Goodness and mercy follows them all their lives and then they dwell in the house of the Lord forever. This made her eligible for marriage, and it seemed to put the promise of God at risk, because the promised "seed" was to come through the union of Abraham and Sarah. From this you may be tempted to think about Psalm 23 as a funeral Psalm. or: R/. Can you honestly say, the Lord is my Shepherd? Psalm 23 teaches us that we, as followers of Christ, have no reason to fearever. 0000017595 00000 n He leads me beside quiet waters. This psalm is a favorite, especially when one brought fact to face with the grim reality of death. When we belong to God. It tells us that death normally produces fear, and not faith. For a long time they failed to bring peace. May this hope be yours in this hour of grief. The fighting stopped, and all was quiet. 25-26. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. Knowing that his wife was beautiful, and fearing that the Egyptians would kill him, in order to marry his wife, Abraham instructed Sarah to lie, and to represent herself as his sister, not his wife. Cancel. It is in moments like this that I face the fact that death is an everyday reality. And you wont be surprised when I tell you this. Why do they need a shepherd? From the New Testament, we know why Abraham was willing to obey God, and to put his son to death. c. = Confess that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior. He makes me lie down in green pastures. 3 You turn people back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, you mortals.". She was married to James Roop on New Year's Eve, December 31, 1994. Truth Taught- Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd of Psalm 23 meeting all our needs by His presence and care. Only those who know the Good Shepherd will enjoy the benefits of this Psalm. That sounds light-years away, but in fact it I want candy, I want my cookie, I want my toy. Today, I invite you to respond to each want that rises up inside you with I shall not want. The mother angrily replied, They dont have numbers, they have names!. God is bigger than any problem we will ever face in life. A good shepherd who lay down his life for the sheep. Required fields are marked *. Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. To breathe new air, and find it - celestial; To feel invigorated, and find it - immortality; To rise from the care, the loneliness, and the turmoil of earth. She was born on June 14, 1946. The Lord Jesus Christ then died for our sins, and suffered the penalty, our penalty, of death. One of the first things that drew me to Judys reflections about sheep, sheepdog, and shepherd, was what I didnt hear. Will you obey the Good Shepherd? For centuries the Twenty-third Psalm has been one of the most treasured passages in all of Holy Scripture. Death was defeated by the Lamb who was slain, and who rose again. Psalm 23:4: Deep Shades: A. S. Brooke. Powered by, http://westgroveumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Psalm-23-Seg-1-Rev04.mp4, http://westgroveumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/2017-04-23-11-00-sermon.mp4, http://www.workingpreacher.org/craft.aspx?post=1498, Second Chances: Sin, Repentance and Redemption. Here goes. Call it the light or call it the matrix, it doesnt matter. Click here to return to the Sermons page.. Psalm 23:4. All shall be well. I lift up my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from? You may know the 23 rd Psalm, but do you know the Good Shepherd? The restoration He gives is forgiveness of sin and peace with God. 0000003308 00000 n Its our hope. Are we loving and knowing our community? 0000001988 00000 n Thank you Jerry. To get sheep to rest, they must be free from fear and sickness, there must be no worry among them, they must not be aggravated by the weather conditions, and they can't be hungry. INTRODUCTION: We are in the middle of a three week series on this Psalm, and we are looking at what it means to have the Lord as your shepherd. While we are walking in this valley, God is still with you. The final verses indicate God's foresight for those who believe in and abide by him. A Psalm of David. << Through Gods grace, in Christ, we will be reunited with her in heaven, Prayer for the family, church and community. A Funeral Sermon: Bishop Dehon. + Funeral Homilies Only He can make us right with God again. God raised Him from the dead. Have you personally received Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God and as your Good Shepherd? Your observation of no shadow without light is a vision I treasure. Psalm 23:1-2 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. All those who trust in Him lose their fear of death and find the faith, peace, and hope of which David writes. In his epistle to the Thessalonians, Paul described these two contrasting responses to death in these words: But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). 0000003043 00000 n Psalm 23:4: Comfort Through the Rod and Staff: F. B. Meyer, B. Friday: They told him, In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet. Matthew 2:5. Not only did Jesus Christ come as the Lamb of God, to die for those who would be His sheep. He leads me beside still waters. Never mind the names, the man interrupted, Just give me the numbers. Thats why we must stay close, walk together, and continually remind ourselves and one another that a shadow cannot exist apart from light. Let me be clear about this. This sermon may be particularly helpful when conducting a funeral of someone the minister did not personally know. You are the author and perfector of life; You are our hope in times of trial and our peace in times of distress. I want to share with you a passage of scripture that has been a source of comfort for many people. The shadow is not the ultimate reality. /Length 316 I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; After extended conversation, the two armies agreed to pool some of their food together for a Christmas meal. The rod is used by a shepherd to ward off evil and to direct the sheep as they walk. 0000031987 00000 n Every one of you here today, whether you know it or not, is a part of that matrix. How can a lost sheep be restored to the fold? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. David understood what it was to be a shepherd and David knew a lot about sheep and what sheep need. Enter your email address and we will send you a link to reset your password. But there is another reality, a greater reality. I am sorry for that. The writer to the Hebrews gives us two vitally important truths, which explain the faith of David in Psalm 23. Fear can be a powerful, debilitating, paralyzing influence in our lives. /Lang (en-US) Dont forget the jokes, or the way she would make you feel when she was around you. 0000003632 00000 n Not how it was 30 years ago, but right now and right now. Not sure what you know about sheep but lets just say that without the shepherd there, the sheep would find themselves in desperate need of protection and provision. The more Ashley spoke about the matrix, the faster he talked and the more excited he got until he just started bouncing, and his arms flapping about. This was our . Yet the promise that God has already given us eternal life with him sustains us in our journey and gives substance to our hope. %%EOF If so, you will no longer be enslaved by the fear of death. Jesus was always to be our shepherd. Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. = Believe that Jesus died for you and rose again. Out of visioning time together, I am asking all of us to be in prayer. Having trouble logging into your account? This was because all demonstrations of kindness expressed by the Sawi were regarded with suspicion. 0000018083 00000 n David does not speak of the Lord as "our Shepherd," but as "my Shepherd." A. What is it that makes the difference? One foot in front of the other. Has your soul been restored? The entertainer came back to continue the program. We want to know that our life matters. I dont know when or where or how it will happen for you, but I promise you this, there will be moments when you catch glimpses of the light, and the day will come when the light pierces the shadow. And then he would tell me about you Z., and you M., and you O., and you R., and you A., and you too T. You all are the threads woven throughout his matrix. But Abraham, like all men, feared death, and this fear enslaved him. At the beginning of the service, a very familiar passage was read--Psalm 23. David did not fear. Ive seen it happen in the lives of others. And I will not pretend to have any today. The shepherd takes care of our wants (that is of all the things we lack) and the rest of the psalm tells us what these things are!! To comfort: Florence leaves a vacancy that no one can replace, a gap in our lives. However, I feel that most people miss out on some of the deepest and richest truths that it has to share. My joy and delight is to share with you how you can exchange the fear of death for the faith of David. 0000019265 00000 n Yes we are here to mourn but we are also here to celebrate the life of Brandy Burt. Ashley was contagious. John the Baptist was a prophet, the prophet whose privilege it was to introduce Jesus of Nazareth as God's Messiah. All of us can both rejoice and grieve, due to the goodness of this wife, mother, and friend. The walk you are experiencing today is a temporary one. It is in moments like this that I have no answers, explanations, or understanding for myself or for you. 3) DEATH IS A DEFEATED FOE (PSALM 23:4) a) There can be no valley without mountains. Will you do that today? Do we know our children and spouses well enough to know what delights their hearts? Death was not in the cards. It was there the day Ashley died and it is here today. In other words, God provides a place of rest for us. It is my privilege to share with you in the grief and the joy of fondly recalling the good things which God brought into our lives through Mrs. Smith. It is all those things and more. You and I are known by God intimately as a shepherd knows each sheep. 0000016588 00000 n David could rejoice because the Lord, his Shepherd, was with Him. He was at peace because he knew the Good Shepherd would lead him home. Fourth, David's fear of death was gone because he was assured of God's presence. God is there to comfort us and sustain us. A Hope Which Exchanges Fear for Faith ( Psalm 23) A Message of Hope ( Hebrews 2:14-15) Christ's Comfort ( John 14) Death: The Door to Eternity ( Luke 16:19-31) Freedom from the Fear of Death ( John 14:1-6 and Hebrews 2:14-15) GodA Shepherd to Israel ( Ezekiel 34) God the Protector . For centuries the Twenty-third Psalm has been one of the most treasured passages in all of Holy Scripture. Jesus offers salvation to the all but many won't believe Him. The prophet Micah tell us of Jesus as the shepherd . The Christian can be thankful for the failures of those whose lives have touched their own because of the assurance that "God causes all things to work together for good, to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). So rather than prepare a sermon, I simply wrote a letter. a.) Ashley, I suspect, would describe it as what he called the matrix. Shortly after coming to St. Philips he started telling me about experiencing the matrix. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art . He was heartbroken to hear what happened to John. Make Your Spirit and peace present in all of their homes and lives. He restores my soul. God allows us to share in His glory. Sunday: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Psalm 23:1. All shall be well. "Even though I walk through the darkest valley," or as most of us memorized it, "the valley of the shadow of death.". /S 429 Prophets have foretold the way of Jesus. God promised to bless Abraham through his offspring. Almost every time without exception, when I sit down with a family to plan a funeral service, they talk about the 23rd Psalm. The pastor should take time to talk with the family of the deceased before the funeral and learn something about him/her. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. The famous historical events from WW I are being omitted. 76 0 obj After he finished everyone gave him a generous round of applause. Where do you need to study Gods word, so you are better prepared for Gods will? Psalm 23. Ps 23:3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His names sake. /N 12 Heaven is the completion of Gods grace for us, 1.) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. Intro. Abraham is perhaps one of the most well-known Old Testament patriarchs. Post Reply b.) It is among the most familiar, so much so that even people who are not religious or very knowledgable about Scripture recognize these words. He said he had glimpsed a time in the future when all of them would be together in heaven, and all their earthly conflicts would disappear. Psalm 23 is used widely in funeral service and religious traditions, including the Shabbat. He infected us with his life, and helped us to see the light. He knows the way. A mother was asked by a census-taker how many children she had. I want. That is easier said than done. you are my son - everything I have is yours! " David knew that he had received God's lavish care all his life. I do not remember ever taking a funeral where I did not use the 23rd Psalm. Psalm 23 is a highly personal Psalm for David. Rev. 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