Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table

Introduction

Overview

Psalm 23

One of the most well-known passages in all of Scripture.

We hear it quoted all over the place…

Funerals

Weddings

Athletes

Memorized as kids

Quoted in private sector

Because it’s so well known, its impact is often lost due to its familiarity.

We tend to gloss over it.

So, as we approach, we need remove any preconceived notions we may have — get rid of anything we think we know.

When we come to the text with ideas in our minds of what this Psalm entails, it’s easy for us to miss the power and promise of Psalm 23.

Often when we think about Psalm 23, we see Norman Rockwell type image of Jesus as a gentle shepherd, carrying a lamb over his shoulder, with a soft expression on his face as he looks off into the distance.

Instead, it’s a gritty and powerful reminder of God’s promise for provision and deliverance.

READ

PRAY

Context

Written by David — Shepherd/King

Look at David’s life…. He was a man who knew what it was like to be in a difficult situation and see God’s deliverance.

Attacked by wild animals, and by people.

Knew what it was like to literally fear for his life.

As a shepherd, he also understood the relationship between sheep and the shepherd.

The imagery of the shepherd/sheep is used throughout Scripture.

David uses this imagery to refer to us — compare us to sheep.

When doing so, he’s not paying us a compliment.

VIDEO

Understanding Sheep

Sheep are dumb.

They don’t make good decisions on their own.

Sheep are vulnerable.

Weighed down with several blankets worth of wool.

Heavy, with thin/spindly legs.

See a sheared sheep, they aren’t exactly “sturdy” creatures.

Unstable — they fall easily.

Their wool covers their eyes/ears — they don’t see/hear well.

This isn’t an animal we’d choose to be compared to.

David compares us to sheep because the sheep are 100% dependent upon the shepherd.

Have to rely on the shepherd for everything.

The Sheep (v. 2-4)

Sheep need 3 things in particular from the shepherd…

1. Guidance/Direction (v. 2-4)

Green Pastures

Palestine, not KY

Green pastures are not in abundance.

Shepherd would literally lead the sheep from one pasture to the next to eat.

Sheep couldn’t find it on their own, because they’re few and far between.

They would have to rely on the shepherd to guide them on the safest route from one meal to the next.

“You make me lie down in green pastures…”

You’re leading me to my next source of sustenance.

Still Waters

Sheep have wool on their face. When they drink, it absorbs water and gets waterlogged… IT’S HEAVY. It would often cause them to fall forward into the water.

Sheep don’t make their own decisions well. They don’t look for the CALM water, they look for the CLOSE water.

If the water was rushing, they would fall in and be swept away.

The shepherd on the other hand would lead them to STILL water, where if they were to fall in, they would be easily recovered.

The Valley

Notice — the shepherd isn’t leading the sheep TO the valley, but THROUGH it.

It’s the imagery of the shepherd leading/guiding the sheep into and through a place of danger.

Promise of God’s presence with us in the valley.

2. Safety/Security (v. 4)

Sheep aren’t naturally safe animals.

They don’t have great natural defenses to protect themselves.

They’re VULNERABLE.

They need the SHEPHERD to protect them.

Rod/Staff

2 words, 2 tools

Staff = Shepherd’s Crook

Gently guide the sheep, keep or recover them from danger.

Rod = Baseball Bat

Defend sheep from predators.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…..”

“Even though I’m in the middle of danger/turmoil…”

“I take heart” — Why? YOU’RE ROD AND STAFF COMFORT ME.

You’re guiding me through this situation, all the while defending me and beating back the danger around me.

God is guiding us THROUGH THE PRESENCE OF OUR ENEMIES.

3. Restoration (v. 3)

We all need to be restored/refreshed.

We get tired —weary from the battle.

The Shepherd (v. 1)

UNDERLYING TRUTH: “The LORD is my shepherd…”

We all have a shepherd.

The thing that guides/controls you.

Directs/leads you.

Where you find safety/security.

Where you find comfort/restoration.

Ex: Money, family, career, power/authority, relationships…

PROBLEM: David says, “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.” The moment we take God out of that sentence, the rest of Psalm 23 looks radically different.

We can’t say I shall not want. Instead, we want constantly.

Why? Those shepherds don’t restore or satisfy us. Only God can do that.

Does this through the table…

The Table (v. 5)

Prepared for me in the PRESENCE of my enemies.

In the middle of the battle, you set a table for me.

It’s a dinner table surrounded by enemies and fighting, yet I’m expected to come to the table to dine and rest.

It doesn’t make sense with arrows flying in all directions.

Dissect…

Enemies

David — may have been a physical person. Feared for his life numerous times.

For us, it may be a physical person. There are certainly people that try to undermine us…

Ephesians 6:12 ESV

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Our enemies are spiritual.

Fear, anxiety, depression, worry, family issues, conflict, marital problems, etc.

In the middle of all those arrows, God has prepared a table for us. As we think about who those enemies are, and about their presence, the constant nature of the barrage of their attacks, we begin to think about a dinner table.

Table

Dinner Guests — when you invite someone to your house for dinner, you put out the best.

You pull out all the stops.

Want to ensure they have a great meal, and walk away filled and satisfied.

Place of intimacy.

Family Dinner — Totally different experience at a table vs. a drive thru.

Able to connect with my family — conversations we may not otherwise have.

It’s a place of fellowship and intimacy with one another.

When God says I’ve prepared a table before you, he’s inviting us into a place of fellowship and intimacy unlike anything we could imagine.

He’s laid out a spread of the finest food — but it’s not just to eat. It’s a place of intimacy and restoration.

It’s a place of rest/trust knowing that God is fighting on our behalf.

We respond in 2 ways…

Drive-Thru

Sit Down

God is inviting us to a conversation across a dinner table that’s more intimate than we could imagine.

As we sit across from the King of the Universe, we focus on him, the things — the enemies — around us begin to fade.

We notice them less and less.

The fear, anxiety, stress, etc. — all the things we’re experiencing that we think are the end of the world — all we see is the valley and we think we’ll never get through it — when we focus on the king, they aren’t there anymore.

The Third Chair

Problem — we leave the door cracked just a little bit.

All of a sudden, there’s another chair in the room.

We don’t notice it at first. Just a passing thought.

Anger, worry, etc.

We don’t pay attention to the chair. Then one thought becomes 2, becomes 3, and the chair moves a little closer.

It’s like seeing someone you know when you’re out to dinner with your wife. You just keep your head down, and hope they go away.

Next thing you know, there’s a 3rd chair at the table.

We’ve just given the enemy a seat at the table of our minds.

Problem: God has booked the table, bought the food, prepared the meal, and taken care of the check in order for us to sit at the table with him. And it cost him everything.

When we leave the door cracked, we entertain those thoughts/ideas, we give the enemy a foothold — a chance to stick a foot in the door and shoulder his way in.

Then, we entertain him again, and again, and again.

Sooner rather than later, I’m no longer look at or listening to the King. My attention is turned to an unwelcome visitor.

When I’ve taken my attention from god and put it on the other chair, that has become my shepherd.

Instead of “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want…” Why? Because I’m fulfilled. I’m at a table with the Creator. What else could I need?

Now, “YOU are my shepherd, and I’m not longer satisfied.”

God is calling us to close the door — to the enemy he’s not welcome.

Don’t give the enemy a seat at your table.