the good shepherd who brings rest and restoration
01 October 2023
Pastor Gabriel
Jesus broken body is broken for me, He borne my sins in His own body, declare => By His stripes, I am healed
Lord, I worship, praise, exalt and adore You all the days of my life because You have love me with perfect love. You have given Your life for me
As Your beloved bride, I can only behold Your beauty, majesty, glory and loveliness. I just want to express my love for You
Thank you Lord for Your love
He alone is worthy
Allow Him to embrace me, lavish His love on me and bring me close to His heart
Beauty of Gospel, He died on the cross for me
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
in greek "flesh and tabernacle among us"
God is bread to the eater and seed to the sower
Let me sow and worship Lord with my giving
Jesus loves me because Bible told me so
Psalm 23:5b
"....My cup runs over."
Over and overflowing, drank the cup of punishment and condemnation of all my sins
All that I have in my hands, a portion is for sowing
Pastor Lian
Highest position => Child of God
Child like faith, just believed and received
I can invest in my life by serving in this House (NCC)
Matthew 18:10 NIV
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
Matthew 7:11
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
always open for me
how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Every prayers I pray, always open
Psalm 23 Part 2
Psalm 23:1
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not lack
The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need
Look at David, the man after God's heart
God is a great shepherd
through meaning : The Lord is my shepherd
"my" so beautiful
The world have no-one to take care, I have
Shepherd => ra'ah => to tend a flock; feed, make friendship with...
King of all Kings, Lord of all Lords, Maker of heaven and earth, my redeemer, reigns forevermore, He is my shepherd
He wants to take care of me, watch over me
He feeds me, He wants to have intimate relationship with me
John 10:27
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
He wants to connect with me, intimate relationship with Him
Bonafide shepherd by profession, name every sheep
Do sheep know the shepherd? Absolutely
They often know his scent and the sheets know their names
My good shepherd, He knows me by name
what I am going through, He knows
I can know Him, I can know my shepherd as well
God really wants to have relationship with me
Start kids early in House of Lord
Psalm 34:1
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Kids can know Jesus personally even by singing and praising
Know Jesus what He can do for my life
He paid all my sins and all my debts
David knows that the Lord wants to save me and shepherd take care and watch over me, that's what Lord wants to do for me and bear me up forever
Psalm 28:9
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever.
"bear up" => nasa => to lift, advance, help, hold up, lift up, exalt, set (up)
if down emotionally or spiritually, Lord wants to lift me up
He wants to help, help comes
My good shepherd wants to be my help, exalt and promote me
Set me up for good success
Heart of my good good shepherd
Lord never want me to be alone
He wants me to be part of flock, kept for and look after by good shepherd
Psalm 23:2-3
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Lord wants to restore my soul and makes me to lie down in green pastures, leads me beside the still waters
He wants to restore His people
Believing for restoration, believe I am going to receive it
Allow Him to lead me in still waters, be at rest
Rested in Him, He can restore me
Jesus said to me: "Just let me lead you to still water and be at rest, depend on me, don't have to run around, dont have to be anxiety. In my care, if you can rest, I can restore"
when anxious, be at rest, He restore me
Take my eyes over the problem and see Jesus
Flesh want to do and do
I decided to rest
Pastor Prince sermons => God's way to acceleration
Stop depending on self effort, rely on Jesus' finish work, everything change
Boldness of never ending grace and mercy of Jesus
Lord wants me to rest
Rest is not no activity, it is spirit direct activity
Be directed by spirit
Be at rest, not worry
Jesus said to me "Let me watch over you, you rest. Trust in me"
Don't take things in my own hands
self-effort => greatest enemy of soul prosperity => ends up self pity, self hatred
Hebrews 12:2-3
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
Just looking unto Jesus
Look to self, situation => restlessness
Look unto Jesus => Rest, Soul prosperity
I am amazing child of God
Looking unto Jesus, author and perfecter of my faith
Rest in Him, enjoy soul prosperity
Psalm 23:4
Yea, 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.
He leads me, everything is okay
If I walk through the valley of shadow, yet I fear no evil, because Jesus is with me
Whatever situation, know that => He is with me
How good my shepherd!
It is only a shadow, it can't touch me
dark places, distressing place, by no means harm me because it is a shadow, they can't touch me because Lord is with me
Shadow being a shadow, there must be some light
some light => darkness shall not overwhelm me
Good news! Gospel!
dark and distressing time, the rod to whack the enemy, the staff to gentle walk me back so I will not go astray
Psalm 23:5
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
The Lord already knows there's enemy, He already prepared, He already gone ahead
Lord says to me: "I prepared a table"
I just rest, He will fight my enemy
Rest is not no activity (eg: see Netflix)
Rest is spirit direct activity, all that He done and finished
Not working and working, it is resting
In the presence of enemy, just feast
"Oil' => because flies will come and irritate the sheep like devil, Lord anoints my head with oil
Fear not!
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.
"Surely" => the certainty of being taken care of by my shepherd
"follow" => hunt me down
lost and don't know what to do => Lord says "Rest! you think you lost, My goodness and mercy will hunt you down"
I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever
Why I can enjoy all this in Psalm 23?
Zechariah 13:7
“Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd,
Against the Man who is My Companion,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“Strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep will be scattered;
Then I will turn My hand against the little ones.
God says awake also
"Sword" => Genesis 3:24
So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
When Adam and Eve sin, God says one can't live by senses what is good or bad. Have to live by Jesus
God of Justice
Jesus my good shepherd went into Holy and Holy, He entered it with my sins, He borne all my sins, bearing all my sins
The sword turn against Him, He died for my sins
sword came, Jesus said "finished", curtains (veil) fell
I can come in the presence of Holy God and reconcile with Him
Hebrews 13:20-21
20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
because of what good shepherd have done, borne the sword for me
Lord says "complete in every good work to do His will"
My good shepherd, give Him the highest praise
Remembering afresh
Song: In Christ alone
Surely goodness and mercy will hunt me down all the days of my life
Nothing shall rob me of what God have for me
I shall walk, receive and enjoy the fullness of God have for me
Thank you Jesus
Amen