1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:07,140 You’re listening to the sermon from Pastor Colin Smith at Open The Bible. 2 00:00:07,140 –> 00:00:14,940 To contact us, call us at 1-877-OPEN365, or visit our website, openthebible.org. 3 00:00:14,940 –> 00:00:17,780 Let’s get to the message. 4 00:00:17,780 –> 00:00:19,420 Here is Pastor Colin. 5 00:00:19,420 –> 00:00:21,520 Well, good morning, everyone. 6 00:00:21,600 –> 00:00:23,639 Please open your Bible for the last time 7 00:00:23,639 –> 00:00:28,120 in this series at Psalm 23. 8 00:00:28,120 –> 00:00:31,459 The first aim of these weeks that we’ve spent 9 00:00:31,459 –> 00:00:35,560 in this wonderful psalm together has been to encourage. 10 00:00:35,560 –> 00:00:38,480 These are difficult days for all of us. 11 00:00:38,480 –> 00:00:43,139 Many of us feel tired and jaded and discouraged and flat. 12 00:00:43,139 –> 00:00:45,619 And some of us are anxious and fearful and 13 00:00:45,619 –> 00:00:50,080 even distressed at what the future might bring. 14 00:00:50,099 –> 00:00:54,540 So we came to Psalm 23 in order to be refreshed. 15 00:00:54,540 –> 00:00:58,040 And I have to tell you, I have loved meditating 16 00:00:58,040 –> 00:01:00,599 on this psalm for these last weeks. 17 00:01:00,599 –> 00:01:04,820 And I have been blessed to hear from a number of you 18 00:01:04,820 –> 00:01:09,300 that you have been helped by this psalm also. 19 00:01:09,300 –> 00:01:13,279 And I think that the first person ever to be helped 20 00:01:13,279 –> 00:01:18,279 by Psalm 23 was the person who wrote it, King David himself. 21 00:01:18,519 –> 00:01:21,580 Picture what it was like for David 22 00:01:21,580 –> 00:01:24,559 to write this psalm under the inspiration 23 00:01:24,559 –> 00:01:26,019 of the Holy Spirit. 24 00:01:27,260 –> 00:01:31,220 This man was a man who knew trouble throughout his life. 25 00:01:31,220 –> 00:01:33,760 We don’t know when he wrote Psalm 23, 26 00:01:33,760 –> 00:01:36,080 but there was not a period of his life 27 00:01:36,080 –> 00:01:38,639 when he was not afflicted by trouble, 28 00:01:38,639 –> 00:01:41,260 aggravation from Saul, opposition 29 00:01:41,260 –> 00:01:45,680 from the Philistines, division in the nation, 30 00:01:45,779 –> 00:01:47,320 and trouble in his own family. 31 00:01:47,320 –> 00:01:48,680 It went on and on. 32 00:01:48,680 –> 00:01:53,540 Not to mention the plagues of sin in his own heart. 33 00:01:53,540 –> 00:01:57,000 And at some point in his life, 34 00:01:57,000 –> 00:01:59,599 no doubt pondering the difficulties 35 00:01:59,599 –> 00:02:01,879 that he was facing at that time, 36 00:02:02,879 –> 00:02:05,500 David’s mind goes back to the early years 37 00:02:05,500 –> 00:02:08,639 where he was a shepherd of the sheep. 38 00:02:09,500 –> 00:02:12,539 And under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, 39 00:02:12,539 –> 00:02:15,300 the very word of God comes to him. 40 00:02:15,919 –> 00:02:20,080 The Lord is my shepherd. 41 00:02:20,080 –> 00:02:24,179 And he begins to think about what that means. 42 00:02:24,179 –> 00:02:26,720 You know, when I was a shepherd to my sheep, 43 00:02:26,720 –> 00:02:28,020 they never lacked anything, 44 00:02:28,020 –> 00:02:31,259 and God is a better shepherd than I ever was. 45 00:02:31,259 –> 00:02:33,020 And so the same will be true of me. 46 00:02:33,020 –> 00:02:34,720 The Lord is my shepherd. 47 00:02:34,720 –> 00:02:36,619 I shall not want. 48 00:02:37,559 –> 00:02:39,619 And as David continues to think about it, 49 00:02:39,619 –> 00:02:42,440 what it means for the Lord to be his shepherd, 50 00:02:42,440 –> 00:02:45,839 the Word of the Lord continues to come to him. 51 00:02:45,839 –> 00:02:48,119 Here’s what it means, he leads me. 52 00:02:48,119 –> 00:02:51,520 He leads me into rest, he leads me into righteousness. 53 00:02:51,520 –> 00:02:53,880 It means he restores me. 54 00:02:53,880 –> 00:02:56,119 I know how much my heart wanders, 55 00:02:56,119 –> 00:02:58,899 how much my spirit falters. 56 00:02:58,899 –> 00:03:00,380 But the Lord brings me back. 57 00:03:00,380 –> 00:03:01,720 The Lord picks me up. 58 00:03:01,720 –> 00:03:03,639 The Lord will never let me go. 59 00:03:04,720 –> 00:03:06,720 And as he continues to think about his life, 60 00:03:06,720 –> 00:03:09,520 he recalls the dark valleys that he’s been through. 61 00:03:09,520 –> 00:03:11,720 And no doubt there are other dark valleys 62 00:03:11,839 –> 00:03:13,320 that lie ahead. 63 00:03:13,320 –> 00:03:15,600 And he’s able to say even when I walk 64 00:03:15,600 –> 00:03:19,679 through the darkest valley, my shepherd will be with me. 65 00:03:19,679 –> 00:03:21,899 And my shepherd sustains me. 66 00:03:21,899 –> 00:03:23,660 While the Philistines hate me, 67 00:03:23,660 –> 00:03:25,619 trusted colleagues may betray me, 68 00:03:25,619 –> 00:03:28,240 members of my own family rise against me, 69 00:03:28,240 –> 00:03:30,240 but the Lord will always stand with me 70 00:03:30,240 –> 00:03:33,039 and he is the one who gives me strength. 71 00:03:33,039 –> 00:03:38,039 He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies. 72 00:03:38,759 –> 00:03:41,080 Now do you see that the whole of Psalm 23 73 00:03:41,100 –> 00:03:42,759 is really a meditation on what 74 00:03:42,759 –> 00:03:45,880 the Lord does for his people. 75 00:03:45,880 –> 00:03:48,559 And David’s faith is strengthened 76 00:03:48,559 –> 00:03:51,320 in the course of this meditation. 77 00:03:52,339 –> 00:03:54,139 So that the first thing he says 78 00:03:54,139 –> 00:03:58,179 after the Lord is my shepherd is, I shall not want. 79 00:03:58,179 –> 00:03:59,300 And that’s great. 80 00:04:00,279 –> 00:04:02,860 But by the time he gets to the end of bringing to mind 81 00:04:02,860 –> 00:04:05,800 all that is his in and through the Lord, 82 00:04:05,800 –> 00:04:08,679 he’s able to say something even better. 83 00:04:08,679 –> 00:04:10,919 Surely goodness and mercy will follow me 84 00:04:10,919 –> 00:04:12,360 all the days of my life, 85 00:04:12,360 –> 00:04:16,019 and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 86 00:04:16,940 –> 00:04:19,040 So do you see what Psalm 23 is? 87 00:04:19,040 –> 00:04:22,660 It is actually an exercise in faith. 88 00:04:22,660 –> 00:04:25,640 It’s an exercise in drawing to your mind 89 00:04:25,640 –> 00:04:28,720 all that is yours in the Lord Jesus Christ, 90 00:04:28,720 –> 00:04:31,079 all that is yours when you belong to him. 91 00:04:31,079 –> 00:04:33,480 And that is why, for thousands of years, 92 00:04:33,480 –> 00:04:36,220 God’s people have found it so encouraging. 93 00:04:37,179 –> 00:04:40,799 This is what you do when you feel tired 94 00:04:40,799 –> 00:04:43,660 and jaded and drained and flat. 95 00:04:43,660 –> 00:04:46,700 When you’re rundown and you need to be refreshed, 96 00:04:46,700 –> 00:04:47,540 what do you do? 97 00:04:47,540 –> 00:04:50,619 You call to mind all that is yours 98 00:04:50,619 –> 00:04:52,019 in the Lord Jesus Christ. 99 00:04:52,019 –> 00:04:54,700 That’s what David does in Psalm 23, 100 00:04:54,700 –> 00:04:58,260 that is why it is so helpful for all of us today. 101 00:04:58,260 –> 00:05:02,660 Because as you call to mind what is yours in Christ, 102 00:05:02,660 –> 00:05:06,100 what the Shepherd does for you now and always, 103 00:05:06,100 –> 00:05:10,220 your faith will be strengthened. 104 00:05:10,220 –> 00:05:13,600 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me. 105 00:05:13,600 –> 00:05:16,619 Bless His holy name, bless the Lord, O my soul, 106 00:05:16,619 –> 00:05:20,899 and do not forget all His benefits. 107 00:05:20,899 –> 00:05:25,220 Now today, we’re looking at the last verse of the Psalm. 108 00:05:25,220 –> 00:05:28,320 “‘Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me 109 00:05:28,339 –> 00:05:31,299 “‘all the days of my life, and I shall dwell 110 00:05:31,299 –> 00:05:35,760 “‘in the house of the Lord forever.” 111 00:05:36,700 –> 00:05:38,720 And what this is telling us, very simply, 112 00:05:38,720 –> 00:05:42,540 is that when the Lord is your shepherd, 113 00:05:43,459 –> 00:05:48,459 His love surrounds you now and always. 114 00:05:49,880 –> 00:05:53,559 And the love of the Good Shepherd is a love that pursues, 115 00:05:53,559 –> 00:05:58,299 that is it follows us, and it is a love that welcomes us 116 00:05:58,299 –> 00:06:00,619 into His own home. 117 00:06:00,619 –> 00:06:04,119 These two things today, then first, a love that pursues, 118 00:06:04,119 –> 00:06:06,640 “‘Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me 119 00:06:06,640 –> 00:06:09,239 “‘all the days of my life.’” 120 00:06:10,540 –> 00:06:15,540 Now, one of the joys of farming life where I come from 121 00:06:15,540 –> 00:06:20,239 are the dogs that chase after the sheep. 122 00:06:21,380 –> 00:06:23,739 Most often border collies. 123 00:06:24,700 –> 00:06:29,079 A shepherd’s dog is always with him, 124 00:06:29,079 –> 00:06:31,500 and typically a shepherd will have a number 125 00:06:31,500 –> 00:06:36,500 of border collies that will chase after the sheep. 126 00:06:36,839 –> 00:06:41,000 When the sheep are being gathered in from the hills 127 00:06:41,000 –> 00:06:45,279 for the winter, you’ll see that the collies 128 00:06:45,279 –> 00:06:49,119 will run in wide arcs over the mountain. 129 00:06:49,119 –> 00:06:51,220 These animals will run for miles, 130 00:06:51,220 –> 00:06:53,140 and as they run these arcs, 131 00:06:53,140 –> 00:06:57,660 they gradually move the sheep in the direction 132 00:06:57,660 –> 00:06:59,600 that the shepherd wants them to go. 133 00:06:59,600 –> 00:07:01,380 They chase the sheep 134 00:07:01,380 –> 00:07:04,579 and move them in a particular direction. 135 00:07:04,579 –> 00:07:08,859 It is a marvelous, marvelous thing to watch. 136 00:07:10,239 –> 00:07:12,940 When the sheep are gathered, 137 00:07:12,940 –> 00:07:15,339 then, as you would see in the picture here, 138 00:07:15,339 –> 00:07:16,899 the shepherd’s gonna be in front 139 00:07:16,899 –> 00:07:20,579 and then the dogs are going to be coming behind the sheep, 140 00:07:20,579 –> 00:07:24,459 kind of chasing up, as it were, the stragglers. 141 00:07:24,459 –> 00:07:29,459 The dogs keep the flock close to the shepherd. 142 00:07:29,579 –> 00:07:31,299 So get that picture in your mind. 143 00:07:31,299 –> 00:07:33,320 The shepherd’s leading the sheep. 144 00:07:33,320 –> 00:07:35,720 The flock are being gathered. 145 00:07:35,720 –> 00:07:37,779 The dogs are arcing around the back, 146 00:07:37,779 –> 00:07:39,820 catching the stragglers and the strays, 147 00:07:39,820 –> 00:07:41,220 keeping them together, 148 00:07:41,220 –> 00:07:46,140 and pushing them on in following after the shepherd. 149 00:07:46,140 –> 00:07:48,019 And I give that picture to you 150 00:07:48,019 –> 00:07:49,839 because I’ve been so helped by it. 151 00:07:49,839 –> 00:07:52,660 Years ago, a Scottish pastor 152 00:07:52,660 –> 00:07:55,299 by the name of Douglas McMillan 153 00:07:55,299 –> 00:07:58,959 quoted an old Scottish shepherd 154 00:07:58,959 –> 00:08:02,299 who had preached on the last verse of Psalm 23, 155 00:08:02,299 –> 00:08:03,660 “‘Surely goodness and mercy 156 00:08:03,660 –> 00:08:06,440 shall follow me all the days of my life.” 157 00:08:06,440 –> 00:08:07,880 And this is what he said. 158 00:08:07,880 –> 00:08:12,440 The good shepherd has two sheep dogs, 159 00:08:13,579 –> 00:08:16,359 and one is called goodness, 160 00:08:17,200 –> 00:08:19,420 and the other is called mercy. 161 00:08:19,420 –> 00:08:20,579 I just love that. 162 00:08:21,459 –> 00:08:23,579 “‘Surely goodness and mercy 163 00:08:23,579 –> 00:08:26,399 will follow me all the days of my life.” 164 00:08:26,399 –> 00:08:27,820 Like two sheep dogs, 165 00:08:27,820 –> 00:08:30,119 God’s goodness, God’s mercy 166 00:08:30,119 –> 00:08:34,359 are always moving me closer to the good shepherd. 167 00:08:34,359 –> 00:08:37,659 It’s always how it is for a Christian. 168 00:08:39,059 –> 00:08:40,419 Now, let’s take a look together 169 00:08:40,419 –> 00:08:41,919 at these two lovely sheep dogs. 170 00:08:41,919 –> 00:08:43,280 The first is called goodness. 171 00:08:43,419 –> 00:08:47,700 Surely goodness will follow me all the days of my life. 172 00:08:47,700 –> 00:08:49,520 Now, there may be someone here this morning who’ll say, 173 00:08:49,520 –> 00:08:52,520 “‘Well, my life’s filled with all kinds 174 00:08:52,520 –> 00:08:54,539 of trouble and difficulty, 175 00:08:54,539 –> 00:08:56,640 and you can list many, many things 176 00:08:56,640 –> 00:08:58,760 that are not as you would want them to be.” 177 00:08:58,760 –> 00:09:01,260 Of course you can list many things 178 00:09:01,260 –> 00:09:03,760 that are not as you would want them to be. 179 00:09:03,760 –> 00:09:07,440 Sin has brought a devastating effect into this world, 180 00:09:08,780 –> 00:09:11,520 and things are not as they should be in this world, 181 00:09:11,520 –> 00:09:12,919 in our country, in our work, 182 00:09:13,559 –> 00:09:14,679 in our churches, in our homes, 183 00:09:14,679 –> 00:09:16,760 or even in our own hearts, 184 00:09:16,760 –> 00:09:18,440 but here’s the thing to take in. 185 00:09:18,440 –> 00:09:20,960 Whatever trouble is in your life 186 00:09:20,960 –> 00:09:23,780 that is good in your life too, 187 00:09:26,599 –> 00:09:29,359 and every good gift, James tells us, 188 00:09:29,359 –> 00:09:31,900 comes from above, every perfect gift, 189 00:09:31,900 –> 00:09:33,520 everything that is good in your life, 190 00:09:33,520 –> 00:09:34,820 where did it come from? 191 00:09:35,859 –> 00:09:39,940 It came from the hand of your loving Heavenly Father, 192 00:09:41,179 –> 00:09:42,679 so thank Him for it. 193 00:09:43,760 –> 00:09:47,059 Here’s the great difference in our world, 194 00:09:48,280 –> 00:09:51,640 sinners blame God for everything 195 00:09:51,640 –> 00:09:53,440 and thank Him for nothing, 196 00:09:55,840 –> 00:09:58,020 believers thank God for everything 197 00:09:58,020 –> 00:09:59,320 and blame Him for nothing, 198 00:10:00,900 –> 00:10:03,940 and goodness is God giving us what we don’t deserve 199 00:10:03,940 –> 00:10:05,679 and if you belong to the Good Shepherd, 200 00:10:05,679 –> 00:10:08,520 God’s goodness will always be chasing after you. 201 00:10:09,280 –> 00:10:14,280 Second, mercy, surely mercy shall follow me 202 00:10:15,239 –> 00:10:17,440 all the days of my life. 203 00:10:17,440 –> 00:10:20,880 Goodness is God giving us what we don’t deserve. 204 00:10:20,880 –> 00:10:23,900 Mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve. 205 00:10:25,479 –> 00:10:28,599 Think about this friends, don’t you thank God today 206 00:10:28,599 –> 00:10:32,719 that He chases after you in mercy 207 00:10:32,719 –> 00:10:34,539 and not injustice? 208 00:10:35,059 –> 00:10:38,299 I mean if God were to chase after us in justice, 209 00:10:38,299 –> 00:10:40,919 we would all be in big trouble. 210 00:10:43,460 –> 00:10:46,760 You know, we’ve all been I think 211 00:10:48,960 –> 00:10:53,200 moved by the terrifying images 212 00:10:53,200 –> 00:10:56,119 that we’ve seen of wildfires 213 00:10:56,119 –> 00:10:58,580 sweeping across mountains destroying 214 00:10:58,580 –> 00:11:02,780 all that comes in their path out in California 215 00:11:02,799 –> 00:11:06,340 out in California, absolutely terrifying. 216 00:11:07,219 –> 00:11:08,539 Wildfire. 217 00:11:10,200 –> 00:11:11,780 I wonder did you know that the Bible 218 00:11:11,780 –> 00:11:14,500 uses that as a picture to describe 219 00:11:14,500 –> 00:11:16,200 God’s judgment of the wicked? 220 00:11:17,359 –> 00:11:20,700 You’ll find it in Psalm 83 and verse 14. 221 00:11:20,700 –> 00:11:24,780 As fires consume the forest as the flames 222 00:11:24,780 –> 00:11:27,900 sets the mountain ablaze. 223 00:11:28,640 –> 00:11:33,659 That’s how God’s judgment pursues the wicked, 224 00:11:33,659 –> 00:11:36,500 like a wildfire sweeping over the mountain 225 00:11:36,500 –> 00:11:38,679 consuming everything in its path. 226 00:11:38,679 –> 00:11:39,780 That’s what it’s like. 227 00:11:41,159 –> 00:11:45,219 So thank God that he does not chase after you 228 00:11:46,059 –> 00:11:48,780 with the wildfire of his judgment, 229 00:11:48,780 –> 00:11:53,179 but in Christ he chases after you in mercy. 230 00:11:53,179 –> 00:11:56,460 Mercy shall follow me all the days of my life 231 00:11:57,020 –> 00:11:58,380 and this is how the Good Shepherd 232 00:11:58,380 –> 00:12:00,059 keeps us close to himself. 233 00:12:02,020 –> 00:12:03,260 That’s, of course, the teaching 234 00:12:03,260 –> 00:12:05,500 of Romans chapter two and verse four. 235 00:12:05,500 –> 00:12:08,739 God’s kindness, another way of saying 236 00:12:08,739 –> 00:12:10,599 that would be his goodness and mercy, 237 00:12:11,700 –> 00:12:15,260 are meant to lead you to repentance. 238 00:12:15,260 –> 00:12:19,239 This is how God keeps us close to the Good Shepherd. 239 00:12:19,239 –> 00:12:21,580 It’s His goodness and His mercy 240 00:12:21,580 –> 00:12:24,820 that’s bringing us close to the Shepherd 241 00:12:24,859 –> 00:12:27,359 and David’s in no doubt about this. 242 00:12:27,359 –> 00:12:31,140 He says surely, surely goodness and mercy will follow me. 243 00:12:31,140 –> 00:12:32,700 Of this, you can be quite certain 244 00:12:32,700 –> 00:12:34,900 as a Christian believer in Christ, 245 00:12:34,900 –> 00:12:38,219 God is not chasing after you in judgment and condemnation, 246 00:12:38,219 –> 00:12:41,900 He’s coming after you with goodness and with mercy 247 00:12:41,900 –> 00:12:43,659 and if it were the case that God 248 00:12:43,659 –> 00:12:45,299 were chasing you with judgment, 249 00:12:45,299 –> 00:12:47,340 of course you would run away from Him 250 00:12:49,080 –> 00:12:50,700 but why would anyone in their right mind 251 00:12:50,700 –> 00:12:52,820 run away from a God who races after us 252 00:12:52,820 –> 00:12:54,059 in goodness and mercy? 253 00:12:55,820 –> 00:13:00,820 A love that pursues us and David says 254 00:13:01,500 –> 00:13:04,539 goodness and mercy will follow me. 255 00:13:04,539 –> 00:13:06,099 Follow me. 256 00:13:06,099 –> 00:13:09,260 This is fascinating because at the beginning of the psalm, 257 00:13:09,260 –> 00:13:12,260 he’s spoken already about how the good shepherd leads me. 258 00:13:12,260 –> 00:13:15,320 He leads me besides still waters. 259 00:13:15,320 –> 00:13:19,140 He leads me in paths of righteousness for his own sakes. 260 00:13:19,140 –> 00:13:21,700 So clearly the picture is that the shepherd 261 00:13:21,700 –> 00:13:24,039 is out in front of the sheep. 262 00:13:24,039 –> 00:13:25,200 He leads me. 263 00:13:25,200 –> 00:13:27,799 Now he’s saying that the shepherd’s goodness 264 00:13:27,799 –> 00:13:29,580 and mercy also follow me. 265 00:13:29,580 –> 00:13:31,460 So you see the significance of this. 266 00:13:31,460 –> 00:13:36,039 You put these together, in Christ you are encircled 267 00:13:36,039 –> 00:13:37,659 with his everlasting love. 268 00:13:40,599 –> 00:13:42,760 There’s an ancient Celtic hymn. 269 00:13:44,000 –> 00:13:47,679 It goes all the way back to the fifth century. 270 00:13:47,679 –> 00:13:52,020 Must be one of the older hymns that are still around today. 271 00:13:52,919 –> 00:13:56,080 The words are often attributed to Saint Patrick. 272 00:13:57,359 –> 00:13:59,419 And it begins with this line, 273 00:13:59,419 –> 00:14:04,419 I bind unto myself today the strong name of the Trinity. 274 00:14:06,859 –> 00:14:09,340 And then there are these remarkable words 275 00:14:09,340 –> 00:14:11,200 that I remember singing as a boy. 276 00:14:13,119 –> 00:14:14,820 Christ be with me. 277 00:14:15,979 –> 00:14:17,619 Christ within me. 278 00:14:18,539 –> 00:14:20,260 Christ behind me. 279 00:14:21,179 –> 00:14:22,739 Christ before me. 280 00:14:23,460 –> 00:14:25,619 Christ beside me. 281 00:14:25,619 –> 00:14:27,580 Christ to win me. 282 00:14:27,580 –> 00:14:30,020 Christ to comfort and restore me. 283 00:14:30,020 –> 00:14:32,340 Christ beneath me. 284 00:14:32,340 –> 00:14:34,419 Christ above me. 285 00:14:34,419 –> 00:14:36,940 Christ in quiet, Christ in danger. 286 00:14:36,940 –> 00:14:39,659 Christ in hearts of all that love me. 287 00:14:39,659 –> 00:14:43,179 Christ in mouth of friend and stranger. 288 00:14:44,539 –> 00:14:47,219 Now, that captures what David is saying here. 289 00:14:47,219 –> 00:14:49,539 When the Lord is your shepherd, 290 00:14:49,539 –> 00:14:52,940 you are surrounded on all sides 291 00:14:52,940 –> 00:14:55,500 by the love of Christ. 292 00:14:55,500 –> 00:14:59,260 Behind me, before me, beside me, 293 00:14:59,260 –> 00:15:01,219 beneath me, above me, 294 00:15:01,219 –> 00:15:02,460 brothers and sisters, 295 00:15:02,460 –> 00:15:05,419 nothing can ever separate us 296 00:15:05,419 –> 00:15:07,020 from the love of God 297 00:15:07,020 –> 00:15:10,580 that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. 298 00:15:11,700 –> 00:15:13,219 And this will be true of you 299 00:15:13,219 –> 00:15:15,380 all the days of your life. 300 00:15:16,179 –> 00:15:18,340 When you belong to the good shepherd, 301 00:15:18,340 –> 00:15:19,859 there will never be a day, 302 00:15:19,859 –> 00:15:21,219 never be a circumstance 303 00:15:21,219 –> 00:15:22,940 where this is not true of you. 304 00:15:22,940 –> 00:15:24,859 Jerry Bridges says this so well. 305 00:15:24,859 –> 00:15:27,419 Your worst days are never so bad 306 00:15:27,419 –> 00:15:30,140 that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. 307 00:15:30,140 –> 00:15:32,460 And your best days are never so good 308 00:15:32,460 –> 00:15:35,340 that you are beyond the need of God’s grace. 309 00:15:35,340 –> 00:15:38,059 All the days of my life. 310 00:15:39,219 –> 00:15:41,460 Now, we need this right now, 311 00:15:41,460 –> 00:15:43,099 because these are days 312 00:15:43,219 –> 00:15:45,780 in which we are anxious. 313 00:15:45,780 –> 00:15:47,700 We are anxious about our world, 314 00:15:47,700 –> 00:15:49,539 we’re anxious about our country, 315 00:15:49,539 –> 00:15:51,020 we’re anxious about our jobs, 316 00:15:51,020 –> 00:15:52,500 we’re anxious about our families, 317 00:15:52,500 –> 00:15:54,619 and we’re anxious about ourselves. 318 00:15:54,619 –> 00:15:57,460 And who knows what the future holds? 319 00:15:59,200 –> 00:16:02,099 Well, actually, you know what the future holds. 320 00:16:03,260 –> 00:16:08,260 You know that every day of your life, 321 00:16:08,900 –> 00:16:12,619 God’s goodness, God’s mercy 322 00:16:12,619 –> 00:16:16,559 will always be chasing after you. 323 00:16:20,500 –> 00:16:23,500 And this love that surrounds you 324 00:16:23,500 –> 00:16:25,179 and will always be with you 325 00:16:26,359 –> 00:16:29,059 is not only a love that pursues, 326 00:16:30,419 –> 00:16:32,179 it is a love that welcomes. 327 00:16:33,200 –> 00:16:34,260 And what a verse this is. 328 00:16:34,260 –> 00:16:37,299 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me 329 00:16:37,299 –> 00:16:39,739 all the days of my life. 330 00:16:39,739 –> 00:16:42,659 And, as if that were not enough, 331 00:16:42,659 –> 00:16:47,659 and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. 332 00:16:54,539 –> 00:16:57,919 Now, these words can be understood in two ways. 333 00:16:58,859 –> 00:17:01,020 If you are using the ESV Bible 334 00:17:01,020 –> 00:17:02,419 that we use here in the church, 335 00:17:02,419 –> 00:17:04,540 you might see that there’s a footnote 336 00:17:04,540 –> 00:17:05,959 right at the end of the psalm. 337 00:17:05,959 –> 00:17:07,800 At the end of verse six, 338 00:17:07,800 –> 00:17:09,420 that says that the last phrase 339 00:17:09,420 –> 00:17:13,180 can be translated for length of days. 340 00:17:13,180 –> 00:17:18,180 I will dwell in the house of the Lord for length of days. 341 00:17:20,020 –> 00:17:22,739 And you may recall that a little later in the psalm, 342 00:17:22,739 –> 00:17:25,520 psalm 27, David says, 343 00:17:25,520 –> 00:17:27,959 one thing I have asked the Lord, 344 00:17:27,959 –> 00:17:29,660 and this I will seek after, 345 00:17:29,719 –> 00:17:32,680 that I may dwell in the house of the Lord 346 00:17:32,680 –> 00:17:36,280 all the days of my life. 347 00:17:36,280 –> 00:17:37,420 What does he mean when he says 348 00:17:37,420 –> 00:17:39,000 that I may dwell in the house of the Lord 349 00:17:39,000 –> 00:17:41,359 all the days of my life? 350 00:17:41,359 –> 00:17:43,280 Well, he means this. 351 00:17:43,280 –> 00:17:45,839 That because of God’s goodness, 352 00:17:45,839 –> 00:17:47,719 because of God’s mercy, 353 00:17:47,719 –> 00:17:49,260 because he is my shepherd, 354 00:17:49,260 –> 00:17:51,760 because he leads me and restores me 355 00:17:51,760 –> 00:17:53,339 and guards me and sustains me, 356 00:17:53,339 –> 00:17:55,459 because of his great love for me, 357 00:17:56,359 –> 00:17:58,060 I will walk with Him, 358 00:17:58,060 –> 00:17:58,959 I will love Him, 359 00:17:58,959 –> 00:18:01,459 I will serve Him, I will worship Him, 360 00:18:02,979 –> 00:18:07,079 I will trust Him every day of my life.” 361 00:18:08,819 –> 00:18:11,180 And that surely is a fitting response 362 00:18:11,180 –> 00:18:14,119 to everything that we have seen in the psalm. 363 00:18:15,939 –> 00:18:17,680 But I think 364 00:18:17,680 –> 00:18:20,020 that David is looking beyond 365 00:18:20,020 –> 00:18:23,579 the future days of his life in this world. 366 00:18:23,579 –> 00:18:24,959 I mean, he has already said, 367 00:18:25,020 –> 00:18:27,140 surely goodness and mercy will follow me 368 00:18:27,140 –> 00:18:29,300 all the days of my life. 369 00:18:29,300 –> 00:18:32,020 And when he looks beyond the days of his life 370 00:18:32,020 –> 00:18:33,660 in this world, what does he see? 371 00:18:33,660 –> 00:18:38,040 He sees the joy of eternity 372 00:18:38,040 –> 00:18:40,579 in the immediate presence of the Lord. 373 00:18:40,579 –> 00:18:44,780 And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord 374 00:18:45,939 –> 00:18:46,959 forever. 375 00:18:49,660 –> 00:18:51,540 Now, what will that be like? 376 00:18:52,359 –> 00:18:55,420 Well, the first thing to say is that it will be 377 00:18:55,420 –> 00:18:57,739 very different from your life in this world. 378 00:18:59,260 –> 00:19:02,780 When you dwell in the house of the Lord, 379 00:19:03,660 –> 00:19:06,680 your faith is going to be turned to sight. 380 00:19:08,060 –> 00:19:11,020 The one you have trusted sometimes with many questions 381 00:19:11,020 –> 00:19:13,400 and sometimes with great difficulty, 382 00:19:13,400 –> 00:19:16,479 you’re going to see him face to face. 383 00:19:17,859 –> 00:19:20,500 Old battles are going to be over for you. 384 00:19:21,020 –> 00:19:24,520 Old wounds are going to be healed for you 385 00:19:25,439 –> 00:19:29,400 and God himself will wipe away every tear from your eyes. 386 00:19:30,760 –> 00:19:34,880 You’re going to see Christ in all of his glory 387 00:19:36,160 –> 00:19:37,859 and his kingdom will come. 388 00:19:39,040 –> 00:19:42,579 And death will be defeated, and evil will be overthrown. 389 00:19:42,579 –> 00:19:45,280 Heaven itself will come to earth 390 00:19:46,040 –> 00:19:51,040 and God will dwell with his people in a world of love 391 00:19:51,619 –> 00:19:54,599 in which he himself will make everything new. 392 00:19:55,979 –> 00:19:57,760 Dwelling in the house of the Lord 393 00:19:57,760 –> 00:20:00,800 will be incomparably better than the greatest joys 394 00:20:00,800 –> 00:20:04,680 any of us have ever known in our lives in this world. 395 00:20:04,680 –> 00:20:07,520 Your experience in heaven will be very different 396 00:20:07,520 –> 00:20:10,880 from your life in this world. 397 00:20:11,880 –> 00:20:16,540 But your relationship with Jesus 398 00:20:17,859 –> 00:20:19,439 will be the same. 399 00:20:21,400 –> 00:20:23,060 And here’s why I say that. 400 00:20:24,119 –> 00:20:25,920 When John, the Apostle John, 401 00:20:25,920 –> 00:20:27,640 in the last book of the Bible, Revelation, 402 00:20:27,640 –> 00:20:31,239 is given a glimpse of what it will be like 403 00:20:31,239 –> 00:20:33,199 when all of God’s redeemed people 404 00:20:33,199 –> 00:20:34,959 are gathered in his presence, 405 00:20:34,959 –> 00:20:38,920 he says they are before the throne of God. 406 00:20:39,459 –> 00:20:42,219 And then what it’s describing, 407 00:20:42,219 –> 00:20:45,239 what it will be like when we are before the throne of God, 408 00:20:45,239 –> 00:20:50,239 he says this, that the Lamb in the midst of the throne 409 00:20:50,260 –> 00:20:53,619 will be their shepherd, 410 00:20:54,979 –> 00:20:59,479 and he will guide them to springs of living water. 411 00:20:59,479 –> 00:21:03,400 Do you see, if he is your shepherd now, 412 00:21:04,339 –> 00:21:06,819 he will be your shepherd then. 413 00:21:06,859 –> 00:21:10,339 The relationship will be exactly the same. 414 00:21:10,339 –> 00:21:12,859 The relationship you have with Jesus Christ 415 00:21:12,859 –> 00:21:16,119 in this world will continue forever. 416 00:21:17,619 –> 00:21:20,400 And notice who the shepherd is. 417 00:21:20,400 –> 00:21:23,020 It’s an extraordinary statement that John has 418 00:21:23,020 –> 00:21:24,400 in the book of Revelation. 419 00:21:24,400 –> 00:21:29,040 He says the Lamb in the midst of the throne 420 00:21:29,040 –> 00:21:30,520 will be their shepherd. 421 00:21:31,739 –> 00:21:34,900 Now, you see, why is it that any of us will be in heaven? 422 00:21:34,900 –> 00:21:36,380 Well, there’s only one reason. 423 00:21:36,380 –> 00:21:39,099 It is that the Good Shepherd came to seek 424 00:21:39,099 –> 00:21:41,800 and to save the lost, and what did that involve? 425 00:21:41,800 –> 00:21:42,819 What did that mean? 426 00:21:42,819 –> 00:21:44,699 Well, it meant that the Good Shepherd 427 00:21:44,699 –> 00:21:47,500 had to become one with His sheep. 428 00:21:48,420 –> 00:21:50,900 He took our flesh. 429 00:21:50,900 –> 00:21:52,540 He came into our world. 430 00:21:52,540 –> 00:21:53,819 He shared our life. 431 00:21:53,819 –> 00:21:55,400 He became the Lamb. 432 00:21:55,400 –> 00:21:57,180 The Shepherd became the Lamb. 433 00:21:58,099 –> 00:22:01,520 He became the Lamb of God who takes away 434 00:22:01,520 –> 00:22:05,660 the sin of the world, and he was led like a lamb 435 00:22:05,660 –> 00:22:09,319 to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers 436 00:22:09,319 –> 00:22:13,099 is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 437 00:22:15,400 –> 00:22:17,040 His life was given 438 00:22:18,119 –> 00:22:21,859 as the sacrifice for our sins, 439 00:22:23,020 –> 00:22:25,619 but God raised Him up and exalted Him 440 00:22:25,619 –> 00:22:28,560 to the highest place, and in the book of Revelation, 441 00:22:28,560 –> 00:22:31,680 John sees that the lame, who was slain, 442 00:22:31,680 –> 00:22:35,239 is also the lion of the tribe of Judah, 443 00:22:35,239 –> 00:22:37,859 and he reigns, and he says, 444 00:22:37,859 –> 00:22:42,859 I give my sheep eternal life, and they will never perish, 445 00:22:43,479 –> 00:22:47,040 and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 446 00:22:48,239 –> 00:22:52,140 The lamb, in the midst of the throne, 447 00:22:52,140 –> 00:22:56,819 will be their shepherd, and he will 448 00:22:56,819 –> 00:23:01,619 guide them to springs of living water. 449 00:23:02,619 –> 00:23:07,599 Now, I wonder, has the thought ever occurred to you, 450 00:23:07,599 –> 00:23:12,599 will eternity end up getting a little dull? 451 00:23:13,020 –> 00:23:15,560 I mean, forever and forever and forever? 452 00:23:15,560 –> 00:23:19,160 I mean, won’t boredom set in at some point? 453 00:23:19,160 –> 00:23:21,880 Let me tell you why you will never be bored 454 00:23:21,880 –> 00:23:24,239 and why heaven will never be dull. 455 00:23:24,239 –> 00:23:25,680 It’s right here in this verse. 456 00:23:26,739 –> 00:23:30,739 The good shepherd will always be leading you 457 00:23:30,739 –> 00:23:32,579 into something new. 458 00:23:34,099 –> 00:23:39,099 Heaven will be a world of fresh discoveries and new delight, 459 00:23:40,979 –> 00:23:44,699 and it will be Jesus himself who leads you into them. 460 00:23:45,979 –> 00:23:49,579 Heaven will not be a world in which you see Jesus 461 00:23:49,579 –> 00:23:51,619 and then kind of go off and do your own thing 462 00:23:51,619 –> 00:23:53,739 in the new creation for the rest of eternity. 463 00:23:53,739 –> 00:23:58,500 No, the whole point is that we are with him 464 00:23:58,500 –> 00:24:02,699 and he constantly leads us into new discoveries, 465 00:24:02,699 –> 00:24:06,339 new delights, life everlasting. 466 00:24:06,339 –> 00:24:09,140 He brings us to the springs of living water. 467 00:24:09,140 –> 00:24:11,459 The word springs conveys something 468 00:24:11,459 –> 00:24:14,180 that’s always bubbling up, something always fresh, 469 00:24:14,180 –> 00:24:16,859 something that is always new. 470 00:24:16,859 –> 00:24:20,219 This is what Jesus himself prayed for in John 17. 471 00:24:20,219 –> 00:24:22,900 He said, Father, I desire that those who you have given 472 00:24:22,900 –> 00:24:24,579 to me will be with me. 473 00:24:25,819 –> 00:24:26,939 And when we are gathered 474 00:24:27,099 –> 00:24:28,619 in the presence of the Lord, 475 00:24:28,619 –> 00:24:30,819 the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ 476 00:24:30,819 –> 00:24:32,739 will be wonderfully answered. 477 00:24:32,739 –> 00:24:33,579 We’ll be with Him. 478 00:24:33,579 –> 00:24:36,579 We’re going to see His glory. 479 00:24:36,579 –> 00:24:38,099 And He will be our Shepherd, 480 00:24:38,099 –> 00:24:42,020 and He will lead us on and on and on 481 00:24:42,020 –> 00:24:46,260 into discoveries of fresh delight. 482 00:24:47,540 –> 00:24:49,260 Let me give you one or two quotations 483 00:24:49,260 –> 00:24:52,380 that have helped me just to try to begin 484 00:24:52,380 –> 00:24:55,060 to think about this. 485 00:24:55,060 –> 00:24:58,099 Thomas Boston speaks of how the glorified, 486 00:24:58,099 –> 00:24:58,979 that’s God’s people, 487 00:24:58,979 –> 00:25:01,880 when we’re made perfect in the presence of Jesus, 488 00:25:01,880 –> 00:25:06,359 we will eternally see more and more of God. 489 00:25:07,479 –> 00:25:09,280 We’ll walk with Him eternally, 490 00:25:10,119 –> 00:25:14,260 seeing more and more of God. 491 00:25:14,260 –> 00:25:16,180 And then he uses this analogy. 492 00:25:17,339 –> 00:25:20,660 They may bring their vessels to this ocean 493 00:25:21,160 –> 00:25:25,420 every moment and fill them with new waters. 494 00:25:27,479 –> 00:25:30,119 See, you think of a little child at the beach 495 00:25:30,119 –> 00:25:32,500 with a bucket and spade, 496 00:25:32,500 –> 00:25:35,619 and the child goes down to the ocean 497 00:25:35,619 –> 00:25:36,920 and fills the bucket, 498 00:25:36,920 –> 00:25:40,680 how many times can that bucket be filled? 499 00:25:40,680 –> 00:25:43,300 And the water in the bucket always be different 500 00:25:43,300 –> 00:25:44,979 from the water that was in the bucket before. 501 00:25:44,979 –> 00:25:49,880 I mean, the vastness of the ocean that is out there, 502 00:25:51,500 –> 00:25:54,780 and you think of the infinity of God Himself, 503 00:25:54,780 –> 00:25:58,780 you can never exhaust the knowledge of God, 504 00:25:58,780 –> 00:26:01,420 always coming into new glimpses of His greatness 505 00:26:01,420 –> 00:26:02,560 and of His glory, 506 00:26:02,560 –> 00:26:06,719 and the Lamb of God Himself leading us into this knowledge. 507 00:26:08,540 –> 00:26:11,239 It’s beyond what we can begin to take in here and now, 508 00:26:11,239 –> 00:26:15,959 but it will be more wonderful than we can ever imagine. 509 00:26:17,500 –> 00:26:19,119 And not only will we have the knowledge 510 00:26:19,420 –> 00:26:24,160 of the Creator into which the Lamb of God leads us, 511 00:26:24,160 –> 00:26:26,319 our Good Shepherd leads us, 512 00:26:26,319 –> 00:26:31,060 but the new creation itself will be full of new delights 513 00:26:31,060 –> 00:26:33,400 and discoveries to be made. 514 00:26:35,160 –> 00:26:38,680 Donald McLeod says this of the Garden of Eden. 515 00:26:38,680 –> 00:26:41,579 It offered scope, he said, 516 00:26:41,579 –> 00:26:44,239 for art, science and technology. 517 00:26:46,359 –> 00:26:47,260 I mean, just think about it. 518 00:26:47,339 –> 00:26:50,060 What Adam and Eve could have enjoyed and developed 519 00:26:50,060 –> 00:26:52,140 if they had remained in the Garden of Eden? 520 00:26:52,140 –> 00:26:54,479 Well, he says it offered scope for art 521 00:26:54,479 –> 00:26:56,300 and science and technology and, 522 00:26:56,300 –> 00:27:00,699 the same will doubtless be true of the world to come. 523 00:27:01,640 –> 00:27:04,660 Not only the Creator but the creation too, 524 00:27:04,660 –> 00:27:06,099 that’s the new creation, 525 00:27:06,099 –> 00:27:10,420 will be an object of wonder to the redeemed. 526 00:27:10,420 –> 00:27:14,500 It will challenge our intellects, fire our imaginations 527 00:27:14,500 –> 00:27:16,900 and stimulate our industry. 528 00:27:16,939 –> 00:27:19,819 The scenario, he says, is a thrilling one, 529 00:27:19,819 –> 00:27:23,500 brilliant minds and powerful bodies 530 00:27:23,500 –> 00:27:25,859 in a transformed universe. 531 00:27:25,859 –> 00:27:28,140 You feel like you could take a bit of that? 532 00:27:28,140 –> 00:27:32,420 I mean for your mind to be sharper than it ever was, 533 00:27:32,420 –> 00:27:35,699 for your body to be stronger than it ever was, 534 00:27:35,699 –> 00:27:38,939 for you to enjoy exploring the wonders 535 00:27:38,939 –> 00:27:43,219 of a redeemed universe in all of the perfection 536 00:27:43,219 –> 00:27:45,459 that God has brought it into 537 00:27:45,479 –> 00:27:48,579 and the Lamb of God himself showing you, 538 00:27:49,619 –> 00:27:53,060 leading you into springs of living water, 539 00:27:53,060 –> 00:27:57,119 always fresh, always new, never tired, never bored. 540 00:27:59,020 –> 00:28:00,160 And then this. 541 00:28:02,260 –> 00:28:04,459 That the joy that you will know in heaven 542 00:28:04,459 –> 00:28:07,500 is a joy that will go on increasing. 543 00:28:09,500 –> 00:28:13,260 I mean by way of analogy, just to try and think about this. 544 00:28:13,260 –> 00:28:15,099 Think about your own life here and now 545 00:28:15,500 –> 00:28:16,619 and your experience. 546 00:28:16,619 –> 00:28:21,099 The joys you experience in your life here in this world 547 00:28:21,099 –> 00:28:22,880 remain with you. 548 00:28:25,959 –> 00:28:28,260 I’ll be at a wedding here this afternoon 549 00:28:29,420 –> 00:28:33,560 and in coming to a wedding I will think about my own 550 00:28:33,560 –> 00:28:35,979 and the joy of it will come back to me. 551 00:28:35,979 –> 00:28:40,520 That’s the nature of our experience in this world. 552 00:28:40,579 –> 00:28:44,939 As you go through life, you have an expanding pool 553 00:28:45,839 –> 00:28:49,160 of joys that you have not only experienced in the past 554 00:28:49,160 –> 00:28:51,959 but they remain with you and they’re still a joy to you. 555 00:28:51,959 –> 00:28:54,040 You go through a photograph album or whatever 556 00:28:54,040 –> 00:28:55,640 and you say oh yes we were there. 557 00:28:55,640 –> 00:28:56,500 Do you remember that? 558 00:28:56,500 –> 00:28:57,880 How wonderful that was? 559 00:28:59,239 –> 00:29:01,140 In some sense it lives with you 560 00:29:02,500 –> 00:29:07,500 and as the years go on this pool of joys expands 561 00:29:07,780 –> 00:29:11,780 and expands and becomes a great reservoir. 562 00:29:11,780 –> 00:29:15,479 Now think about what that will be like in eternity 563 00:29:15,479 –> 00:29:18,680 when nothing ever becomes old but everything remains new. 564 00:29:21,300 –> 00:29:24,880 One joy will be added to another as the good shepherd 565 00:29:24,880 –> 00:29:27,339 leads you into springs of living water 566 00:29:29,260 –> 00:29:32,140 and Jonathan Edwards the great American theologian 567 00:29:32,140 –> 00:29:34,839 points out therefore that the joys of heaven 568 00:29:35,079 –> 00:29:38,760 will accumulate one blessing on top of another. 569 00:29:43,780 –> 00:29:45,359 And he asks this question, 570 00:29:47,400 –> 00:29:50,760 so think about what this will be like 571 00:29:52,119 –> 00:29:57,119 when you have been there for a million, million ages. 572 00:29:57,160 –> 00:29:58,680 For a million ages. 573 00:30:02,920 –> 00:30:06,439 And to put what he then says simply, 574 00:30:07,579 –> 00:30:09,920 the more you know of God, 575 00:30:09,920 –> 00:30:12,520 the more you will see of his beauty. 576 00:30:14,319 –> 00:30:16,140 And the more you see of his beauty, 577 00:30:16,140 –> 00:30:17,839 the more you’re going to love him. 578 00:30:19,760 –> 00:30:21,199 And the more you love him, 579 00:30:21,199 –> 00:30:23,939 the more happiness you will have in him. 580 00:30:24,339 –> 00:30:28,099 We are talking, brothers and sisters, 581 00:30:28,099 –> 00:30:33,099 about a life of exponentially increasing joy 582 00:30:34,939 –> 00:30:37,540 to all eternity. 583 00:30:41,739 –> 00:30:42,579 Now, 584 00:30:43,719 –> 00:30:46,900 we began this series with two aims 585 00:30:47,819 –> 00:30:49,819 and I want to end where we began 586 00:30:49,819 –> 00:30:52,459 with the aims of encouraging and enticing. 587 00:30:54,119 –> 00:30:55,500 First to encourage. 588 00:30:57,680 –> 00:31:00,560 The greatest blessing you can know in life 589 00:31:00,560 –> 00:31:03,560 is to be wholly owned by the Son of God. 590 00:31:05,439 –> 00:31:08,540 When the Lord is your shepherd you will be able to say 591 00:31:08,540 –> 00:31:12,699 he leads me, he restores me, he guards me, he sustains me. 592 00:31:14,459 –> 00:31:17,660 And that means that whatever happens in your work, 593 00:31:18,660 –> 00:31:23,660 in your family, with your health or with your money, 594 00:31:24,920 –> 00:31:29,000 whatever happens in our beloved country, 595 00:31:30,819 –> 00:31:34,380 if the Lord is your shepherd you will always be able 596 00:31:34,380 –> 00:31:39,380 to say goodness and mercy all my life will surely follow me 597 00:31:42,780 –> 00:31:47,780 and in God’s house forever more my dwelling place shall be. 598 00:31:48,319 –> 00:31:53,319 and so through all the length of days 599 00:31:55,260 –> 00:32:00,260 thy goodness faileth never, good shepherd may I sing 600 00:32:01,300 –> 00:32:06,199 your praise within your house forever. 601 00:32:07,459 –> 00:32:10,579 And then to entice simply this question. 602 00:32:11,479 –> 00:32:16,479 What is your position if the Lord is not your shepherd? 603 00:32:19,780 –> 00:32:23,900 See, you live in a world where the culture 604 00:32:23,900 –> 00:32:26,920 is always saying to you that the best way you can live 605 00:32:26,920 –> 00:32:29,339 is to be your own shepherd, that you run your own life 606 00:32:29,339 –> 00:32:30,859 and all of this stuff. 607 00:32:30,859 –> 00:32:32,180 What is your position 608 00:32:32,180 –> 00:32:34,260 if you choose to be your own shepherd? 609 00:32:35,260 –> 00:32:36,979 You choose to be your own God, 610 00:32:36,979 –> 00:32:39,459 you choose to be the Captain of your own ship, 611 00:32:39,619 –> 00:32:41,660 be master of your own soul. 612 00:32:41,660 –> 00:32:46,040 Well, if that’s your choice, then this is your reality. 613 00:32:48,380 –> 00:32:50,380 I am my own shepherd. 614 00:32:51,579 –> 00:32:53,140 And I will always want. 615 00:32:55,020 –> 00:32:57,040 Sin makes me restless. 616 00:32:58,020 –> 00:33:01,540 It keeps me from lying down in green pastures, 617 00:33:01,540 –> 00:33:05,180 it leads me beside troubled waters. 618 00:33:05,180 –> 00:33:07,219 It ruins my soul. 619 00:33:08,219 –> 00:33:12,459 Sin leads me in paths of unrighteousness 620 00:33:12,459 –> 00:33:14,300 which I pursue for my own sake. 621 00:33:16,199 –> 00:33:20,739 And when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death 622 00:33:20,739 –> 00:33:22,420 I will have great fear. 623 00:33:24,199 –> 00:33:26,119 For sin will be with me. 624 00:33:27,359 –> 00:33:30,119 Its guilt and shame will haunt me. 625 00:33:31,540 –> 00:33:33,780 Sin prepares a table before me 626 00:33:33,780 –> 00:33:36,180 in the presence of my friends. 627 00:33:36,219 –> 00:33:39,260 It promises much but always disappoints 628 00:33:39,260 –> 00:33:42,459 and my cup is always empty. 629 00:33:44,300 –> 00:33:46,579 Surely judgment and condemnation 630 00:33:46,579 –> 00:33:49,300 shall follow me all the days of my life. 631 00:33:50,260 –> 00:33:54,880 And I shall dwell in the house of the lost, forever. 632 00:33:58,180 –> 00:34:00,500 Now friends, honestly, who wants to say that? 633 00:34:02,380 –> 00:34:05,219 And if that’s your reality, that coming in here today, 634 00:34:05,219 –> 00:34:08,040 really the truth about you is you’re your own shepherd. 635 00:34:08,040 –> 00:34:09,379 You’re running your own life. 636 00:34:09,379 –> 00:34:11,739 You don’t want to be wholly owned by the Son of God. 637 00:34:11,739 –> 00:34:14,780 I’m saying, why would you stay with that reality 638 00:34:14,780 –> 00:34:18,939 when there is a good shepherd who gave himself for you 639 00:34:20,159 –> 00:34:21,860 and even today through the Scriptures 640 00:34:21,860 –> 00:34:25,340 invites you to follow him? 641 00:34:27,919 –> 00:34:31,020 The greatest blessing you can ever know in life 642 00:34:31,020 –> 00:34:33,639 is to be wholly owned by the Son of God 643 00:34:33,639 –> 00:34:36,719 because when you can say the Lord is my shepherd, 644 00:34:38,120 –> 00:34:41,100 you’ll be able to say surely, goodness and mercy 645 00:34:42,139 –> 00:34:46,399 shall follow me all the days of my life 646 00:34:47,320 –> 00:34:51,979 and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 647 00:34:54,320 –> 00:34:55,320 Let’s pray together. 648 00:34:57,340 –> 00:34:59,060 Our Father, we bow before You 649 00:34:59,060 –> 00:35:01,340 with a sense of awe and worship. 650 00:35:01,340 –> 00:35:04,159 Where would we be without the Good Shepherd 651 00:35:04,159 –> 00:35:08,159 who came and gave Himself for us? 652 00:35:08,159 –> 00:35:12,899 We bless you for your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ the Lord. 653 00:35:14,399 –> 00:35:18,120 Grant that by your grace we may follow Him closely 654 00:35:18,120 –> 00:35:20,060 chased towards the Shepherd 655 00:35:20,060 –> 00:35:23,239 by your goodness and by your mercy 656 00:35:23,239 –> 00:35:25,800 all the days of our lives 657 00:35:25,800 –> 00:35:28,219 until faith is turned to sight 658 00:35:29,159 –> 00:35:32,379 and we enter into your nearest presence 659 00:35:32,379 –> 00:35:36,399 and begin to discover the pleasures 660 00:35:36,399 –> 00:35:38,820 that are at your right hand 661 00:35:39,860 –> 00:35:41,260 for evermore. 662 00:35:41,879 –> 00:35:44,879 Hear our prayers and receive our thanks. 663 00:35:44,879 –> 00:35:46,840 In Jesus’ name. 664 00:35:46,840 –> 00:35:48,199 Amen. 665 00:35:52,300 –> 00:35:53,560 You’ve been listening to a sermon 666 00:35:53,560 –> 00:35:55,739 with Pastor Colin Smith of Open the Bible. 667 00:35:56,020 –> 00:36:00,979 To contact us, call us at 1-877-OPEN-365 668 00:36:01,020 –> 00:36:05,020 or visit our website openthebible.org