Dining with God
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Shepherd Me
“Dining with God”
August 18, 2019
Introduction
This morning, we are continuing our summer series entitled, “Shepherd Me.” In this series, we are looking at .
Read Text
Today, we are going to focus on the first phrase in verse 5.
Illustration: Reservation
This verse shows us that we have a standing reservation with God daily.
1. Feasting on the things of God.
Let’s look at verse 5 again. Here is what table meant for shepherds and sheep. Flat places in the Hill country were called “tables.” Shepherds would prepare these “tables” to make sure it was filled was green grass fro the sheep to eat. The sheep was feast on the the green grace of table in the hill country.
Our view of a table is little different that that of shepherd and sheep but the end result is the same. The table is a place of feasting.
Visual Illustration: Feast on Table for Two
Verse 5 is all about a feast. In verse 5, we have a standing reservation to dine with God. The idea here is that we are to feast on things of God.
Think of the Bread as the Word of God.
(KJV) But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Think of bread as the Word of God. We are too feast on things of God.
Think of the meat as righteousness.
(NASB) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness …
(CSB) Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food. Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature—for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.
Think about meat as righteousness. We are too feast on the things of God.
Think of the fruit as the fruit of the spirit that Paul talks about Galatians.
(NKJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Think of the fruit as the fruit of the spirit. We are too feast on the things of God.
Think of the water as worship.
(NKJV) As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
Think of the dessert as the Bible.
(NKJV) How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Think of the dessert as the Bible. We are to feast on the things of God.
Illustration: Grandmother’s at Thanksgiving (Turkey, Ham, Chopped Steak, Fried Chicken, Dressing, Peas, Butterbeans, string beans, cream corn, rice and gravy, mashed potatoes, devilled eggs, pecan pie, chocolate pie, cheesecake. More choices than any Buffett you will have at lunch today.
We are to feast on the things of God.
2. The junk food of our lurking enemies.
Verse 5: As the sheep feasted in the green pastures of the tableland, enemies were always lurking. Enemies could be other animals looking to devour the sheep. Enemies could be poisonous plants that would harm the sheep.
As we feast with God we have enemies lurking nearby. Our enemies are Satan, the world (culture), and flesh.
(NKJV) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Our enemy is Satan.
(MSG) If you lived on the world’s terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God’s terms and no longer on the world’s terms, the world is going to hate you.
Our enemy is the world.
(NASB) For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
Our enemy is the flesh.
Our enemies (Satan, the world, the flesh) are lurking. Our enemies don’t have a seat at the table. Our enemies try to draw us away from their table. They try to draw away from their table with junk food.
Visual Illustration: Junk Food
Think of the junk food of Satan, the world, and the flesh as things like greed, materialism, lusts, sexual immorality, selfish ambitions. Our enemies tell us lies about their junk food. They claim that it satisfies.
Illustration: Snickers Satisfies
The junk food the devil, the world, and the flesh does not satisfy. It does not fulfill us. The only thing that fulfills us is the food from God’s table.
The junk food of the devil may be tasty. But it’s not healthy.
Illustration: Calories on a bag of chip.
The junk food of the devil is not spiritually healthy. The junk food of the devil does not satisfy. Yet we are lured away from the table, we are lured away from God by things like greed, materialism, and selfish ambitions.