CLAMING MY HEAVENLY HOME
23 PSALMS VERSE 6
Ps 23:1-6
23 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name\’s sake.
4 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.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.
In the first 4 verses, the shepherd is leading the sheep
In verse 5 the shepherd plays host to the sheep.
In the first 5 verses the 23 Psalms is from the shepherd’s
Perspective .
In verse 6, the view is from the sheep’s perspective. The Sheep are
viewed as mature disciples.
Starting in verse 1, the disciples were immature. But in
Verse 6 the sheep are now mature disciples.
That is our life story as Christians. We start with our
introduction to Christ as babes. In life through
circumstances, trials and tribulations we gradually become
mature disciples in Christ.
In Verse 6, the disciple is convinced and confident
of his relationship with Christ. He/she have become one
one with Him.
Verse 6 starts with the English word” surely”. The word in Hebrew
Is “ak” which means only or no doubt.
In order to arrive at the conviction of “only goodness and mercy” the disciple has been transformed from being immature to complete maturity in Christ.
Let’s consider three areas of transformation that must take place
for a disciple to make this proclamation; “Only goodness and mercy
will follow me”. A transformation. With God. His neighbor and
Himself must take place to make that proclamation.
I. RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
1. He loves the Lord with heart, mind and sole .
2. He surrendered completely to the Lord.
3. He studies the Bible and believes every
Word applies to his life
4. The disciple lives according to God’s commands
5. He looks for ways to bless the Lord daily
6. He developed complete trust in the Lord Jesus.
a. How does this happen? It is in the first 4 verses.
b. The shepherd led him to green pasture and still waters
c. The Shepherd gave His disciples rest and peace when trouble
was all round them.
d. To strength their faith the shepherd led the disciples
through valleys of deep darkness.
e. The disciples had been in places they knew that should not have
been but the shepherd led them out.
f. The disciples had been in situations that they could see no way
out, but the shepherd rescued them.
h. The disciples had knocked down, kicked around and counted
out, but the Shepherd stepped in the ring with victory.
7. The disciples became convinced that Lord was on their side.
a. While their enemies looked on, the Shepherd prepared a table
before them.
b. Their enemies look on in frustration thinking
they were out, but the Shepherd stepped in , dressed them in
wedding clothes and serve the wedding cake of salvation.
ATTITUDE TOWARD HIS NEIGHBOR
1. He loves his neighbor as himself.
2. The disciple is in the state of mind where he treats everybody
right
3. He is aware of his enemies and blesses them with the prayer
of forgiveness.
4. When he is treated wrong, he blesses them with kindness
5. He is quick to forgive his neighbor for any wrong done to him
6. He forces himself to consider the neighbors point of view.
7. He uses his gifts and talents to serve the Lord by helping thoses
in need to bring glory to His name.
RESTORATION OF HIMSELF
1.The disciple recognizes that he is a work of God in progress.
2. He recognizes God’s goodness in his life
He is favored by the Lord.
3. The disciple now sees all things as good. He sees the bad
as good to be worked in his life. Rom 8:28, All things
work together for my good.
4. He recognizes the mercy of God in his life.
Mercy is God forgiving the guilty.
a. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God Rom 3:23
b. The disciple is confident in faithfulness of God to forgive
his sins as he confesses them. 1 John 1:9
5. The disciple is living in trouble times. His enemies are all
around him, yet he has no fear but follows God. 2 Tim 1:7
6. The disciple righted his wrongs before God and man
7. He confesses his sins daily.
HE DEVELOPLED AN ATTITYDE OF PRAISE
He praises God with his lips and his service
He brings his tithes and offering to the store House Mal 3:10
He shouts for joy in middle of this coronavirus
He not afraid to let the world know that he serves
The one true and living God.
He serves the Lord with gladness.
Notice, it is the shepherd that now following the disciples with
His Goodness and His mercy.
The Second Proclamation
“I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” WHY?
There is an abundance in the Lord’s House
John 15:7
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will,
and it shall be done unto you.
There is love in the Lord’s House
John 15:10
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have
kept my Father\’s commandments, and abide in his love.
There is Joy in the Lord’s House
John 15:11
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
There is friendship in the Lord’s House
John 15:14
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
There is peace in the Lord’s House
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
There is salvation in the Lord’s House
Acts 4:12
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by whom we must be saved.\”
“I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever”
The disciple claims heaven as his current home.
Phil 3:20-21
20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from
there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to
bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that
they will be like his glorious body.
This is why we say, this to will pass, this virus will pass.
The disciple claims heaven as his final destination
2 Cor 5:1
Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a
building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
Dr Martin Luther King said in one of his final speeches,
I have been to the mountain top and seen the promise land
I not fear any man. My eyes have seen the glory of the Lord.
The disciple claimed his home in the new Heaven and Earth
Rev 21:1-2
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
That bride is us
The disciple claims himself to be the bride of Christ
John 3:29
The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom\’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.
If we chose, we can have joy in this pandemic time
The disciple claims eternal life
Rev 20:12
Another book was opened, which is the book of life.
Rev 20:15
If anyone\’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown
into the lake of fire.
Rev 21:3
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, \”Now the dwelling of
God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and
God himself will be with them and be their God.
Amen
Rev. M. Mitchell
