Sermon Series: Sermons from Psalm 23
Sermon #7: God’s Answer to the Stress of Fearing the Future
Scripture Ref: Psalm 23:7
‘’Surely goodness & mercy shall follow me all the days of my life & I shall abide in the house of the LORD forever.’
Introduction:
This morning we bring this series of messages from Psalm 23 to a close.
We LOOK at GOD’S ANSWER to the STRESS of FEARING the FUTURE.
Many PEOPLE SPEND their ENTIRE LIVES WORRYING ABOUT their FUTURE.
They NEVER seem to ENJOY TODAY because they are ALWAYS WORRIED about TOMORROW.
WHY do we WORRY? BECAUSE we DO NOT KNOW WHAT the FUTURE is going to BRING our way.
Yet, DAVID as he BRINGS this WONDERFUL PSALM to a CLOSE declares that he is NOT WORRIED about ALL THE DAYS of his life that REMAIN.
‘Surely goodness & mercy shall follow me all the days of my life & I shall abide in the house of the LORD forever.’
DAVID testifies, ‘I have NO FEAR or NO ANXIETY or NO WORRY about TOMORROW. He is FACING the FUTURE with ABSOLUTE CONFIDENCE. ‘surely, GOODNESS & MERCY shall FOLLOW ME ALL the DAYS of my life.’
WHERE do we RECEIVE such CONFIDENCE?
If we are a CHRISTIAN there are 3 REASONS WHY we DO NOT have to FEAR the FUTURE.
1} BECAUSE GOD IS WATCHING OVER ME:
‘Surely goodness shall follow me all the days of my life.’
BECAUSE OUR GOD is a GOOD GOD we can EXPECT HIS PROVISION & HIS PROTECTION in OUR LIVES.
We can EXPECT those things NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS to us GOD will CAUSE GOOD to come out of it.
WHATEVER HAPPENS it WILL ALWAYS BE for OUR OWN GOOD or for the GOOD of OTHER PEOPLE or for the GOOD of GOD’S OWN KINGDOM.
OUR GOD is a GOOD GOD. HE is OUR SOURCE of GOODNESS.
Psalm 145:20 ‘The LORD watches over all who love HIM..’
OUR GOD CARES ABOUT EVERY DETAIL of OUR LIVES
We have NO IDEA of WHAT the FUTURE HOLDS but we DO KNOW WHO HOLDS the FUTURE.
We also KNOW that GOD is IN CONTROL & that GOD LOVES US & WANTS to HELP US.
GOD says that HE will be a FATHER to us & HE will WATCH OVER US.
‘Surely goodness will follow me ..’
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
Obviously DAVID had some DISAPPOINTMENTS in his life. Not EVERYTHING GOOD happened to him. He is NOT SAYING that ONLY EVERYTHING GOOD will HAPPEN to us. That’s NOT TRUE.
As I MENTIONED EARLIER in this series, BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE.
But DAVID is saying that GOODNESS will FOLLOW him.
GOOD THINGS will ALWAYS COME out of WHATEVER HAPPENS, even OUT of the BAD & the EVIL & the DIFFICULT.
GOD will INSURE that GOOD will COME OUT --- it will FOLLOW WHATEVER HAPPENS to DAVID.
That is a GREAT PROMISE that GOD has given to ALL BELIEVERS.
Romans 8:28 ‘We know that all things (whatever happens to us) work together for our good. IF we love GOD & are called according to HIS purpose.’
That is a PRECIOUS PROMISE but it is also a CONDITIONAL PROMISE.
ALL THINGS do NOT WORK TOGETHER for GOOD to EVERYBODY in the world.
THINGS WORK TOGETHER for BAD to those WHO DO NOT TRY to DO GOD’S WILL in their lives.
But if we are a BELIEVER & we are TRYING to DO GOD’S WILL in OUR LIVES then we have that PROMISE from the LORD.
NOT ALL THINGS are GOOD but they are WORKING TOGETHER for OUR GOOD.
That is WHAT it MEANS, GOODNESS will FOLLOW me. There is NO DIFFICULTY or DILEMMA or DEFEAT or DISASTER in the LIFE of a CHRISTIAN that GOD will NOT ULTIMATELY BRING GOOD OUT of it. EVENTUALLY GOD WILL BRING GOOD OUT of it, SOMEWAY & SOMEHOW.
OFTEN it is DIFFICULT to SEE GOD’S GOODNESS when we are GOING THROUGH a TRAGEDY. There are SOME TIMES when we DON’T FEEL that GOD is GOOD. We don’t FEEL the MERCY of GOD. SOMETIMES we FEEL like GOD is HIDDEN from us or that GOD is a MILLION MILES away.
Even JESUS on the CROSS cried out in GREAT AGONY, ‘MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY have YOU FORSAKEN ME?’
& WE GO THROUGH those EXPERIENCES SOMETIMES in OUR LIVES & we DO NOT KNOW WHY. We DO NOT SEE the GOODNESS in the SITUATION
It is ONLY LATER, LOOKING BACK, that we are ABLE to SEE GOD’S GOODNESS & HOW HE was WORKING for OUR GOOD.
So BY FAITH we have to ACCEPT this:
WHATEVER BAD THINGS HAPPEN to us GOD will BRING GOOD to COME out of them.
The APOSTLE PAUL was put FALSELY into PRISON. Was that GOOD?
NO. He was kept as a PRISONER in ROME. & while he was there he WROTE several of the BOOKS that we call the NEW TESTAMENT.
GOODNESS FOLLOWED after his IMPRISONMENT & today we are BENEFITING from PAUL’S PROBLEMS & PAINS & DIFFICULTIES.
GOODNESS FOLLOWS:
As the GOOD SHEPHERD GOD ASSURES US HE will WATCH OVER US.
HOW does GOD WATCH OVER US?
Psalm 91:11 “For HE shall give HIS angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.’
GOD uses HIS ANGELS to WATCH OVER US.
ANGELS are just as REAL as we are this morning. They are GOD’S ARMY ASSIGNED to GOD’S CHILDREN. We do NOT SEE THEM or TALK to them but they are WITH US at ALL TIMES. Sometimes we can FEEL THEIR PRESENCE.
In Daniel 6: In the LION’S DEN DANIEL was PROTECTED from HARM by ANGELS.
In II Kings 6 There was a time when ELIJAH the Old Testament PROPHET & his SERVANT were SURROUNDED by a HOSTILE ARMY but ELIJAH is NOT WORRIED. He SEES a MULTITUDE of ANGELS ASSIGNED to them. ‘There was MORE for them than was AGAINST them.’
In Acts 27 the apostle PAUL is ON BOARD a SHIP with a BUNCH of other men. They ENCOUNTER a GREAT STORM. The men were AFRAID they were going to DIE. But PAUL ASSURED THEM that REGARDLESS of the STORM they would be ALRIGHT. PAUL knew the LORD would place HIS ANGELS ABOUT THEM in the STORMS.
& there are NUMEROUS TIMES in our OWN LIVES where GOD has SENT HIS ANGELS to MAKE GOOD to COME from the BAD STUFF we have come through.
NO DOUBT we have ALL ENTERTAINED ANGELS UNAWARE.
#2: GRACE IS WORKING WITHIN US:
Not only will GOODNESS FOLLOW US but MERCY & GRACE is WORKING WITHIN US.
‘Surely goodness & mercy will follow me all the days of my life..’
Isaiah 60:10 ‘I will have mercy on you through MY grace.’
What is GRACE?
GRACE is GOD’S RICHES AT CHRIST’S EXPENSE.
GRACE is ALL that GOD is ABLE to DO for us BECAUSE of CHRIST.
GRACE is when GOD GIVES US what WE NEED & NOT WHAT we DESERVE.
Aren’t we GLAD that GOD doesn’t GIVE us WHAT we DESERVE?
& then there is MERCY?
What is MERCY? MERCY is GOD’S GRACE in ACTION.
Why do we NEED MERCY?
Because we are IMPERFECT PEOPLE:
We ALL STUMBLE & FALL & BLOW it.
So not only do we NEED GOD’S GOODNESS we also NEED GOD’S MERCY.
We NEED GOD’S FORGIVENESS & GOD’S HEALING.
For ALL of OUR WRONGS we did NOT have to PAY for them, GOD DID.
We will DO WRONG in the FUTURE, we’re NOT PERFECT.
But even THEN there is MERCY & GRACE.
A GOOD PASSAGE describing the MERCY & the GRACE of GOD
Psalm 103: 2-11 ‘Bless the LORD O my soul, & forget not all HIS benefits. Who forgives all thine iniquities, who heals all thy diseases. Who redeems thy life from destruction, who crowns thee with loving kindness & tender mercies, Who satisfies thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The LORD executes righteousness & judgment for all that are oppressed. He made known HIS ways unto Moses, HIS acts unto the children of Israel. The LORD is merciful & gracious & slow to anger & plenteous in mercy. HE will not always chide, neither will HE keep HIS anger forever. He has not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is HIS mercy toward them that fear HIM.’
GOD’S MERCY means that when I am going through a VALLEY or a DIFFICULTY or a HARD TIME, even ONE that I have BROUGHT UPON MYSELF, GOD is THERE to HELP me out.
Hebrews 4:16 ‘Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, & find grace to help in time of need.’
We have a 24 HOT LINE SERVICE with GOD ALWAYS AVAILABLE.
None of this: Leave a message because GOD is OUT at the present time.
GOD in HIS MERCY will HELP US BECAUSE of WHAT JESUS DID.
MERCY like GOODNESS FOLLOWS US all throughout our lives.
PICTURE a PARENT FOLLOWING a LITTLE CHILD & PICKING UP after them. GOD is CONSTANTLY PICKING UP our MESSES. GOD goes BEHIND US, PICKING it ALL UP & PUTTING THINGS BACK TOGETHER & WORKING IT ALL OUT & TAKING CARE of OUR MESSES. That is the MERCY of GOD.
MERCY will FOLLOW US ALL the DAYS of OUR LIVES.
NOT SOME of the DAYS of OUR LIVES but ALL the DAYS of OUR LIVES.
GOD does NOT TURN HIS MERCY ON & OFF. GOD does NOT TREAT us GOOD ONE DAY & then the NEXT DAY TREAT us BADLY.
DAVID declared: ‘ALL the days of my life I shall have GOD’S GOODNESS & MERCY FOLLOWING me.’
We will ALL EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT DAYS in OUR LIVES.
HAPPY DAYS & SAD DAYS & SICK DAYS & DEPRESSING DAYS & LONELY DAYS & DIFFICULT DAYS & that is WHY we FEAR the FUTURE. We DON’T KNOW WHAT the FUTURE is going to BRING us. But WHEN we GIVE OUR LIVES to JESUS CHRIST & we SERVE HIM FAITHFULLY we will NEVER FACE a DAY WITHOUT GOD’S GOODNESS & MERCY FOLLOWING us.
There can BE some DARK DAYS in OUR LIVES.
The DEATH of a COMPANION or of a CHILD or the DIAGNOSIS of a TERRIBLE SICKNESS or the NEWS of a TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. There are DAYS WHEN our PLATES are FULL & RUNNING OVER.
But GOD is WITH US WHATEVER the SEASON may be.
This 23rd PSALM is the PSALM of a SHEPHERD.
A SHEPHERD LEADS HIS SHEEP. SHEEP are LED. However if you look at a CATTLEMAN he DRIVES his CATTLE. He is BEHIND the CATTLE DRIVING them & KEEPING them MOVING.
In the MIDDLE EAST the SHEPHERD is in FRONT of his SHEEP LEADING them along & there are TWO SHEEP DOGS at the REAR KEEPING them IN LINE & KEEPING them SAFE so they won’t get LOST. That is WHAT is KEEPING US TODAY the LORD’S TWO SHEEPDOGS, GOODNESS & MERCY.
WHATEVER we FACING, try to IMAGE this PICTURE & KNOW we’re NOT ALONE.
We’re LED by the GOOD SHEPHERD & FOLLOWING us is GOD’S GOODNESS & GOD’S MERCY.
#3: HEAVEN IS WAITING FOR US.
“& I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.’
That is ONE of the MOST IMPORTANT little CONNECTIONS we will FIND throughout the ENTIRE BIBLE.
It CONNECTS YESTERDAY & TODAY with TOMORROW.
GOD is saying, ‘I have this GREAT PLAN for your LIVES & surely GOODNESS & MERCY shall FOLLOW YOU throughout your lives, BUT that is NOT the END.
I have SOMETHING ELSE at the END & it is BETTER than ANYTHING BEFORE you have KNOWN.
DAVID ENDS this PSALM with a CRESCENDO.
The BEST is YET to COME, we’re going to HEAVEN.
II Corinthians 5:1 ‘For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of GOD, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.’
How LONG is FOREVER going to LAST? FOREVER:
SOMEDAY our BODY is going to DIE. They’re in the DYING PROCESS right NOW.
We are going to LIVE FOREVER in ONE of TWO PLACES; either in HEAVEN or in HELL.
They are BOTH REAL PLACES. We are ETERNAL BEINGS going to an ETERNAL PLACE.
When we GIVE OURSELVES to GOD & we LIVE for GOD, KEEPING HIS WORD, we don’t WORRY about the FUTURE.
II Corinthians 5:6-8 ‘Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the LORD. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, & willing rather to be absent from the body, & to be present with the LORD.’
DEATH for the CHRISTIAN is a TRANFER, a PROMOTION, on to BETTER THINGS than we have ever EXPERIENCED BEFORE.
It is FOOLISH to go through LIFE being UNPREPARED to DIE.
DEATH is INVITABLE. It is going to HAPPEN to each of us. We are going to DIE.
If we LIVE FAITHFULLY to CHRIST & we are BRINGING FORTH GOOD FRUIT then we’re going to HEAVEN when we die.
HEAVEN is a BEAUTIFUL PLACE.
But the BEAUTIFUL PART of HEAVEN is that HEAVEN is a RELEASE from PAIN & from SORROW & from DEPRESSION & from FEAR.
WHO GOES TO HEAVEN?
HEAVEN is NOT for those who say they get SAVED as a TEENAGER & then NEVER BRING FORTH GOOD FRUIT.
JESUS said: Matthew 7:17 ‘Every good tree brings forth good fruit.’
Matthew 7:19 ‘Every tree that brings forth not good fruit is hewn down & cast into the fire.’
I John 1:6 ‘He that says he abides in HIM ought himself to walk, even as HE walked.’
JESUS WALKED in OBEDIENCE.
HEAVEN is for those who are GENUINELY SAVED & LIVING a LIFE for GOD.
HEAVEN is a REWARD for the FAITHFUL.
HEAVEN is for those who LOVE JESUS.
WHY would we want to go to HEAVEN & BE with JESUS if we DID NOT LOVE HIM?
This EARTHLY LIFE is so SHORT yet so many people ACT as if this EARTHLY LIFE is FOREVER.
GRAVEYARDS are in ABUNDANCE.
One of the MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS I could ASK you this morning:
‘If you were to DIE TODAY WHERE would you SPEND ETERNITY?’
John 10: 1-4 ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief & a robber. But he that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter opens & the sheep hear his voice, & he calls them his own sheep by name, & leads them out. & when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes before them, & the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.’
HIS SHEEP FOLLOW HIM.
Are you doing that? Then you can say with all CONFIDENCE, & I shall abide in the house of the LORD forever.’
What if I SIN AFTER I GIVE MY LIFE to CHRIST?
I John 2:1 ‘My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. & If any man sin we have an advocate with the FATHER, JESUS CHRIST the RIGHTEOUS.’
I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins He is faithful & just to forgive us our sins & to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
The KEY is CONFESS & ASK HIS FORGIVENESS.
II Peter 3:9 ‘It is NOT GOD’S WILL that any man PERISH but that we all should come to REPENTANCE.’
Don’t MISS HEAVEN for the WORLD.
