WEBVTT 00:00:10.410 --> 00:00:19.530 There's many uncertainties in life. I imagine 00:00:19.530 --> 00:00:24.789 that just about every single person in this sanctuary 00:00:24.789 --> 00:00:29.670 can think of certain uncertainties in their own 00:00:29.670 --> 00:00:33.409 lives, in their own situations, in their own 00:00:33.409 --> 00:00:36.070 careers, in their own callings, in their own 00:00:36.070 --> 00:00:40.359 relationships and families. There are so many 00:00:40.359 --> 00:00:44.299 uncertainties and changing things in the world, 00:00:44.460 --> 00:00:49.500 in the world in which we live, and in our lives. 00:00:50.780 --> 00:00:53.579 The unbeliever has a hard time getting their 00:00:53.579 --> 00:00:59.140 footing with regards to things that are certain 00:00:59.140 --> 00:01:07.000 and unchanging. But the believer can live in 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:13.219 this world and enjoy. Certainties. And so I want 00:01:13.219 --> 00:01:15.780 you to hear this message today and be strengthened 00:01:15.780 --> 00:01:20.719 in your soul, strengthened in your heart, because 00:01:20.719 --> 00:01:24.560 with those certainties that the believer has 00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:29.000 in the gospel as a result of redemption, they 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:35.420 can live lives that are steadfast. They can live 00:01:35.420 --> 00:01:39.530 lives that are consistent in and persistent in 00:01:39.530 --> 00:01:45.730 grace. They can have stable footing in this ever 00:01:45.730 --> 00:01:49.989 -changing world, culture, and society, in their 00:01:49.989 --> 00:01:53.689 ever -changing situation, in their own life, 00:01:53.790 --> 00:01:58.730 in their own heart, in their own mind. And what 00:01:58.730 --> 00:02:01.849 are those certainties as a result of the gospel? 00:02:02.689 --> 00:02:07.939 Well, today, we read in verse 6, Surely, Goodness 00:02:07.939 --> 00:02:11.699 and loving kindness will follow me all the days 00:02:11.699 --> 00:02:15.240 of my life. And I will dwell in the house of 00:02:15.240 --> 00:02:19.560 the Lord forever. Notice in verse 6 as David 00:02:19.560 --> 00:02:23.680 finishes up this psalm that he is certain of 00:02:23.680 --> 00:02:28.759 at least two things in verse 6. He is certain 00:02:28.759 --> 00:02:33.120 that goodness and loving kindness will in fact 00:02:33.120 --> 00:02:37.889 follow him the rest of his life. The whole time 00:02:37.889 --> 00:02:40.750 that he lives in this earthly pilgrimage, God's 00:02:40.750 --> 00:02:43.449 goodness and his loving kindness will be upon 00:02:43.449 --> 00:02:47.770 him. He knows these. He's assured of these. But 00:02:47.770 --> 00:02:51.349 he's also certain of something that goes beyond 00:02:51.349 --> 00:02:56.550 even his life. Look at the word forever at the 00:02:56.550 --> 00:03:02.349 end of verse 6. David is certain. He's confident. 00:03:02.689 --> 00:03:07.120 He's persuaded and convinced in his heart. That 00:03:07.120 --> 00:03:11.180 he will worship and fellowship the triune God. 00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:14.180 Not just the days of his earthly pilgrimage. 00:03:14.939 --> 00:03:21.919 But following the grave. Following death. Eternally. 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:27.419 He will dwell with the living God. The believer 00:03:27.419 --> 00:03:37.750 can have certainty, assurance, and hope. Of God 00:03:37.750 --> 00:03:41.449 and his faithfulness in their lives. Until the 00:03:41.449 --> 00:03:46.090 day they die. For they can have an absolute certainty. 00:03:46.650 --> 00:03:50.750 Of God's faithfulness to them. Following even 00:03:50.750 --> 00:03:54.689 their deaths. That he will continue to be good 00:03:54.689 --> 00:03:57.789 to his promises. And faithful to them in their 00:03:57.789 --> 00:04:03.569 lives. I want every believer in this sanctuary. 00:04:05.199 --> 00:04:09.460 To walk with that comfort. With that assurance. 00:04:10.180 --> 00:04:13.840 That persuasion. That conviction in their heart. 00:04:14.840 --> 00:04:19.279 That God will have his goodness and loving kindness 00:04:19.279 --> 00:04:23.399 upon you all the days of your life. And that 00:04:23.399 --> 00:04:25.740 even when you face the grave. Even when you come 00:04:25.740 --> 00:04:30.319 to your death. You can have certainty. That the 00:04:30.319 --> 00:04:34.389 Lord's faithfulness will continue. and persist 00:04:34.389 --> 00:04:41.610 in your life even after you die. So the first 00:04:41.610 --> 00:04:45.410 thing we're going to consider today in pursuing 00:04:45.410 --> 00:04:51.110 this end of being, enjoying this persuasion or 00:04:51.110 --> 00:04:55.149 this conviction in our hearts, the first thing 00:04:55.149 --> 00:05:00.170 we'll consider is the persuasion of David's heart. 00:05:00.790 --> 00:05:06.420 Now notice in verse... Six, David says, surely 00:05:06.420 --> 00:05:10.220 goodness and loving kindness will follow me all 00:05:10.220 --> 00:05:13.899 the days of my life. When we think about this 00:05:13.899 --> 00:05:19.240 statement, David is not merely stating a fact, 00:05:19.480 --> 00:05:25.300 is he? He's not simply communicating information 00:05:25.300 --> 00:05:31.839 that is true and accurate and right. He's not 00:05:31.839 --> 00:05:35.670 saying, Surely, goodness and loving kindness 00:05:35.670 --> 00:05:39.550 will follow me all the days of my life. With 00:05:39.550 --> 00:05:44.970 no emotion, with no conviction, with no feeling, 00:05:45.170 --> 00:05:50.569 with no sincerity, with no earnestness, no, David 00:05:50.569 --> 00:05:55.750 possesses in his heart an assurance that these 00:05:55.750 --> 00:05:59.990 realities are in fact true, and not just of everybody. 00:06:01.550 --> 00:06:08.170 But they are true of him in particular as one 00:06:08.170 --> 00:06:12.550 of God's covenant people. It's not information 00:06:12.550 --> 00:06:20.310 in his head that is compelling him in this fashion. 00:06:21.269 --> 00:06:24.930 It's the fact that his heart has been moved. 00:06:25.689 --> 00:06:31.160 His heart has been affected. His heart has been 00:06:31.160 --> 00:06:35.420 stirred by something, and we'll consider what 00:06:35.420 --> 00:06:38.779 that is, by certain truths, certain realities. 00:06:39.339 --> 00:06:44.459 He knows deep down in himself that these are 00:06:44.459 --> 00:06:49.699 true of him. What we have here, brothers and 00:06:49.699 --> 00:06:58.660 sisters, is real, true, heart religion in action. 00:06:59.180 --> 00:07:05.699 In the life of David. He knows that God is a 00:07:05.699 --> 00:07:09.660 covenant keeping God. This is the Lord. Capital 00:07:09.660 --> 00:07:13.699 L. Capital O. Capital R. Capital D. If we remember 00:07:13.699 --> 00:07:17.500 back to the beginning of the series. He knows 00:07:17.500 --> 00:07:20.420 these facts. And he knows the truth about who 00:07:20.420 --> 00:07:23.339 God is. But these facts and these truths that 00:07:23.339 --> 00:07:26.240 have been revealed. Have somehow made their way 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:29.620 into his heart. To give him an assurance and 00:07:29.620 --> 00:07:33.980 a conviction and a certainty that they are true. 00:07:35.240 --> 00:07:42.019 His affections are involved in his religion. 00:07:43.079 --> 00:07:50.699 It's not mere orthodox thinking or mere true 00:07:50.699 --> 00:07:56.360 theology. It's theology and doctrine and truth 00:07:56.360 --> 00:08:01.029 about God. That has affected and persuaded his 00:08:01.029 --> 00:08:06.990 heart that these realities are true. This is 00:08:06.990 --> 00:08:13.310 the pinnacle of his covenant communion with God. 00:08:14.290 --> 00:08:18.649 This is the height of his covenant fellowship 00:08:18.649 --> 00:08:24.350 with the living God, the shepherd. is to know 00:08:24.350 --> 00:08:27.089 in his heart that these realities are true, to 00:08:27.089 --> 00:08:30.329 walk with an assurance and a peace that's settled 00:08:30.329 --> 00:08:35.629 in his being, where he knows that they are true 00:08:35.629 --> 00:08:43.710 of him. Covenant communion with the Lord is not 00:08:43.710 --> 00:08:52.370 intended to be dry, indifferent, cold, formal, 00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:58.279 relationship or union. Is that what we see in 00:08:58.279 --> 00:09:04.539 David in verse 6? Dry, cold, indifferent, formal 00:09:04.539 --> 00:09:09.899 religion playing out in his life? No, his heart 00:09:09.899 --> 00:09:13.899 is intimately involved in this covenant fellowship 00:09:13.899 --> 00:09:18.960 that he has with the living God. He's persuaded 00:09:18.960 --> 00:09:22.519 of the goodness and loving kindness Of the Lord. 00:09:23.539 --> 00:09:28.179 He knows. Without a shadow of a doubt. That for 00:09:28.179 --> 00:09:32.200 the rest of his life. The goodness. And loving 00:09:32.200 --> 00:09:36.460 kindness of the Lord. Will be upon. His life. 00:09:36.559 --> 00:09:40.759 And he knows. That he will continue to have fellowship. 00:09:41.139 --> 00:09:45.399 And he will continue to worship. This God. Even 00:09:45.399 --> 00:09:50.279 following. His death. So, this brings us to the 00:09:50.279 --> 00:09:52.120 second thing we have to consider this morning. 00:09:53.039 --> 00:09:56.559 The realities which have persuaded David's heart. 00:09:57.320 --> 00:10:00.679 Now, David's heart hasn't just been convinced 00:10:00.679 --> 00:10:06.320 magically. David's heart hasn't just incidentally 00:10:06.320 --> 00:10:10.879 been warmed to these realities. David's heart 00:10:10.879 --> 00:10:15.179 hasn't just incidentally been persuaded of these 00:10:15.179 --> 00:10:20.620 truths. When we come to verse 6, we have to ask, 00:10:20.840 --> 00:10:26.539 what has moved David's heart? We have to ask 00:10:26.539 --> 00:10:30.679 the question, why now, at this point in the psalm, 00:10:30.679 --> 00:10:35.980 do we find this rejoicing assurance? Where he 00:10:35.980 --> 00:10:40.320 says, surely, goodness and loving kindness will 00:10:40.320 --> 00:10:44.840 follow me all the days of my life. What is it? 00:10:46.059 --> 00:10:51.179 that has persuaded David's heart that these things 00:10:51.179 --> 00:10:55.980 are true of him. Well, we have to remember the 00:10:55.980 --> 00:11:00.460 structure of the psalm. If we recall, there's 00:11:00.460 --> 00:11:05.740 a progression and a development in this psalm. 00:11:06.379 --> 00:11:10.279 David starts out and he says, The Lord is my 00:11:10.279 --> 00:11:13.740 shepherd, I shall not want. He's making statements 00:11:13.740 --> 00:11:18.070 about who? The Lord is. About who the Lord is 00:11:18.070 --> 00:11:20.809 as a covenant keeping. All sufficient eternal 00:11:20.809 --> 00:11:26.029 God. And then he expands on this provision. He 00:11:26.029 --> 00:11:29.090 says. He makes me lie down in green pastures. 00:11:29.129 --> 00:11:32.509 He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores 00:11:32.509 --> 00:11:35.289 my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness. 00:11:35.570 --> 00:11:39.970 For his namesake. He's making statements about 00:11:39.970 --> 00:11:42.870 who the Lord is. And how the Lord provides for 00:11:42.870 --> 00:11:47.389 his covenant people. And then in verse 4, with 00:11:47.389 --> 00:11:52.889 the arrival of valleys and shadows. Even though 00:11:52.889 --> 00:11:55.169 I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 00:11:55.389 --> 00:11:59.549 I fear no evil, for you are with me. He now becomes 00:11:59.549 --> 00:12:04.549 direct with the Lord, speaking intimately and 00:12:04.549 --> 00:12:07.970 directly to the Lord, recognizing that the Lord 00:12:07.970 --> 00:12:13.210 is with him. Your rod and your staff, they comfort 00:12:13.210 --> 00:12:17.279 me. You prepare a table before me in the presence 00:12:17.279 --> 00:12:20.980 of my enemies. You have anointed my head with 00:12:20.980 --> 00:12:26.340 oil. My cup overflows. So in verse 5, we're almost 00:12:26.340 --> 00:12:31.139 to the peak of the mountain. In verse 5, we're 00:12:31.139 --> 00:12:35.179 almost to the top, but not yet. And what is verse 00:12:35.179 --> 00:12:38.620 5? It's this overwhelming statement and explanation 00:12:38.620 --> 00:12:42.600 of God's covenant blessings in the life of this 00:12:42.600 --> 00:12:46.980 sinful man. And it's almost as though these blessings 00:12:46.980 --> 00:12:50.100 are bubbling up in David and they're causing 00:12:50.100 --> 00:12:53.120 him to want to jump up and say, Amen. They're 00:12:53.120 --> 00:12:55.220 warming his heart. They're working on his heart. 00:12:55.259 --> 00:12:57.639 They're stirring his heart. And then in verse 00:12:57.639 --> 00:13:02.320 6, we find this statement of confidence and assurance 00:13:02.320 --> 00:13:08.559 and heart persuasion. The peak of Psalm 23 is 00:13:08.559 --> 00:13:17.080 verse 6. The crescendo is verse 6. So if we ask 00:13:17.080 --> 00:13:20.799 ourselves what has led to David's assurance, 00:13:20.980 --> 00:13:25.720 the peak, then the answer is everything below 00:13:25.720 --> 00:13:30.460 it. It's built on everything underneath it. So 00:13:30.460 --> 00:13:37.539 everything in verses 1 -5 are those things which 00:13:37.539 --> 00:13:41.840 have persuaded his heart that goodness and loving 00:13:41.840 --> 00:13:45.440 kindness will follow him all the days of his 00:13:45.440 --> 00:13:49.740 life, and that he shall dwell in the house of 00:13:49.740 --> 00:13:53.519 the Lord forever. So what is it that's come before 00:13:53.519 --> 00:13:58.200 him? When we consider this, we could categorize 00:13:58.200 --> 00:14:04.460 it in this way. The character of God has persuaded 00:14:04.460 --> 00:14:09.620 David that these realities are true. It's the 00:14:09.620 --> 00:14:14.830 Lord. It's the shepherd. It's his benevolent 00:14:14.830 --> 00:14:19.370 kindness and love towards David. He's been thinking 00:14:19.370 --> 00:14:23.549 and meditating on the character of God, his nature, 00:14:23.649 --> 00:14:29.350 his being, his person, who he is. What God is 00:14:29.350 --> 00:14:33.970 like. But it's not just God. It's the Lord's 00:14:33.970 --> 00:14:39.629 covenant dealings with David himself. Now, what 00:14:39.629 --> 00:14:42.789 do we see this great, majestic, mighty, glorious 00:14:42.789 --> 00:14:48.110 God doing in Psalm 23, 1 -5? We see Him providing 00:14:48.110 --> 00:14:53.129 for David. Caring for David. He's having covenant 00:14:53.129 --> 00:15:01.090 dealings with David. He's leading, guiding, protecting. 00:15:01.809 --> 00:15:09.840 He's protecting. He's with David. and throughout 00:15:09.840 --> 00:15:16.720 the entirety of Psalm 23. So he's dealing with 00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:21.740 David as one of his sheep, as one of his covenant 00:15:21.740 --> 00:15:27.220 flock. We see in these verses leading up to verse 00:15:27.220 --> 00:15:30.639 6, the reality of the Lord's ongoing presence 00:15:30.639 --> 00:15:36.259 in David, in David's life. We see in verses 1 00:15:36.259 --> 00:15:39.019 through 2, he makes me lie down in green pastures. 00:15:39.100 --> 00:15:42.159 He leads me beside quiet waters. He's in front. 00:15:42.259 --> 00:15:47.100 He's with. He's around, David. Then we find in 00:15:47.100 --> 00:15:50.220 verse 4, he's with me, your rod and your staff. 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:54.860 They comfort me. Why? Because he's present. He's 00:15:54.860 --> 00:16:00.120 near. He's close. His presence is with David 00:16:00.120 --> 00:16:08.539 the entirety of Psalm. But we also see the experiential 00:16:08.539 --> 00:16:15.000 benefits that David enjoyed persuaded him. It 00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:17.279 wasn't just that the Lord was with him. His rod 00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:22.340 and his staff were present. But he actually enjoyed 00:16:22.340 --> 00:16:28.559 courage. He could say, I fear no evil. He enjoyed 00:16:28.559 --> 00:16:32.950 boldness as a result. of the Lord's presence 00:16:32.950 --> 00:16:38.009 with him. And he enjoyed comfort as a result 00:16:38.009 --> 00:16:43.570 of the Lord's protection and preservation in 00:16:43.570 --> 00:16:46.970 his life, his rod and his staff. So there were 00:16:46.970 --> 00:16:50.970 real experiential realities that David enjoyed 00:16:50.970 --> 00:16:54.309 in his heart and his soul as a result of the 00:16:54.309 --> 00:16:57.389 Lord's covenant dealings with him throughout 00:16:57.389 --> 00:17:04.539 Psalm. Verses 1 -5. He thinks about these things. 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:09.779 He recognizes these things. And they persuade 00:17:09.779 --> 00:17:14.880 him. They teach his heart. That these things 00:17:14.880 --> 00:17:19.299 are in fact true of him. They train his heart 00:17:19.299 --> 00:17:23.500 brothers and sisters. That these realities are 00:17:23.500 --> 00:17:28.609 true of him. As they are true. Of all God's covenant 00:17:28.609 --> 00:17:32.329 people. We also see that throughout these verses. 00:17:33.549 --> 00:17:40.490 The reality. That all these. Are in spite. Of 00:17:40.490 --> 00:17:48.309 David's weakness. Need. And helplessness. So 00:17:48.309 --> 00:17:52.089 we think about verses 1 through 5. And what is 00:17:52.089 --> 00:17:56.950 implicit in 1 through 5? David is very, very 00:17:56.950 --> 00:18:01.609 needy as a sheep. David is in desperate need 00:18:01.609 --> 00:18:04.910 for God's guidance and His direction, His provision 00:18:04.910 --> 00:18:08.430 in life. He needs the goodness and loving kindness 00:18:08.430 --> 00:18:13.150 of the Lord in his life. So he's thinking about 00:18:13.150 --> 00:18:15.750 the fact that he doesn't deserve any of these 00:18:15.750 --> 00:18:19.450 realities. He's thinking about the fact that 00:18:19.450 --> 00:18:23.230 he himself does not deserve the loving kindness, 00:18:23.430 --> 00:18:26.329 the mercy, and the goodness of God to be in his 00:18:26.329 --> 00:18:31.329 life. He's thinking about the fact that God who 00:18:31.329 --> 00:18:34.789 is sovereign, God who made the world, has placed 00:18:34.789 --> 00:18:37.809 his loving kindness upon him as a fallen sinful 00:18:37.809 --> 00:18:40.829 man who's made horrible decisions throughout 00:18:40.829 --> 00:18:47.109 his life. Yet it remains. He's dwelling on these 00:18:47.109 --> 00:18:50.029 realities, brothers and sisters, and it is these 00:18:50.029 --> 00:18:55.599 things. which persuade, convince, and teach his 00:18:55.599 --> 00:19:00.779 heart that the goodness and loving kindness of 00:19:00.779 --> 00:19:07.460 God will be with him all the days of his life. 00:19:08.180 --> 00:19:11.279 And that he will worship and he will be with 00:19:11.279 --> 00:19:17.359 God even following his death. Now, as we consider 00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:21.079 all of these things leading up to verse... 6, 00:19:21.140 --> 00:19:25.920 we have to recognize that many of these are objective, 00:19:26.240 --> 00:19:31.440 revealed truths. How does David know who the 00:19:31.440 --> 00:19:35.099 Lord is? What the Lord is like? It's been revealed 00:19:35.099 --> 00:19:39.539 to him in the scriptures, in the word of God, 00:19:39.640 --> 00:19:44.819 in the Torah, in the law, in the prophets. Through 00:19:44.819 --> 00:19:47.720 the prophets speaking, through the prophets proclaiming 00:19:47.720 --> 00:19:51.759 and prophesying in that day, in that age. These 00:19:51.759 --> 00:19:54.059 things are revealed truth. They're objective 00:19:54.059 --> 00:19:58.799 truth. They're unchanging. They're from the Lord 00:19:58.799 --> 00:20:04.480 for the good and the benefit of his people. So 00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:08.079 David dwells and thinks on objective realities 00:20:08.079 --> 00:20:14.259 and truth to persuade his heart of these. grand 00:20:14.259 --> 00:20:17.799 and glorious things. But it's not just objective 00:20:17.799 --> 00:20:23.279 truth that persuades us hard, is it? We think 00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:27.099 about verses 1 -5, and we can also see that it's 00:20:27.099 --> 00:20:32.259 the Lord's work in David that is convincing him 00:20:32.259 --> 00:20:36.500 and persuading him of these things. It's what 00:20:36.500 --> 00:20:40.339 God is doing in David's life while he suffers. 00:20:41.420 --> 00:20:44.339 While he hurts, while he's afflicted, while he's 00:20:44.339 --> 00:20:47.119 going through difficulties and trials, he recognizes 00:20:47.119 --> 00:20:51.240 that God is at work in his situation. So there's 00:20:51.240 --> 00:20:55.019 things that do with his experience of God in 00:20:55.019 --> 00:20:58.019 his work, in his soul, in his heart, in his mind, 00:20:58.039 --> 00:21:00.920 and in his life. It's not just the objective 00:21:00.920 --> 00:21:09.500 realities. We must recognize that David is thinking 00:21:09.500 --> 00:21:15.849 about... the hold of God and his interaction 00:21:15.849 --> 00:21:19.869 and his dealing with him as one of his covenant 00:21:19.869 --> 00:21:24.730 people. Now, I think there's something in that 00:21:24.730 --> 00:21:30.990 for us, brothers and sisters. I'm sure that as 00:21:30.990 --> 00:21:33.130 David goes through the valleys and the shadows, 00:21:33.490 --> 00:21:38.430 as David has his kingly business to attend to, 00:21:39.819 --> 00:21:42.740 As David has the business of the kingdom to deal 00:21:42.740 --> 00:21:47.720 with, he's busy. I'm sure that he has things 00:21:47.720 --> 00:21:51.660 on his mind. I'm sure that he has other things 00:21:51.660 --> 00:21:55.440 that he's wrestling with in his heart. But David 00:21:55.440 --> 00:21:59.140 had to have taken time, brothers and sisters, 00:21:59.420 --> 00:22:05.420 to slow down and to think about what the living 00:22:05.420 --> 00:22:10.279 God was doing in his life. Through these circumstances. 00:22:11.720 --> 00:22:15.640 To ask himself. What is God doing in my heart? 00:22:16.740 --> 00:22:20.400 What is God doing through these trying circumstances? 00:22:21.400 --> 00:22:26.019 What is God doing in this situation? How is God 00:22:26.019 --> 00:22:32.559 providing for me? He slows down. To think deeply. 00:22:33.619 --> 00:22:38.460 About the Lord. And the Lord's covenant dealings. 00:22:38.809 --> 00:22:42.930 With him. As the recipient of those blessings. 00:22:43.990 --> 00:22:48.650 Brothers and sisters. It is so easy. To get caught 00:22:48.650 --> 00:22:53.549 up. In the business of life. To go from one thing 00:22:53.549 --> 00:22:57.630 to the next thing. And to forget. The most important 00:22:57.630 --> 00:23:04.589 things. The work of the Lord Jesus. And the work 00:23:04.589 --> 00:23:07.049 of the spirit of God in our lives. And the providence 00:23:07.049 --> 00:23:11.420 of God. and guiding and working in our lives. 00:23:13.160 --> 00:23:17.940 We have to take time. We have to slow down and 00:23:17.940 --> 00:23:22.400 think about the Lord and what the Lord is doing 00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:26.220 in our lives and in our situations as I'm sure 00:23:26.220 --> 00:23:32.680 that David did. This will help us chew on those 00:23:32.680 --> 00:23:37.170 realities by faith. That offer us and provide 00:23:37.170 --> 00:23:41.109 us with that assurance and that persuasion in 00:23:41.109 --> 00:23:44.849 our hearts. That certainty. That confidence that 00:23:44.849 --> 00:23:50.509 you as a believer want to have. But we have to 00:23:50.509 --> 00:23:54.390 slow down. We have to think about the Lord. And 00:23:54.390 --> 00:23:58.170 we have to think about what He is doing in our 00:23:58.170 --> 00:24:05.339 lives. In a sense we could say also. But David 00:24:05.339 --> 00:24:10.240 battle -tested these realities. What do I mean 00:24:10.240 --> 00:24:16.140 by that? He knew these things were true. He knew 00:24:16.140 --> 00:24:18.619 that they were right and correct according to 00:24:18.619 --> 00:24:22.759 the law, according to Revelation. But brothers 00:24:22.759 --> 00:24:27.259 and sisters, he trusted these realities. He believed 00:24:27.259 --> 00:24:33.650 these things. He leaned on these things. He depended 00:24:33.650 --> 00:24:37.210 on these things for his life. This is why he's 00:24:37.210 --> 00:24:41.970 able to say that goodness and loving kindness 00:24:41.970 --> 00:24:47.029 will follow him all the days of his life. Turn 00:24:47.029 --> 00:24:58.930 with me to Psalm 34. In Psalm 34, starting in 00:24:58.930 --> 00:25:05.000 verse 8, we read these words. O taste and see 00:25:05.000 --> 00:25:10.019 that the Lord is good. How blessed is the man 00:25:10.019 --> 00:25:15.400 who takes refuge in him. O fear the Lord, you 00:25:15.400 --> 00:25:18.759 his saints. For to those who fear him, there 00:25:18.759 --> 00:25:22.440 is no one. The young lions do lack and suffer 00:25:22.440 --> 00:25:25.779 hunger. But they who seek the Lord shall not 00:25:25.779 --> 00:25:30.680 be in want of any good thing. Now we think about 00:25:30.680 --> 00:25:36.039 this. Why is David able to say this in Psalm 00:25:36.039 --> 00:25:44.140 34? Why is he able to exhort and encourage others 00:25:44.140 --> 00:25:48.799 to taste and see that the Lord is good? Because 00:25:48.799 --> 00:25:53.279 David himself has tasted and seen that the Lord 00:25:53.279 --> 00:25:58.519 is good. He knows that the Lord is good. He knows 00:25:58.519 --> 00:26:01.880 that the Lord is kind. He himself has enjoyed 00:26:01.880 --> 00:26:05.640 these realities. He has experienced the deliverance 00:26:05.640 --> 00:26:10.519 of the Lord. If you read verses 1 -7 and further 00:26:10.519 --> 00:26:13.819 on in the psalm, you'll see the delivering hand 00:26:13.819 --> 00:26:18.940 of God to rescue him in his difficult and trying 00:26:18.940 --> 00:26:23.220 situation that he is reflecting on in Psalm 34. 00:26:24.119 --> 00:26:31.039 So in a sense, the more we taste, and see that 00:26:31.039 --> 00:26:35.079 the Lord is good in our own lives, the more we 00:26:35.079 --> 00:26:38.480 want to know the goodness and loving kindness 00:26:38.480 --> 00:26:44.019 of the Lord, and the more sure we will be of 00:26:44.019 --> 00:26:48.259 the goodness and loving kindness of the Lord 00:26:48.259 --> 00:26:54.220 in our own lives. These realities are things 00:26:54.220 --> 00:26:59.900 that David believes in his heart. We know this 00:26:59.900 --> 00:27:04.740 because he's assured of them. We know this because 00:27:04.740 --> 00:27:10.740 he has a persuasion of them in his life. All 00:27:10.740 --> 00:27:14.599 of these things that David believes, that he 00:27:14.599 --> 00:27:18.460 has faith in, are the things which have persuaded 00:27:18.460 --> 00:27:24.299 him that they are true of him. That God will 00:27:24.299 --> 00:27:26.619 be faithful to him the rest of his days, and 00:27:26.619 --> 00:27:29.950 that God will be faithful to him. following the 00:27:29.950 --> 00:27:36.049 grave. So what exactly is David persuaded of? 00:27:36.470 --> 00:27:38.950 Now we've already answered this at the beginning. 00:27:39.869 --> 00:27:45.609 David is persuaded of two primary things. The 00:27:45.609 --> 00:27:48.170 first, he is persuaded of the Lord's ongoing 00:27:48.170 --> 00:27:51.910 and continual faithfulness to him throughout 00:27:51.910 --> 00:27:57.839 the rest of his life. That's what these realities 00:27:57.839 --> 00:28:02.539 have taught his heart. That God will not cease 00:28:02.539 --> 00:28:06.039 to be faithful to me throughout the days of my 00:28:06.039 --> 00:28:10.759 earthly pilgrimage. The Lord will continue to 00:28:10.759 --> 00:28:15.500 be good and loving to me because he is a covenant 00:28:15.500 --> 00:28:21.059 -keeping God. Now, goodness is one of those moral 00:28:21.059 --> 00:28:25.519 attributes of God. In a sense, it is that which 00:28:25.519 --> 00:28:30.420 compels God to bestow His mercy or His loving 00:28:30.420 --> 00:28:33.559 kindness on His people. But this word for loving 00:28:33.559 --> 00:28:38.380 kindness is special. It speaks of His eternal 00:28:38.380 --> 00:28:45.980 love. It speaks of His covenant love in the life 00:28:45.980 --> 00:28:50.099 of His people. The word for follow is very, very 00:28:50.099 --> 00:28:54.490 unique in this text. It actually means to chase 00:28:54.490 --> 00:28:58.430 after. Some people would actually say that it 00:28:58.430 --> 00:29:03.089 means to run after. And somebody referred to 00:29:03.089 --> 00:29:06.690 goodness and loving kindness as the Lord's footmen. 00:29:07.829 --> 00:29:16.349 Those men that follow a person perfectly, persistently, 00:29:16.470 --> 00:29:22.410 relentlessly. So this word, follow. should give 00:29:22.410 --> 00:29:24.890 us great encouragement, brothers and sisters. 00:29:25.769 --> 00:29:28.789 Because David is saying that no matter where 00:29:28.789 --> 00:29:32.690 I go in life, no matter what I'm doing, no matter 00:29:32.690 --> 00:29:36.789 what age I am, what time period I am, no matter 00:29:36.789 --> 00:29:39.670 how close I am to the grave, no matter what situation 00:29:39.670 --> 00:29:42.549 I'm in, no matter what's going on in my life, 00:29:42.690 --> 00:29:47.410 the goodness and loving kindness of God will 00:29:47.410 --> 00:29:53.569 follow me. They will hunt me down. They will 00:29:53.569 --> 00:29:56.750 persist me. They will pursue me. It's almost 00:29:56.750 --> 00:30:00.349 as though, in verse 5, David is referencing enemies. 00:30:01.190 --> 00:30:03.750 It's almost as though David has this idea in 00:30:03.750 --> 00:30:05.950 the back of his mind that there are enemies that 00:30:05.950 --> 00:30:09.029 want to chase me down. There are enemies that 00:30:09.029 --> 00:30:11.109 are gunning for me. There are enemies that are 00:30:11.109 --> 00:30:13.150 coming after me. They're running after me. They're 00:30:13.150 --> 00:30:16.339 pursuing me. But in David's mind, he recognizes 00:30:16.339 --> 00:30:18.880 that the Lord's goodness and the Lord's loving 00:30:18.880 --> 00:30:22.500 kindness will always outrun every single one 00:30:22.500 --> 00:30:26.339 of those dangers or those threats or those enemies 00:30:26.339 --> 00:30:30.119 because the Lord's loving kindness will follow 00:30:30.119 --> 00:30:36.700 him all the days of his life. Every single hour, 00:30:36.779 --> 00:30:41.259 every single minute that you continue on in this 00:30:41.259 --> 00:30:44.559 life, in your body, brothers and sisters, God 00:30:44.559 --> 00:30:48.519 will be good to you and he will have his faithful 00:30:48.519 --> 00:30:54.000 covenant love upon you until the day of your 00:30:54.000 --> 00:30:59.279 death. But it doesn't stop there. David is convinced 00:30:59.279 --> 00:31:03.980 and persuaded that he will dwell with God in 00:31:03.980 --> 00:31:09.819 his presence. He will worship God forever. Beyond 00:31:09.819 --> 00:31:14.930 the grave. Following the grave. that God's faithfulness 00:31:14.930 --> 00:31:20.329 will continue and keep on with him even after 00:31:20.329 --> 00:31:24.789 he has died. So when we think about these two 00:31:24.789 --> 00:31:30.710 things, it's worth noting that David's faith 00:31:30.710 --> 00:31:34.529 in the Lord enables him to have a confidence 00:31:34.529 --> 00:31:40.329 not just in his current situation, not just in 00:31:40.329 --> 00:31:42.980 the past and what God has done, But consider 00:31:42.980 --> 00:31:46.900 the fact that here David's confidence is forward 00:31:46.900 --> 00:31:54.440 oriented. To the future. The days that are ahead. 00:31:55.099 --> 00:32:02.079 The rest of his life. And beyond. So his faith 00:32:02.079 --> 00:32:05.559 in these grand and glorious realities actually 00:32:05.559 --> 00:32:10.200 enabled David to have a boldness, a confidence, 00:32:10.339 --> 00:32:13.470 an assurance. Of his life in the coming days. 00:32:14.589 --> 00:32:19.009 And what is to come in his life. Some might say. 00:32:19.109 --> 00:32:24.329 Well how are you so confident. Of what is to 00:32:24.329 --> 00:32:29.910 come in your life. How can you say. Friend. Brother. 00:32:29.990 --> 00:32:35.079 Sister. How do you know. That you will remain 00:32:35.079 --> 00:32:37.119 in the love of God. How do you know that you 00:32:37.119 --> 00:32:39.180 will grow? How do you know that you will be sanctified? 00:32:39.359 --> 00:32:41.420 How do you know that you will grow in grace or 00:32:41.420 --> 00:32:43.839 godliness or wholeness? How do you know that 00:32:43.839 --> 00:32:46.160 you will grow in love for Christ and love for 00:32:46.160 --> 00:32:49.319 His church and love for the Lord throughout the 00:32:49.319 --> 00:32:55.380 rest of your days? Isn't that presumptuous? No, 00:32:55.420 --> 00:33:00.119 it's not, brothers and sisters, because David 00:33:00.119 --> 00:33:04.640 has seen and tasted That the Lord has been good 00:33:04.640 --> 00:33:07.400 and faithful to him all the days of his life 00:33:07.400 --> 00:33:11.200 up to this point. That he is in the trial and 00:33:11.200 --> 00:33:14.720 difficulty. And he knows the character of God 00:33:14.720 --> 00:33:17.119 and the covenant -keeping character of God. So 00:33:17.119 --> 00:33:22.380 he knows with certainty, based on the character 00:33:22.380 --> 00:33:26.240 of God, that he will continue to be faithful 00:33:26.240 --> 00:33:31.299 to him the rest of his life. This is not a promise 00:33:31.299 --> 00:33:35.940 of pleasant circumstances, of easy situations. 00:33:37.460 --> 00:33:41.920 This is not a promise of a life free of trouble. 00:33:42.920 --> 00:33:47.059 But it is a promise, brothers and sisters, that 00:33:47.059 --> 00:33:51.400 God will not lift His goodness, that God will 00:33:51.400 --> 00:33:54.960 not lift His loving kindness from His people. 00:33:55.440 --> 00:33:59.910 It will remain upon your life. regardless of 00:33:59.910 --> 00:34:02.950 the situation, regardless of the period of your 00:34:02.950 --> 00:34:07.329 life. He will be faithful throughout the duration 00:34:07.329 --> 00:34:11.070 of your days, and He will be faithful throughout 00:34:11.070 --> 00:34:14.369 the duration following the grave and eternal 00:34:14.369 --> 00:34:20.110 life to His covenant people. David knows this 00:34:20.110 --> 00:34:24.889 is true because it's based wholeheartedly on 00:34:24.889 --> 00:34:30.460 who the Lord is and not... on David. All of these 00:34:30.460 --> 00:34:33.900 things, none of these things, none of these things 00:34:33.900 --> 00:34:39.420 are things that David has merited or things that 00:34:39.420 --> 00:34:44.219 David has earned or things that the Lord is obligated 00:34:44.219 --> 00:34:48.639 to give to him. Why does the goodness and loving 00:34:48.639 --> 00:34:51.519 kindness of the Lord follow David all the days 00:34:51.519 --> 00:34:54.719 of his life? Why will it? Because the Lord is 00:34:54.719 --> 00:34:59.820 good. Because the Lord is faithful. The Lord 00:34:59.820 --> 00:35:02.679 is abundant in mercy and compassion and loving 00:35:02.679 --> 00:35:07.460 kindness. It comes forth from His character and 00:35:07.460 --> 00:35:14.940 His being. The aim, brothers and sisters, of 00:35:14.940 --> 00:35:20.460 our covenant fellowship with the Lord, yours 00:35:20.460 --> 00:35:25.730 as a new covenant member in Christ, is to have 00:35:25.730 --> 00:35:31.130 a heart persuasion. Don't walk around with a 00:35:31.130 --> 00:35:38.409 cold, informal or formal, indifferent, formal 00:35:38.409 --> 00:35:44.489 attitude with regards to who the Lord is. The 00:35:44.489 --> 00:35:51.809 goal of the New Covenant And your communion and 00:35:51.809 --> 00:35:54.349 your fellowship with the Lord is to have a vibrant 00:35:54.349 --> 00:36:04.610 walk in faith in union with the living God. We 00:36:04.610 --> 00:36:09.150 want to have assurance in our hearts and in our 00:36:09.150 --> 00:36:12.510 minds, brothers and sisters. New Covenant believers 00:36:12.510 --> 00:36:18.429 have been given so much to believe in. And so 00:36:18.429 --> 00:36:26.670 much with such Clarity. Such clear truth to look 00:36:26.670 --> 00:36:31.969 at, to gaze upon by faith, to persuade our hearts. 00:36:32.469 --> 00:36:36.150 Think about everything God has given to New Covenant 00:36:36.150 --> 00:36:40.429 believers to place their faith upon. Think about 00:36:40.429 --> 00:36:43.230 everything that God has done and everything that 00:36:43.230 --> 00:36:46.530 we can gaze upon by faith to stir our hearts, 00:36:46.750 --> 00:36:50.829 to walk in assurance. Think about the Old Testament 00:36:50.829 --> 00:36:54.789 and the great and mighty deeds and works of God. 00:36:55.210 --> 00:36:59.469 The Psalms talk about this all the time. The 00:36:59.469 --> 00:37:04.389 great and mighty deeds of the Lord. I just finished 00:37:04.389 --> 00:37:10.030 reading through the account of Jericho and the 00:37:10.030 --> 00:37:13.230 walls of Jericho coming down and Israel coming 00:37:13.230 --> 00:37:16.389 into the Promised Land. Brothers and sisters, 00:37:17.639 --> 00:37:20.239 This is a Lord working and fighting on behalf 00:37:20.239 --> 00:37:25.579 of his people. The Lord's hand is actively at 00:37:25.579 --> 00:37:30.420 work. He is moving, and they are majestic and 00:37:30.420 --> 00:37:34.119 mighty. They are worthy to be studied. We should 00:37:34.119 --> 00:37:38.039 look at them and be encouraged in our hearts 00:37:38.039 --> 00:37:43.400 that he will continue being faithful in our lives, 00:37:43.559 --> 00:37:46.530 just as he was faithful to his... People in the 00:37:46.530 --> 00:37:49.989 Old Testament. We could consider the promises 00:37:49.989 --> 00:37:54.610 of the Old Covenant. The glorious and the grand 00:37:54.610 --> 00:37:58.170 promises of the coming Messiah. The coming Lord. 00:37:58.789 --> 00:38:02.809 The coming Savior. And then we get to the New 00:38:02.809 --> 00:38:05.050 Testament. And what do we have, brothers and 00:38:05.050 --> 00:38:08.050 sisters? We have those promises fulfilled in 00:38:08.050 --> 00:38:11.170 Christ, in the Gospel. We have historic events 00:38:11.170 --> 00:38:16.519 of the Gospel being brought into history. We 00:38:16.519 --> 00:38:20.380 have the Son of God taking on flesh and dwelling 00:38:20.380 --> 00:38:25.719 among us. We have Him living a perfect life unto 00:38:25.719 --> 00:38:28.659 the law of God, obtaining righteousness. We have 00:38:28.659 --> 00:38:31.619 the Son of God taking on flesh and coming to 00:38:31.619 --> 00:38:34.219 the end of His life as a perfectly holy and righteous 00:38:34.219 --> 00:38:37.659 man, going to the cross and dying on behalf of 00:38:37.659 --> 00:38:42.300 sinners. A historic event, but there's more than 00:38:42.300 --> 00:38:44.360 just the physical. Suffering is taking place. 00:38:45.710 --> 00:38:49.389 We have the wrath of God propitiated and satisfied 00:38:49.389 --> 00:38:54.190 for all of God's people. And all of their sin 00:38:54.190 --> 00:38:59.170 atoned for by that wrath being poured out upon 00:38:59.170 --> 00:39:05.409 the Lord Jesus. We have the resurrection. And 00:39:05.409 --> 00:39:10.170 we have witnesses in the Bible that verify and 00:39:10.170 --> 00:39:13.409 credential the resurrection, brothers and sisters. 00:39:14.000 --> 00:39:16.599 the Lord has given us all of these glorious realities. 00:39:18.280 --> 00:39:21.460 Preeminently, the person and the work of the 00:39:21.460 --> 00:39:26.820 Lord Jesus Christ. We have His ascension, His 00:39:26.820 --> 00:39:30.139 ongoing mediatorial rule at the right hand of 00:39:30.139 --> 00:39:33.659 the Father. We have 2 ,000 years of church history 00:39:33.659 --> 00:39:36.400 where God has been faithfully working in and 00:39:36.400 --> 00:39:39.059 through the life of His people to build His church. 00:39:39.119 --> 00:39:42.809 That's a work of God, brothers and sisters. We 00:39:42.809 --> 00:39:48.250 can look at all of these things to build up and 00:39:48.250 --> 00:39:52.929 strengthen and induce assurance, persuasion in 00:39:52.929 --> 00:39:57.690 our hearts. We think about all that God has given 00:39:57.690 --> 00:40:03.590 us and canonized in the Scriptures. It's a wonder 00:40:03.590 --> 00:40:10.510 that we ever lack persuasion in our heart, isn't 00:40:10.510 --> 00:40:15.519 it? When God has given us things with such clarity, 00:40:15.760 --> 00:40:22.400 isn't it miraculous that your heart and my heart 00:40:22.400 --> 00:40:29.519 still must be persuaded that God will be faithful 00:40:29.519 --> 00:40:34.400 to His people? Is that not humiliating to the 00:40:34.400 --> 00:40:39.320 human soul? Is that not degrading to my own heart? 00:40:40.590 --> 00:40:44.389 Then I have to continually be persuaded, continually 00:40:44.389 --> 00:40:48.730 be convinced that God, the holy God who made 00:40:48.730 --> 00:40:51.230 the world and sent Christ and Christ died on 00:40:51.230 --> 00:40:56.130 the cross and proved His love of His people does 00:40:56.130 --> 00:41:00.510 not not speak volumes with regards to the depth 00:41:00.510 --> 00:41:05.150 of sin in human heart that we must be convinced 00:41:05.150 --> 00:41:11.269 that God will be faithful to us. Because we are 00:41:11.269 --> 00:41:19.150 so eager to doubt. We are so eager to discredit 00:41:19.150 --> 00:41:24.530 the work of God. It's a wonder we ever lack these 00:41:24.530 --> 00:41:28.409 realities in our hearts considering all that 00:41:28.409 --> 00:41:32.550 God has given to us in Christ. And given to us 00:41:32.550 --> 00:41:40.929 clearly in the Word of God. Or maybe it's not 00:41:40.929 --> 00:41:48.010 such a wonder that we lack these realities knowing 00:41:48.010 --> 00:41:55.550 what is in us. Maybe we shouldn't be surprised 00:41:55.550 --> 00:41:59.789 that we have to be persuaded to such a degree 00:41:59.789 --> 00:42:04.610 knowing what is outside of us in opposing the 00:42:04.610 --> 00:42:09.340 church of Jesus Christ. Maybe we shouldn't be 00:42:09.340 --> 00:42:16.380 surprised if we understood the deceitful nature 00:42:16.380 --> 00:42:21.480 of our own hearts better. The world, the flesh, 00:42:21.500 --> 00:42:27.760 and the devil are always seeking to persuade 00:42:27.760 --> 00:42:32.980 you as the people of God. The world, the flesh, 00:42:33.039 --> 00:42:35.320 and the devil are always seeking to persuade 00:42:35.320 --> 00:42:43.619 me. Of the goodness of sin. The goodness and 00:42:43.619 --> 00:42:47.880 the loving kindness of corruption. The beauty 00:42:47.880 --> 00:42:50.860 and the grandeur of carnality. And the flesh 00:42:50.860 --> 00:42:54.119 and anger and rage and bitterness. And all the 00:42:54.119 --> 00:42:58.960 rest that the Bible condemns clearly. We have 00:42:58.960 --> 00:43:01.219 an enemy outside of us that is working against 00:43:01.219 --> 00:43:04.360 us, brothers and sisters. We have an enemy within 00:43:04.360 --> 00:43:10.820 us that is seeking to... To deceive us. We should 00:43:10.820 --> 00:43:16.480 not be surprised. Of the depth. And the wickedness. 00:43:16.500 --> 00:43:19.820 And the perversion of sin. In our own hearts. 00:43:21.880 --> 00:43:28.480 This is why. David's. Statement in Psalm 26. 00:43:28.880 --> 00:43:32.000 Psalm 23 verse 6. Is all the more important. 00:43:33.940 --> 00:43:38.090 We can know assurance in our hearts. You can 00:43:38.090 --> 00:43:41.010 know what it means to have a heart persuaded 00:43:41.010 --> 00:43:44.489 and confident and certain of God's faithfulness 00:43:44.489 --> 00:43:46.789 in your life in the coming days and beyond the 00:43:46.789 --> 00:43:49.750 grave. But listen, brothers and sisters, by grace 00:43:49.750 --> 00:43:53.110 and by the Spirit of God, you must work for it. 00:43:55.329 --> 00:44:01.429 You must believe these realities in grace. You 00:44:01.429 --> 00:44:04.530 must exercise the faith that God has given to 00:44:04.530 --> 00:44:09.070 you in this life to believe these things. But 00:44:09.070 --> 00:44:12.409 here's the incredible thing about it. Even in 00:44:12.409 --> 00:44:16.969 our days of failure. Even in the days when we 00:44:16.969 --> 00:44:21.530 fail to do that. Even in the days where you go 00:44:21.530 --> 00:44:25.309 astray like a sheep. Even in the days of your 00:44:25.309 --> 00:44:28.130 desperate need where you can't even see two days 00:44:28.130 --> 00:44:30.730 in front of you. Listen and hear me well, brothers 00:44:30.730 --> 00:44:33.989 and sisters. His goodness and loving kindness 00:44:33.989 --> 00:44:43.769 will still be upon you. Yes, we must labor in 00:44:43.769 --> 00:44:47.170 faith for assurance in our hearts, brothers and 00:44:47.170 --> 00:44:52.469 sisters. But His goodness and loving kindness 00:44:53.079 --> 00:44:56.079 because of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:44:56.480 --> 00:45:02.159 will always be upon you. That's the gospel, brothers 00:45:02.159 --> 00:45:05.980 and sisters. That even though you don't do what 00:45:05.980 --> 00:45:08.380 you're supposed to do, God is always faithful 00:45:08.380 --> 00:45:12.320 to you. That even though you don't believe as 00:45:12.320 --> 00:45:14.800 you ought to do, even though you don't live under 00:45:14.800 --> 00:45:18.619 your glory as a believer, His goodness and loving 00:45:18.619 --> 00:45:24.090 kindness are still upon you. These are the realities 00:45:24.090 --> 00:45:30.170 we must gaze upon by faith and allow our hearts 00:45:30.170 --> 00:45:36.030 to be stirred and warmed and inclined towards 00:45:36.030 --> 00:45:41.969 the Lord. My exhortation to you is this. Look 00:45:41.969 --> 00:45:47.750 at the faithfulness of God. Look at the character 00:45:47.750 --> 00:45:55.579 of God and by faith, live unto him for his glory.