Devotional Materials. Week Commencing Sunday 5th June 2022
This weekend marks the Queen’s seventy year reign- her Platinum Jubilee. The Queen is a committed Christian and has been a wonderful servant of this nation and others worldwide (see ‘The Servant Queen and the King She Serves’ Catherine Butcher, Mark Greene).
The Queen often visits Balmoral castle. On one occasion when she was walking by herself, it started to rain. She rushed to the shelter of the nearest cottage. A lady came to the door who was really fed up that someone should bother her at that time in the morning! She opened the door a few inches and shouted ‘What do you want?’
The Queen did not introduce herself. She merely asked ‘May I borrow an umbrella?’
‘Just a minute’, grumbled the woman. She slammed the door, was gone for a moment and returned bringing the rattiest umbrella she could find. One with broken ribs and small holes. She pushed it through the door and said ‘here’. The Queen thanked her and went on her way with the ragged umbrella.
The next morning the Queen’s full escort dressed in full uniform, pulled up in front of the cottage. One of the escorts knocked on the door and returned the umbrella to the woman saying ‘Madam, the Queen of England thanks you.’ As he walked away he heard her mutter ‘If only I’d known, I’d have given you my best’
Well, we do know! But many of us still give Christ the scraps, the leftovers, whatever costs us least. Because God loved us He gave us His very best- His only Beloved Son. Can you give Him anything less than your best?
Call to worship
O Lord our God,
We will praise you with all our heart
O Lord our God,
We will proclaim your greatness for ever.
‘Great is your constant love for us;
You have saved us from the grave itself. Amen.’ Psalm 86
‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
In his great mercy
He has given us new birth into a living hope
Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Amen.’ 1 Peter 1
Today we look at one of the most famous verses in the Bible ‘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’ (4). We first looked at this verse a month ago.
Let us affirm the truth of the resurrection in the words of our first hymn:
Opening hymn.
‘Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son’ MP 689
Edmond Budry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaoV5w2Qfag
Opening Prayer.
Lord Jesus, what have you not suffered? What have you not given for us? We can never comprehend it. But we can love you and wonder at the depth of the darkness which you entered on the cross, and the depth of the love which held you there.
And in the Resurrection we see clearly that death is swallowed up in victory. Lord Jesus Christ you are risen from the dead. And we are risen with you. Lord lead us this morning into a deepening appreciation of these truths. May our lives never deny this eternal life, this peace and hope and joy you bring- for you are risen and we are risen with You. Praise and glory to the God of life who is stronger than all kinds of death. Allelulia. Amen.
Item. Song. ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’ Psalm 23 set to music by Keith Green and sung by him
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM-eqKhlWyM
Offertory Prayer.
Lord God, may our offering of this portion of our money be a sign that we wish all we have and are to be used in your service. May the use of these gifts and the living of our whole lives give you glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reading. Matthew 28:1-10
28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
Prayers.
Lord Jesus Christ, you conquered death and resurrection. You are alive for ever more. Help us never to forget your risen presence forever with us.
Help us to remember that you are with us in every time of perplexity to guide and to direct.
You are with us in every time of sorrow to comfort and to console.
You are with us in every time of temptation to strengthen and to inspire.
You are with us in every time of loneliness to cheer and to befriend
You are with us even in death to bring us through the waters to the glory on the other side.
Make us certain that there is nothing in time or in eternity which can separate us from you, so that in Your presence we may meet life with courage and death without fear.
We now remember in silence those known to us who are facing sickness and trial. It would be good to remember Geoff and Janet, Geoff was taken into hospital on Wednesday…
We also remember those who have been bereaved or facing other heavy trial at this time…
‘We remember again O Lord Jesus that you are the Good Shepherd and as we pray for those who are dear to us we are encouraged by your words and presence, you say ’Come to me all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest’
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn.
‘What a friend we have in Jesus’ MP 746
Joseph Scriven
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XRmGEbH0qs
Sermon. “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.” Psalm 23:4. (Part 2).
When we first looked at this verse (1/5/22) we thought about how the shepherds in Israel would take their sheep to the high country to richer pastures. It was a dangerous journey, taking his sheep through dark valleys, but it had to be done. We saw that the valley is not the end of the journey. So too, death is not our final resting place. Death is only a shadow. Christ disarmed death. The term death no longer applies to the believer. Believers “fall asleep”. Death becomes the gateway to life for us. This outlook kept Bill Bright-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ- focusing on what lay ahead in eternity, rather than focus on his terminal disease. We saw from his book “The Journey Home” how even up to his death he was living his life for the Lord. The fearfulness of his condition had become increasingly insignificant to him- a “shadow” in his mind, compared to the hope and expectation that lay before him in Christ. The sense of Christ’s presence became more real to him. We saw it is the Lord himself who personally guides us through this shadow. Jesus says to us “I will come back and take you to be with me” As the Good Shepherd, Jesus pledges to take us home personally when the time comes for each one of us to travel through this valley. He said “I am with you always.”
We have to remember that the Lord is the Good Shepherd.
Even when the circumstances surrounding a death seem futile, random or hopeless. Especially where the person is young. God is good. The more we look at the valley itself- the more we grow fearful, angry, disappointed. And it’s true, there is still mystery, we haven’t got the big picture. Only God has that. So we must look to Him and, by faith, trust that He is good.
There are verses that help us to keep focusing on God’s goodness when we feel the pain of loss.
Isaiah 57:1, 2 says “The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart, devout men are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest, as they lie in death”
Death is God’s way of taking people away from evil. We don’t necessarily know what that evil may be. It could be a long drawn out painful disease, a terrible addiction. A dark period of apostasy, where a person might otherwise do great damage to the cause of Christ if he had not taken them sooner. We just don’t know, and neither should we speculate about individuals. But we do know that no person lives one day more or less than God intends. Psalm 139:16 says “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” And Jesus taught that “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father” (Matt.10:29).
We think, well what about the person whose life is cut short.? But, if heaven and eternity are realities then we need to readjust our perception. We speak of a short life, but compared to eternity who has a long one? Eternity is like a mighty ocean, and our lives here then become a mere drop of water. Even Methuselah, who lived to be 782 years old. The length of his life would, in comparison to eternity, be just the equivalent of a thimble full of water. James says “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes”
In God’s wisdom every life is long enough. We might want a longer life here, but God knows best.
We want a longer life for those we love- of course we do. But actually those who have died do not feel that way. While we are eaten up with loss and hurt and anger, they are in a state of joy and ecstasy. Marvelling at heaven, free of all that would drag them down mentally, physically or emotionally, delighting in the wonder and goodness of all the Lord intended for them. While we are questioning God, they are praising Him in rapturous devotion.
In her book “No Compromise” Melody Green writes about her husband, Keith Green. Keith Green was not only a first rate musician who wrote and performed powerful Christian songs, He fought against compromised beliefs and the sell out to try and court popularity. His lyrics were uncompromising; he called believers to holiness, even when it was uncomfortable to do so. He also exercised a prophetic ministry. Through it many young people were challenged to become missionaries. But in July, 1982 Keith was killed in a tragic plane crash along with 2 of their children- Josiah, 3 and Bethany, 2- Melody Green, Keith’s wife, was left with one year old Rebekah. She was also pregnant with her fourth child, Rachel.
She describes the shock of her bereavement in the days following: “I was hit with every emotion imaginable. I felt like my insides had been ripped out….Waves of numbness and intense sorrow washed over me again and again. Sometimes I cried my heart out to the Lord. She describes how she kept going back mentally, wishing she had said more about her concerns that he was taking 2 of their children with him in the plane. She also grieved over the loss of Keith- the one she could really talk to about any sadness or hurt she experienced in life. She grieved over the loss of Keith’s ministry to the world.
No one should underestimate the feelings of grief, pain and loss when it comes to bereavement. Christians need not feel that they should repress their sorrow and feelings of grief. Jesus himself wept loudly when he heard that his friend Lazarus had died. Death is unnatural. It was the final enemy. It is an intruder into God’s creation. Yes, Christ has overcome death- but that does not deny our feelings of personal loss. It is right to express these and not pretend otherwise.
But although none of us would like to find ourselves in her tragedy, or Bill Bright’s condition that we thought about previously. It is amazing to see how these people receive special grace for the circumstances they find themselves in.
Even within a few days Melody wrote “the only thing that kept me going was a sense of the presence of God. I was blanketed in His grace. I felt his presence like I’d never felt it before. Buffering the blows. Holding me. Comforting me. It didn’t erase the pain. But I felt God’s tender heart for me. The pain was real and it was constant. When I wanted to lay down and not get up He helped me to my feet. When I didn’t want to eat He reminded me of the new life inside me that He’d given me to take care of. And my precious little Rebekah needed me”
She drew comfort from a prophetic thought someone gave her. She felt it was the heart of the Lord for her:
“They are with me.
My glory is revealed to them.
They are in my arms,
In my presence.
Not far from you, for I am with you also.
Nothing has been in vain
I will build on this foundation
In gentleness I will lead you
And a multitude will enter my presence.
But a little while, my daughter,
And you, too, shall enter my presence-
For life in the body is a passing shadow.
In that day I will wipe away every tear,
For you will all sit at my table”
Melody felt she could rejoice that they were with the Lord. She knew she would see them again in heaven, which made heaven all the sweeter to her. She writes “It was deeply comforting to know that my loved were in the presence of the Lord. I knew they were fine. But I was miserable. I missed them.
One time as she was writing to people who received their newsletter, she was thinking, praying and crying and, and as she put it, “a phrase came into my mind out of nowhere” the phrase was “A grain of wheat” I thought “Isn’t there something in the Bible about “a Grain of wheat?” I looked it up. It was John 12:24: “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains alone, but if it dies it bears much fruit”
I caught my breath as I read it. It was the first time I’d ever received a scripture in that way. It was so specific. Was this the Lord speaking his heart to me regarding Keith’s death? Was this God giving me a promise? Could he redeem even this disaster?
It transpired that many young people were touched by Keith’s death. Melody wrote “God took one of his choice servants home at the age of 28 and it spoke reality to all of us. We have no time guarantees”
In the epilogue (the book was written 7 years after her husband’s death) Melody describes how she began to see the Lord fulfilling his promise to her- “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains alone, but if it dies it bears much fruit” Memorial concerts in 110 cities drew over 300, 000 people. An OM representative said “I don’t know of a time in history when more youth were presented with a missionary challenge” Operation Mobilization said scores of people came to serve with them as a result. The YWAM training schools were jammed with students (up to 50% per class). Only eternity will show the fruit that is still being yielded for the kingdom”
So, again, we see in someone’s experience- pain - of course, but the understanding that death is not final. Neither do we see that such circumstances must obliterate faith in the Lord. On the contrary, the Lord and eternal spiritual realities become more enhanced in the believer’s experience. Indeed faith in the Lord and His Sovereignty and goodness is the only way through when we, or those close to us are called to enter this valley.
But we ask- what of those who die with no faith? My father never prayed. My Grandfather never opened a Bible as far as I know. What of them?
But we might then ask ourselves- “How do we know they didn’t pray?” No one knows what a person’s final thoughts are in this life. Are you sure this person did not bend their knee to the Lord at the last. Isn’t it possible that a person staring into the face of death would cry out to the Lord for mercy?
The Lord Jesus has shown His great love for us. In His supreme sacrifice for our sakes, He has shown us His mercy. And since He only does what He sees His Father doing- then we know the Father lavishes this same mercy on us too? After all, He gave up His one and only Son for us all.
And so when a person cries out for mercy as death approaches, does the Lord resist such a person? No. He couldn’t on Calvary. The thief on the cross was hanging there for his crime. He was a sinner. But he was repentant. He cried to the Lord for mercy there and then, and the Lord heard his confession and accepted it. The thief’s sins were forgiven. Maybe you never heard your loved one confess Christ, but who’s to say Christ didn’t?
We don’t know the final thoughts of a dying soul, but we know that God loves deeply and has done and will do all that is possible in the name of grace and mercy to rescue. He is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). The Lord wants your loved one in heaven more than you do.
When we enter that valley we need comfort. There is a loneliness in the valley of the shadow of death. But we have seen that the Lord is wanting to give us His very self to be with us, guide us and lead us on. He is the one who gives true, lasting comfort. Just as a mother comforts her baby, so the Lord says He will comfort us. The Holy Spirit is willing to communicate the Lord’s comfort to us, if we are willing to receive it. He is described as the Comforter, the Counsellor. As we meditate on the Scriptures we find He- the God of the Universe even speaks to me and my particular need. Romans 15:4 says “everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope”. Certainly we see how Melody Green gained strength from a specific Scripture God gave to her.
The Lord comforts us with His rod. What is the shepherd’s rod? It is the weapon by which He strikes down our enemies. He must be well armed to kill of lions or bears who would kill the sheep. Similarly our great and good shepherd will use his rod to strike down our spiritual enemies- the devil and his minions who would look to bind us with fear and hopelessness and bitterness- especially as we think about death. But Christ is greater than any other, and He gives us His protective grace. Instead of fearing every spiritual and temporal evil, we can completely hand over the responsibility of our lives to Him. He is the sole custodian and safeguard of our being for this world and the next. That the Lord guards us with His rod through this valley is of great comfort because Scripture says “My sheep shall never perish, neither shall anyone (man or devil) pluck them out of my hand”
So too the Shepherd comforts us with his staff. Again, we are reminded that in this world’s estimation we may not seem very much, but in the eyes of the Lord- the God of the universe we are very special. By his staff our good shepherd extricates us from troubles brought about by our unbelief. When Peter through his unbelief began to sink in the waves, the Lord caught him and supported him, so that they walked together to the boat. Whether it is the valley of the shadow of death, or any shadow we may face in this life, because of Christ’s long suffering patience with us, he will not let us be overwhelmed with the sorrows that should be ours because of our unbelief. But he will reach out his crook and drag us back from despair and self -destruction.
By His staff He will also correct us and keep us in his way. He makes us more like himself, more capable of deeper service and character: loving/gracious/sympathetic towards others. He is willing to spend much time refining us. He cares for us so much because He is willing to take so much time over us. The stone that is deeply cut, the diamond carefully polished is proved to be of excellent worth. Think of the gardener who spends hours and hours cutting back foliage on the tree in order that it bare more fruit. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Heb. 12:11) By his staff the Good Shepherd corrects us, He loves us so much because He has something greater in store for us. So we must turn our hearts towards Him and eagerly desire to learn the lesson He would teach us, and know His purposes will be seen to be good and right. Any other way and then we will have less cause to give Him thanks.
So whatever the valley- it is only He who can guide us through. We entrust ourselves fully to Him. His presence. His leading. We dare not trust ourselves or our own limited perceptions in this valley- and valley. Only in Him is there hope in the valley of the shadow.
Melody Green reflects on the fact it had been 7 years before she could write it, and says this: “Maybe I needed time to heal before I could intentionally reopen the wounds. There was no way around it, my season of grieving was long and painful. But the grace of God carried me through. For me gratitude helped keep bitterness from my door. The time I had with Keith, Josiah, and Bethany was a precious gift from God, and I’m grateful. I’m also grateful to know the Lord. I can’t imagine walking through a valley without Him”
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Final Hymn.
‘There is a Redeemer’ MP 673
Melody and Keith Green
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldRcFz7rK7w
Blessing. May the light of Christ, rising in glory scatter the darkness of our hearts and minds, and may the blessing of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, rest upon and be with us always. Amen.
David Barnes 29/5/22