So let's look at the rest of that scripture, for we're going
to start here. It says thy rod and thy staff.
They comfort and console me. Let me tell you about the rod.
So the rod was used because David was a shepherd, so he knew
all about what he was talking about here.
So the rod was used as a club for protection.
Also, the rod was also a sign of authority.
So we talked about this one is he was basically, he saw the rod
and the staff as two edged swords, so to speak, because the
rod could beat off predators, right?
We know David. What did he do?
He took a lion and a bear when they came after his sheep.
What also does that mean? He took his authority.
He took his authority of these are my sheep.
What do you think you're doing, devil?
You see that? So the rod had that aspect of
it, but the staff was there as comfort.
The staff was there as comfort and the staff is what shepherds
use to actually help gently guide the sheep in the right
direction so they don't get away from the flock and they don't
fall in the ditch. Come on.
And and he can just tap them because the staff was very long.
Have y'all seen a shepherd real shepherd staff right with the
hook on it. So what's the hook used for?
The hook is to keep to grab hold of them so they don't fall off a
Cliff, so they don't fall in the come on the the river, because
if the sheep's clothing get too wet, they can drown because it's
so heavy. So the staff was there to help
gently guide also to get them out so they're not going down
the wrong path. But that staff was there to
bring comfort that to them, to know that the shepherd was
always there to watch over them and lead them.
That's how he led them. And the sheep knew the
shepherd's voice. And even when you go to Israel
today, they'll tell you that those shepherds still today over
in Israel, the sheep know the voice of their shepherd.
All they have to do is make a certain sounds.
And those sheep know that that's their shepherd because he's with
them in the field, always there to guide them into the right
places so that they don't get off and get into a place they
shouldn't be. Because when they get off into a
place they shouldn't be, they can get into danger.
They can get into danger. And that's the same thing he
lets us know of about us as his sheep.
That's why he's giving this illustration is that our
Shepherd is always there prodding us.
Come on, He's always prodding us in our spirit.
This is what we're talking about.
What are we hearing in our spirit?
We don't want to override those little things that he's saying
because it's those little things that he's saying that we need to
make those adjustments to so that we don't get on a wrong
path or we don't get down the wrong Rd.
So he's always there, leading, guiding, prodding, trying to get
our attention. And you know what?
That should bring comfort to us to know that he loves us so
much, that these things that he says to us is for our benefit.
He's trying to protect us. He's trying to let us know that
there's things that's going to lead us down the wrong road if
we don't yield to some of these little promptings that the Holy
Spirit is saying on the inside. Amen.
So that's what's so good about Him as our Shepherd.
He wants to protect us, and that's the way that He protects
us. It's so that we won't get off by
ourselves, so that the enemy can come in and destroy.
Like he says, the wolf will come in.
The wolf can only get the one that's out by itself doing its
own thing, because if it stays with the fold, there's more
protection. But when you get off by
yourself, that's where the enemy can come in and try to get you
off and pick you off when you try to think that you can do it
by yourself and you don't need a sheepfold to be a part of.
So he wants to protect us from the evil 1.
John 1715 says, I do not ask that you take them out of this
world, but to keep them from the evil 1.
He wants to protect us from the evil one, for we know the devil.
He is like a what? Roaring lying lion.
And he is a liar, lying to all to try to what?
Get us off, to kill, steal and destroy our life.
But the good shepherds there to protect us, to guide us into
safe places, so that we don't get off and allow the evil 1 to
pick us off. Hallelujah.
Psalms 138 Seven says this. Though I walk in the midst of
trouble, you will revive me. You will stretch forth your hand
against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand will save
me. Because the Shepherd usually
carried the staff in his right hand, and that right hand is
signifying a place of authority as well.
And he's letting us know that. Come on, I am the one that has
authority. I'm the one that's trying to
guard you and protect you and keep you in extending my staff
to you to keep you off a road that's going to lead you down
into the enemy's territory. Amen.
So he's going to stretch forth his hand.
Look at Psalms 110 and two. It says the Lord will stretch
forth your strong scepter from Zion, saying rule in the midst
of my enemies. OK, So the Lord is the one, this
scepter, because also the rod I said was a segment of a scepter
as well, which is that of authority.
OK, now look at Isaiah 4110. It says do not fear for I am
with you. Do not anxiously look about you,
for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I
will help you, surely I will withhold, uphold you with My
righteous right hand. He is always there ready to
protect and rescue you with His righteous right hand.
In the midst of everything that you're going through, remember
that He is with you. I do not have to fear what's
going on around me because He's with me and He's always there,
extending His righteous right hand to me, His staff, his
scepter, so to speak, to pull me up out of where I am at.
That's how merciful our God is. That's how much He loves us.
That we may stumble, we may fall, we may start going down a
path we shouldn't. But guess what?
If we'll just look to the Shepherd, he's always going to
be there ready to extend his righteous right hand if we just
would call on his name again, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, no
matter what we're going through. Amen.
And what's so awesome about John?
You know, we read John chapter 10 earlier in these Wednesday
nights, but, and I would encourage you to read this
chapter, John chapter 10. This is your homework.
You know, I give homework assignments.
OK, So this week when you go home, read the whole chapter,
John chapter 10, where we saw that he was the Good Shepherd,
the chief Shepherd, right? And we talked about all of that.
But then if you drop on down, that was like John 10 verse 10
and all the way through like 15, something like that.
Well, but if you keep reading in John and you drop down to verse
28 and 29, it says this. And I give them eternal life,
and they will never ever by any means perish, and no one will
ever snatch them out of my hand. You see that my Father who has
given them to me is greater and mightier than all, and no one is
able to snatch them out of the Father's hand, Hallelujah.
Those that are his, come on. Those that are saved, those that
are born again, those that called on his name as their
shepherd, come on. He said He laid his life down
for the sheep and no one can snatch you out of His hand.
Hallelujah, glory to God. You know why?
Because His righteous right arm is right there upholding you,
holding on to you. Now you can try to lose your
grip. You know there's plenty of
people that try to shake it off. So we don't want to be like
that. If we know that the Lord is
speaking to us, we need to grab hold and get back to a place
where we are with the Father. Amen.
Hallelujah. That's called repentance.
Glory to God, it's called repentance.
Now look at Second Corinthians chapter 1, verses 3 and six says
this. Blessed, gratefully, praised and
adored, be the God and our Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of mercies and all, or the God of all comfort.
You see that comfort because he said his staff will comfort us.
And so he's letting us know here that he is the God of all
comfort, who comforts and encourages us in every trouble,
say, every trouble, every trouble, no matter what it is.
He wants to be there to be your comfort in the midst of that, in
all of it. He says no matter what you're
going through, He wants to comfort you in that time.
Now, He's not there to have a pity party with you.
No, He's there to comfort you and remind you, hey, I'm here.
We can walk this thing out together if you'll just yield to
me as the Good Shepherd. Amen.
So he goes on to say this. Who comforts and encourages us
in every trouble so that we will be able to comfort and encourage
those who are in any kind of trouble.
Look at that with the comfort with which we ourselves are
comforted by God. For just as Christ suffering are
ours in abundance as they overflow to his followers, so
also our comfort, our reassurance.
This is what how He comforts, our comfort, our reassurance.
He'll reassure you in the midst of things.
Come on our encouragement. He'll encourage you in the midst
of your trouble. This is how He comforts and our
consolation. He's there to cut so you in the
midst of anything that you're going that's going on in your
life, any kind of trouble. So he wants to be there.
He is a Good Shepherd. He wants to take care of you
when you're in a place of trouble or suffering.
Look what he says in verse 6. But if we are troubled and
distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation.
Or if we are comforted and encouraged, it is for your
comfort, which works in you when you patiently endure the same
sufferings which we experience. So he's letting you know that
you are in what this world, it is in a fallen state.
Listen, we are going to enter into trials and tribulations,
James says, and testing. There's going to be things
because of what's going on in this fallen world that we're
going to have to walk into because of results of.
But guess what? He's letting us know the
sufferings that you're having to endure.
I'm going to be right there with you.
I'm going to encourage you. I'm going to reassure you.
You know what? That I'm going to reassure you
and encourage you that you already have the victory.
If you'll just trust me to lead you and guide you through this.
If you'll just allow me come on, If you'll allow me to comfort
you during the midst of this trouble that you're going
through. But you know what that means.
You have to become vulnerable. And I'm finding today a lot of
people go through the religiosity, the religiosity of
things, and not really the vulnerability of the heart with
their father. That means you got to open up
yourself to the father. What are we saying?
You got to pour out your heart to him.
It's OK. He wants to be there to comfort
you, come on to encourage you, to be there with you and help
navigate you in the midst of whatever it is that's going on
in your life. And He can't do that if you
don't open up yourself to Him. You got to open up your heart to
Him. You got to trust Him with
everything within your life, and you need to go to Him about
those things, things that you know may hurt you, things that
you know you're going through, the feelings that you have.
It is OK to talk to the Lord about how you feel.
It's better to talk to Him about how you feel than everybody
else. So the same way you want to pick
up the phone and call somebody your best friend or call
somebody that cares you, the same way you open up to them and
just spill everything is the same way you should be doing to
your father. And you will have better results
guaranteed if you only do it to your father.
But that takes openness and vulnerability and not
religiosity. He is a real God.
He is a spirit being that meets and talks with you.
Those who worship Him will worship Him.
And what Spirit and truth? Spirit to spirit, spirit to
spirit. He wants to engage with you,
Amen. So that He can bring you comfort
in the midst of whatever it is that you're going through.
Amen. Hallelujah.
And you know what's so good? As I said, David did not have he
would have the spirit come upon him when when he was a king, but
he didn't have the spirit within him.
And what's so good about the fact is, is that not only did he
say, I want to comfort you, we have the comforter on the
inside. We have the comforter on the
inside. Let's read that scripture, John
1416 through 18. It says, and I will ask the
Father and he will give you another helper.
Remember, and that word helper in the amplified, I'm going to
read it because this is what that word helper, literally
Paraclete one that comes alongside.
But it also means all of these things comforter, advocate,
intercessor, counselor. You don't need counseling.
What you need is a good dose of you talking to the Lord and
getting upon your face before him and let him him get into all
those places. Come on, instead of laying on a
couch. Now I'm not saying you
shouldn't. I'm just saying you have the
counselor on the inside of you who's not going to have
philosophies of this world and how you need self help.
You have the helper on the inside, you have the comforter
on the inside, you have the strengthener on the inside, you
have the advocate on the inside. Come on, you have all of this on
the inside of you. And he's called the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Spirit, Hallelujah, glory to God.
So he says it's the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot
receive and take to its heart because it does not see Him or
know Him. But you know him because He, the
Holy Spirit, remains with you continually.
I like how it says that remains with you continually, because in
the Old covenant He could not remain even on the prophets, the
priests, and the kings continually.
He would just come upon them in the midst of situations where
they would need Him. But he lets us know, listen,
he's going to be with you continually.
Come on. And then verse 18, it says this,
I will not leave you as orphans. Hallelujah.
What is this telling us that He's not going to not be a
father to us in the midst of our situations?
He's not going to leave us as orphans as if we could get no
comfort because when you go to your father in the natural and
your mother in the natural, you receive what comfort from them.
You receive counsel from them. You're supposed to as a child,
right? But that's that relationship.
And so he's relating it to that, that listen, I'm not going to
leave you alone. I'm not going to be there to
comfort you. I'm not going to not be there to
take care of you in the midst of whatever it is that you're going
through, He says. I will not leave you as orphans.
Listen to what that means in the amplified, comfortless, bereaved
and helpless. I will come back to you.
Hallelujah. Glory to God.
He's a good, good father. Amen.
He's a Good Shepherd, Hallelujah, that loves us and
wants to be there to take care of us in the midst of whatever
it is that we're going on. Now let's talk about the next
point. Sustenance.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemy.
You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemy.
Hallelujah. Now when you look up that word
table, guess what it means? A King's table.
Now you think about a King's
table. A King's table is a place where
you're going to go and have a feast, right?
And most of the time, a King's table is set to host a huge
party, to host a huge party. So what is it saying here?
Listen, I am going to put on a huge table before your enemy.
I'm going to put on a huge party before your enemy.
Come on, I'm going to be able to feed you in the midst of it.
And they're going to wish they were at the party.
They're going to wish they were at the party that I'm getting
ready to throw for you because it's a King's table.
Glory to God. Hallelujah.
Because he's the king of and the Lord of.
Yeah. And you know what that word
enemy means? So most of us think that this is
like a literal enemy, and it can be.
But it also means this in the presence of my enemy.
Do you know what an enemy is to you?
Trouble, an adversary, an affliction, a distress.
So an enemy is anything that's trying to raise itself up
against you and cause you to not think you won't have the
victory. So this trouble that you're in,
trying to act like it's just going to, you know, stay there,
whatever the case may be, and try to taunt you and think
you're never going to get out of this hole you're in.
Listen, it's an enemy and the and the Lord is saying, look,
I'm going to prepare a feast for you like a king in front of this
problem, if you'll just come Sup with me.
And that what revelation says if you'll just come sit down and
dine with me. Come, let's sit down at the
King's table. This is what it's talking about.
Come, let's sit down at the King's table in the midst of
what it is that's going on and acting like it's an enemy and
raising itself up against you. Because I'm going to let you
know I got a table for you that's going to bring you the
victory. You going to have a victory
dance. You're going to have a party.
Come on. If you'll just come sit down at
my table, the King's table. Sup with me and let me give you
what you so that you can walk through this trouble, walk
through this distress, walk through this adversary, walk
through. Come on, that's what it's
saying. Hallelujah.
How many of you ever looked at it that way?
The King's table also is representative of the showbread
and the Tabernacle, and the showbread represents life and
nourishment that only comes from the Lord.
So in the midst of whatever is going on that seems like there's
a big enemy facing you, a big trial facing you, there is bread
for you to eat because Jesus is the bread of life.
He's the bread of life. Glory to God.
And we know that man shall not live off of what bread alone,
but every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.
Give us this day. Matthew, come on, What is the
Lord's Prayer? Yes, our Father, we art in
heaven, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come, your will be
done on earth, that as it is in heaven, give us this day, Our
Daily Bread. This is what it's talking about,
everything we need for the day, in the midst of whatever it is
that's going on, that's acting like it's an enemy to us.
There is life and nourishment and provision, sustenance for us
if we will just come sit down and Sup at the King's table,
Hallelujah, that He prepared for us in the presence of everything
that's going on. Glory to God, there's sustenance
for you. Hallelujah, because he's a good
Good Shepherd. Amen.
Hallelujah, he's a Good Shepherd.
Our time, where has it gone? Wow, glory to God.
Listen to Psalms 143, 1:43 and 12:00.
It says in your unfailing love, silence all of my enemies and
destroy. This is of course, David, and
listen to how he's writing. In your unfailing love, silence
all my enemies and destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.
What is he saying? Listen, I can have enemies.
I can have all of these things, all this trouble coming after
me. But guess what?
I'm your servant, and I know for unfailing love is there for me
to take care of every one of them in the midst of everything.
Hallelujah, glory to God. Listen to Psalms 3116 through
21. Let your favor shine on your
servant in your unfailing love. Rescue me.
Do not let me be disgraced, oh Lord, for I call out to you for
help. Let the wicked be disgraced.
Let them lie silent in the grave silence.
They're lying lips. It's OK for you to say shut up.
You're a liar in the midst of things that you're going
through, he said Silence. The lips, their lion lips, those
proud and arrogant lips accused the godly.
Listen to what it says. How great is your goodness you
have stored up for those who fear you?
Do you fear the Lord? You lavish it on those who come
to you for protection. Again, that was the promise of
Psalms 23. Blessing them before the
watching world, you hide them in the shelter of your presence.
Say from those who conspire against them Your shelter.
You shelter them in your presence.
Far from accusing tongues, praise the Lord, for He has
shown me the wonders of His unfailing love.
He kept me safe and the city was under attack.
Hallelujah. This is how good our shepherd
is. Amen.
Isaiah 54, seven. This is the last scripture about
this. It says no weapon that is formed
against me will succeed. Every tongue that rises against
you in judgment, you will condemn.
This peace, righteousness, security and triumph over
opposition is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and
this is their vindication from me, says the Lord.
You have an inheritance of triumph.
That's why you can say everywhere I go, I win.
Come on, it's an inheritance. You're a winner.
Why say you're a loser? Why say you're not going to make
it? Why say this is too difficult?
No, it is a reward of the inheritance of those who love
him. Come on, His servants is that we
would triumph. We would triumph.
We would have the victory in every situation.
It's belongs to us. The next point and the last
point real quick, and then we'll close.
It says you anoint my head with oil.
You're you anoint my head with oil.
What does this remind us? That we're anointed.
We are anointed. We're anointed.
The Spirit of the Lord. We talked about that.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon us because He has anointed us.
When you get born again, the Holy Ghost comes to live on the
inside of you and you have an anointing.
You have an anointing. What does this anointing mean?
When he says you anoint my head with oil, it actually is talking
about fatness and fatness. Hallelujah is talking about
that. You are so fat with the
anointing upon you, because this is where we get the same It is
the yoke destroying burden, removing power of God, right?
Because you've heard where it was the big burden of beast,
whatever they were called, and they would have that yoke upon
them that would hold them together to be able to plow
fields and different things like that.
Have you all ever seen one of those that the heads of them
were in? Well, it's talking about,
listen, the anointing is so fat on you that it's listen to this,
the anointing is so fat on you that there should be nothing
that is yoking you, keeping you back.
Come on, keeping you under from having the victory.
There should be nothing that's keeping you burdened down
because that's how powerful the anointing is that's upon your
life. Wow, if we could just get
revelation of that, then nothing can keep you bound.
Nothing can try to bind you up again.
Nothing can try to come on, burden you down again.
That's why he says cast your burdens upon the Lord, cast your
care upon him because he cares for you.
But the anointing is so powerful that is within you.
If you would just tap into it, nothing, nothing should keep you
yoked to it. You should not be yoked to
pornography. You should not be yoked to
drugs, alcohol. Come on, none of us, you
shouldn't be yoked to nicotine. You shouldn't be yoked.
Come on to all these things, even to food.
We shouldn't be yoked because of the anointing that is actually
in our life. Second Corinthians 1/21/22 says
Now he who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed
us in God, or is God who also has what sealed us and given us
the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
Hallelujah, we have an anointing from Christ that's within our
lives so that nothing in this world ever would have to yoke
us. Keep us in bondage again, keep
us bound again. Come on, burden us down again.
The anointing can destroy it all if you'll just tap into it.
Hallelujah first, John 2 and 20 says, but you have an anointing
from the Holy 1. You have been set apart.
It also means when you look at the word fatness, that means set
apart. It also means the anointing
means to smear on, to rub on. It's on you.
It's in you, right? So you've been set apart,
specially gifted and prepared by the Holy Spirit, and all of you
know the truth because He teaches us and illuminates our
minds and guards us from error. This is the Spirit that lives on
the inside of us, the reigning Spirit.
Amen. First, John 227 says this.
As for you, the anointing, the special gift, the preparation
which you received from him remains permanently.
I love that. Again, one translation said
continually. This one says permanently in you
and you have no need for anyone to teach you.
But just as his anointing teaches you, giving you insight
through the presence of the Holy Spirit about all things and is
true is not a lie. And just as his anointing has
taught you, you must remain in him.
He gives you the key being rooted in Him and knit to Him.
Meaning we have to stay in the anointing.
We have to stay in Christ for the anointing to continue to
write build up so to speak in our life.
Isaiah 10 last scripture in verse 27 it says and it shall
come to pass that in the das days, this is talking about that
yoke that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder
and his yoke from your neck and the yoke will be destroyed
because of the anointing oil. Hallelujah, stand to your feet.