1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:04,820 I do hope you’ll have your Bibles open at Micah in Chapter 5 continuing our series 2 00:00:04,820 –> 00:00:07,080 Close Encounters with the Living God. 3 00:00:07,080 –> 00:00:13,200 Our aim on these Sunday mornings is to encounter the God of the Bible as he is 4 00:00:13,200 –> 00:00:18,020 so that we will become more and more the kind of people that he calls us to be. 5 00:00:18,020 –> 00:00:23,780 Now today we are going to learn from Micah that the God of the Bible is the God who shepherds 6 00:00:23,879 –> 00:00:25,620 his people. 7 00:00:25,620 –> 00:00:27,600 Wonderful truth, verse 4. 8 00:00:27,600 –> 00:00:35,119 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord. 9 00:00:35,119 –> 00:00:40,419 Now whenever we come to this theme of shepherds and sheep in the Bible, I think we have a 10 00:00:40,419 –> 00:00:42,619 bit of a problem. 11 00:00:42,619 –> 00:00:48,759 Animals tend to make us sentimental and most of us have a remarkable capacity to project 12 00:00:49,020 –> 00:00:54,580 to animals an image that is really very far from reality. 13 00:00:54,580 –> 00:00:58,759 Take bears, for example. 14 00:00:58,759 –> 00:01:03,060 Some children get nervous going to bed at night. 15 00:01:03,060 –> 00:01:05,800 So what do we do to comfort them? 16 00:01:05,800 –> 00:01:09,760 We put a bear in their beds. 17 00:01:09,760 –> 00:01:13,699 Now I asked you, how far from reality is that? 18 00:01:14,680 –> 00:01:17,040 I have to tell you that adults have been known 19 00:01:17,040 –> 00:01:20,540 to continue this sentimentality. 20 00:01:20,540 –> 00:01:24,580 We have a large white bear that sits on top 21 00:01:24,580 –> 00:01:26,559 of our bed during the day, though, of course, 22 00:01:26,559 –> 00:01:30,040 I insist on it being thrown out at night. 23 00:01:30,040 –> 00:01:34,019 Our boys gave this large bear to my wife some years ago, 24 00:01:34,019 –> 00:01:36,919 mainly I think in an attempt to annoy me. 25 00:01:38,639 –> 00:01:42,099 It is a family joke, and I say from time to time, 26 00:01:42,199 –> 00:01:46,160 Why do we have this bear sitting on our bed? 27 00:01:46,160 –> 00:01:49,820 And the answer comes back, because he’s lovely! 28 00:01:49,820 –> 00:01:51,279 Lovely, lovely! 29 00:01:52,860 –> 00:01:54,360 Well, bears are killers! 30 00:01:54,360 –> 00:01:56,860 I say if you ever met one, you wouldn’t survive. 31 00:01:57,879 –> 00:02:00,419 Now we have the same problem of sentimentality 32 00:02:00,419 –> 00:02:02,199 when it comes to sheep, don’t we? 33 00:02:02,199 –> 00:02:07,199 We think of sheep as being white and fluffy and cuddly, 34 00:02:07,379 –> 00:02:10,039 and of course, if you had a real sheep in your bedroom, 35 00:02:10,080 –> 00:02:13,580 you would not be able to sleep because of the bad smell. 36 00:02:13,580 –> 00:02:16,119 As far as being cuddly is concerned, 37 00:02:16,119 –> 00:02:19,720 if you have ever seen a sheep being sheared, 38 00:02:19,720 –> 00:02:23,279 you will know just how awkward these animals really are, 39 00:02:23,279 –> 00:02:27,220 how hard to get hold of, how resistant to any human touch. 40 00:02:27,220 –> 00:02:29,679 With legs splayed everywhere, 41 00:02:29,679 –> 00:02:32,020 it is very hard to imagine anything, 42 00:02:32,020 –> 00:02:36,160 any living thing that could be less cuddly than a sheep. 43 00:02:36,160 –> 00:02:38,020 So, when the Bible describes us 44 00:02:38,419 –> 00:02:43,199 the flock of God, this is not a flattering description. 45 00:02:43,199 –> 00:02:46,679 To be described as sheep is to be described as smelly, 46 00:02:46,679 –> 00:02:49,240 generally dirty, defenseless, 47 00:02:49,240 –> 00:02:54,240 and largely lacking the capacity of independent thought. 48 00:02:55,259 –> 00:02:58,779 Now, the sentimentalized view that we have of sheep 49 00:02:58,779 –> 00:03:01,520 tends to give us a rather unrealistic view 50 00:03:01,520 –> 00:03:03,600 of what it means to be a shepherd. 51 00:03:03,600 –> 00:03:06,000 I think that this is rather like the way 52 00:03:06,000 –> 00:03:09,500 in which a small child thinks about a fireman. 53 00:03:09,500 –> 00:03:12,240 I remember very vividly being taken 54 00:03:12,240 –> 00:03:15,619 in a grade school trip to see a fire station. 55 00:03:15,619 –> 00:03:18,300 I expect many of us have memories like that. 56 00:03:18,300 –> 00:03:20,699 What a marvelous experience, 57 00:03:20,699 –> 00:03:23,979 and what child would not have his or her imagination 58 00:03:23,979 –> 00:03:27,699 inspired by a visit to the fire station. 59 00:03:27,699 –> 00:03:30,660 I mean, sliding down the greasy pole, 60 00:03:30,660 –> 00:03:34,139 riding on a shiny red engine at great speed, 61 00:03:34,139 –> 00:03:39,139 wearing an enormous yellow helmet and saving people’s lives. 62 00:03:40,100 –> 00:03:41,100 It’s just fantastic. 63 00:03:41,100 –> 00:03:42,740 So Johnny comes home from his visit 64 00:03:42,740 –> 00:03:44,539 to the fire station at grade school, 65 00:03:44,539 –> 00:03:46,899 and he says to his parents over dinner, 66 00:03:46,899 –> 00:03:51,020 when I grow up, I want to be a fireman. 67 00:03:51,020 –> 00:03:53,619 And his dad smiles, and his mother winces, 68 00:03:54,940 –> 00:03:57,699 and of all the little boys who have ever said, 69 00:03:57,699 –> 00:03:59,220 I want to be a fireman, 70 00:03:59,220 –> 00:04:03,199 only a very, very few actually become one because 71 00:04:04,360 –> 00:04:09,360 as we grow up, we learn what this job is really like. 72 00:04:09,440 –> 00:04:12,020 That it requires immense courage, 73 00:04:13,100 –> 00:04:15,800 a willingness to place your life on the line 74 00:04:15,800 –> 00:04:18,299 at a moment’s notice any day. 75 00:04:19,279 –> 00:04:21,220 It is a job for heroes only, 76 00:04:22,459 –> 00:04:25,299 and most of us don’t have that much courage. 77 00:04:27,440 –> 00:04:29,540 Now the same is true when it comes to shepherds. 78 00:04:29,540 –> 00:04:32,820 The common image of a Biblical shepherd, of course, 79 00:04:33,000 –> 00:04:35,700 is an older man with a beard walking slowly 80 00:04:35,700 –> 00:04:37,540 through countryside with a flowing robe 81 00:04:37,540 –> 00:04:40,880 and carrying a long stick with some wooly sheep 82 00:04:40,880 –> 00:04:42,500 gathered around him. 83 00:04:42,500 –> 00:04:44,880 Now, if that’s how you think of a shepherd, 84 00:04:44,880 –> 00:04:47,579 it’s time to change the image. 85 00:04:47,579 –> 00:04:49,720 Because that’s far from reality. 86 00:04:49,720 –> 00:04:51,899 If you think about a cattle rancher, 87 00:04:51,899 –> 00:04:55,459 you might be getting a little nearer the reality. 88 00:04:55,459 –> 00:04:58,100 Remember, Jesus said that the good shepherd 89 00:04:58,100 –> 00:05:01,359 lays down his life for the sheep. 90 00:05:01,440 –> 00:05:03,420 Now, why did he say that? 91 00:05:03,420 –> 00:05:05,179 Very simply because it was true. 92 00:05:06,239 –> 00:05:10,459 In biblical times, the shepherd was the only defense 93 00:05:10,459 –> 00:05:14,040 that the sheep had against predators. 94 00:05:14,040 –> 00:05:18,500 It was a dangerous job, and it took some courage. 95 00:05:18,500 –> 00:05:21,440 Remember King David, Israel’s greatest leader, 96 00:05:21,440 –> 00:05:24,239 began his life as a shepherd. 97 00:05:24,239 –> 00:05:26,339 On one occasion his brothers went to war 98 00:05:26,339 –> 00:05:28,140 against the Philistines, 99 00:05:28,140 –> 00:05:29,779 but David was reckoned to be too young 100 00:05:29,820 –> 00:05:31,679 for military service, and so he was left 101 00:05:31,679 –> 00:05:33,980 at home looking after the sheep. 102 00:05:33,980 –> 00:05:35,820 Then one day his father, Jesse, 103 00:05:35,820 –> 00:05:37,600 told David to take some lunch 104 00:05:37,600 –> 00:05:40,260 to his brother’s on the field of battle, 105 00:05:40,260 –> 00:05:43,279 and David went there, and he met with King Saul, 106 00:05:43,279 –> 00:05:45,459 discovered that there was this great standoff 107 00:05:45,459 –> 00:05:49,019 because of a giant champion of the Philistines 108 00:05:49,019 –> 00:05:50,540 whose name was Goliath, 109 00:05:50,540 –> 00:05:54,859 and David volunteered to stand up to Goliath. 110 00:05:54,859 –> 00:05:57,459 Saul thought the idea was ridiculous. 111 00:05:57,459 –> 00:05:59,179 We read in First Samuel 17, 112 00:05:59,220 –> 00:06:01,500 he said, you will not be able to go out 113 00:06:01,500 –> 00:06:03,859 against this Philistine and fight against him. 114 00:06:03,859 –> 00:06:05,100 You’re only a boy. 115 00:06:05,100 –> 00:06:06,540 You see, he’s dismissing David 116 00:06:06,540 –> 00:06:08,739 as being totally inadequate for the task. 117 00:06:08,739 –> 00:06:10,899 And you know what David said to Saul? 118 00:06:10,899 –> 00:06:12,059 Listen to what he said. 119 00:06:13,359 –> 00:06:18,359 Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. 120 00:06:20,619 –> 00:06:22,019 Now you see, he’s making a statement. 121 00:06:22,019 –> 00:06:23,619 That’s a job worthy of respect. 122 00:06:23,619 –> 00:06:25,779 Don’t dismiss me as some weakling. 123 00:06:25,779 –> 00:06:27,359 I’m a shepherd. 124 00:06:27,880 –> 00:06:32,480 And he says, when a lion or a bear came 125 00:06:32,480 –> 00:06:37,179 and carried off a sheep from the flock, 126 00:06:37,179 –> 00:06:38,799 I went after it. 127 00:06:38,799 –> 00:06:43,799 I struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. 128 00:06:44,000 –> 00:06:46,059 Now, that is impressive. 129 00:06:46,059 –> 00:06:48,820 That takes guts. 130 00:06:48,820 –> 00:06:53,739 No guns, no tranquilizer darts. 131 00:06:54,579 –> 00:06:58,700 Just David, a young guy face-to-face with a lion, 132 00:06:59,980 –> 00:07:03,200 and on another occasion face-to-face with a bear, 133 00:07:04,440 –> 00:07:06,519 armed only with a piece of wood 134 00:07:09,480 –> 00:07:10,959 because he was the shepherd. 135 00:07:12,959 –> 00:07:15,100 Now you can’t get a hired hand to do that. 136 00:07:16,579 –> 00:07:18,820 That’s why Jesus says, the hired hand runs away 137 00:07:18,820 –> 00:07:20,619 when he sees the wolf coming. 138 00:07:20,619 –> 00:07:23,260 See, the hired hand says, hey, this shepherding business 139 00:07:23,299 –> 00:07:24,700 is just a job. 140 00:07:24,700 –> 00:07:26,500 And I don’t mind doing it but they can’t pay me 141 00:07:26,500 –> 00:07:28,200 enough money to go and stand between the sheep 142 00:07:28,200 –> 00:07:29,440 and the wolves. 143 00:07:29,440 –> 00:07:30,279 I’m out of here. 144 00:07:32,260 –> 00:07:34,339 But the good shepherd, says Jesus, is ready even 145 00:07:34,339 –> 00:07:35,700 to lay down his life for the sheep. 146 00:07:35,700 –> 00:07:38,420 When the wolf comes, the bear comes, the lion comes, 147 00:07:38,420 –> 00:07:40,559 he is more interested in protecting the sheep 148 00:07:40,559 –> 00:07:42,559 than he is in defending his own welfare. 149 00:07:44,619 –> 00:07:46,660 It isn’t easy to find shepherds like that. 150 00:07:47,940 –> 00:07:50,700 But that’s the kind of shepherds we need in the church. 151 00:07:51,459 –> 00:07:54,299 Now with that in mind, I think we’re then ready 152 00:07:54,299 –> 00:07:56,220 to come and take a closer look at this theme 153 00:07:56,220 –> 00:07:59,220 of shepherding in Micah in chapter five. 154 00:07:59,220 –> 00:08:01,339 This is, of course, one of just two passages 155 00:08:01,339 –> 00:08:03,739 in Micah that are really well known. 156 00:08:03,739 –> 00:08:06,320 Micah chapter six, many Christians know the verse 157 00:08:06,320 –> 00:08:08,859 about doing justice and loving mercy 158 00:08:08,859 –> 00:08:10,179 and walking humbly with your God. 159 00:08:10,179 –> 00:08:12,299 We’ll come to that later in the series. 160 00:08:12,299 –> 00:08:15,559 But anyone who has come even to church only at Christmas 161 00:08:16,399 –> 00:08:19,700 will have heard the words of Micah chapter five 162 00:08:20,619 –> 00:08:23,720 about the ruler who comes from Bethlehem 163 00:08:23,720 –> 00:08:25,239 and who shepherds his flock. 164 00:08:25,239 –> 00:08:29,359 We read this in church I think almost every Christmas time. 165 00:08:30,980 –> 00:08:34,239 Now earlier this year I spent some time 166 00:08:34,239 –> 00:08:36,840 with Dr. Willem Van Gemeren, 167 00:08:36,840 –> 00:08:39,359 who is the professor of Old Testament Studies 168 00:08:39,359 –> 00:08:41,440 at Trinity University. 169 00:08:41,440 –> 00:08:43,320 The reason that I wanted to meet with him 170 00:08:43,320 –> 00:08:45,760 was that I was planning this series on Micah 171 00:08:45,760 –> 00:08:49,419 and I wanted to seek his advice and his help. 172 00:08:49,460 –> 00:08:51,619 So we met over lunch and talked through the book 173 00:08:51,619 –> 00:08:54,719 and when we got to talking about this chapter, 174 00:08:54,719 –> 00:08:58,099 he said to me in his inimitable Dutch accent, 175 00:08:58,099 –> 00:09:03,099 he said, you be sure that you don’t just preach 176 00:09:03,979 –> 00:09:06,500 your Christmas message about the birth of Jesus 177 00:09:06,500 –> 00:09:07,340 in Bethlehem. 178 00:09:08,599 –> 00:09:10,460 And he said before you go there, 179 00:09:10,460 –> 00:09:12,380 you have to ask this question. 180 00:09:13,340 –> 00:09:16,659 What did it mean to the people who heard this message 181 00:09:16,659 –> 00:09:20,159 700 years before Jesus Christ was born? 182 00:09:21,140 –> 00:09:24,340 Because after all, God was speaking to them. 183 00:09:24,340 –> 00:09:28,200 And you have to understand what he was saying to them 184 00:09:28,200 –> 00:09:31,979 before you can understand in order to understand properly 185 00:09:31,979 –> 00:09:35,179 what he is saying to us through these words today. 186 00:09:36,039 –> 00:09:38,340 Now, I mentioned that simply because it is good advice, 187 00:09:38,340 –> 00:09:40,780 not simply for preaching on Micah chapter five, 188 00:09:40,780 –> 00:09:43,340 but of course, for any study of the Bible. 189 00:09:43,340 –> 00:09:44,619 Whether that be in a small group 190 00:09:44,659 –> 00:09:46,979 or on your own individually or in the setting 191 00:09:46,979 –> 00:09:49,000 that we have here today. 192 00:09:49,000 –> 00:09:50,780 You ask the question what did it mean 193 00:09:50,780 –> 00:09:52,900 to the people who heard this first? 194 00:09:54,299 –> 00:09:56,440 Then you can ask the question 195 00:09:56,440 –> 00:10:00,059 what does it mean therefore for us today? 196 00:10:00,059 –> 00:10:03,520 If you only ask the question what does it mean for us today 197 00:10:03,520 –> 00:10:05,080 here’s what will happen. 198 00:10:05,080 –> 00:10:08,119 The Bible will become for you a kind of source book 199 00:10:08,119 –> 00:10:11,200 for your own inspirational thoughts. 200 00:10:11,200 –> 00:10:13,380 And if that is how you use the Bible, 201 00:10:13,599 –> 00:10:17,200 frankly, you might as well use any other book. 202 00:10:17,200 –> 00:10:19,400 Because your real focus is not actually 203 00:10:19,400 –> 00:10:21,859 on what God is saying at all but rather 204 00:10:21,859 –> 00:10:25,859 on the thoughts that are set off in your mind when you read. 205 00:10:27,239 –> 00:10:28,539 And the problem with that of course 206 00:10:28,539 –> 00:10:31,020 is that you’re living then not on the truth of the Bible 207 00:10:31,020 –> 00:10:33,179 but on the inspiration of your own thoughts. 208 00:10:33,179 –> 00:10:35,760 And so when the inspiration of your own thoughts dries up 209 00:10:35,760 –> 00:10:38,700 you begin to feel that your faith has lost it’s foundation. 210 00:10:38,700 –> 00:10:41,099 And frankly that’s where many Christians are. 211 00:10:41,940 –> 00:10:44,979 So it’s important for us to ask not just the question 212 00:10:44,979 –> 00:10:47,380 what does this mean for us today 213 00:10:47,380 –> 00:10:50,340 but rather to ask the question first 214 00:10:50,340 –> 00:10:53,979 what did it mean for the first people who heard these words 215 00:10:53,979 –> 00:10:55,679 and when we’ve grasped that we will be in 216 00:10:55,679 –> 00:10:57,739 a better position to understand more fully 217 00:10:57,739 –> 00:11:01,320 and more accurately what God says to us 218 00:11:01,320 –> 00:11:03,820 through these words today. 219 00:11:03,820 –> 00:11:06,659 So I want then to ask three questions this morning. 220 00:11:06,659 –> 00:11:09,119 The first, obviously what did it mean for them? 221 00:11:09,119 –> 00:11:11,599 That is Micah’s first audience. 222 00:11:11,599 –> 00:11:13,880 Then we’re going to look at how it was fulfilled 223 00:11:13,880 –> 00:11:17,219 in Jesus Christ and then thirdly and lastly 224 00:11:17,219 –> 00:11:19,320 we will see what this means therefore 225 00:11:19,320 –> 00:11:24,239 for us today and it is something very wonderful indeed. 226 00:11:24,239 –> 00:11:25,599 First then what does it mean for them? 227 00:11:25,599 –> 00:11:27,440 Micah’s first audience. 228 00:11:27,440 –> 00:11:29,539 Look at verse one please. 229 00:11:29,539 –> 00:11:33,520 Marshal your troops oh city of troops 230 00:11:33,520 –> 00:11:36,679 for a siege is laid against us 231 00:11:36,679 –> 00:11:38,440 they will strike Israel’s ruler 232 00:11:38,440 –> 00:11:41,580 on the cheek with a rod. 233 00:11:41,580 –> 00:11:43,479 Very simply Micah is telling the people 234 00:11:43,479 –> 00:11:45,359 of Jerusalem about a time 235 00:11:45,359 –> 00:11:48,440 when their city will be under siege. 236 00:11:48,440 –> 00:11:51,719 His message is simple a strong enemy 237 00:11:51,719 –> 00:11:54,799 will come against you he says. 238 00:11:54,799 –> 00:11:57,880 And this enemy will strike Israel’s ruler 239 00:11:57,880 –> 00:12:00,380 on the cheek with a rod. 240 00:12:00,380 –> 00:12:03,000 Now to strike someone on the cheek with a rod 241 00:12:03,000 –> 00:12:05,200 of course was a humiliating insult. 242 00:12:05,260 –> 00:12:08,099 We would say today a slap on the face 243 00:12:08,099 –> 00:12:10,640 it would have the same kind of meaning. 244 00:12:10,640 –> 00:12:15,640 And if an enemy can slap your King on the face 245 00:12:15,640 –> 00:12:18,559 then he’s obviously progressed beyond a siege 246 00:12:18,559 –> 00:12:20,239 outside the city he’s broken 247 00:12:20,239 –> 00:12:23,080 through the walls breach the defenses gone 248 00:12:23,080 –> 00:12:25,020 right into the palace come up to the throne 249 00:12:25,020 –> 00:12:27,260 and if the enemy can slap your King 250 00:12:27,260 –> 00:12:28,919 in the face you’re in big trouble, 251 00:12:28,919 –> 00:12:30,679 it means your city has fallen. 252 00:12:32,140 –> 00:12:34,140 You can read about how this actually happened 253 00:12:34,179 –> 00:12:37,400 first how it was fulfilled in second Kings chapter 25 254 00:12:38,559 –> 00:12:40,679 about a hundred years after the time of Micah 255 00:12:40,679 –> 00:12:42,780 Nebuchadnezzar’s army did indeed come 256 00:12:42,780 –> 00:12:45,000 and lay siege to the city of Jerusalem 257 00:12:45,000 –> 00:12:48,140 and in the end the city’s defenses were breached. 258 00:12:48,140 –> 00:12:50,919 King Zedekiah tried to escape 259 00:12:50,919 –> 00:12:53,080 but he was separated from his soldiers 260 00:12:53,080 –> 00:12:54,479 we’re told in the scriptures 261 00:12:54,479 –> 00:12:57,479 and then he suffered a terrible humiliation 262 00:12:57,479 –> 00:12:58,940 at the hands of his enemies. 263 00:12:58,940 –> 00:13:02,960 You can read all about it in second Kings 25 264 00:13:03,000 –> 00:13:05,940 a strong enemy will come against you. 265 00:13:08,359 –> 00:13:09,239 But then Micah says, 266 00:13:09,239 –> 00:13:12,559 but you Bethlehem Ephrathah 267 00:13:12,559 –> 00:13:14,440 though you are small among the clans of Judah 268 00:13:14,440 –> 00:13:16,239 out of you will come for me 269 00:13:16,239 –> 00:13:19,520 one who will be a ruler over Israel.” 270 00:13:20,520 –> 00:13:22,039 Now whenever we hear about Bethlehem 271 00:13:22,039 –> 00:13:24,159 we think about the birth of Jesus, right? 272 00:13:25,559 –> 00:13:28,539 But 700 years before the birth of Jesus 273 00:13:28,539 –> 00:13:32,900 what did Bethlehem mean to Micah’s first audience? 274 00:13:32,919 –> 00:13:35,940 Answer, to them, Micah was of course 275 00:13:35,940 –> 00:13:38,260 the birthplace of David, 276 00:13:38,260 –> 00:13:41,739 Israel’s great shepherd king who killed Goliath. 277 00:13:41,739 –> 00:13:44,580 He was the hero who delivered God’s people 278 00:13:44,580 –> 00:13:46,940 when the enemy was at the gates. 279 00:13:47,820 –> 00:13:48,739 So Micah is saying, 280 00:13:48,739 –> 00:13:51,219 look a strong enemy will come against you 281 00:13:51,219 –> 00:13:54,599 but God will give you another David. 282 00:13:55,859 –> 00:13:57,260 Then in verse three, he says 283 00:13:57,260 –> 00:14:00,580 therefore Israel will be abandoned 284 00:14:00,580 –> 00:14:02,419 until the time when she who is in labor 285 00:14:02,419 –> 00:14:03,280 gives birth. 286 00:14:04,640 –> 00:14:07,119 Now the word therefore is very fascinating, 287 00:14:07,119 –> 00:14:10,140 God is going to give you another David, 288 00:14:10,140 –> 00:14:12,500 therefore he’s going to abandon you. 289 00:14:12,500 –> 00:14:14,359 How do these things hold together? 290 00:14:14,359 –> 00:14:18,640 Well, most people don’t want a shepherd. 291 00:14:20,539 –> 00:14:22,460 There’s a strong instinct within us 292 00:14:22,460 –> 00:14:26,260 that we want to solve our own problems without Christ. 293 00:14:27,159 –> 00:14:29,400 That’s why it’s often easier to talk to another person 294 00:14:29,400 –> 00:14:31,340 than to pray to God. 295 00:14:31,340 –> 00:14:33,900 Because the instinct within us is so strong 296 00:14:33,900 –> 00:14:35,419 to say that we can solve our own 297 00:14:36,299 –> 00:14:37,859 problems with our own resources. 298 00:14:39,059 –> 00:14:40,299 That is how it was of course 299 00:14:40,299 –> 00:14:43,539 for Israel in Israel for centuries. 300 00:14:43,539 –> 00:14:46,080 They made God substitutes, idols, 301 00:14:46,080 –> 00:14:47,719 they could run even religious life 302 00:14:47,719 –> 00:14:50,739 without really ever drawing near to Yahweh. 303 00:14:52,020 –> 00:14:53,960 So, God says here’s what I’m going to do. 304 00:14:53,960 –> 00:14:55,880 I will abandon Israel until the time 305 00:14:55,880 –> 00:14:58,880 when she who is in labor gives birth. 306 00:14:58,880 –> 00:15:01,140 And the reason for the abandoning of course 307 00:15:01,159 –> 00:15:03,400 is so that those who have resisted 308 00:15:03,400 –> 00:15:06,559 the shepherd for so long will be ready 309 00:15:06,559 –> 00:15:09,039 to receive him when he comes. 310 00:15:10,520 –> 00:15:12,440 Maybe that you can trace God doing this 311 00:15:12,440 –> 00:15:14,179 even now in your own life that 312 00:15:15,820 –> 00:15:17,580 though you bear the name of a Christian, 313 00:15:17,580 –> 00:15:18,340 you’ve lived somewhat 314 00:15:18,340 –> 00:15:19,619 at a distance from God, 315 00:15:19,619 –> 00:15:21,960 you’ve been religious and done the church thing. 316 00:15:21,960 –> 00:15:23,780 But not really been close to God. 317 00:15:23,780 –> 00:15:25,460 You felt you could run your own life 318 00:15:25,460 –> 00:15:27,739 and now you come to a set of circumstances 319 00:15:27,739 –> 00:15:29,140 that you need his help 320 00:15:29,140 –> 00:15:31,119 and you’re being drawn to him. 321 00:15:31,159 –> 00:15:33,820 And if that’s the case, thank God for it. 322 00:15:34,880 –> 00:15:37,080 It’s often how he works in our lives. 323 00:15:38,479 –> 00:15:41,000 Now, the birth here could be a reference, 324 00:15:41,000 –> 00:15:43,280 of course, to the virgin birth. 325 00:15:43,280 –> 00:15:45,080 Isaiah 7, 14, behold, 326 00:15:45,080 –> 00:15:46,400 a virgin will conceive 327 00:15:46,400 –> 00:15:48,440 and bear a son, call him Immanuel. 328 00:15:49,359 –> 00:15:50,840 Or it could be that it’s a reference 329 00:15:50,840 –> 00:15:54,840 to the national rebirth that Paul speaks about 330 00:15:54,840 –> 00:15:56,020 in Romans chapter 11, 331 00:15:56,020 –> 00:15:59,140 in the last day when Israel will be saved, 332 00:15:59,140 –> 00:16:01,119 when many people, Jewish people 333 00:16:01,119 –> 00:16:04,719 will turn in faith to Jesus Christ. 334 00:16:04,719 –> 00:16:06,559 Could be that day that he’s referring to, 335 00:16:06,559 –> 00:16:09,020 especially because it speaks of the rest 336 00:16:09,020 –> 00:16:13,080 of the brothers returning to join the Israelites. 337 00:16:13,080 –> 00:16:14,880 But whichever it is, the message is clear 338 00:16:14,880 –> 00:16:17,000 that a strong enemy will come against you 339 00:16:17,000 –> 00:16:20,280 and that God will give you another David. 340 00:16:21,380 –> 00:16:22,559 Here’s the third thing, 341 00:16:22,559 –> 00:16:26,239 God’s people will overcome their enemies. 342 00:16:26,239 –> 00:16:28,159 Enemy will come against you, 343 00:16:28,159 –> 00:16:30,559 God will give you another David. 344 00:16:30,559 –> 00:16:33,840 God’s people will overcome their enemies. 345 00:16:34,679 –> 00:16:37,000 Now notice in verse five that Micah speaks 346 00:16:37,000 –> 00:16:41,039 about the Assyrians invading the land. 347 00:16:41,960 –> 00:16:44,359 That presents a problem because, of course, 348 00:16:44,359 –> 00:16:47,320 it was not the Assyrians but the Babylonians 349 00:16:47,320 –> 00:16:50,940 who destroyed Jerusalem 100 years after the time of Micah. 350 00:16:52,020 –> 00:16:54,200 And it seems, therefore, that when Micah uses 351 00:16:54,200 –> 00:16:57,619 the name Assyrians here, they were, of course, 352 00:16:57,700 –> 00:17:01,219 the enemies of God’s peoples in Micah’s own day, 353 00:17:01,219 –> 00:17:03,460 that he’s using the name Assyrians really 354 00:17:03,460 –> 00:17:05,300 to represent all of the enemies 355 00:17:05,300 –> 00:17:07,459 of God’s people across time. 356 00:17:08,339 –> 00:17:11,199 Of course, enemies change. 357 00:17:11,199 –> 00:17:15,939 In the 1960s, the threat to this country was from communism, 358 00:17:15,939 –> 00:17:17,619 everyone was talking about communism. 359 00:17:17,619 –> 00:17:19,260 How do you defend against communism? 360 00:17:19,260 –> 00:17:21,339 Intercontinental ballistic missiles 361 00:17:21,339 –> 00:17:22,699 and so forth and so on. 362 00:17:24,380 –> 00:17:26,280 Nobody had ever heard of al-Qaida. 363 00:17:27,280 –> 00:17:30,199 Nobody was talking about terrorism, 364 00:17:31,520 –> 00:17:33,959 but enemies change very quickly. 365 00:17:35,880 –> 00:17:38,680 Now, Micah speaks about God’s people 366 00:17:38,680 –> 00:17:43,219 ruling the land of Assyria and the land of Nimrod. 367 00:17:43,219 –> 00:17:44,660 Nimrod, of course, is a reference 368 00:17:44,660 –> 00:17:46,880 to Babylon there in verse six, 369 00:17:46,880 –> 00:17:48,439 so it does seem as if he’s talking 370 00:17:48,439 –> 00:17:51,199 about enemies in a general way. 371 00:17:51,199 –> 00:17:54,400 And you find the same in chapter seven in verse 11, 372 00:17:54,459 –> 00:17:56,520 but again Micah speaks about the Assyrians 373 00:17:56,520 –> 00:17:59,000 along with Egypt, and he talks about a day 374 00:17:59,000 –> 00:18:00,520 when God’s people will be gathered 375 00:18:00,520 –> 00:18:02,199 from all of these places. 376 00:18:02,199 –> 00:18:03,880 And clearly he’s talking about a time 377 00:18:03,880 –> 00:18:07,119 long after the Assyrian and Egyptian empires 378 00:18:07,119 –> 00:18:09,760 have disappeared. 379 00:18:09,760 –> 00:18:12,520 And so it seems that he is announcing, therefore, 380 00:18:12,520 –> 00:18:15,560 a future day when God’s people 381 00:18:15,560 –> 00:18:18,380 will triumph over all their enemies, 382 00:18:18,380 –> 00:18:20,640 and the way he communicates it in his own time 383 00:18:20,640 –> 00:18:22,979 is to name the specific enemies 384 00:18:23,020 –> 00:18:25,959 that were so well-known and so much feared 385 00:18:25,959 –> 00:18:27,439 in his own generation. 386 00:18:28,660 –> 00:18:30,140 Now notice that Micah in verse five 387 00:18:30,140 –> 00:18:34,939 speaks about seven shepherds and eight leaders 388 00:18:34,939 –> 00:18:37,219 who rise up against the enemy. 389 00:18:37,219 –> 00:18:38,680 And what he’s saying here is simply 390 00:18:38,680 –> 00:18:40,739 that it is not simply the Messiah 391 00:18:40,739 –> 00:18:43,140 who triumphs over the enemies, 392 00:18:43,140 –> 00:18:47,280 but God’s people triumph with their leader. 393 00:18:47,280 –> 00:18:51,979 Verse six, they will rule the land of Assyria. 394 00:18:51,979 –> 00:18:55,260 Verse seven, he will deliver us from the Assyrians. 395 00:18:55,260 –> 00:18:56,619 So is it he or is they? 396 00:18:56,619 –> 00:18:58,060 It’s both. 397 00:18:58,060 –> 00:19:00,739 You cannot separate Christ and his people. 398 00:19:00,739 –> 00:19:03,160 His triumph becomes their triumph. 399 00:19:03,160 –> 00:19:06,040 They share in his victory. 400 00:19:06,040 –> 00:19:08,339 It is not just the great shepherd king 401 00:19:08,339 –> 00:19:10,500 who will triumph over his enemies, 402 00:19:10,500 –> 00:19:13,119 it is that like David, he will lead his people 403 00:19:13,119 –> 00:19:15,660 into triumph over their enemies. 404 00:19:15,660 –> 00:19:18,979 You can never separate Christ from his people. 405 00:19:18,979 –> 00:19:22,939 His victory becomes theirs and they share in it. 406 00:19:24,020 –> 00:19:26,819 Now, that is why we find God’s people 407 00:19:26,819 –> 00:19:30,119 described in an extraordinary way. 408 00:19:30,119 –> 00:19:33,260 You see, they have been like sheep without a shepherd. 409 00:19:33,260 –> 00:19:37,540 They have been vulnerable to the attacks of their enemies. 410 00:19:37,540 –> 00:19:40,939 But now, in the strength of the shepherd king, 411 00:19:40,939 –> 00:19:45,939 these lambs become like lions. 412 00:19:46,400 –> 00:19:51,400 Verse eight, the remnant of Jacob will be among the nations 413 00:19:51,420 –> 00:19:55,699 like a lion among the beasts of the forest, 414 00:19:55,699 –> 00:20:00,339 like a young lion among the flocks of sheep. 415 00:20:00,339 –> 00:20:03,020 Now, this is an extraordinary picture. 416 00:20:03,020 –> 00:20:07,819 These vulnerable sheep and they have the life 417 00:20:07,819 –> 00:20:10,959 and the strength of lions within them. 418 00:20:11,359 –> 00:20:14,939 They have been taken from a vulnerable position 419 00:20:14,939 –> 00:20:19,260 of weakness, hopelessness, 420 00:20:19,260 –> 00:20:22,199 and they have been put in a position of strength. 421 00:20:23,359 –> 00:20:25,239 Now, this is Micah’s message. 422 00:20:26,520 –> 00:20:31,520 Number one, a strong enemy will come against you. 423 00:20:32,880 –> 00:20:37,880 Number two, God will give you another David. 424 00:20:38,319 –> 00:20:42,060 Number three, God’s people will overcome their enemy, 425 00:20:42,060 –> 00:20:47,020 sharing in the triumph of the great shepherd king. 426 00:20:49,239 –> 00:20:50,839 Now, that’s the message as they heard it 427 00:20:50,839 –> 00:20:53,439 700 years before the coming of Jesus. 428 00:20:54,479 –> 00:20:57,300 We hear it 2000 years after the coming of Jesus. 429 00:20:57,300 –> 00:21:01,339 So let’s take a few moments to reflect with joy 430 00:21:02,260 –> 00:21:05,800 on how Micah’s words are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. 431 00:21:05,800 –> 00:21:08,420 Let’s take a look, as we’ve gathered for worship, 432 00:21:08,420 –> 00:21:11,819 at the glory of Jesus our shepherd king. 433 00:21:13,040 –> 00:21:15,540 Verse two, out of Bethlehem, 434 00:21:16,760 –> 00:21:21,239 will come a ruler whose origins are from of old, 435 00:21:21,239 –> 00:21:24,280 from ancient times. 436 00:21:24,280 –> 00:21:25,979 And you’ll see, if you’re using the NIV, 437 00:21:25,979 –> 00:21:27,760 that there is a footnote there 438 00:21:27,760 –> 00:21:32,760 that gives the translation from days of eternity. 439 00:21:32,760 –> 00:21:37,760 The shepherd king who brings hope for God’s people 440 00:21:39,060 –> 00:21:42,239 is not just from the ancient and royal line of David. 441 00:21:42,239 –> 00:21:47,239 His origin is from eternity, 442 00:21:47,540 –> 00:21:51,819 and Christ has come from eternity into time 443 00:21:51,819 –> 00:21:54,319 to be the great shepherd of the sheep. 444 00:21:55,420 –> 00:21:57,699 David was the greatest king 445 00:21:57,699 –> 00:22:01,500 God’s people could think of in that time. 446 00:22:01,500 –> 00:22:03,060 He was the one who they thought of 447 00:22:03,060 –> 00:22:05,540 as the best they could imagine. 448 00:22:05,540 –> 00:22:08,400 You can’t get a better shepherd king than David, 449 00:22:09,319 –> 00:22:11,880 but of course, David had his own sins. 450 00:22:11,880 –> 00:22:13,380 David’s family was chaotic. 451 00:22:13,380 –> 00:22:14,780 David had all his own failures. 452 00:22:14,780 –> 00:22:16,839 He had many misjudgments in his life, 453 00:22:18,300 –> 00:22:20,819 and you know, that’s a good reminder. 454 00:22:20,819 –> 00:22:24,060 You will never find a shepherd 455 00:22:24,060 –> 00:22:26,380 who fulfills all your expectations. 456 00:22:27,660 –> 00:22:29,140 You will never find a shepherd 457 00:22:29,219 –> 00:22:32,900 who is everything that you think a shepherd should be. 458 00:22:34,859 –> 00:22:36,300 Everyone who is called to be 459 00:22:36,300 –> 00:22:39,060 an under-shepherd of Christ’s sheep 460 00:22:39,060 –> 00:22:43,260 has his own struggles and his own battles. 461 00:22:45,060 –> 00:22:46,780 The good news of the gospel though 462 00:22:46,780 –> 00:22:50,640 is that God has come to be your shepherd. 463 00:22:50,640 –> 00:22:55,020 The one has come from eternity into time 464 00:22:55,020 –> 00:22:57,619 in order directly to shepherd you. 465 00:22:58,619 –> 00:23:00,540 Other shepherds may disappoint you 466 00:23:01,500 –> 00:23:03,000 and in some ways will, 467 00:23:04,540 –> 00:23:06,839 but those who trust in Jesus Christ 468 00:23:06,839 –> 00:23:08,979 will never be put to shame. 469 00:23:11,180 –> 00:23:13,199 I often have conversations with folks 470 00:23:13,199 –> 00:23:15,359 who will tell a story about a shepherd 471 00:23:15,359 –> 00:23:18,359 some place who betrayed your trust 472 00:23:19,900 –> 00:23:22,420 and you need to know that there is a shepherd 473 00:23:22,420 –> 00:23:24,119 who is greater than David. 474 00:23:24,119 –> 00:23:28,380 A shepherd who will not fail, 475 00:23:29,800 –> 00:23:33,280 a shepherd you can afford to trust 476 00:23:34,719 –> 00:23:36,520 and He will not let you down 477 00:23:38,380 –> 00:23:41,599 and Christ is that strong shepherd 478 00:23:41,599 –> 00:23:44,040 in whom you need to place your trust. 479 00:23:44,040 –> 00:23:47,420 Verse four, he will stand 480 00:23:47,420 –> 00:23:50,199 and he will shepherd his flock 481 00:23:50,199 –> 00:23:52,719 in the strength of Yahweh, 482 00:23:52,719 –> 00:23:55,060 the strength of the Lord. 483 00:23:55,060 –> 00:23:57,500 See, He is God with us. 484 00:23:58,920 –> 00:24:02,160 He is the arm of the Lord revealed. 485 00:24:03,760 –> 00:24:07,819 David could save some sheep from the mouth of the bear 486 00:24:07,819 –> 00:24:09,099 or from the lion 487 00:24:10,520 –> 00:24:14,660 but Jesus Christ can save you from the darkness of despair, 488 00:24:14,660 –> 00:24:16,439 from slavery to sin. 489 00:24:16,439 –> 00:24:19,400 He can snatch you from the second death 490 00:24:19,400 –> 00:24:21,180 and from a lost eternity. 491 00:24:23,199 –> 00:24:25,180 And not only is He able to save you 492 00:24:25,180 –> 00:24:27,160 but standing strong as your shepherd, 493 00:24:27,160 –> 00:24:30,520 He is able to keep you until the day 494 00:24:30,520 –> 00:24:34,359 when the Bible says he will present you faultless 495 00:24:34,359 –> 00:24:37,119 and with great joy in the presence of God. 496 00:24:37,119 –> 00:24:37,959 I don’t know about you, 497 00:24:37,959 –> 00:24:40,199 I cannot even imagine myself faultless. 498 00:24:40,199 –> 00:24:41,040 Can you? 499 00:24:43,800 –> 00:24:44,859 But on the last day, 500 00:24:44,859 –> 00:24:47,520 the shepherd who has brought you through every trial 501 00:24:47,520 –> 00:24:50,479 and trouble of your life will present you without fault 502 00:24:51,339 –> 00:24:53,660 in the presence of God. 503 00:24:56,020 –> 00:24:57,239 This strong shepherd, 504 00:24:57,239 –> 00:24:59,319 his glory will be known throughout the earth. 505 00:24:59,319 –> 00:25:00,540 Look at verse 4. 506 00:25:00,540 –> 00:25:03,040 They, that’s his sheep will live securely 507 00:25:03,040 –> 00:25:07,780 for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. 508 00:25:09,359 –> 00:25:10,180 You see, think of it, 509 00:25:10,180 –> 00:25:13,040 the last glimpse that this world had of Jesus 510 00:25:14,660 –> 00:25:18,420 was the slap in the face, 511 00:25:18,420 –> 00:25:20,420 administered to the King 512 00:25:21,479 –> 00:25:23,880 as he was then nailed to the cross. 513 00:25:26,380 –> 00:25:31,199 He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. 514 00:25:33,719 –> 00:25:35,520 But remember in the book of Revelation, 515 00:25:35,520 –> 00:25:40,520 John sees a vision of the lamb who has been slain. 516 00:25:41,640 –> 00:25:42,959 And you remember that as he looks 517 00:25:42,959 –> 00:25:44,680 at the lamb who has been slain, 518 00:25:44,680 –> 00:25:45,900 what it is that he sees? 519 00:25:45,900 –> 00:25:47,180 He sees that the lamb 520 00:25:47,180 –> 00:25:48,280 who has been slain 521 00:25:49,060 –> 00:25:52,239 has the appearance of a lion, 522 00:25:52,239 –> 00:25:55,339 the lion of the tribe of Judah. 523 00:25:57,839 –> 00:25:59,479 Friends, the world looks for 524 00:25:59,479 –> 00:26:01,579 a future without Christ 525 00:26:01,579 –> 00:26:02,839 and without the gospel, 526 00:26:02,839 –> 00:26:04,280 but it will not be so. 527 00:26:05,640 –> 00:26:07,439 The lion of the tribe of Judah 528 00:26:07,439 –> 00:26:08,619 will come in glory 529 00:26:08,619 –> 00:26:10,560 and every eye will see him. 530 00:26:10,560 –> 00:26:12,599 And there is no greater privilege, 531 00:26:12,599 –> 00:26:14,040 no greater security, 532 00:26:14,040 –> 00:26:15,160 no greater blessing 533 00:26:15,160 –> 00:26:16,520 in this life or in this world 534 00:26:16,540 –> 00:26:19,119 than to be one of his people, 535 00:26:19,119 –> 00:26:21,300 one of the sheep 536 00:26:21,300 –> 00:26:23,219 of this great shepherd king. 537 00:26:25,459 –> 00:26:27,040 Well, we’ve seen what this prophecy meant 538 00:26:27,040 –> 00:26:29,979 for the folks in Micah’s day. 539 00:26:29,979 –> 00:26:31,619 And we’ve tried just to open our eyes 540 00:26:31,619 –> 00:26:33,359 a little bit to how these words 541 00:26:33,359 –> 00:26:35,319 are so wonderfully fulfilled 542 00:26:35,319 –> 00:26:38,079 in our Lord Jesus Christ 543 00:26:38,079 –> 00:26:40,640 Let’s now come to the question, 544 00:26:40,640 –> 00:26:42,680 what does it mean for us today? 545 00:26:42,680 –> 00:26:43,839 How does this really apply 546 00:26:43,880 –> 00:26:46,699 to you and to me today? 547 00:26:48,020 –> 00:26:49,520 Now, let’s ask this question. 548 00:26:50,959 –> 00:26:53,839 What is your position 549 00:26:54,599 –> 00:26:56,099 as a Christian believer? 550 00:26:58,579 –> 00:27:01,900 Has the strong enemy come against you? 551 00:27:04,199 –> 00:27:09,119 Do you face an enemy who lays siege to your life 552 00:27:09,119 –> 00:27:11,939 with the intent of breaking down your defenses, 553 00:27:11,939 –> 00:27:13,099 slapping you in the face 554 00:27:13,099 –> 00:27:15,000 and leading you away in humiliation? 555 00:27:16,880 –> 00:27:21,219 Or, are you an overcomer with the life 556 00:27:21,219 –> 00:27:23,479 of a lion within you, placed in a position 557 00:27:23,479 –> 00:27:25,060 to prevail over your enemy? 558 00:27:27,160 –> 00:27:31,479 The answer is, yes and yes. 559 00:27:32,339 –> 00:27:36,500 Both of these things are true of you as they are of me. 560 00:27:36,500 –> 00:27:37,819 The New Testament says so. 561 00:27:37,819 –> 00:27:39,640 Our struggle, it’s not against flesh and blood. 562 00:27:39,640 –> 00:27:41,979 We tend to think people are the problems in our lives, 563 00:27:41,979 –> 00:27:43,939 but the Bible says that’s not the case. 564 00:27:43,939 –> 00:27:47,219 It is the array of dark forces that are against us 565 00:27:47,219 –> 00:27:49,339 that is the real struggle of your life. 566 00:27:51,219 –> 00:27:52,640 The enemy has come against you. 567 00:27:52,640 –> 00:27:54,040 It’s true of every believer. 568 00:27:55,819 –> 00:27:58,520 But we are not in a position of defenselessness. 569 00:27:58,520 –> 00:28:02,680 We have the presence of Christ, the spirit within us. 570 00:28:02,680 –> 00:28:04,060 We have the armor of God. 571 00:28:04,119 –> 00:28:07,140 But you live in the presence of enemies. 572 00:28:11,839 –> 00:28:15,140 You are surrounded by the activity of dark powers 573 00:28:15,140 –> 00:28:20,140 that create fear, that exploit failure, 574 00:28:20,199 –> 00:28:23,760 that promote doubt, that bring great darkness. 575 00:28:25,359 –> 00:28:27,680 You live your Christian life in the presence 576 00:28:27,680 –> 00:28:29,719 of your enemies. 577 00:28:31,680 –> 00:28:33,040 But there’s something else you need to know, 578 00:28:33,359 –> 00:28:34,579 and it was never put more beautifully 579 00:28:34,579 –> 00:28:37,500 than by David himself in Psalm 23. 580 00:28:37,500 –> 00:28:38,680 Remember what he said? 581 00:28:39,839 –> 00:28:44,839 You prepare a table before me 582 00:28:45,119 –> 00:28:48,439 in the presence of my enemies. 583 00:28:49,439 –> 00:28:54,000 You, God, you prepare a table before me 584 00:28:54,000 –> 00:28:57,319 in the presence of my enemies. 585 00:28:57,319 –> 00:28:58,199 What a picture! 586 00:29:00,119 –> 00:29:02,579 Will you think with me for just a moment about it? 587 00:29:03,900 –> 00:29:08,500 Imagine a great, vast banqueting hall 588 00:29:08,500 –> 00:29:10,560 in a king’s palace. 589 00:29:12,160 –> 00:29:14,979 And the king is preparing a banquet. 590 00:29:14,979 –> 00:29:19,979 In fact, the king himself is dressed in common clothes. 591 00:29:21,640 –> 00:29:24,359 And the king is doing the work of a servant. 592 00:29:24,359 –> 00:29:27,579 He is preparing the table, laying it out, 593 00:29:27,579 –> 00:29:31,479 place by place, preparing for a great banquet. 594 00:29:33,219 –> 00:29:36,979 In and out of the dining room, he comes. 595 00:29:38,180 –> 00:29:41,520 And all of us, all of us, are gathered 596 00:29:41,520 –> 00:29:43,500 in that great banqueting room. 597 00:29:43,500 –> 00:29:46,479 Not yet seated but watching the activity 598 00:29:46,479 –> 00:29:49,439 as the king, dressed in these common servants’ clothes, 599 00:29:49,439 –> 00:29:52,319 is preparing the table in its vastness 600 00:29:52,319 –> 00:29:54,260 with all the chairs around it. 601 00:29:56,800 –> 00:29:57,760 We watch. 602 00:29:58,719 –> 00:29:59,959 We’d like to help him. 603 00:30:01,560 –> 00:30:02,719 But he will not allow it. 604 00:30:03,000 –> 00:30:07,599 He wants us to watch as he prepares the table for us. 605 00:30:10,219 –> 00:30:13,099 So in and out of the dining room, he comes, 606 00:30:13,099 –> 00:30:15,880 bringing in gold and goblets and now knives 607 00:30:15,880 –> 00:30:19,520 and forks and spoons, setting the table. 608 00:30:21,239 –> 00:30:23,000 Then back to the kitchen, where the meal 609 00:30:23,000 –> 00:30:25,599 is being prepared, we can already smell it, 610 00:30:25,599 –> 00:30:27,199 and all the time we’re standing 611 00:30:27,199 –> 00:30:29,959 and we’re watching, and we’re watching 612 00:30:29,959 –> 00:30:31,599 in eager anticipation. 613 00:30:33,520 –> 00:30:38,520 The problem is that our enemies are there also. 614 00:30:40,000 –> 00:30:43,459 He prepares a table before me 615 00:30:43,459 –> 00:30:46,260 in the presence of my enemies. 616 00:30:48,459 –> 00:30:51,119 One of these enemies is called fear, 617 00:30:51,119 –> 00:30:53,219 and he strides up to one of us over here 618 00:30:53,219 –> 00:30:56,359 and says, there’s no place for you 619 00:30:56,359 –> 00:30:57,900 at this table, of course. 620 00:31:00,760 –> 00:31:02,619 Another enemy is called failure, 621 00:31:02,619 –> 00:31:04,579 and he sidles up to someone over here 622 00:31:04,579 –> 00:31:08,420 and says, do you really think 623 00:31:08,420 –> 00:31:09,839 that you’re the kind of person 624 00:31:09,839 –> 00:31:12,599 who deserves a place at this table? 625 00:31:12,599 –> 00:31:16,060 I mean, what have you actually achieved in your life? 626 00:31:16,060 –> 00:31:16,900 He says. 627 00:31:19,339 –> 00:31:20,900 Another enemy is called doubt. 628 00:31:21,819 –> 00:31:23,319 It comes to someone over here. 629 00:31:24,319 –> 00:31:28,520 And sidling up to us he says strongly, 630 00:31:28,839 –> 00:31:31,760 ah, can you really be sure 631 00:31:31,760 –> 00:31:34,140 that there will even be a banquet? 632 00:31:35,920 –> 00:31:37,000 I mean after all, 633 00:31:37,000 –> 00:31:39,280 isn’t this belief that you have 634 00:31:39,280 –> 00:31:42,280 just a product of your childhood and your upbringing? 635 00:31:42,280 –> 00:31:44,359 I mean how do you know that there’s any reality 636 00:31:44,359 –> 00:31:45,819 to correspond to it? 637 00:31:49,300 –> 00:31:51,420 And then there’s another old enemy called guilt 638 00:31:51,420 –> 00:31:54,040 and he sidles up to another of us 639 00:31:54,140 –> 00:31:59,140 and says how can you possibly hope to sit at this table? 640 00:32:01,160 –> 00:32:03,239 Remember what you have done. 641 00:32:05,359 –> 00:32:09,739 And then there’s another enemy called old wounds. 642 00:32:09,739 –> 00:32:11,140 Nasty piece of work he is. 643 00:32:13,199 –> 00:32:14,780 And he comes up to many of us 644 00:32:14,780 –> 00:32:19,780 and he says don’t think you’ll ever enjoy a banquet. 645 00:32:20,199 –> 00:32:22,020 You’ll never be free from me. 646 00:32:25,020 –> 00:32:27,839 When the king comes into the dining room 647 00:32:29,979 –> 00:32:33,140 he sees us surrounded by the enemies 648 00:32:33,140 –> 00:32:35,560 and he allows it to be so. 649 00:32:37,760 –> 00:32:40,839 They’re laughing at us. 650 00:32:40,839 –> 00:32:42,819 But when he comes back into the dining room 651 00:32:42,819 –> 00:32:44,219 the laughter stops. 652 00:32:44,219 –> 00:32:47,920 Don’t fear their mockery he says to us. 653 00:32:49,140 –> 00:32:53,339 I am preparing this table for you. 654 00:32:55,000 –> 00:32:58,000 Now if you think about it, 655 00:32:58,000 –> 00:33:00,939 that really is your position as a Christian believer 656 00:33:00,939 –> 00:33:01,800 as it is mine. 657 00:33:03,040 –> 00:33:05,640 Already, you are a child of the King. 658 00:33:06,959 –> 00:33:09,660 Already you are surrounded by his love. 659 00:33:10,500 –> 00:33:13,400 Already he is preparing the banquet for you. 660 00:33:14,640 –> 00:33:17,959 But you are still in the presence of your enemies. 661 00:33:17,959 –> 00:33:19,979 You still hear the laughter and the mockery 662 00:33:19,979 –> 00:33:21,199 in their voices. 663 00:33:21,199 –> 00:33:23,760 You still suffer the indignity of their taunts. 664 00:33:23,780 –> 00:33:27,180 You still feel the pull of their temptations. 665 00:33:28,760 –> 00:33:30,920 But you know your triumph has already begun, 666 00:33:32,140 –> 00:33:34,119 because if you are in Jesus Christ 667 00:33:34,119 –> 00:33:35,800 then over the noise of their voices 668 00:33:35,800 –> 00:33:37,079 you are able to say, now look, 669 00:33:37,079 –> 00:33:39,180 I am a child of the King. 670 00:33:40,719 –> 00:33:45,640 I have by his mercy a place at this table. 671 00:33:47,079 –> 00:33:49,800 I have been redeemed by the blood of Christ. 672 00:33:49,800 –> 00:33:51,760 I belong to the shepherd king. 673 00:33:51,760 –> 00:33:53,800 My life is secure in his hand 674 00:33:53,800 –> 00:33:56,880 and there is nothing that you, my enemy, can do about that. 675 00:34:00,479 –> 00:34:02,599 And you know when the banquet is ready 676 00:34:04,060 –> 00:34:07,520 the king will put on his royal robes 677 00:34:09,800 –> 00:34:11,219 and the trumpet will sound 678 00:34:13,280 –> 00:34:16,000 and he will enter his banqueting hall 679 00:34:17,939 –> 00:34:20,600 and all the enemies will be gone 680 00:34:21,860 –> 00:34:26,780 no more laughing voices, no more doubt and fear. 681 00:34:28,000 –> 00:34:32,280 No more terrible darkness, no more debilitating wounds. 682 00:34:34,000 –> 00:34:35,260 You see, at Christ’s coming 683 00:34:35,260 –> 00:34:38,080 your triumph already begun will be complete. 684 00:34:39,060 –> 00:34:40,179 Now here’s the marvelous thing. 685 00:34:40,179 –> 00:34:42,000 If you belong to Jesus Christ 686 00:34:42,000 –> 00:34:46,320 you already know how the story of your life will end. 687 00:34:46,320 –> 00:34:47,620 Think of that. 688 00:34:47,699 –> 00:34:51,780 You already know how the story of your life will end. 689 00:34:53,379 –> 00:34:57,659 Your life will end with you standing 690 00:34:57,659 –> 00:35:00,820 in the presence of Jesus. 691 00:35:00,820 –> 00:35:05,820 The enemy’s gone, and you ransomed. 692 00:35:07,419 –> 00:35:12,419 Healed, restored, forgiven, filled with praise. 693 00:35:17,659 –> 00:35:20,100 Listen to how Micah puts it in verse nine. 694 00:35:21,780 –> 00:35:25,820 Your hand, he says, your hand 695 00:35:25,820 –> 00:35:30,219 will be lifted in triumph over your enemies, 696 00:35:30,219 –> 00:35:33,600 and all your foes will be destroyed. 697 00:35:35,020 –> 00:35:36,280 That’s the promise. 698 00:35:38,020 –> 00:35:40,479 That’s your future. 699 00:35:42,739 –> 00:35:43,840 Now, laying hold of it. 700 00:35:45,219 –> 00:35:46,979 Live in the light. 701 00:35:47,840 –> 00:35:49,139 Of it. 702 00:35:49,139 –> 00:35:50,620 Let’s pray together, shall we? 703 00:35:53,679 –> 00:35:56,500 Father, for such a glorious future 704 00:35:57,479 –> 00:36:00,199 that our minds stagger to comprehend, 705 00:36:02,379 –> 00:36:04,020 we give you our thanks and praise. 706 00:36:04,020 –> 00:36:06,899 Oh, fill us with faith to lay hold 707 00:36:06,899 –> 00:36:08,860 of these things, we pray. 708 00:36:11,159 –> 00:36:14,639 Above the noise of the laughing voices, 709 00:36:15,560 –> 00:36:20,360 the doubt and fear provoked by the enemy, 710 00:36:21,979 –> 00:36:25,120 we may lay hold of the Christ 711 00:36:25,120 –> 00:36:27,320 who has first laid hold of us. 712 00:36:30,320 –> 00:36:33,100 Advance in the victory already begun 713 00:36:35,120 –> 00:36:37,479 until the day when the enemies 714 00:36:39,040 –> 00:36:41,459 are evicted from the banqueting room 715 00:36:41,459 –> 00:36:44,860 and all your purposes 716 00:36:44,860 –> 00:36:49,520 for all your people will then be complete. 717 00:36:51,080 –> 00:36:53,100 Hear our prayers. 718 00:36:53,100 –> 00:36:54,459 In Jesus name. 719 00:36:54,459 –> 00:36:55,280 Amen.