The God Who Shepherds His People

Micah 5:1-9
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Pastor Colin emphasises that when the Bible compares us to sheep, it is not a flattering image. Sheep are generally dirty, smelly, and largely lacking the capacity for independent thought, making them highly dependent on their shepherd for protection and guidance.

He contrasts the sentimentalised view of sheep and shepherds with the reality of the shepherd’s courageous and protective role. Using examples from David’s life, he illustrates how true shepherds are brave and self-sacrificing, willing to protect their flock from predators at great personal risk.

Pastor Colin then links this to the Biblical narrative, mentioning King David, who was initially a shepherd and demonstrated great courage in defending his sheep from lions and bears. He relates this to the prophecy in Micah that speaks of a ruler from Bethlehem, who will be a shepherd to God’s people.

He further explains that while the immediate historical context of Micah’s prophecy involved the Assyrians and later the Babylonians, the ultimate fulfilment is in Jesus Christ, the eternal shepherd king. Jesus, unlike any other shepherds, is the one we can fully trust, who never fails or disappoints.

In conclusion, Pastor Colin calls the congregation to acknowledge their need for the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, who provides security and triumph over their enemies. During this time, even in the presence of their enemies, God prepares a table for them, symbolising His ongoing provision and protection until the fulfillment of His promises.

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.

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Colin Smith

Trustee / Founder and Teaching Pastor

Colin Smith is the Senior Pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He has authored a number of books, including Heaven, How I Got Here and Heaven, So Near – So Far. Colin is the Founder and Teaching Pastor for Open the Bible. Follow him on X formerly Twitter.

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Sermons on Micah In a time of crisis, God gets your attention. A crisis has a way of bringing new clarity. It can clear away the fog and show us that we desperately need a close encounter with the living God. The prophet Micah brought God’s Word to His people in a time of great

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