I Will Not Be Afraid

1. The Universal Tyranny of Fear (KEVIN)

Stand and recite Psalm 23 together…

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. 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. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

“Even when I walk through the darkest valley”…

That’s quite a claim. “Even when…” If you think about it, much of our lives are spent trying to construct fortresses against the dark valley. We buy insurance, we create our Dave Ramsey emergency fund, we try to plan for retirement, micro-manage our routines, and build walls around our hearts so nothing can hurt us. We operate on the unspoken premise that if we just walk closely enough with God, He will detour us around every scary place in life.

But eventually, life strips that illusion away. You find yourself in a valley you didn't pick, facing a shadow you can't control.

The 3am call that a loved one was in an accident.

The doctor steps into the exam room with a concerned look.

The boss delivers the news that your position is being outsourced.

Your spouse sits on the edge of the bed and says “I’ve met someone”.

In a moment, reality enters and an agonizing question grips your heart: Where is God in this dark place? Has He forgotten me?

Three thousand years ago, David stepped into that valley. But his reaction seems different - at least from mine. He didn't scream, he didn't freeze, and he didn't run. He looked directly into the dark and declared five victorious words: 'I will not be afraid.'

He didn't say it because he was brave. He didn't say it because the valley was safe. He said it because he discovered one of the great secrets of the spiritual life: The dark valley is not where God abandons you; it is where He walks closest to you.

We saw last week in the first three verses that the Lord is our shepherd. This week we focus on verse four and see that he is also our constant companion.

Pray…

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2. The Delusion of a Shadowless Faith (JULIE)

Think a moment about the last time something scared you. BOO! It's almost always unexpected. We're not ready. It takes us by surprise and often overcomes us.

Where is God?

What did I do to deserve this?

If I were a stronger Christian, I wouldn't react this way.

If God loved me, I wouldn't have to go through this.

We automatically assume something has gone terribly wrong and if it's not God's fault then it must be someone else's, maybe mine. Faith does not mean God will prevent fearful things.

In the Judean wilderness, there is a legendary, deep mountain gorge known as the Wadi Qelt. [pic] Its vertical rock faces stretch hundreds of feet up in some places, cutting off the sun and leaving the valley floor in perpetual gloom. Predators lurk in the limestone caves, narrow ledges crumble beneath foot, and sudden flash floods can sweep through without warning.

Yet, to move the sheep from the scorched winter pastures in the lowlands up to the rich, lush grazing meadows on the high summer plateaus, a shepherd must lead his flock directly through this dangerous gorge. There is no alternative path. The dark valley is not a mistake, a detour, or a failure of leadership. It is the intentional, necessary road to something better.

We want God to keep us out of the valley, but He wants to lead us THROUGH it. (Out vs Through)

We think safety means the absence of danger, but safety is trusting God is present WITH us. (Absence vs Presence)

We think fear is conquered by control, but our fear disappears when we recognize God WITH us. (Control vs Companion)

The flaw in our spiritual thinking is that we confuse safety from danger with the presence of God. We demand that God remove every shadow from our lives, and yet often the only way to reach the mountain heights of spiritual maturity is to walk straight through the terrifying valley below.

3. The Pivot to "You Are With Me" (KEVIN)

So how can a fragile, defenseless sheep step into a sunless valley full of danger and declare with confidence: "I will not be afraid"?

The answer rests here in the center of the psalm. David Gibson highlights the breathtaking shift in language that takes place right in the middle of verse 4:

"In verses 1 through 3, David speaks about God in the third person: 'He makes me lie down... He leads me... He restores my soul.' But the moment David enters the valley of the shadow of death in verse 4, his language pivots to direct, personal address: 'For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.' The dark valley is where theology moves from a lecture about God into an intimate conversation with Him." — David Gibson

David does not say, "I will not be afraid because the valley isn't actually dark." He does not say, "I will not be afraid because I am strong, brave, and resourceful." As far as we know he’s not a blackbelt.

His fearlessness is tied entirely to one, single, unshakeable fact: The Shepherd is walking right beside him.

Let’s take a minute and walk through this part of the psalm:

A. "Even when I walk through the darkest valley"

Notice the posture: the traveler does not run in a panic, scramble frantically, or freeze in terror. He walks. He takes calm, measured, deliberate steps. Why can he do this? Because he is just passing through. The valley is a thoroughfare, not a permanent home; it is a hallway, not a destination.

The Hebrew term tsalmavet can be translated "deep darkness," or as in many popular translations, the "shadow of death." Think for a moment about the physical nature of a shadow:

A shadow can make you anxious, but it cannot hurt you.

The shadow of a sword cannot cut you.

The shadow of a dog cannot bite you.

And for a child of God, the shadow of death cannot destroy you.

As the great evangelist Dwight L. Moody once observed: "Where there is a shadow, there must be Light nearby." The very presence of the shadow proves that the sun has not been extinguished.

B. "I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me"

This is the core sentence of the psalm. We see that fear is not expelled by shutting your eyes to reality, by repeating positive affirmations, or trying to squeeze out more willpower. Fear is expelled by presence.

I grew up in a trailer house in Western Oklahoma - tornado alley. Storms scared me to death. We moved so often that dad never bothered anchoring the trailer, so when storms came the trailer would rock like the deck of a ship. When I was scared of storms passing through, my mom didn’t try to explain atmospheric pressure to me. She didn’t offer me statistical odds of a tornado actually hitting us. Instead, she put her arms around me. The storm raged on, but my heart was at rest. Why? Because mom was close beside me.

In the sunlit meadows of verses 1–3, God walked out in front as a guide. But in the dark valley, where the sheep cannot see the way ahead, the Shepherd comes close, walking shoulder-to-shoulder. He does not stand safely at the top of the canyon yelling down instructions; He descends into the darkness to walk the trail as a companion alongside you.

C. "Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me" (JULIE)

The traveler points to two physical instruments carried by the Shepherd that banish his fear:

The Rod: A short, heavy wooden club, often embedded with sharp iron or stone at the head. It has many uses; he used it to drive off wolves, lions, and thieves. When the sheep hears the heavy thud of the Shepherd's rod crushing a predator in the brush, it knows it is fiercely defended. The Shepherd also uses the rod to count and examine the sheep. A sheep’s wool is very dense, the Shepherd parts and inspects- He lays bare any hidden problems. There's no pulling the wool over His eyes! He sees it all. Interesting that wool is a metaphor for self-will, self-life, self-assertion, self-pride …

The rod is the Word of God disciplining us, saving and protecting us.

The Staff: A long, graceful crook. The shepherd used it to gently nudge sheep along narrow paths, pull wandering lambs back from treacherous cliff edges, and hook a fallen sheep out of thickets. In total darkness, when the sheep cannot see, the shepherd lays the curved head of the staff softly against the sheep's flank—a quiet touch that whispers: "I am right here."

It's a picture of the Holy Spirit.

Together, the rod of sovereign power and the staff of tender care provide absolute comfort. Fear vanishes when you know your Companion has the power to crush your enemies and the tenderness to hold your hand.

4. The Companion Who Conquered the Dark

How can we be certain that God will stay beside us when we arrive at a dark valley and when the shadows become overwhelming?

Because Jesus walked into the ultimate dark valley on our behalf.

When Jesus went to the cross, he stepped into the shadow that hangs over each of us - death. While he had no sin, he received the death consequence of our sin.

“Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.” (Hebrews 2:14–15, NLT)

How can you know that Jesus will be with you as you face the darkness? Because he went there ahead of you. He knows the way through. And he will never abandon you.

Because Jesus faced the reality of death - and emerged victorious on the other side - you and I can walk through the shadow of death and shout to the darkness: "I will not be afraid!" Death has been stripped of its sting. The grave has been turned into a doorway. Our ultimate fear has been disarmed forever.

5. Walking Fearlessly Through the Shadows (KEVIN)

As we close, we would remind you of four liberating truths this morning:

If you are a Christian, Jesus is always right beside you in every circumstance. Your feelings do not determine his nearness. You are NEVER alone.

Shadows are ultimately harmless. They can strike terror, but they cannot hurt you. The enemy wants you to freeze at the darkness of the shadow; your faithful Companion wants you to look at the Light standing next to you. As the scriptures say, “even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.” (Psalm 139:12, NIV)

Darkness does not last forever. If you are in the middle of the dark valley right now, know that it will not last forever. What you are experiencing right now is not how it’s always going to be. Hold on to hope; the sun/Son WILL shine again.

Trust in the Shepherd’s rod and staff. When you feel spiritually attacked by doubts or accusations, rest in the crushing power of Christ’s victorious rod. When you feel fragile, confused, or prone to wander, yield to the gentle nudge of His staff pulling you back to His side.

If you are not a Christian, the scripture tells us, “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24, NIV) That friend is Jesus. He has gone into the darkness of death to take the wages of sin. So that you can be completely forgiven of all sin, past, present, and future. Maybe you could say this morning that in many ways your life is in ruins - broken relationships, abandonment by those who should love you, addictions that control you. Jesus isn’t a magic pill you can swallow that will fix everything immediately. But he will come walk beside you and begin the slow process of healing you from the inside out. If you’ve never asked him to forgive you and put your trust in him, I’d love to talk with you about what that could look like. [Next Steps]

And if you find yourself in a valley right now, you do not need to see the exit to walk through it with quiet, fearless confidence. You don't need to know how the story ends or how the medical report resolves. You don't need to muster up fake bravery or pretend you aren't hurting. You only need to reach out your hand and hold onto the Companion who is standing right beside you.

As you walk through times of uncertainty, where the future is shadowed, let your soul rest in the unshakeable promise of the gospel:

'Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.' Psalms 23:4

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Communion

Invite people to stand.

Step down to the table

Invite Communion/ministry team forward.

Every Sunday we come to this table to take part in a meal Jesus gave us. Jesus said the elements of bread and wine are his body and blood, true food and true drink. They are a grace given to us for our spiritual nourishment. In his final moments with his disciples before his trial and death, he didn’t give them a doctrine - he gave them a meal. That his body and blood would be the sacrifice of atonement needed to rescue the world. And we’re invited to regularly re-participate in this act of love and forgiveness each time we partake.

In Communion, we celebrate our union with God through Jesus by the indwelling Spirit. Here the air between heaven and earth “becomes thin”. We stand in God’s very presence.

If you would like to participate in this memorial meal, after I pray step into the nearest aisle. Someone at the front will take a piece of bread dipped in wine and offer it to you as the body and blood of Jesus. If you prefer not to have wine, close your hands together and that will be the sign for them to give you a sealed container with grape juice and a wafer.

Ministry prayer...

Let us pray.

Father, we want to pause right now and thank you. Thank you for your incredible love for us. You created this world, you made us for relationship with you, and even when we wandered away, you never gave up on us. Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, to rescue us, to show us what you are like, and to bring us back into your family.

Jesus, as we come to your table today, we remember what you did for us. We remember that on the night you were betrayed, while you were sharing a meal with your closest friends, you took bread. You gave thanks to the Father, you broke it, and you gave it to them, saying: “Take and eat; this is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance me.”

In the same way, after the meal, you took the cup. You gave thanks, and you passed it to them, saying: “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, every time you drink it, in remembrance me.”

And so, Come, Holy Spirit… We come to meet you at this table. We ask that you would bless this bread and this cup. By your power, make the presence of Jesus real to us as we receive them.

As we eat and drink, renew our faith, heal our hearts, and refresh our spirits. Wash away our past and give us grace for tomorrow. Bind us together as your church—one body, united in your love, filled with your life, and sent out to serve your world.

Jesus, we do this in praise of your sacrifice for us, and we offer ourselves freshly to you today. All glory, honor, and praise belong to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever.

Amen.

Invite the worship team to receive Communion first and then everyone else.