How He Welcomes
Scripture: Psalm 23
I. The LORD your host prepares a table for you.
A. The first line of verse 5 reads, “You prepare a table before me.” The LORD has given attention to every detail at this feast so that David will be completely satisfied. This feast takes place in the presence of my enemies. God has a feast, a celebration meal, that He gives us not AFTER we get out of the valley of the shadow of death. He gives us that feast in the middle of the valley. We feast by faith. He wants us to enjoy a feast with Him in the presence of our enemies both to grow our faith and to let those enemies know that they aren’t going to win.
B. What do we learn about enemies from Psalm 23? When enemies are against you, Jesus is for you and with you. We don’t have to be afraid. Jesus often ate with his enemies to turn them into friends as he did with Zacchaeus in Luke 19. He feasted with them so that they would receive his invitation to be reconciled to Him, to receive His forgiveness, and to one day eat and drink with Him in His kingdom. This is the way of Jesus, to share a table with His enemies.
II. The LORD your host anoints your head.
A. The LORD as your host thinks of and takes care of your every need. David says in vs. 5, “You anoint my head with oil.” Shepherds would need anointing oil just like we need skin lotions and sunscreen. The LORD thinks of everything. We see what a good host Jesus is by comparing him with a bad host like Simon the Pharisee in Luke 7:44-47. If Jesus your host offers you something, you need it. Take it! It will be good for you. We all need forgiveness from Jesus.
III. The LORD your host overflows with blessings.
A. The last 3 words of Psalm 23:5 tells you what kind of host Jesus is: my cup overflows. With Jesus, your cup will never be empty. Twice in Mark’s Gospel we read about Jesus miraculously feeding huge crowds of people with just a little bit of food that Jesus had multiplied. His blessings overflowed. Mark 8:8: “And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.” Jesus had completely satisfied 4,000 people.
B. Are you grateful then to Jesus for the overflowing blessings He has poured into your cup? Thank Him every day. Like David, you too will one day have Jesus host you. We see what Jesus will do for all of us in Luke 12:37: “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.”
Application:
Don’t be afraid to go to Jesus. He will always be a great host to you.
Sources:
The Bible
Commentaries by David Gibson, Allen Ross, Christopher Ash, and Tim Keller
Sermon Discussion Questions
1) What are the characteristics of a really great host? Why is it significant that Jesus hosts you in the presence of your enemies?
2) What needs of yours has Jesus met in recent days? What does it tell you about Jesus that He has been thinking about your needs?
3) What blessings has Jesus poured into your cup? Can you honestly say that your cup overflows? Do you take time each day to thank God for His blessings?