Funeral - Ps. 23 - Donna Shively

The 8 P’s

Let me read for you Ps. 23

Psalm 23 is often read and used in times of grief or trouble and the reason is because it brings such amazing comfort in its words. When we are at our lowest who doesn’t need to hear that we have a shepherd who cares for our needs, who allows us the peace of knowing that we are secure in His watchful eyes and to know that He is restoring our soul. These are words that aren’t just meant to bring us comfort but they are words which are meant to be a promise. A promise that even though this world is filled with sin and death, grief and persecution we have the promise of a better tomorrow a promise of an eternity spent without those problems with God in Heaven.

As I was talking to Lisa this week she knew that Ps 23 was one of her mom’s favorite passages and that it would be appropriate to use for this message. As she herself turned in the pages of her Bible she found notes in the margins from a sermon preached by Mick many years ago and these simple notes provided her a compass, they pointed her thoughts and emotions towards God. As she read the Psalm through tears, these simple notes were a comfort to here. The notes in the margins of her Bible were just 8 simple words here they are : Personal, Peaceful, Pleasure, Presence, Protection, Provision, Prosperity, and Promise.

Personal

As we read this first verse we see how God is not far from us but that He is personal. Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Grief is not weathered well alone. We need friends, family, and those people who care about us the most to come alongside us and comfort us this is why the author David says there in verse 1 that the Lord is His Shepherd. The Lord is not just A shepherd but His shepherd; a personal Lord who loves and cares for us in our time of need and because we know that God is there, we are not alone and our needs are taken care of. The Lord is our Personal Shepherd and because of His love we are cared for, led, restored, and made righteous. He is my personal Shepherd is He yours?

Peaceful

This personal Shepherd also gives us peace. Psalm 23:2 “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.” This peace is pictured here with idyllic green pastures and still waters because they instill in us a vision of rest, however in the midst of grief rest is rarely found. Verse 4 states that even in the midst of the shadow of death there is peace to be found and it is found in God Himself. It is not that we are blind to the problems, hurts, and pain of this broken world but that believers can turn our eyes towards Jesus and He will bring us peace that passes understanding. God makes the green pastures for us to find and rest in, and God leads us to the still waters so that we might drink deeply and be refreshed. It is God who brings us this peace. Jesus tells us, John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” He is my peaceful Savior is He yours?

Pleasure

God who brings us Peace through the knowledge that even though everything is out of control He isn’t and He will bring even our brokenness under control. Psalm 23:3 “He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.” This kind of love is experienced though pleasure. When we are given those green pastures our souls are restored and Oh the joy that is found there. When we drink from Gods still water our lives or paths are made right once again and we feel the pleasure of knowing the Lord. For some this idea of Godly pleasure may seem useless but for those of us who have been restored by the Lord and who are led on His paths we know the pleasure it is to stop depending our our strength and to lean on His. He restores me and leads me and I find pleasure in giving God control, do you?

Presence

These pleasures are made possible by one thing and one thing only, the presence of the Living God. Ps. 23:4a “   Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,  I will fear no evil; For You are with me;” There is much in this world to be fearful of but with the Lord on our side there is nothing that we cannot overcome. For God is with us even when we find ourselves in the pain and grief. We often walk through the valley of the shadow of death and we often find ourselves hurting. In times like these, at the death of a loved one we can be beside ourselves with grief and sorrow but as this Psalm states we have a Shepherd who cares for us, we have a shepherd who will never leave us and His presence can be felt in our hearts and in our souls. He is a God who is there for His children; is He there for you?

Protection

However, for the believer it is not just that God is there but that He is powerful and He can protect us in our times of need. Ps. 23:4b “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” We have the Lord's Word, the Bible, (His rod and staff) which comfort us but they are there a protection for us. It is said that the word is like a two edged sword that cuts deeply to our core. It slices away at our sins and evils and it works to transform us into the likeness of Christ. But it is also said that when we hide it Words in our hearts we will be able to use them to help us defeat our greatest enemy; SIN. The apostle Paul was absolutely confident in his trust in God’s protection, Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” Romans 8:37–39 “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We have no need to fear because our Great God is there to protect us, is He protecting you?

Provision

The Word of the Lord is as I said earlier a compass pointing us toward God and His provision for us. Psalm 23:5a“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; ” The Bible is often described as meal that is both tasty and good for us to eat because it provides for us spiritual growth. This is the table that is prepared for us that when we partake of this provision we are made stronger through the words in this book applied to our lives. When we eat at the table of the Lord we are filled up in much the same way as a good steak fills you up and makes you feel stronger. God provides a means being made stronger to face the dangers of our world in the presence of our enemies, is He providing for you?

Prosperity

Psalm 23:5 “You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.” The anointing of oil is a symbol of God’s blessing upon a king. God desires to make you great and while we may not see this prosperity on this side of heaven we will receive great riches with Him in heaven. These riches are being experienced right now by Donna as she raises up her voice to worship her Father standing on the streets of Gold, living in her home provided by God, and wearing her crown. She is highly adorned as a child of the most High God. Surely her cup runs over with the prosperity that God has given, have you recieved it?

Promise

Lastly we have Promise. Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.” What is this promise? It is a promise that we can eat in the presence of our enemies. It is the promise that the Lord will bless us as His children. It is a promise that when we know God as our Shepherd and His son as our Savior and we place our hope in His mercy as Donna did and our hearts will not be troubled and our souls can be restored. The promise is the knowledge that He will continue to bring us goodness and mercy all the days of our lives because He is a great God who never breaks His promises and today Donna is experiencing that banqueting table with her Shepherd and Savior. Donna is experiencing all of this because she placed her belief in the Hope of a future spent with Jesus as her Savior.

We believe in the promise of a permanent home built by the great carpenter. A promise specifically prepared for us to be confident that our future is secure and our lives of pain and sin are forgiven. Because we need our sins forgiven we need a Shepherd and a Savior for we who are without Christ are lost and we will find no Personal God to love us, Peace, Pleasure, none of God’s Presence, none of His Protection, nor Provision, nor Prosperity, but you can have it all if you will just as for and receive God Promise.

Jesus. Who gave up His life in sacrifice for ours offers you this promise, the promise of the Gospel the best news in the history of the world. Jesus took the punishment for sin that we deserved in our place on the cross and made possible through His resurrection from the dead that we might be able to have forgiveness of sins and the promise of an eternity spent with God in Heaven. This is the promise that Jesus gives to us all but we have to ask for it. Jesus will not force Himself upon you. It is a gift freely given if you will ask and receive. Donna knew the promise and accepted that gift of mercy, will you?

I ask that you all would bow your heads with me and if you would like to receive the promise of Jesus Christ as your savior then I ask that you believe in your hearts that God raised him from the dead to save you from your sins. You can call out to Him now to save you. If you would like you can repeat this prayer of salvation after me.

God, I know that I am a sinner / but I know that you provide mercy from my sin.

I believe that Jesus came and died for my sin / I believe he didn’t stay dead but rose so that I may have life. Today I place my belief in Jesus’ sacrifice / I ask that you will call me your child

I ask to receive your gift of Mercy / In Jesus Christ’s most precious name I pray. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer today I ask that you come and speak to me after the service.

If you would bow your heads with me one more time in prayer:

Father, we come together today to mourn. We do so because we have lost someone whom we all loved, but we also come together today to celebrate because our loss is heaven’s gain. Donna loved you with all her heart, and today she is worshiping you her Savior and that brings us Joy. Today helps us to mourn and celebrate Donna’s life but more importantly, today helps us to remember the salvation which you freely offer to us all. Thank you for that salvation, let us never forget it nor deny its power to change our lives. Amen.

Today we are going to close with one last song which Noel and Joyce will lead us in. Please join us as we sing: Blessed assurance

Benediction - Now receive this Benediction: Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all. [Amen] 2 Thess. 3:16