Hello Friends, I'm Jill Morikone
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and it is the start
of a brand new Quarter,
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Quarter Number 3: In
The Crucible with Christ.
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This lesson... Lesson Number
1 is: The Shepherd's Crucible.
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I am super
excited about this Study.
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I want to invite you...
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if you don't have your
own copy of the Quarterly,
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you can go to the
following website:
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3abnsabbathschoolpanel. com
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again that's:
3abnsabbathschoolpanel. com
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You can download your
own copy and follow along
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week by week.
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So, join us for this exciting
study of the Word of God.
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Music...
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Hello Friends,
I'm Jill Morikone.
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and I'm so glad
that you have tuned in
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for a brand-new Quarter:
In the Crucible with Christ.
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It's going to be an
insightful and a practical study
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of Christianity.
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So, I am looking forward to it.
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To my left is
part of my family here,
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Pastor John
Lomacang, glad you're here.
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Lomacang: Yeah, thank
you, it's good to be here.
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This is a good
lesson... not a whole book...
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a very practical... and
we thank the Lord for it.
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We're looking forward to
learning some new things.
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Jill: Amen, I am as
well, to your left, Ryan Day,
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glad you're here.
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Ryan: Amen, always a blessing
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to be a part of the
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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Jill: Amen, to your
left, Pastor John Dinzey,
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delighted you're here as well.
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Dinzey: It's a
blessing for me to be here,
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looking forward to
this lesson as well.
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Jill: Amen, last but not
least, my Sister Shelley Quinn
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anchor in the other
end, glad you're here.
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Shelley: It's such a
privilege to do this Study
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and I have to say...
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we all get into a
crucible every now and then.
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This is Practical
Christianity 101... I love it.
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Jill: It is... I am
super excited about it.
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Let's go to the Lord in
prayer before we go any further,
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Pastor John,
would you pray for us?
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Lomacang: Sure,
"Gracious Father, loving Lord,
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we open the Bible and
we pray that as we do so,
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that we will
also open our hearts.
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Father, we need Your
Spirit to pour into us.
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We have
studied... but what can we do
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without the power
that You make available.
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So, come and speak to us,
Lord, that we may speak words
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intelligently... spiritually...
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so that someone who may even
be in a crucible at this moment
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can find the peace and comfort
that comes only through You.
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We desire but one thing
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and that is to give
all the glory to You.
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We ask in Jesus' name, amen. "
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Pause...
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Jill: We're going
to start the lesson
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maybe a little different
angle than you would expect.
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We're going to tell
you what the Lesson is not
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and then what the Lesson is.
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The Lesson is not a Theodicy.
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It is not the justification
of God in the face of evil.
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It is not... "Why
is God seemingly silent
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in the face of evil?"
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Or "Why so bad things happen
to seemingly good people?"
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"Why are children abused
and neglected... murdered?"
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"Why are women raped?"
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"Why do families have
to see their children die?"
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That's out of the
natural order of things.
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"Why is there famine?"
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"Why are there car
accidents in this world?"
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We will touch a little
bit during this Quarter
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on some of those questions.
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We're going to touch a
little bit on the book of Job...
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that book of books of suffering.
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Job questions God's fairness
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by speaking
against the injustice
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of the divinely
permitted tragedies
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that he has to endure.
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and the bookend of
Job... I always think...
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is the book of Habakkuk.
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Habakkuk also
questions God's fairness
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but it's different
than how Job questions.
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Habakkuk questions by demanding
that God send judgments
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upon the wicked.
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But that's not really
the focus of this Lesson.
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This Lesson is... how do
we walk through crucibles?
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How do we endure pain
and suffering and trials
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that are a result of the
world of sin that we live in.
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How do we find Jesus
in the midst of pain?
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You know, if you
think about Christ,
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Christ is our Creator.
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John 1:3, "All things
were made through Him;
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and without Him nothing
was made that was made. "
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He's a God of
power... a God of strength...
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He's our Creator God
and yet this Creator God
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is also our Redeemer.
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Isaiah 53, "He is
despised and rejected of men;
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a man of sorrows, and
acquainted with grief:
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we hid as it were
our faces from Him;
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He was despised, and
we did not esteem Him. "
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Here we see the
conundrum as it were
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of the Creator God... the
Omnipotent All-powerful God
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who also
suffered with humanity...
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and suffered in a way
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that you or I could
never even experience.
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because we just
experience our own griefs
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and our own sorrows
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but at the cross,
He bore all our griefs
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and our sorrows and our sins.
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The Lesson focuses on
the suffering of our Savior
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and the suffering that
we see from heroes of faith
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throughout the Word of God
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and how we can
learn to grow in grace...
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how we can
become more like Jesus.
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How we can be
trained in righteousness.
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How we can
extend comfort to others
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with the comfort that we
ourselves have received from God
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because when it all boils down,
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even if we don't understand,
we know that God is love
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and we know that we can
still trust our heavenly Father.
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Panel: That's right.
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Jill: This week
we look at Psalm 23,
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so, turn with me Psalm 23.
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Each one of us is
going to have a portion
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of this most beloved
Psalm... David's Psalm.
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The Shepherd's Crucible.
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Of course, God is our Shepherd
and we... we are the sheep.
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Most importantly, this Psalm
as we look at it is studied.
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Of course, we look at it from
the perspective of the shepherd
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but also from the
perspective of the sheep.
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Now, I like chiastic structures.
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I like literary structures
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and Psalm 23 is
really a chiastic structure.
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You have A which is
presence... this is verse 1,
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the Shepherd is with me.
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Then as you move in, you have B
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which is provisions.
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What are the provisions
the Shepherd gives us?
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Green pastures...
water... restoration.
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As we come in further,
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we come into the central
point of the Psalm... that's C.
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That is paths...
there are two paths...
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the path of righteousness
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and the path of death
right there at the middle.
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Then we come
back out to provision.
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If we go further in the
Psalm, verses 4 through 6,
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we see the
provision... the table...
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the anointing... the oil
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and then we come all
the way back out to A again
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at the very end... we
come back to presence...
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we dwell in the
house of the Lord forever.
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Our Memory Text
is Psalm 23 verse 3,
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"He restores my soul;
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He leads me in the
paths of righteousness
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for His name's sake. "
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Sunday's Lesson: A
Guide For The Journey...
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we take a look at the Shepherd.
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I just have Psalm
23 verses 1 and 2.
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You know, the story is
told of children in school
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who are asked to
draw a picture of God
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and every one of those
children in their picture
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they had a heart in it
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and they said, "Why
did you draw a heart?"
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And the children said,
"Because God is love. "
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But, you know,
as we become older,
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we become more cynical.
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God doesn't change but we do.
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Malachi 3:6... He says,
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"I am God... I do not change. "
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Hebrews 13:8... Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday,
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today and forever... "
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and yet, as we grow older,
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we learn that people...
they're not always trustworthy.
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We learn that we can expect good
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but yet, sometimes
bad creeps up behind you.
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We learn that you can eat
right... you can exercise...
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you can get sleep at night...
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you can trust in God...
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and you still
might get a disease.
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Is God still love in the midst
of this world that we live in?
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Absolutely, but Satan
seeks to twist our understanding
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of the character of God.
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Let's read Psalm 23 verse 1,
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the first verse,
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"The Lord is my shepherd;
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I shall not want. "
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A symbol of a
shepherd is used for God
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both in the Old Testament
and in the New Testament.
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Since we have,
God is our Shepherd,
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we have need for nothing else.
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Now, I want to give
you in my remaining time
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eleven things that
the Shepherd does for us.
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we're going to
move very quickly.
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Number 1: We're
going to Psalm 28...
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we were in Psalm 23...
jump over... Psalm 28 verse 9,
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what does a Shepherd do for us?
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Number 1: God the Shepherd...
He keeps us together.
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Psalm 28: 9, "Save Your people,
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bless Your inheritance;
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Shepherd them also,
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and bear them up forever. "
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He keeps us from
scattering as a sheep.
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He gives us
guidance and direction.
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He keeps us together.
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Number 2: we're still
in Psalm, Psalm chapter 80,
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jump over to Psalm 80 verse 1,
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God gives us direction,
"Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
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You who lead
Joseph like a flock;
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You who dwell between
the cherubim, shine forth!"
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He leads us... He
gives us guidance.
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Number 3: we're going to
Isaiah, Isaiah 40 verse 11,
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the first half of
that verse, Number 3:
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God grants us provision.
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"He will feed His flock
like... " what's that word?
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"a shepherd... "
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God gives us provision.
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Number 4: God
deals with us tenderly...
00:10:00.13\00:10:04.13
we're in the same verse...
we're just going to finish it.
00:10:04.17\00:10:06.94
Verse... Isaiah 40 verse 11,
the second half of the verse,
00:10:06.97\00:10:09.70
He will gather the
lambs with His arm,
00:10:09.74\00:10:12.21
and carry them in His bosom,
00:10:12.24\00:10:13.58
and gently lead
those who are with young? "
00:10:13.61\00:10:17.11
This, of course, is the
portrait of the coming Messiah
00:10:17.15\00:10:20.55
but we see God as
Shepherd deals with us tenderly.
00:10:20.58\00:10:23.99
Number 5: we're
going to Jeremiah.
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Jeremiah chapter 23
00:10:25.99\00:10:27.86
and we'll get
several points out of this,
00:10:27.92\00:10:29.26
Jeremiah chapter 23...
pick it up in verses 1 and 2,
00:10:29.29\00:10:32.39
Number 5 is: God will
judge those who hurt you.
00:10:32.46\00:10:37.40
"Woe to the shepherds
00:10:37.43\00:10:38.77
who destroy and scatter
the sheep of my pasture!
00:10:38.80\00:10:41.74
says the Lord.
00:10:41.77\00:10:43.10
Therefore thus says
the Lord God of Israel
00:10:43.14\00:10:44.54
against the
shepherds who feed My people:
00:10:44.57\00:10:46.37
'You have scattered My flock,
00:10:46.41\00:10:48.74
driven them away,
and not attended to them.
00:10:48.78\00:10:51.28
Behold... '" what
is He going to do?
00:10:51.31\00:10:53.28
"'I will attend to you
for the evil of your doings,'
00:10:53.31\00:10:57.02
says the Lord. "
So, what does that mean?
00:10:57.09\00:10:58.42
God would judge
those who hurt you.
00:10:58.45\00:11:01.26
Number 6: God restores us...
00:11:01.29\00:11:04.73
we're still in
Jeremiah 23 let's read verse 3,
00:11:04.79\00:11:07.93
"But I will gather
the remnant of My flock
00:11:07.96\00:11:11.03
out of all the countries
where I have driven them,
00:11:11.07\00:11:13.34
and bring them
back to their folds;
00:11:13.37\00:11:16.10
and they shall be
fruitful and increase. "
00:11:16.14\00:11:18.67
God as our Shepherd restores us.
00:11:18.71\00:11:21.51
Number 7...
we're reading verse 4,
00:11:21.54\00:11:24.28
we're still in
Jeremiah 23 verse 4,
00:11:24.31\00:11:26.95
Number 7: "I will set
up shepherds over them
00:11:26.98\00:11:29.22
who will feed them;
00:11:29.25\00:11:30.59
and they shall fear
no more, nor be dismayed,
00:11:30.62\00:11:33.25
nor shall they be
lacking," says the Lord.
00:11:33.29\00:11:35.62
So, God
ensures... we are not afraid
00:11:35.66\00:11:38.16
and again, He provides for us.
00:11:38.19\00:11:41.40
Going to Number 8:
00:11:41.43\00:11:43.13
the last of them are
from John chapter 10.
00:11:43.16\00:11:45.27
So, turn over
to John chapter 10.
00:11:45.30\00:11:47.04
We're going to
pick it up in verse 11,
00:11:47.10\00:11:48.90
Number 8: God sacrificed Himself
00:11:48.94\00:11:51.64
so that you and I can be saved.
00:11:51.67\00:11:54.31
John 10:11, "I am
the good Shepherd,
00:11:54.34\00:11:57.25
The good Shepherd gives
His life for the sheep. "
00:11:57.28\00:12:01.62
God sacrificed
Himself to save us.
00:12:01.65\00:12:04.62
Number 9: God
knows us intimately.
00:12:04.65\00:12:08.19
John 10 verse 14,
00:12:08.22\00:12:10.53
"I am the good shepherd;
00:12:10.56\00:12:11.89
and I know My sheep,
00:12:11.93\00:12:13.50
and am known by My own. "
00:12:13.53\00:12:16.23
God knows us intimately.
00:12:16.26\00:12:18.27
Number 10: God brings unity.
00:12:18.30\00:12:21.90
John 10 verse 16,
00:12:21.94\00:12:24.11
"Other sheep I have
which are not of this fold;
00:12:24.14\00:12:26.31
them also I must bring,
00:12:26.34\00:12:27.98
and they will hear My voice;
00:12:28.01\00:12:29.34
and there will be one
flock and one shepherd. "
00:12:29.38\00:12:31.71
God brings unity...
and finally Number 11:
00:12:31.75\00:12:35.12
God speaks to us...
we're in John 10 verse 27,
00:12:35.15\00:12:39.12
"My sheep hear My
voice, and I know them,
00:12:39.15\00:12:42.32
and they follow Me. "
00:12:42.36\00:12:43.69
Do you want to be
led by the good Shepherd?
00:12:43.73\00:12:47.23
Do you want Jesus as
your Shepherd to lead you.
00:12:47.26\00:12:50.03
No matter what trial
you're going through...
00:12:50.07\00:12:52.80
no matter what you
experience in your life,
00:12:52.83\00:12:55.54
He is your good Shepherd.
00:12:55.57\00:12:57.11
He is the one who
keeps you together.
00:12:57.14\00:12:59.14
He is the one who
gives you direction.
00:12:59.17\00:13:01.04
He is the one who
gives you provision.
00:13:01.08\00:13:03.35
He is the one who
deals with you tenderly
00:13:03.38\00:13:05.51
and judges other
people who hurt you.
00:13:05.55\00:13:07.65
He is the one who restores you
and ensures you are not afraid.
00:13:07.68\00:13:11.65
He is the one who
sacrificed His life
00:13:11.69\00:13:14.62
so that you could go free.
00:13:14.66\00:13:16.46
He is the one who
knows you intimately
00:13:16.49\00:13:18.59
and wants to bring
unity into your life.
00:13:18.63\00:13:20.70
He is the one who speaks to you
00:13:20.73\00:13:22.53
and finally, Psalm 23 verse 2,
00:13:22.56\00:13:25.20
"He makes you lie
down in green pastures;
00:13:25.23\00:13:28.27
He leads you
beside the still waters. "
00:13:28.30\00:13:30.71
He gives you rest.
00:13:30.74\00:13:32.87
Do you want rest?
00:13:32.91\00:13:35.11
He promises us
this in Matthew 11,
00:13:35.14\00:13:37.71
"Come to Me all, you who labor
and are weary and heavy laden,
00:13:37.75\00:13:42.48
and I... I will give you rest. "
00:13:42.52\00:13:46.65
Come to the
Shepherd of your soul...
00:13:46.69\00:13:49.66
no matter the crucible
that you are experiencing...
00:13:49.69\00:13:52.33
and He will give you rest.
00:13:52.36\00:13:54.03
Panel: Amen... amen.
00:13:54.06\00:13:55.40
Lomacang: Thank you Jill, wow!
00:13:55.43\00:13:56.77
How do you fit in
eleven points in all that time?
00:13:56.80\00:13:59.87
It's amazing how you do that.
00:13:59.90\00:14:01.24
You know, the 23rd
Psalm is just an amazing...
00:14:01.27\00:14:03.37
amazing
passage... I've often said...
00:14:03.41\00:14:05.84
it is in fact... in the
Bible the complete summary
00:14:05.87\00:14:08.91
of the Christian's life.
00:14:08.94\00:14:10.28
If you can say, "The
Lord is my Shepherd... "
00:14:10.31\00:14:12.15
everything that is
listed in the 23rd Psalm
00:14:12.18\00:14:14.62
will be a part
of your experience.
00:14:14.65\00:14:16.58
From the beginning where
He found you as a lost sheep,
00:14:16.62\00:14:19.69
all the way to the point
00:14:19.72\00:14:21.22
where we dwell in the
house of the Lord forever.
00:14:21.26\00:14:23.39
I'm in Psalm 23 verse 3,
which is: He restores my soul:
00:14:23.43\00:14:29.00
He leads me in the
paths of righteousness
00:14:29.03\00:14:32.63
for his name's sake.
00:14:32.67\00:14:34.07
You know, righteousness
is never for our glory,
00:14:34.10\00:14:38.27
it's always for God's glory.
00:14:38.31\00:14:40.08
That's why He says,
"Let your light so shine. "
00:14:40.14\00:14:41.78
I'm going to
read the introduction
00:14:41.81\00:14:43.58
that the writer of
the lesson put in it
00:14:43.65\00:14:45.25
because it was so
wonderfully put together.
00:14:45.31\00:14:46.92
Talking about a journey,
00:14:46.95\00:14:48.68
just imagine being on
a path of righteousness
00:14:48.72\00:14:50.79
or a path at all
00:14:50.82\00:14:52.35
and you just cannot
see the end of the journey.
00:14:52.39\00:14:54.16
Sometimes, the mountains block
00:14:54.19\00:14:55.79
and sometimes
the crest of the hill
00:14:55.82\00:14:57.93
obscures the journey for me.
00:14:57.96\00:15:00.73
Sometimes the turn is so
steep, you can't see around it
00:15:00.76\00:15:03.60
but you know that at the
end of this journey... is home.
00:15:03.63\00:15:06.60
More specifically, in the
beauty of it... God's home.
00:15:06.63\00:15:09.57
Listen to the way
He says it, He says,
00:15:09.60\00:15:12.14
"Imagine the
paths of righteousness
00:15:12.17\00:15:14.18
stretching out before
you way into the distance.
00:15:14.21\00:15:17.28
You cannot see the end,
00:15:17.31\00:15:18.75
but you know that at
the end of the journey
00:15:18.78\00:15:20.95
is home... God's house.
00:15:20.98\00:15:23.32
As you focus a
little closer to you,
00:15:23.35\00:15:25.92
do you see where the path leads?
00:15:25.95\00:15:28.42
You can see some
clearly or some places clearly
00:15:28.49\00:15:32.69
but other parts
are totally obscured
00:15:32.73\00:15:34.60
by large or dangerous obstacles.
00:15:34.63\00:15:36.46
Sometimes, the path
disappears over a ridge.
00:15:36.50\00:15:39.17
Some parts of the path
are easy to walk along,
00:15:39.20\00:15:41.67
others are difficult.
00:15:41.70\00:15:43.20
It was just like this in
Israel's travel from Egypt
00:15:43.24\00:15:47.18
to the Promised Land
00:15:47.24\00:15:48.58
and it is described the
same way in this Psalm. "
00:15:48.61\00:15:52.51
So, it's the
journey of the Christian.
00:15:52.55\00:15:54.18
Each one of us has
those parts in our lives
00:15:54.22\00:15:56.75
where... man... we just
want to get up on the desert
00:15:56.79\00:15:59.35
but I want to
bring up the four things
00:15:59.39\00:16:00.72
because the 23rd Psalm...
it talks about the locations.
00:16:00.76\00:16:05.09
Mine is entitled:
Locations on the Journey
00:16:05.13\00:16:07.90
and my wife and I
do this sometimes.
00:16:07.93\00:16:09.86
We've been in
ministry now for 35 years
00:16:09.90\00:16:11.73
and every now and then
we look at the journey...
00:16:11.77\00:16:14.04
where we were when we started...
00:16:14.07\00:16:15.64
what happened along the way...
00:16:15.67\00:16:17.17
the part of the
journey we wanted to quit
00:16:17.21\00:16:19.27
and then we say, "I'm
so glad we didn't quit...
00:16:19.31\00:16:21.64
God is faithful from the
very beginning to the very end.
00:16:21.68\00:16:25.01
But the 23rd
Psalm... I'll break this down
00:16:25.05\00:16:27.78
because there are
four takeaways, Jill,
00:16:27.82\00:16:30.45
that come out of the
picture of the 23rd Psalm.
00:16:30.49\00:16:33.66
Let's look at the 23rd Psalm and
I'll break this down as we go.
00:16:33.69\00:16:36.93
I'll read it one more time.
00:16:36.96\00:16:38.49
"He restores my soul:
00:16:38.53\00:16:40.23
He leads me in the
paths of righteousness
00:16:40.26\00:16:43.90
for His name's sake. "
00:16:43.93\00:16:45.93
What kind of paths?
00:16:45.97\00:16:47.47
Green pastures.
00:16:47.50\00:16:48.84
Jill: Yeah.
00:16:48.87\00:16:50.21
Lomacang: And
when you look at that,
00:16:50.24\00:16:51.57
this shows the abundance of God.
00:16:51.61\00:16:54.08
God never leads us to a lack...
00:16:54.11\00:16:56.58
He always leads
us to an abundance
00:16:56.61\00:16:58.98
that we might have life
and have it more abundantly
00:16:59.01\00:17:02.12
and so, we find
the abundance of God...
00:17:02.15\00:17:04.19
it's talked about by David
00:17:04.22\00:17:06.25
but illustrated all
through the New Testament.
00:17:06.29\00:17:08.06
Philippians 4:19,
00:17:08.09\00:17:09.72
"And my God shall
supply all your need
00:17:09.76\00:17:11.96
according to His riches
in glory by Christ Jesus. "
00:17:11.99\00:17:15.26
The abundance of God...
that path that's always green,
00:17:15.30\00:17:18.23
Ephesians 3 verse 20,
00:17:18.27\00:17:19.90
"Now to Him who is able
to do exceedingly abundantly
00:17:19.93\00:17:23.07
above all that we ask or think,
00:17:23.10\00:17:24.57
according to the
power that works in us... "
00:17:24.61\00:17:26.74
God is an abundant
God... Luke 6 and verse 38,
00:17:26.78\00:17:29.64
But God's abundance
sometimes is also reciprocal.
00:17:29.68\00:17:33.25
Sometimes, we can unlock
God's abundance by what we do.
00:17:33.28\00:17:37.45
"Give, and it will be
given to you: good measure,
00:17:37.49\00:17:40.16
pressed down, shaken together,
00:17:40.19\00:17:41.56
and running over will
be put into your bosom.
00:17:41.59\00:17:43.93
For with the same measure
that you mete... or use...
00:17:43.96\00:17:46.49
it will be
measured back to you. "
00:17:46.53\00:17:48.13
Again... so some
of us can participate
00:17:48.16\00:17:50.93
from the
abundance that comes our way
00:17:50.97\00:17:52.67
by being cheerful givers.
00:17:52.70\00:17:54.67
Not just tithe and offerings,
00:17:54.70\00:17:56.60
but helping to carry the burdens
of our brothers and sisters.
00:17:56.64\00:17:59.71
What other way does God lead?
00:17:59.74\00:18:01.38
What other way can
we find on the locations
00:18:01.41\00:18:04.55
that are along the way?
00:18:04.61\00:18:05.95
Still waters... which talks
about the stability of God.
00:18:05.98\00:18:09.55
First, the abundance
of... abundance of God...
00:18:09.58\00:18:12.42
next the stability of God.
00:18:12.45\00:18:14.52
Had a time
getting that word out.
00:18:14.56\00:18:16.29
Isaiah 41 verse 10,
00:18:16.32\00:18:17.99
what's God's stability?
00:18:18.03\00:18:19.59
"Fear not, for I am with you;
00:18:19.63\00:18:21.46
be not dismayed,
for I am your God.
00:18:21.50\00:18:23.77
I will strengthen you,
00:18:23.80\00:18:25.83
yes, I will help you,
00:18:25.87\00:18:27.80
I will uphold you with
My righteous right arm. "
00:18:27.84\00:18:30.81
God is stable all the time.
00:18:30.84\00:18:32.54
We may change... but
how often is God the same?
00:18:32.57\00:18:35.51
Yesterday, today, and forever.
00:18:35.54\00:18:37.65
What else does
the Bible tell us.
00:18:37.68\00:18:39.21
Psalm 96 verse 10,
00:18:39.25\00:18:40.58
"Say among the
nations, 'The LORD reigns;
00:18:40.62\00:18:43.62
the world also is
firmly established,
00:18:43.65\00:18:46.76
it shall not be moved... "
00:18:46.82\00:18:48.46
the stability of God.
00:18:48.49\00:18:50.63
Then we find in the
paths of righteousness
00:18:50.66\00:18:54.76
the transformation of God.
00:18:54.80\00:18:56.87
We don't go into
paths righteous...
00:18:56.93\00:18:59.17
we go into paths of
God and become righteous.
00:18:59.20\00:19:01.40
Panel: Hmmm...
00:19:01.44\00:19:02.84
Lomacang: 1st
Peter 2 and verse 9...
00:19:02.87\00:19:04.54
this is what
happens in the path.
00:19:04.57\00:19:06.64
"But you are a
chosen generation... "
00:19:06.68\00:19:08.44
let me re-phrase that...
00:19:08.48\00:19:09.81
"But you become a
chosen generation,
00:19:09.84\00:19:11.55
you become a royal priesthood,
00:19:11.58\00:19:13.62
you become a holy nation,
00:19:13.65\00:19:15.22
you become His own
special people... " why?
00:19:15.25\00:19:18.12
"that you may
proclaim the praises of Him
00:19:18.15\00:19:21.02
who called you out of
darkness... off the path...
00:19:21.06\00:19:23.43
into His marvelous light. "
00:19:23.46\00:19:25.13
Which is all along the way.
00:19:25.16\00:19:26.76
Now, sometimes
the path is obscured
00:19:26.80\00:19:29.50
in the darkness
of our experience,
00:19:29.53\00:19:32.20
but the path is never dark
00:19:32.23\00:19:34.14
because God doesn't
deal with darkness...
00:19:34.17\00:19:36.60
in His presence
is glorious light
00:19:36.64\00:19:39.37
but sometimes, in
our own experience.
00:19:39.41\00:19:42.11
I remember knowing someone's...
00:19:42.14\00:19:43.48
I had an
experience with someone who...
00:19:43.51\00:19:45.61
no, you can say the nicest thing
00:19:45.65\00:19:47.52
and this person will
always find the crumbs
00:19:47.55\00:19:49.68
at the bottom of the barrel.
00:19:49.72\00:19:51.05
They'll always look at
the residue of the glass...
00:19:51.09\00:19:52.79
something's always
wrong, like he'll say...
00:19:52.85\00:19:54.96
"Hey, let's go to
the Amusement Park... "
00:19:54.99\00:19:56.83
they'll say, "Well
somebody died last week
00:19:56.86\00:19:58.19
on the rollercoaster. "
00:19:58.23\00:20:00.00
"Hey, let's go to the beach... "
00:20:00.03\00:20:01.36
"You know there are sharks
in the ocean. " Panel: Laughter.
00:20:01.40\00:20:02.73
Lomacang: He always
found the negative side.
00:20:02.76\00:20:04.10
"Hey, let's go for a walk. "
00:20:04.13\00:20:05.47
"You know, somebody
got hit with those... "
00:20:05.50\00:20:07.10
You know, they always
find the negative side.
00:20:07.14\00:20:09.14
But it's not God...
00:20:09.17\00:20:10.51
some people have
their own personal cloud.
00:20:10.54\00:20:12.71
But when you are with God,
00:20:12.74\00:20:14.54
which brings us
to the fourth part,
00:20:14.58\00:20:16.41
"the valley of
shadows of death... "
00:20:16.44\00:20:17.78
it's also along...
00:20:17.81\00:20:19.18
and I know we're bringing
that out even more as we go on
00:20:19.21\00:20:21.58
but in this, we go from
the transformation of God
00:20:21.62\00:20:24.49
to the comfort of God.
00:20:24.55\00:20:26.79
Psalm 23 verse 4, I know
you'll develop this more,
00:20:26.82\00:20:29.79
but it says, "Yea,
though I walk through the valley
00:20:29.82\00:20:32.66
of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil;
00:20:32.69\00:20:34.20
for You with me;
00:20:34.23\00:20:35.70
Your rod and Your
staff, they comfort me. "
00:20:35.73\00:20:37.60
But then, I also saw
2nd Corinthians chapter 1
00:20:37.63\00:20:40.04
verses 3 and 4...
the comfort of God.
00:20:40.07\00:20:42.30
"Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
00:20:42.34\00:20:45.37
the Father of mercies
and God of all comfort,
00:20:45.41\00:20:48.14
who comforts us in
all our tribulation,
00:20:48.18\00:20:52.11
that we may be able to comfort
those who are in any trouble,
00:20:52.15\00:20:56.18
with the comfort
with which we ourselves
00:20:56.22\00:20:59.25
are comforted by God. "
00:20:59.29\00:21:00.82
"Comfort" four times...
00:21:00.86\00:21:02.19
God comforts us...
we can comfort others.
00:21:02.22\00:21:04.96
Jill: That's right.
00:21:04.99\00:21:06.33
Lomacang: As we
experience the comfort of God,
00:21:06.36\00:21:07.73
only then can we say
to someone in tribulation,
00:21:07.76\00:21:10.60
"The Lord will comfort you. "
00:21:10.63\00:21:13.44
But here's the other
thing that this points out.
00:21:13.47\00:21:16.00
You know the righteous...
we don't need to know
00:21:16.07\00:21:18.34
which way we're going.
00:21:18.37\00:21:19.97
We just need to trust
the God who's leading us.
00:21:20.01\00:21:21.74
Panel: Yes... amen.
00:21:21.78\00:21:23.18
Lomacang: And that's something
that's always, you know,
00:21:23.21\00:21:24.55
what does God
have up His sleeves?
00:21:24.58\00:21:25.98
What is He up to now?
00:21:26.01\00:21:27.85
What is God doing?
00:21:27.88\00:21:29.55
Have you ever said that before?
00:21:29.58\00:21:30.99
I mean, is... is God
really the one calling me?
00:21:31.02\00:21:34.02
Is this really God behind or...
00:21:34.06\00:21:36.19
or is it just some deep
desire that I'm manifesting
00:21:36.22\00:21:38.93
because I heard about
something that's ahead of me?
00:21:38.96\00:21:41.63
We don't need to
know where we're going,
00:21:41.66\00:21:43.70
we just need to trust
the One who is leading us?
00:21:43.73\00:21:45.83
Well, you've heard the passage,
Proverbs 3 verses 5 and 6,
00:21:45.90\00:21:50.07
"Trust in the LORD
00:21:50.11\00:21:52.01
with all your heart,
00:21:52.04\00:21:53.84
and lean not on
your own understanding;
00:21:53.88\00:21:55.81
in all of your
ways acknowledge Him,
00:21:55.84\00:21:57.71
and He shall... " do what?
00:21:57.75\00:21:59.11
"direct your paths. "
00:21:59.15\00:22:01.55
Why does He direct our paths?
00:22:01.58\00:22:04.25
When we become righteous...
00:22:04.29\00:22:06.72
in the path of righteousness...
00:22:06.76\00:22:09.16
Psalm 37 verse 23 said,
00:22:09.19\00:22:11.23
"The steps of a good man
are ordered by the LORD... "
00:22:11.29\00:22:14.86
why? "He delights in his way. "
00:22:14.90\00:22:17.53
When we are
walking in God's way,
00:22:17.57\00:22:20.07
God delights because
we are walking with Him
00:22:20.14\00:22:22.80
in the way, He has led us.
00:22:22.84\00:22:24.67
But the Lord
leads in multiple ways.
00:22:24.71\00:22:28.11
First, the path of
God are the right paths
00:22:28.14\00:22:31.95
because they lead to
the right destination...
00:22:31.98\00:22:35.78
the Shepherd's home...
00:22:35.82\00:22:37.15
it may not feel
like the right path
00:22:37.19\00:22:39.05
because we get
trials on that path.
00:22:39.09\00:22:41.02
You know, sometimes in our
churches... in our homes...
00:22:41.06\00:22:43.12
in our families...
in the places we work...
00:22:43.16\00:22:45.33
in the experiences of life...
00:22:45.36\00:22:47.03
it doesn't always work out
00:22:47.06\00:22:48.66
but it is not the
path that we should blame,
00:22:48.70\00:22:50.63
it's just simply the incidence.
00:22:50.67\00:22:52.80
From Egypt to Canaan, there
were serpents and scorpions
00:22:52.83\00:22:55.64
but God was still
leading. Panel: That's right.
00:22:55.67\00:22:58.37
Lomacang: Secondly,
the path is right because
00:22:58.41\00:23:00.74
they keep us in harmony
with the right person...
00:23:00.78\00:23:03.04
the Shepherd Himself.
00:23:03.08\00:23:04.58
Many people may
try to distract you
00:23:04.61\00:23:07.05
but stay focused on
Christ... it's His path
00:23:07.12\00:23:09.78
and only the
Shepherd can keep His sheep
00:23:09.82\00:23:12.49
if we focus on Him.
00:23:12.52\00:23:13.96
Thirdly, they are the right
paths because they train us
00:23:13.99\00:23:17.73
to be the right person...
to be like the Shepherd.
00:23:17.79\00:23:21.10
Panel: Amen.
Lomacang: The Shepherd molds us.
00:23:21.13\00:23:23.23
We become like Him
not at the very beginning
00:23:23.26\00:23:25.30
but if we
endure... we become like Him
00:23:25.33\00:23:27.67
because He's the
One doing the molding.
00:23:27.70\00:23:30.01
And fourthly, it
is the right path
00:23:30.04\00:23:32.47
because it gives
us the right witness
00:23:32.54\00:23:34.94
as we become the right people.
00:23:34.98\00:23:36.75
We give glory to God.
00:23:36.78\00:23:38.68
They are right...
are righteous paths
00:23:38.71\00:23:41.42
whether the... whether the
going is easy or difficult.
00:23:41.45\00:23:45.89
And finally,
Proverbs 4 and verse 18,
00:23:45.95\00:23:48.46
"The path of the just
is like the shining sun,
00:23:48.49\00:23:52.06
that shines ever
brighter unto the perfect day. "
00:23:52.09\00:23:55.40
Stay on the path... it's
just one of the locations
00:23:55.43\00:23:58.73
before we get to the
Lord's house forever.
00:23:58.77\00:24:01.57
Jill: Amen, I love
that, thank you, Pastor John,
00:24:01.60\00:24:04.37
I want to be on
the path of the just.
00:24:04.41\00:24:06.07
We're going to take a short
break... we'll be right back.
00:24:06.11\00:24:08.61
Music...
00:24:08.64\00:24:13.95
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Save a Life for Eternity.
00:24:39.84\00:24:43.01
Jill: Welcome back to our study
on the Shepherd's Crucibles
00:24:43.04\00:24:46.41
Psalm 23 and we're going to kick
it over to Ryan and Tuesday.
00:24:46.48\00:24:49.82
Ryan: Amen, I'm Ryan Day
and I have Tuesday's Lesson
00:24:49.85\00:24:54.49
which is entitled:
Unexpected Detour 1: The Valley.
00:24:54.52\00:24:58.89
I think Pastor Dinzey
has the Unexpected Detour 2,
00:24:58.93\00:25:02.33
so, you know it's amazing
because along our journey...
00:25:02.36\00:25:05.73
along our path as we
are following Christ,
00:25:05.77\00:25:07.64
sometimes we... you
know, we can end up in places
00:25:07.67\00:25:10.31
and we're going to talk
about this in this Lesson.
00:25:10.34\00:25:12.97
Sometimes we
can end up in places
00:25:13.01\00:25:15.04
that we might not have
thought we would ever be
00:25:15.08\00:25:18.21
and in this case, we're
talking about the valley,
00:25:18.25\00:25:20.68
Pastor touched a
little bit on verse 4 there,
00:25:20.72\00:25:23.08
we're going to read verse 4
00:25:23.12\00:25:24.45
and then we're going to
just kind of break it apart
00:25:24.49\00:25:26.35
and highlight some
of the high points here
00:25:26.39\00:25:28.06
but Psalm chapter 23 verse
4, we've heard these words a lot
00:25:28.09\00:25:32.19
especially when someone is...
00:25:32.23\00:25:33.70
is dealing with
some type of tribulation
00:25:33.73\00:25:36.10
or trial or sorrow or difficulty
or challenge in their life,
00:25:36.16\00:25:39.07
they'll often quote this text,
00:25:39.10\00:25:40.64
"Yea, though I
walk through the valley
00:25:40.67\00:25:43.10
of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil;
00:25:43.17\00:25:46.37
for You are with me;
00:25:46.41\00:25:47.81
Your rod and Your
staff, they comfort me. "
00:25:47.84\00:25:50.68
You know, I've thought of David,
David is the one who wrote this
00:25:50.71\00:25:54.45
and this brother...
00:25:54.48\00:25:55.82
this brother went through some
valleys of shadows in his life.
00:25:55.85\00:25:59.29
I mean... I don't...
probably other than Job
00:25:59.32\00:26:01.56
and maybe a couple of
others, you could say...
00:26:01.59\00:26:03.79
this brother... in fact
he practically lived there
00:26:03.83\00:26:05.83
his entire life.
00:26:05.86\00:26:07.76
I mean, more than three-fourths
of his life was spent in war
00:26:07.83\00:26:10.47
and battle and combat
00:26:10.50\00:26:11.83
trying to fend off
the enemies of, you know,
00:26:11.87\00:26:14.24
that wanted to destroy him
and the children of Israel,
00:26:14.27\00:26:16.24
I mean, this brother spent a lot
of time in trial and tribulation
00:26:16.27\00:26:19.91
and... and in the
valley of the shadow of death,
00:26:19.94\00:26:22.44
but yet, he learned
to depend on his Shepherd
00:26:22.48\00:26:24.91
and the Lesson
brings this out...
00:26:24.98\00:26:26.98
you know, just a short
ways in, it asks the question:
00:26:27.02\00:26:29.45
and this really
resonated with me
00:26:29.48\00:26:30.82
because as I was
pouring through this Lesson
00:26:30.85\00:26:32.72
and just, you know,
00:26:32.75\00:26:34.09
trying to determine how I was
going to approach this Lesson,
00:26:34.12\00:26:36.39
wow! it really
hit close home to me
00:26:36.42\00:26:38.19
because here is
the question it asked,
00:26:38.23\00:26:40.23
"Think about the
times you have been
00:26:40.26\00:26:42.26
in your valley of
the shadow of death.
00:26:42.30\00:26:44.47
What has it been like?
00:26:44.50\00:26:47.50
Did you have
fear or even though...
00:26:47.54\00:26:49.80
even though you knew
that the Shepherd was there?"
00:26:49.84\00:26:52.41
And then it asks,
00:26:52.44\00:26:53.78
"Which Bible verses
were the most precious to you
00:26:53.81\00:26:55.51
at the time and why?"
00:26:55.54\00:26:57.11
You know, I have
had moments in my life
00:26:57.15\00:26:59.55
where I felt like I've,
00:26:59.61\00:27:00.95
you know, been
walking through those shadows,
00:27:00.98\00:27:02.78
you know the
valley of the shadows
00:27:02.82\00:27:04.22
but I can tell you, probably the
most difficult time in my life
00:27:04.25\00:27:08.22
where I walked through...
literally where I experienced
00:27:08.26\00:27:10.89
the literal valley
of the shadow of death
00:27:10.93\00:27:13.09
was when I watched my mother
literally, approach her end...
00:27:13.13\00:27:17.40
in that valley of
the shadow of death.
00:27:17.43\00:27:19.20
Three years
ago, my mother passed
00:27:19.23\00:27:20.97
and, you know, I know
we all have had loved ones
00:27:21.00\00:27:25.07
and friends and
family over the years,
00:27:25.14\00:27:26.47
it just seems
like it's a part of...
00:27:26.68\00:27:28.28
it's a normal part of this life.
00:27:28.31\00:27:29.74
People die... we
lose friends and family
00:27:29.81\00:27:31.71
and it's... it's horrible
00:27:31.75\00:27:33.15
but, you know, God blessed
my family in the sense that
00:27:33.18\00:27:37.19
He allowed me
almost to the age of 30
00:27:37.25\00:27:39.35
to not experience any type
of death in my immediate family
00:27:39.72\00:27:42.19
and so, my mother
and I and our family...
00:27:42.22\00:27:44.89
we were very, very, very close
00:27:44.93\00:27:46.33
and when I watched my
mother struggle for 53 days
00:27:46.36\00:27:49.36
in a hospital
fighting for her life,
00:27:49.40\00:27:50.90
it was hard
00:27:50.97\00:27:52.33
and it's
interesting because I remember
00:27:52.37\00:27:54.00
on the first day
that she went in,
00:27:54.04\00:27:55.57
and she was preparing
for this emergency surgery,
00:27:55.60\00:27:57.84
that she was about
to have to go through,
00:27:57.87\00:27:59.34
she looked up with teary eyes
and she said to me, she said,
00:27:59.37\00:28:01.61
"Son... " she
said, "pray for me... "
00:28:01.64\00:28:03.35
she said, "I don't know if
I'm coming out of this one... "
00:28:03.38\00:28:06.45
and we were all like,
00:28:06.51\00:28:07.85
"Mom, come on, stop with that
negative talk... " you know,
00:28:07.88\00:28:10.35
"you... you... you're
going to come through this...
00:28:10.39\00:28:12.25
you're going to
come through this... "
00:28:12.29\00:28:13.79
but something was like,
she knew... she knew something
00:28:13.82\00:28:16.22
and we watched her struggle
for 53 days in the hospital
00:28:16.26\00:28:18.63
and... and... but
something miraculous happened
00:28:18.66\00:28:22.00
in that valley of
the shadow of death,
00:28:22.03\00:28:24.37
my mom who had drifted
very, very far away from God...
00:28:24.43\00:28:27.54
it took her going
through that valley
00:28:27.57\00:28:30.14
for God to
bring her back to Him.
00:28:30.17\00:28:32.67
It was in the
darkest period of her life
00:28:32.71\00:28:36.01
that God was able to
draw her back to Him.
00:28:36.04\00:28:39.28
I watched my mom's life convert.
00:28:39.31\00:28:41.22
I watched her...
her character change...
00:28:41.25\00:28:43.15
she became a
completely different person...
00:28:43.18\00:28:45.02
someone who was uninterested
in spiritual things...
00:28:45.05\00:28:47.46
uninterested in the Bible...
00:28:47.49\00:28:49.32
uninterested in... in church...
00:28:49.36\00:28:50.86
uninterested in these things...
00:28:50.89\00:28:52.33
become so devoted
praising God from her bed
00:28:52.36\00:28:55.20
in the hospital and
singing and... and...
00:28:55.23\00:28:57.53
and it just... it
was amazing to see
00:28:57.57\00:28:59.80
that through this
valley of the shadow of death,
00:28:59.83\00:29:02.70
God was allowing my
mother and us as a family
00:29:02.74\00:29:05.37
to go through this...
to watch my mom suffer
00:29:05.41\00:29:07.98
to the point that it
was... it was difficult.
00:29:08.01\00:29:10.51
It was... it was a trying time
00:29:10.55\00:29:11.88
to the point that I
remember the day that she died
00:29:11.91\00:29:14.12
I honestly thought God was
going to pull her out of this
00:29:14.15\00:29:17.05
because I had seen the change
00:29:17.09\00:29:18.42
we had made
plans for her to come
00:29:18.45\00:29:19.79
and stay here in my house
and... and... and come and learn
00:29:19.82\00:29:23.16
and grow at Thompsonville Church
00:29:23.19\00:29:24.53
and it was just...
it was an awesome thing
00:29:24.56\00:29:26.46
but yet, God took her
00:29:26.49\00:29:27.83
and I remember
calling out to God and saying,
00:29:27.86\00:29:29.33
"Lord, why... why... why?"
00:29:29.36\00:29:31.43
But I remember God used JD
and Shelley Quinn at that time
00:29:31.47\00:29:35.20
to really minister to my heart
00:29:35.24\00:29:36.84
and speaking of the verses that
really helped me catch a glimpse
00:29:36.87\00:29:43.14
because I remember asking,
00:29:43.18\00:29:44.51
"Lord, I had thousands of
people praying for my mother,
00:29:44.55\00:29:47.12
do you not hear
Your people's prayers?
00:29:47.15\00:29:49.18
Could you not have
saved her life, Lord,
00:29:49.22\00:29:51.29
to allow her to
continue on and... "
00:29:51.32\00:29:53.39
But God knows
best... God had a plan...
00:29:53.46\00:29:55.46
God was going through that
valley of the shadow of death
00:29:55.49\00:29:58.19
with her and He had a plan.
00:29:58.23\00:29:59.69
He could see things
that we couldn't see
00:29:59.76\00:30:01.63
and I remember a verse
that was shared with me
00:30:01.66\00:30:03.53
that I'd read many times
00:30:03.57\00:30:04.90
but never really
considered its impact until then
00:30:04.93\00:30:07.34
was Isaiah 57 verse 1,
00:30:07.37\00:30:09.44
"The righteous perishes,
00:30:09.47\00:30:11.51
and no man takes it to heart;
00:30:11.54\00:30:12.94
merciful men are taken away,
00:30:12.97\00:30:15.81
while no one
considers that the righteous
00:30:15.84\00:30:18.15
is taken away from evil. "
00:30:18.18\00:30:19.85
You know, I don't
know that that's the case
00:30:19.88\00:30:21.92
but I have a hope saying,
00:30:21.95\00:30:23.42
"Lord, I don't know why you
didn't answer my mother's prayer
00:30:23.45\00:30:25.29
but I saw my mom change
00:30:25.32\00:30:26.76
and for whatever reason you
decided to take her life... "
00:30:26.79\00:30:29.89
perhaps He saw something
ahead in her path down the road
00:30:29.92\00:30:32.99
beyond that valley
of the shadow of death
00:30:33.03\00:30:35.03
that might her drawn her away,
00:30:35.06\00:30:36.87
maybe the enemy
could have drawn her away,
00:30:36.90\00:30:38.80
he still can see
things that we can't,
00:30:38.83\00:30:40.70
the Shepherd can see
things often in our path...
00:30:40.74\00:30:43.67
down the road that we can't see
00:30:43.71\00:30:45.34
and even though we might have to
often have to walk through that
00:30:45.37\00:30:47.81
valley of the shadow of death
00:30:47.84\00:30:49.38
and we're looking up
and we're saying, "God, why?
00:30:49.41\00:30:51.48
Why is this happening to me?"
00:30:51.51\00:30:53.01
There's a reason why oftentimes
we fall in to that path.
00:30:53.05\00:30:56.05
Just a couple of other
verses that really comforted me
00:30:56.08\00:30:59.05
during that
time... Matthew 11:28
00:30:59.09\00:31:01.06
which Jill read
earlier but Jesus says,
00:31:01.09\00:31:03.12
"Come to Me, all you who labor
00:31:03.16\00:31:04.49
and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. "
00:31:04.53\00:31:06.83
Our Shepherd would comfort us.
00:31:06.86\00:31:08.63
Philippians
chapter 4 verses 6 and 7,
00:31:08.66\00:31:11.53
"Be anxious for nothing,
00:31:11.57\00:31:12.90
but in everything by
prayer and supplication,
00:31:12.93\00:31:14.77
with thanksgiving, let your
requests be made known to God;
00:31:14.80\00:31:17.44
that the peace of God, which
surpasses all understanding,
00:31:17.47\00:31:20.94
will guard your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus. "
00:31:20.98\00:31:24.31
Your Shepherd will bring
comfort if you would allow Him.
00:31:24.35\00:31:26.85
Do you trust in Him?
00:31:26.88\00:31:28.22
Then the... then
the... then the the...
00:31:28.25\00:31:29.88
the lesson asks this question,
00:31:29.92\00:31:31.25
"How do you think
the Shepherd ended up...
00:31:31.29\00:31:33.29
how do you think the
sheep ended up in the valley?
00:31:33.32\00:31:36.36
Do you think the sheep
went there on their own
00:31:36.39\00:31:39.13
or the Shepherd lead
the sheep that way Himself?"
00:31:39.16\00:31:41.90
I think there's a
double application here,
00:31:41.93\00:31:43.97
in the sense that
I think oftentimes
00:31:44.03\00:31:45.63
we can find ourselves in that
valley of the shadow of death
00:31:45.67\00:31:48.14
because we put ourselves there.
00:31:48.17\00:31:49.74
Isaiah chapter 53 verse 6 says,
00:31:49.77\00:31:51.24
"All we like
sheep have gone astray;
00:31:51.27\00:31:53.58
we have turned,
every one, to his own way;
00:31:53.61\00:31:55.28
and the LORD has laid up on
Him the iniquity of us all. "
00:31:55.31\00:31:58.11
So, sometimes we can often
find ourselves in that valley
00:31:58.15\00:32:01.18
because we put ourselves there
00:32:01.22\00:32:02.88
but you know sometimes
the Lord is there to also
00:32:02.92\00:32:05.85
lead us through that
valley when it's appropriate
00:32:05.89\00:32:08.42
and when He sees
something that needs to be done
00:32:08.46\00:32:10.96
in our character
and in our lives,
00:32:10.99\00:32:12.43
I think of Jeremiah 29 and 11,
00:32:12.46\00:32:15.26
you know, 11 verses
14... 11 to 14 there that
00:32:15.30\00:32:18.10
famous passage where God
says, "I have plan for you... "
00:32:18.13\00:32:20.40
you know, but yet
in verse 14, He says,
00:32:20.44\00:32:22.67
"I will be found
by you, says the Lord,
00:32:22.70\00:32:24.64
and I will bring you
back from your captivity;
00:32:24.67\00:32:26.94
I will gather you
from the nations...
00:32:26.98\00:32:28.78
from all the places
where I have driven you... "
00:32:28.81\00:32:31.61
God had to drive
the children of Israel
00:32:31.65\00:32:33.45
to a place that wasn't His
original plan for them to go
00:32:33.52\00:32:36.42
but because of
their iniquities...
00:32:36.45\00:32:37.99
because of their
rebellion, He allowed them
00:32:38.02\00:32:40.32
and in a sense
drove them to captivity
00:32:40.36\00:32:43.19
to teach them a lesson...
00:32:43.22\00:32:44.56
hopefully to go through this
valley of the shadow of death
00:32:44.59\00:32:47.53
for the purpose of
getting their attention
00:32:47.56\00:32:49.23
and awakening them.
00:32:49.26\00:32:50.60
James chapter 1 verses 2
through 4, what does it say?
00:32:50.63\00:32:53.07
"My brethren, count it all joy
00:32:53.10\00:32:54.64
when you fall
into various trials,
00:32:54.67\00:32:56.64
knowing that the testing of
your faith produces patience.
00:32:56.67\00:32:59.94
But let patience
have its perfect work,
00:32:59.97\00:33:01.78
that you may be perfect and
complete, lacking nothing. "
00:33:01.81\00:33:05.18
And the latter part
of this verse here...
00:33:05.21\00:33:07.35
Psalm 23 verse 4 it says,
00:33:07.38\00:33:09.35
"I will fear no evil...
00:33:09.38\00:33:10.72
I will fear no evil. "
00:33:10.75\00:33:12.72
The Lord has not
given us a spirit of fear.
00:33:12.75\00:33:14.79
The Bible makes that clear
00:33:14.82\00:33:16.22
but oftentimes we fear, I
believe for too many reasons,
00:33:16.26\00:33:18.76
now, it's not
limited to these two reasons
00:33:18.79\00:33:20.56
but I think for too
many reasons many people fear
00:33:20.60\00:33:22.86
and that is... we
are not abiding in Him
00:33:22.90\00:33:24.63
and need to abide.
00:33:24.67\00:33:26.17
Oftentimes, we know
we're not abiding in Christ,
00:33:26.20\00:33:28.34
we're not
abiding in the Shepherd
00:33:28.40\00:33:29.74
and because we're not abiding,
00:33:29.77\00:33:31.11
we know we're not abiding in Him
when we fall into those traps...
00:33:31.14\00:33:33.84
into to those valleys
of the shadow of death.
00:33:33.88\00:33:35.54
Sometimes, we
find ourselves in fear
00:33:35.58\00:33:37.35
because we know
we're not right with God.
00:33:37.38\00:33:38.85
We just simply need to abide.
00:33:38.88\00:33:40.38
And, of course, Number 2:
00:33:40.42\00:33:41.88
one of the Number 1
reasons why we often,
00:33:41.92\00:33:44.69
you know, we
have... experience that fear
00:33:44.75\00:33:47.99
is that we do not trust Him...
00:33:48.02\00:33:49.42
we don't trust the Shepherd.
00:33:49.46\00:33:50.79
What does Proverbs
3 verse 5 and 6 say?
00:33:50.83\00:33:52.69
I think Pastor
just read it earlier,
00:33:52.73\00:33:54.26
"Trust in the LORD
with all your heart,
00:33:54.30\00:33:55.83
and lean not on
your own understanding;
00:33:55.86\00:33:57.73
in all your
ways acknowledge Him,
00:33:57.77\00:33:59.37
and He shall
direct your paths. "
00:33:59.40\00:34:01.20
Powerful! just
trust in the Shepherd.
00:34:01.24\00:34:02.94
The Shepherd will lead
00:34:02.97\00:34:04.31
and, of course, the
next part of the verse there
00:34:04.34\00:34:06.07
in Psalm 23 verse 4
says, "You are with me;
00:34:06.14\00:34:08.44
Your rod and Your
staff, they comfort me. "
00:34:08.51\00:34:10.78
You know, why the
rod and the staff?
00:34:10.85\00:34:12.38
What is the purpose
of the rod and the staff?
00:34:12.41\00:34:14.05
Or the rod and the
staff is one and the same?
00:34:14.08\00:34:16.18
The "rod" conveys the
conception of authority,
00:34:16.22\00:34:18.65
power and discipline
00:34:18.69\00:34:20.39
and, of course,
the staff represents
00:34:20.42\00:34:22.46
all that is
longsuffering and kind
00:34:22.49\00:34:24.49
but it's also for
the defense of the sheep.
00:34:24.53\00:34:27.40
The enemy wants to
destroy and scatter the sheep
00:34:27.43\00:34:30.73
so He defends it.
00:34:30.77\00:34:32.17
Let me tell you something,
00:34:32.20\00:34:33.54
and this... I say
this in all sincerity,
00:34:33.57\00:34:36.00
crouching-tiger-hidden-dragon
has nothing on your Shepherd.
00:34:36.04\00:34:39.14
All of your famous
action heroes that we look to
00:34:39.17\00:34:42.41
for this redemptive myth
of violence that somehow...
00:34:42.44\00:34:45.61
Jesus... the Bible
says, "He is your Shepherd...
00:34:45.65\00:34:48.62
He is your Protector...
00:34:48.65\00:34:49.98
He is the God that
will... that will defend you
00:34:50.02\00:34:52.42
and He will protect you. "
00:34:52.45\00:34:53.82
When the enemy comes,
trust in your Shepherd...
00:34:53.86\00:34:55.79
trust in the Lord
00:34:55.82\00:34:57.16
and He... with His
rod and His staff...
00:34:57.19\00:34:58.83
He will bring comfort
00:34:58.86\00:35:00.20
and He will lead and guide
His people if you will allow.
00:35:00.23\00:35:02.33
Panel: Amen.
00:35:02.36\00:35:03.70
Dinzey: Well, now let's go
over here to Psalm 23 verse 5,
00:35:03.73\00:35:08.40
and we see in Psalm 23 verse 5,
00:35:08.44\00:35:11.01
"You prepare a table before me
00:35:11.04\00:35:14.24
in the presence of my enemies;
00:35:14.28\00:35:16.81
You anoint my head with oil;
00:35:16.85\00:35:19.35
my cup runs over. "
00:35:19.38\00:35:21.45
Now, the title
for this Section is:
00:35:21.48\00:35:23.69
Unexpected Detour
2: The Surrounded Table
00:35:23.72\00:35:27.72
and what is this
unexpected detour?
00:35:27.76\00:35:29.82
Let's take a look
at what's happening
00:35:29.86\00:35:31.56
because Saul... King Saul
in 1st Samuel chapter 13...
00:35:31.59\00:35:35.83
Saul makes an
unlawful sacrifice...
00:35:35.86\00:35:39.20
he did not wait for
the Prophet Samuel to come
00:35:39.23\00:35:42.20
and he made an
unlawful sacrifice
00:35:42.24\00:35:45.04
and the Prophet
Samuel is alarmed
00:35:45.07\00:35:47.68
and he told him,
"You should have waited. "
00:35:47.71\00:35:50.01
In 1st Samuel chapter 14
we see Saul making a rash vow
00:35:50.05\00:35:54.55
because of what was
going on in the battle
00:35:54.58\00:35:57.49
and he wanted to
kill his own son, Jonathan
00:35:57.52\00:36:00.39
but Jonathan had
done what was right
00:36:00.42\00:36:03.56
and Saul, because of his
vow, wanted to kill Jonathan
00:36:03.59\00:36:07.23
and it was because of the
people that he was stopped.
00:36:07.30\00:36:10.90
In 1st Samuel
chapter 15, we see King Saul
00:36:10.93\00:36:15.20
was told that he
should slay everyone
00:36:15.24\00:36:18.94
including the animals
00:36:18.97\00:36:20.68
but he kept the king
of the Amalekites alive
00:36:20.74\00:36:24.95
and some of the animals.
00:36:24.98\00:36:27.25
Now, let's go to 1st
Samuel chapter 15 verse 9
00:36:27.28\00:36:30.62
and here's what we have,
00:36:30.69\00:36:32.72
"But Saul and the
people spared Agag...
00:36:32.75\00:36:34.96
the king of the Amalekites
and the best of the sheep,
00:36:34.99\00:36:37.76
and of the oxen,
and of the fatlings,
00:36:37.79\00:36:39.73
and the lambs,
00:36:39.76\00:36:41.10
and all that was good. "
00:36:41.13\00:36:44.23
So, we see here that
he's on a path of disobedience
00:36:44.27\00:36:48.77
and so, this is when the
Lord talks to the Prophet Samuel
00:36:48.80\00:36:53.61
and he tells him in 1st Samuel
chapter 15 verses 10 and 11,
00:36:53.64\00:36:58.41
"Now the word of the
Lord came to Samuel, saying,
00:36:58.48\00:37:00.82
'I greatly regret that I
have set up Saul as king,
00:37:00.85\00:37:06.09
for he has turned
back from following Me,
00:37:06.12\00:37:09.56
and has not
performed My commandments. '
00:37:09.59\00:37:12.13
And it grieved Samuel,
00:37:12.16\00:37:14.30
and he cried out to
the Lord all night. "
00:37:14.33\00:37:18.87
So, the Prophet
Samuel felt this pain
00:37:18.90\00:37:22.17
because here's the King
of Israel going astray...
00:37:22.20\00:37:26.24
he took a detour
from the path of God
00:37:26.27\00:37:29.44
but we're talking
about a different detour
00:37:29.48\00:37:32.21
and that is about King David.
00:37:32.25\00:37:33.92
Let's go into that in a moment.
00:37:33.95\00:37:35.95
In 1st Samuel
chapter 15 verse 26,
00:37:35.98\00:37:37.89
because of what Saul
has done, here's what...
00:37:37.95\00:37:42.36
because of the Prophet
Samuel tells King Saul,
00:37:42.42\00:37:46.76
"And Samuel said unto Saul,
'I will not return with thee,
00:37:46.80\00:37:49.70
for thou hast
rejected the word of the Lord,
00:37:49.73\00:37:52.63
and the Lord hath rejected thee
from being king of Israel. "
00:37:52.67\00:37:58.11
So, there we see that
Paul was rejected from...
00:37:58.14\00:38:01.84
I mean Saul... Saul the King
was rejected from being King
00:38:01.88\00:38:06.72
and the Lord gave
that to someone else.
00:38:06.92\00:38:09.95
He told them there
in 1st Samuel chapter 15
00:38:09.98\00:38:12.85
that the kingdom was
given to someone else.
00:38:12.89\00:38:16.26
Now, of course,
this puts King Saul in...
00:38:16.29\00:38:19.53
"Who is it? Who is it?"
00:38:19.56\00:38:21.50
And surely enough he sees
David killing the giant Goliath
00:38:21.53\00:38:26.74
and doing great heroic things
00:38:26.77\00:38:29.57
and people singing
songs about King David.
00:38:29.60\00:38:31.97
So, we say... "King
Saul has killed his hundreds"
00:38:32.04\00:38:36.61
or "his thousands...
00:38:36.64\00:38:37.98
and David has killed
his tens of thousands. "
00:38:38.01\00:38:40.58
So, Saul begins to get jealous
00:38:40.62\00:38:42.65
and he allows the devil
to lead him in a path of evil
00:38:42.68\00:38:47.02
and this is... now I take
you to 1st Samuel 22 verse 17
00:38:47.06\00:38:51.36
and here in the
pursuit of David,
00:38:51.39\00:38:55.36
King Saul goes to one
of the priests and says,
00:38:55.40\00:39:00.97
"Was David here?"
00:39:01.00\00:39:02.34
and "Yes, he was
here... he ate some bread. "
00:39:02.37\00:39:04.94
And he said, "You
are against the kingdom"
00:39:04.97\00:39:08.34
so, he accuses the
priest of hiding his enemy
00:39:08.38\00:39:11.91
and in 1st Samuel
chapter 22 verses 17 and 18,
00:39:11.98\00:39:15.48
these are the
words that we find,
00:39:15.55\00:39:16.89
"And the king said unto the
footmen that stood about him,
00:39:16.92\00:39:20.19
'Turn, and slay the
priests of the LORD;
00:39:20.22\00:39:22.99
because their hand
also is with David,
00:39:23.02\00:39:25.26
and because they
knew when he left,
00:39:25.29\00:39:27.13
and did not show it to me.
00:39:27.16\00:39:28.93
But the servants of the king
would not put forth their hand
00:39:28.96\00:39:32.53
to fall upon the
priests of the LORD."
00:39:32.57\00:39:34.14
And King Saul does not
take that as an answer,
00:39:34.17\00:39:37.71
he still wants to
do evil and he's...
00:39:37.74\00:39:40.31
in 1st Samuel 22
verse 18, it says,
00:39:40.34\00:39:42.48
"And the king said to Doeg,
00:39:42.51\00:39:43.85
'Turn thou, and
fall upon the priests. '
00:39:43.88\00:39:45.81
And Doeg the Edomite turned,
and he fell upon the priests,
00:39:45.85\00:39:48.85
and slew on that day
00:39:48.88\00:39:50.22
fourscore and five persons
that did wear a linen ephod. "
00:39:50.25\00:39:54.19
Eighty-five priests were killed
00:39:54.22\00:39:55.96
because of the King
Saul just going astray
00:39:55.99\00:40:00.63
from the path of the Lord
00:40:00.66\00:40:02.00
sinking further
and further into evil.
00:40:02.03\00:40:04.03
Now, King Saul becomes
the enemy of King David.
00:40:04.07\00:40:11.21
He had not become king yet but
he had been anointed as king.
00:40:11.24\00:40:14.51
Now, you ask yourself,
00:40:14.54\00:40:16.08
you know, here is
David anointed to be King
00:40:16.11\00:40:21.62
by the Prophet Samuel
00:40:21.65\00:40:22.98
and it took somewhere
between five and ten years
00:40:23.02\00:40:26.69
that he got to the throne
00:40:26.72\00:40:28.22
and all through that time,
David was faithful to the Lord.
00:40:28.26\00:40:32.59
There were times he was
there playing for the king...
00:40:32.63\00:40:35.33
King Saul...
00:40:35.36\00:40:36.70
and there was a point in time
in which he even threw a javelin
00:40:36.73\00:40:39.33
King Saul... to kill David
00:40:39.37\00:40:41.00
and David had to flee.
00:40:41.04\00:40:42.60
Between five and ten years,
it's not sure how many years,
00:40:42.64\00:40:46.54
he was pursued like an animal
00:40:46.57\00:40:50.48
and David went from one
place to another living in caves
00:40:50.51\00:40:53.28
and there were two times
00:40:53.31\00:40:54.65
when David had the
opportunity to kill Saul
00:40:54.68\00:40:58.59
but he was on the
path of righteousness
00:40:58.62\00:41:01.66
and he said, "I am not
going to stretch my hand
00:41:01.72\00:41:04.46
against God's anointed. "
00:41:04.49\00:41:06.86
Now, it is interesting
when you see this verse...
00:41:06.90\00:41:10.50
Psalm 23 verse 5,
00:41:10.57\00:41:11.90
you... you
prepare a table before me
00:41:11.93\00:41:15.70
in the presence of my enemies.
00:41:15.74\00:41:17.14
Taking a look at that,
00:41:17.17\00:41:18.67
we see that as
Christians, we may have enemies.
00:41:18.71\00:41:22.74
Did David go around
looking for an enemy?
00:41:22.78\00:41:25.55
No... as Christians we shouldn't
go around looking for enemies,
00:41:25.58\00:41:29.58
but people may
become our enemies
00:41:29.65\00:41:32.02
and so, what do we do with that?
00:41:32.05\00:41:34.39
Do we stretch out
our hand against him?
00:41:34.42\00:41:37.23
We have the example of David
00:41:37.26\00:41:38.59
that we shouldn't
really stretch out our hands
00:41:38.63\00:41:41.20
against people and the...
00:41:41.26\00:41:43.93
especially if
they are in a position
00:41:43.97\00:41:46.27
that should be of respect
00:41:46.33\00:41:47.94
and so, David chose to
be faithful to the Lord.
00:41:47.97\00:41:52.71
If we look at 1st
Samuel chapter 15,
00:41:52.74\00:41:55.14
and the life
of... of... of David,
00:41:55.18\00:41:57.08
you see that
he's asking the Lord,
00:41:57.11\00:41:58.98
"Lord, should I go
here? Should I go there?
00:41:59.01\00:42:01.22
Should I go up
against these people?"
00:42:01.25\00:42:03.32
And the Lord was answering him.
00:42:03.39\00:42:05.25
So now, David is saying,
"You prepare a table before me
00:42:05.29\00:42:10.13
in the presence of my enemies. "
00:42:10.16\00:42:11.66
David is saying that...
it doesn't matter, you know,
00:42:11.69\00:42:14.33
you walk in through the
valley of shadow of death...
00:42:14.36\00:42:16.60
you're not going to fear evil
because the Lord is with you
00:42:16.63\00:42:19.43
and now you will even see
the Lord providing for you.
00:42:19.47\00:42:22.24
David was
speaking from experience.
00:42:22.27\00:42:24.67
He saw the Lord
providing for him
00:42:24.71\00:42:27.28
even in the most
difficult of times
00:42:27.31\00:42:29.64
when enemies are
in pursuit of him,
00:42:29.68\00:42:31.95
God was preparing
a table before him.
00:42:31.98\00:42:34.18
Two things you can see of
this and that David was saying,
00:42:34.22\00:42:37.99
"The Lord is
taking care of me...
00:42:38.05\00:42:40.19
He is providing for me. "
00:42:40.22\00:42:41.56
The other thing
is that the enemy...
00:42:41.59\00:42:43.56
because he says "in the
presence of my enemies... "
00:42:43.59\00:42:45.53
the enemies are saying,
"Hey, God is providing something
00:42:45.56\00:42:49.06
for this... this... this guy...
00:42:49.10\00:42:51.53
He's... He's... He's
preparing things for him. "
00:42:51.57\00:42:54.14
And that should be
a message to them...
00:42:54.17\00:42:55.84
"he's on the side of the Lord...
00:42:55.87\00:42:57.41
the Lord is providing for him...
00:42:57.47\00:42:58.97
we'd better back away. "
00:42:59.01\00:43:00.38
And it's a message of
warning that the Lord sometimes
00:43:00.41\00:43:03.35
blesses His children
00:43:03.38\00:43:05.01
so that the enemy will see,
00:43:05.05\00:43:06.51
"We'd better
leave these people alone
00:43:06.55\00:43:08.58
because God is with them... "
00:43:08.62\00:43:10.12
and if they
continue to pursue evil...
00:43:10.15\00:43:12.65
and try to kill
you... try to do you harm...
00:43:12.72\00:43:15.36
the Lord will
visit them with judgment.
00:43:15.39\00:43:17.23
We have to
remember that the Lord says,
00:43:17.26\00:43:18.99
"Vengeance is mine, I
will repay... says the Lord. "
00:43:19.03\00:43:22.86
In Matthew chapter 5 verse 44,
00:43:22.90\00:43:24.93
the Lesson
brings this verse out,
00:43:24.97\00:43:26.57
"But I say to
you, love your enemies,
00:43:26.60\00:43:28.17
bless those who curse you,
00:43:28.20\00:43:30.44
do good to those who hate you,
00:43:30.47\00:43:33.54
and pray for those
who spitefully use you
00:43:33.58\00:43:36.95
and persecute you. "
00:43:37.01\00:43:39.58
This is unnatural
for us as human beings.
00:43:39.61\00:43:42.18
"What? love our enemies? What?
00:43:42.22\00:43:44.42
Do good to those
that are persecuting me?
00:43:44.45\00:43:46.72
Wait a minute...
no... I'm going to get even,
00:43:46.76\00:43:48.56
I'm going to get back to them,
00:43:48.59\00:43:49.92
I'm going to give them...
00:43:49.96\00:43:51.29
if they give me one,
I'm going to give them two.
00:43:51.33\00:43:52.66
If they punch me once, I'm
going to punch them twice. "
00:43:52.69\00:43:54.83
This is the way we are
00:43:54.86\00:43:56.80
but as we are surrendering
our hearts to the Lord,
00:43:56.83\00:43:59.60
our response will be transformed
00:43:59.63\00:44:02.87
into the response
that Christ will give
00:44:02.90\00:44:05.04
and it is only
by the grace of God
00:44:05.07\00:44:07.08
that we can love our enemies.
00:44:07.11\00:44:08.78
We can, by the grace of
God, bless those who curse us
00:44:08.81\00:44:12.31
and do good to
those who hate us.
00:44:12.35\00:44:14.48
So, we should... by God's grace
surrender daily to the Lord
00:44:14.52\00:44:17.85
and as Jesus said,
"Take up your cross daily
00:44:17.89\00:44:20.32
and follow Me... "
00:44:20.36\00:44:21.69
and as we take up our
cross daily and follow Him,
00:44:21.72\00:44:24.33
we will be able to do
good to those who do evil to us
00:44:24.36\00:44:27.53
and this is,
again, a message for them
00:44:27.56\00:44:30.43
that they should repent.
00:44:30.47\00:44:32.07
It may be that they will repent.
00:44:32.13\00:44:34.20
Remember, God
has not dealt with us
00:44:34.24\00:44:36.27
after our sins nor rewarded
according to our iniquities
00:44:36.30\00:44:40.01
Psalm 110 verse 10.
00:44:40.04\00:44:42.01
And it is because
of the Lord's mercies
00:44:42.04\00:44:44.68
that we are not consumed
00:44:44.71\00:44:46.05
because His
compassions fail not.
00:44:46.08\00:44:48.75
They are new every morning...
Great is His faithfulness.
00:44:48.78\00:44:53.25
Lamentations
chapter 3 verses 22 and 23
00:44:53.29\00:44:55.92
and notice that even
while we are enemies,
00:44:55.96\00:44:58.53
in Romans
chapter 5 verse 8 says,
00:44:58.56\00:45:01.36
"But God
commendeth His love toward us,
00:45:01.40\00:45:03.87
in that, while
we were yet sinners,
00:45:03.90\00:45:05.63
Christ died for us. "
00:45:05.67\00:45:07.70
So, yes, the Lord
will take care of us
00:45:07.74\00:45:09.70
even though we have enemies,
00:45:09.74\00:45:11.51
He will do good for us in
the presence of our enemies.
00:45:11.54\00:45:14.54
Panel: Amen and amen.
00:45:14.58\00:45:16.04
Shelley: Thank you all
for such a wonderful lesson
00:45:16.08\00:45:18.95
and, you know, I was
thinking here we've got David,
00:45:19.01\00:45:22.45
he's just a young lad
when he was first anointed
00:45:22.48\00:45:25.92
in front of his family anyway
00:45:25.95\00:45:27.86
as... to be the
king... the next king of Israel
00:45:27.89\00:45:31.86
and he's out... he's the
youngest of Jesse's sons,
00:45:31.89\00:45:35.16
he's out tending to the sheep,
he's anointed... teenager...
00:45:35.23\00:45:39.10
he was 30 years old
when he became king.
00:45:39.13\00:45:41.94
So, there was this time that he
spent fleeing in the desert...
00:45:41.97\00:45:46.94
running from... from Saul
00:45:46.98\00:45:48.74
and let me just ask you,
00:45:48.78\00:45:50.98
"What would your feelings be
00:45:51.01\00:45:53.11
if you were in the desert
surrounded by your enemies
00:45:53.15\00:45:56.38
who are trying to kill you?"
00:45:56.42\00:45:57.75
I wonder... would we
be tempted to feel like
00:45:57.79\00:46:01.52
God had abandoned
us and we're all alone?
00:46:01.56\00:46:05.39
Or, maybe, would we feel
that God's not doing much?
00:46:05.43\00:46:09.73
Or that if He was
really working for us,
00:46:09.76\00:46:12.97
we wouldn't be in
that situation at all?
00:46:13.00\00:46:16.17
That's why possible
that we get... we get trapped
00:46:16.20\00:46:21.68
and we feel like,
"Lord, where are you?"
00:46:21.71\00:46:23.85
But this is not
David's feelings.
00:46:23.88\00:46:28.25
He was certain of two
things, I have Psalm 23 verse 6
00:46:28.28\00:46:33.66
and by the way, my
name is Shelley Quinn,
00:46:33.69\00:46:36.52
we're so glad
you're here with us today.
00:46:36.59\00:46:39.53
So, I have Psalm 23 verse 6,
00:46:39.56\00:46:42.33
and here's what David said,
00:46:42.36\00:46:45.40
"Surely goodness and mercy... "
00:46:45.43\00:46:48.40
and this word "mercy" is
"Chesed" pronounced: KHesed
00:46:48.44\00:46:52.57
my favorite
Hebrew word. Jill: Yes.
00:46:52.61\00:46:55.24
Shelley: "Surely
goodness and mercy... Chesed...
00:46:55.28\00:46:58.61
shall follow me all
the days of my life:
00:46:58.68\00:47:01.58
and I will dwell in the
house of the Lord for ever. "
00:47:01.62\00:47:07.42
So, what is David describing
about God's covenant commitment?
00:47:07.46\00:47:13.86
You know, in the New
Testament, you probably...
00:47:13.90\00:47:17.17
if you've been a
Christian for any time,
00:47:17.20\00:47:19.33
you've heard the word "grace"
00:47:19.37\00:47:21.70
you've heard that
that's God's underserved favor.
00:47:21.74\00:47:25.67
You've heard the word "agape"
00:47:25.71\00:47:27.94
which is unconditional love.
00:47:28.01\00:47:30.25
Those are both Greek words
00:47:30.28\00:47:32.41
and we find them
in the New Testament.
00:47:32.48\00:47:34.52
But there's a word
that far surpasses those
00:47:34.55\00:47:38.45
in the Old Testament
00:47:38.49\00:47:40.36
and that is God's
covenant commitment to us
00:47:40.39\00:47:45.36
is the word... the
Hebrew word is KHesed...
00:47:45.39\00:47:50.13
and let me tell you something,
00:47:50.17\00:47:51.50
you cannot translate
KHesed by one English word.
00:47:51.53\00:47:56.94
KHesed is a covenant term
00:47:56.97\00:47:59.27
that includes all the
positive attributes of God...
00:47:59.31\00:48:02.94
His love... His
covenant faithfulness...
00:48:02.98\00:48:06.45
His mercy... His grace...
00:48:06.48\00:48:08.88
His kindness... His loyalty...
00:48:08.92\00:48:11.89
His devotion
00:48:11.92\00:48:13.96
and it's way beyond what
we would think is His duty.
00:48:13.99\00:48:19.06
See, people tell me,
00:48:19.09\00:48:20.53
"Oh, you don't find
grace in the Old Testament. "
00:48:20.56\00:48:24.17
Oh, you find grace
there, it is so beautiful.
00:48:24.23\00:48:27.80
So, here's what David says,
00:48:27.84\00:48:29.70
"Surely goodness
and mercy... KHesed...
00:48:29.74\00:48:33.78
shall follow me all
the days of my life... "
00:48:33.81\00:48:36.48
you know that word
"follow" I love it in the Hebrew
00:48:36.51\00:48:40.25
and in... in most often
00:48:40.28\00:48:42.58
the Hebrew word that is
translated "follow" here
00:48:42.62\00:48:47.12
it is most often
translated "Pursuit. "
00:48:47.16\00:48:51.86
So, what picture do
you get in your mind
00:48:51.89\00:48:56.30
if David is
saying, "Oh, God has said
00:48:56.33\00:49:00.67
He is pursuing me. "
00:49:00.74\00:49:03.07
Can you imagine the goodness
and KHesed... the love of God
00:49:03.10\00:49:08.41
pursuing you?
00:49:08.44\00:49:10.21
Our loving heavenly
Father will not forsake us.
00:49:10.25\00:49:15.28
He does not change...
He pursues us to this day.
00:49:15.32\00:49:20.32
I'll tell you what...
00:49:20.36\00:49:21.69
I can testify to God
who pursued me with His love
00:49:21.72\00:49:28.56
for many years. Panel: Amen.
00:49:28.60\00:49:31.30
Shelley: And He... I...
I've turned my back on Him,
00:49:31.33\00:49:34.80
He pursued me with His
love... He chased me down
00:49:34.84\00:49:38.41
and you know what?
00:49:38.44\00:49:39.77
He is still pursuing
me with His love today.
00:49:39.81\00:49:42.64
So, in spite of
all these trails,
00:49:42.68\00:49:45.61
David knew about God's
covenant commitment of KHesed
00:49:45.65\00:49:53.32
that it would
continue to pursue him.
00:49:53.36\00:49:55.62
So, let's look
at it one more time,
00:49:55.66\00:49:57.79
same verse... I'm
just repeating it.
00:49:57.83\00:49:59.89
Psalm 23:6,
00:49:59.93\00:50:01.96
"Surely goodness
and mercy... KHesed...
00:50:02.00\00:50:06.13
shall follow me or pursue me...
00:50:06.17\00:50:09.10
all the days of my life:
00:50:09.14\00:50:11.67
and I will dwell in the
house of the Lord for ever. "
00:50:11.71\00:50:15.58
Did you know... Divine
Love... God's divine love...
00:50:15.61\00:50:22.68
His purpose of
covenant is to dwell with us?
00:50:22.75\00:50:26.55
God wants to dwell with us
00:50:26.59\00:50:29.62
and He wants to have an
intimate relationship with us...
00:50:29.66\00:50:34.06
David knew this.
00:50:34.10\00:50:35.43
He knew that even
though he's running
00:50:35.46\00:50:37.40
and he is hiding
out in the desert,
00:50:37.43\00:50:39.50
he would... he had
continual ongoing opportunities
00:50:39.53\00:50:45.17
for intimate fellowship
with the God of covenant love.
00:50:45.21\00:50:50.01
He knew for certain that
God was going to guide him
00:50:50.05\00:50:54.78
and protect him
throughout his life
00:50:54.82\00:50:57.39
and that he would bring him back
to his house to live forever.
00:50:57.42\00:51:02.19
And you know something?
00:51:02.22\00:51:03.79
We can know the same today.
00:51:03.83\00:51:05.29
In Ephesians 1:4,
Paul writes, and he says,
00:51:05.33\00:51:11.63
"He... God... chose us
in Him... in Jesus Christ...
00:51:11.67\00:51:18.17
before the
foundation of the world,
00:51:18.21\00:51:23.01
that we should be
holy and without blame
00:51:23.04\00:51:27.88
before Him in love. "
00:51:27.92\00:51:30.12
Now, I want to say this,
00:51:30.15\00:51:32.25
some people believe
the election of God means:
00:51:32.29\00:51:35.96
okay, some were
created to be saved...
00:51:35.99\00:51:38.33
some were created to be lost.
00:51:38.36\00:51:40.46
I don't believe that
that can jive with free will.
00:51:40.50\00:51:46.07
I don't believe that that...
00:51:46.10\00:51:48.04
if we really
have a study on that,
00:51:48.07\00:51:50.94
I don't believe that.
00:51:50.97\00:51:52.31
See, before the
foundation of the world,
00:51:52.34\00:51:56.34
here is the
everlasting gospel...
00:51:56.38\00:51:58.98
the Lamb of God
was planned to be slain
00:51:59.01\00:52:05.12
before the
foundation of the world
00:52:05.15\00:52:06.76
and God's purpose was that
all who accept Jesus Christ
00:52:06.79\00:52:11.36
as their Savior,
00:52:11.39\00:52:13.23
would be saved...
and not only saved
00:52:13.26\00:52:18.40
but adopted as sons.
00:52:18.43\00:52:19.77
Let's continue on.
00:52:19.80\00:52:21.14
In 1st Timothy
2:4, God our Savior...
00:52:21.17\00:52:25.27
the Bible says that He desires
that all humanity would be saved
00:52:25.31\00:52:31.78
and come to a
knowledge of the truth.
00:52:31.81\00:52:34.88
So, if you accept Jesus Christ,
00:52:34.92\00:52:38.35
you are predestined to
be adopted as God's son.
00:52:38.39\00:52:43.89
Ephesians 1:5 says,
00:52:43.93\00:52:46.09
"He predestined us to adoption
as sons... as children of God...
00:52:46.13\00:52:51.87
by Jesus Christ to Himself,
00:52:51.90\00:52:55.64
according to the good
pleasure of His will. "
00:52:55.67\00:52:59.17
So, we accept
Christ as Savior...
00:52:59.21\00:53:02.01
He gives us the Holy Spirit...
00:53:02.04\00:53:04.78
we are born again... born
anew into the family of God.
00:53:04.81\00:53:09.72
He adopts us and you know what?
00:53:09.75\00:53:13.25
we are spiritually born again,
00:53:13.29\00:53:16.29
we've got His spiritual DNA
00:53:16.32\00:53:19.26
and then He begins to conform
us to the image of Jesus.
00:53:19.29\00:53:22.86
Now, I've got to skip down
toward the end of my notes.
00:53:22.90\00:53:26.94
It wasn't just David who
went through these crucibles,
00:53:26.97\00:53:30.97
let's look at
Hebrews 11:13 through 16.
00:53:31.01\00:53:35.48
Hebrews 11 said,
00:53:35.51\00:53:37.31
it's talking about
all these patriarchs...
00:53:37.35\00:53:41.45
all of the people
of the Christians,
00:53:41.48\00:53:44.05
it says, "These
all died in faith,
00:53:44.09\00:53:46.39
not having
received the promises... "
00:53:46.42\00:53:49.69
they were... they were
following the promise of God,
00:53:49.72\00:53:53.90
looking for the country
that was not here on earth.
00:53:53.93\00:53:58.10
It says, "It did not
receive the promises,
00:53:58.13\00:54:01.70
but having seen them
afar off were assured of them,
00:54:01.74\00:54:04.57
they embraced them...
00:54:04.61\00:54:05.94
they confessed
that they were strangers
00:54:05.97\00:54:07.31
and pilgrims on the earth.
00:54:07.34\00:54:08.68
For those who say
such things declare plainly
00:54:08.71\00:54:13.05
that they seek a homeland.
00:54:13.08\00:54:14.85
And truly if they had
called to mind that country
00:54:14.88\00:54:17.85
from which they had come out,
00:54:17.89\00:54:19.22
they would have had
opportunity to return.
00:54:19.25\00:54:21.42
But now they desire a better...
that is a heavenly country.
00:54:21.46\00:54:26.09
Therefore God is not
ashamed to be called their God,
00:54:26.13\00:54:29.80
and He has
prepared a city for them. "
00:54:29.83\00:54:33.70
So, here's the
quote from the Quarterly,
00:54:33.74\00:54:36.24
"No matter how deep the valley
or how persistent the enemies,
00:54:36.27\00:54:40.88
the certainty of God's
goodness and unfailing love
00:54:40.91\00:54:43.68
and the
certainty of His guidance
00:54:43.71\00:54:46.18
to the very end of our
journey is unquestionable. "
00:54:46.21\00:54:51.09
Panel: Amen.
00:54:51.12\00:54:52.45
Shelley: A personal note...
00:54:52.49\00:54:54.02
I've been in a
crucible since December of 2019.
00:54:54.06\00:54:58.69
I live in chronic pain
and it's a pretty severe pain
00:54:58.73\00:55:03.16
and it's
several areas of my body
00:55:03.20\00:55:05.70
but here's what
I want to tell you,
00:55:05.73\00:55:08.14
I praise God every day
because I know that Jesus...
00:55:08.17\00:55:12.91
the same thought
that sustained David
00:55:12.94\00:55:17.28
sustained Jesus on the cross
00:55:17.35\00:55:19.68
and God sustains me day by
day drawing me closer to Him
00:55:19.71\00:55:24.55
in this crucible.
00:55:24.59\00:55:25.92
Jill: Amen, thank
you all so much...
00:55:25.95\00:55:28.26
Shelly... Pastor
Johnny... Pastor Ryan
00:55:28.29\00:55:30.56
and Pastor John for sharing
00:55:30.59\00:55:31.93
and sharing from your experience
00:55:31.96\00:55:33.86
because we all
go through crucibles
00:55:33.90\00:55:36.06
and yet, look at
what God is doing
00:55:36.10\00:55:38.17
in the midst of each one
of them... praise His Name.
00:55:38.20\00:55:40.44
I want to give
each one of you a moment
00:55:40.50\00:55:41.84
to share a closing thought,
00:55:41.87\00:55:43.20
we'll start
with Pastor Lomacang.
00:55:43.24\00:55:44.57
Lomacang: You know,
I look at the story...
00:55:44.61\00:55:45.94
we often think
that God overwhelms us
00:55:45.97\00:55:47.31
but, you know, God
does not lead us in paths
00:55:47.34\00:55:49.51
that overwhelm us,
00:55:49.54\00:55:50.88
His love overwhelms us so
that He may lead us into paths.
00:55:50.91\00:55:54.48
Isaiah 26:7, "The way
of the just is upright;
00:55:54.52\00:55:58.15
O Most Upright,
00:55:58.19\00:55:59.69
you weigh the
path of the just. "
00:55:59.72\00:56:01.82
It will never overwhelm
us when God is leading us.
00:56:01.86\00:56:04.06
Jill: Amen... Panel: Amen.
00:56:04.09\00:56:05.43
Ryan: Trust in
the Shepherd's plan.
00:56:05.46\00:56:06.90
Jeremiah 29 verse
11 and onward it says,
00:56:06.96\00:56:10.20
"For I know the thoughts that I
think toward you, says the Lord,
00:56:10.23\00:56:12.70
thoughts of
peace and not of evil,
00:56:12.73\00:56:14.50
to give you a future and a hope.
00:56:14.54\00:56:15.94
Then you will call upon
Me and go and pray to Me,
00:56:15.97\00:56:18.61
and I will listen to you.
00:56:18.64\00:56:19.97
And you will seek Me
and you will find Me,
00:56:20.01\00:56:22.11
when you search for
Me with all your heart. "
00:56:22.14\00:56:24.35
Search for Him...
trust in the Shepherd
00:56:24.38\00:56:26.18
and He will see you through.
00:56:26.21\00:56:27.82
Dinzey: Amen, if
you have enemies,
00:56:27.85\00:56:30.09
allow the Lord to
prepare a table before you
00:56:30.12\00:56:32.95
and it says here, "You
anoint my head with oil,
00:56:32.99\00:56:35.79
my cup runs over. "
00:56:35.82\00:56:37.16
This is an
indication of God comforting
00:56:37.19\00:56:39.66
and God providing
till you run over.
00:56:39.69\00:56:41.90
Allow the Lord
to do this for you.
00:56:41.93\00:56:44.07
Now, this idea of anointing
includes favor from God
00:56:44.10\00:56:51.24
and divine favor.
00:56:51.27\00:56:53.11
Allow the Lord
to do this for you
00:56:53.14\00:56:55.14
in the presence of your enemies.
00:56:55.18\00:56:56.71
Panel: Hmmm...
00:56:56.75\00:56:58.08
Shelley: No matter
what crucible you are in,
00:56:58.11\00:57:01.12
just like David, remember that
God's mercy... His goodness...
00:57:01.15\00:57:06.12
His loving kindness...
00:57:06.15\00:57:07.62
His... His grace...
00:57:07.66\00:57:09.19
His agape love...
00:57:09.22\00:57:11.39
He is pursuing you
00:57:11.43\00:57:13.53
and He will get you through
to the other end of the trial...
00:57:13.60\00:57:18.23
going through that fiery trial,
00:57:18.27\00:57:19.97
you'll come out not
smelling like smoke.
00:57:20.00\00:57:22.94
Jill: Amen,
thank you all so much.
00:57:22.97\00:57:24.71
I'm just reminded that
He is our good Shepherd.
00:57:24.74\00:57:26.74
What an incredible
promise we have to hold on to
00:57:26.78\00:57:30.45
that the Shepherd gave
His life for the sheep.
00:57:30.48\00:57:34.12
The Shepherd wants
you in the kingdom.
00:57:34.15\00:57:37.02
He wants to save you.
00:57:37.05\00:57:38.45
He wants to
transform the crucible
00:57:38.49\00:57:41.02
that you are in the midst of
00:57:41.06\00:57:42.39
and bring you out
on the other side.
00:57:42.42\00:57:44.59
Join us next week...
next week is Lesson Number 2:
00:57:44.63\00:57:48.76
The Crucibles That Come
00:57:48.80\00:57:50.13
and I love the titles
and I'm going to read them.
00:57:50.17\00:57:52.23
Crucibles of Satan...
00:57:52.27\00:57:53.77
Crucibles of Sin...
00:57:53.80\00:57:55.30
Crucibles of Purification...
00:57:55.34\00:57:58.07
and Crucibles of Maturity.
00:57:58.11\00:58:01.41
It's going to be
an amazing study,
00:58:01.44\00:58:02.78
join us next week.
00:58:02.81\00:58:04.21
Music...
00:58:04.25\00:58:08.62