are a 00:22:10.650 --> 00:22:15.890 blessing. That was David speaking from personal 00:22:15.890 --> 00:22:20.690 experience and observation in the life of the 00:22:20.690 --> 00:22:23.890 godly, in the life of God's people, in the life 00:22:23.890 --> 00:22:27.809 of those who fear the Lord. We'll see in Psalm 00:22:27.809 --> 00:22:32.950 34 that it's even more clear after a few minutes 00:22:32.950 --> 00:22:37.670 when we get to that text. David knows the Lord's 00:22:37.670 --> 00:22:41.390 character and the Lord's dealings with his people. 00:22:41.769 --> 00:22:46.329 Throughout the ages, David knows the Lord's character 00:22:46.329 --> 00:22:49.289 and the Lord's dealings with him personally. 00:22:49.329 --> 00:22:53.230 Does he not, brothers and sisters? And it's based 00:22:53.230 --> 00:22:57.630 on these realities, who God is as a revealed 00:22:57.630 --> 00:23:01.269 God, and how God acts as a covenant -keeping, 00:23:01.369 --> 00:23:04.470 redemptive God towards his people, that David 00:23:04.470 --> 00:23:08.170 is able to conclude in his own life, I shall 00:23:08.170 --> 00:23:14.799 not want. He can look at who God is and how God 00:23:14.799 --> 00:23:18.720 treats his people as he has been revealed and 00:23:18.720 --> 00:23:24.700 conclude in his own life that he won't lack a 00:23:24.700 --> 00:23:30.099 thing. That God will in fact provide him with 00:23:30.099 --> 00:23:33.660 everything that is good and necessary for his 00:23:33.660 --> 00:23:39.259 life and his soul. Immediately, brothers and 00:23:39.259 --> 00:23:44.009 sisters, we find... A straightforward lesson 00:23:44.009 --> 00:23:49.309 in our life from this text. David's knowledge 00:23:49.309 --> 00:23:54.529 of God enables him to make certain conclusions 00:23:54.529 --> 00:24:00.109 about his life, his situation, and his circumstances 00:24:00.109 --> 00:24:05.250 because he understands who the Lord is. And we 00:24:05.250 --> 00:24:08.970 find that he can derive comfort and confidence. 00:24:09.680 --> 00:24:14.039 And strength and boldness and peace from the 00:24:14.039 --> 00:24:17.599 knowledge that he possesses of who God is and 00:24:17.599 --> 00:24:22.720 how God treats his people. This knowledge that 00:24:22.720 --> 00:24:27.700 David has is appropriated into his own life by 00:24:27.700 --> 00:24:32.019 faith. He knows these things about God and he 00:24:32.019 --> 00:24:34.900 believes these things about God. He knows how 00:24:34.900 --> 00:24:37.720 God treats his people and he believes these things 00:24:37.720 --> 00:24:39.950 about how God treats his people. Treats his people. 00:24:40.109 --> 00:24:44.130 And that truth. Enters into his mind. And that 00:24:44.130 --> 00:24:46.930 truth enters into his heart. And it affects his 00:24:46.930 --> 00:24:49.769 emotions. And his longings and his desires. And 00:24:49.769 --> 00:24:56.230 he lives in light of that truth. Brothers and 00:24:56.230 --> 00:25:02.170 sisters. The knowledge of God. Is not irrelevant. 00:25:03.069 --> 00:25:09.880 For your life. The knowledge of God and who He 00:25:09.880 --> 00:25:15.220 is and how He treats His people and how He deals 00:25:15.220 --> 00:25:19.359 with His covenant people is not irrelevant, insignificant, 00:25:19.640 --> 00:25:23.240 or unimportant, or just for the nerdy theology 00:25:23.240 --> 00:25:32.740 guys. The most relevant, the most applicable 00:25:32.740 --> 00:25:38.279 knowledge. and reality for your life as a believer 00:25:38.279 --> 00:25:43.240 is to know who God is and to know how He faithfully 00:25:43.240 --> 00:25:50.380 treats His people. This and this alone is able 00:25:50.380 --> 00:25:55.000 to give you joy and contentment and peace and 00:25:55.000 --> 00:26:00.140 satisfaction in your own soul and your own life. 00:26:02.180 --> 00:26:06.349 Have you been guilty? Of writing off theology. 00:26:08.210 --> 00:26:11.690 Of writing off the knowledge of the living God. 00:26:12.269 --> 00:26:18.190 That's not for me. Brothers and sisters, hear 00:26:18.190 --> 00:26:23.650 me out. In Psalm 23, David is doing theology. 00:26:24.829 --> 00:26:29.529 In Psalm 23, David's knowledge of God is affecting 00:26:29.529 --> 00:26:34.890 David's comfort in life. David's peace. his security, 00:26:35.309 --> 00:26:39.289 his hope, his confidence in life. Why? Because 00:26:39.289 --> 00:26:42.549 he's believing the knowledge which he possesses. 00:26:43.950 --> 00:26:47.809 Theology and the knowledge of God is ultimately 00:26:47.809 --> 00:26:53.849 applicable, brothers and sisters. When it is 00:26:53.849 --> 00:26:57.890 rightly understood and rightly believed, it transforms 00:26:57.890 --> 00:27:02.529 our hearts, our minds, and our affections. and 00:27:02.529 --> 00:27:07.710 it affects and directs our living. Now, knowing 00:27:07.710 --> 00:27:13.829 this, we can also see how certain individuals 00:27:13.829 --> 00:27:19.210 have defective knowledge of God or defective 00:27:19.210 --> 00:27:23.630 theology. And I dare say that each one of us 00:27:23.630 --> 00:27:27.890 who truly knows the Lord Jesus Christ has a degree. 00:27:29.609 --> 00:27:34.329 Of defective theology. And defective knowledge 00:27:34.329 --> 00:27:40.450 of the Lord. Why do I say that? Because we understand 00:27:40.450 --> 00:27:47.029 and grasp who God is. We have knowledge about 00:27:47.029 --> 00:27:51.410 his character, his being. Who he is and what 00:27:51.410 --> 00:27:56.190 he's like. His existence, his eternality, his 00:27:56.190 --> 00:28:00.849 infinity. the attributes of God, and we can learn 00:28:00.849 --> 00:28:07.069 and study about those things and leave unaffected 00:28:07.069 --> 00:28:13.849 by those things. We don't derive comfort, joy, 00:28:14.210 --> 00:28:20.730 peace, hope, confidence, strength, and boldness 00:28:20.730 --> 00:28:25.170 from those realities. That's defective theology, 00:28:25.250 --> 00:28:29.579 brothers and sisters. That's defective knowledge 00:28:29.579 --> 00:28:33.740 of God. It's knowledge that stays in the head 00:28:33.740 --> 00:28:39.720 and produces no comfort in the heart. It's knowledge 00:28:39.720 --> 00:28:45.039 that stays in the mind and produces no boldness 00:28:45.039 --> 00:28:52.160 or confidence in one's life. True experiential 00:28:52.160 --> 00:28:58.539 Christianity and true understanding Of the Lord. 00:28:59.099 --> 00:29:04.640 Always impacts the heart. And the affections. 00:29:04.640 --> 00:29:10.319 And the living of the person. I would much prefer. 00:29:10.960 --> 00:29:16.680 An individual who knows less about God. Less 00:29:16.680 --> 00:29:20.579 of his attributes. Who has less knowledge of 00:29:20.579 --> 00:29:24.440 God. Yet that knowledge and that theology is 00:29:24.440 --> 00:29:27.980 applied to the heart. That knowledge affects 00:29:27.980 --> 00:29:33.079 their emotions and their view of the world. It 00:29:33.079 --> 00:29:38.140 changes them. The true measure of godliness, 00:29:38.240 --> 00:29:42.400 we could say, is not the amount of knowledge 00:29:42.400 --> 00:29:44.740 we have about God and His dealings with men. 00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:49.259 The true measure of godliness in the life of 00:29:49.259 --> 00:29:52.519 a believer, brothers and sisters, is that knowledge. 00:29:53.279 --> 00:29:56.259 Is that doctrine, is that theology affecting 00:29:56.259 --> 00:30:00.500 our hearts and changing who we are in the inner 00:30:00.500 --> 00:30:04.900 man? Is it affecting us, brothers and sisters? 00:30:05.559 --> 00:30:13.079 That's true understanding of the Lord and of 00:30:13.079 --> 00:30:16.180 His dealings with men. And ultimately, brothers 00:30:16.180 --> 00:30:21.220 and sisters, that's the only way we will persevere. 00:30:21.759 --> 00:30:25.920 and we will be preserved through hardship, trial, 00:30:26.279 --> 00:30:31.559 and sufferings in our lives. It's by our knowledge 00:30:31.559 --> 00:30:37.079 of the Lord and His faithfulness. It's the only 00:30:37.079 --> 00:30:39.640 way that we persevere in the Christian faith, 00:30:39.799 --> 00:30:44.440 believing these realities, and being affected, 00:30:44.839 --> 00:30:49.220 and sustained, and being given joy and hope and 00:30:49.220 --> 00:30:53.670 peace. As a result of those truths and those 00:30:53.670 --> 00:30:59.910 realities. So we see this conclusion. That David 00:30:59.910 --> 00:31:05.910 draws from the reality that God is his shepherd. 00:31:05.950 --> 00:31:09.869 The Lord is his shepherd. We find a great deal 00:31:09.869 --> 00:31:13.650 of lessons in those. The second thing that we 00:31:13.650 --> 00:31:15.529 have to consider this morning. Is the meaning 00:31:15.529 --> 00:31:20.650 of this conclusion. That David. draws from that 00:31:20.650 --> 00:31:24.730 fact. And David actually illustrates the meaning 00:31:24.730 --> 00:31:30.309 of this statement, I shall not want, in verses 00:31:30.309 --> 00:31:34.890 2 through 3. In verses 2 through 3, we read these 00:31:34.890 --> 00:31:38.750 words. He makes me lie down in green pastures. 00:31:39.269 --> 00:31:43.650 He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores 00:31:43.650 --> 00:31:47.410 my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness. 00:31:48.119 --> 00:31:54.039 For his namesake. Two through three. Are explaining 00:31:54.039 --> 00:32:00.519 the phrase. I shall not want. So the Lord's leading. 00:32:00.579 --> 00:32:04.839 The Lord's guiding. The Lord's directing. Is 00:32:04.839 --> 00:32:10.059 an illustration. Of the Lord's provision. And 00:32:10.059 --> 00:32:15.589 how he cares. For his people. When he says, I 00:32:15.589 --> 00:32:18.430 shall not want, that's a negative statement. 00:32:19.069 --> 00:32:22.450 It's a denial that certain things will not be 00:32:22.450 --> 00:32:26.529 true of him. But what we find in verses 2 -3 00:32:26.529 --> 00:32:30.769 is that he beautifully illustrates in a positive 00:32:30.769 --> 00:32:36.009 manner what will be true of God's people. What 00:32:36.009 --> 00:32:41.529 will be true of the sheep in God's flock. How 00:32:41.529 --> 00:32:46.329 God will. provide for his people. It's a positive 00:32:46.329 --> 00:32:50.690 statement of the Lord's provision and the Lord's 00:32:50.690 --> 00:32:55.069 care for his people. Now, let me make several 00:32:55.069 --> 00:32:58.970 observations about this provision in verses 2 00:32:58.970 --> 00:33:04.049 through 3. Observe first in verse 2 the Lord's 00:33:04.049 --> 00:33:08.230 physical or natural provision of his people. 00:33:08.430 --> 00:33:11.680 We see this and it says that He makes me lie 00:33:11.680 --> 00:33:14.740 down in green pastures. That's physical. Natural 00:33:14.740 --> 00:33:19.579 realities. The Lord, a shepherd, brings his sheep 00:33:19.579 --> 00:33:23.000 into green pastures where they can rest, where 00:33:23.000 --> 00:33:27.259 they can eat, where they can graze. Then we find, 00:33:27.400 --> 00:33:32.400 in the second part of verse 2, beside quiet waters. 00:33:33.480 --> 00:33:38.519 Again, another physical reality. A natural reality. 00:33:39.500 --> 00:33:44.380 So the Lord's provision has as its scope not 00:33:44.380 --> 00:33:48.259 just or simply spiritual realities, but the Lord's 00:33:48.259 --> 00:33:53.319 provision for his people includes natural and 00:33:53.319 --> 00:33:58.059 physical realities in their lives. Then we see 00:33:58.059 --> 00:34:02.420 in verse 3 the Lord's provision with regards 00:34:02.420 --> 00:34:07.000 to spiritual realities. He restores my soul. 00:34:08.079 --> 00:34:11.599 He switches from physical things to the soul, 00:34:11.820 --> 00:34:16.800 the inner man, the inner life, spiritual truths, 00:34:17.239 --> 00:34:20.760 spiritual realities. He guides me in paths of 00:34:20.760 --> 00:34:26.659 righteousness. Again, spiritual realities. So 00:34:26.659 --> 00:34:30.159 immediately, we see that the Lord's provision 00:34:30.159 --> 00:34:34.880 is physical and spiritual in the life of His 00:34:34.880 --> 00:34:39.650 people. But also take note, And this may seem 00:34:39.650 --> 00:34:44.409 or appear obvious in the text, but we need to 00:34:44.409 --> 00:34:48.789 be reminded of it. In this text, the Lord is 00:34:48.789 --> 00:34:54.489 the provider. He is the one making the provision. 00:34:54.670 --> 00:35:01.050 He's leading, guiding, and directing. That means 00:35:01.050 --> 00:35:09.050 the provision is as He sees fit. He determines 00:35:09.050 --> 00:35:13.730 and he defines what the sheep need, where the 00:35:13.730 --> 00:35:17.389 sheep need to go, and what they need in their 00:35:17.389 --> 00:35:20.969 lives. Oftentimes when we come to this text, 00:35:21.070 --> 00:35:26.889 I think we get the picture of a flock or a herd 00:35:26.889 --> 00:35:32.590 of sheep going a flock, walking around, and the 00:35:32.590 --> 00:35:36.650 shepherd walking behind the sheep, kind of managing 00:35:36.650 --> 00:35:40.079 the sheep. making sure they don't go off a cliff, 00:35:40.159 --> 00:35:41.960 staying behind them, making sure they go in the 00:35:41.960 --> 00:35:45.280 general direction. But the picture presented 00:35:45.280 --> 00:35:48.500 in Psalm 23 is not that at all, is it, brothers 00:35:48.500 --> 00:35:55.139 and sisters? Most likely, it's picturing a shepherd 00:35:55.139 --> 00:35:58.239 within the flock, but at the head of the flock, 00:35:58.519 --> 00:36:02.760 still having sheep around him, but he is leading 00:36:02.760 --> 00:36:07.320 them exactly where they need to go. He is directing 00:36:07.320 --> 00:36:13.340 them. purposefully and intentionally to the exact 00:36:13.340 --> 00:36:19.300 pasture they need. The Lord leads, guides, and 00:36:19.300 --> 00:36:24.280 directs. The sheep do not determine or define 00:36:24.280 --> 00:36:31.000 which pasture they will bed in that night. The 00:36:31.000 --> 00:36:37.019 sheep do not determine what quiet or still water 00:36:37.469 --> 00:36:42.050 they will sip from that night. Who is it that 00:36:42.050 --> 00:36:46.869 determines the provision? It's the shepherd, 00:36:46.949 --> 00:36:50.230 brothers and sisters. That's something for us 00:36:50.230 --> 00:36:52.469 to understand and something for us to think. 00:36:52.989 --> 00:36:56.769 And we'll come back to that as well. The Lord 00:36:56.769 --> 00:37:01.869 is the provider. But that's not a bad thing, 00:37:01.989 --> 00:37:06.230 is it, brothers and sisters? It's not a bad thing 00:37:06.230 --> 00:37:10.889 to be a sheep in the flock of God. It's a very 00:37:10.889 --> 00:37:15.449 good thing to be a sheep in the flock of the 00:37:15.449 --> 00:37:19.150 living God. And the reason I say that is because 00:37:19.150 --> 00:37:23.369 in this text we find the shepherd leading, guiding, 00:37:23.449 --> 00:37:28.670 and directing with the welfare and the good, 00:37:28.670 --> 00:37:35.239 with the benefit of... the flock or the sheep 00:37:35.239 --> 00:37:39.039 in mind. He's not bringing them to quiet waters 00:37:39.039 --> 00:37:42.800 because he's manipulative, because he wants to 00:37:42.800 --> 00:37:45.820 play a joke on them. He doesn't lead them in 00:37:45.820 --> 00:37:51.280 paths of righteousness for some morbid self -righteous 00:37:51.280 --> 00:37:55.199 reason. He's not a narcissistic old man sitting 00:37:55.199 --> 00:37:58.079 in the clouds that's playing jokes on little 00:37:58.079 --> 00:38:02.500 figurines, brothers and sisters. This text presents 00:38:02.500 --> 00:38:06.280 the shepherd as a loving, caring, kind shepherd 00:38:06.280 --> 00:38:09.980 who has affectionate love and care for those 00:38:09.980 --> 00:38:14.519 he is leading, guiding, and directing. He does 00:38:14.519 --> 00:38:18.860 so with the good of his people in mind. But we 00:38:18.860 --> 00:38:23.039 also see that there is a more supreme reference 00:38:23.039 --> 00:38:27.539 point than simply the good of the sheep. That's 00:38:27.539 --> 00:38:31.250 one reference point. But there's a more supreme 00:38:31.250 --> 00:38:34.869 reference point with which the shepherd guides 00:38:34.869 --> 00:38:37.469 and directs his sheep. And what is that reference 00:38:37.469 --> 00:38:45.429 point? For his name's sake. The Lord provides 00:38:45.429 --> 00:38:51.570 his people for his people in a manner, in a way, 00:38:51.630 --> 00:38:58.519 that is always good for them. but in a way that 00:38:58.519 --> 00:39:03.199 is always glorifying and exalting of himself. 00:39:04.619 --> 00:39:08.539 That's what we see in this text. A shepherd leading 00:39:08.539 --> 00:39:10.639 and guiding for the good of the sheep, but a 00:39:10.639 --> 00:39:14.420 shepherd leading and guiding for the glory of 00:39:14.420 --> 00:39:17.900 his own name. That means the provision will be 00:39:17.900 --> 00:39:20.860 in accordance with the good of the sheep and 00:39:20.860 --> 00:39:25.400 the glory of the shepherd. And we see that throughout 00:39:25.400 --> 00:39:30.539 this text. So as we consider the overall picture 00:39:30.539 --> 00:39:35.280 of this provision, what is the portrait that 00:39:35.280 --> 00:39:39.960 is painted? What's the picture of the illustration 00:39:39.960 --> 00:39:44.780 that's laid before us? The picture that's given 00:39:44.780 --> 00:39:51.880 to us is perfect, comprehensive, divine, loving 00:39:51.880 --> 00:39:57.480 provision and care from the Lord. for the good 00:39:57.480 --> 00:40:02.239 of the people, and for the glory of God's name. 00:40:03.219 --> 00:40:07.900 I want us to focus on the word perfect provision 00:40:07.900 --> 00:40:14.480 in that text, or in that summary. The Lord's 00:40:14.480 --> 00:40:20.480 provision, because he is the Lord, is always 00:40:20.480 --> 00:40:30.969 perfect. It's never okay. It's never the best. 00:40:31.429 --> 00:40:36.530 It could be better, but no, the Lord's provision 00:40:36.530 --> 00:40:42.670 is always perfect because the Lord is sovereign 00:40:42.670 --> 00:40:46.929 and the Lord is faithful. The Lord is holy. He's 00:40:46.929 --> 00:40:51.349 omniscient and He is omnipotent. So in the life 00:40:51.349 --> 00:40:54.699 of God's people, The provision of the living 00:40:54.699 --> 00:41:00.079 God is always perfect provision in their life, 00:41:00.179 --> 00:41:06.599 no matter what we think. No matter how we feel 00:41:06.599 --> 00:41:10.539 about it, it's always provision which is perfect. 00:41:11.179 --> 00:41:17.860 We read in Psalm 34, verses 9 -10, or verses 00:41:17.860 --> 00:41:24.409 8 -10. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. 00:41:25.610 --> 00:41:28.750 How blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. 00:41:29.289 --> 00:41:33.050 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints. For to those 00:41:33.050 --> 00:41:37.929 who fear him, there is no want. The young lions 00:41:37.929 --> 00:41:42.050 do lack and suffer hunger. But those who seek 00:41:42.050 --> 00:41:48.050 the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing. 00:41:49.320 --> 00:41:53.699 The Lord perfectly provides every good and necessary 00:41:53.699 --> 00:41:58.119 thing in the life of His flock and the life of 00:41:58.119 --> 00:42:00.960 His people. Now this is a promise, brothers and 00:42:00.960 --> 00:42:09.380 sisters, for every single sheep. This is a divine 00:42:09.380 --> 00:42:16.659 promise of God for the believer in Christ. That 00:42:16.659 --> 00:42:22.780 He will provide for you in your life. This is 00:42:22.780 --> 00:42:31.940 not a promise for the unbeliever. The Lord does 00:42:31.940 --> 00:42:35.940 not guide and direct the unbelieving man and 00:42:35.940 --> 00:42:41.360 the unbelieving woman. The Lord does not lead 00:42:41.360 --> 00:42:45.659 and direct the unbelieving man and the unbelieving 00:42:45.659 --> 00:42:49.159 woman by quiet waters. You know what the Psalms 00:42:49.159 --> 00:42:53.119 say? You know who the Psalms says the wicked 00:42:53.119 --> 00:42:59.519 man will be shepherded by? Sheol. Death will 00:42:59.519 --> 00:43:06.559 shepherd the wicked man. All those good things 00:43:06.559 --> 00:43:09.159 and all those hard things and all those bad things, 00:43:09.260 --> 00:43:13.579 every pasture does not work for the good of the 00:43:13.579 --> 00:43:18.690 unbelieving man and the unbelieving woman. Those 00:43:18.690 --> 00:43:22.010 are promises for the people of God. Those are 00:43:22.010 --> 00:43:25.710 promises for those who have a true, living, justifying, 00:43:25.710 --> 00:43:29.210 saving faith in the Good Shepherd who came back 00:43:29.210 --> 00:43:34.389 from the dead. So again, if you are here today 00:43:34.389 --> 00:43:36.809 and you don't know Christ, and you hear Psalm 00:43:36.809 --> 00:43:42.949 23, and you don't know Christ, you live a rebellious, 00:43:43.090 --> 00:43:48.570 hellion life. You live in opposition. to the 00:43:48.570 --> 00:43:52.050 law of God, and you transgress His law day in 00:43:52.050 --> 00:43:54.409 and day out. You never think about the living 00:43:54.409 --> 00:43:57.869 God. You have no penance in your heart. And you 00:43:57.869 --> 00:44:01.710 have no faith in your heart. These are not promises 00:44:01.710 --> 00:44:07.170 for you. You cannot claim that the living God 00:44:07.170 --> 00:44:12.050 is your good shepherd, your divine shepherd. 00:44:12.730 --> 00:44:18.929 But, the Bible makes clear. that if that person 00:44:18.929 --> 00:44:25.210 will trust in Jesus Christ, the Lamb slain before 00:44:25.210 --> 00:44:28.429 the foundation of the world, if that person will 00:44:28.429 --> 00:44:33.489 forsake their sins, forsake their unrighteousness, 00:44:33.489 --> 00:44:36.460 and forsake their transgressions, And they will 00:44:36.460 --> 00:44:39.480 believe and cast themselves at the feet of the 00:44:39.480 --> 00:44:42.000 Lord Jesus Christ. And they believe in His life 00:44:42.000 --> 00:44:44.559 and His death and His resurrection. And say, 00:44:44.639 --> 00:44:48.280 you are the good shepherd. I am a sheep. I know 00:44:48.280 --> 00:44:51.340 my need. I know my waywardness. You are good. 00:44:51.440 --> 00:44:54.860 I am bad. You are faithful. I am unfaithful. 00:44:54.900 --> 00:44:57.619 If the unbelieving man comes to that point in 00:44:57.619 --> 00:45:01.800 their life, then every single blessed... promise 00:45:01.800 --> 00:45:08.960 and reality of Psalm 23 will be yours. Wholeheartedly. 00:45:10.480 --> 00:45:15.860 Every single part of it. Every single piece of 00:45:15.860 --> 00:45:21.340 it. But if you don't want to be a sheep, if you 00:45:21.340 --> 00:45:23.380 don't want to be a part of his flock, and you 00:45:23.380 --> 00:45:29.199 would prefer to be a robber or a wolf outside 00:45:29.199 --> 00:45:33.530 of the flock of God, chasing after your pleasures 00:45:33.530 --> 00:45:36.170 and the delights of life, your vain ambition 00:45:36.170 --> 00:45:39.909 in life, your vain purposes, your own reputation, 00:45:40.210 --> 00:45:44.190 whatever it might be, then these promises are 00:45:44.190 --> 00:45:49.250 not yours. You do not have eternal life and everlasting 00:45:49.250 --> 00:45:52.449 life with the Lord. You do not know Him by faith 00:45:52.449 --> 00:45:55.369 and repentance. You do not have a new nature 00:45:55.369 --> 00:45:58.349 in Christ. You have no promise of the new heavens 00:45:58.349 --> 00:46:01.210 and the new earth. Only judgment and condemnation 00:46:01.210 --> 00:46:06.730 are ahead of you. But, if you believe in the 00:46:06.730 --> 00:46:13.409 Lord Jesus Christ, every glorious truth, every 00:46:13.409 --> 00:46:18.929 glorious reality of Psalm 23, the comfort, the 00:46:18.929 --> 00:46:22.429 peace, the leading, the guiding, the directing, 00:46:22.730 --> 00:46:26.929 the provision, the abundant blessing, the assurance 00:46:26.929 --> 00:46:30.570 of heart, Oh, the Lord will give every single 00:46:30.570 --> 00:46:35.230 one of those things to you, unbeliever. He will 00:46:35.230 --> 00:46:37.869 work each one of those into your life. He will 00:46:37.869 --> 00:46:42.690 change you. He will give you His Holy Spirit 00:46:42.690 --> 00:46:46.110 and make you a new creature in Christ. And He 00:46:46.110 --> 00:46:49.489 will set His love upon you because of His grace 00:46:49.489 --> 00:46:52.809 and His mercy in the Lord Jesus Christ. I urge 00:46:52.809 --> 00:46:56.250 you and I plead you with you to look to the cross. 00:46:59.179 --> 00:47:02.099 Look to the blessed Son of God that took on flesh 00:47:02.099 --> 00:47:07.300 and dwelt among us, that died as a lamb slain 00:47:07.300 --> 00:47:13.139 before the foundation of the world. Are you in 00:47:13.139 --> 00:47:20.699 the flock of God? Are you one of His sheep? Are 00:47:20.699 --> 00:47:26.400 these blessings yours? Is Christ yours? Does 00:47:26.400 --> 00:47:32.320 He provide? For you. As. Described in this text. 00:47:32.460 --> 00:47:35.119 Are you able to say. Regardless of the situation. 00:47:37.159 --> 00:47:44.019 I. Shall. Not. Want. Because the Lord. Himself. 00:47:44.559 --> 00:47:50.079 Is. Your. Shepherd. Now. If you're here today. 00:47:51.679 --> 00:47:57.460 And you are a sheep of God. And you claim. This. 00:47:57.880 --> 00:48:03.400 and these promises of Psalm 23, my exhortation 00:48:03.400 --> 00:48:05.679 and my encouragement for you believers is this. 00:48:06.500 --> 00:48:13.280 You cannot claim the Lord as shepherd and deny 00:48:13.280 --> 00:48:19.639 the provision of the shepherd. If you are a believer 00:48:19.639 --> 00:48:26.500 and you claim the promise of Psalm 23, then you 00:48:26.500 --> 00:48:31.179 have to accept the provision of God that He sees 00:48:31.179 --> 00:48:36.980 fit to give you in your life. You can't say, 00:48:37.019 --> 00:48:39.880 well, God's not providing for me, but God is 00:48:39.880 --> 00:48:44.539 my shepherd. Yes, the Lord is my shepherd. Yes, 00:48:44.619 --> 00:48:47.780 He is Yahweh. Yes, He is sovereign. He is a self 00:48:47.780 --> 00:48:50.780 -existent, all -sufficient God. He knows all, 00:48:50.880 --> 00:48:53.599 and He brings about all. He sustains all. He 00:48:53.599 --> 00:48:56.039 is good, and He is faithful. but He can't provide 00:48:56.039 --> 00:49:03.679 for me. That's not good enough. I don't appreciate 00:49:03.679 --> 00:49:10.739 that provision. That's not right, Lord. That's 00:49:10.739 --> 00:49:16.380 not how it ought to be. If we claim the promise 00:49:16.380 --> 00:49:22.199 of Psalm 23, we must accept the provision of 00:49:22.199 --> 00:49:28.489 the Lord as He promised. sees fit. After all, 00:49:28.530 --> 00:49:35.829 it's perfect provision, right? We can't separate 00:49:35.829 --> 00:49:40.789 the shepherd from his shepherding in the life 00:49:40.789 --> 00:49:44.570 of his people. We can't separate God, the Lord, 00:49:44.769 --> 00:49:49.530 from his provision in the life of his covenant 00:49:49.530 --> 00:49:56.480 people. Will he fail? Will he err? Will he make 00:49:56.480 --> 00:50:01.360 mistakes? Is he going to have the staff and the 00:50:01.360 --> 00:50:03.960 rod one day and then let it down and be no good 00:50:03.960 --> 00:50:09.000 the next? No, brothers and sisters. The shepherd 00:50:09.000 --> 00:50:11.320 is perfect. He is sovereign. He is holy. He is 00:50:11.320 --> 00:50:18.840 good. His provision is just as perfect, just 00:50:18.840 --> 00:50:24.400 as holy, and just as good as the shepherd himself. 00:50:25.769 --> 00:50:32.750 Now, this is important because that means the 00:50:32.750 --> 00:50:38.010 Lord himself defines and determines what your 00:50:38.010 --> 00:50:42.170 provision is and what my provision is in life. 00:50:42.750 --> 00:50:50.989 We tend to have a biased or a skewed view of 00:50:50.989 --> 00:50:55.900 what good and necessary really is. for our own 00:50:55.900 --> 00:50:59.519 lives. Do you think that you have a skewed view 00:50:59.519 --> 00:51:05.940 of what is necessary in your life? Do you think 00:51:05.940 --> 00:51:08.659 that there's the possibility that you have an 00:51:08.659 --> 00:51:13.079 over -inflated view of yourself and what you 00:51:13.079 --> 00:51:16.920 deserve in life? What ought to be true of you 00:51:16.920 --> 00:51:20.380 and your life and your situation? Brothers and 00:51:20.380 --> 00:51:26.840 sisters, every... single one of us have an over 00:51:26.840 --> 00:51:32.039 -inflated view of what is good and what is necessary 00:51:32.039 --> 00:51:36.079 in our lives and for our souls. Do you know why? 00:51:37.019 --> 00:51:39.739 Because every single one of us has a remnant 00:51:39.739 --> 00:51:44.659 of sin that makes us see ourselves much, much 00:51:44.659 --> 00:51:51.730 better than we actually are. We think this ought 00:51:51.730 --> 00:51:57.030 to be true of us. We think that ought not to 00:51:57.030 --> 00:52:04.710 be true of us. Sin warps our view of ourselves, 00:52:05.150 --> 00:52:11.550 our view of what is good for us. Sin warps and 00:52:11.550 --> 00:52:16.010 twists our desires and our longings and what 00:52:16.010 --> 00:52:20.130 we want in life, what we think is right. and 00:52:20.130 --> 00:52:25.929 what we think is wrong, but praise be to God, 00:52:26.050 --> 00:52:32.090 the sheep don't lead the shepherd around. This 00:52:32.090 --> 00:52:37.389 is why it's so good to be a sheep in God's flock. 00:52:39.530 --> 00:52:42.250 Because even when you don't know what is good 00:52:42.250 --> 00:52:46.670 for you, even when you don't know what you really 00:52:46.670 --> 00:52:50.239 truly need in your life, The sovereign shepherd 00:52:50.239 --> 00:52:55.059 of heaven knows perfectly what you need in your 00:52:55.059 --> 00:52:59.400 life. He knows perfectly what you need to experience, 00:52:59.920 --> 00:53:03.820 what you need to endure, what you need to possess, 00:53:04.139 --> 00:53:06.820 and what you need to enjoy in your own soul. 00:53:08.900 --> 00:53:12.920 He will not fail and he will not falter. So what 00:53:12.920 --> 00:53:20.489 do we do with desires? with longings for things 00:53:20.489 --> 00:53:23.449 that we think are good and we think are necessary 00:53:23.449 --> 00:53:28.150 in our lives. I don't think that this is wrong. 00:53:29.050 --> 00:53:32.250 I don't think that this is sinful. What do we 00:53:32.250 --> 00:53:36.769 do with those desires when we are not yet in 00:53:36.769 --> 00:53:39.849 possession of them or enjoying them in our lives 00:53:39.849 --> 00:53:46.429 or our souls? Well, there's a few options. we 00:53:46.429 --> 00:53:50.090 can conclude that we will, one, either come into 00:53:50.090 --> 00:53:52.849 possession of it at the appropriate time as the 00:53:52.849 --> 00:53:58.769 Lord sees fit. Two, it is not fitting or good 00:53:58.769 --> 00:54:02.909 for our lives, whether that be now or in the 00:54:02.909 --> 00:54:08.409 future. Or three, our desire and our longing 00:54:08.409 --> 00:54:16.409 is twisted because of sin. This is why we must 00:54:16.409 --> 00:54:23.849 always return to the Word of God. We must always 00:54:23.849 --> 00:54:29.610 come back to the Word to evaluate our longings, 00:54:29.610 --> 00:54:37.030 our desires, what is good, what is necessary, 00:54:37.409 --> 00:54:44.409 who the Lord is, and how He relates to His covenant. 00:54:45.770 --> 00:54:50.289 Can you say believer? And you ought to be able 00:54:50.289 --> 00:54:58.789 to say. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not.