Title: “God’s Table of Grace”
Psalms 23: 5
“You prepare a Table before me in the Presence of my Enemies.”
Over the last several weeks, we have seen some of the things that the “Good Shepherd” provides for His Sheep. Listen to what David said;
1. The Lord is my Shepherd & because of that I shall not want! He provides all of my needs.
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2. The Good Shepherd “Restores” my soul.
Restore- Filling up a depleted part. When we Lose our Spiritual Edge, God knows how to Restore Us!
3. The Good Shepherd “Leads Me” in the Path of Righteousness. He has never led me down a wrong path.
4. The Good Shepherd isn’t just with me on the Mountain Top, but He also is with me when I face the Difficult Valleys of Life.
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5. The Good Shepherd Knows how to use His Rod to Guide me & He uses His Staff to draw me close to His Side.
What was David referring to when he said, “You prepare a Table before me in the presence of my Enemies?”
Table- This was the high plateau land of the Sheep Ranges where the best grasslands were located.
I. Who Prepares This Table? God.
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The same God who Spoke & the World came into Existence. The same God who created man out of the Dust of the Ground & then Breathed into his Nostrils the Breath of Life.
I want us to look at some of the Attributes of this God who prepares a Table for His Sheep. He is known by many names that Describe His Character.
1. Jehova-Rapha- “The Lord who Heals.” When the Sheep are Sick they serve a Shepherd who knows how to Heal.
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2. Jehovah-Shammah- “The Lord Who is There.”
When you are facing a situation in your Life & you
feel so Alone, remember that He is the God who is
Always There!
3. Jehovah-Tsidkenu- When you feel like you just don’t measure up, you need to remember that “The Lord is our
Righteousness.”
4. Jehovah-Shalom- When you are facing a Test & it’s trying to Rob
you of your Peace remember, “The Lord is our Peace.”
5. Jehovah-Jireh- He is the Shepherd who will always Provide!
6. Jehovah-Nissi- When you are facing a Battle & it’s bigger than you remember, “The Lord is my Banner.”
7. Jehovah-Raah- When you are headed down a path that you have never been down remember, “The Lord is My Shepherd.”
8. Adonai- Remember that He is my Lord & Master.
9. El-Shaddai- When I feel like I just don’t measure up to the challenge, He is, “The All- Sufficient One.”
10. El-Elyon- When the Enemy Looks make me feel so small. He says, “I am the Most High God.”
II. What is Involved in the Preparation Process.
I want you to know that when the Lord prepares His Table that He doesn’t do anything halfway. The Bible says that King Solomon knew how to prepare a Great Table for his Guests.
But I want you to know that we serve someone greater than King Solomon. He is the King of King & the Lord of Lords & He has prepared a Table for you!
1. He Spends Time in the Preparation.
He doesn’t just throw something on the Table, but when God does something He does it First Class & He’s got a place for you at the Table!
2. He Puts a Lot of Love in the Preparation.
I always look forward to Thanksgiving & Christmas, because I know that my Wife is going to serve a meal fit for a King. We don’t eat Sandwiches on this day, they come afterwards.
It takes several hours for this meal to come together because she wants it to be just right;
-She puts a Special Cloth on the Table.
-She folds the Linen Napkins....
-She puts out the Finest China.
-The House is filled with the Aroma of Food!
-She makes several of my favorite Pies.
-She has enough on the table to feed 5 Families.
-Why does she go to so much Trouble?
-It’s not because she just likes to Cook!
-It’s because she Loves Her Family.
3. God Puts Things on the Table That I Need.
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When I was a little boy my mother would put some things on the Table that I wasn’t crazy about, but she knew that I needed these things, if I was going to have a Balanced Diet.
Most of us in this room like Cake, but that Delicious Cake that you eat has several ingredients & if you tried to eat them alone they wouldn’t taste very good. But when you mix them together something wonderful takes place.
Some of you might be facing some things in your Life that right now;
-They don’t seem to make Sense.
-They don’t Taste too great.
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-But continue to Trust God.
-Friend, God isn’t making a Cake.
-But He is using several ingredients to make you.
-We might not like everything on the Table.
Romans 8:28
“And we know that all things work together for food to those who Love God, to those who are called according to His Purpose.”
III. What Does This Table Provide?
1. This Table Provides Nourishment.
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Jesus knows that if His Sheep don’t eat properly that they are going to be Sick & malnourished. He said, “Man shall not live by Bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds out of the Mouth of God.”
2. This Table Provides an Opportunity for Growth.
When Gail places the food upon the Table she knows that if our children don’t eat that they won’t Grow & Become Strong. When they don’t eat, we know that they are Sick.
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1 Peter 2:2
“As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby.”
In order for you to continue to Grow in the Lord, you’ve got to eat from His Table. When you stop eating, you stop growing. I want to ask you a question, “How is your Spiritual Appetite Lately?”
-Are you hungry for the things of God?
-Are you Digging in for more of God?
-Are you going back for seconds?
-Are have you Lost your Spiritual Appetite?
-When my kids aren’t Hungry, they are Sick!
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3. A Table Provides a Place of Fellowship.
When we sat around the Table, it is more than just a place to Eat, but it’s a place of Fellowship! It’s a place where I get to know my family better.
-We share our Hearts around the Table.
-We share our Struggles.
-We spend time together.
-We talk about Serious Things...
-But we also make memories around the Table.
-I thank God for that Time.....
4. This Table Provides A Sense of Security.
My Children don’t worry about their meal for the day because they know that as long as Dad is able that Dad is going to provide something for them to Eat.
I believe that this is what Jesus was saying to us in Matthew 6 when He told us not to worry about Anything!
Matthew 6:25
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your Life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about you body, what you will put on. Is not like more than Food & the Body more than Clothing?
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-You have a Father in Heaven that Loves You.
-He is aware of every one of your needs.
-He loves you more than your Earthly Parents
-He takes care of the Birds of the Air.
-He watches the Lilly Blow in the Field.
-He sees the Sparrow Fall.
-And He has Promised to take care of you.
Guess what? Nobody sets at my Table unless they are Invited! I know the people that set around my Table. There is a Sense of Security there!
5. The Table Provides An Abundance.
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God doesn’t set a Skimpy Table but He puts everything on that Table that we need. He wants you to come to the Table on a Regular Basis.
Do you need something from God today, then come to the Table. I believe that it is Essential to come to the Table on a Regular Basis, not just when you have a Need. They had to gather the Manna Daily!
Matthew 6:11
“Give us this day our Daily Bread.”
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6. The Table Provides A Place of Belonging.
I love the Story in the Bible when David became the New King of Jerusalem. Saul & Jonathan had died on the Battlefield & David asked the question;
“Is there still anyone who is Left of the House of Saul, that I may show him Kindness for Jonathan’s Sake?” Ziba said, “Jonathan has a Son by the name of Mephibosheth, but;
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-He is Lame in Both Feet.
-He Lives in the Land of Lo Debar.
-It’s a place of Barrenness.
-He doesn’t have anything to offer a king.
-He is Crippled!
David sent a message to Mephibosheth saying, “Do not fear for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, & will restore to you all of the land of Saul your grandfather; & you shall eat bread at my Table continually.”
-Mephibosheth said, “Why are you doing This?”
-David said, “I’m doing it for Jonathans Sake.”
-I’m doing it because I loved your Daddy.
-I’m doing it because I made a Covenant....
-I want you to Set at my Table!
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7. The Table Provides a Place of Acceptance.
All of Mephibosheth’s Life he was a Cripples living in the Land of Lo Debar. But when the king invited him to the Table of Grace, you didn’t see his Crippled Feet! He didn’t set at the Table because he has something special to offer the king.
-He sat at the Table because of Grace.
-He sat at the Table because of Invitation.
-He sat at the Table because of Acceptance.
-He didn’t do anything to deserve this spot
-He sat there because the King Called him!
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IV. Where Does God Prepare This Table?
“In The Presence of my Enemies”
The sooner that we realize that we have an Enemy, the better off we will be. And I want to tell you that he is no respecter of persons. He hates you with a passion.
John 10:10
“The Thief does not come except to Steal, & to Kill & to Destroy. I have come that they might have Life, & that they may have it more Abundantly.”
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1 Peter 5: 8
“Be Sober, be Vigilant: Because your adversary the devil, as a roaring Lion, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
When I was younger we use to play a game called “Hide & Go Seek.” The person that was it would cover his eyes & count to 100. The key was to try to get to base before he found you. If you were on Base----you were SAFE!
Friend, I want you to know that when you are at “His Table”, the Enemy can’t get his hands on you because it is a place of Protection, even in the midst of the Enemy.
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Psalms 91:1-7, 9
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall Abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
“I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge & my fortress: My God, in Him I will Trust.
“Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.
“He shall cover you with His feathers, & under His Wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield & buckler.”
“You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day,
“Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
“A thousand may fall at your side, & ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you.
“Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your Habitation.”
V. Who Is This Table Prepared For?
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It’s Prepared For Anyone Who Will Come.
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
John 1;12
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the Right to become the children of God, even to those who Believe in His Name.”
2 Peter 3:9
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that All should come to Repentance.”
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We bought a Nice Table several years ago & we have more people come to the Table, we are able to put an Extender in it, so more people can come to the Table.
God spoke to my Heart as I was preparing for this message & said, “A lot of people have already responded to my call---but there is Room at the Table for You”. If I have to, I put an Extender in It because I want “You” to come!
Song: “A Table of Grace”
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