1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:05,320 Now for us to say the Lord is my shepherd, what do you and I have 2 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:09,040 to 1st admit? That we are sheep. 3 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:11,800 Sheep. And what is it that sheep are 4 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:15,720 really, really well known for? Wondering. 5 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:16,400 That's one. Yeah. 6 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:19,320 Anything else? The grass. 7 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:19,960 Thank you. Yeah. 8 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:22,920 Anything else? Water. 9 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:25,280 Anything else? You've still not got the thing 10 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:31,360 I'm thinking of getting lost. Stupid sheep are well known for 11 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:34,040 being stupid. And it's true, isn't it? 12 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:37,480 No creature will lose itself quicker than a sheep. 13 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:40,800 The sheep will leave the lush green grass and it'll walk 14 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:44,680 straight into the wolf's den. Just like that hymn that I I 15 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:47,360 didn't pick it, but it was picked providentially. 16 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:48,920 That they're prone to wander, aren't they? 17 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:50,200 They? They wander. 18 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:54,720 And the fact is this, without a shepherd, the sheep simply would 19 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:57,960 not survive. Have you ever heard this before? 20 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:01,160 In society we're often told don't be a sheep. 21 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:03,440 Have you heard that before? Whatever you do, don't be a 22 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:06,640 sheep, don't be a follower. And yet the Christian must. 23 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:11,320 He must follow his Saviour. So before I give you my sort of 24 00:01:11,320 --> 00:01:14,480 three headings for today, could I be a little bit personal with 25 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:18,960 you? 2020's not been an easy year for 26 00:01:18,960 --> 00:01:21,240 us, has it? It's been tough, it's been a 27 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:23,640 hard year. And there's a man who's 28 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:27,000 particularly dear to me, the man who discipled me, a man called 29 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:29,840 Vinny Commons. And after I got saved, he took 30 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:33,360 me under his wing and he taught me how to open air preach. 31 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:37,920 He cared for me, looked after me, a lovely man, 61 years old, 32 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:41,960 but he never married. And last week we were on Zoom, a 33 00:01:41,960 --> 00:01:45,000 few of us evangelical workers, we were on Zoom having a chat, 34 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:48,240 talking about different things. And there was also another young 35 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:51,400 man who was also single and lived on his own. 36 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:54,720 And Vinny asked the young man, He said, how are you finding 37 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:57,120 this lockdown? And he said, I'm finding it 38 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:00,280 tough. And he said, do people ever ring 39 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:03,840 you? And the young man said, no, I 40 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:06,440 have to call them so that I don't feel lonely. 41 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:10,639 And then Vinny said, you know, sometimes you do have to take 42 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:13,760 your own medicine. And I wonder now if there's 43 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:16,480 someone in this room perhaps, who feels like that. 44 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:19,600 You feel very, very lonely. Perhaps there's someone in this 45 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:21,680 room and maybe you're a bit like me. 46 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:24,640 You've been quite anxious. You hear what the media is 47 00:02:24,640 --> 00:02:26,920 saying, you hear what everyone's saying, and you've got a bit 48 00:02:26,920 --> 00:02:29,800 panicky and mental health might be an issue. 49 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:33,600 Perhaps that's someone here. Perhaps as as Tim was saying 50 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:38,120 before, perhaps there's someone who struggles with besetting 51 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:41,840 sin, who lives in besetting sin and this lockdown has been 52 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:45,280 poison for you. Well, I just hope that today 53 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:49,440 Psalm 23 can touch us, can speak to us and can restore us. 54 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:51,400 So I'm going to split it up into three chunks. 55 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:54,280 The first one is the Christians wants. 56 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:58,560 Firstly, the Christians wants. Secondly, the Christians 57 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:03,760 restoration and thirdly and finally, the Christians shadow. 58 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:07,480 OK, firstly, the Christians wants sweep over to verse one 59 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:12,080 with me. It says the Lord is my shepherd. 60 00:03:12,640 --> 00:03:17,280 I shall not want. Can I ask you a big question 61 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:21,600 now? Are you content with your life? 62 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:26,000 Like are you really, really content with your life? 63 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:29,200 If everything was stripped away and you were left with just 64 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:31,640 Jesus Christ, would he be enough? 65 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:35,400 Is the Lord Jesus enough? Or is it, if I get this sorted, 66 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:37,520 OK, then I'm happy, if that, and then Jesus. 67 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:41,120 And everything's so big, but God is so small in your life. 68 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,320 You see, when a man or a woman comes to Christ, there's a sort 69 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:49,040 of stillness that falls on their life with the Lord Jesus Christ. 70 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:50,880 He leads them to those still waters. 71 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:52,720 And you know what I'm talking about, don't you? 72 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:55,440 When you first got saved, there was a joy there, there was an 73 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:56,960 excitement. You just wanted to have a bag 74 00:03:56,960 --> 00:03:58,960 full of tracks. You wanted to go out, you wanted 75 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:01,080 the whole world to know about Jesus Christ. 76 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:05,240 And then what happened? Life happened. 77 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:10,800 You got older, you got busy, and suddenly those still waters have 78 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:15,040 now become so restless and dare I say, muddy? 79 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:19,880 Wouldn't it be beautiful if we became so reliant on God that 80 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:23,000 when we pray the Lord's Prayer, when we say give us this day Our 81 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,600 Daily Bread, we believed that the very hand of God came out of 82 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:30,040 heaven and fed us that bread straight away into our hand. 83 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:32,600 Wouldn't that make the bread taste a little bit sweeter? 84 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:35,960 I'm going to say something that might shock some of you now. 85 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:38,640 Are you ready for it? But did you know this? 86 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:44,040 You provide absolutely nothing for yourself. 0 Nothing. 87 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:47,080 And the school of life teaches us that, doesn't it? 88 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:50,600 Sometimes we can be sailing that boat to success and then 89 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:54,240 something like COVID-19 comes along and shows us just how 90 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:56,560 fragile we are. Sometimes we're just living our 91 00:04:56,560 --> 00:05:00,920 life and one phone call can show us just how weak we are, just 92 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:04,840 how much we need the saviour. Here's something else a little 93 00:05:04,840 --> 00:05:09,360 bit controversial. Sometimes I think it can be good 94 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:12,800 for us to be taken out of that lush green pasture. 95 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:16,280 Sometimes it can be good for God, if you like, to inject a 96 00:05:16,280 --> 00:05:20,520 bit of suffering into our lives. If we're fed every single day 97 00:05:20,840 --> 00:05:24,400 without a pinch of anxiety, we soon forget the shepherd. 98 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:28,520 We become expectant, we become entitled, and we think all these 99 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:31,360 things that we have, they're our rights rather than our gifts. 100 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:34,720 In a moment's time, I'm going to ask you to raise your hand. 101 00:05:34,840 --> 00:05:36,080 I'm going to ask you to do a vote. 102 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:39,720 I want to ask you, do you think there are more Christians in 103 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:42,520 Ethiopia or more Christians in Hollywood? 104 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:45,480 OK, so over to you. Raise your hand if you think 105 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:48,280 there are more Christians in Ethiopia. 106 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:51,680 Raise your hand if you think there are more Christians in 107 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:54,560 Hollywood's. Put your hand up if you think 108 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:58,520 this is a trick question. Let me tell you, I think, I'm 109 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:01,480 not saying everyone in Ethiopia is born again by any means, but 110 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:04,520 I think there are more Christians in Ethiopia. 111 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:07,680 Why is that? We go down to Hollywood Blvd. 112 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:11,560 and we see those brats, dare I say, who have iPads, who have 113 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:14,120 everything they need and they're miserable, they're spoilt, 114 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:16,880 they're unhappy. But you go to a third world 115 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:21,080 country and you give a child a yoghurt pot and their face 116 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:24,320 lights up with joy. And it's that same kind of idea 117 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:27,920 that that God allows these things to happen to us to show 118 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:29,880 us that we need Him. When we've got everything that 119 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:34,360 we need, we become so proud and ignorant of the fact of just. 120 00:06:34,840 --> 00:06:39,160 We're just dust and ashes. And sometimes I think there's a 121 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:41,720 reason why God withholds a dream from us. 122 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:44,840 The Bible says he will supply our every need, not our every 123 00:06:44,840 --> 00:06:47,160 lust nor every craving, our every need. 124 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:50,120 And sometimes God knows that at the moment it's not right for me 125 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:55,000 to have this thing in my life. Let me quote some some men on 126 00:06:55,000 --> 00:07:00,440 this theme of contentment. Thomas Carl once said abundance, 127 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:04,360 like want, ruins men. Another man said this. 128 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:09,320 For every 100 men who can stand adversity, there is only one man 129 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:13,760 who can withstand prosperity. And Charles Spurgeon, the Prince 130 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:17,400 of Preachers, once said this, If you are not content with what 131 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:21,200 you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled. 132 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:26,640 So let all of our selfish, vain ambitions die and let us trust 133 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:30,440 on the sovereign Shepherd who says, I'll give you just what 134 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:33,320 you need, all that you need, I'll give it to you. 135 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:35,960 And let's trust that whatever is in our life, whatever's in our 136 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:39,560 path, He's given it for us and we should rely on him alone. 137 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:42,840 OK. Secondly, the Christian's 138 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:46,160 restoration, trot over to verse three with me. 139 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:53,280 It says he restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of 140 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:56,120 righteousness for His name's sake. 141 00:07:57,040 --> 00:07:58,120 Do you notice there's something there? 142 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:02,200 It says he restores my soul. It's not another. 143 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:04,920 It's only he. It's only the Lord God who can 144 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:07,880 restore your soul. There's something I passionately 145 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:10,840 believe pretty much more than anything else, and it's this. 146 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:13,440 Our hearts were designed to worship. 147 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:17,080 If we plunge right now into the jungles of Papua New Guinea, 148 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:19,760 we'll find a tribe and they'll be worshipping something. 149 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:21,760 We go, and I don't know who you support, whether you're Man 150 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:25,000 United or Manchester City, but we go to a football match and we 151 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:27,440 see all of these big burly men. What are they doing? 152 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:29,040 They're worshipping, aren't they? 153 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:31,840 And yet let's stand in the Lake District. 154 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:34,360 Let's go onto the side of the Lake District, and let's stand 155 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:36,919 on a mountain. And we look at all these vast, 156 00:08:36,919 --> 00:08:39,960 vast mountains and we feel so very, very small. 157 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:42,200 And those mountains feel so very, very big. 158 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:44,600 And it feels amazing. Why is that? 159 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:47,680 Because you and I were designed to worship a God. 160 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:51,280 A God who is so big that the universe can't contain him. 161 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:54,840 And yet what do we do? We like to make ourselves feel 162 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:59,000 really, really big and everyone else feel small and it makes us 163 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:02,920 so very miserable. So what am I trying to say to 164 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:05,840 you? Because our hearts are designed 165 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:10,560 to worship, they will actively, automatically run to worship 166 00:09:10,560 --> 00:09:12,560 something else. So if you're not actively trying 167 00:09:12,560 --> 00:09:15,480 to to worship Christ, if you're not actively trying to fill 168 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:18,720 yourself up with the good things with worship in the Lord Jesus 169 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:22,280 Christ, your heart which is designed to worship will 170 00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:24,360 automatically run to another poison. 171 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:26,880 Whether that be the praise of man, whether that be the 172 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:30,040 luxuries of life, whether that be a sin, it will run to 173 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:33,400 something else. And just look at the world 174 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:35,880 around us. We've got a world who is doing 175 00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:38,040 that. There's millions who self 176 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:42,200 medicate themselves on holidays, on self help schemes, on gym, on 177 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:45,760 comedy, on alcohol. But the Bible says it is only he 178 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:48,600 who can restore the years which the locusts have eaten. 179 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:51,720 And the disturbing reality is this. 180 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:55,240 We're either fascinated with Christ's Kingdom or the devil's 181 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:57,320 Kingdom. There's no middle grounds. 182 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:00,640 There's no halfway house. It's either darkness or light. 183 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:03,880 It's either him or the devil. It's either we put our faith in 184 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:07,360 the Lord Jesus Christ, we repent, we turn of our sins, or 185 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:10,920 we go the way of the devil and follow after the Father of lies. 186 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:16,640 I hope I don't sound harsh at any point this afternoon. 187 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:19,200 You do know the man who's standing in front of you is a 188 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:21,840 Sinner. And I wonder if I ask you this 189 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:26,760 question, since you have come to the Lord Jesus Christ, is there 190 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:30,520 anyone here today who's failed their Saviour? 191 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:34,760 Is there anyone here today who who's made a mess since you've 192 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:39,040 become a Christian? What do we do if we fail God, 193 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:42,640 not just once, not twice, but we fail Him often? 194 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:46,000 What happens then? Let me tell you this. 195 00:10:46,560 --> 00:10:50,280 In the whole history of sheep and shepherds, has there ever 196 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:54,040 been a sheep which was murdered when it was stood by the 197 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:55,720 shepherd's side? Has there ever been a wolf 198 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:58,760 that's managed to catch a sheep when it's been stood by the 199 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:02,960 shepherd's side? No, and likewise, there's never 200 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:07,000 been a St. who has been hardened by the devil's schemes when he 201 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:09,440 has been stood by the Saviour's side. 202 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:11,840 So if you wrestle, if you struggle with sin, do you know 203 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:15,280 what the answer is? Deeper fellowship with the Lord 204 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:19,160 Jesus Christ. I'm kind of glad that my wife's 205 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:22,440 not here today because I can let you into a few secrets about my 206 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:25,040 wife. OK, so between you and me, let 207 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:26,480 me tell you something about my wife. 208 00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:31,480 My wife loves chocolate. Is there any other women in the 209 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:32,520 room here? I'm not going to. 210 00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:35,000 I'm not going to go there. But my wife loves chocolate. 211 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:37,840 And if you go into our house, you'll notice that pretty much 212 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:39,320 everywhere you go, there'll be chocolate. 213 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:41,680 You open one drawer and there's a big Dairy Milk bar. 214 00:11:41,680 --> 00:11:43,520 You open another, buttons full on. 215 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:45,320 You Skittles. Everywhere you go, there's 216 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:46,800 chocolate. There's sweet stuff. 217 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:51,000 I'm exaggerating a little bit, but me, myself and I, I'm not 218 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:53,880 the biggest guy who likes sweet stuff because it's always in 219 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:56,360 front of me. I'll find myself eating a Galaxy 220 00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:57,520 bar. I'll find myself eating 221 00:11:57,520 --> 00:11:59,680 chocolate. But here's what's very 222 00:11:59,680 --> 00:12:02,440 interesting. When we filled our house up with 223 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:06,440 lettuce, with cucumbers, with pumpkin seeds, with all those 224 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:09,160 sorts of boring things that are good for you, fruits and 225 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:11,560 vegetables, When we filled the house up with those things and I 226 00:12:11,560 --> 00:12:15,440 started to eat them things, suddenly I didn't have the room 227 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:19,920 anymore for those nasty things. And likewise, I'd like to say 228 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:23,520 this to you, my dear brother, my dear sister, if you fill 229 00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:26,680 yourselves up with the good things, with prayer, with 230 00:12:26,680 --> 00:12:29,880 fasting, with reading the Word of God, with evangelism, with 231 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:32,680 church fellowship, if you fill yourself up with those things, 232 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:36,560 suddenly you won't have the same room anymore for those sins, for 233 00:12:36,560 --> 00:12:40,000 those temptations which can so easily get a grip of us. 234 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:43,680 I believe you. You know, my former pastor, some 235 00:12:43,680 --> 00:12:45,880 of you might, because I think he preached this church in 236 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:47,880 February, a man called David White. 237 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:50,680 Do you know him? Yeah, David White's actually the 238 00:12:50,680 --> 00:12:54,240 man who led me to the Lord's. And I remember when I first got 239 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:58,560 saved, around 1819 years old, I went up to David White and I 240 00:12:58,560 --> 00:13:02,920 said to him, I'm really struggling with a sin and I just 241 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:05,960 can't get free from it. And I'm starting to doubt, am I 242 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:08,520 even saved? Does God love me? 243 00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:12,040 What do I do? This is what he said to me. 244 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:15,520 Joe, when you were a child, do you remember those little 245 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:18,040 ladybird books that had a little ladybird on the spine? 246 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:21,160 Do you remember those books? Well, those books had a motto in 247 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:25,320 them and it was this. Every day is a new page. 248 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:29,360 Every day is a new page. And that's how the Christian 249 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:32,880 should live his life. So today, Lord, I've failed you. 250 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:36,920 Today, Lord, I've made a mess. But tomorrow is a new page. 251 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:40,680 So if that's you and you failed the Lord, perhaps you have 252 00:13:40,680 --> 00:13:43,360 you've had an argument with your wife, perhaps you are that 253 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:46,520 you've struggled with a sin, come back to the Saviour, 254 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:51,880 repent, turn from your sins. As Tim said very powerfully, the 255 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:54,880 Lord will chastise the sons that he loves. 256 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:59,280 And if you're going to wonder if you are truly born again, God 257 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:02,520 will bring hard things into your life. 258 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:06,560 Bad things will come to you. But any of you, I see a lot of 259 00:14:06,560 --> 00:14:09,280 children, any of you are parents in this room, you would do the 260 00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:12,080 same thing to make sure that you would bring your children back 261 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:15,720 to that place of righteousness. And so our Heavenly Father who 262 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:19,200 loves us, he will sometimes bring things into our lives. 263 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:22,720 But that's a good thing. And don't despise the, the 264 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:25,600 chastisement of the Lord. So if there is anyone wondering 265 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:28,840 today, I just plead with you, come back, come back to the Lord 266 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:31,120 Jesus Christ, the gentle Saviour. 267 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:33,600 He's the doctor, but he's also the medicine. 268 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:38,520 OK, my third and final sort of chunks sort of heading. 269 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:43,080 Is this the Christian's shadow? OK, check out verse four with 270 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:44,280 me. It says this. 271 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:49,680 Yeah. Though I walk through the valley 272 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:54,920 of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with 273 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:58,120 me. Your rod and your staff, they 274 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:02,240 comfort me. Now, I don't know Hebrew, but I 275 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:05,720 did a little bit of research and if you look into the word the 276 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:09,120 shadow of death, it can be translated to mean the shades of 277 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:11,800 death. And I find that quite eerie, the 278 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:15,560 shades of death. But remember, it's only a shadow 279 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:18,320 for the believer. Now suppose that I pull out a 280 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:21,920 sword now, OK. And suppose the sword falls on 281 00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:24,640 Tim. OK, Will the the shadow of the 282 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:26,320 sword. Suppose the shadow of the the 283 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:30,000 sword falls on Tim. Will Tim die from the shadow? 284 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:33,680 No, he won't. Let's let's go to America. 285 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:37,800 Suppose I, I pull out a rifle and and the shadow of the rifle 286 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:40,720 falls on I don't know everyone's name on Paul's. 287 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:44,520 Will the shadow kill Paul? It won't, Will it? 288 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:48,280 And likewise with Christ. The sting of death has been 289 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:50,600 removed. It's only the shadow which 290 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:53,600 remains. But that doesn't make walking 291 00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:56,640 through the valley of the shadow of death a bed of roses. 292 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:00,480 Have you ever been in a cave before that's so black that you 293 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:02,480 can't even see your hand in front of your face? 294 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:05,600 Have you been there before? Well, that's what death is like. 295 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:08,680 It's dark, it's gloomy. The very shadow chills the 296 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:10,320 heart. When a man or woman is in 297 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:14,400 darkness, there's no hope, just darkness, No peace, just 298 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:18,520 darkness, No sun, just darkness. Anxiety is their friend and 299 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:22,840 sorrow is their companion. And all day long, these shivers, 300 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:25,520 these chills of death, follow them around. 301 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:28,600 And then we start to warm up again. 302 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:31,880 And just when you think everything's OK, the chills 303 00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:35,600 return. Some of you have got no idea 304 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:36,920 what I'm talking about, have you? 305 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:40,480 But others of you, I'm describing your life. 306 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:44,640 If you know nothing of this gloom, praise the Lord today. 307 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:48,600 Laugh, rejoice, be silly whilst you can, because there are some 308 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:51,360 of God's people who've forgotten what it is to laugh. 309 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:53,640 We've forgotten what it is to smile. 310 00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:58,840 Oh, how we need to pray for those who are plagued with a 311 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:02,840 restless mind. You see, God's in his kindness 312 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:07,079 has given you a mind at ease. But your sister carries a cross. 313 00:17:08,119 --> 00:17:11,720 Some of the best Saints, some of the most godliest Saints, they 314 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:13,440 walk through that valley of of death. 315 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:16,800 They, they struggled with darkness, with depression. 316 00:17:17,319 --> 00:17:20,440 I mentioned Spurgeon earlier, Charles Spurgeon, when he would 317 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:23,440 preach, literally thousands of people would come to hear and 318 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:25,400 preach. And these pranksters, they, they 319 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:28,200 got wind of it and they snuck into his church and they stood 320 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:31,000 at the back and they shout at the top of their voices. 321 00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:34,920 Fire, fire. So all the people that like, 322 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:37,440 they bolted for the doors trying to get out and there was a 323 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:41,400 crush. And that day, seven people died. 324 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:45,080 And for the rest of his life, Charles Spurgeon carried this 325 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:47,000 darkness. He felt this guilt that it was 326 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,600 his fault that these people had died. 327 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:56,520 David, the man who wrote this Psalm, he said this, my eye is 328 00:17:56,520 --> 00:18:01,440 wasting away with grief. He also said this, you, Lord, 329 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:03,720 have collected my tears in a bottle. 330 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:07,040 And some of you might say, well, there's not a bottle big enough 331 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:09,680 to to carry the tears I've cried in my life. 332 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:13,720 Job said this. I have one request. 333 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:15,080 Crush me. God. 334 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:17,920 The prophet Elijah was also suicidal. 335 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:22,160 He said it is enough now, Lord, take away my life. 336 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:25,360 And that's just the men. Have you heard of Doctor Helen 337 00:18:25,360 --> 00:18:28,600 Roseveer? You heard of her one one day, 338 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:32,000 she was she one night, in fact, she was working away in Africa. 339 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:36,720 And these Congolese soldiers, they snuck into her house and 340 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:40,480 they abused her, they beat her, they terrorized her. 341 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:44,080 And because of her wound, she actually got breast cancer later 342 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:47,520 on in life. And she walked that darkness for 343 00:18:47,520 --> 00:18:51,240 the rest of her days. And then we've got Hannah. 344 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:54,760 In the Bible, Hannah was barren. And then let me ask you this, do 345 00:18:54,760 --> 00:18:58,200 you remember Mary Magdalene? When Mary Magdalene fell at the 346 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:02,960 feet of the Lord Jesus Christ and she started to cry and she 347 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:07,560 washed Christ's feet with her hair and her tears, do you think 348 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:11,400 those tears were tears of joy or do you think they were tears of 349 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:14,720 brokenness? That here in front of her was 350 00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:18,560 perhaps the only man that has ever respected her in her life? 351 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:24,400 Suffering Christian remember this the the some of the 352 00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:28,240 greatest Saints have ABS sailed through that valley of the 353 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:31,480 shadow of death, but they still left their mark on the world. 354 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:34,480 Why? Because the Man of Sorrows, who 355 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:36,520 is acquainted with grief, was their guide. 356 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:41,400 Remember this, it says. Here it says, though I walk 357 00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:43,320 through the valley of the shadow of death. 358 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:45,800 You might have just been diagnosed with a terminal 359 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:48,400 illness, but you've still got to keep walking. 360 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:52,400 Your home life might be falling to pieces, but you've still got 361 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:55,400 to keep walking. Every single dream which you 362 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:56,920 once had might have been snatched from you. 363 00:19:56,920 --> 00:20:00,080 It might be gone, but you still have to keep walking. 364 00:20:00,360 --> 00:20:02,640 Why? Because lying down the feet in 365 00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:05,080 the valley, that won't save you self pity. 366 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:08,920 That never did anyone any good. No, you need to keep walking. 367 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:11,960 But you might be thinking, but Joe, I can't. 368 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:14,520 You don't realise how much I'm struggling. 369 00:20:14,520 --> 00:20:16,680 I, I don't feel like I can keep going anymore. 370 00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:21,160 Well, to you, I'd say this. Just take one step at a time. 371 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:24,120 One step. But the Valley's deep. 372 00:20:24,120 --> 00:20:26,320 It's long. It's what goodwill one step do. 373 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:29,840 Well, let me ask you this. The Notre Dame Cathedral was 374 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:34,360 built just one brick at a time. The Leaning Tower of Pisa was 375 00:20:34,360 --> 00:20:38,840 built just one brick at a time. So just take one step at a time. 376 00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:42,480 Keep your eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ and He will get you 377 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:47,200 through that valley. But again, note it does say he 378 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:51,800 walks the man of God, the woman of God, she doesn't run through 379 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:54,160 the valley of shadow of death. They don't Sprint through the 380 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:57,840 valley of the shadow of death. They walk, they quietly endure 381 00:20:57,840 --> 00:21:00,960 the trial that the Lord God has put in their life. 382 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:04,080 The same God who has given all the good things has also allowed 383 00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:07,760 this trial to enter sovereignly into our lives. 384 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:10,360 Am I the only one who's thinking this? 385 00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:12,320 You're hearing the whisperings on the news. 386 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:16,080 In March, the lockdown will be over and we start to get, I 387 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:18,280 can't wait. I just can't wait for March to 388 00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:19,760 come. I can't wait to do it. 389 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:22,960 And we rush. We rush it, but we need to 390 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:25,560 remember that God in his sovereignty is allowing these 391 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:28,600 things to happen. And we mustn't rush the lectures 392 00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:32,720 of God, because when we finish we will get a PhD in suffering, 393 00:21:32,920 --> 00:21:35,720 which is better than anything you'll get at Harvard, better 394 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:38,440 than anything you'll get at Manchester University, Oxford, 395 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:44,440 because it's come from gods. The poet Robert Browning 396 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:49,720 Hamilton once wrote this. I walked a mile with pleasure. 397 00:21:50,360 --> 00:21:55,120 She chatted all the way, but left me none the wiser for all 398 00:21:55,120 --> 00:21:59,960 she had to say. I walked a mile with sorrow and 399 00:21:59,960 --> 00:22:05,520 never a word said she. But oh, the things I learned 400 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:09,720 from her when sorrow walked with me. 401 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:16,000 Above all, remember this when we get there, when we get to 402 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:19,640 heaven, will there be any shadows in glory? 403 00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:25,400 No, because the glories of the Lord Jesus Christ will shine far 404 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:28,200 too brightly for there to be any shadows in heaven. 405 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:32,360 Like the children's hymn goes, shine, Jesus shine and he will 406 00:22:32,360 --> 00:22:34,640 shine. He'll shine so brightly. 407 00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:39,960 Can I ask you another question? If tonight was your last night 408 00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:43,600 on planet earth, do you know that you would be going to 409 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:45,920 heaven? Do you know that heaven is 410 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:49,760 assured for you? If you have not yet come to the 411 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:51,960 Lord Jesus Christ? You know what he once said. 412 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:57,480 I am the Good Shepherd, and the Good Shepherd lays down his life 413 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:01,800 for the sheep. Are you one of His sheep? 414 00:23:02,520 --> 00:23:07,560 If today you can see the Son of God bleeding, dying, hanging on 415 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:11,560 a cross for your lies, your blasphemy, your sex outside of 416 00:23:11,560 --> 00:23:14,480 marriage, your lust, your pride, all, if you can see him there, 417 00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:18,720 bleed in there crucified, breathing his last breath, don't 418 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:22,800 look the other way. If today, this very day, God has 419 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:25,520 granted you this heart of repentance, where you think, 420 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:29,880 Lord God, I can see that the Son of God rose from the dead. 421 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:33,040 I know He rose from the dead so that he might grant me eternal 422 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:35,000 life. And if today you can hear him 423 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:38,560 knocking on the door of your heart, I plead with you, do not 424 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:42,320 close the door in his face. Turn to the Saviour. 425 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:44,760 Repent. Turn from all your wasteful 426 00:23:44,760 --> 00:23:46,640 ways. It's none of it is worth it 427 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:50,040 compared to knowing the Lord Jesus Christ, compared to 428 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:53,000 knowing the Saviour as your Lord and Saviour. 429 00:23:53,840 --> 00:23:55,960 Let me leave you with one final thought. 430 00:23:57,120 --> 00:24:00,160 Is there anyone here today who's ever been to an after dinner 431 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:02,120 speech? Just raise your hands. 432 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:04,360 Yeah. Oh, a couple of you. 433 00:24:04,360 --> 00:24:06,520 I didn't think you look particularly cultured, but maybe 434 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:08,720 you are. So there's a few of you have. 435 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:11,760 OK, well, let me tell you about an afternoon speech that 436 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:14,160 happened one night where there was a Shakespearean actor. 437 00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:17,280 And they they asked the Shakespearean actor to do all 438 00:24:17,280 --> 00:24:18,960 these different requests. And at the end of the night, he 439 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:21,720 said, I've got time for just one more request. 440 00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:24,360 Does anyone have one more request that they'd like me to 441 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:26,360 to say as I finished the night off? 442 00:24:27,280 --> 00:24:30,600 And this old dodering minister, about 80 years old, stood up and 443 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:34,680 said, excuse me, Mr. Actor, do you know Psalm 23? 444 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:37,960 And the actor said, yes, I do. And he said, would you mind 445 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:41,640 reciting that for us? He said, yes, I will, but under 446 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:46,560 one condition, that after I recite Psalm 23, well, you, Mr. 447 00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:49,680 Minister, you also must recite the Psalm. 448 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:53,960 So the minister agreed. Anyway, away went the the 449 00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:56,520 Shakespeare enactor. He he recited it with colour, 450 00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:59,520 with diction, with charisma. When he finished, everyone stood 451 00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:01,080 up and gave him a standing ovation. 452 00:25:01,560 --> 00:25:04,360 And then he looked into the crowds and he found that that 453 00:25:04,360 --> 00:25:07,200 old doddering minister. And he winked at him. 454 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:10,840 It's your turn now. The minister stood up. 455 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:14,080 He needed a chair to sort of steady himself, and he 456 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:17,280 stammered, and he stuttered his way through the Psalm. 457 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:21,880 When he finished, the sound of clapping wasn't heard, but the 458 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:25,760 sound of weeping was. And when everything died down, 459 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:28,680 the actor stood up again. And he said this. 460 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:32,400 Now do you see why I asked the minister to go after me? 461 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:37,080 I know the Psalm, but He knows the Shepherd. 462 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:41,920 I know the Psalm, but He knows the shepherds. 463 00:25:43,040 --> 00:25:46,800 My dear friends, do you know the shepherds? 464 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:50,200 Can you say the Lord is my shepherd? 465 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:54,040 I shall not want. If there's anyone here today, 466 00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:56,760 you can't say that. I plead with you. 467 00:25:57,320 --> 00:26:00,200 Come to the gentle arms of the Lord Jesus Christ. 468 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:04,400 He loves you, He died for you, and He wants you to come to Him.