Psalm 23

Speaker 1: Hey, man. Thank you for that, Miss Brittany. Sure do enjoy that song. And I heard her practicing when I was in my trusty meeting. I didn't recognize whose voice that was. I like, who is singing tonight? And so I asked for the carol when I got in there, who that was practicing, he said it was Miss Brittany. And I said, Oh, yeah, I forgot. When we were going through the interview process, I think it was about this time last year, of course, to ask for the clearance. All right. So it's also a little bit more about, you know, where he also talents and that kind of thing. I said, Well, Clarence, do you sing? And he's like, No way. He said, Well, my wife can sing specials and so appreciate them. Is Brittany glad you're willing to sing for us and pray for us. She gets closer to her due date and Tiana will be here soon and looking forward to meeting her and having a new little baby here in the church. So pray for them as that day gets closer. I appreciate that. As she does get closer to that day, she's stayed very active in the youth group. I bet she'll be there, Lord willing, at the clue activity and going right along with everyone else. So that's that's a blessing to see her continue on as long as she is physically able to do so. You guys have been great on Sunday morning. Heavy stuff, right? And so I am glad tonight. Song 23 Just a beautiful passage. Lots of good news, right? I mean, we're not going to talk about some of the stuff we've been talking about, but even next Sunday, next Sunday, or to talk about oaths and making promises, it's just. A little bit easier to swallow, right? Amen. You guys don't seem to care. Maybe I should go back some hard hitting stuff. He has been very nice about it and I appreciate that. This coming Wednesday. We're going to continue with our refresher course series. And the title is going to be a fearless church. A fearless church. And God is not giving us the spirit of fear, the power of love in a sound mind. That verse gets taken out of context a lot. It's used to apply to anything. This past week, when we were in debt in Texas, we went to a store that had a Ferris wheel inside the store, big thrift store, if you're a Ferris wheel. And as we were going up, I'm afraid of heights. Jackson rode with me. He's afraid. Well, maybe not any more, but at the time, he was kind of like acting like he was afraid of heights. And I said, Oh, I don't like this. I don't like being this high. And he said, Dad, I hate being this high. And so sometimes we use that to say, you know, God has not given us a spirit of fear, or maybe you use that for the dark. But if you look at it in its context, it has to do specifically with our witness to others. All right. And so we want to be an outward facing church, a mission minded church, a going church. And one thing that will hinder that is fear. So we want to look at that this Wednesday and hope you plan on being there with us if you are able to be there in the service. All right. So I'm 23. If you're there, go ahead and join me in standing in honor of reading God's Word. Would you like to read this with me? Okay. Let's read it together. Six verses. It's so poetic. We should be able to do this in a very easy way. So here we go. Ready? First, number one, the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He lead with me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me, Thou prepare us a table before me in the presence of mine enemies thou anointed my head with oil My cup runneth over Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day. Thank you for the time that we can spend together gaining strength and encouragement from your word. Lord, I pray that you would be with us as your sheep tonight. That we would be refreshed by the reminder of what a great shepherd you are to us and all that you provide for us as members of your flock. What I pray that would be here. We would leave here encouraged and ready to face whatever the week may bring to Jesus name. I pray. Amen. And you may be seated. Okay. So not all of you would have been here when we did this, but we did do a full Sunday morning series going through Psalm 23, I think it took us. I don't remember like 14 to 20 sermons to get through all of it. It was pretty long, but really digging into each phrase and obviously trying to cover Song 23 and one night, we are not going to be able to cover every aspect and facet of meaning that there is to to glean from this passage. So most likely you are going to have things in your mind, things you've heard before, things you've studied for yourself that I am not going to bring out tonight. I want to try and hit the high points, the one to try and give us a good overview of what Song 23 is talking about as a complete package. You know, it's different when you look at phrases or even words or just a verse, then looking at something in its whole context, looking at it as a larger unit, i. I personally enjoy reading my Bible in large units. You get a better feel for the, the whole movement of a passage rather than the minuscule parts of it. Now, I mean, there's times and places for that, but there is benefit to covering larger portions at once. And so that's what we're going to do tonight. And there's a there's a couple of ways I can break this down, I'm sure all three of them with you, but we're really only going to focus on two of them at length in the message. One way you can look at Psalm 23 is by using the orientation disorientation, reorientation framework that we have established throughout the book of Songs. Basically every song fits in one of those categories or in two of those categories. But if you look at Song 23, they would actually move through all three categories before the The Valley. We see him in a stage of orientation elitist me besides still waters, he restores my soul. David is talking about what God has done for him up to that point in his life. Then he goes through a period of disorientation where he is walking to the valley of the shadow of death. And yet through that he has learned through what God has done in the past, that He can trust God through the storms of the present. And then afterwards he gets through that and he talks about how God is preparing a table. Land is anointing his head, goodness and mercy are following him. And that's the period of reorientation. So we could look at it as all three of the different stages of life us have on that stages of life. How about this cycles of life that we've seen in the past? But what I want to do tonight is rather than focus on those three things, I want to focus on two different aspects breakdowns of Psalm 23. The first one is that David pictures God in two ways in song 23, on one hand he pictures God, which is very blatant and obvious and in-your-face, but he pictures God as a shepherd, God as a shepherd. But then if you continue on past the valley of the shadow of death, we see God also fulfilling the role of the host. So we've got a shepherd and a host and we see you say a host. So it's not like a lot of people like the host of Angels. No, no, no. Like the host of you know, I invited you over to my house and I'm going to serve you that kind of host. So we see God pictured in those two ways. So we're going to talk about that. But the other thing that we see and we're going to talk about tonight is the fact that as David moves through the verses, he transitions from where he starts talking about God to where he is there in the valley, and he begins talking to God. And then afterwards he goes back to at the very end talking about God. And so it's very interesting to me as we see the inner relate or not, the inner verse, the the outward testimony of David to others, telling them, this is my God, this is my Lord, this is my shepherd, come and meet him. Come and see the benefits of following him to where David gets into a spot where those things are being tested. The things He's claimed about God are being put into practice. He starts talking to God. Lord. I will fear no evil. Because thou art with me, thou art with me. Several commentators said that those words are the key words of Psalm 23. Thou art with me. Think about the fact that you tonight get to say to God. You are with. You are with. Regardless of your circumstances. God is with. That is a great source of strength. So let's start in verse number one. Here. God is obviously. The Shepherd. David is talking about God. And the word that I want you to key in on in verse number one is the Lord is my shepherd. He is a personal shepherd normally, especially in the Old Testament, when God is pictured as a shepherd, which is a common theme, it is almost always communicate, communicated in a communal sense. The Lord is our shepherd. We are the sheep, plural of his pasture. He is the shepherd of Israel. Israel is a large group of people. But in some 23, all of that changes. All of the communal aspects of God's authority and guidance are melted away. And what you're left with is the Lord is my shepherd. You are not just a member of his flock. You are the center of his attention. He is your shepherd. He is not just the group's shepherd. He is Nancy Collier's shepherd. He is Randy Silva Street Shepherd. And good night. Does Randy need a shepherd? Is well acquainted with the rod in the staff. He's Avery's Shepherd. E.T.A. Shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd. This makes sense. Because a shepherd usually has a flock of multiple sheep that he looks after. Dave is keen on the fact the Lord is not just the shepherd of the flock as a whole. The Lord is the shepherd of the individual sheep. What a blessing it is to know that with all of the. What we would consider to be distractions and more important issues. Our shepherd has time for each one of us individually. Is a personal shepherd. He is a shepherd that provides for his sheep. I wasn't all that great at English. Wasn't really all that great at math either. What was I good at? I don't know. We're still trying to figure it out. But anyways. One commentator said this When David says The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want that phrase. I shall not want is incomplete. Some of us were just sitting there thinking, I shall not want what shall not one clothes. I shall not want food, I shall not want housework. What is it that I shall not want? Well, that's kind of the point. It doesn't matter how we fill in that blank as a sheep in God's flock. I can trust. I will never lack the things that I need. There is nothing needful, nothing good that God is going to withhold from his sheep. God looks at his sheep and says, These sheep need food. I am going to give it to them. This means shelter. I ain't going to give it to them. That's not the way God operates. You ever seen an animal that was neglected, abandoned, and they get sick, they get shriveled up? You can tell there are signs that this animal has not been cared for. David says that never happens to God's sheep. God she knew not want for anything. If they need it, God will provide it. Not only that, but my shepherd designs situations in which I will thrive. He, he. He constructs a culture, an atmosphere, a situation where I can grow in my relationship with him, he says in verse or two. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. I don't know what you think of when you hear that word. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. Most of the time my kids go right to sleep and they're playing outside, you know, they're active. And so when we put them to bed, boom, they're out. Wintertime is a little harder, though, right? Because they're stuck inside. And there's only so many times that you can run around the couch, you know, until mom and dad start to lose their minds. Like, Please stop. Sometimes we wish we could just give them laps up and down the stairs, you know, go do ten laps. I don't even think that would make a dent in the energy levels, but sometimes we have to tell them, lay down, don't get up. And when you read he may kiss me to lie down in green pastures. You may have in your mind a shepherd forcing his sheep to lay down. That is not the case. When it says he makes me lie down in green pastures, it's talking about the fact that he provides a place for us that is so appealing. We can't help but rest in what he has provided. It is a situation designed for us to thrive. Well, that doesn't sound a whole lot like my life. I'll just hang on. Doesn't mean that circumstances are always going to be, like, easy. It doesn't mean that we're always going to have everything go our way. But what it does mean is God is never out of control in our situation. God is never out of control of our circumstances. You look at the life of job job's life and what took place there was designed to help Job grow closer to God. So you may be going through a job like situation. It doesn't change the fact that your shepherd makes you lie down in green pastures. He leads you besides still waters this this idea of green pastures and still waters harkens back to a very well-known royal way of of speaking about a good king. And if you had a good king, then he would you would say something along the lines of he has provided good grazing and good drinking, clear water, clean water to drink, good grazing, good drinking. I believe it was Hammurabi who wrote in his laws that if they would be followed, they would provide good grazing and good drinking. This is a common theme. And David says, Hey, look, you got all these other people claiming to provide good food, good water for their for their followers. But my shepherd outshines them all. He provides what everybody else wants to provide but can't. Riding as a sheep is not dependent upon external circumstances. God's sheep, regardless of what is going on around them, can thrive because of God's care for them. You see. Even when life's circumstances are grinding me down. David says, isn't just provide these things for me. He also restored my soul. Store with my soul. My shepherd knows how to restore me when I'm broken. You seen the video of the sheep that gets stuck in the ditch? The guy comes along and he pulls that sheep out of that irrigation ditch, sets him back on solid ground. That sheep takes two bounces and then jumps right back in the ditch. Cheap man, right? Sometimes I need restoration because I've broken myself. I have self-inflicted wounds that I need God to heal. I need my shepherd to treat my wounds that I have caused myself. Sometimes, though. My wounds have been caused by others. Maybe other sheep. We talked about this in our series, but sheep have a tendency to fight with one another. Maybe you're sitting like, what? No. I thought all God's creation got together and got along all the time. I thought if I became a Christian, everything would just be sunshine and flowers and roses. Now it doesn't happen that way. And sometimes there is pain inflicted on sheep by other sheep. Another video I should use to show this video when I was working with teenagers. There are three sheep running in a line and they are bolting for whatever I don't even know. And they're running so fast and there's a tree on the field and they use this line of three sheep, run straight at the tree and the middle one runs smack dab into the tree. And the other two just keep on going. She? Times. They need help. They need to be restored. The shepherd knows how to restore his sheep to health. We personalize that? My shepherd knows how to restore me to health. And I need that from time to time, don't you? Finally. Finally, finally with this first section. It leads me in paths of righteousness. It leads me along the right path. The existence of right paths implies the existence of wrong paths. As long as I follow my shepherd. He will never leave me and lead me astray. Long as I'm following him. I can trust. He's leading me on the right path. Why does he do this? Why does he do this? Because he loves me. Sure. What does what is the Bible say? Does this. For his namesake. I want you to think about that for just a second. For his namesake. Could mean. His reputation is at stake. You know, like, if he led us astray, then people wouldn't be as likely to trust him. Godliness Australia anyways. Now, so I mean, that's there. But there's another way for you to think about this. For his namesake can also mean that he is faithful to lead me because that's what his name is. You see what it says? He leaves me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. One of the things we have to understand is that in one sense of the word, your way means faithful one. And so if he were to lead us astray or steer us wrong, then he would be acting in a way that was contrary to his name. Acting in a way that is contrary to his nature. For God to lead you astray. He has to cease being who he is. He has to stop being God in order to fail you. Him. That means you must be pretty trustworthy, right? My shepherd takes good care of me. He is faithful to perform his responsibilities. Towards me because that's who he is. He is the faithful, unchanging one. Now this ends that first section of David. David is talking about God, but he's going to transition into a time of direct communication to God, and it's going to be during that time of disorientation. And in verse number four, having just said, he leads me in the paths of righteousness. He can't fail me. He can't lead me astray. Where does God lead him, though? First before. The valley of the shadow of death. David knows in his mind from his period of orientation that God can't fail me. God can't lead me astray. But as he enters the storm, the valley of the shadow of death, David is looking around and saying. Okay, Lord. I'm struggling here. He's been talking about how good God is. Now he's talking to God, he says. I will fear no evil. Thou art with me? I will fear no evil. Thou art with me. You were with me. You will be with me. Right now, Lord, I need to know that you are with me. When do you need to know that God is with you more than when you're in the storm? David is expressing his confidence in God. Can you. Do? You do. Do you. When you're going through a storm. Period of disorientation. Are you able to talk to God and say, Lord, I have confidence in you? I don't know how this is going to turn out. I mean, we're David says, I am in the literal presence of death. But I will fear no evil God. Shepherd. Because you are with me. It's not in the Bible. But David's like saying or, I know you've got this. No. You've got this. Trusting in you. I think it's interesting. We talked about it before, but the first time before he says Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. I think I spent a whole lot of time. The staff is the shepherd's crook. You know, the big long stick. It's an extension extension of the the shepherd's reach. You can reach out, get that that wandering or that that drifting sheep. Look him around the neck and bring him back in line. The rod is a is a long not a long it's a it's a shorter stick with usually a large like a root ball at the end, it's heavy. And the shepherd would use it and he would throw it he would throw it at wayward sheep to get their attention to bring them back. He could also use it as a weapon to ward off intruders or predators. Why do these things bring comfort to David? Because when you're in the valley of the shadow of death. Don't want to get out of line. One wrong step could be very detrimental. Last last summer when the bonus law got married up there in Montana, you know, driving through Glacier National Park, some of those roads are very narrow. I already admitted to you. I'm afraid of heights. Aleix is not. So much. She's like leaning out the window, looking down this, you know, several hundred foot drop. And she's like, look down there. And I'm like, I can't. I'm driving. Just look. We're going five miles an hour. I don't care. There's a brick wall. It could break. Do you want to test that wall? I don't. I want to stay in line. The sheep knows. Listen, if I start to drift, my shepherd's gonna bring me back where I need to be. And that that rod that would typically like on the table land in the pasture in the field, that rod that would be used to throw at a at a sheep that's wandering away and bring and get their attention, stop their their exit. The sheep knows that Rod's in his hand. I felt the sting of that rod. There's any predators in this. In this this valley that try to. That try to jump me. I know my shepherd's going to fire that rod at them, and he's going to protect me. Tyrod and I staff they come for me it's it's they're tools of correction there are tools of realignment but they're also tools of defense. And the sheep knows that the shepherd has their back. Now throughout the 23rd Psalm, there is a feeling of traveling towards a destination. Indeed, a shepherd's life is somewhat nomadic. It's also cyclical throughout the seasons where you would start at the ranch and you would move out to the the grazing fields, and then you would as winter got closer, you can bring them back in. There was a cycle that they would go through and so the shepherd takes the sheep away from the comfort at home, always with the intention of returning. So along the way, we see the shepherd not just acting as a shepherd, but also acting as a host. I saw a joke the other day. I talked about, you know, somebody, his friend coming over unexpectedly and the person is begging their friend, please don't tell everyone else that I live this way, you know, because typically if you know, someone's coming over you. Prepare for them, right? Just shove all the toys under the couch. You throw things in a closet and you get you know, you get it the clothes. You just hope that nobody opens that spring loaded trap, you know, and an avalanche kills your friend. We try to prepare for people. Well, David is picturing God as a host that goes before us to prepare the way for us. The shepherd is not leading us along this adventure of exploration, you know. Hey, let's go see what's out there. No, he says, I'll prepare a table before me. The table that is prepared elicits images of Thanksgiving. That's a long ways away. So how about Easter? I don't know what you do for Easter. I mean, maybe you have a ham if you have rolls. I don't know. But. But you probably have a nicer meal than normal. You're going to go out to eat. Out on Thanksgiving. Nicer meal and all. You're thinking about a table that's got all your favorites, all of the traditional food items laid out in a spread, and everyone gathers around and digs in and like, 5 minutes, it's gone. 5 hours to prepare. 5 minutes to. But instead of thinking of like a Thanksgiving table. We are supposed to picture here the shepherd preparing a mesa. A table, land, a plateau. For his sheep. The shepherd goes before the sheep and prepares the mesa by removing poisonous plants and hunting down the predators that would threaten the sheep. So as he prepares a table before me in the presence of mine, enemies is going to that good grazing ground that's far from home. The journey to get there is dangerous, but it's worth it because this is the place where the sheep can go to find good food. While they're there. The shepherd takes care of them. It's. You know, it's summertime. It's hot. Flies are buzzing. Those flies have a tendency to burrow into the facial cavities of the sheep. So a good shepherd will treat his sheep by anointing their heads with oil. Pours that oil over their head. He makes sure it gets in their ears. He sticks it up their nose and around their eyes and then the corners of their mouth. You make sure their whole head is covered with this oil. It's to prevent parasites, to prevent sickness from affecting the sheep. The awesome thing about the oil, it is both prescriptive and preventative. If you have a sick sheep that has already started to develop what they call the scab, and it's so gross, I wouldn't even show you a picture because you would all get sick. Even if a sheep has already started to develop the scab, the oil will heal it. It will make it clear up. But if a ship, a ship if a ship has not started to develop the scab, the oil will prevent it from happening. Isn't that a great picture about our relationship with God? And it doesn't matter how scabby you are. You may be a super gross deal. Cons oil clean right out. Clear that up in a minute. Apologies for. I have eczema on my hands mostly. It's not doing too good right now, but when I went to Virginia, something about Virginia made it just go crazy and it was all over my fingers. It actually started to move to the back of my hands. It was such that people really didn't want to shake my hand because they were all torn up. It was it was it was gross. So I went to my doctor and he sent me to a dermatologist. And funny thing, the dermatologist said, you know what? You're the third youth pastor that's been in here today. And like, well, it's a very stressful job. Remember the clients. Yeah. So anyways he gave me this stuff is a put this stuff on your hands at night. Let it sit on your hands. Don't touch Titus. He was a baby at the time. Is that because it's cancer causing? So I'm like, sorry, Alicia. I can't help with the baby. I can't touch him. It's like gloves on and go get him. But you know, once I started getting the right medicine, that stuff cleared up so fast. I mean, it was like. You can almost see it working. And within just a matter of days, my hands looked visibly better. Listen. God has the treatment for us, both preventative and prescriptive. And it doesn't matter how far gone you think you are, you're not too far gone for God. Version or six, David resumes talking about God. This is the part I've been waiting to get to. All message is a part that I didn't key in on when we did our series. But we're going to get it tonight. David says the first time a six. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Goodness and mercy shall follow all the days of my life. Three little brothers. Micah was mean to me. It's okay. Andrew was kind of a dork. I didn't really want him around it. Stick him in the other room. Tell him he was the bad guys. You live long, long way away. You can't come in here. When do I get to attack? We'll let you know. You never did. But, Joe. Joe was ten years younger than I am. Joe was was so cute. And so. As a teenager, I was 14, 15, he was four or five. I thought that Joe was the ticket to getting girls. Here's this cute little boy, and he is following me around everywhere we go, different places. And and people say, Oh, he's so cute. He looks just like you. Is that your son? Yes. At 15. That is my son. Yeah, I. I didn't mind that Joe followed me. Joe called me Bubba at the time, and, you know, I just he was cute. He was fun to have around. It was like a little action figure. We dress him up and all kinds of stuff, you know, like, it's like a my size Barbie, but it's Joe. When you read Charlie, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. If you're like me. Typically, I kind of have the idea that goodness and mercy are like, Joe, follow me around everywhere. You know, if I go this way, they follow. They're always right there. Surely. Goodness, mercy shall follow me. And they are they just. They're still there, you know? They're like a little Klingon. They follow you around. But that's not the picture that we're supposed to have of goodness and mercy following us instead. I'd rather you think of this. Think about the meanest, most competitive game of tag you've ever played. Okay. I mean, I'm talking about, like, you're out on the field at recess and it's boys versus girls. And we're going to we're going to in this, you know, who's who's better at what debate to day. And everybody is like geared up for tag. I mean, you've rolled your jeans up or maybe you've already gashed a big old hole in the knee. You've got your fastest running shoes on, rolling your sleeves up. Maybe you've even got a bandana around your head because this game of tag is going to be the game to end all games. So you start off and you're not the person who is. It zeroes in on you. You're like the weak antelope. Yeah. You got picked up in. This person, this. This girl, that's it. She is going to hunt you down and she's going to tag you if it's the last thing she does. So you start taking off running and, you know, you don't run with your fists closed because that's not best. You run with your hands open because that makes you faster. And you're running and you're running is Chase and she is right in your hand. You are right on your heels, I girl. And so great. Kayla Wigginton I mean, I told you about her eyes. She was the one I spit Kool-Aid in her face. I don't remember why, but she was faster than all the boys. And if Kayla zeroed in on you, you're dead. Unless Steven. Steven was super fast. I don't know what was the deal? Steven? He could beat anybody. He was beaten third graders, which is, you know, well. That game of tag, that chase. That's more of the picture of goodness and mercy. It's not just the the killing on little sibling that's just always there. No. It's the hunter. That is sinking you down. And it doesn't matter how you zig and zag and weave, it is following you. That's kind of an interesting thought, isn't it? It's only when you think of that kind of that kind of a chase, then it's something bad. If there's later on in the book of songs where it talks about lions following you like the same word, I don't want to lie and follow me. This way. But goodness and mercy hunting me down. Goodness and mercy trying to latch on to me. Goodness and mercy trying to tag me. Yeah, sure. Sign me up for that. It doesn't matter how you remove yourself from the goodness and mercy of God. You can't get away from it. We're watching the video this morning and Sunday school class introducing the new book that we're going to be going through. And the lady that was talking said he owns the blood in your veins. You can't get away from his blessings. Like they're hunting. Goodness and mercy shall follow all the days of my life. No matter how far you run. God's goodness is going to be me down. No matter how hard you try to hide yourself out on the playgrounds that God doesn't see you, His mercy is going to be looking for you. Maybe that's not such good news for you because you're here on Sunday night. You got God's goodness and mercy. But what about your wayward friends and family? Don't we all know people who got saved as a child and strayed from God? He is their shepherd, right? And his goodness and his mercy is hunting them down. All the days of their life. They will never be able to to outrun or escape or completely get away from God's goodness in his mercy. When? Praying for our wayward loved ones. God, let your goodness track them down. God, let your mercy catch them. Finally. We look forward. Dwelling in the house of the shepherd. Forever. He's the host. Not just preparing a place for us to eat out there one day. You're going to take us to. It's how home? His house. We'll be with him forever. You know, it's at the house. Plenty of food. You know it's not at the house. The valley of the shadow of death. You know it's not at the house. Enemies. In the house. There's rest. Notice we get rest out in the field, but we also get rest in his house. I think of a I think of this last part. I think of. Sunset. Sun's going down. You've been hard at work. You've been traveling. There's the house. See, the lights are on. Maybe if you've been traveling as an adult to get home and mom and dad are in there, you know, Mom's expecting you. You know, she's making your favorite foods. You know, the dad's been getting the room ready for you. He's got activities for you while you're there. The kids, their games are already out. The toys are out, and you get home and it's just this wonderful reunion. It's like you get it, you walk in and you can just go. Just let go of all those cares and anxieties. Burdens that you're bearing because your home. One day. We're going to get home. Everything that weighs on us here. Sin that we have to bear and deal with here. The infirmities of our flesh that we have to deal with here will all be passed. I think most of y'all know where the curve. BALDWIN That sits over here. His mom, Vickie, comes with him. His dad is really struggling. His prayer. His dad's mind is as sharp as ever. That was an engineer. The body, though, has stopped responding to what his brain is trying to tell him to do. Can barely speak. Can't use his hands. He can't walk. Totally reliant on other people. Kurt and I have talked. About how hard it is to see him, to see his dad in that condition. Kurt knows his dad's a Christian. And when. The time comes for his dad to pass from this earth. Go to heaven. Dad struggles with those ailments. We'll be done. Never have to deal with those things again. The resurrection happens. He'll get that body back, but it'll be new. Perfect. Nobody is me telling funny sheep jokes. We get home. We go home. Everything's gonna be different. We knew. We're going to know our shepherd even better than we know him now. Song 23 will take on a new light. We think we like Psalm 23 now. You imagine when we're dwelling in his house forever? How much more precious it'll be. How many of you have some? 23 hung up somewhere in your house. I think God has it somewhere in heaven. Crocheted or knitted or whatever lets me call it needlepoint. We've got a needlepoint of Psalm 23. King James, of course. I can't wait to get there, but I'm so glad that on the journey there, I've got the great shepherd watching over me and leading me home. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. Thank you for some 23. Great comfort that is provided to so many people over the years. What I pray that tonight has been a help and a reminder of the many benefits and blessings we enjoy because we have you as our shepherd. God, I pray that you would bless us, your sheep. Help us to trust you. In all points of our life, all the different cycles that we go through, even in the times of storm, we're in the valley of the shadow of death. Lord, I pray that we would express our confidence in you because you are with us. Thank you. That you are my shepherd. That I am going to go to your house. To dwell forever. We love you and thank you for all you do for us. It's in Jesus name. I pray. Amen.

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