THE CONSUMMATION OF IT. It is when "the hoary head is a crown of glory, being found in the way of righteousness" when there are no marks upon the countenance of extinct volcanoes, dark shadows from wrought-out passions, impressions of darkness and crime, but when the life has been spent for God. Jesus has trod the Psalm 23-journey before us. Psalm 23:1-6 The Lord Is My Shepherd. You will have frequently to go there, to plead the great Sacrifice. xxiii. "I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. He has bound Himself by His own promise to be merciful and forgiving. Psalm 23 is one of those places. All the topics of the former Discourses are now resumed and applied. (Psalm 23:1-6) Introduction. Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise Him who is the health of my countenance," etc. Alexander MaclarenExpositions of Holy Scripture, The Great Privilege of those that are Born of God"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin." In death's dark vale I fear no ill With VariousThe Hymnal of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the USA, The Shepherd and the Fold Thou hast guided them in Thy strength unto Thy holy habitation.' If He is your shepherd now, He will be your Shepherd then. Thomas Boston speaks of how the glorified shall walk eternally, seeing more and more of GodThey may bring their vessels to this ocean every moment, and fill them with new waters.[4], Donald Macleod says of the Garden of Eden, It offered scope for art, science, and technology The same will doubtless be true of the world to come. [In this section Jesus proceeds to contrast his own care for humanity with that manifested by the Pharisees, who had just cast out the beggar. Poor man! Pardoning mercy. In one John WesleySermons on Several Occasions, Joy'The fruit of the Spirit is joy.' It ruins my soul. And when he looks beyond the days of his life in this world he sees what comes after: The joy of eternity in the immediate presence of the Lord. Website: OpentheBible.org. b) John 14:1-3 i) The Lord Jesus Christ reiterated and underscored what David had said in Psalm 23:6. ii) The Lord Jesus is talking about the same place that David was talking about. This should be our aim, to attain to the realisation of the life hid with Christ in God; and to this God is separating us off, that our sojourn with Him may be eternal. The Good Shepherd keeps me close to Himself through His goodness and mercy that are always chasing after me. Enlarge it towards the sunny south; take in many a piece of ground which is now covered by worldly occupations, business, or pleasure. The Lord is my shepherd -. What is heaven like? Supplying mercy. But more is promised. No wonder, then, that David felt so secure when thinking of the future. "I will dwell in the house of the Lord." Gospel: Mark 7:14-23. [924] (Epistle 341.) For posting on the web, a link to this document on our website (OpentheBible.org) is preferred. Surely goodness and mercy That is, God's favour, and the blessed and comfortable effects of it; shall follow me Hebrew, , jirdepuni, shall pursue me, by which emphatical expression he signifies God's wonderful freeness and readiness to do good to his people, and that his blessings not only prevent us, but even pursue them who flee from them, or that they . 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He reigns. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. Douglas Macmillan quotes a Scottish shepherd who preached on the verse we are looking at today: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. The storm may roar without me, My heart may low be laid, Bnt God is round about me, And can I be dismayed? We will be with Him where He is We will see His glory: He will be our Shepherd, and He will guide us to streams of living water. The closing words which Jesus had spoken to those Pharisees who followed HIm breathe the sadness of expected near judgment, rather than the hopefulness of expostulation. It is remarkable how much, connected not only with the Ministry of Jesus, but with His innermost Life, gathers around that little fishing town. Dr. Philip W. McLarty. Where streams of living water flow My ransomed soul he leadeth, And, where the verdant pastures grow, With food celestial feedeth. Its sins are ever at my heels. So, thank Him for it. Its guilt dogs my steps. And no shepherd would ever be without them. "And God said unto Moses, I am, that I am: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you" (Exod. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His names sake. The psalm begins, ''The Lord is my shepherd'' (v. 1). 2) THE CERTAINTY OF IT (PSALM 23:6) a) "Surely, I will dwell in the house of the Lord." i) No if's, and's, or but's about it; it's a sure thing. 29.) Shall I be able, I To Malachy. Through the valley and shadow of death though I stray, Since Thou art my guardian no evil I fear; Thy rod shall defend me, Thy staff be my stay; No harm can befall, with my Comforter near. "Hath He promised, and shall He not bring it to pass?" Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Wherever He may guide me, No want shall turn me back; My Shepherd is beside me, And nothing can I lack. they smothered him with flowers and killed him with fame and it came to this! And the other man, though he had great ability and great genius, and had a long and wonderful life, which, however, nobody would say, or pretend to say, that he spent it in walking with God, he says, "I wish that I had never been born." In one of his books you may find a review of his life. To save items to a SermonFolder, please sign in to your account. Let us ponder one weighty verse, The Valley of the Shadow of Death.--Psalm xxiii. To start saving items to a SermonFolder, please create an account. --Ps. Yet Jehovah has chosen to be our shepherd, David says. Colin S. Smith. Let it be a life of patient witness for God. If you are coming for the first-time we are now studying the Book of Psalms under the theme "PONDERINGS ON THE PSALMS: FINDING MEANING & PURPOSE IN THE PANDEMIC!" And then the last line of verse 6 reminds us of heaven. 25. B. Ps. The great God of the universe has stooped to take just such care of you and me. But the Lord picks me up. Over these last weeks, we have seen the devastating effects of wildfires in California. Green pastures. Note the number of psalms in Books 1 and 2. Gal 5:52. What will the next world be like? One of the jobs of a shepherd is to lead his sheep. 6 "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. Observe the beautifulness and the blessedness of a Christian old age. He will guide you to springs of living water (Rev 7:17). We belong to a better time, but still we can feel its grandeur. 2. Theres only one reason: The Good Shepherd came to seek and to save the lost. Sustaining mercy. In verses 5 and 6 David changes the metaphor a . And the love of the Good Shepherd is: A love that pursues, and a love that welcomes. Psalm 23:5-6. James says, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change, (James 1:17). Intro: The Lord could have compared His people to anything in the world.He could have said, "My people are like bears, they are strong!" He could have said, "My people are like lions, they are courage, fearless and brave!" He could have said, "My people are like foxes because they are so shrewd and wise." He could have even said, "My people are like . We hope you have enjoyed the journey through some . "Shall follow me." It begins with these words, I bind unto myself today, the strong name of the Trinity. 1. In Heavenly Love abiding, No change my heart shall fear, And safe is such confiding, For nothing changes here. And who knows what the future holds? Brothers and sisters, nothing can ever separate us from you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord, (Rom 8:39). By daily habits of devotion, by the culture of a child-like faith, by holy familiarity with Divine things, I will seem to myself to be constantly engaged in God's service.3. Sermon Title: "THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD!" Sermon Text: Psalm 23 Introduction: GOOD MORNING TO ALL! Psalm 23:6: All the Days of My Life: W. Forsyth : Psalm 23:6: . Having trouble logging into your account? Please follow along as I read Psalm 23:1-6: 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Mercies remembered and anticipated.--Ps. "WHEN Moses in the desert beheld the burning bush God answered his question by the revelation of His name as the "I Am." There is quite enough here for the satisfaction of the animal; and the mere animal lives here in contentment, and takes its fill of happiness for its little inch of time. It is a rich study from the perspective of a shepherd on Psalm 23. As we sit in this room, and mourn but also celebrate the life of Brandy, our soul feels dead, it feels no joy or rest. We thank the Lord for another beautiful Sunday morning that He has given us. Its sins are ever at my heels. xxiii. But why "follow" me? Have follow'd me through all my days; Thy strengthening staff, and guiding rod, Upheld my steps, made straight my ways: Lord, till I reach thy holy hill, Goodness and mercy guard me still. What will the next world be like? In one, 'The fruit of the Spirit is joy.' Though in the VariousThe Hymnal of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the USA, The King of Love My Shepherd Is[1242]Dominus Regit Me: John Bacchus Dykes, 1868 Psalm 23 Henry W. Baker, 1868 The King of love my Shepherd is, Whose goodness faileth never; I nothing lack if I am his, And he is mine for ever. He chases after you in mercy. And then comes the good man's utterance of his subjective feelings after taking this review of life. "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin." The Psalms are filled with affirmations of God's love for us: Psalm 13:5, 31:7, 86:5, 136 - 25 times. Your own god? But suddenly in verse 5, the picture changes, and we no longer have the image of a shepherd, but rather that of a host in his home. And when I yield this mortal breath, My soul into Thy hands commend, And pass the vale and shade of death, Thy staff and rod my path attend: Mercy and goodness then shall be My song to all eternity. --Ps. Part of the power of Psalm 23 is the . -- Psalm 23:4. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. Living in it for these last weeks has done me good, and I have been moved to learn that many of you have been helped by it too. There are foes in my yesterdays which can give me fatal wounds. He who spake thus out of the bush to Moses was the same who in the fullness of time appeared upon the earth in the form of man. "I thank God," says the one, "that ever I was born," because he can take the 23rd Psalm, and in the 23rd Psalm he can read the history of his inward life. Psalm 23:6b. 1 John 3:9. Aim . II. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me. It is when "the hoary head is a crown of glory, being found in the way of righteousness" when there are no marks upon the countenance of extinct volcanoes, dark shadows from wrought-out passions, impressions of darkness and crime, but when the life has been spent for God. His wisdom ever waketh, His sight is never dim, -- He knows the way He taketh, And I will walk with Him. The Collection and Divisions: In all probability the book of one hundred and fifty psalms, as it now stands, was compiled by Ezra about 450 B.C. II. The Philistines hate me. Where streams of living water flow My ransomed soul he leadeth, And, where the verdant pastures grow, With food celestial feedeth. Wealth, in those, All we like sheep have gone astray: we have turned every one to his own way, and the LORD hath laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. The Lord sustains me. His wisdom ever waketh, His sight is never dim, -- He knows the way He taketh, And I will walk with Him. God often uses material things to speak to us about spiritual things. He does not just say that the Lord is a shepherd. 2 Samuel 13-19, John 10, John 7:37, Matthew 11:28, Matthew 26:72, Psalm 23, Psalm 23:1-6, Psalm 42:11, Psalms 23:1-6, Sermon Topics: He says, "I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Heres what that means: The Good Shepherd became one with the sheep. The certainty of it. Its guilt and its shame will haunt me. I carry within myself, in my own religious consciousness, a prophecy, an earnest of something greater than the life that now is."4. There will be the going in and out, and finding pasture - all through; but the end is not here, but above. Beware of sinking into the vortex of selfishness, and burying your mercies in the grave of forgetfulness. Psalm: Psalm 119:129-136 132. These are difficult days for all of us. 1, Sin Charged Upon the SuretyAll we like sheep have gone astray: we have turned every one to his own way, and the LORD hath laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. He leads me into rest and He leads me into righteousness. In Psalm 23 David writes "Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life" (Psalm 23:6 NIV). I have loved meditating on Psalm 23. They talked for awhile, and then Allen took a pad of . Denomination: "Shall follow me." If God was chasing after you with judgment and condemnation, of course you would run. If Saul hear it, he will kill me. This summer my sister went with my family and I to New Hampshire. His kingdom will come. Today we "walk through the valley of the shadow of death" (Psalm 23). They are not in any way softened or modified, but uttered in accents of Alfred EdersheimThe Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Discourse on the Good Shepherd. David says in Psalm 27, One thing I have asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, (Psalm 27:4). All the days of my life that is, all my life long even to the last. As he remembers what he did for the sheep, some words come to him The Lord is my shepherd. xxiii. But of this you can be certain: Whatever the future holds, Gods goodness and Gods mercy will follow you all the days of your life. Wherever He may guide me, No want shall turn me back; My Shepherd is beside me, And nothing can I lack. III. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And when I yield this mortal breath, My soul into Thy hands commend, And pass the vale and shade of death, Thy staff and rod my path attend: Mercy and goodness then shall be My song to all eternity. It's, by far, one of the most familiar passages of scripture in the Bible. "I will dwell in the house of the Lord." They were originally used as songs in the Jewish Temple Worship. and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalm 23:6), These words can be understood in two ways. The picture of Moses and the children of Israel singing, and Miriam and the women answering: a gush of national pride and of worship! His writing has informed much of my meditation today. It is simply impossible for Him ever to decree or wish to do anything evil. iv. The picture of Moses and the children of Israel singing, and Miriam and the women answering: a gush of national pride and of worship! In David's mind this is speaking of his ability to be in God's temple in Jerusalem. When in the sultry glebe I faint, Or on the thirsty mountain pant, To fertile vales and dewy meads My weary, wandering steps he leads, Where peaceful rivers, soft and slow, Amid the verdant landscape flow. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. God is able to meet all our needs. CONCLUSION . The Lamb of God is the Lion of Judah. Hence it is said, "If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to," etc. Surely, etc. Thus, when our Lord says, Behold, I come as a thief (Revelation 16:15) , --common sense will fix the resemblance to a single point, that He will come suddenly, and unexpectedly. fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite: for I have provided Me a king among his sons. As the mother's eye and hand follow her little one as he makes his first wobbling attempt to toddle alone; as the needle follows the lodestone; as the water out of the rock followed the Israelites through the desert; as the pillar of glory went with them by night and by day: so goodness and mercy shall follow the faithful, in the closet, in the family, in the church, in the world. As he was taking care of his father's sheep, lying on his back in a lush green field beside a gently flowing stream, he penned the words of this . The deliverance has made the singer look forward to the end, and his confidence in the issue is confirmed. It is a fearful doctrine, but clearly stated in Scripture with regard to many individuals of the human race, that, so far from "goodness and mercy following them all the days of their life," everything that He gives them seems only the more to estrange them from God and goodness. Because it is the scene of His familiar glory. And the other man, though he had great ability and great genius . The Lord brings me back. We're taking about believers: about actual Christian experience. So, thank God, that in Christ He does not chase after you with the wildfire of judgment. The man's physician had suggested that he see his minister. Thou hast guided them in Thy strength unto Thy holy habitation.' ), 1. He gave Himself to you, and He calls you to follow Him. Then comes the assurance of expectation and hope. They can stab me in the back! In all probability its prosperity was chiefly due to the neighbouring Tiberias, which Herod Antipas [2583] had built, about ten years previously. The relationship you have with Jesus in this world will continue forever. Goodness. III. There are foes in my yesterdays which can give me fatal wounds. There is no restoring there, no troubling there; no dark misty shade of death to chill the sunlight of the road. I have walked through some dark valleys and more lie ahead of me. (Psalm 23:1) Introduction: Dr. Charles Allen, beloved Methodist minister, tells the story of a friend who came to see him one day. Then comes the assurance of expectation and hope. These are just the two things into which God's beneficence, generally considered, naturally divides itself. Why will any of us be in heaven? Behind me, before me, beside me, beneath me above me. Our Lord Jesus Christ is no less person, than the I AM. Hebrews 3:12-13, 11:1-2, 6, 12:1-2 A GOOD MAN FOLLOWS - Psalm 37:23. Why not "go before"? He could not else be good. Evil will be overthrown. Presbyterian/Reformed, On Sunday, March 22, 2020, we started having Virtual Fellowship Services using Zoom videoconferencing. Now today, we are looking at the last verse of this Psalm. The Good Shepherd' and his one Flock' - Last Discourse at the Feast of Tabernacles. But not so man: man is a rational being. Then your reality will be something like this: I am my own shepherd, and I will always want. The LORD is my Shepherd. 1. W. McGarveyThe Four-Fold Gospel, The Return to Capernaum - Healing of the Centurion's Servant. "The house of the Lord.". What credentials does he have to be my shepherd, my owner, my manager? It promises much, but it always disappoints. If a family needed a shepherd, it was always the youngest son, like David, who got this unpleasant assignment. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. iii:14). Psalm 23:2-3 ESV. This is a Psalm of David and David was a shepherd. Both have to do with character, spiritual character, relation to God. David's word for God's tender affection is a term used in the ancient world to mean love that flows out of deep emotion rather than duty. 3. Like some chemical characters, in certain temperatures they are illegible; but raise the temperature and they appear in all their reality. My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart.--Ps. When King David was a boy, he used to look after his father's sheep - so he knew what he was talking about when he spoke of the LORD as his shepherd. A Christian old age, no change my heart shall fear, and burying your mercies in the of!: W. Forsyth: Psalm 23:6 ), these words, I bind unto myself,! Care of you and me books 1 and 2 looking at the last bring them also, and your., March 22, 2020, we have seen the devastating effects of in... 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