WEBVTT 00:00:08.589 --> 00:00:12.990 Psalm 23. The focus of our exposition today is 00:00:12.990 --> 00:00:15.710 going to be in verse 4, but we're going to read 00:00:15.710 --> 00:00:18.390 the entirety of the psalm for context and just 00:00:18.390 --> 00:00:22.769 to be familiar with it as we go through. The 00:00:22.769 --> 00:00:27.410 Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes 00:00:27.410 --> 00:00:31.449 me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside 00:00:31.449 --> 00:00:36.240 quiet waters. He restores my soul. He guides 00:00:36.240 --> 00:00:39.899 me in paths of righteousness for his namesake. 00:00:40.479 --> 00:00:43.460 Even though I walk through the valley of the 00:00:43.460 --> 00:00:48.780 shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are 00:00:48.780 --> 00:00:54.340 with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort 00:00:54.340 --> 00:00:59.100 me. You prepare a table before me in the presence 00:00:59.100 --> 00:01:02.460 of my enemies. You have anointed my head with 00:01:02.460 --> 00:01:07.780 oil. My cup overflows. Surely goodness and loving 00:01:07.780 --> 00:01:11.480 kindness will follow me all the days of my life, 00:01:11.579 --> 00:01:15.079 and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:20.099 Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Father, we come 00:01:20.099 --> 00:01:24.879 to you this Lord's Day. Lord, we ask that you 00:01:24.879 --> 00:01:29.159 would bless your word as only you can, Lord. 00:01:29.879 --> 00:01:33.349 Father, we ask that you would... accompany the 00:01:33.349 --> 00:01:36.150 ministry of the word of God for the benefit and 00:01:36.150 --> 00:01:39.849 the good of the people of God. Lord, that your 00:01:39.849 --> 00:01:42.170 spirit would work in the hearts and the minds 00:01:42.170 --> 00:01:46.150 of the saints today. Father, we ask that your 00:01:46.150 --> 00:01:49.010 word would pierce the heart and the mind of the 00:01:49.010 --> 00:01:52.069 unbelieving sinner who doesn't know Jesus Christ 00:01:52.069 --> 00:01:55.409 by faith and repentance, that they might be brought 00:01:55.409 --> 00:02:00.569 in to the flock of God and know you as their 00:02:00.569 --> 00:02:04.180 good shepherd. Lord, be in our midst. Be with 00:02:04.180 --> 00:02:08.080 us. Use your word. Bless your word. Show yourself 00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:12.960 mighty. Show yourself powerful this day, at this 00:02:12.960 --> 00:02:16.800 time. We ask these things in Christ's name. Amen. 00:02:17.379 --> 00:02:22.039 You may be seated. Imagine two different men 00:02:22.039 --> 00:02:28.479 or women, two different individuals, going through 00:02:28.479 --> 00:02:34.900 very similar... Sufferings or trials. Two men 00:02:34.900 --> 00:02:40.460 or two women who are struggling and wrestling 00:02:40.460 --> 00:02:47.180 in life. One's over here, one's over here. The 00:02:47.180 --> 00:02:51.659 problem they face is similar. The consequences, 00:02:51.919 --> 00:02:59.800 the outcome is similar. One handles it in a certain 00:02:59.800 --> 00:03:09.259 way. They sink down deep into themselves. Bitterness 00:03:09.259 --> 00:03:14.180 takes root. Anger comes out. Resentment is defining 00:03:14.180 --> 00:03:18.539 them and characterizing them because of their 00:03:18.539 --> 00:03:22.979 circumstances, because of the suffering. Now 00:03:22.979 --> 00:03:27.539 imagine the other man. That individual is going 00:03:27.539 --> 00:03:29.539 through the same thing, the same experiences. 00:03:29.919 --> 00:03:34.439 the same timing, even the same duration. But 00:03:34.439 --> 00:03:37.259 this one doesn't seem to cave in to themselves. 00:03:37.379 --> 00:03:41.960 It seems to press them outward. There seems to 00:03:41.960 --> 00:03:45.479 be a peace or a contentment, a joy, a satisfaction, 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:49.560 a hopefulness that's present in that individual. 00:03:50.699 --> 00:03:55.360 We think about those two men. What's the difference? 00:03:56.259 --> 00:04:00.270 They're both men made in the image of God. They're 00:04:00.270 --> 00:04:04.389 both sinners. They both have issues. They're 00:04:04.389 --> 00:04:09.889 both imperfect. The difference is that one is 00:04:09.889 --> 00:04:15.530 a sheep with a good shepherd. One is counted 00:04:15.530 --> 00:04:21.149 among the flock of God. One has been made new 00:04:21.149 --> 00:04:24.910 by the work of the Spirit of God. One has been 00:04:24.910 --> 00:04:29.360 gifted faith and repentance. One has the Spirit 00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:31.699 of God dwelling within them, sustaining them 00:04:31.699 --> 00:04:37.199 and preserving them. And the other is left to 00:04:37.199 --> 00:04:43.240 themselves. No faith, no repentance. The Spirit 00:04:43.240 --> 00:04:47.120 of God is not dwelling within them. They do not 00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:49.699 look outside of themselves. They look to themselves 00:04:49.699 --> 00:04:56.000 for hope, for strength. Today we find in Psalm 00:04:56.000 --> 00:05:02.839 23, that it is possible and feasible and something 00:05:02.839 --> 00:05:05.839 that the Christian ought to strive for, that 00:05:05.839 --> 00:05:08.279 through the valleys and through the shadows, 00:05:08.319 --> 00:05:13.939 they are to look to their shepherd for strength 00:05:13.939 --> 00:05:20.019 outside of themselves. We come to a new section 00:05:20.019 --> 00:05:24.019 of the psalm. I'm sure that you can see that 00:05:24.019 --> 00:05:27.819 the tone of the... the tone of the psalm itself 00:05:27.819 --> 00:05:32.319 changes in verse 4. There's a couple differences. 00:05:32.959 --> 00:05:38.480 In verses 1 through 3, we really see this pleasant 00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:42.420 picture of the Lord providing for his people, 00:05:42.560 --> 00:05:45.699 his care, his loving kindness at work in their 00:05:45.699 --> 00:05:50.959 life. And then in verse 4, we're introduced to 00:05:50.959 --> 00:05:55.300 this idea of the valley of the shadow of death. 00:05:56.810 --> 00:06:01.730 This dark, difficult place that the people of 00:06:01.730 --> 00:06:05.170 God have to walk through. We're going to consider 00:06:05.170 --> 00:06:08.110 the reality that there are valleys and shadows. 00:06:08.329 --> 00:06:12.290 There's suffering in the life of believers. We're 00:06:12.290 --> 00:06:16.370 going to consider the fact that these are caused 00:06:16.370 --> 00:06:23.569 by something. That suffering has a source. These 00:06:23.569 --> 00:06:28.279 valleys and shadows. are universal. There's no 00:06:28.279 --> 00:06:33.160 exceptions for any believer because they have 00:06:33.160 --> 00:06:38.600 a cause. They're the result of something. We'll 00:06:38.600 --> 00:06:42.220 see that they are inevitable for every single 00:06:42.220 --> 00:06:48.459 believer. No believer in Christ is exempt from 00:06:48.459 --> 00:06:54.769 hardship, trial, difficulty, or suffering. in 00:06:54.769 --> 00:06:58.029 their life as long as they live in a fallen and 00:06:58.029 --> 00:07:03.970 sinful world. Every single one is within the 00:07:03.970 --> 00:07:08.930 grasp and the influence of sin and its ugly, 00:07:09.029 --> 00:07:15.750 nasty fruit in this world. We'll see that the 00:07:15.750 --> 00:07:19.350 real problem of these valleys and shadows in 00:07:19.350 --> 00:07:23.560 the life of the believer is that We're people 00:07:23.560 --> 00:07:28.600 made in the image of God. And that we have hearts. 00:07:28.920 --> 00:07:31.959 We're not machines just walking through life. 00:07:32.660 --> 00:07:35.819 That we have affections and longings. And so 00:07:35.819 --> 00:07:40.079 the real problem with these valleys and shadows 00:07:40.079 --> 00:07:44.339 in the lives of believers is the fact that they 00:07:44.339 --> 00:07:50.220 bring with them the temptation to make us disheartened. 00:07:51.120 --> 00:07:55.439 to overwhelm us with fear, or to become distraught. 00:07:56.480 --> 00:08:01.379 But we also see that there's hope for every believer 00:08:01.379 --> 00:08:05.579 in the valleys and in the shadows, not because 00:08:05.579 --> 00:08:08.699 of them, but there's hope because the shepherd 00:08:08.699 --> 00:08:14.899 is with them. The shepherd protects them. The 00:08:14.899 --> 00:08:19.019 shepherd preserves them. The shepherd gets them. 00:08:19.550 --> 00:08:22.850 through and brings them to the other side and 00:08:22.850 --> 00:08:29.889 out of the valley as he sees fit. So the reality 00:08:29.889 --> 00:08:35.330 of valleys and shadows for the believer. When 00:08:35.330 --> 00:08:39.129 the words in verse 4, when we hear these words, 00:08:39.210 --> 00:08:44.350 even though I walk through the valley of the 00:08:44.350 --> 00:08:49.870 shadow of death. He's using the imagery of a 00:08:49.870 --> 00:08:56.990 valley in a deep, deep darkness to convey certain 00:08:56.990 --> 00:09:00.629 truths. When we think about a valley, we think 00:09:00.629 --> 00:09:04.330 about something that's walled in. We think about 00:09:04.330 --> 00:09:07.230 something that's difficult and hard to get out 00:09:07.230 --> 00:09:11.769 of. We think about something that is almost insurmountable 00:09:11.769 --> 00:09:15.470 if you go at it the right way. There's no escape. 00:09:15.809 --> 00:09:21.029 You're surrounded on every side. But David also 00:09:21.029 --> 00:09:24.669 uses this language of the valley of the shadow 00:09:24.669 --> 00:09:28.190 of death. It carries this idea of overwhelming, 00:09:28.470 --> 00:09:34.330 complete, terrible, dreadful darkness. So it's 00:09:34.330 --> 00:09:36.629 not so much talking about the situation as the 00:09:36.629 --> 00:09:42.500 intensity of the situation. Interestingly enough, 00:09:42.659 --> 00:09:45.440 this same word is used 18 times in the Bible. 00:09:46.679 --> 00:09:50.759 Over half of those are used in the book of Job. 00:09:52.220 --> 00:09:57.379 Now why is that relevant? Because Job suffered 00:09:57.379 --> 00:10:01.919 a great deal in his life. He went through just 00:10:01.919 --> 00:10:06.179 about every form of pain and loss and grief that 00:10:06.179 --> 00:10:09.299 a human being can experience. He went through 00:10:09.299 --> 00:10:11.960 the valley of the shadow of death in his life. 00:10:12.039 --> 00:10:17.360 He walked through it, brothers and sisters. So 00:10:17.360 --> 00:10:21.080 what is this language meant to convey for the 00:10:21.080 --> 00:10:25.100 reader? What does David want to get across? He 00:10:25.100 --> 00:10:28.460 wants us to understand that there is a reality. 00:10:29.980 --> 00:10:34.139 That the covenant people of God, though they 00:10:34.139 --> 00:10:41.070 have a good shepherd, difficult, trying days 00:10:41.070 --> 00:10:46.529 in their life. Every single one of them will 00:10:46.529 --> 00:10:52.549 go through trials, suffering, loss, hardship, 00:10:52.809 --> 00:11:00.049 pain, grief, and mourning. To be a believer in 00:11:00.049 --> 00:11:02.690 Jesus Christ, and we've made mention of this 00:11:02.690 --> 00:11:06.899 on many occasions, To be a believer in Jesus 00:11:06.899 --> 00:11:12.519 Christ is not to do away with all the problems 00:11:12.519 --> 00:11:17.659 of life. To be a Christian is not to rid oneself 00:11:17.659 --> 00:11:23.519 of every trying situation in life. To be a believer 00:11:23.519 --> 00:11:28.460 in Jesus Christ is to walk through the valley 00:11:28.460 --> 00:11:33.019 and to walk into the darkness. Facing the fear, 00:11:33.139 --> 00:11:36.759 facing the dread, knowing that the shepherd is 00:11:36.759 --> 00:11:41.399 with you and at your side. It doesn't take away 00:11:41.399 --> 00:11:45.980 the valleys. That's a misconception. And that's 00:11:45.980 --> 00:11:50.360 false thinking for the believer. We all live 00:11:50.360 --> 00:11:54.639 in this world. We're all subject to the reality 00:11:54.639 --> 00:12:00.480 of valleys and shadows as believers. Now this 00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:04.460 brings us to another thing. If valleys and shadows 00:12:04.460 --> 00:12:08.759 or suffering exist, they have to have a cause. 00:12:09.440 --> 00:12:13.799 They have to have a reason that they exist. And 00:12:13.799 --> 00:12:17.240 for us to understand valleys and shadows, or 00:12:17.240 --> 00:12:19.519 for us to understand hardship and difficulty, 00:12:19.659 --> 00:12:23.200 we really need to know the ultimate cause, the 00:12:23.200 --> 00:12:26.419 ultimate source of those hardships and those 00:12:26.419 --> 00:12:30.679 trials in our lives. Where should our minds go 00:12:30.679 --> 00:12:35.559 when we think about suffering and hardship and 00:12:35.559 --> 00:12:38.500 where it comes from? Our minds should be drawn 00:12:38.500 --> 00:12:40.860 all the way back to the beginning of the Bible. 00:12:42.340 --> 00:12:46.559 All the way back to the book of Genesis and Genesis 00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:51.299 chapter 3. There was a time in this creation 00:12:51.299 --> 00:12:56.940 when sin did not exist in the world. There was 00:12:56.940 --> 00:13:00.669 a time. In this creation, brothers and sisters, 00:13:00.809 --> 00:13:05.590 when there was not hardship, when there was not 00:13:05.590 --> 00:13:09.049 suffering, when there was not trial, when there 00:13:09.049 --> 00:13:15.830 was not pain, there was a time. But then, because 00:13:15.830 --> 00:13:21.509 of Adam's sin, and because of the entrance of 00:13:21.509 --> 00:13:26.230 sin into this world, everything gets broken. 00:13:27.889 --> 00:13:31.889 Everything gets shaken. Everything gets turned 00:13:31.889 --> 00:13:35.490 upside down. Everything gets perverted and twisted. 00:13:36.370 --> 00:13:40.429 The things that work ought not to work. The things 00:13:40.429 --> 00:13:45.169 that don't work do work. Sin messes everything 00:13:45.169 --> 00:13:49.990 up in this world. Now, I think it's important 00:13:49.990 --> 00:13:53.710 for us to understand that when we're considering 00:13:53.710 --> 00:13:59.350 the cause of suffering in this world, As I refer 00:13:59.350 --> 00:14:04.029 to it here today, it's not the personal sins 00:14:04.029 --> 00:14:11.610 of individual, it's the reality of sin. It's 00:14:11.610 --> 00:14:17.309 the whole reality and existence of sin in this 00:14:17.309 --> 00:14:21.990 world that brings about suffering, pain, loss, 00:14:22.409 --> 00:14:25.600 and hardship. It's because... that reality, that 00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:29.159 sickness, that disease exists. That there's all 00:14:29.159 --> 00:14:33.360 these manifest symptoms of suffering and hardship, 00:14:33.460 --> 00:14:41.399 death even, in this world. Because sin exists, 00:14:41.559 --> 00:14:48.799 suffering exists in this world. So everything 00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:54.809 that's trying difficult, Everything that brings 00:14:54.809 --> 00:14:59.409 pain and loss and grief and mourning and sadness 00:14:59.409 --> 00:15:03.909 into our lives, it is the result ultimately of 00:15:03.909 --> 00:15:07.990 what, brothers and sisters? The reality and existence 00:15:07.990 --> 00:15:15.389 of sin in this world. Now, as we'll see, one 00:15:15.389 --> 00:15:19.590 of the great things about the gospel is that 00:15:19.590 --> 00:15:25.919 it fixes that problem. The gospel promises a 00:15:25.919 --> 00:15:31.019 day when the whole concept, the whole reality, 00:15:31.179 --> 00:15:34.820 and the whole existence of sin will be done away 00:15:34.820 --> 00:15:41.200 with. The work of Christ will remove every single 00:15:41.200 --> 00:15:46.480 trace of sin, iniquity, and corruption in this 00:15:46.480 --> 00:15:49.179 world, brothers and sisters. And it's only the 00:15:49.179 --> 00:15:53.860 gospel that can accomplish that. So we see that 00:15:53.860 --> 00:15:57.899 there is a solution for the valleys in the shadows 00:15:57.899 --> 00:16:03.879 of this life. But we know the cause. We know 00:16:03.879 --> 00:16:10.320 why they are here. So we must conclude also that 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:16.500 valleys and shadows are in fact inevitable for 00:16:16.500 --> 00:16:23.059 every single believer in Jesus Christ. Some might 00:16:23.059 --> 00:16:28.480 come to Psalm 23 and come to it and think, I 00:16:28.480 --> 00:16:36.299 love verses 1 through 3. I love the fact that 00:16:36.299 --> 00:16:41.259 the Lord is my shepherd. I love and I rejoice 00:16:41.259 --> 00:16:47.320 in the fact that I shall not want. What a pleasant, 00:16:47.539 --> 00:16:51.669 what a blessed statement. Some may come to Psalm 00:16:51.669 --> 00:16:57.610 23 and say, yes, I just adore the fact that He 00:16:57.610 --> 00:17:01.370 makes me lie down in green pastures. Or they 00:17:01.370 --> 00:17:06.230 come in, it really stirs my soul. That He leads 00:17:06.230 --> 00:17:10.210 me beside quiet waters. It just encourages me 00:17:10.210 --> 00:17:13.930 to know in the reality that He restores my soul. 00:17:13.990 --> 00:17:19.380 He guides me in paths of righteousness. And then 00:17:19.380 --> 00:17:32.740 stop. And just stop. At the end of verse 3. Why 00:17:32.740 --> 00:17:37.319 would somebody stop at verse 3? Because the next 00:17:37.319 --> 00:17:41.140 verse says, even though I walk through the valley 00:17:41.140 --> 00:17:47.420 of the shadow of death. Verses 1 -3 are not just 00:17:47.420 --> 00:17:50.240 relevant and applicable for the believer, brothers 00:17:50.240 --> 00:17:58.619 and sisters. Verse 4, verse 5, and verse 6 are 00:17:58.619 --> 00:18:02.079 all applicable and relevant for the believer 00:18:02.079 --> 00:18:07.640 in this life. Why has God given us verse 4 of 00:18:07.640 --> 00:18:13.789 Psalm 23? Why is it present in the text of Scripture? 00:18:14.069 --> 00:18:17.549 Why is it included in holy canon, brothers and 00:18:17.549 --> 00:18:21.150 sisters? Because the Lord knows that every single 00:18:21.150 --> 00:18:24.089 one of His covenant people will go through valleys 00:18:24.089 --> 00:18:28.710 and shadows in this life. And they will need 00:18:28.710 --> 00:18:34.509 Psalm 23, verse 4. They don't just need 1 through 00:18:34.509 --> 00:18:39.289 3. We need to understand and grasp the reality. 00:18:40.250 --> 00:18:43.970 That we will face trial in this life. You need 00:18:43.970 --> 00:18:47.130 to understand and grasp the reality and wrestle 00:18:47.130 --> 00:18:51.269 with the reality in your own soul. That you will 00:18:51.269 --> 00:19:00.109 face hardship in your life. Sin is universal 00:19:00.109 --> 00:19:02.529 in this world, is it not, brothers and sisters? 00:19:05.680 --> 00:19:09.819 mucky, miry, dirty hand has touched everything. 00:19:11.640 --> 00:19:14.720 Nothing in this world is outside of its reach. 00:19:16.200 --> 00:19:19.440 That means that every single believer that walks 00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:23.039 on the face of this earth until the Lord Jesus 00:19:23.039 --> 00:19:27.079 Christ returns and renews the world and makes 00:19:27.079 --> 00:19:32.660 all things new will deal with valleys and shadows 00:19:32.660 --> 00:19:39.269 in their lives. This is why we read such things 00:19:39.269 --> 00:19:46.230 as Psalm 34, verse 19, which says, Many are the 00:19:46.230 --> 00:19:51.869 afflictions of the righteous. Many are the afflictions 00:19:51.869 --> 00:19:58.190 of the righteous. That doesn't seem fair. The 00:19:58.190 --> 00:20:02.250 righteous are afflicted? Those who fear God, 00:20:02.430 --> 00:20:05.210 the saints of the living God? are afflicted, 00:20:05.210 --> 00:20:10.690 yes, because we live in a fallen world. Many 00:20:10.690 --> 00:20:14.430 are the afflictions of the righteous. This is 00:20:14.430 --> 00:20:19.990 why the book of Job, chapter 5, verse 7, says 00:20:19.990 --> 00:20:24.930 this, For man is born for trouble as sparks fly 00:20:24.930 --> 00:20:31.670 upward. Now, that is not Job speaking. That is 00:20:31.670 --> 00:20:35.930 Eliphaz speaking. And just an important note, 00:20:36.089 --> 00:20:40.710 when you're reading the book of Job, it's important 00:20:40.710 --> 00:20:48.869 to understand who's talking. Because not everything 00:20:48.869 --> 00:20:54.269 Eliphaz says, not everything the other men say, 00:20:54.450 --> 00:21:02.869 is completely accurate. But in this case, Eliphaz... 00:21:03.240 --> 00:21:07.259 hits the nail on the head. What does he mean 00:21:07.259 --> 00:21:12.359 by that statement? What does he mean in the fact 00:21:12.359 --> 00:21:18.279 that for man is born for trouble as sparks fly 00:21:18.279 --> 00:21:23.880 upward? You think about sparks and a fire. Some 00:21:23.880 --> 00:21:27.299 of your kids, I'm sure, love to start fires and 00:21:27.299 --> 00:21:30.839 make fires intentionally or unintentionally. 00:21:32.750 --> 00:21:39.730 What flies upward? Sparks. Flames. Why? Because 00:21:39.730 --> 00:21:42.869 there are laws in place, brothers and sisters. 00:21:43.630 --> 00:21:47.309 There are laws of physics that exist that cause 00:21:47.309 --> 00:21:50.210 that to come about. Now what about the birth 00:21:50.210 --> 00:21:52.630 of a man and the experience of trouble in this 00:21:52.630 --> 00:21:59.470 life? A man is born. Is it possible for a man 00:21:59.470 --> 00:22:02.269 not to experience trouble? trouble in his life, 00:22:02.450 --> 00:22:07.289 not to experience trying times. Brothers and 00:22:07.289 --> 00:22:10.630 sisters, there is a law in place in this world. 00:22:11.849 --> 00:22:14.430 There is a principle at work that the sovereign 00:22:14.430 --> 00:22:20.130 hand of God maintains because of his fierce judgment 00:22:20.130 --> 00:22:25.650 against sin. Man in this world where sin exists 00:22:25.650 --> 00:22:32.519 will have trouble. In their life. And if you 00:22:32.519 --> 00:22:36.339 are born in this world. You will experience. 00:22:36.740 --> 00:22:43.000 Hardship. In this life. This is why. John. In 00:22:43.000 --> 00:22:47.640 John's gospel. We read these words. In John chapter 00:22:47.640 --> 00:22:59.759 16. Verse 33. This is the Lord himself saying 00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:03.880 these words. These things I have spoken to you, 00:23:03.960 --> 00:23:09.319 so that in me you may have peace. In this world 00:23:09.319 --> 00:23:16.259 you have tribulation. Do you take the Lord Jesus 00:23:16.259 --> 00:23:21.619 Christ at his word, brothers and sisters? What 00:23:21.619 --> 00:23:24.920 is the Lord Jesus' view of this world and this 00:23:24.920 --> 00:23:32.059 age until his return? It is to have tribulation, 00:23:32.059 --> 00:23:39.000 trial, and hardship. This is why Peter says in 00:23:39.000 --> 00:23:46.299 1 Peter 4, verse 12, Beloved, do not be surprised 00:23:46.299 --> 00:23:50.259 at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon 00:23:50.259 --> 00:23:53.859 you for your testing, as though some strange 00:23:53.859 --> 00:23:59.500 thing were happening to you. Now, why does Peter 00:23:59.500 --> 00:24:04.480 say this? He's talking about persecution in this 00:24:04.480 --> 00:24:09.660 sense, in this context. But he says, don't act 00:24:09.660 --> 00:24:13.160 like it's odd, that it's strange, that it's weird 00:24:13.160 --> 00:24:17.299 that you're suffering in this life. It's not. 00:24:18.000 --> 00:24:24.619 It ought to be expected in this life. It's something 00:24:24.619 --> 00:24:29.680 that's normal. And a part of this life, actually. 00:24:34.299 --> 00:24:38.640 Consider some of the great themes and motifs 00:24:38.640 --> 00:24:42.960 in the Bible. What comes before the promised 00:24:42.960 --> 00:24:45.400 land for the nation of Israel, brothers and sisters? 00:24:47.259 --> 00:24:53.059 Wilderness wonderings. They're in the wilderness. 00:24:54.319 --> 00:24:56.980 They're dealing with needs and provision. They're 00:24:56.980 --> 00:25:00.019 wrestling with sin, belief and unbelief. Then 00:25:00.019 --> 00:25:04.000 the promised land comes. The book of Hebrews 00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:07.220 is clear that we as new covenant Christians are 00:25:07.220 --> 00:25:12.380 in the wilderness as believers waiting for the 00:25:12.380 --> 00:25:16.180 promised land to come, to arrive. That means 00:25:16.180 --> 00:25:21.380 tribulations, trials and hardships, valleys. 00:25:22.829 --> 00:25:28.109 And shadows. What about all of the exhortations 00:25:28.109 --> 00:25:35.250 to persevere? Why do we need to persevere? Because 00:25:35.250 --> 00:25:37.809 we need diligence in our life because it's hard 00:25:37.809 --> 00:25:43.230 in this life. Endurance. Why does Paul say, I 00:25:43.230 --> 00:25:47.849 have fought the good fight? Why are we exhorted 00:25:47.849 --> 00:25:50.410 in the book of Revelation over and over, those 00:25:50.410 --> 00:25:57.519 who overcome? Those who have victory. This life 00:25:57.519 --> 00:26:01.119 is a battle. This life is something that must 00:26:01.119 --> 00:26:04.259 be overcome. This life is something that we must 00:26:04.259 --> 00:26:11.299 persevere in. What about the great proof of valleys 00:26:11.299 --> 00:26:16.960 and shadows in this life? Death. The fact that 00:26:16.960 --> 00:26:20.980 every single one of us in this room will die. 00:26:23.119 --> 00:26:26.720 Is death a valley in a shadow, brothers and sisters? 00:26:27.440 --> 00:26:32.519 Absolutely. And it's one that we're all progressively 00:26:32.519 --> 00:26:36.839 nearing. It's one that we're all progressively 00:26:36.839 --> 00:26:39.980 getting closer to. It's something that every 00:26:39.980 --> 00:26:43.859 single one of us as believers must face. In a 00:26:43.859 --> 00:26:47.960 sense, it's the valley and the shadow that each 00:26:47.960 --> 00:26:51.220 believer will have to face and go through one 00:26:51.220 --> 00:26:57.549 day. at some time. It's inevitable for every 00:26:57.549 --> 00:27:02.950 single person in this room to have these trials. 00:27:03.549 --> 00:27:06.809 Now I'm pressing this upon you for a reason. 00:27:08.769 --> 00:27:14.349 I'm pushing this on you for a reason. Because 00:27:14.349 --> 00:27:18.910 it's vitally important that we understand that 00:27:18.910 --> 00:27:22.440 these are inevitable in our lives. Though they 00:27:22.440 --> 00:27:26.859 may vary in duration or type, though they may 00:27:26.859 --> 00:27:30.299 vary in intensity, every single believer will. 00:27:30.380 --> 00:27:34.539 Why am I pushing this? Because, brothers and 00:27:34.539 --> 00:27:38.880 sisters, the believer in Jesus Christ has to 00:27:38.880 --> 00:27:42.019 have a right worldview with regards to this world. 00:27:43.059 --> 00:27:46.819 The believer in Jesus Christ... has to have the 00:27:46.819 --> 00:27:50.259 right expectations with regards to the days that 00:27:50.259 --> 00:27:55.420 are coming in their life. Why? So that we're 00:27:55.420 --> 00:28:00.000 not caught off guard. So that when the valley 00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:03.059 and the shadow arrive, we are prepared in our 00:28:03.059 --> 00:28:06.180 hearts, we are ready in our hearts to face it. 00:28:07.799 --> 00:28:11.019 If we know what is coming, brothers and sisters. 00:28:12.619 --> 00:28:16.380 then we know much better how to prepare for it. 00:28:19.220 --> 00:28:24.859 How are you preparing your heart and your mind 00:28:24.859 --> 00:28:28.559 in the grace of God for trials that are coming 00:28:28.559 --> 00:28:33.720 in your life? How are you looking ahead in your 00:28:33.720 --> 00:28:39.380 life and saying, I know. That I'm going to suffer 00:28:39.380 --> 00:28:41.859 in some way. I know that trials and tribulation 00:28:41.859 --> 00:28:45.880 will come into my life. How are you readying 00:28:45.880 --> 00:28:49.759 your heart in the grace of God for those realities? 00:28:51.640 --> 00:28:56.640 The Christian is not one who denies or rejects 00:28:56.640 --> 00:28:59.400 valleys and shadows. The Christian is the one 00:28:59.400 --> 00:29:02.500 who readies and prepares themselves to meet the 00:29:02.500 --> 00:29:05.319 valleys and the shadows with the hand of the 00:29:05.319 --> 00:29:10.730 shepherd next to them. We don't avoid them. We 00:29:10.730 --> 00:29:15.029 don't deny them. We don't cast them off. We accept 00:29:15.029 --> 00:29:18.769 them because we know the shepherd is with us. 00:29:21.950 --> 00:29:26.730 We prepare ourselves and we have right expectations 00:29:26.730 --> 00:29:34.109 with regards to hardship in this life. Now, they're 00:29:34.109 --> 00:29:42.400 inevitable. What is the real problem with valleys 00:29:42.400 --> 00:29:47.859 and shadows? Why are they so dangerous, we could 00:29:47.859 --> 00:29:55.099 say, for the sheep? What is the real threat when 00:29:55.099 --> 00:30:00.200 the darkness comes upon the believer? What's 00:30:00.200 --> 00:30:05.940 the real danger in the valley, brothers and sisters? 00:30:06.990 --> 00:30:13.950 Is it just pain? Is it just the experience of 00:30:13.950 --> 00:30:20.369 something? The loss of something? No, the real 00:30:20.369 --> 00:30:25.289 threat of valleys and shadows is that they bring 00:30:25.289 --> 00:30:30.029 with them the temptation to be overwhelmed by 00:30:30.029 --> 00:30:34.549 fearfulness in our hearts. This is why David 00:30:34.549 --> 00:30:44.559 says, I fear no evil. The real problem of suffering 00:30:44.559 --> 00:30:50.279 for the believer is what it tempts us to do in 00:30:50.279 --> 00:30:55.079 our hearts. The real problem for the believer 00:30:55.079 --> 00:30:58.400 in trials and hardships is what it threatens 00:30:58.400 --> 00:31:02.039 to do when fearfulness creeps into our minds 00:31:02.039 --> 00:31:09.460 and into our hearts. Think about, Abraham was 00:31:09.460 --> 00:31:14.880 afraid of men. And what did that fear drive Abraham 00:31:14.880 --> 00:31:21.559 to do? To be deceitful and to lie. That temptation, 00:31:21.859 --> 00:31:27.559 that trial, that shadow, that valley caused him 00:31:27.559 --> 00:31:33.240 to lapse in faith and to revert to carnality 00:31:33.240 --> 00:31:37.799 in the flesh. What about the nation of Israel? 00:31:39.059 --> 00:31:41.779 We see so many instances that would be great 00:31:41.779 --> 00:31:46.279 illustrations. What about when they came up to 00:31:46.279 --> 00:31:50.960 the promised land? And the Lord commands Moses, 00:31:51.039 --> 00:31:54.619 and Moses commands the people, go in, scout out 00:31:54.619 --> 00:31:58.400 the land, bring back some fruit, tell us if the 00:31:58.400 --> 00:32:00.920 cities are fortified, what are the people like? 00:32:00.940 --> 00:32:03.180 Are they strong? Are they weak? Are they ready? 00:32:03.240 --> 00:32:05.920 Are they prepared? And you remember, he sends 00:32:05.920 --> 00:32:10.680 one man from each tribe, a leader of that tribe. 00:32:10.980 --> 00:32:13.119 It wasn't just anybody, but a leader of that 00:32:13.119 --> 00:32:16.319 tribe. And they go and they scout out the land. 00:32:17.559 --> 00:32:20.140 You remember, they come back, brothers and sisters. 00:32:22.440 --> 00:32:26.740 Ten of the twelve were scared out of their boots. 00:32:28.779 --> 00:32:34.690 Why? Because they said, we're like grasshoppers. 00:32:35.589 --> 00:32:39.250 They're giants. They're powerful. They're strong. 00:32:39.369 --> 00:32:43.470 They're mighty. We're weak. We're pathetic in 00:32:43.470 --> 00:32:47.549 the sight of these men. They were fearful. They 00:32:47.549 --> 00:32:49.890 were overwhelmed with their fear. And what did 00:32:49.890 --> 00:32:52.069 it do? It caused them to grumble. And it caused 00:32:52.069 --> 00:32:55.009 them to rebel against the living God and against 00:32:55.009 --> 00:33:00.029 his appointed servant, Moses. That fear drove 00:33:00.029 --> 00:33:04.849 them. to carnality, rebellion. Why? Because of 00:33:04.849 --> 00:33:09.809 the lack of faith. They lapsed in their faith 00:33:09.809 --> 00:33:12.829 because of the pressure of the fear from the 00:33:12.829 --> 00:33:22.329 valley in the shadow. The problem with fear is 00:33:22.329 --> 00:33:25.190 not that it could destroy our circumstances. 00:33:28.170 --> 00:33:30.750 The real problem of fear is not that it could 00:33:31.130 --> 00:33:35.230 strip us of our livelihood. The real problem 00:33:35.230 --> 00:33:37.789 of the valleys and shadows, brothers and sisters, 00:33:37.910 --> 00:33:40.009 is not that it could take away our prosperity. 00:33:40.230 --> 00:33:44.069 That's an outward thing. The real problem with 00:33:44.069 --> 00:33:49.849 valleys and shadows is they bring us to a place 00:33:49.849 --> 00:33:53.809 of self -reliance and carnality if we do not 00:33:53.809 --> 00:33:59.630 respond in faith. And that self -reliance and 00:33:59.630 --> 00:34:03.410 that carnality can manifest itself in all kinds 00:34:03.410 --> 00:34:09.530 of ways. Can it not, brothers and sisters? Trials 00:34:09.530 --> 00:34:16.869 have the unique ability to make the child of 00:34:16.869 --> 00:34:25.369 God to be utterly self -centered. To be terribly 00:34:25.369 --> 00:34:31.260 self - to where they're just focused on themselves, 00:34:31.579 --> 00:34:36.139 their own situation, their own life, their own 00:34:36.139 --> 00:34:41.940 problems. Suffering has a particular way of touching 00:34:41.940 --> 00:34:46.059 that one nerve in our heart, which causes us 00:34:46.059 --> 00:34:49.099 to look to ourselves for strength and power and 00:34:49.099 --> 00:34:57.269 perseverance. But we get... The last thing we 00:34:57.269 --> 00:35:02.050 see in this text. Though this is a real problem 00:35:02.050 --> 00:35:07.530 and temptation for believers, there is hope for 00:35:07.530 --> 00:35:12.989 the believer in the valley and the shadows. Notice 00:35:12.989 --> 00:35:17.949 in this text that David doesn't crumble under 00:35:17.949 --> 00:35:22.230 the pressure and cave to himself. He doesn't 00:35:22.230 --> 00:35:27.090 turn inward. He doesn't turn his eyes to himself. 00:35:28.389 --> 00:35:33.590 He doesn't rely on himself. But he actually looks 00:35:33.590 --> 00:35:37.809 away from himself. He turns his eyes outward 00:35:37.809 --> 00:35:46.289 and he says, For you are with me. So David finds 00:35:46.289 --> 00:35:51.769 hope in the Lord, which is outside of himself. 00:35:52.510 --> 00:35:56.119 He doesn't go inward. He goes outward, brothers 00:35:56.119 --> 00:36:03.460 and sisters, by faith to the Lord. Now, knowing 00:36:03.460 --> 00:36:08.860 this and seeing this, we can understand there's 00:36:08.860 --> 00:36:13.039 really only two ways to respond to suffering 00:36:13.039 --> 00:36:18.380 in this life for the believer. Two ways. Not 00:36:18.380 --> 00:36:22.800 four, not five, not six. There's two options. 00:36:23.789 --> 00:36:27.789 For the believer in this life. When the valley 00:36:27.789 --> 00:36:30.150 and the shadow are approaching in your life. 00:36:30.150 --> 00:36:33.210 Where they've come upon you. When the darkness 00:36:33.210 --> 00:36:39.809 arrives. When trouble comes. You can either respond 00:36:39.809 --> 00:36:46.070 in the flesh. In carnality. In self -strength. 00:36:47.369 --> 00:36:52.519 Or you can respond in faith. Looking to the living 00:36:52.519 --> 00:36:55.840 God, the Good Shepherd, looking outside of yourself 00:36:55.840 --> 00:36:59.900 to His rod and His staff for strength, comfort, 00:37:00.219 --> 00:37:04.019 protection, perseverance, and preservation in 00:37:04.019 --> 00:37:10.380 this life. Those are the only two options. How 00:37:10.380 --> 00:37:14.920 are you responding to the hardships in your life? 00:37:16.380 --> 00:37:23.090 Are you responding in the flesh? Or are you responding 00:37:23.090 --> 00:37:26.550 by trusting and looking outside of yourself to 00:37:26.550 --> 00:37:32.590 the Lord Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd? When 00:37:32.590 --> 00:37:37.949 we look to Him, brothers and sisters, we realize 00:37:37.949 --> 00:37:42.409 that we are safe. Because everything of verses 00:37:42.409 --> 00:37:46.869 1 -3 is still true, even when we go through trials. 00:37:48.590 --> 00:37:51.510 Our memory gets very, very short in hardship, 00:37:51.650 --> 00:37:56.530 doesn't it? When pain, loss, and grief come into 00:37:56.530 --> 00:38:00.730 our life, I think we often forget, I'm still 00:38:00.730 --> 00:38:09.630 a sheep. And I'm still His sheep. I think in 00:38:09.630 --> 00:38:12.590 hardship and pain in the life of God's people, 00:38:12.849 --> 00:38:20.420 that's when it's best. To be a sheep in God's 00:38:20.420 --> 00:38:26.260 flock and to have him as a shepherd in your life. 00:38:27.119 --> 00:38:30.480 The shepherd will be that much sweeter, brothers 00:38:30.480 --> 00:38:36.840 and sisters, the darker the valley is. The darker 00:38:36.840 --> 00:38:40.420 the valley, the more you long for the shepherd. 00:38:41.420 --> 00:38:46.469 The deeper the valley, The more you long for 00:38:46.469 --> 00:38:51.309 the power of the shepherd and his rod, the harder 00:38:51.309 --> 00:38:56.050 the trouble, the more you need the power of God 00:38:56.050 --> 00:39:00.349 in your life. Listen, brothers and sisters, the 00:39:00.349 --> 00:39:04.070 harder the situation, the sweeter the grace of 00:39:04.070 --> 00:39:11.110 God. Valleys and shadows ought to be reminders. 00:39:13.159 --> 00:39:17.860 That it's good to be a sheep in God's flock. 00:39:18.219 --> 00:39:22.039 He is a good shepherd. He is a kind shepherd. 00:39:22.219 --> 00:39:26.739 And none of that changes when our life gets difficult 00:39:26.739 --> 00:39:33.400 or hard. The glorious reality and hope of the 00:39:33.400 --> 00:39:38.880 believer in hardship has nothing to do with himself. 00:39:41.039 --> 00:39:44.119 The glorious reality of the believer in the valley 00:39:44.119 --> 00:39:48.360 and in the shadow is Christ in me, the hope of 00:39:48.360 --> 00:39:52.840 glory. It's the shepherd himself, brothers and 00:39:52.840 --> 00:39:59.980 sisters. Our Lord and our Savior knows what it's 00:39:59.980 --> 00:40:03.260 like to be in the valley and to be in the shadow, 00:40:03.380 --> 00:40:09.059 does he not? He went through the valley of valleys, 00:40:09.260 --> 00:40:12.860 brothers and sisters. Do you understand that? 00:40:13.699 --> 00:40:16.940 Our shepherd that guides us, our shepherd that 00:40:16.940 --> 00:40:19.500 directs us, our shepherd that protects us and 00:40:19.500 --> 00:40:21.840 preserves us and gets us through and brings us 00:40:21.840 --> 00:40:25.539 through, he went through the suffering of sufferings, 00:40:25.539 --> 00:40:30.380 the hardship of hardships. This is the gospel. 00:40:31.940 --> 00:40:36.159 Jesus Christ, the Son of God, took on flesh and 00:40:36.159 --> 00:40:39.539 he came into the world and he dwelt among us. 00:40:39.769 --> 00:40:43.869 And he endured hardship. He came into the valley 00:40:43.869 --> 00:40:46.409 willingly. He walked right into the darkness 00:40:46.409 --> 00:40:51.090 and right into the shadow. And he made it through 00:40:51.090 --> 00:40:57.690 all by himself. He came through when he burst 00:40:57.690 --> 00:41:00.449 forth out of the grave after dying on the cross 00:41:00.449 --> 00:41:04.090 and facing the darkest of moments that any human 00:41:04.090 --> 00:41:10.159 being could ever experience. He knows what it's 00:41:10.159 --> 00:41:15.500 like to go through hardship. He knows what it's 00:41:15.500 --> 00:41:22.460 like for his sheep to be afraid. He's a sympathetic 00:41:22.460 --> 00:41:26.199 and a compassionate and a merciful shepherd, 00:41:26.400 --> 00:41:31.840 as we read in the book of Hebrews. Does he not 00:41:31.840 --> 00:41:38.579 know what you need in your life? When things 00:41:38.579 --> 00:41:45.639 get hard. Has he not been there? Does he not 00:41:45.639 --> 00:41:50.099 know what you need most in your soul? When you're 00:41:50.099 --> 00:41:52.780 at the point of despair or hopelessness, he's 00:41:52.780 --> 00:41:55.119 been there, brothers and sisters. He's the good 00:41:55.119 --> 00:41:58.739 shepherd that faced the darkness and came out 00:41:58.739 --> 00:42:02.599 on the other side. Does he not know how to sustain 00:42:02.599 --> 00:42:07.460 you and preserve you? Does he not know how to 00:42:07.460 --> 00:42:10.699 lift up your soul and provide for you even in 00:42:10.699 --> 00:42:15.320 the worst of valleys and the darkest of times 00:42:15.320 --> 00:42:21.780 in your life? Our shepherd not only can bring 00:42:21.780 --> 00:42:26.019 us out of the valleys and shadows, but because 00:42:26.019 --> 00:42:29.280 of his work, brothers and sisters, he will do 00:42:29.280 --> 00:42:33.780 away with all valleys and all shadows one day. 00:42:35.009 --> 00:42:39.329 Consider that grand reality. The day is coming 00:42:39.329 --> 00:42:43.449 because of the death of our Lord, because of 00:42:43.449 --> 00:42:46.829 the death of our Savior. The day is coming when 00:42:46.829 --> 00:42:50.789 there will be no more hardship. The day is coming 00:42:50.789 --> 00:42:54.269 when sin will be removed and taken out. The day 00:42:54.269 --> 00:42:57.750 is coming when there will be no more pain and 00:42:57.750 --> 00:42:59.969 no more suffering. There will be no more tears 00:42:59.969 --> 00:43:03.570 and no more grief and no more mourning in the 00:43:03.570 --> 00:43:08.380 souls of... God's people, all because of our 00:43:08.380 --> 00:43:13.420 great and our glorious shepherd, Jesus Christ. 00:43:14.579 --> 00:43:20.659 He can bring his sheep through the valley for 00:43:20.659 --> 00:43:25.679 his glory, brothers and sisters. Don't forget 00:43:25.679 --> 00:43:25.960 it.