Out of respect for the Word of God, shall we stand? I'm going to read Psalm 23. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul, he leadeth 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 thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest 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. Shall we pray? Heavenly Father, What great assurance has been given to God's people down through the years as they have read and cherished the 23rd Psalm. Sometimes it's been in the nursery room and sometimes it's been at the funeral parlor. But we're glad that God inspired David to write this wonderful, wonderful, simple psalm, but yet so profound. Speak to our hearts this morning. I pray again that I might be used by the Lord We know, Lord, that there are hurting hearts here. We've all prayed so very often for the Phelps family, for Chuck Weindorf and his family, for Courtney's family. And we would pray again that the grace of God will just sustain them in the days ahead. Help us, we pray. In Christ's name, I pray. Amen. You may be seated. A botanist had a magnifying glass one day and was down on his knees looking at a flower. A big bronze shepherd walked up behind him. He did not know that and he wasn't even aware of the shepherd behind him. The shepherd kind of had a smirk on his face. And the botanist looked a little silly down on his hands and knees looking at the grass with the magnifying glass. But the botanist turned to the shepherd and gave him the magnifying glass and said, you look. He took the magnifying glass and got down on his knees and began to look at some mountain heather bells, tiny little flowers. The old shepherd got up from his knees and he said with tears in his eyes, I never knew they were there. And to think of the thousands I have trampled upon before. And that's so very true of God's Word. Today I want us to do something and take God's magnifying glass and take a closer look at not the entire psalm, but one verse out of the psalm. One verse that I hope God will use in your hearts as He used in mine, and that's Psalm 23 and verse number 4. Look at it again, please. Yea, and it's not nay, it's yea. 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. One of the greatest ideas that any man has ever had is that the Lord, the creator of the heavens and the earth, is our shepherd. And when you magnify that and when you meditate on that, literally it will change your life. These words ought to be included in the wonders of the world. The Lord is my shepherd. As I said a moment ago, this Psalm 23 is sweet to a child, but it's also sublime to a scholar. It's quoted at funerals. It's quoted at weddings. It's quoted in the nursery. It's quoted on the battlefield. I'm going to ask you to do something today, if you don't mind marking in your Bible. In verse 4, I have marked three words. The word, though. Second word, though, just underline that. And then the next word is through, through the valley of the shadow of death. And the last word is the word thou. Three words for us to think about this morning as we've gathered here in heavy hearts. Though, that's a dark possibility, through, That's divine purpose and thou, that's a delightful purpose. A dark possibility but a divine purpose and then a delightful promise. So, let's take these words and look at them together for just a few moments, shall we? The first word is though, though. Yesterday afternoon, We all entered into the valley of the shadow of death. Everybody can remember probably where you were when you got the news. We had just finished dinner. In fact, I was loading the dishwasher, which is my normal job, and our phone rang. And somebody said, turn on the news. And we ran into the family room, turned on the television, looked at the news and saw what had happened. Immediately I said to my wife, we need to go. So we quickly changed clothes, made it to the church and were here most of the evening with the folks. Unexpected. Isn't it strange how a phone call can just change your life? Isn't it interesting how you can turn on the TV and see an article or something and it just totally changed everything? Now, he says, yea, though. And the dark possibility is he'll walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Do you know there is literally a place called the valley of the shadow of death? He's not just making up a term. That was a literal term to a shepherd. The shepherds all knew it well. And David, of course, was a shepherd. Jerusalem is over 3,000 feet high. It's way up high. And then the Dead Sea is below sea level. And starting in Jerusalem, there's a spring of water that flows all the way down to the Dead Sea. Over the years, it has cut a chasm. It's about 1,500 feet deep, about 15 or 20 feet wide. This great river flows from Jerusalem down to the Dead Sea. deep ravines, wild animals make their nests there, robbers are there. That's where the man was going when he was laid upon and attacked and then the Good Samaritan came by. Now it was common to lead the sheep from up in Jerusalem in the mountains down to the Dead Sea. Winter was coming and so the shepherd would began taking his sheep down through the valley of the shadow of death. That's what they called it. And then all winter the sheep would graze around Jericho. And then when spring came, he would lead the sheep back up, and they would go back up, then into the hills, and then they would graze up in the hills. So that's a literal valley, the valley of the shadow of death. But there's a spiritual lesson in the valley. All God's children are called to go through the valley of the shadow of death. The Phelps family were called upon at four o'clock yesterday afternoon. But could I tell you something? You're going to go through that valley too. Every one of us will be called upon at some time or another to walk through the valley of the shadow of death. So I thought it would be good today to just take a little journey through the Bible. And all of you have your Bibles, I know. So I want you to turn with me to about four or five passages of Scripture that God just really used in my heart as I was meditating on this. The first one is Psalm 34. So right over from Psalm 23, if you'll turn to Psalm 34. Psalm 34 and verse number 19. Psalm 34, 19. Here's the verse. Many are the afflictions of the righteous. And isn't that next little word makes all the difference, doesn't it? But. That's one of the divine buts in the Bible. But the Lord delivers them out of most of them. It's not what your Bible says. It's not what my Bible says. The Lord delivers them out of them all. The Lord delivers them out of them all. It's a great verse. You may need it sometime. Look, if you will, in the book of Isaiah. Right over from Psalm, you'll come to the book of Isaiah 43 and verse 2. Isaiah 43 and verse 2. I'll give you a moment to find it. It's there. Psalm 43, verse 2. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee. And though the rivers, they shall not overflow thee, when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Verse 5. Fear not, for I am with thee. Praise God. God has promised if you are His child, He will be with you as you walk through the valley. Well, let's go to the New Testament, shall we? The book of 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians chapter 12. 2 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 9. Paul is talking about the thorn in the flesh. We don't know what it was, but it was something he asked God to take away. But God instead said these words, and he said to me, God said to Paul, my grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength, God's strength, is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me." God has promised His power. And God says when you go through these very difficult times, the power of Christ will rest upon you. Let's go to a couple of more passages over in the book of 1 Peter. 1 Peter. As you know, these books were written when God's people were going through enormous suffering. Peter's writings were especially to God's people in suffering. 1 Peter chapter 4 and verse number 12. 1 Peter 4.12. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened to you." Sometimes Christians get the idea that nothing bad is ever going to happen. Because we're Christians, we're all going to have just a wonderful, happy life. It's not what the Bible teaches. Don't be surprised. Think it not strange concerning the fiery trials. The next verse answers that. Rejoice in as much as your partakers, of Christ's suffering, that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." Then the next chapter, 1 Peter 5.10, our last verse, 1 Peter 5.10, But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, make you perfect or mature, establish strengthen, settle you. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever." Sooner or later, a hush will come to your home. Sooner or later, it will come to mine. I'd be less than honest if I stood here in this pulpit and told you that becoming a Christian is going to be a bed of roses. We think we'll go through life in an ever-ascending scale of success and prosperity and a serene old age and a glorious exit, but that's not the way of God. We're going through a shadow, the shadow, the valley of the shadow of death. But there's something about a shadow. You cannot have a shadow unless you have some light. If you get in a dark cave and it's all black, there's no shadows. A shadow comes when there is light. A shadow may frighten you, but a shadow cannot hurt you. And when you face the light, the shadows fall behind you. Without a doubt, not only Phelps' family and Winder family, but there are probably some here today, and you're going through a valley, could I tell you? face the light and the shadows fall behind you. All right, let's go back to Psalm 23 and we'll stay there for the rest of the time. Psalm 23, verse 4 again. Yea, though, that's the dark possibility. And then, yea, though I walk through, that's the divine purpose. Do you know that God never leaves us in the valley? You're going through the valley. God brings you in the valley, but God also brings you out of the valley. Have you ever been flying on a cloudy, rainy day? I can remember a few times getting in a plane, go somewhere, And it was raining in Indianapolis and the dark clouds were all around and kind of gloomy. And then that plane would nose upward and just climb northward or upward and all of a sudden it would break through the clouds and it was dazzling blue sky and a brilliant sunshine. And it dawned upon me the sun was shining all the time. But the clouds were there. Somebody may say, oh, the sun is not shining today. No, that's not so. Not true. The sun is always shining. But sometimes some clouds cover up the sun. But God is always there. When God wanted to reveal Himself to mankind, God chose to do that by the use of names. And so we have the names of God. Jehovah Shalom, God our Peace. Jehovah Sidkenu, God our Righteousness. Do you know that one of the names of God is Jehovah Shammah? And that means the God who is always there. Hallelujah. God is always there. And sometimes when the clouds are thickest, we just go upward and upward into the very presence of God and he's there. And so in Psalm 23, you have though, that's the dark possibility. You have through, that's the divine purpose. But look at your last T, thou, thou art with me. That's the divine promise. A good shepherd never left his sheep alone. If you'd been a shepherd in Bible times, you had a job that was 24-7. You didn't go by clock and punch in, punch out. You didn't get relieved. You had the job all the time. And God is our heavenly shepherd, and He is watching over us 24-7. Sometimes people would say, boy, God was so close to me today. As I had my devotions, the Lord was so close. Or as I was in church, God was so close to us today. But could I tell you something? I don't think God is ever any closer than He is when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Isaiah 43, 2, don't look it up, but it says, when thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee. His presence. vanishes fear. Someone has said that the word fear not is found 365 times in the Bible. I have not checked that, but I imagine it's probably so. If so, that's a fear not for every day of the week. You can trust God and fear not. Paul put it this way, absent from the body, present with the Lord. David, who wrote this psalm, made this statement, there's but a step between me and death. The hymn put it this way, the hymn writer, Jesus, the very thought of thee, with sweetness fills my breast, but sweeter far thy face to see, and in thy bosom rest. Isaiah says, by night shall see the king in his beauty. John 17, Jesus said, I want you to be with me where I am. Sheep were nomadic. Shepherds were nomadic. They didn't have a certain spot. They wandered around. They went from pasture to pasture. The Bible tells us Abraham sojourned, never had a home. Abraham, what's your address? Well, I really don't have an address. God is my address. Today, if you go over to the land of Israel, you'll see the Bedouin tents. They've been doing that for thousands of years. And friend, all of us here are just pilgrims on a journey. Every one of us shouldn't put our tent stakes down too deeply because we're moving out in the morning. This world is not my home. I'm just what? Passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. That's the theme of God's people. How long? God says, I'll walk you through the valley and I'll be with you in the valley. A group of surveyors were sent up to a remote mountain area to map the terrain. Every morning they would get up, go out, do their calculating, map the terrain of how high the hills were, all of this. Many times they were joined by an old shepherd. The old shepherd lived in that area. He enjoyed the companionship of having somebody to talk to. One evening the weather was changing. It was very obvious that a front was coming through. The old shepherd said to the men who were the surveyors, I better go with you. And they said, oh, there's no need, old man. We don't need you. And the old shepherd said, I know these hills like the back of my hand, but they rejected his help. Next morning, they woke up to finish up the job, and the fog had just moved in, and everything was sucked in with fog. They thought they would get home, but as they were trying to leave, they became disoriented. and exhausted they wandered for several hours. They were lost. Then out of the fog walked the shepherd. And he said, men follow me and I'll lead you to safety. That's what I was one day. I was wandering. I was going my own way. And the Lord Jesus Christ came and said, Bob Taylor, I'll lead you home." And I'm so glad as a nine-year-old boy I asked Jesus Christ to be my Savior. Are you glad you're saved today? Are you glad you know you're going to heaven? When we heard the news, Chad and Courtney and Tanya, one of my first thoughts was, absent from the body, present with the Lord. That is our hope. That's what it's all based upon. And we walk through a valley. They walked through the valley very, very swiftly. But they walked through the valley. But they didn't stay in the valley. They walked through and they came out in the very presence of Jesus Christ himself. Thank God for His wonderful promise. Let's bow our heads in prayer, shall we? While heads are bowed and eyes are closed for a moment this morning, I want to ask you a question that I always do, and that is, do you know that you know that you know you're going to heaven when you die? Suppose your life were to be taken so quickly, unexpectedly. Do you know that you're going to heaven? Are you absolutely sure? How many could say, Pastor Taylor, I know that I know that I know I'm on my way to heaven. Would you slip your hand up good and high? Heads are bound. Just slip your hand up. Praise God. What a wonderful, wonderful sight. Thank you. Put them down. Now, let me ask this. Maybe you could not honestly lift your hand. You don't really know that, but you wish you did. And you say, Pastor, would you pray for me? I'm not really sure that I'm going to heaven. I don't really know that, and I wish you'd pray for me this morning. Would you slip the hand up and let me see it? Anybody at all, just lift the hand good and high. I'll see your hand, and I'll remember you in a word of prayer. Would you do that? Anyone like that at all? Slip it up. Thank you so much. Now let me ask you this. Most of the folk here are believers. You know Christ. But are you ready to meet Him, not just your saved, but in your own personal life? We got a glimpse of how uncertain life is yesterday afternoon. And maybe some are here and say, Pastor, there's some things in my life that are not what they ought to be. I need to get some things settled with the Lord. I wish you'd pray for me. Would you just lift the hand up and let me see it? I'd like to pray for you right now. Are there any? God bless you and you. God bless you. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Let's stand together with our heads bowed. I'm going to ask our piano and organist to do the invitation to Him just as I am, without one plea. But that Thy blood was shed for me, and that Thou bidst me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come. As they play, I would like for you to hum like a great choir. But if you're here today and you don't really know for sure that you're saved, Pastor Keith is down front. If you're here as a Christian, you'd like to come and pray at the front. You can come right on down, kneel in prayer, whatever it is you need to get settled with the Lord. Would you come? Let's hum together, and as we hum, you slip out.