We are at Psalm 23. It is the Psalm of David. Let us hear the word of God. 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. Amen. May God add His blessing to the public reading of His infallible Word for His name's sake. Let's bow together in prayer. Gracious Father and Eternal God, we come again to Thy holy and infallible Book. We thank Thee that whatever our failings have been, Thy Word stands sure forever. And we rejoice that to it again we turn today, to hear that voice that comes from the throne. Oh, Father, we pray today for grace, not only to hear the word, but to receive it into our hearts and to know the power of the word, to reorder our thinking, to grant Confidence in all the demonstration of thy purpose. O Lord, thou dost see us today. We stand in need of a visitation from on high. O Lord, hear thy saints today as they plead with thee. Fill us with the power of thy spirit to the very uttermost. O grant that utterance today. that is needed rightly to proclaim thy word and to exalt thy son, we ask in Jesus' holy name, amen. From the funerals of the famous and powerful to the funerals of the obscure and weak, This psalm provides a common theme. It speaks to those in the house of mourning. Funeral homes feature the words of this psalm in many of their printed programs as an option for bereaved family members. It is a psalm that speaks to those who face complex medical treatment, or those who have received the news that there is nothing else that medical treatment can do to bring healing to the body. For children lying in their beds at night, the gentle words of this Psalm bring comfort and confidence in the care of God. For adults whose minds consider the troubling circumstances swirling around them, the 23rd Psalm opens the vista of peace and safety. For the Lord's people at life's end, the words that end this Psalm, breathe the atmosphere of the promises of God. The 23rd Psalm is the middle of a trio that focuses our attention on the triumph of our Redeemer. The 22nd Psalm anticipates the anguish and suffering of our Redeemer. It begins with those words that we hear from the cross, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? The 24th Psalm looks to the Redeemer's triumph and His re-entrance to heavenly glory. But between the agony of the cross and the glory of Christ's return to heaven is this psalm of quiet reflection. These words have been in my mind for nearly my entire life. My mother sat on my bed or that of one of my brothers each night and repeated these words. Even before I learned to read, I could say the words, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. And I'm confident that for those who know the Lord, these words have similar impact in your life. Whether through the actions of a parent or an acquaintance, you have felt the power of this psalm. As Charles Spurgeon said in his Treasury of David, this is the pearl of psalms, whose soft and pure radiance delights every eye. He went on to say, of this delightful song it may be affirmed that its piety and its poetry are equal, its sweetness and its spirituality are unsurpassed. Psalm 22 presents our Redeemer as the Savior. Psalm 24 presents Him as the Sovereign. Psalm 23 presents him as the shepherd of his people. He leads and feeds his people. He demonstrates his care and protection and direction. He does not abandon his people to their enemies, but instead makes full provision for them while their enemies prowl in bitter jealousy against them. He holds his people beyond the reach of hell's rage and guarantees that he will bring them at last to their final home, the house of the Lord. from which not one of the sheep will ever go out. We are sure today that all those who have crossed the valley of the shadow of death and who through that final valley have reached the house of the Lord may consider their journey through the wilderness of this world, the way of the pilgrim. has many dangers and uncertainties. Sometimes the way seems so murky as to breed the fear that is the opponent of faith. But when Christ's people reach those mansions of the Lord, they may echo the words of the hymn writer. When they lay down the burdens of this life and rest forever in the presence of the Lord, they can utter the words that we should write over our lives. Jesus led me all the way. 39 years ago this very day, was the first Lord's Day for our family in Phoenix. We arrived in Phoenix 39 years ago yesterday, and it was a very hot day. 115 degrees that day. And we had car trouble. so that we could not use our air conditioning when we were coming down into what I have since learned to call the cauldron. We came here because we were convinced beyond any doubt that the call of God was on us to do so. We've never had any reason to doubt that calling. And we were conscious that through all the difficulties that we faced in our long cross-country journey, when we left Greenville on August 13th, and we arrived here on August 24th, we had a number of challenges along the way. But when we arrived, we were conscious that we were where God led us to be. And so we can say Jesus led us all the way. And wherever you find yourself today, this psalm speaks to you. For children and young people, this psalm carries the secret of confident, humble living. The shepherd of his people will not leave you to flounder in the gloom of fear. When you think of the future and the decisions that will shape your life, you can rejoice because Jesus is the shepherd of his people. He will lead you. He will feed you. He will secure you. Are you in consternation today? Does the perversity of the age in which you live unsettle your soul? We can easily understand how it could. But look at the shepherd. He is going before his people. He is not one of the sheep, he is the leader of the sheep. Feel the touch of his rod and staff. Hear his gracious voice. In your high school or college years, or the years of young adulthood, life stretches before you as an uncharted land. You may have certain ideas about how things will unfold. So did I when I was that age. But then you must hear the shepherd's voice. you must rest in the assurance that not even the rage of your fierce enemy can overwhelm the will of the shepherd. As the good shepherd said, no man can pluck you out of his hand. In life's later stages, talking about when you're past middle age, however you want to define that, but when you get to be my age, you can look back and see the evidence that Jesus led you all the way. And in that phase of life, the words of this Psalm are more precious. The latter stages of the pilgrimage through this world become sweeter because of the shepherd's direction. You know that He will not abandon you now when you need His presence the most. And for those who are still outside of Christ, who have not trusted in Him as Lord and Savior, the words of this psalm present the prospect of peace. Come and trust. I want to divide this psalm in three parts. The first part has three verses to it. The second part has two verses to it. And the final part has one verse to it. And when I think of that organization, that three and two and one, it reminds me of a dear professor I had in college many years ago who taught public speaking. And I took that class. And she was one of the best professors that I had. When I was studying for the ministry, I happened to encounter her one day in the library. And she said to me that she had been praying for me since I had been in her class, that the Lord would make me a minister of the gospel. And when I think of that, I think of how she taught us about this kind of an organization, three and two and one, as a way in rhetoric of introducing movement, pace. The first three verses present the shepherd's provision. The next two verses present the shepherd's protection. And the final verse presents the shepherd's palace. So let us draw comfort from these famous words today. First, the shepherd's provision, verses one through three. The Psalm opens with the well-known statement to which I have referred, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. That statement sets the psalm on a personal, individual level. The Lord is the shepherd of his people in a collective sense. And for that truth, we must be grateful. But that direction and provision are individual as well. The Lord deals with us individually, where we are. and according to who we are. He governs us and directs us according to his understanding of us. Can you say those words today as the testimony of your heart? Can you say, the Lord is my shepherd? David wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and singled out each sheep for special attention. That simple statement often comes to one of the sheep in dark and discouraging times. The Lord is my shepherd. What does it mean? It means that the character of our covenant-keeping God is on the line in his direction of each life under his charge. That God is your shepherd, the one who proclaims himself to be whatever his people need him to be, the I am that I am. declared that he is your shepherd. He is the one who cares for you. When I was young, there was in every place where our family resided, when I was a boy, there was a simple plaque displayed in a prominent place that simply said, Jesus cares. So, from my earliest days, that was a message that penetrated my own soul. Jesus cares. He cares for you. In the New Testament, we find statements about this relationship. And we find those in the Gospel of John chapter 10, first of all. John chapter 10, we read beginning at verse 11, I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. Verse 14, I am the good shepherd and know my sheep and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. He is the Good Shepherd. He lays his life down for the sheep, and we read as well about him that the sheep recognize his voice. that they do not recognize the voices of those who are pretenders. They recognize his voice. And for us, that means we hear his voice in the sacred scriptures. The apostle Peter described Christ under this title in 1 Peter 2. 1 Peter 2. And verse 25, for ye were a sheep going astray. There's the echo of Isaiah 53 there, but are now returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your souls. The Lord is my shepherd. So the shepherd guides his people And the result of that guidance is that the people under the shepherd's care will not want. The picture of shepherds in Bible times is of figures who are out in front of the sheep where the sheep can see them and follow after them. Modern shepherds often are behind them and they use dogs and whatever else to direct the sheep in the right way. But in Bible times, the shepherd was always out in front. So they followed after him. And the message is that the sheep will not lack anything that is necessary for their well-being. Notice the description of this provision. We find in Psalm 23 in verse two, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures. Oh, we love the image of the green pastures. It's not something we see too many times where we live here in the desert, but the green pastures, that's a comforting image. speaks of softness and luxuriousness. He directs his sheep into those pastures to sustain them and to comfort them. And then we read also in that verse, he brings them to still waters. Sheep are skittish animals. So they are very sensitive to anything that is upsetting. And if they come to water that is rushing, they can be very much afraid. But if they come to still water, they can find refreshment there. So the shepherd brings them to those places. And those images are a reflection, not only of the shepherd's word, but the spirit's ministry in applying that word to the sheep. And then in the third verse of the psalm, the shepherd leads the sheep on the right paths. He leads them in the right way, in the paths of righteousness, in the paths that speak of the imputation of his righteousness to the sheep. But those paths of righteousness are also paths of obedience, paths that mark the sheep off as being separated from the corruption of the world. This is the shepherd's provision. This is what the shepherd does for his sheep. And that provision, we read in verse 3, restores the soul. It provides strength, edification, emboldenment. It emboldens you, enables you, and you need that provision. You need that provision in these dark days When the enemy launches his weapons against you, those fiery darts of which the Apostle Paul spoke, when you encounter those fiery darts, then you come back to the reality, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. And that brings us to the second part of the psalm, the shepherd's protection. Because we read in verses four and five, 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. How is it possible? that the psalmist will not be afraid in the valley of the shadow of death. That has to be one of the most familiar images in the Bible, the valley of the shadow of death. Even ungodly people use that language from time to time. The valley of the shadow of death is an image that presents the atmosphere of gloom and terror. When I was a boy and our family was living on a military base in Germany, as boys will do, we were sometimes out from under the direct supervision of our parents, specifically our mother. And we found places where the base had a boundary that was marked by a fence, but people had breached the fence, and there was a way to get through the fence. And on the other side of the fence, because the base was on a hilltop, there was a valley. Not a valley as we understand it with a stream running through it, but kind of a chasm, a ravine, if you will. And that always has stuck with me as a place of concern, a place from which to get out. And the Valley of the Shadow of Death is such a place, it appears there's no way to understand what's happening. It appears that there's no way to see the way ahead. So we sympathize with the psalmist here. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we feel the hair rising on the back of the neck. We feel the sudden knot in the stomach. And yet, here we find the comfort of the shepherd's protection. For even in the valley of the shadow of death, the shepherd is with his people. What a wonderful statement that is. Thou art with me. Thou art with me. It's the concept of Emmanuel. God is with us. We have the assurance that God is always with us. In every time, in every place, he is with us. And indeed the Savior comforted his disciples with this truth before his ascension into heaven. Those famous words at the end of Matthew's gospel, Matthew 28 and verse 20, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I, Jesus said, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. We can say amen to that promise, but can we live in the light of that reality? That he is with us. The psalmist spoke in verse four of the comfort that comes from the rod and staff of the shepherd. The shepherd doesn't have a rod and staff with which to beat the sheep. He has a rod and staff with which to guide them. They are symbols of the shepherd's office. So they pull the shepherd back from places of danger, and they lead the sheep in the paths of righteousness. So we ought not to fear that direction, that use of the rod and the staff. They are our assurance. They are tangible tokens that the shepherd is with us. And the shepherd, we read in verse five, goes so far as to protect his sheep when they face their enemies. Sheep have enemies. Jesus spoke about the wolves, some of whom come in the garb of sheep to destroy the sheep. But the shepherd is with his sheep. And we find here in verse five that he shows to the enemies the reality of his care for his sheep. And so such is the extent of that protection that we read in verse five, thou prepares the table before me in the presence of mine enemies. So that the sheep, and David's speaking here as an individual member of the flock, the sheep is able to dine in the face of his enemies. The cup runs over, it overflows. These are the provisions that speak of protection. And the psalmist's gaze reaches beyond that dark valley of the shadow of death. And that brings us to the third part of the psalm, the shepherd's palace, the shepherd's palace. The last verse begins with the word, surely. And I've thought of that word many times over the years. Surely. There's no doubt. There's no doubt about this truth. Goodness and mercy, as the psalmist said, will follow him all the days of his life. That's your lot as well, if you are one of the Lord's sheep. Goodness and mercy are the lot of the Lord's people in this life, in all the days of this life, from the beginning to the end. There's no life that is happy except the lives of those who trust God, who can say the Lord is my shepherd. Only the one who trusts in the Lord can be confident of the goodness and mercy of God as companions through life. It's not a magical formula. Those who trust in the shepherd know the reality of his goodness and mercy. When you feel well, they're there. You may not sense your need of them as much, but they are there. When you suffer affliction in body or soul, they are there. The goodness of God is his perfection and his care for you. The mercy of God is his kindness toward you and his deliverance of you in the presence of your enemies. This life for the believer in this world is a blessed life. It is a life of happiness and joy. But there is a greater day to come, the psalmist said. I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. David has been dead a long time in terms of his life in this world. He died at the age of 70, and that was nearly 3,000 years ago. But he said here, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. So there's no question as to what became of David when he died. And here the testimony is, the sheep will dwell in the Lord's house forever. So the day is coming when each of the Lord's sheep will arrive at that glorious mansion, that blessed house of the Lord. David has been there for 3000 years. It will be a day for rejoicing when the Lord's people reach that house. This is a prospect to provide great comfort to the people of God through all the trials of this life. Because the question about their destiny, the question about what will happen to them when they come to die, that's settled. They will be in God's house forever. When I think of this word, surely, I hear the echo of another text, and that is in Isaiah chapter 53. Isaiah 53. A text, I believe, that links to this word, surely. Verse 4. Surely, Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted, but he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. You see, the foundation of the blessing of Psalm 23 rests in the sacrifice of our Redeemer on the cross. That's where we come ultimately. We come to the cross. We look at what Jesus did on the cross. He bore our guilt away. You believe that? He bore our guilt away. All of our iniquities. That's what Isaiah 53 means. He laid on Him the iniquity of us all, all of our iniquities. That heavy burden of all the sins of all His people, the guilt of all those transgressions of God's law, He laid upon Him at the cross. And you know what? He made an end of it all. He suffered. He suffered the penalty of that broken law and made an end of it. So he purchased by his death upon the cross, the assurance that we will be in his house and with him forever. We don't know what that experience is like. There's some hints about it in the scriptures, about that transition. The Lord has kept a veil over that because we are so carnal that we would tend to focus on that instead of on him. But on the cross, he did away with all our guilt and purchased the guarantee that we will be in his house forever. The Lord is my shepherd. I hope you can say, the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. I hope you can say, as you look upon your life, at whatever stage you find yourself, Jesus led me all the way. He is the shepherd. And he will not leave his people short of that goal. for which Christ our Redeemer shed his precious blood. May the Lord give grace. And if you do not know the Lord, may the Lord give you grace today to repent of your sin and to trust in him so that you will know the truth. The Lord is my shepherd. Let us bow together in prayer. Our gracious Father in heaven, we rejoice today in the assurance of thy holy word, this simple psalm that has been a source of comfort to so many through life and in death. We rejoice today in the comfort it gives to us and the confidence it gives to us that whatever the circumstances are in our lives, We know that the Lord is our shepherd. Oh, Father, we pray today that thou would stamp thy word upon every soul. Grant there to be fruit for the proclamation of the word. Grant there to be a building up of the faith of the gospel in every soul of thy believing people. And grant, O Lord, that for those who do not know Thee, or who do not take seriously the call of the gospel, that today Thou wilt speak to them with that voice that wakes the dead. O Lord, we pray that Thou wilt bring others into the shepherd's flock, so that they may arrive at the shepherd's palace forevermore. Oh, hear us, we pray. We ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.