[0:00] Where the saints of God are fed. I was thinking of that song this morning. earlier I took on a new meaning to me.
[0:13] Just thinking and meditating! I feel somewhat scattered but with a burden.
[0:23] So a scattered burden is better than an organized no burden. Right? I hope and trust.
[0:33] So yeah, I just want to share what God's laid on my heart. I am too very grateful, very thankful. It's very special to us to have all five of our grandchildren, one very new one, here with us.
[0:49] This morning it's rare that that happens or has happened. So anyway, we're blessed and grateful. The more grandchildren we have, the more I remember that I'm older.
[1:02] Thank you. Thank you. So yeah, thoughts have gone far this morning in different areas, different ways.
[1:19] And just greetings to each of you and welcome. I'm going to share this morning. I'm going to share this morning. I'm going to share this morning. I believe it some way or another it fit with what I have.
[1:32] And that is, the question is, at whose table are you eating? There are two tables in the Bible that the Bible talks about.
[1:47] And I want to focus primarily on the good one, the one that brings us much courage and strength. And my heart too is just that God would open the windows of heaven and speak to our hearts this morning.
[2:05] I sense a need that the Lord wants to speak to my heart. He wants to speak to our hearts. That's the whole purpose of coming together and having a service, is to worship Him, but also that in that worship that He says something to me to take home with me.
[2:26] And turn to John, 1 John. If you can, if you have your Bibles with you.
[2:42] We'll read maybe the first seven verses or so. And this is about a relationship. John here speaking about the Word of life, Jesus Christ, and about having a relationship with Him.
[2:58] And this whole idea of eating at a table is, you know, what do we do when we say, why don't you come over, let's have a meal together? Or how about, yeah, we're coming to Mike's house maybe, even though I can't be there, but that's okay.
[3:15] I hope it works out. And you're blessed, but you're going to go eat some food, but you're going to fellowship together, right? Or somebody might say, hey, let's go out to eat together.
[3:29] Would you join us? We're going out to fellowship together. We're having a good time of fellowship around food or whatever. So, that is primarily what I want to focus on this morning, is that fellowship.
[3:47] 1 John 1.1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, and which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life.
[3:59] For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.
[4:14] That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us. And truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son, Jesus Christ.
[4:29] And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. Is your joy full this morning?
[4:42] Is our joy full? John is saying, and John here is John the disciple, but he is now older, an older man, and he's saying, I'm writing these things so that your joy may be full.
[4:56] Is it based on happenings? Are you happy this morning? Are you sad? You know, I think we can be sad and have joy that's overflowing all at the same time.
[5:15] Now that might not seem right, but I believe that. I believe that joy is different than happiness. When you're sad, you're probably not happy.
[5:26] When you're happy, you're not sad. But you can be sad about something and still have an inner joy that is full and overflowing. In other words, you can be at a funeral.
[5:44] There was a funeral the other day. And you can be sad about that. Sad about losing a loved one. But that can't take away the joy that's in your heart.
[5:58] Amen. Amen. The Lord has prepared a table for us. And has given us an invitation to come and sit with Him.
[6:12] With Christ Jesus in heavenly places. He wants a relationship with us. He wants to bless us with good things.
[6:25] Jesus, our Lord, wants our attention. Our focus. He wants our heart.
[6:38] Verse 5. This then is the message which we have heard of Him and declare unto you that God is light and in Him there is and in Him is no darkness at all.
[6:51] If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin.
[7:12] I think we'll stop reading there. This was just a starting point, I guess, for showing us that the desire that Jesus has for a relationship with us.
[7:25] You know, John also says, I think in the next chapter maybe, something about, you know, that if we hate someone or if we do not love our brother, then we walk in darkness and we can't see.
[7:40] We're blind. I forget the whole, I should have turned to that, but it speaks of blindness. We can't see. We think we might be good, we might be a Christian and all that, but if we don't, if I don't love you, the Bible says that I'm walking in blindness.
[7:59] It doesn't matter who we are. None of us are exempt from that. But we can't see and it even says how great is that darkness. You know, like it's the kind of darkness that deceives us, ourselves.
[8:14] Now let's turn to Psalm 23. Wow, we all know that one. You might not have to turn there if you know it by memory. And that's where I get kind of the theme of the message.
[8:33] I have looked at this before a number of years ago. I think I had maybe shared a message on Psalm 23, but it just seems like, you know, some things change as we get older.
[8:49] I've known this Psalm all my life. And as we get older, sometimes things take on new meaning and deeper meanings.
[9:00] And I trust that we can look at it that way this morning, that we'll just look at it a little bit deeper. Let's just look at the first verse and break this down a little bit.
[9:12] The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. Just thinking a moment and meditating on that verse.
[9:23] Let's ask ourselves this morning a very simple question. Is the Lord my shepherd? What makes that possible?
[9:38] How do we know? What is a shepherd? Somebody that takes care of the sheep, right?
[9:48] A sheep is a weak animal that if it's left to itself, it will easily get into trouble that it can't get out of by itself.
[10:01] Sheep are known to cause all kinds of problems. You used to have sheep, didn't you, Mike? I thought so. My dad had sheep for years after I wasn't at home anymore.
[10:13] But anybody that has raised sheep and has worked with sheep has a better understanding of how they are. But they are so... They're the kind of animal that's probably the truest picture of what we are as trying to be Christians.
[10:31] Try to be a Christian on your own. You can't. You get into trouble. It doesn't work. We make a flop out of it, right? And sheep are a little bit that way. Without a shepherd.
[10:42] Now, I know that in today's world we use fences and corrals and we do more of that. But in David's time, when he wrote this, they took the sheep herd up into the hills and into where there were wild animals and rough terrain and they needed a shepherd.
[11:03] To survive, they needed a shepherd. And David, as a good shepherd boy that cared and protected his father's sheep, began to realize that he needed a shepherd.
[11:17] And then he wrote this, the Lord is my shepherd. He also realized that if the Lord was his shepherd, if the Lord was his shepherd, then he didn't lack anything.
[11:37] What a realization that is for a young man. How often do we need to be reminded of this?
[11:49] I shall not be in want. I lack nothing. No matter what our circumstances are today, we lack nothing.
[12:00] If Jesus is our shepherd. If Jesus is your shepherd, you're going to be okay. Just let that sink in a little bit.
[12:16] If he's your shepherd, you're going to be alright. No matter what. If Jesus is David Overholt's shepherd, and I believe he is, he'll be alright.
[12:31] If Jesus is his wife Wilma's shepherd, and I believe he is, she'll be okay. No matter how hard things are in life.
[12:45] Let's read on. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. You know, the next thing that Jesus will do to you, if he is your shepherd, is he will probably make you do something.
[13:10] David said, He makes me lie down in green pastures. You see, if he can't do anything with us, then he's not our shepherd.
[13:25] Right? If he can't make us lie down in green pastures, then he's not your shepherd. If we don't obey Jesus enough, that he can make us do what he desires.
[13:41] These green pastures are all the life-giving elements and nourishment that we need. The sheep are totally satisfied here, but they were scared of the rough waters.
[13:59] But this is a picture of perfect peace. Still waters to drink from and no fear. Just peace and nurture and blessing.
[14:14] If I know this, if I'm correct about this, about sheep, they are not good swimmers, right? I mean, I imagine they're probably not.
[14:24] They're probably terrible with all that wool anyway. And can you imagine rough waters and how sheep coming up to rough waters to drink that it would be a little scared.
[14:35] It would not want to go close. But, and I'm just reading between the lines, David the shepherd saying, still waters, calm waters, lush green grass.
[14:50] He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
[15:02] Does Jesus do that to you? Does your shepherd, is he able to lead us, you and me, in his paths of righteousness for his sake to bring glory to him?
[15:20] But before that he said, he restoreth my soul. Are there things that have happened perhaps in your life that need restoration, that need to be restored for us to go on in our spiritual journey?
[15:37] Jesus wants to restore. And then he can lead us in the path of righteousness. So many people try to walk the path of righteousness, but their soul is not restored.
[15:53] It's not free. They're in bondage of all kinds of things, maybe like the things we heard in the devotional. And we're not free.
[16:04] And Jesus wants to restore our soul. David said, He restores my soul. Yes, the attacks of the enemy are real.
[16:22] And life may be difficult, but Jesus restores our soul. He completely renews our hearts again and sets us free to worship him.
[16:34] From time to time, church, we need to be restored. He restoreth my soul. He fixes what was messed up in our hearts.
[16:49] Next verse. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
[16:59] You know, there's so much in the rod and the staff we could talk about. I'm not going to talk about all of this. I heard a message recently on this as well, and he talked quite a bit about that.
[17:17] The rod, you know, the correction, the staff to pull the sheep back. Or was it the other way around? Yea, the staff, I believe.
[17:27] You know, even though we face that horrible valley that we are all going to face, if Jesus doesn't come back soon, we're all going to face that valley of the shadow of death.
[17:43] And David is thinking about that. He's saying, I won't fear any evil, for thou art with me. His shepherd is with him. Even then, we will fear no evil.
[17:58] Yesterday I was in a grocery store shopping for my wife. Don't happen too often anymore, but I had a list of things there to get.
[18:09] And as I came around this one aisle, there was a man that was coming the other way with his little grocery cart and his staff about this tall head.
[18:20] It just caught my attention. It was a walking stick. And I looked at him and he looked at me and we smiled and I said, it's good to see you. I had no idea who it was and I don't think he had any idea who I was.
[18:35] And there was an immediate connection. Like, I wanted to talk to this man. Like, I was drawn to him. And so I got closer to him and we started talking and there was just a joy in his eyes.
[18:54] He was full. His cup was full. You could just tell. I think everyone here would have agreed that this man just... And I started visiting with him and who he is and he grew up in the area and I can't remember ever meeting him before I know a family member of his once we started talking.
[19:15] And he mentioned that his wife had passed away four years ago and he didn't say she passed away.
[19:26] He said she left me and went to be with Jesus. So I asked him how he knows she went to be with Jesus. Well, she got saved when she was 12 and I lived with her for about 78 years and I know.
[19:44] That's where I'm going. And he said, I just keep myself real close to Jesus every day. And I thought about this. The Lord is his shepherd.
[19:56] He is at the Lord's table. And he's 99 years old.
[20:09] Almost 100. He's got one more year to go and he'll be 100 years old. And I left him and I thought, wow, I don't know... I don't know who this man is even. I got his name, but never heard of him before or not that name.
[20:22] And I was like... I went into the other aisle and I had to cry. I was like... I just felt touched by God. Just what an encounter.
[20:35] And then I just prayed, Lord, if you want me to talk to him again, just arrange it. Maybe today yet, just arrange it that I could meet him again. I didn't know where he went and where he is. And as I got in the truck and was leaving the parking lot, there's a couple parking spaces, empty and right there he was by his truck.
[20:55] So I just stopped, jumped out and talked some more. And I'll just finish the story. Then his son walked by and I kind of recognized the son.
[21:06] I know I've seen him before. And he's no spring chicken either. He's probably 70 or in his 70s. And I just...
[21:17] He said something as he walked by. This man walked by, kind of glum or whatever. Hey, Dad, you need any help? And I was like, oh, this is his son. And anyhow, just a little bit of short, just a few seconds there.
[21:34] And I just said, I said, your dad is amazing. He's an amazing man. I said, he loves Jesus. And I am so blessed talking to him or something like that. Anyhow, he kept on going.
[21:46] And then I asked the dad, the 99-year-old man, and I said, is your son a Christian? And he goes, I think he believes. But I'm not sure.
[22:00] So anyway, so there was another little meeting outside that I just felt like God just appointed that. Maybe that little bit, he just needed to hear the blessing of his father.
[22:16] But anyway, what a joy that came out of that man. I just was so touched by that. Watch for them in the grocery stores.
[22:30] Could be a lady next time, but watch for that. Jesus doesn't just protect us from our enemy.
[22:40] He wants to fellowship with us. Verse 5, Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil.
[22:53] My cup runneth over. I need to stop with the stories because I won't get through this. I need to keep going. This verse is perhaps the verse for today.
[23:07] Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over. He puts a table.
[23:23] He puts fellowship with him right in the middle of our enemies. At times. Right in the middle of enemies.
[23:36] And we would tend to think if there's too many enemies around, and I'm not just... This morning when I mentioned enemies, I'm not necessarily talking about people.
[23:49] Although sometimes the enemies, the enemy uses people, right, to come across to us, we would tend to think, well, let's just leave the area.
[24:01] Let's just get out of here. And I'm not saying that you shouldn't ever leave an area or a church or whatever if God leads in that way.
[24:13] But... In the midst of the battle, in the midst of your battle, Jesus is calling you to come to a table that He has prepared for you.
[24:31] What was David thinking when he wrote that? I mean, I think God just told him what to write. Maybe he didn't even know exactly what he was writing.
[24:45] I think he did, but maybe not. But you have prepared a table for me in the midst of mine enemies. And he wants us to come join him, the Lord Jesus, and sit there and relax and have good, sweet fellowship in the middle of the battle.
[25:12] Maybe it's a war of temptation, a battle between you and another person in the middle of a deep hurt or loss. Jesus' invitation still stands.
[25:30] Almost doesn't make sense, humanly speaking. We want to grab that table and put it over under a shade tree all by itself, away from all conflict.
[25:44] Jesus says, no, it's right here, right in the midst of it. You look at me and I'll take care of it. I think of Joseph and all the emotional pain and rejection that he must have felt or gone through.
[26:02] And yet he stayed strong in the Lord as a soldier with endurance. It's really almost unbelievable how strong Joseph was. the way his brothers treated him.
[26:18] The way that Potiphar treated him. Going to prison and yet he stood and was strong. He kept his faith in the Lord.
[26:29] He said, how could I sin and go against my Lord? Even prison. You know, and then while David is there at this table with the Lord, he's fellowshipping with the Lord, he realizes that in the presence of the Lord, he is being anointed.
[26:57] He says, thou anointest my head with oil. You're putting joy over me and all the blessings of heaven are coming down upon me because I'm in your presence.
[27:12] I'm at your table. And I'm so full it's just running over. Running over. Is there any wonder that maybe why Jesus wants us to fellowship with him and be close with him like that man yesterday?
[27:34] I just stay real close to Jesus. I don't know how often he told me that. And I'm like, well, that's what drew me to him. Maybe that's why in the middle of our enemies, we have sweet fellowship and joy with the Lord Jesus.
[27:53] And our cup runs over too. Guess what? They see it. They feel it. They know it. There's something different about Enos or Aaron or all of you.
[28:09] And our enemies know that. They're like, what is, what's different about them? They should be struggling. They should be sorrowful and sad. And here they are in the midst of trials and they're full of joy and hope right in the middle of our enemies.
[28:33] Sometimes we're attacked from all sides, it seems like. But we can still remain at this table. And I'm saying these things to let you know, too, that this isn't me all the time.
[28:47] I'm embarrassed to say that probably most of the time when I feel attacked or I feel a struggle, I'm not feeling like sitting down at a table.
[29:04] I'm just being honest. But this is what the Lord is speaking to me. That this is what He desires. This is what He wants when we're in a valley, when we're going through a really hard time.
[29:26] And some of us are. And we need to sit at the table of Jesus. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
[29:43] and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Since Christ, the Lord is my shepherd, and He is feeding me, and I trust Him completely, David is saying, surely goodness and mercy.
[30:01] They're never going to leave me. All the days of my life, now and in all eternity, I'll just stay in His presence.
[30:12] that's the invitation. That's a possibility. Now let's look at, I want to turn to Revelation chapter 3 and look at Jesus' invitation for us today to come and eat with Him.
[30:31] In Revelation chapter 3 verse 15, I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot.
[30:46] Talking to the church there at Laodicea. I would that thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
[30:59] because thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.
[31:13] I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou mayest be rich and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve that thou mayest see.
[31:33] As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. This is Jesus speaking from heaven. Be zealous therefore and repent.
[31:47] And then he says these words. I mean, yes, that's a strong rebuke, isn't it? To say that you're lukewarm. And we sometimes judge that church like, yeah, they shouldn't have been like that.
[32:03] You know what I'm thinking. What about us? What about me? Would he rebuke me? Sometimes he rebukes us.
[32:14] But Jesus said the ones that I love I rebuke. And then here's this invitation. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door.
[32:28] You and I open the door. He doesn't open it. He says the person that opens it. I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me.
[32:43] There you go. He goes on, he says, to him that overcometh Will I grant to sit with me in my throne even as I also overcame and am set down with the father in his throne.
[32:57] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith under the churches. You know, this is a very powerful picture of Jesus' desire for close relationships with individuals, with you and I.
[33:15] He is depicted as actively seeking to enter into the lives of those who will open the door to him. Is your heart open?
[33:27] Do you trust him enough to open that door? The concept of supping or having a meal together symbolizes intimate fellowship, sharing, and communion with Christ.
[33:44] These verses emphasize, or this verse emphasizes, the importance of both hearing Christ's voice, listening to his word and promptings, and responding by opening the door, opening or obeying his will and inviting him in.
[34:05] And I know we do that. This may be more salvation message or more of the first time, but you know, sometimes like that church, we fall back, we drift back, or we get our focus off, or like we're going to look at here in a little bit, we sit at the wrong table, and we need to get up and move to the right table.
[34:33] And in order to do that, we open our heart. We open our heart to him, and he comes in and fellowships again with us. This verse highlights that this invitation is extended to every individual who hears his call.
[34:51] The promise of supper with Christ. Now listen to this. The promise of supper with Christ is not just a future hope, but a present reality for those who actively cultivate this relationship.
[35:10] I found this writing, I didn't write this myself. but it's not just the future. I used to believe that, that it's just, you know, when we get to heaven, we're going to sit down and have this big feast, and Jesus is going to come and serve us, and how will that be, right?
[35:30] But this invitation today is for today. It's now. It's not just then. David had it now.
[35:46] Isn't that amazing? Now I want to turn the table a little bit and talk about the other table.
[36:02] Whose table are you sitting at? Who will you allow in your life to pull up a chair and sit with you?
[36:13] If you're sitting here at a table, is it Jesus' table? Because the Bible also talks about the table of devils. Fellowshiping with devils.
[36:29] And so, to be fair, we need to look at that as well. To be honest. it's a new term here.
[36:47] 1 Corinthians 10 verse 21 says, You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils. You cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and the table of devils.
[37:03] In other words, if you're going to sit at a table and there's devils there, Jesus is not going to be there. You're not going to hear Jesus at that table.
[37:14] You'll hear voices, but it won't be His. Way too often we give ear to the wrong voice, don't we? Too often.
[37:27] You know, we could, if we could see the two tables. I know that I have a table over here and you see this, but spiritually speaking, we can't see what I'm talking about.
[37:43] You don't see it with your physical eyes. But if we could, you might see Jesus sitting at one table, all dressed in white, with all His glory and love, full of truth and grace, the scars of His hands, the compassion in His eyes.
[38:10] And then another table over here where Satan and all the evil he represents, maybe a pitchfork in his hand and horns coming out of his head.
[38:23] I don't know what he looks like in reality. But full of lies and anger and bitterness and hate coming out of his eyes. If you could see that this morning, clearly, with your physical eyes, which table would you go to?
[38:46] It's almost a silly question, isn't it? Why would we even ask that? fear and death came to destroy you.
[39:02] But you see, we can't see that. And they don't. The enemy doesn't come like that. He comes as an angel, maybe a soft, gentle whisper.
[39:16] forever. You would say, oh, I would say it at Jesus' table, of course. But really, would you? Where Satan is gently whispering lies into your ears, maybe you have a lust problem and he comes and tells you lies about that.
[39:40] You deserve more. God will forgive you. You know, you and I don't deserve anything. And yet, Jesus invites us anyway, in spite of us not deserving anything.
[39:54] Maybe you feel hurt and rejected and Satan comes with a sweet, gentle voice whispering, it's not fair. Those people are bad people and they're mean.
[40:06] They don't even like you. Listen, I've listened to that voice. Have you? I have in my past. I know I have. And it took me down a steep decline.
[40:28] Why don't you just leave them? And like I said earlier, I'm not saying never leave. We've all probably left churches.
[40:41] But let's look at this situation in reality, in real life, or in truth, with a true heart. Sometimes there's a doctrine or something that we just can't see the same as other brothers.
[41:00] And there needs to be a separation. And I don't think any of us are necessarily against that. But when there are unresolved feelings and attitudes and things that likely we're hearing voices, it could be that you're eating at the devil's table.
[41:22] And if I had written down, if we're feeling sorry for ourselves, for ourselves, and Enos shared that message on self-pity, I'll just share this, that probably five years ago, I went through a time like that when I felt very sorry for myself.
[41:43] And I remember going to a place, Brother James took me somewhere, and the preacher there kept just hammering that thing of self-pity.
[41:56] Or it seemed that's all I could hear. He probably didn't even, but it seemed like that's what he kept saying. And finally I broke and gave that to the Lord.
[42:08] Because I felt very sorry for what was going on around me and in my life. I just felt it was so unfair. And when you're in that state, it's pretty hard to see clearly and to love other people.
[42:29] But over here at Jesus' table, he's gently inviting you he's saying that maybe some of those things are even true.
[42:43] But you're my child. You're my child, right? If we're a believer, we're his child. We're not a victim.
[42:55] Look, here are the scars that he has for us. you are the child of a king.
[43:07] And those people that you are bitter with, I died for them too. They aren't perfect, but they love me too. Those people that hurt me, they weren't perfect, but I know a lot of them love Jesus too.
[43:29] He died for them too. Maybe we need to invite them over to our table actually. And you will see that they have love in their hearts and not hate.
[43:45] How about this voice? But I'm not good enough. I don't really matter. That's a real one. That's a tough one.
[43:56] Satan will sit at his table and he'll pull up a chair and he'll try to tell you that you're really not worth what you think. Not really, you're kind of meaningless.
[44:10] But Jesus will say, but look at my scars. This is what I paid for you. You're worth everything. We're worth a lot to Jesus. They're so opposite.
[44:26] You know, if you think that the devil wouldn't ever do that to you, guess again.
[44:39] He did it to Jesus. He came to Jesus and tempted him three times in a row. And Jesus was spiritual. He was God. He was fasting and praying and seeking the Lord.
[44:52] And Satan came with those voices. tempting him. He'll do that. But we don't have to stay there. It's our choice.
[45:04] We can get up from that table and walk away. Walk to the other one. Say, Satan, get thee behind me. That's the wrong voice. There were some more verses there that I'm missing here.
[45:25] But in Luke. So in Luke 22 there's a couple verses I want to look at. Jesus speaking here.
[45:36] Verse 28, 22, 28. Yea, you are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me, that ye may eat and drink at where?
[45:55] My table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.
[46:12] Just sift you away from me. Jesus speaking to Simon, Peter, Satan desired to have you.
[46:23] He wants to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not. And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
[46:35] Has Satan tried or desired to sift us? Has he tried to sift you away? Another voice of Satan is designed to make us react wrongfully to circumstances.
[46:54] I have lately been thinking a lot about how people react. Christian people react from backgrounds. They react from how they were raised and how they were taught maybe and maybe wrong.
[47:12] A lot of us were taught some wrong things. And the enemy doesn't care how he gets us. He's not in a hurry. He'll take his time.
[47:24] But he's cunning and he's evil. And if he can get us to react so much so like over react to the place of well let's just go on here a little bit.
[47:40] Sometimes we hear and see so much reaction that it makes us wonder whose table people are at. We stand against the religion of the Pharisees and the deadness of man's religion.
[47:56] The harshness of dead religion is an awful thing. It's an awful place to be and God has no pleasure in it.
[48:08] The deadness of man's religion. Many of us have experienced that. And it's easy for us to talk about that isn't it?
[48:20] That have come out of that. It's very easy to talk about how we don't want to be I mean we're so glad we got delivered right? Dead religion. I mean no life. Not even believing in salvation in many cases.
[48:35] If you don't believe in that what's religion for? And Jesus constantly butted heads with if I can say it that way with the Pharisees of his day.
[48:47] It was just man's religion. It's hard and evil and it treats people in a horrible way. Even it got him killed.
[48:59] Let's just put it there. It got Jesus killed. Crucified. Through that whole we know he died for us voluntarily but it was through the religious system that he got convicted and killed.
[49:17] And in Colossians Paul wrote these words Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men and then he says after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ.
[49:34] Now you know where I'm going with this. But it often seems that people and I'm warning us this morning of this as a people that we're so worried about dead religion that we jump right over in the other ditch and react so completely by ignoring and even despising many principles in God's word.
[49:57] I wonder sometimes if the apostle Paul and Peter and even Jesus would have been too religious for our day.
[50:10] You know what I'm saying? Would they have accepted Jesus and his doctrine and Paul and all the teachings in the New Testament? I don't think our age would because of reacting to whatever they're reacting to.
[50:27] Tell me now whose table are they seated at? Whose voice are people that reject the word of God that say it really doesn't matter it really doesn't apply to me whose table are they sitting at?
[50:52] They hate religion of men but they love the world they follow the traditions of the world to a point where they violate many of God's laws you know Satan is so extremely clever and if he can't get you into one ditch he'll push you into the other if he can if we let him so what's the answer maybe he'll coax you into the other maybe I shouldn't say push but which of those two ditches is worse if it takes you to hell it doesn't matter they're both worse right dead religion will not save anybody and the world if you're loved the world you're an enemy of God so what's the difference who will we listen to and how do we know how do we know we're not deceived that question comes sometimes
[51:57] I'll just turn back to this old man I know it's not the Bible but I just stay very close to Jesus every day what he's really saying is I sit at his table I fellowship with him I read my Bible I read his words I meditate on the Lord Jesus and I have rest for my soul I'm putting this in my own words peace and joy and the Lord is my shepherd I don't lack anything there's nothing to fear but have we perhaps been feasting at the wrong table Jesus said I came to give them life that they should have life and that they will have it more abundantly the Bible says that
[52:57] Satan came to kill steal and destroy and let's us remember that not everything that sounds good is good not everything that sounds even right is right because he comes as a angel of light and he'll deceive the very elect those that are saved if he can the Bible warns us of that whose table are you sitting with and who will you allow to pull up a chair next to you what voice will you listen to the voice of the shepherd I hope I believe that that's all of our heart this morning that we want to hear Jesus and we want to know it's him amen but it's a battle and in the midst of our battles in the midst of our enemies we can sit at the table we can fellowship with him why don't we stand together
[54:11] I think we'll just close this morning at this point and if the Lord spoke to your heart in an area that you've been sitting at the wrong table and you know it you've been giving ear to things that you shouldn't have been thinking about or listening then today is a good day to just make that right I've had to do that I'll be honest I've had to do that more than once just recently I've had to do that say I can't I can't do this anymore Lord I want to hear from you I want to sup with you I want to fellowship with you
[55:13] Lord and if that's your heart this morning let's just ask him to make that right in our hearts right where you're at Father we come to you and Jesus name Lord we thank you that you are truly the good shepherd you are the one that feeds your sheep and you even tell us to feed the sheep and feed the lambs and how can we do that if we're listening to the wrong voice that voice that appears to be an angel of light our enemies they come in so many different ways sometimes with a question that sounds so innocent and we give it ear and before we know it we're confused and there's a dark cloud hanging over our head Father I pray this morning that any dark cloud can be lifted and that we would all come to that green pasture water the calm still waters where there's peace
[56:26] Lord that you could once again anoint our heads with oil Lord that our cups would again overflow not just be full but that we would overflow with joy and love love for each other love for the brotherhood and love for you Lord Jesus that those that are unbelieving would see it they would feel it just like I felt it from that man yesterday thank you Lord for that picture for that experience that I had I pray Lord that others would experience that from our lives and Father we just want to commit ourselves to you and ask you Lord to just forgive us where we have failed forgive us Lord where we have opened our hearts to a wrong voice and
[57:27] Father I pray that whether it's man religion or whether it's the world or whatever it is that hinders us from coming and just being having our cups full help us to have our cups turned upward!
[57:46] And open Lord help us to open the door of our heart to you maybe in a newer and deeper way we know that's where the victory comes from so Lord Jesus I pray for each one of us here this morning that our hearts would be turned up toward heaven our ears our ears and our eyes you said whoever has an ear let him hear Lord I pray that we would hear your voice not mine not each other necessarily but yours Lord Jesus speak to us in this coming week we pray this all in Jesus name Amen God bless you all and you're dismissed