Today's scripture reading is Psalms 23, a psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd, and I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me besides still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in past of righteousness for his namesake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me. Your ride and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. May the Lord add a blessing to the reading and the hearing of his words. Well, if you were to do a Google search, and if you were to search for the greatest and perhaps most popular songs and tunes in history, undoubtedly some familiar songs would come up. Imagine by John Lennon respect by Aretha Franklin, like a rolling stone by Bob Dylan, fight the power by public enemy, or my favorite, what's going on by Marvin Gaye? Well, each of these songs are iconic and unforgettable and have etched their influence in place in our collective experience. Beloved, there is a song that surpasses all of these in power. There is a song that surpasses all of these in popularity. The history of the world is filled with great and impactful songs. But the greatest of these I would suggest to you this morning is the 23rd Division of song. When God determined to write a song that would perfectly capture who he is, he didn't ask, most art or handle, he didn't ask Mokey Robinson or John Lennon. God inspired a simple shepherd boy from a simple out of the way place to write the most unforgettable lyrics ever pinned. In the Psalter, there are 150 songs in child's version called Psalm 23, the Pearl of the Psalter. While each of the songs stands out for its inspired contribution to the word of God, the simple majesty and the penetrating prose of Psalm 23 is most remarkable. One commentator puts it this way, there is nothing difficult of understanding in the Psalm. The train of thought is clear and obvious. The experiences which it details are common. The motion, it expresses simple and familiar. The tears that have been dried and the fears that have been dissipated by this old song. The love and the thankfulness which have found in them their best expression prove the word of its simple words. It lives in most of our memories. It is poetic perfection. I mean, it is poetry beloved at its best. Racheem could never accomplish this. Two-bought never reached such height, shake, spear, frost, or Dickerson could never compare. Psalm 23 alone is great. And so I apologize. I apologize already this morning that I cannot do it justice. Each verse is uniquely powerful and indelible. Each line deserves a sermon on its own. So I admit this morning that we won't cover everything that the Psalm has to teach us. And perhaps in a future time we'll circle back and perhaps do a series on Psalm 23 alone. But this morning, let us just consider briefly, if you would. Let us consider briefly what God would have us to glean from this blessed portion of the word of God this morning. It is entitled the Psalm of David. Now, it's a simple title given, a Psalm of David. It is not just a Psalm of David. I would suggest to you this morning that it is the Psalm of David. We don't know for sure when David wrote it. We don't know what experience out of which he wrote and pinned these words. Perhaps it was his early years as a young man out in the countryside watching over his fathers. Sheep hours upon hours alone fighting off friend and a foe for the welfare and safety of the sheep as shepherds do. Perhaps it was in his early years, but perhaps it was in his latter years as a well-season king coming to the end of his days. He had went from shepherding sheep to shepherding nation. He had been through the battles both personally and politically. He had seen the hand of God shepherding him and leading him and delivering him through them all. So whatever the case, beloved weather, it was in his younger years or whether it was in his latter years. David knew what it was to be a shepherd. But even more than that, David knew what it was to be a sheep. He knew how important the sheep were to the shepherd. He knew how important the shepherd is to the sheep. And therefore he could say with clarity he could say with confidence the Lord is my shepherd. This indeed is the theme of the psalm. And there I say this morning and remind us that this is not just the theme of Psalm 23. But this is the theme and the anthem of the Christian life. This is our great confession. At some point, beloved, at some point of time in this world everyone will need a shepherd. How good it is to know the Lord is my shepherd. This is our great confession. This is our great confession. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. Every week, every week here at East Pointe Church, according to the Haudebert Catechism, we ask the question, don't we? What is my only comfort in life and in death? Well if David was here this morning, he put it simply. My only comfort in life and in death is that the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. This is the great confession of all the faithful. Beloved, Jehovah God is my shepherd. This short confession here teaches us two important things. It teaches us about God, doesn't it? He who is the creator of the universe is also a shepherd that God's heart is a shepherding heart. He who gives life and breath to all that there is is also willing to be a shepherd to you and to be a shepherd to me. This is what Joseph said, right? In Genesis, chapter 48 and verse 18, Joseph called Jehovah, the God who has been my shepherd all the days of my life. Jehovah, my shepherd. He who is Alpha and Omega beginning and in the Bible says is also our shepherd and John 10 and 14. Jesus, the Bible says, condescended to be a shepherd because we are sheep in desperate need of a shepherd. And just teach us who about God, it also teaches us about us, doesn't it? When Isaiah, chapter 53 and verse 6, the Bible says that we all like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way. Beloved, Jesus came into the world according to 1 Peter, chapter 2 and verse 25, he came into the world as a shepherd because we are lost sheep. And like sheep, we are prone to wonder, our hearts wander off, our eyes wander off, our minds wander off. Prone to wonder, Lord, I feel it, the song writer says, prone to leave the God I love. But there is Jesus, there is Jesus, the good shepherd reminding us that he is our shepherd. And there is no need to wonder as the song writer says, he lets me to rest. He leaves me to rest in the metal's grass and he leaves me beside the quiet streams. He restores my family and helps me to do what honors him the most. That's why I'm safe. That's why I'm safe. As the Psalmist says in Psalm 100 and verse 3, know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, we are his, we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. This is our confession. And since it is our confession, it gives us great confidence, great confidence. Even though in verse 4 it says, 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. Those who are the sheep of God's pasture, those who know Christ as their shepherd are never alone. Wherever life pays you beloved, you have confidence that the Lord is there. With David as the shepherd of Israel, the nation of Israel always, always had confidence. No matter the fold, they were confident that David would win. No matter the circumstances, they were confident that David would overcome. No matter the trial of trouble that would come upon Israel, if David was their shepherd, they were confident that they would come through. So it is with those who have the Lord as their shepherd, you have the confidence of his presence. And it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter the valley, beloved. It could be the valley of the shadow of death, it could be the valley of the guilt of sin. It could be the death valley, it could be the big valley, the valley doesn't matter. What matters is his romp, what matters is his staff, what matters is his presence. Whatever the valley, whatever the valley, the Lord shepherds his people through it. In the joy and the pain, he is your shepherd in the sunshine and the rain. He is your shepherd, whether it is in victory or defeat, success or failure, he is your shepherd. Whether it is worry or worship, wartime or peace, pandemic or prosperity, calm or storm. This life or the life to come, he is with you, he promises to be your shepherd, his rod and his staff are there to protect and to provide. There is no greater promise in all the Bible than is the promise that God gives to his people that I am with you. I Jehovah God am with you. Beloved, the world can take a lot of things away from you. In fact, COVID-19 has taken a lot of things away from us. But you know the one thing that the world can't take, the one thing that COVID-19 can't touch and that is the presence of God in your. When Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 28 and verse 20, I am with you always. He gave them something, beloved, that is more valuable than gold. He gave them something more precious than all the jewels of this earth. He gave them the confidence with which to live the Christian life. Beloved, I don't know about you, but I can go without a lot of things. In fact, I have at times in my life, without money, without friends, without a job, without family, without a home, even without a church. But the one thing that I can't go on without, I can't go on without Jesus. If you were to tell me this morning that I had to live without Jesus, I would tell you that I don't know what I would be living for. There's the shepherd that gives me to the life of the sheep to be there. I don't possess how does the land find clothes or jewelry from sorrows and cares in this old life. But I have Christ, all in my life. And this, this alone, makes me happy. For Christ is all, all and all, this world. The Lord is my shepherd. I have my confession. The Lord is my shepherd. When I have my confidence, and because he is my shepherd, he promises that I have glorious companions for the journey. I am never alone. Surely, says in verse 6, right? Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. And because the Lord is my shepherd, my life will always have a sense of his goodness and mercy. I will always have a place where I belong. One of my favorite songs growing up in the church was, this world is not my home. Not that I really understood what the song was saying. I just like the fact that it sounded so good when they sang it. The parts and the harmony just blended so well together. You didn't need any music. I just like the way it sounded. But today, beloved, that song does more than just sound good. Today, it is reminder that we are pilgrims in this world. And the goal, beloved, is not just to be in the world, but the goal is to make it through the world, through this world. But the only way, the only way we make it through this world is because of the goodness and the mercy, the grace and the love of God. It's the only way, beloved. It's the only way. The only way that you and I make this journey is that we understand that we don't journey alone, that we have pilgrim partners, that we have glorious companions, their names, our goodness. This is the good will of God towards us. This is the good will of our shepherd. And because the Lord is your shepherd, because of his goodness, whatever happens, whatever occurs, it will be alright. Whatever trouble or trial or difficulty comes because goodness is your companion, it will be alright. Because your shepherd, who is sovereign, has made you a precious promise in Romans chapter 8 and verse 28 that he's going to work all things out. Not just for his glory, but he's going to work all things out for good. That's what it means to have goodness walking alongside you, beloved everything. Eventually, we'll be alright. You're not just don't just have goodness though, you also have mercy. You have the loving kindness, the covenant of faithfulness, the steadfast love of God. This reminds us, at least it reminds me, that there will be times along this journey that seem less than loving. There will be times along this journey when I will do a lovable thing, but I remind you that what Ariel Speedwagon said. I'm going to keep on loving you. That's just the only thing that I want to do. Long before Ariel Speedwagon ever began to sing those songs. God said in Jeremiah 31 and 3 that I have loved you with and ever lasting love. I have drawn you with unfailing kindness, beloved, and everlasting love. The reason God doesn't stop loving you is because he never started. He has always loved his people. He will always love his people. Goodness and unfailing love shall be with you every step, every day, every way of your journey. Because the shepherd is not only good to you, but the shepherd loves you, has always loved you, will always. And because of this, he has promised and he had guaranteed that you have a home. You always, you always have a place to go. It is the house of the Lord is the home of a shepherd. There's a lot of talk these days about nursing homes and places for those who have journeyed long in this world and how they might live out their final days in peace and safety. But now, because of COVID-19, we're beginning to wonder about these places. We wonder if they are safe after all. We begin to wonder if the people working in these places are as loving as they should be. Do the people there really care? Beloved, I got news for you this morning. God doesn't have a nursing home. There is only one place. There is only one home for the tired. There is only one place for the worried. There is only one place for the redeemed that they might live and that is in his home. The shepherd's home. Our good shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ said unequivocally in John chapter 14 verses 1 through 3. Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God? Believe also in me. My father's house has many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you with me that you also may be where I am that you, in other words, may dwell in the house of the Lord. However, Beloved, the Lord doesn't put his tired and weary sheep in nursing home. He brings them into his home and there they have their place. The goal of this life, and maybe it's not for you, but I know it is for me. The goal of this life is to be with Jesus in the life to come. That is the point of it all. It's to make your way through this life so that you are with Jesus in the life to come. But there is only one way to get there. You can't make it there on your own. You can't buy your way in. Nobody else can bargain on your behalf. There is only one way to get in. The shepherd has to lead you. You have to hear the voice of the shepherd. And the shepherd has to lead you. That's why we sing, Savior, like a shepherd lead us. Much we need thy tender care and thy pleasant pastures feed us for our use thy fold-free hair. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, thou has bought us, and Thine we are. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, thou has bought us. Thine we, Jesus, Savior, shepherd lead us, lead us home.