Good morning. Today we are going to conclude our Stress-Busters series. For the past 6 weeks, we have been looking at 6 of the things that cause us a lot of stress in life. But in doing that, we have found that the 23rd Psalm addresses God’s antidote, or His solution to each of those stressors. Here is what we have looked at so far:
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.” is God’s antidote for worry. “He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters.” is God’s antidote for busyness. “He restores my soul.” is God’s antidote for damaged emotions. “He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” was God’s antidote for indecision. “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.” was God’s solution for the dark valleys that we face. And then last week, we took a look at God’s antidote for the hurt in your life, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows.”
This morning we are going to finish this passage up by looking at how to deal with an unknown future. How many of you remember what you were doing on the morning of September 11, 2001? Do you remember what you were doing that morning?
I can remember sitting in my first class of the day, it was U.S. Government. We were sitting there, just like any other day, when our teacher’s daughter called and told him to turn on the TV. He stopped the class, turned on the TV, and we were watching the first reports of a plane crash into one of the Twin Towers in New York.
We were about to turn off the television when we saw the second plane flying low, and then crashing right into the other tower.
It was then that we knew it was no mistake. I can remember starting my day in that class room, and ending my day in that classroom. Our school left the TVs on, and very few people actually switched classes that day. Most just stayed in the classroom that they had started the day in. All that day, we watched as the Twin Towers in New York City were on fire. Every so often, they would cut away and show the Pentagon, also in flames.
I remember going home that afternoon and seeing lines at the gas stations. What a difference a day can make. People were frightened, the attack of New York caused a small panic everywhere. Lots of people rushed out to fill up their gas tanks feeling that somehow that one small gesture would give them some small sense of security.
A lot of people spend their lives worrying about tomorrow. Will I have enough money for retirement? Will my health be good enough to enjoy my later years? Will I get that new job? Will I find the perfect man, or woman? Will my kids succeed in life? Will that doctor’s visit turn out okay? We are so wrapped up with tomorrow that we never enjoy today because we fear what the future might bring.
Well, today, we are looking at God’s Antidote For Fearing The Future, and it comes to us from Psalm 23:6, “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 23rd Psalm there is no fear of the future. There is no anxiety, no worry about tomorrow. The author has confidence. The author has hope. You too can be free from anxiety, fear, and worry. You too can live in confidence. Why? Well let me give you 3 reasons why.
1. God Is Watching OVER YOU
Psalm 23:6 says, “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life…”
When we have a personal relationship with God, we have a God who is concerned about us. He wants the best for us. He loves us. These are facts that you can find throughout the Bible. Most of you know Romans 8:28 which says, “And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
Why are all things working for our good? Because God cares about us. Because God protects us. Because God watches over us. Now let me say this as plainly as I can, this promise is not for all people. In fact, the verse says that this promise is only intended for, “…those who love God, and to those who are called according to His purpose.”
The Good Shepherd takes care of His own sheep. All things don’t work together for good for all the people in the world. That is not what this verse says. What it does say is that God watches out for His children.
If you’re a believer, the Bible says, that all things are working for your good. Not everything is good, but God is able to cause all things to work for your good. Bad things happen to believers just as much as they happen to non-believers, but God is able to make good come out of them.
The greatest illustration about this fact is the crucifixion of Jesus. God took one of the worst days in history, the day that Jesus Christ was crucified, and He caused something good to come out of it. He took the execution of an innocent man, and brought us salvation.
In Isaiah 53:3-5 it says, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”
God was able to take an awful day, and turn it into a glorious day. This shows how big our God really is. He can take the worst and make it the best. So, God watches over us, but that’s not all. If you know Jesus as your savior, then,
2. God Is Working IN YOU
When you become a Christian, God Himself comes to live with you. He comes to live inside of you. That is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, one of the three mentioned in the Trinity comes and lives inside of you.
Look at what it says in Romans 8:8-9, “Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.”
One of the clear signs of being a Christian is that the Holy Spirit, God’s Spirit, has come to live in you.
Imagine that you were moving back in with your parents for some reason. If your parants have passed away, imagine that before they passed away, that you were going to be moving back in with them. Do you think that would change your lives some? Sure it would. You would be able to see each other every day. You would be able to talk to each other every day. You would be able to get to know each other better. You will be able to grow closer together, because you will be living in the same home.
Well, that is how it is when the Holy Spirit comes to dwell inside of you. He is there so you can get to know God better. He is there to influence your life.
Do you know how He influences your life, with goodness and love. Look again at Psalm 23:6, “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.”
Let’s talk just a minute about Shepherding. Did you know that there is a difference between a rancher and a shepherd? A rancher drives cattle, but a shepherd leads sheep. The rancher is behind the cows, but the shepherd is in the front. If you were in the Middle East you would see shepherds out on the hills leading their sheep. You would also see sheep dogs coming up behind the sheep helping to keep them in the flock. Goodness and love are like those sheep dogs. They follow behind, keeping the sheep in line. Keeping the sheep safe so that they don’t get lost.
We dwell with the Shepherd, but actually, He dwells in us. And because of that, goodness and love are there to help us from straying. So God is working in us.
The third point I want to talk about this morning is that you don’t have to fear the future because,
3. God Has Prepared A Place FOR YOU
If you are a Christian 3 things have changed in your life. Your sins have been forgiven, you have a purpose for living, and you have a home in Heaven.
Look at the 23rd Psalm again. Verse 6 says, “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
This is one of the most important connections we see in the Bible. It connects the present with the future. It connects today with tomorrow. We don’t just have today, we have and eternity to think about. II Corinthians 5:1 says, “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.”
I want you to circle 2 words for me. The first is “tent” and the second is “building.” Paul is talking about the physical body. That which we dwell in now is a “tent.” What is a tent? It is a temporary structure. It is designed to be lived in for a short period of time. A tent was designed as a temporary shelter. But a building is not.
Paul is saying that what we have right now is a temporary shelter, but God has a permanent home for us. It will be a home not made with human hands it will be an eternal home in Heaven.
We’re going to be released from pain, from sorrow, from suffering, from depression, from fear. The Bible says He will wipe away all the tears from our eyes, and there will be no more pain, no sorrow, no crying, not even death. Isn’t that good news? This earthly body will be replaced with a Heavenly body. This tent will be replaced with a home.
Philippians 1:21 says, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
I did a funeral sermon not too long ago, in fact, it was for Choppy’s funeral, and I spoke about 3 new things that a Christian gains when they die. Allow me to share those with you now.
1. We gain a new body.
We receive a glorified, or a better body when we enter into Heaven. In this present body of clay we are subject to all the sorrows and tears that this life brings. Age, sickness, and finally death are the inevitable end. But in death, and the resurrection to Heaven, we gain a better body, one that can never grow old, it knows no disease, suffers no pain, and can never die.
2. We gain a new home.
No matter how beautiful any home here on earth may seem, it is nothing compared with our mansion in the presence of God. Look at the promise from God in John 14:1-3. In that passage Jesus says, “Let not your heart be troubled: trust in God, trust also in Me. For in My Father’s house are many rooms: if it were not so, I would have told you so. I am going to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and take you to be with Me.” The houses that we live in are limited, but in Heaven, we are surrounded by the presence of God Himself.
3. We gain a new inheritance.
There are good rewards that we receive on this earth. As Christians, we are very blessed here in this life. But, for the Christian, the final reward is not here. The ultimate reward is in Heaven. And God has promised that if we are faithful to the end, that we have this wonderful inheritance waiting for us.
So, those are some wonderful things to look forward to, as we understand that God has prepared a place for us.
So, as we wrap things up this morning, Psalm 23:6 tells us that, “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
So, from this 23rd Psalm, David gives us God’s Antidote for many of the things that casue us the most tress in our lives. In these 6 short verses, we find:
- God’s Antidote For Worry
- God’s Antidote For Busyness
- God’s Antidote For Damaged Emotions
- God’s Antidote For Indecision
- God’s Antidote For Dark Valleys
- God’s Antidote For Your Hurt
- And God’s Antidote For Fearing The Future
And in those verses, God simply says to us, “1” Let’s Pray! |
