Julie Carbone - Psalm 23v4 (Sunday 9:3:25)

so um we're going to read Psalm 23 this

is the proper version not

one's you know children's version no it

was really good actually I almost

thought we should get that back up but

let's all read it together I'm not going

to make you stand like Bend

does all right but you have to read with

gusto all

right so the Lord is Myer

he

this has got to be I reckon I said to

Ben this week when I die you need to

this is my favorite this my favorite um

Psalm because I'm dying before him

actually we're dying together so you

know we've we've chattered to God about

that um Psalm

23 is a bird's eye in my opinion it's a

bird's eye view it's like a it's like a

summary of our whole life here on planet

Earth and it's in respect to our um

God's relationship with us it's our God

and me our journey through life it's

like a snapshot the theme of this psalm

is how God and I navigate whatever life

throws at me this is what all the

different parts of my life look like you

can find just about everything if not

everything in there this is how God and

I do life that's what I think anyway and

you know Psalm 23 is also written as a

poetic piece in fact the whole book of

Psalms is poetry and I read this on a

reputable

site on the internet but the book of

Psalms is the most substantial

collection of of Israelite poetry in

existence so if you enjoy poetry read

that obviously it's not rhyming poetry

but it's and anyone who was a poet who

loves poetry here who's written poetry I

think there is someone here who has Dan

there's a if you write poetry you

understand that it's there's a lot of

and it's really hard to get good poetry

well the book of Psalms is awesome so

and the other thing I love about Psalms

23 is it has it has a vivid imagery and

enchantingly descriptive text it uses

beautiful phrases to conjure up a vivid

images to the reader's mind I don't know

if I'm the only one but when I read it I

see pictures in my head without even

trying to the opening line is a picture

of a Shepherd which

instantly in my mind gives me an image

of sheep relaxing under a tree under the

watchful eye of a calm protective a farm

type person I'm trying to not be to like

you know I don't know what but anyway

that's what comes to my mind nice plump

fluffy sheep and a really nice gentle

farmer with a

the next verse Green

Pastures whenever I read that bit um he

makes me lie down in green pastur does

anyone else picture Green Pastures when

you read that yeah like lush green

beautiful um beautiful soft cool grass

bit like Steve's Lawns filling me with

refreshing relaxing Sensations underfoot

because whenever I picture grass I I

think of me walking on it barefoot

anyone like

that and when I read Psalm 23 it takes

me to those places I'm instantly on a

green pasture or by a nice Still Waters

and I can almost hear the trickling of

the streams well verse four is equally

as

dramatic even though I walk through the

valley of the oh actually I've got it

just

even 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 so that's what

we're going to look at this morning in

the

message it tells us the message

translation it says it calls it Death

Valley I think there is a Death Valley

in America and it's really dry and hot

and they run a marathon in it for some

weird reason and then the Amplified

Bible

uses the words um the um deep um deep

sunless Valley of the shadow of death

whenever I read that I picture Mordor in

like the Lord of Lord of the Rings or

anyone else like this place of just

darkness Perpetual sort of darkness and

there's no grass it's it's just

Barren nice place

hey you know know the the Valley of the

shadow of death the pre the preceding

verses now we're going to have a look at

each of those words tell but the

preceding verses tells us that God leads

us besides stol Waters leads us down

Paths of righteousness we're given the

picture that God is leading us like a

Shepherd leading A Flock the whole

premise of this Psalm is God

leading so maybe God May well Lead You

me through a valley or lead me through a

time of

trial

maybe notice though this the words is

though I walk through Valley of the

shadow of death doesn't say though I sit

in the Valley of the Shadow it's a

walking through there are no plans if

God leads us in a place that's difficult

there's no plans for us to stay there

we're going through it and sometimes we

have to remind ourselves of that now the

valley in uh the Bible mountaintops

represent interaction with God Great

Moments where Heaven and Earth Collide

in fact in um ancient history people in

uh like in England and that they think

that high mountains there's a sacred

it's like a thin space where you can

easily move into the spiritual Dimension

I'm not saying that here but that um

mountains are symbolic of of an

incredible place where you can

interact interact with God and in fact

um there's lots of instances in the

Bible where that happened Abraham sacri

was going to sacrifice um his his um his

um um son on a mountain but God

intervened and gave him a promise Moses

obviously climbed the mountain spent a

lot of time on a mountain really

touching God speaking face to face which

is incredible and then even Jesus him

and the three closest disciples had an

incredible encounter with God on a

mountain so when you look at that in the

Bible when you're interpreting scripture

The Valleys then is meant to be in

contrast it represents low times times

of difficulty away from God and if you

think of that imagery a deep sunless

Valley where the light can't reach

properly a place of Darkness where

unknown evils lur people can hide like

as in bad people because it's

dark and then death the word

death death is our

wage for the sin filled world we live in

it's interesting how he he says

death death is our punishment for sin

Romans

623 for the wages of sin is death but

the free gift of God is eternal life in

Christ Jesus you know the Bible doesn't

just use random words scripture is

inspired by God and I believe God puts

specific moves on specific um moves on

people to put specific words in there

and the word death is not just a

description of something horrible it's

for a reason and when I was reading this

I actually this is just so incredible

and we'll get there and hopefully you'll

get to the same spot as I did but you

know death is our wage the penalty of

our sin Adam and Eve the whole thing

about us being

separated from God the penalty is death

death looms over our life over all of

life here on planet Earth I don't need

to tell you this it overarches all we do

and think and hope for because at the

end of it all we're going to die really

sorry if this is depressing and death is

not just a moment at the end of a long

life but our cells die and are replaced

every single day and by somewhere in

your 30s your cells start dying off

faster than they're being replenished I

mean all we need to do is have a look in

the

mirror we are all

aging which is the process of us

marching to except for maybe not Jo

yeah that's okay it's a process of us

marching towards our

death death the great taker away of life

it's the opposite of Life the great evil

that hits us in a way that immobilizes

even the strongest of us when someone we

love is taken away from us in death it

hits us why why God even though we know

like we can rationalize it but in our

heart it just HS us and

even knowing that we're going to see

them again one day it just is it's just

not meant to

be and then there's the word the shadow

uses the word Shadow now a shadow is

produced when something stands between

me and the

sun if I

walk when I walk to work um I have to

walk through the through City and on a

hot day I walk on the side of the street

where the building comes between me and

the Sun so I walk in the shadow it's

when

something blocks the sun's Rays reaching

me who is the sun symbolic

of God God is the son so this is a

picture of something that comes between

me and God something that gets in the

way of God's light reach watching me

God's light is God's glory God's kingdom

his life so God's glory who he is shines

down on all of us but something is in

the way and instead of seeing and

experience God Experiencing God and all

that he is I am in the shadow of

something

else and in this imagery is death's

Shadow notice though in this verse it is

not death we are

experiencing it is its

shadow this is where it is so exciting

because we know this God has beaten

death Jesus has put death in its place

when Jesus died on the cross and rose

again he took away the sting of death he

carried the punishment for our sin the

wages of sin is death but he carried

that punishment what's the last part of

that

but the free gift of God is eternal

life through Jesus Christ Our

Lord we don't carry the penalty of our

sin because Jesus died on the cross he

took

it death does not strike fear in the

heart of God he has an answer for it

Jesus death is in fact the doorway to

Absol abolute and complete Union with

God we believe

that now the next

part tells us I will fear no

evil the thing about fear is that it

affects us in a way that controls

us the power that something or someone

has over you because you're afraid of

what might happen if you don't do

what that thing is demanding fear brings

with it a loss of control over your life

and in fact there's two things I think

that do that one is fear the other is

shame controls you inhibits you locks

you away pulls you back makes you go no

I can't do that anyone understand what

I'm saying and fear the crazy thing

about fear is that you can tell yourself

you can rationally work out why it's not

going to happen but when that a plan is

taking off you grip the seats or is this

just me you grip the seat go God please

don't

let or if it is just make it

quick it is irrational fear and shame

but we're not talking about shame it is

an irrational thing that

controls and maybe I'm talking about

more extreme

fear there's so many things like um arob

phobia fear of flying you know

Arachnophobia I can squash a spider if I

scream when I'm squashing it anyone like

me like you can hit it with the boom I

can't do it unless I do a scream so I

don't hear it now that is completely an

utterly irrational in my head

sorry um fear of flying fear of letting

people see the real you people pleasing

fear of failure there's so many fears in

our life so many

but it controls

us this phrase I will fear no evil gives

me the

picture and that I am not swayed or

Changed by anything bad that may happen

or may threaten to happen I will fear no

evil so I'm not going to be affected by

fear I'm not going to be affected by the

thought that this might happen or that

might

happen my actions are not inhibited by

fear or something happening it's really

powerful actually it's absolutely

incredible because we can say in our

heads I'm not going to be afraid but

then we are this is talking about

something else something that actually

we don't fear

evil a really good example of this is um

Shadrach mesach and Abednego in the

fiery furnace I'm not going to show you

the scripture but they were going to be

thrown into this horrible furnace but

they was like you can you can Chuck Us

in that's okay I'm not going to I'm not

going to Bow Down and Worship You oh

King I'm not going to change my actions

it's not going to control me and I'd be

afraid if I was going

be uh thrown into fire but it's this

concept of knowing God has your back

regardless of what

happens so why why are we not afraid

what is it that can make us go this is

another really awesome thing about this

verse what is it that makes us go I will

fear no evil I will fear no evil

and what is it who who knows the next

phrase for I will Fe no evil because for

you are with me in Isaiah 41 it says it

again fear not for I am with you be not

dismayed for I am your God I will

strengthen you I will help you I will

uphold you with my righteous right hand

I am with you he is with me

you know this is the incredible thing

about the cross when Jesus came as a

baby what was his name starting with an

E Emmanuel what does Emmanuel

mean God with us this is the incredible

Twist of the cross that I don't even

think Satan had any idea was coming

Jesus went up to heaven and he even says

this if I don't go the holy Holy Spirit

can't come he went to heaven and who who

came here literally the Holy

Spirit the holy spirit is inside us when

we choose God he lives inside us he is

with us he's alongside us he he walks

with us this is life changing and we as

Christians we don't get it God With Us

he is with me he is with me because of

that I'm Not Afraid not because oh it's

not going to happen that that's not

going to happen you know I'm really

scared that I don't know if that

spider's on the wall and I'll use that

example even though it's pathetic it it

might touch me it might run on

me but God is with me so that's not

going to happen that's not what he's

talking about he's talking about I don't

have to be afraid because God is with me

even when the bad stuff happens he with

me and you know what what amplifies that

is the next bit which is really

incredible David goes on after he says

I'll fear no evil for you are with me

your rod and your staff they Comfort Me

Now ride and

staff these words actually have a lot of

depth to them I all my life because I've

been in church for you know quite a

while and and I've heard this explained

and and I always thought you know the

rod is the the thick piece of whatever

tree branch and it's used for fighting

off the Lions Who attack the sheep for

defending the

Sheep like all that type of thing that's

what I thought the rod was and it and it

actually is and the staff I pictured

like that with the crook on it like the

hook that's for like the shepherd to

lean on but then when the Sheep gets

really close to the edge sort of hooks

it around and pulls it in so the Sheep

fall over the edge and while those

things are

true I'm going to show you something

else so we're going to do some um

Hebrew so

Rod I wish Bonito was here but Daman is

so that's all right the rod is

pronounced shabet say

shabet that's masculine which I found

interesting and its meaning it's got a

few meanings one of them is stick

Shepherds using it for guiding and

protecting their flock so they did use

it to fight off lions and things like

that but it also this is where it gets

incredible has connotation and symbolism

of a tribe or a clan you know it talks

about in the Bible um Aaron's Rod that

buttered don't need to go into it but it

was symbolic of Aaron's family his clan

his tribe it brings into its meaning a

sense of belonging to a certain family

group and it also carries in it the

meaning of a scepter a royal scepter

which is linked to fighting ruling

Authority discipline Royal

Authority and governance so when we see

the word Rod it is not just the thing

that F off lines the psalmist is

bringing into here this sense of

belonging to the Royal

as an added level of protection and

understanding and staff let's look at

staff

mishor everyone say after me

mishor and this is feminine which I also

thought was

interesting um and this means support

prop sustenance a walking stick to lean

on a physical object for support used to

describe something or someone that

provides support or

assistance the Reliance or dependence

that is placed on that thing or person

I'm going to go on to the next word

Comfort because you

know you're R in your staff they comfort

me I actually thought what a why did

they choose the word Comfort because to

me is comfort is like it's

does anyone else think of comfort why

didn't the psers put your rod and your

staff they protect me or you're rod and

your staff fight off the Lions or you're

rod and your staff support me when I'm

really struggling no he says comfort so

in my mind for years I've thought yeah

it brings me Comfort you know hope

believe but when I looked into this you

know the English meaning is is exactly

that um soothe console reassure Aid

support encourage but Hebrew meaning is

much more and it's quite complex and I

am not a Hebrew scholar so I'm not going

to go into it in a lot of depth but the

meaning is to comfort to repent to

relent to be sorry to sigh to pity to

console I'm going to read you what this

concordance told me the Hebrew verb

nor

cam primarily con conveys the idea of

comfort and consolation often in the

context of grief or

distress it also carries the meaning of

repentance or a change of mind

particularly in relation to God's

actions or

decisions the term can imply a sense of

regret or sorrow leading to a change in

Behavior or

intention when I first read this I

thought oh so God's leading me to repent

to change which I thought was awesome

but then it doesn't mean that it means

the concept of God repenting or

relenting is understood within the

framework of his covenantal faithfulness

and mercy demonstrating his

responsiveness to human actions and

intercessions you know the story of

Jonah God called him to go to ninev

because they were an evil city and tell

them they need to repent and Jonah ran

the other way swallowed by whale

eventually he goes and he he tells them

to repent to change they change and God

then doesn't destroy them which is was

his original plan in that language there

is this sense of God relenting or God

repenting God changing his mind now I

don't understand that fully and we're

not going to discuss that whole thing

but the concept is we

someone is called pointed out they did

the wrong thing we turn to God we change

our ways and God changes what was meant

to happen what was going to happen and

instead blesses and this is where it's

incredible because you know our choosing

to be sheep in his flock because that's

what this is about choosing to follow

Jesus means that I and you now belong to

the family of God the rod bringing

support and protection and as part of

his family his clan we come under his

Royal Authority and governance his

protection his provision he fights for

us and the consequences that should be

ours death God has changed his comfort

has turned sin's wage on its head and

given us eternal life because of Jesus

this whole concept is it's the cross

smack bang in the middle of Psalms when

Jesus came he took the penalty for

sin it means we don't deal with death in

this Valley we deal with its shadow it's

not even real death it's just that I'm

GNA get you that's what that is and it's

because his rod and his staff his family

his Royal everythingness comes along and

it's turned around what was meant to

happen which is you're meant to suffer

you're meant to have a tough life where

everything's horrible the curse but

Jesus you're your staff they comfort me

I've turned it around and I'm bringing

blessing now instead of hardness and

suffering eternal life instead of death

this Psalm is so

incredible the problem

is when I'm in the Valley of the shadow

of death I can't see God or his goodness

because something's blocking the sun I'm

in a valley I'm in a shadow

I can't always feel the benefits of

being at his family sometimes and you

would all know you don't feel like

you're part of a royal family with all

the

blessings sometimes I feel lost alone

unsafe insecure worried anxious fearful

sick weak

tired

rejected sometimes all I can see is

trouble and difficulty pain and

struggled and

hurt all I can see is the Shadow and the

restrictive walls of the valley Death

Valley and church this is our

battle in fact this is the only thing

God calls us to strive in the only thing

God calls you to fight in the only thing

God says to you come on you can put more

put more something put more I don't know

heart and this is the fight of fath

when we can't see God or his kingdom

with our own eyes that's when we use

eyes of faith it takes Faith

Church and you know the incredible thing

about faith is you don't need to be

strong to have faith you don't need to

have been a Christian for years and

years to have faith you don't need to be

sinless to have faith you don't need to

have it all together to have faith you

don't need to be doing great to have

faith you don't need to have not you you

don't need to have read your Bible this

week or

pray we all are on the Level Playing

Field when it comes to Faith because God

has given each of us the measure of

faith we need to believe he hasn't given

you a measure and then oh you haven't

used it I'm GNA take it away he's given

you Joyce and you Joe and Margaret and

Marge all of you what faith you need for

your Valley of your shadow of whatever

it is you're going through faith is the

most incredible thing because it's not

about how good you are it's about you

going God help me it's about looking at

God Closing your natural eyes your mind

off from what is going on and choosing

God and often that is scripture often

that is reading a verse and going God

I'm hanging on to this even though I

don't feel it at all God I need you I

need you to come through often that is

putting a worship song On and just

letting yourself get caught up in

Emotion of love often that is talking to

someone who's a Christian who believes

and going I'm really struggling with

this can you pray with

me faith faith faith is we've been so

deceived sometimes I think in the church

because we think we've got to have great

faith and the Bible goes on and on Jesus

goes on and on about you need more faith

because we do but Faith grows you just

start with the bit you've got and that's

enough ROM Romans 5 1 to5 therefore

since we have been justified through

faith Justified means just as if you'd

never done any sin we have peace with

God through our Lord Jesus Christ

through whom we have gained access by

faith into this grace and grace is what

you need in that situation in which we

now stand and we boast in the hope of

the glory of God not only so but we also

glory in our

sufferings because we know that

suffering produces perseverance

perseverance character and character

hope and hope does not put us to shame

because God's love is poured out into

our hearts through the Holy Spirit who

has been given to us I I don't want any

of us to have to walk through a valley

of the shadow of

death but for some

reason we know that suffering produces

perseverance perseverance character and

character hope and hope does not put us

to shame hope does not disappoint is

another

translation Hebrews

116 but without faith it is impossible

to please him for he who comes to God

must believe that he is and that he is a

rewarder of those who diligently seek

him you know the incredible thing

about faith if you want your faith to

grow if you if you think when I'm going

through a tough time I don't have the

faith I need that's how you

feel the thing is as you draw closer to

God as you develop relationship with him

as you that's the wrong word let's not

use develop as you just spend time with

him your faith grows because you

discover who he is you know this part

for he who comes to God must believe

that he is it's not just talking about

oh yeah I believe God exists it's

talking about discovering a knowing god

knowing him you know I was thinking this

when it comes to I will fear no

evil in the past I've had a whole lot of

anxiety in my life I you I used to if I

drove across a bridge I would unlock the

door and wind down the window just in

case the bridge collapsed and I could

get out like I used to do I remember

lying in my bed in the middle of the

night up here and thinking what if

there's a what if there's a tsunami um

now what dog do now do I get the dogs

and then the cats where's the Cat boxes

and I actually thought I should put the

Cat boxes by the front door so I know a

bit of an anxiety but the thing is and

this is quite pathetic but if Ben was at

home when Ben came

home has anyone got anyone in their life

that if they there with you you feel you

don't feel as anxious you feel a bit and

honestly if Ben was there he wouldn't

get the cats he doesn't care about the

cats he go no let's just get out of here

if it's an

army so that feeling is not always

defined by well this thing will happen

and like it's not always logical but God

is like that as we get to know him we

just feel safe when he's there and that

is our faith that picture I'm really

really sorry Wanita but that

illustration of Psalm 23 had when it had

the Valley of the Shadow the guy was in

the valley and Jesus was up on the like

the the shepherd was up on the The Cliff

don't like that Jesus is here with me in

the valley and I just want to encourage

you

because God is with you when as you get

to know him as you discover him and I'm

not talking about religion and church

and doing the right thing you know I was

thinking and I don't tell Ben I say this

but sometimes you need to take a year

off church and just discover God not to

not come to church but discover God for

real for like who he really really

is I want to read this whole scripture

to you I read a part of it but it's just

so incredible but you Israel my servant

Jacob whom I have chosen The Offspring

of Abraham my friend God wants to be

your friend your

friend you whom I took from the ends of

the Earth and called from its furthest

Corners saying to you you are my servant

I have chosen you and not cast you

off this is what we read yesterday was

it fear not for I am with you be not

dismayed I am your God I will strengthen

you I will help you what a

promise I will uphold you with my

righteous right hand behold all who are

in sensed against you shall be put to

shame and confounded those who strive

against you shall be as nothing and

Shall Perish you shall seek those who

contend with you but you shall not find

them those who war against you shall be

as nothing at all and one last scripture

Matthew 11 we seem to read this a bit

Church Jesus said to me come to me all

of you who are weary and carry heavy

burdens and I will give you

rest take my yoke upon you let me teach

you because I am humble and gentle of

heart and you will find rest for your

souls for my yoke is easy to bear and

the burden I give you

light in the

message it puts it like this walk with

me and work with me watch How I do it

learn The unforced rhythms of Grace I

won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting

on you keep company with me and you'll

learn to live freely and

lightly this

scripture though I walk through the valy

of the shadow of death I will fear no

evil for you are with me your rod and

your staff they comfort

me the only thing our enemy has is an

empty threat the

shadow of the Val the shadow of death

church we need to use Faith how do we

use faith we get to know God we spend

time learning how to talk to him because

you know it's it's not easy talking to

someone who you can't

see when we learn to trust in his

goodness that he is my shepherd and I

have all I need that he leads me he

guides me not only by streams of

replenishing but even onto paths that

seem dark he restores my tied and broken

Soul he gives me rest and that's only

the first half of this incredible Psalm

because God is with me

companionship God is beside me he is

alongside me I forgot to mention earlier

and I'll just mention here quickly now

um Ben's mom mom told me a story quite a

few years ago when she was really

struggling with um a personal difficult

that she was facing was really really

hard for her and she just felt broken

and at the end of herself and she said

she remembers crying out to God in her

little granny flat and um really calling

out to him and just like finding she

didn't really get that peace in that

moment so she went to

bed and I probably I don't know

hopefully I'm telling this exactly right

but she remembers she woke up in the

night and she said said she heard a

voice speak to her I I am with

you I know so

clearly I am with

you I am with you she said God said it

to her three times and she said the room

felt like heaven just a a beautiful

piece in the room and she said from that

point on she just knew that Jesus was

with her and she could go through

anything I don't think that situation

changed to be honest but she said she

could deal with it she could handle it

because God is with her I am with you I

am with you it's that sense of knowing

someone is with

you who

can you do it together or just makes it

all

okay let's just pray

God thank you so much that you

um you knew what we would have to face

here thank you Jesus that you walked as

a human and you know what it's like

thank you holy spirit that you came and

live inside each us and just want to be

a part of our life a really everyday

part thank you for this incredible

Psalm Holy Spirit I ask that you would

help us to choose you in those moments

of fear those moments of

shadow of death God the moments when we

feel like nothing's going right and it's

just beyond us holy Spirit help us to

choose you in those moments to hang on

to you help us holy spirit to discover

you to discover a real relationship with

Jesus God I pray for every person in

this room holy spirit that you would

just give them greater revelation of how

Inc how real you are and how

incredible it is to walk with

you god refresh I pray

Lord thank you