Bible Study Series; 23 Psalms Verse 5

GUEST IN THE HOUSE OF THE SHEPHERD

23 Psalms Verse 5

Notice, in the first 4 verses of the 23 Psalms, the Lord took

the role of leading the sheep.

In this fifth verse, the Lord took the role of host to the sheep.

In the first 4 verses Jesus was training the sheep to follow Him in

faith.

I can picture David, the writer of this Psalm sitting in his palace

reflecting on what God had done for him. He took him from being a

shepherd boy to being the King of Israel. He went from the OUT HOUSE

to the WHITE HOUSE.

I think David reflected on what he had been through to get to the palace.

You and I ought to take some time to reflect what God has done

for us to get to this point in our lives.

It would be good if we wrote our own praise Psalm

God planed your future before you knew to think about a future.

David was anointed to be king when he was 15 years old. He was a replacement For King Saul.

He spent 7 years in Saul’s palace. He spent 4 years being chased

By a deranged Saul who wanted him dead.

He spent 4 years in Ziklag consolidating his support among

Israel. That’s 15 years before David was made King.

As a shepherd David had to fight a lions and bears to protect

the herd of sheep under his care. God was training him to be king.

The lion and the bear didn’t just show up, God brought them

to David to test and strengthen his faith.

Goliath didn’t just show up in David’s life, God brought

David to the battle.

When David saw Goliath dressed in his battle armor, standing 9 foot

tall, he leaned on his skill as a sling shot marksman to stand

against him.

It was God that directed the stone from David’s sling shot to

a perfect bulls eye between Goliath eyes.

God use what you got to do the job.

David was an instrument for God’s glory.

That’s our main job on earth is to be an INSTRUMENT TO GOD’S

GLORY.

YOU WERE MADE FOR HIS NAME SAKE, not yours.

Before David became the king that he was anointed to be, he endured many trials at the hand of King Saul. It was 15 years of ups and downs

For David to get to the place God planned for him.

We see David’s glory as king of Israel. But we must consider

The trials God put him through before he became king.

God took His spirit from Saul because of his disobedience

And place it on David because of his obedience.

This corona virus didn’t just show up, God brought it to us to

strengthen our faith and to draw us closer to Him.

Verse 5 show us what happens when we trust God through our trials

V:5 You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

I want to focus on three concepts in this verse, The Table, The Anointing

And The Cup

THE TABLE

A. God didn’t get rid of David’s enemies, He gave

     him victory over them.

    1. In this life time you will always have enemies,

        but God will give you the victory.

    2. God can make your enemies your foot stool

    3. Don’t be surprised when trouble shows up at your

        door, consider it all joy.  (James 1:2).

“You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.”

In verse 4, the shepherd led his sheep through the valley of Deep

Darkness. You persevered and didn’t give up. On the other

Side of the valley is the Lord’s table.

    

Gal 6:9

9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

    

2 Cor 4:17

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

The table is a feast of love, forgiveness, tolerance, abundance

provision, comfort, counseling, knowledge, and righteousness.

Danger is all around us, but at the Lord’s table

His grace and mercy is endless. At the Lord’s table

you will find rest and peace while your enemy looks

On. 

“In the presence of my enemy”

God does not get rid of your enemies, He protects you from them.

They get a chance to see the blessings that God has for you.

Outside David palace, the enemy knew of God blessings.

   

    Ps 118:6-7

    The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.

    What can man do to me?

    The Lord is with me; he is my helper.

     I will look in triumph on my enemies.

THE ANOINTING

“You anoint my head with oil “

 Anoint is to set apart for God own use

 Anoint is to consecrate.

      John 15:4

     Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except

     it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

 God has made us priests in His house

The head and the mind must be protected from Satan.

 Aaron was anointed as High priest of Israel

    

Ex 30:30-32

"Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests. 31 Say to the Israelites, 'This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come.

Oil is the giving of the Holy Spirit

God make us one with Him by giving us the power of the

Holy Spirit.  

Mary poured an expensive perfume ( worth a years wage)on the head of Jesus and washed His feet with her hair.

        

   Luke 7:46-4

   You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47   

   Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven — for she loved

    much.

   John 12:7

  "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "[It was intended] that she should save

    this perfume for the day of my burial.”

Jesus, set apart for the Fathers use, was headed to the cross.

He had a fleshly nature, His body. He had a divine nature, His

Spirit.

    

      Luke 4:18-19

     The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach    

      the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to

      preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind,

      to set at liberty them that are bruised.

The anointing is the empowering of the Holy Spirit to do God’s work.

All of us, that is every believer, has been anointed to proclaim the

Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is the anointing of the Holy Spirit that reminds us of God’s Word

and empowers us to resist the temptations of the devil.

THE CUP

“My cup over flows”

   

Matt 26:27-29

Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Our cups are over flowing with the salvation of the Lord. Our cups are

over flowing with God’s grace and mercy.

The cup is the cup of thanksgiving

    

   1 Cor 10:16

   Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in    

   the blood of Christ?

The cup is also a cup of sacrifice

    

    Matt 26:39

    39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed,      

    "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I   

    will, but as you will."

God expects us to make sacrifices for Him.

We are expected to serve Him through our compassionate service

Of others.

We have to take a stand for Christ.

    

   1 Cor 10:21

   You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you   

    cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons.

There is a table of destruction and a table of righteousness

You have to decide which table you want to be seated.

In Summary, God provides THE TABLE, THE ANOINTING and

THE CUP.

The  TABLE is a place of comfort and rest

To get to the TABLE you have ANOINTING to  serve God.

To get to the TABLE you have to drink from the CUP of thanksgiving

and sacrifice.

All of this is to give GOD GLORY

This corona virus is the cup God set before us.

We have been anointed to handle it.

So we can sit a God’s Table of Glory.

Amen

Rev. M. Mitchell

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Faith In Jesus Brings Success". Psalms 118:14-29, 4/26/2020

   

FAITH IN JESUS BRINGS SUCCESS

Ps 118:14-29

REFLECTING ON HIS GOODNESS

V:14 The Lord  is my strength and my song;

he has become my salvation.

A. This is a declaration of faith.

    1. It is easy to say this, but it difficult to live this

        proclamation.

    2. At the moment of trouble, doubt enters our mind.

    3. The Apostle James said, count it all joy.

    4. The problem is the last thing that comes to mind

         in the middle of a problem is joy.

    5. It will take a change in the way we see ourselves

        weak and in need of the Lord’s strength.

B. As we continue through this coronavirus, I suggest we find a

     Song to praise God.

    1.   Ps 22:3

          But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

    2. God is in your praise.

    3. If you want to feel close to God in times of trouble, start

        praising Him.

C. God has already prepared a place for us in heaven, through the

     death of Jesus on the cross.

   1. How we get through our time on earth depends on our faith

       in Jesus.

   2. He hears our prayers and makes intercession for us continuously

       with the Father.

THE TIME TO CLAIM THE JOY OF JESUS

V:15. Shouts of joy and victory

resound in the tents of the righteous:

"The Lord 's right hand has done mighty things!

16 The Lord 's right hand is lifted high;

the Lord 's right hand has done mighty things!"

17 I will not die but live,

and will proclaim what the Lord has done.

A. When we consider that God is on our side protecting

      us there should be joy in our household.

     1. If we really believe the proclamation we made,

         there should be no doubt in our minds.

       2. If I take my mind off the circumstances and

           place them on the goodness of the Lord, there

           should be shouts of joy in my home.

       3. The key is to quit being anxious for that which

            you cannot control.

       4. Prov 12:25

           An anxious heart weighs a man down,

           but a kind word cheers him up

           a. Words of encouragement come from the Word

               of God.

           b. It is your negative thoughts that weigh you down.

        5. The way to get rid of negative thoughts is to focus

             on the authority of Jesus.

               

               Phil 4:6

               Do not be anxious about anything but in everything,

               by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your

               requests to God.

        6. The right hand of the Lord is the hand of blessing.

            a. If you want some idea of how mighty God is, consider

                gravity which He made that keeps all the planets,

                stars, and moons in their orbits so that they don't

                crash into each other.

            b. God blessed the earth with an environment that man

                can live in. We have not found a livable environment

                on any other planet.

         7. God sent us Jesus so we never die.

             a. The body returns to the dust from which it was made,

                  but the spirit returns to the Lord.

             b. The spirit of those who love the Lord will spend

                  eternity with Jesus.

THE LORD’S MERCY AND GRACE

V:18 The Lord has chastened me severely,

but he has not given me over to death.

19 Open for me the gates of righteousness;

I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.

20 This is the gate of the Lord

through which the righteous may enter.

A. Many of the tough times we have are a result

     of our own disobedience to the Lord.

    1. The tough times are ways in which God disciplines

         us.

     2. The wages of sin is death.

     3. Because of God’s grace, He tolerates us until we

         repent of our sins.

B. The Lord made a way for us to enter heaven with Jesus

      Death on the cross.

    1. The righteousness of Jesus was imputed upon us.

    2. Jesus took our place on the cross.

    3. We have been cleansed of all unrighteousness by the

        blood of Jesus.

    4. We owe God thanks for His mercy.

DAYS OF THANKSGIVING

V:21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;

     you have become my salvation.

     22 The stone the builders rejected

    has become the capstone;

    23 the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.

A. God blessed us before we knew our sins.

    1. Eph 1:4

        For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and

        blameless in his sight.

   2. We did not have to prove our worth for salvation, all we had to do

        is believe.

           John 3:16

           For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that

           whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

B. Jesus offered salvation to the Jews first.

   1. The chief priest, scribes, the Sadducees and the Pharisees rejected

        Jesus as the long-awaited messiah.

   2. The nation, by not speaking in His defense at the trial, rejected Him also.

   3. Their rejection led to the cross where Jesus became the capstone of

        Christian faith.

      4. The Jew's rejection brought salvation to the Gentiles (you

          and me).

      5. God has planned our lives so we have many reasons to be

           thankful.

THE THOUGHT FOR TODAY

V:24. This is the day the Lord  has made;

   let us rejoice and be glad in it.

A. The word rejoice is from the translation of a Hebrew word

     which means to spin around with excitement.

   1. The word glad is from a Hebrew word which means to

        cheer up

   2. Each day when we wake we should cheerfully spin around

       with excitement

B. The fact that God has given us another day to live is a

     blessing according to His mercy.

    

    Matt 6:34

    Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about    

     itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

A REQUEST FOR MERCY

V:25 O Lord, save us; O Lord, grant us success.

26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

From the house of the Lord, we bless you.

27 The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine upon us.

With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession

up to the horns of the altar.

A. Those who love the Lord are encouraged by Him to

     Pray for success in life.

    1. We are blessed to have Jesus as our Savior.

    2. We were blessed before God made the world to

        be included in the body of Christ.   Eph 1:4.

    3. To have the faith to come to God in prayer in the name

         of Jesus is a blessing.

      

     a 1 Cor 1:18

           For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,  

           but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.  

    b. God has two classes of people; those who perish and those who are

       saved.

    c. Why were we blessed to be saved?

B. The faith we have did not originate with us, it was given by God.

     1.  Rom 12:3

        Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of    

        yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith

        God has given you.

    2. God brought us out of darkness into His marvelous light that we

        may be a blessing to others.

            

        2 Cor 4:6

        For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," and made his light    

        shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of    

        God in the face of Christ.

DECLARATION OF FAITH
V:28 You are my God, and I will give you thanks;

  you are my God, and I will exalt you.

  29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

  his love endures forever.

A. It is important for us to continuous focus on the goodness

     Of God in our lives.

    1. The more we focus on the blessings He has shown us, the

        more we should give Him thanks,

    2. God blessed us when we didn’t know Him and was deep

         in our sins.

     3. He has truly been better to us than we have been to ourselves

B. We should lift up the name of the Lord because He is good all

     The time.

     1. He is to be praised above all others.

     2. There is none good all the time but God.

             

         Mal 3:6

         For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not    

         consumed.

God was good before this virus and He is good now

Those of us who love the Lord are safe this coronavirus pandemic.

Therefore be of good cheer for the Lord is protecting you.

Rev. M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Parkway North

Houston, Texas 77041

For more lessons, follow me on facebook and visit my blogs

revmmitchell.com and goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com

Bible Study Series 23 Psalms 4

WALKING THROUGH THE VALLEY WITH JESUS

23 PSALMS Verse 4

    

Ps 23:1-24:4

23 The Lord  is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk

through the valley of the shadow of death

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.

Notice in the first three verses, the Shepherd

led the sheep to places of peace, quite, and

Abundance, green grass and still waters.

When He gets to verse 4, The Shepherd talks about

trials and tribulations,  and threats of violence.

Even though I walk through

It is the shepherd that leading the sheep.

Just because you have a relationship with the Lord,

does not mean you want have some difficulties in your

life, in fact the norm is problems. The good thing is

The Shepherd is with us through your problems,

The disciples were in a boat going across the sea of Galilee

when a storm arose and the ship was about to sink. Jesus

was in the ship asleep. They woke Jesus up and accused

Him of not caring if they drown.

Paul and Silas were on a mission for Jesus, and got thrown in to

Jail. At midnight, they starting  praying and singing to

the Lord.

In each case they would not have seen the power and glory of

God if they were not in trouble

V:4  Even though I walk

through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

A. The word walk is a Hebrew word yalak. It is verb that is

     first person singular, imperfect, active,  and causative.

    1. The action is not complete, so it is ongoing.

    2. So it should read. He makes me walk

    3. The shepherd is leading the sheep in the valley.

    4. The Shepherd makes me to continuously walk.

    5. Think about it, in order to get to green pastures

        by still waters, you got to take a journey with Jesus.

     6. Your journey includes the valleys of life.

B. Even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death

    1. The “shadow of death” is a Hebrew phrase that can be interpreted

       As a shadow of deep darkness.

   2. The world is a place of deep darkness. We live in a place where

        sin and violence is the norm.

   3. It is the Shepherd, Jesus that makes us go through the valley of

       deep darkness

   4. It is the Shepherd that’s making us go through this coronavirus.

PAY ATTENTION TO THIS;

C. To have a valley, there must be a mountain or high place

     1. The high place is the throne of God.

     2. To have a shadow there must be light,

         that light is Jesus

    2. The light shines above the object

    3. The light shines from behind the object

    4. Not only is the Shepherd leading us, but He has our back.

D. Let me suggest, that the valley is the place we live as sinners.

    1. The valley can be a dark place of doom and

        gloom

     2. Even though we are in the valley, there is a light that

         creates the shadow.

“

    3. Since the shadow is created by light, it points to

        a physical death that leads to eternal life.

    4. While in the valley, we can live in the light, if we accept

         Jesus as our shepherd.

E. “I fear No Evil”

   1. There is no need to fear what is meant to be

       a reminder of the light that produced it.

   2. Fear is a condition of the mind that has been learned

       through life’s experiences and circumstances.

     

3. The word fear in verse 4 is the Hebrew word yare which

       Mean frighten or dread.

   4.   “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but power

         love and sound mind.”    2 Tim 1:7

        The word fear in 2 Tim 1:7 is the Greek word deilia which

        Means, timidity , cowardice

      5.   God did not give us a spirit to be frighten or to be a coward.

            He gave us His power, His Love and His sound mind

       6.  This kind of fear, yare, is the way of the world.

           We are fearful of this pandemic virus, but we don’t

           have to be.  We can live in the Power of the Love,

           protection,  and the assurance of Jesus.

Look at what the Psalmists says

       

Prov 14:27

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,

The word fear in this verse is the Hebrew word yirah which

Means morally reverence. We reverence the Shepherd.

Prov 1:7

The fear of the Lord  is the beginning of knowledge,

The word fear is yirah

One fear, yare is tied to the ways of the world

One fear yirah, is tied to faith in Jesus, Our shepherd

God commands us to  yirah Him.

Notice what yirah  does for us

Prov 10:29

The way of the Lord  is a refuge for the righteous.

We can take refuge in Jesus with this virus all around us

  

Prov 18:10

The name of the Lord is a strong tower;

It is God who give us strength   YIRAH

   

Prov 22:2

The Lord is the maker of them all.

The Lord made the good and the bad

God made the good times and this virus

   

Prov 29:25

But whoever trusts, (yirah), in the Lord  is kept safe.

Here is the key to getting through the virus;

Trust the Lord     YIRAH

In every day situations, You have to make decisions.

Of yare, being a coward or yirah trusting the Shepherd

 3. Even if God allows evil to over take us, it only hastens our

     eternal life with Jesus.

 4. If we focus on the fear, which Satan desires, we lose sight of

      God’s power, love and sound mind.

 5. All believers must faced the physical death which is immanent

      in order to gain the Spiritual life with Christ which is promised.

     All of us need to YARAH the Lord

V:4b. your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

The Rod is for Our Protection.

For a shepherd, the rod isn't a long stick but rather the curly end of the staff. The rod was used to pull sheep out of dangerous or unfortunate situations such as if a sheep was caught in thick brush or had fallen into deep water. The rod was also used to defend the sheep against predators.

The words Rod and Staff have often been

used interchangeably, but most often a rod is used for correction, discipline, and guidance, while a staff was used for personal use as in a walking staff and as a defensive weapon.

What comforts us is to know that the Lord is always looking out for our best.

He is here to direct, correct, protect and provide for us.

We face dangerous situations each day of our lives.

It is up to us to trust the dangers of  life to the Lord.

Sometimes the Lord has to use His rod to pull us out of

situations.

Have you ever had a door shut on you?

It may have been the Lord.

Ever came upon an accident that happen just before you got there?

It may have been the Lord directing your time.

There are times when you will pay the price for                                                            disobedience. It will be the Lord correcting you with His staff.

Have you ever got out of something that you couldn’t

see your way out of? It was the Lord’s rod and staff.

God’s GRACE and MERCY endures with us forever

Take comfort in the Lord, doing this time of testing

And correction

AMEN

Rev M. Mitchell