Tag: Satisfied

“I Will Dwell In the House of the Lord Forever”

* A lot of people spend their lives worrying about tomorrow. They never enjoy today because they’re worrying about tomorrow. Why? Because we don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow.

* REALITY: We can’t control what’s going to happen. Instead, we worry, fret, and agonize over what could happen.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 
Yea, 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. 
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs 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. Psalm 23

* FACT: David ends this psalm with extreme confidence.

* QUESTION: Is it easier for you to focus on the fear of what could be or to have faith in what can be? Why or How?

* As believers we can face the future with confidence.

I CAN FACE THE FUTURE CONFIDENTLY …

1. BECAUSE GOD’S GOODNESS IS WATCHING OVER ME.

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life . . .”  Psalm 23:6a (NKJV)

* TRUTH: God’s goodness is tracking us down all the time.

* REALITY: Bad things still happen to Godly people.

* PROMISE: God promises that He will use everything that happens to us for our good. No matter what bad or evil things come our way, if the Lord is our shepherd, He will make sure goodness comes out of whatever happens.

* Psalm 23:6 is to the Old Testament what Romans 8:28 is to the New Testament, look what it says …

 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”  Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

* There is no difficulty, dilemma, defeat, disaster in the life of a Christian that ultimately God won’t bring good out of. Eventually, God’s goodness will flow out of it. Somehow.

* Sometimes we are so close to the situation that we can’t see how God is working and even wonder Why He is letting this happen, or How could this be gods plan?  It may take day, months, or years before we see that God wasn’t absent, he was just quietly growing us in the process.

* REMINDER: Paul wrote much of the New Testament while sitting in prison.

* Psalm 23 is a Shepherds Psalm. It’s a reminder of how a shepherd is supposed to lead his sheep. And we know that the shepherd of this psalm is the Savior in the Gospels.

* Jesus says He is the Good Shepherd

* The word ‘good’ doesn’t mean nice; it means unique or one of a kind.

* Jesus was saying there is no one like me, so there is no one who can take care of you like I can. So follow Me and I’ll lead you into goodness.

* For 33 years living life on this earth, Jesus went about doing good for His sheep. Listen, what He did then, He is doing now. The Good Shepherd is still doing good for His sheep.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”  James 1:17 (NIV)

* TRUTH: Everything good in my life comes as a gift from God.

* QUESTION: What are the good things that God has given you that sometimes you overlook?

“. . . The goodness of God endures continually.”  Psalm 52:1b (NKJV)

“The LORD is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.”  Psalm 145:9 (NKJV)

“He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”  Matthew 5:45b (NIV)

“He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.”  Psalm 33:5 (NKJV)

* You can’t go anywhere in this world where you can’t find some evidence of the goodness of God.

* OUR PROBLEM: We take God’s goodness for granted so often that we don’t often realize just how good God really is, and how we benefit from His goodness every second of every day.

2. BECAUSE GOD’S GRACE IS WORKING IN ME.

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. . .”  Psalm 23:6a (NKJV)

* The word ‘Mercy’ here is the Hebrew word ‘Hesed’. It’s used 246 times in the Old Testament and half of those are in the book of Psalms. It’s David’s favorite word to describe God’s attitude toward His children. Hesed can be rendered mercy or loving-kindness or overwhelming grace.

* Mercy is the flip side of Grace. In fact, mercy is the result of God’s grace.

* God’s grace is the vehicle that carries God’s mercy to you. You could even say that grace is mercy in action.

“. . . I will now have mercy on you through My grace.”  Isaiah 60:10b (NLT)

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. . .”  Psalm 23:6a (NKJV)

 * The Hebrew word for ‘follow’ literally means ‘to pursue or chase down’.

* REALITY: God’s goodness and His mercy pursue us, chase us down, run after us, and stays right on our heels all the days of our lives.

* REMINDER this is a shepherd song’s. Shepherds don’t drive sheep, they lead sheep.

* QUESTION: who are you Shepherding? Are you leading them or driving them? What do you feel like you need to do?

“Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.   They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”  Lamentations 3:22-23 (NKJV)

* If you belong to the Lord, if the Lord is your shepherd, you don’t have to face the future with a question mark, you can face it with an exclamation point. Because Gods goodness and mercy follows you, picking up the pieces, cleaning up the messes, and making you complete by His Grace and Mercy found in Christ Jesus.

3. BECAUSE GOD’S GLORY IS WAITING FOR ME.

“And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”  Psalm 23:6b (NKJV)

* The word And here is very important because that little word connects our today’s with our tomorrows. It binds our present with our future.

 “One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek Him in His temple.”  Psalm 27:4 (NIV)

* David had one purpose in life: to glorify God. He had one goal for his future: to live in the presence of God forever and ever and ever.

 “We know that our body—the tent we live in here on earth—will be destroyed. But when that happens, God will have a house for us. It will not be a house made by human hands; instead, it will be a home in heaven that will last forever.”  2 Corinthians 5:1 (NCV)

* This is why Christians should be the most confident people on the planet. We know who we are, whose we are, and where we’re going when we die.

“So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. . . Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:6, 8 (NLT)

* PERSPECTIVE: Death, for Christians, is a transfer, a promotion. It’s on to better things. No more problems, not more tears, no more sin. But you’re not ready to live until you’re ready to die. You don’t know how to live until you’re ready to die.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

In this Psalm, God saves the best for last. From the very beginning, He tells us that will lack nothing. He says when we’re hungry, He will lead us to green pastures. When we’re thirsty, He will lead us to still waters. When we’re lost, He will find us and lead us down the right path. Even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He will protect us with His rod and staff. And even when we are surrounded by our enemies, we will eat in calmness and abundance from His table, knowing He is right beside us all the time.

He promises our earthly life will be full of goodness and mercy, and all of that is wonderful, but this Psalm closes by saying that if the Lord is your Shepherd the best is yet to be. In other words, the best moments of your existence are still ahead. You haven’t seen anything until you reach your final destination.

Listen…life is hard. There are struggles, and strife, and countless issues we have to deal with, but listen, God is saying to you right now…keep your fork…the best, His best, is yet to come.

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What do you look forward to most when you think about heaven?

2. Confidence is something we all hope to possess. In your life what does does confidence look like and in what areas do you feel you have this confidence? Where do you think this confidence come from?

3. On a scale of 1 to 10, how confident are you that you are going to heaven when you die? What do you base your ‘score’ on?

4. Read Ps. 23:6, 1 John 5:13, Romans 8:35-39. What do these verses have to say about being confident in your salvation? How should this assurance bolster the way you live?

5. Read Ps. 33:5, 52:1, 145:9. What do these verses say about the goodness of God? What do you think David means when he says that God’s goodness follows him every day of his life? Are you experiencing this? Why or why not?

6. What’s the difference between grace and mercy? Why do we need both? How do both of these wonderful gifts of God play a role in your every day life?

7. Pastor Bob said grace is the vehicle that carries God’s mercy to you …. grace is mercy in action. Grace is a gift to you that you don’t deserve. Gods grace pursues us, it chases us down. How does this change your prospective of thinking God is angry with you?

8. Pastor Bob noted that the Shepherd lead the sheep he didn’t drive the sheep. When it comes to your leadership, do you tend to lead or drive the people around you? How is this impacting your relationships?

9. Read Lamentations 3:22. Why is it important for a Christian to know that God’s mercy never runs out? How should that affect your walk with Christ?

10. Read 2 Corinthians 5:1-8. How does Paul’s future ‘home’ affect his daily living? Is Paul more motivated by the desire to be with Christ, or by fear of judgment? Which motivates you?

11. Pastor Bob mentioned the best is yet to come, speaking about Heaven. What do you imagine heaven to be like? Read John 14:2-4
Do you know people that aren’t aware of God’s glory awaiting them? How might you ministry to them after hearing today’s sermon?

12. What part of Psalm 23 is most impacting your life right now? Why?

MUSICAL WORSHIP SET

You Never Let Go – Redman

Everlasting God – Brown

My Reward – Stanfill

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Sweetly Broken – Riddle

We hope that you found Sundays Message and following Small Group Questions helpful. If you missed this weeks message, I encourage you to get it here.  While you are there, browse around our website … we think you will like it and find it to be a great tool in inviting friends to FBC Harvester.

As always, I hope you make plans to join us at FBC Harvester next weekend! If distance is a problem, you are always welcome to listen to any of the teachings from our worship service on our website. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us here. We would love the privilege of helping where we can and seeing God do amazing things in our lives together.

‘I Will Fear No Evil’

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 
Yea, 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. 
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs 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. Psalm 23

* REALITY: Fear is a choice! You can choose to walk in faith or stand still in fear.

* QUESTION: Have you had anything in life that just seemed to have you by the throat?

* The Bible says to fear not 365 times.

* Satan uses fear in our life to take us away from the One who calms all fear.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO LIVE IN FEAR BECAUSE THE LORD YOUR SHEPHERD WILL PROVIDE . . .

1.  DIRECTION WHEN YOU’RE CONFUSED.

* Sheep get lost very easily.

* QUESTION: Have you ever had a time that you just felt lost or played the what if game?

“He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”  Psalm 23:3b

* He leads us down the right path.

* Path and Way are used a lot throughout the Bible

* Early Christians were known as people of the way

* There are several paths that you can take but they don’t all lead you to right way!

* QUESTION: What path are you on?

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”  Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

“The steps of a good man are led by the Lord. And he is happy in His way.”  Psalm 37:23 (NLT)

“You make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.” Psalm 16:11 (NIV)

HOW DO I GET ON THE RIGHT PATH?

 – God’s will is found in GOD’S WORD.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”  Psalm 119:105 (NKJV)

– God’s will is found in GODLY COUNSEL.

“Fighting comes only from pride, but wisdom is with those who listen when told what they should do.”  Proverbs 13:10 (NLT)

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise.”  Proverbs 12:15 (NKJV)

– God’s will is found in GOD’S SPIRIT.

“Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.”  Philippians 2:12b-13 (NLT)

“Even though Jesus was God’s Son, He learned obedience from the things He suffered.”  Hebrews 5:8 (NLT)

* Just because the path is tough doest mean the path is wrong. Rain, pruning, and pressure are always needed in sanctification process.

* Suffering can be apart of Gods plan.

‘But He knows where I am going.  And when He tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.   For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed His ways and not turned aside.’  Job 23:10-11 (NLT)

* In life, everything that happens is Father filtered. Nothing touches us without the permission of God.

2.  PROTECTION WHEN YOU’RE AFRAID.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me.”  Psalm 23:4a, b (NKJV)

* The valley of the shadow of death is a real place that many feared going through because of the dangers that lurked in the dark narrow passage. But people would go through it because it led to the greenest pastures. Sometimes we have to go through the valley to get to the blessing.

* The first 3 verses talk about The Shepherd, in the last 2 David starts talking to The Shepherd.

“If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”   Romans 8:31b (NLT)

“But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.  O Israel, the one who formed you says, ‘Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.  I have called you by name; you are mine.  When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.  When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.  When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.  For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.’”  Isaiah 43:1-3a (NLT)

* TRUTH: When you are with the shepherd, he provides protection.

3.  CORRECTION WHEN YOU’RE WRONG.

“. . . for Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”  Psalm 23:4c (NKJV)

* INTERESTING FACT: Shepherds carried a rod and a staff.  The Staff was used to guide and direct the sheep, while the rod was used to beat off animals that may attach and used to discipline the sheep.

‘Come, let us return to the Lord.  He has torn us to pieces; now He will heal us.  He has injured us; now He will bandage our wounds.’  Hosea 6:1 (NLT)

“I used to wander off until You disciplined me; but now I closely follow Your word . . . My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to Your decrees.”  Psalm 119:67, 71 (NLT)

4.  SATISFACTION WHEN YOU’RE IN NEED.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.”  Psalm 23:5 (NKJV)

* This is a picture of you not lacking anything, God gives us all that we need.

* The table represent a green lush pasture also called a tableland.

* The Oil is representative of the Holy Spirit.  The Bible uses this many times in scripture.

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1.  Share one experience in your life that caused you to have a lot of fear.  What did you do?  How would you handle that situation differently today?

2.  Read Matthew 14:22-33.  What moved Peter to get out of the boat and onto the water?  What caused Peter to sink after being successful for a while?  How does this passage relate to Psalm 23:4?

3.  Verse 3 says, “He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”  What does this mean?  Check out Proverbs 3:4-5, Ps. 37:23, Ps. 16:11.  What promise does God make through all of these verses?  What do you need divine guidance and direction for in your life right now?

4.  Pastor Bob shared three ways to get on God’s path.  What were they?  Which do you struggle with most?  Why?

5. Pastor Bob spent a lot of time talking about being on the right path and headed in the right way. In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus talks about a wide and narrow gate and a wide and narrow road. Which path do you tend to travel down the most? What changes need to be made for you to get on and stay on the narrow road going through the narrow gate?

6. What valley’s have you recently walked through?  How has God responded to you through these times? What verses, passages of scripture, and or songs have helped you walk through this valley?

7.  How do the shepherd’s tools the rod and staff ‘comfort’ his sheep?  How has God used these on you?

8.  Verse 5 has three beautiful phrases: ‘You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.’  What do each of these mean to you?  Who are your enemies today?  What would like your cup to overflow with?

MUSICAL WORSHIP SET

You Are Holy – Smith

Jesus Messiah/Enough – Tomlin

How Deep The Father’s Love – Townend

There is A Fountain – Cowper

We hope that you found Sundays Message and following Small Group Questions helpful. If you missed this weeks message, I encourage you to get it here.  While you are there, browse around our website … we think you will like it and find it to be a great tool in inviting friends to FBC Harvester.

As always, I hope you make plans to join us at FBC Harvester next weekend! If distance is a problem, you are always welcome to listen to any of the teachings from our worship service on our website. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us here. We would love the privilege of helping where we can and seeing God do amazing things in our lives together.

“The LORD is my Shepherd.”

*Many of us live in a constant state of the hurry up, multitasking, sitting on the edge of our seats lifestyle.

*Life doesn’t have to be lived at a High Pace, High Pressure, and  High Stressed Lifestyle.  There is a life that can be lived that is much different that is filled with Peace, Contentment, and Satisfaction.

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. ² He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.  ³ He restores my soul;He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 
⁴ Yea, 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 runs over. ⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever. ” Psalm 23 (NKJV)

*QUESTION: Where do you find satisfaction, contentment, and peace?

LIKE DAVID, WE CAN BE THRILLED & SATISFIED WITH GOD AS OUR SHEPHERD BECAUSE . . .

1.  HE IS POWERFUL IN HIS NATURE.

*REMINDER: They key to Psalm 23 is not us, but the Lord

“The LORD . . .” Psalm 23:1a (NKJV)

*The Hebrew word used here for the LORD is Yahweh. It is used throughout Scripture in the Holiest, Purest, and most Reverent way when referring to God.

‘Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you,” and they say to me, “What is His name?” what shall I say to them?’   And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, “AM has sent me to you.”’ Moreover God said to Moses,‘ thus you shall say to the children of Israel: “The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.”’  Exodus 3:13-15 (NKJV)

*TRUTH: The LORD is everything you need. If you need … He is …! Every need you have, He is!

*When we have the right perspective of the LORD our problems seem smaller than we first thought they were.

2.  HE IS PERSONAL WITH HIS CARE.

“The Lord is my shepherd . . .” Psalm 23:1 (NKJV)

*The Lord is not just my friend, He is my Shepherd because He is the one who guides me, protects me, & comforts me.

SHEEP MUST HAVE A SHEPHERD BECAUSE THEY ARE . . .

– PRONE TO WANDER/FOLLOW 

*We do the same thing. Because we are so trusting, we will follow people into the wrong things like …

– VULNERABLE

 *Sheep have to have a protector because they are defenseless, and because they get lost easily. We are the same way. We are defenseless when it comes to the spiritual battle going on around us making us vulnerable to all kinds of temptation.

– STUBBORN

*Many times we are so stubborn that we don’t hear the things that we need to hear.

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way . . . “Isaiah 53:6 (NKJV)

“I am the Good Shepherd.  The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”  John 10:11 (ESV)

*The word “Good” means “one of kind”. Jesus is a “one of a kind” Shepherd.

*QUESTION:Can you say that the LORD really is your shepherd? Test yourself with John 10:27

“My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.”  John 10:27 (ESV)

* Test

– My sheep listen to my voice – do you hear His voice as the truth goes out? When you read scripture are you hungry for what it says?

– My sheep follow my voice – do you follow His voice?

3.  HE IS PLENTIFUL IN HIS SUPPLY.

“I shall not want . . .“ Psalm 23:1c (NKJV)

“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.”  Psalm 84:11 (NIV)

“Fear the Lord, you His godly people, for those who fear Him will have all they need.”  Psalm 34:9 (NLT)

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”  Matthew 6:33 (NLT)

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:19 (NIV)

*NOTE: Philippians 4:19 & Isaiah 53:5  are not wealth and health verses. They are verses that point to Christ ability to take care of all our needs not all our greeds.

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”  Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV)

“All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”  Isaiah 53:6 (NKJV)

*THOUGHT: The LORD is my Shepherd, Could this statement/reality, once really comprehended, believed, and lived out could also mean that we get to the point in our life to never want for a different Shepherd?

“For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.”  1 Timothy 6:7-8 (NKJV)

*TRUTH:There is a difference knowing Psalm 23 and knowing the Shepherd.

*QUESTION: Do you know Psalm 23 or do you know the Shepherd in Psalm 23?

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Where do you tend to find yourself seeking satisfaction, contentment, and/or  peace?  How does this impact your view of God as Shepherd?

2.  When is comes to dealing with worry & stress, what formula were you raised with in dealing with these?  ‘Forget about it’? ‘Pray about it’? ‘Sleep on it’? How would your kids answer this question?

3.  Read Psalm 23.  Now read this Psalm again in the negative (“The Lord is not my shepherd…”).  What verse is most disturbing to you?

4.  David uses the most personal and sacred name for God when he writes ‘The LORD is my shepherd’.  It’s the name Yahweh.  What do you know about this name of God?  Why is David’s use of it here significant?

5.  The bible compares humans to sheep continually.  Why?  What similarities do you see in your life?

6. Satan seems to know the areas we are most vulnerable to temptation and temps us in these areas consistently. What areas have you identified in your life that you seem to be most vulnerable? What are you doing to stay close to the Shepherd enabling you to resist these temptations?

7. We all have stubborn tendencies and our stubbornness can keep us from being obedient to God. What area/s do you need to surrender to the Shepherd?

8.  Read John 10:11 and John 10:27.  How are these encouraging verses for Christians?  What is the proof that Jesus is our Shepherd?  How would you explain this to another person who is seeking to know Jesus?

9.  How do you discern the voice of Jesus from all the other voices that vie for your attention?

10.  How does it make you feel to think of God caring for you as the Good Shepherd?

11.  What did David mean when he wrote, ‘…I shall not want’?  Read Ps. 84:11, 34:9, Matthew 6:33, Philippians 4:19.  What is God promising to His children?  How could this relieve stress and pressure in your life today?

12.  What is the most obvious area of your life God wants you to learn to be content?  Why?  How can your group pray for you today?

MUSICAL WORSHIP SET

Today Is The Day – Brewster

God Is Able – Morgan & Fielding

Revelation Song – Jobe

Jesus Paid It All – Stanfill

We hope that you found Sundays Message and following Small Group Questions helpful. If you missed this weeks message, I encourage you to get it here.  While you are there, browse around our website … we think you will like it and find it to be a great tool in inviting friends to FBC Harvester.

As always, I hope you make plans to join us at FBC Harvester next weekend! If distance is a problem, you are always welcome to listen to any of the teachings from our worship service on our website. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us here. We would love the privilege of helping where we can and seeing God do amazing things in our lives together.