My Cup Runneth Over!

Introduction

Psalm 23:5 “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

·      Go over the different translations.

NKJV

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.”

NLT

“You prepare a feast for me

    in the presence of my enemies.

You honor me by anointing my head with oil.

    My cup overflows with blessings.”

The Message

“You serve me a six-course dinner

    right in front of my enemies.

You revive my drooping head;

    my cup brims with blessing.”

New Life Version

5 You are making a table of food ready for me in front of those who hate me. You have poured oil on my head. I have everything I need.

Gods Word Translation

“You prepare a banquet for me while my enemies watch.

You anoint my head with oil.

My cup overflows.”

Illustration:

A war movie I once watched. There was a scene in it that now helps make sense of this. The movie followed this particular army unit throughout the entire movie. Going from battle to battle. Difficult time after difficult time. But I remember this one specific scene where in the middle of all this chaos and enemies swarming around them they find shelter with this lady who prepares a meal for them. They eat and get refreshed while all at the same time there enemy surrounded them. Looking for them.

1.    “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies”

A.     God is in the business of preparing. Always prepared.

·      Tv show called the preppers. The world likes to binge watch shows about people who have strategically planned how to survive anything with topics ranging from the end of the world scenarios like when a massive asteroid hits the earth, a nuclear war, the zombie apocalypse, Alien’s invading our planet! I mean literally everything and anything you can think of. But the point is, they devote and dictate their whole lives in preparing based upon that one scenario they believe will eventually happen.

o  Among all the chaos that will erupt, they have it all planned out. Food and shelter supplies for months or years to last. You can call them crazy, insane, out their mind, but what you can’t call them is “Not prepared!”.

·      Or how about this? How many of you here today, prepared the clothes you were going to wear last night? Or, how many here prepare the routes, stops (bathroom breaks), food, hotels, finances, etc. before you head out on a trip?

·      Do you think we got this creative preparational mindset from our own nature? No, because we are made in the image of God, we can at a limited capacity prepare and plan for things before hand, but we still make mistakes. We still can’t anticipate everything that could possibly happen. But God can!

·      There maybe chaos going on in your life right now or its only a matter of time but no matter what, if your seeking God and trusting in Him, He has that table prepared for you already. Not only that, but He is also the Host. The Bible calls God, “The Lord of Host.” God goes beyond and prepares this table in front of your enemies while they stand watching.

·      And because He is the “The Lord of Host.” He will protect you. Shelter you.

·      In ancient Near East tradition, if one is hosting a guest, they consider it is their responsibility to protect, feed, and shelter them. This is why we see in Gen. where Lot vows to protect the 2 angels from the violent mob because Lot was the host of the 2 angels that came under his home as guests. If we are God’s guest at His table, how much more are we sheltered, feed, and protected?

·      In front of all the opposition against you. In front of all the naysayers and non-believers in this world around you saying God is dead, there is no God, they mock us; but as:

o  Psalm 78:19–20:

19 “Then they spoke against God; They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? 20 “Behold, He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, And streams were overflowing; Can He give bread also? Will He provide meat for His people?” Did you not read the never ending meal of the loaves and fish given by Jesus in the middle of the desert?

God is already 5trillion x Trillion miles ahead of what is already coming in your life and upon this world. Nothing catches Him by surprise. No government surprises Him. No witch cult. No Satanist cult. No new age or whatever new cult religion comes out tomorrow.  No Olympic mockery of Christ they’re planning for the next 4yrs. Nothing!

No results of any election. I mean this one coming up. No Cat 5 hurricane or largest earthquake ever recorded. He is God Almighty. He is sovereign. He is the living God, so He already knows because He has already made the exact preparations for that circumstance. He is a good Father therefore He takes care of us despite our rebellion and misunderstanding. Despite our ill preparation.

·      When Jesus told his disciples ‘I go to prepare a place for you.’ Why did He say that?  Because He already has the rooms. Jn 14:2 “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?”

·      Before God made man, He already laid out the place and prepared the garden for Adam and Eve to live in.

·      Can I remind you? Theres a great big feast already awaiting us, prepared for us in heaven for those who have dipped their robes in the blood of the perfect Lamb, Jesus Christ.

·      Mt 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”

·      1Co 2:9 However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him

This verse expresses the favor of God over you before the world. You might feel you’re the only one. You might feel isolated from everyone else and all you see is the enemy around you suffocating your air to breathe.

But maybe, you need the spiritual eyes of the prophet Elijah to open your eyes as he did for his servant Elisha and you will witness a mighty army of angels deployed around you but most importantly around your enemies. You are not alone! Around your chaos, adversities, or spiritual battle. But Why? Because you have made your life commitment to serve the Lord and now His favor never leaves you or forsakes you.

“The Lord is the host at a banquet "table" with spiritual food and drink.

·      Before entering the banquet hall, an ancient host would anoint the honored guests with oil made by adding perfumes. Moreover, the Lord defends his servant "in the presence of [his] enemies," expressing both the adversities of life as well as God's love toward us who believe. In the presence of God, we can forget our troubles.

23:5 before me a table is spread out!

·      Hospitality at its finest! You wont find this hospitality even at the world’s finest hotels!

Because God is sovereign in His preparation of His people and His will…

2.  “You Anoint My Head With Oil.”

He refreshes us with His Holy Spirit. The oil of joy! The manifestation of Christ’s ‘name’ produces this oil of joy.

The Hebrew word: “to anoint, gives health; to remove the (fat) ashes; [Pu] to prosper, be satisfied, be soaked in; to be covered:– prosper (2), remove ashes (1), to fully be satisfied

In a diplomatic letter from the Assyrian king in (c. 650 BC), we see how he boasts of his good hospitality treatment of them expressing the action of putting oil on their heads as an act of friendliness. Friendship.

A symbol of God’s divine favor. Oil consecrates us. David was a long-time shepherd before being called by God to be the King of Israel. So, I believe he understood this important real life concept as a shepherd.

“You Anoint My Head With Oil”

“Sheep can get their head caught in briers and die trying to get untangled. There are horrid little flies that like to torment sheep by laying eggs in their nostrils which turn into worms and drive the sheep to beat their head against a rock, sometimes to death. Their ears and eyes are also susceptible to tormenting insects. So the shepherd anoints their whole head with oil. Then there is peace. That oil forms a barrier of protection against the evil that tries to destroy the sheep.”

Do you have times of mental torment?

Do the troublesome thoughts invade your mind about others?

Do you beat your head against a wall trying to solve your problems?

Have you ever asked God to anoint your head with oil?

He has an endless supply! His oil protects and makes it possible for you to fix your heart, mind, and eyes on Him today and always! There is peace in the valley! May our good and faithful Father anoint your head with oil today so that your cup overflows with blessings! God is good and He is faithful!!

3. “My Cup Runs Over”

God never runs dry! His blessings never run dry. His love exceeds our love. His mercy continues to overflow our cup every day; hopefully, pouring into other people’s lives. He is always given, over generous. He makes sure we always have what we need and not only that but more than what we can expect!

If cup was replaced with soul, spirit, or heart; then it would read, “My soul, my heart, my spirit overflows.

But what is this cup (Soul, spirit, or heart) being filled with? 

·      The living Word of God, the Holy Spirit. As Jesus said to his disciples “Whoever drinks of this water, (out of his heart, out of his belly), will flow rivers of living water”

He satisfies our deepest needs.

Lk 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

·      Ahh!! So remember. Give and it will be given to you. Give mercy and you will be shown mercy. Forgive and forgiveness will be given to poured out into your lap! Overflowing!

Illustration:

There was this man who always went to his favorite restaurant every morning. It was his morning routine. He would go order his cup of coffee first and enjoy the sips until he received his breakfast. One morning, he arrives at his favorite restaurant to only find out they had to close the restaurant for good. He was obviously heart broken.

However, about a week later he received news that his restaurant was reopening the next day. That morning, he gets up as always and goes to his restaurant to only find out the restaurant has absolutely reopened but noticed the different title of the restaurant called, ‘Runneth Over Restaurant.’ He thought, ‘A little weird’ but thankful the restaurant reopened. So, as usual ordered his cup of coffee. But, as the waitress was pouring his coffee he noticed she wasn’t stopping. It soon overflowed his cup, on the table, pouring into his lap.

·      At his surprise, he yelled, “Whoah, whoah!! Can’t you see your over filling my cup! Are you blind!

·      The waitress then kindly responded, “Can’t you see our restaurant’s name, Runneth Over Restaurant?” Are you blind?

Sometimes we can be blind of the blessings of God that we have to be told. God is more than able and doesn’t run out of His blessings to over fill our cup. We just have to realize what He is doing.

Summary of Sermon:

Mt 22:4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

But will you accept His invitation at His table? At His house? Will you come to His wedding banquet? He has invited you, you know. That invitation was sent out a long time ago or maybe your hearing it for the first time.

You don’t have to accept His invitation, but it would be wise to do it.

That invitation was giving over 2,000 years ago through His Son Jesus Christ.