Psalm 23
ID
dwp010
Sprache
EN
Gesamtlänge
00:27:16
Anzahl
1
Bibelstellen
Ps. 23
Beschreibung
n.a.
Automatisches Transkript:
…
Could we read together the...
I think justifiably, as you say, a well-known Scripture.
I must say, I'm a bit more reluctant these days to speak of any Scripture that isn't well-known,
but this one I think we can say is well-known, and that is Psalm 23.
Let's read together the 23rd Psalm.
A Psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He leadeth me to lie down in green pasture.
He leadeth me beside the still water.
He restores my soul.
He leadeth me in the power of righteousness toward his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of sin,
I will fear no evil.
For thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, eternal.
Thou searest a table for me in the presence of my enemies.
Thou knowest my head will always be.
My cup runs open.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
through all the ages of my life.
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord.
I've been reading this passage for a good many years now,
as to the teaching of the 10th chapter of John.
You will know that in the chapters preceding chapter 10,
we're introduced into some of the richest passages in the scripture.
In chapters 11 and 12,
there is a testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God,
the Son of David, and the Son of Man.
The dignity of this person going into death,
and having glorified the Father,
having finished the work that was given him to do,
really diverges into the very depth that we find, it would seem,
in the whole of the scripture.
In chapter 13, our feet are washed.
In chapter 14, our hearts are comforted.
In chapter 15, our mouths are open in testimony.
In chapter 16, in the face of the opposition of the world,
our minds are instructed.
And in chapter 17, he earns a place in the faith-keeping of the Father.
Now all this is wonderful,
but I believe that it is, on our side, imperative
that we learn the Lord in a shepherd character,
in a practical way, if we're going to get the gain
of the ministry that's now available to us.
So I felt that if we could get some help
in regard to the shepherd character,
something of a confidence that the silent reachers
in sound ministry will be our confidence as well.
Clearly, it's not a confidence that's dependent upon us,
but a confidence that's dependent upon him.
It's not we who are important,
it's because we have such a wonderful shepherd.
So I thought this afternoon we might look at Psalm 23,
and I'm going to only pick out three points,
and illustrate them.
The first one is,
the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
Now is there someone in the New Testament
who illustrates this single verse in Psalm 23?
And I'm going to make all the suggestions that there is.
Now I know that someone else has made the suggestions,
so that's at least two,
and I hope that by the time I've finished,
we'll all be saying,
well this is quite an excellent illustration,
and perhaps you'll speak truth in it,
that I don't mention in this little talk again.
But I think there is.
And that one is Mary Magdalene.
Now you will remember concerning this,
that the testimony is,
that out of her the Lord cast heaven and earth.
You will remember how the Lord said,
in Luke's Gospel,
that to whom much is forgiven,
the same ought to love as much.
Mary Magdalene obviously had a personal encounter
with the Lord Jesus,
and her indebtedness is manifest in her pathway,
because we learn that it had an effect upon her.
She followed him with others out of Galilee,
and ministered to him of such things.
Now her devotion was such,
that she played quite a prominent part,
both in the scenes of his death,
standing by that center cross,
at the sepulcher,
and also in the quite wonderful 20th chapter of John,
to which I will just draw your attention.
You will remember on this notable resurrection morning,
the other members of the party
had departed.
The witness had seen that the Lord was risen,
but when this message reached to Peter and John,
they went to the sepulcher,
they saw, as Scripture says, they believed,
but they went to their own home.
And then would come that wonderful communication,
but Mary stood without the sepulcher,
wounded.
Now I would just like to pause a moment there.
Here was a woman,
out of whom the Lord had cast seven men,
who had not only spent her substance on the Lord,
but evidently had committed her all to him,
who was now found in a situation
where the womb was absolutely empty to her.
I think that that moment should be studied.
So far as this woman was concerned,
the Lord had dropped out,
and so far as Mary is concerned,
everything had departed, dropped out for her.
And she found herself in an interesting position,
where she thought everything was gone.
Now I think she's saying
that until we're brought to that position,
we won't be ready for what follows subsequently in that story.
Here was a woman
to whom even an angelic communication was not enough.
Good to be interested in angels.
I've just learned that there are 300 references
to angels in the Scriptures,
but here was one who didn't find
that even an angel was enough to satisfy her.
This angel came along, do you remember,
and said, woman, why was that?
She turned her back on the angel.
That wasn't enough for her.
But the Lord had his eye on her,
and he put the same question, woman, why was that?
Whom figures there are?
You see, here was one
who understood her heart completely,
and he was the one
who was able to meet her in this desperate situation.
We have this afternoon, my sheep hear my voice.
And again, because of his sheep, my name.
And you remember on this noteworthy occasion,
there was only one word spoken,
but that word set in motion
a movement in the heart of Mary
that, what shall I say,
put a fleeting complexion on the whole situation,
because the shepherd uttered her voice.
Mary.
It's a very interesting fact, you know,
that the voice of the Lord Jesus
seems to be the one thing
that doesn't change
even with his resurrection body.
He had a new body.
His voice was just the same.
And when that voice was the same,
the shepherd knew the voice of the shepherd,
that the sheep knew the voice of the Savior, the shepherd,
and she knew at once who it was,
rather than I.
Now, it's in this kind of situation
that you receive what I suppose
is the most wonderful communication
that's ever fallen on human beings.
The Savior said to her,
touch me not.
In other words,
we're not going to resume relations now
on the old Jewish level.
Touch me not,
but go tell my brethren,
ah, that's a title
in connection with resurrection,
I ascend to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.
Well, a great deal could be said about this, of course.
But I think we ought to just see in this
the true content of Christianity.
There is this personal affinity and association
between the Lord and his heir.
He speaks of them as my brethren.
He speaks elsewhere of my sheep.
He speaks elsewhere of my disciples.
He speaks elsewhere.
One more.
I can't just remember it.
Someone else remember it.
But here, he speaks of my brethren.
And in this little circle,
which he's pleased to call his own,
he was made known to them
that the relationships which were his
are now to be their enjoyed relationships also.
My Father and your Father,
my God and your God.
Eternal life, we learned this afternoon,
was the knowledge of eternal life,
the enjoyment of eternal life,
but the response to eternal life,
relationships belonging to eternity,
now made available to us
in wonderful grace through death,
through the gift of the Spirit.
And now we find that this little company
is bound in a happy position
that they have a portion elsewhere.
Now I'm able to say that Mary Magdalene
is one who can say,
the Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not walk.
I heard just recently
a little girl who was trying to quote this verse,
but I'm afraid in her simplicity
she stumbled a bit,
and she quoted it this way,
she said, the Lord is my shepherd
and that's all I want.
Well, I think it's quite miserable,
because if we know the Lord is shepherd,
and if we know these relationships
belong to eternity in a practical way,
then in very truth we can say
the Lord is my shepherd,
and that's all I want.
Now let's take a good chance
that I'd like to underline in this
the life of Islam still.
He restores my soul.
Well, I'm afraid we all have to admit
that at the time we met
this particular passage in Islam as well.
He restores my soul.
True it is we've been brought to green pastures,
true it is there are waters of quietness,
true it is we've been blessed with all the spiritual blessings,
true it is that there is now eternal life
in our invoked portion,
but He restores my soul.
Now, is there someone in the New Testament
who might illustrate this?
Well, now, you think about it for a while,
and I'll make a suggestion,
and I think that you will agree
that this suggestion might fit.
Do you think it might be Peter?
He restored my soul.
Peter, chief of the apostles.
You will remember
that this same Peter
said to say,
this Peter who boasted so much
of his love for the Lord,
this Peter said to say
he was bound in a situation
where he denied the Lord
with oats and cashews.
What is the secret of this failure?
Could you give a quick answer to that?
Well, if you trace his palm print,
perhaps you can see the steps.
You remember
that there was a time when those disciples
were having an argument amongst themselves
to be chief amongst themselves.
And it started then,
the Lord was speaking of his death,
the disciples,
who was going to be chief amongst them.
Mayday.
Then we agree that Peter
was firing a fire off.
Yes, that's another picture.
And he was warning himself
of the world's fire.
Another sad picture.
I heard it put recently,
the other day, quite nicely,
I think, like this.
If you follow those closing scenes,
when the Lord was praying,
Peter was sleeping.
When the Lord was sleeping,
Peter was fighting.
And when the Lord was witnessing
his good confession,
Peter was denying the Lord
with oats and cashews.
Couldn't he?
But then he found
the advocate,
the one who could say
that I have prayed for me.
The Lord Jesus,
in all the majesty and dignity of his person,
even in the circumstances of his trial,
he turned
and he looked on Peter.
And you remember
it brought
quite a revolution
in Peter.
He remembered the Lord's words.
And he went out
and wept bitterly.
I just wonder, you know,
whether sometimes
we forget
the clear scriptural testimonies
that kind of stuff
were made up,
what we're capable of.
The difference between Peter
and John was
simply this,
that whereas Peter
was putting all his confidence
in his love for the Saviour,
so far as John was concerned,
his confidence
was in the Saviour's love
for him.
Five times you find Peter and John
say, the disciple
whom Jesus loved.
Now I think we can all
put ourselves into that
purposely left open, I think.
It doesn't say who the disciple was
whom Jesus loved.
It's a sort of blank space.
We can all stand into that
and say, I'm the disciple
whom Jesus loved.
And if we have the confidence
that Peter had,
we'll certainly fail.
But if we have the confidence
that John had,
we'll never fail,
because his love
will never fail.
And that's why you find Peter
in closing days,
he's found following.
Peter turns to have a look
and he sees the other disciple
following.
That disciple is following today.
And if we have the sense
of the Lord's love,
he goes out.
And he didn't speak.
Now the shepherd
has the ability
to restore him.
In due season,
three days have elapsed.
Death and resurrection
have come in.
He has a personal interview
with Peter.
Nobody tells us.
Scripture's silent.
We don't know.
The Lord has his
private interviews with us
sometimes.
Then there was a public
interview, wasn't there?
The last chapter of John,
John chapter 21.
Lovest thou me?
Remember how
that the leper was brought
into the camp.
He was given his place
in the camp.
The one who denied the Lord
and said feed my sheep,
feed my lambs,
feed my sheep.
He was a commissioner.
He was restored.
And I say the shepherd
made a very good job
of that.
Because we believe
and let now up
converted,
strengthen the brethren.
Peter's epistles
are strengthening epistles.
The one who had
failed ourselves.
Why?
He's been under the touch
of Shepherd Kier himself.
And so in Shepherd Kier
he's able to make
you and me
in all the many
vicissitudes of the pathway.
It's sad to say
we sometimes
let the Lord down.
He restored us all.
So that the world
can satisfy
the empty heart
and the Lord can bind up
the broken heart.
Now we come to a situation
at the end
where
he brings us
into his presence
without knowing this
my favourite order
my count,
who can this be?
Who are those who walk
in the valley
of the shadow of death?
Who are those who find
themselves in this
situation?
Is there anyone in the New Testament
who might illustrate this?
Just before you give me your answer
I'll make a suggestion.
Do you think this
might possibly be
the two who walked
on the immense road?
Remember how they said
we thought it had been he
that would have
restored him.
A prophet mighty
and worthy.
But death had come in.
Death for him.
And there they were
in the depths of depression.
They had turned their backs
on Jerusalem
and they were going home.
Now
can the shepherd
lead a case like this?
Sad house.
Can he laugh at them?
The way in which he did it
was very interesting.
He walked with them.
And the time being pointed out
I think quite a foolish
comment.
He walked in the wrong
direction with them.
He drew near.
Their eyes were on him.
But he walked with them
and in the wrong direction.
And after he drove them
back a little bit
you remember
still Paul
was his count.
What things
concerning Jesus
of Nazareth?
He first of all
got their eyes
turned to the Lord
and then he gave them
the most marvelous
scriptural exposition
that's ever been heard
out of Moses
and all the prophets
of things concerning
himself.
He gave them a touch
on the way.
He gave them a touch
in the house.
And he would make known
to them
that the breaking of bread
did not our heart
burn in us
as he
spoke with us
by the way.
Disappeared out of their sight.
The moment
that the work
was completed
the just
shall live by the faith.
He left them
and didn't
take any further
move.
You know the story
better than I do.
Up they went
those eight miles
back to Jerusalem
uphill.
I've done that journey
by the way
but I took the benefit
of a bus.
Eight miles
uphill
is rather hard work
but these were men
you see
who were renewed
in vision
and they had energy
in their heart.
Nothing put energy
into your veins
like a renewed vision
of the Lord
and couldn't get back
to the Christian country
quick enough.
The Lord is risen
indeed
and has appeared
unto Peter
and then
you come to that
marvelous meeting
together of all
these elements.
There they were
in the upper room.
They were
having this
converse
one with another
the Lord is risen
and just
as a confirmation
the Lord
stood in the middle
and all that
they'd been saying
was given
practical
tangible
evidence
peace
he said
peace
wonderful communication
and I think
it must have been
perhaps a little
exhibition of the fact
that
the Lord was
preparing
a table
for his own
in the midst
of this society
in the midst
of their illness
anointing their heads
with oil
and their cups
and ran over
I think
you know
they'd be quiet
and sober
we have to admit
that the times
we have together
sometimes
there are a little bit
of heaven on the way
at those moments
when we get our eyes
open to see him
through this shepherd
character in the way
and have the opening up
to our hearts
of this
wonderful world
which is ours
to embrace.
What a true
something of the
apostolic portion
of fellowship
with the Father
and the Son
the combined benefits
of John
and Peter
and Paul
the liberty of this
trip
what we know
in our simple
gatherings
gather to his name
there are times
of heaven
upon earth
and there are nothing
like what we can have
when we are in heaven
the end of this
psalm
is the climax
of course
surely goodness
and mercy
shall follow me
all the days of my life
and I shall dwell
in the house
of the Lord
what is the
house of the Lord
going to be?
for the Christian
it's the Father's house
there's going to be
a private presentation
when the Lord
presents us to himself
that will actually
see
the
judgment seat
and the marriage
supper and the lap
then the public
joys of heaven
is going to come out
there will be
the public reign
of the Lord Jesus
for a thousand years
every nature
bound
things in heaven
things on earth
things on the earth
marvelous time
of ministration
and then
we'll pass on
to the eternal
but the joys of
the joys of being
with him
these are available
to us
now
just one little touch
I've enjoyed
in this passage
in John 10
written hand
place of security
in John
in Luke 15
we're on his shoulder
place of security
in John 13
we're in his womb
and through the womb
of his mouth
in Luke chapter 10
we're found
at his feet
listening to his word
Christianity
you can see
in this passage
Christianity
you can see
increasingly
is the soul's
relationship with him
and if we're found
near us
then we've got
all the joys
of that calendar
that will be
in his presence
forever
the Lord brought us
through this morning
to be comforted …