Known for his unique ability to simplify profound truths so that it can be applied to everyday life, Adrian Rogers was one of the most effective preachers, respected Bible teachers, and Christian leaders of our time. Thanks for joining us for this message. Here's Adrian Rogers. Take God's word and find Psalm 23, and I think in Psalm 23 you'll find there the heartbeat. Of God's word, we have been studying this psalm now for the past several Sundays, and we're going to continue today.
Our major emphasis is going to be on verse five. But before I read it to you, let me tell you what the devil wants to do to you. The devil wants you to think negatively about God. That's what he does. He wants you, when you think of God, not to have good feelings.
He wants you to have negative feelings because the devil knows if he can get you to thinking negatively about God, he can do almost anything with you that he wants. What did he do in the Garden of Eden when he came to Eve there when he appeared as the serpent and first crawled his slimy, corroding trail into the pages of history? He asked Eve a question. He said, "Did God say that you should not eat of the fruit of every tree of the garden?" Now God didn't say any such thing anyway. God did not say of the fruit of every tree of the garden, "Thou shalt not eat." God said just the opposite: of the fruit of every tree, thou mayest freely eat, with exception of just one tree.
Freely eat, help yourself. But you see what the devil did? He tried to get Eve to think negatively about God. And he's still done that job today. And people today think of God as some kind of a cosmic killjoy.
Every time he sees anybody having a good time, he moves in to break up the party, and and people just think negatively about God. And when they think about serving God, they think of it as something that they have to do in order to get to heaven, not something they want to do. It's like taking bad medicine in order to get well. You don't like the taste of the medicine, but you choke it down because the only alternative is being sick. Oh no, my dear friend!
What a distorted idea of the goodness of our great God! I want to talk to you today about how to feel good about God.
Now, take God's word and look in Psalm 23. Look at it. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters; he restoreth my soul.
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness, for his name's sake. 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. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil.
My cup runneth over, and I submit. That verse. There's much to make us feel good about God.
Now let me give you the background of this passage of scripture. First of all. We have what we call a prepared table. Thou preparest a table before me. That means God sets the table.
Who sets the table in your house?
Well, you say it all depends. It depends on what?
Well, it depends on who's coming.
Now, if no one's coming, sometimes Joyce will let me set the table. And I never can get it right, but my dear friends, when company is coming, generally Joyce will set the table. No longer do we have the placemats; we have the linen tablecloth. No longer do we have the glass; we get the crystal, the best china. Comes out and there'll be lighted candles on the table and fresh flowers and generally you know that wonderful recipe and everything is just right and the music will be playing softly in the background and when our guests come in we say you just have to take us like we are you know we we you know we really love.
To set the table. Do you know why you set the table that way? Do you know why you prepare the table to honor the person who's coming? To honor the person who's coming. You see, here's what David is saying: God is put on an apron.
God, Jehovah, has prepared a table for me. For me, the Lord of Glory has prepared a table for me. He loves me. He he welcomes me. I'm special to him.
And then the next phrase says, "Thou anointest my head with oil." In a Middle Eastern home. There, in a very wealthy home, would be a cruise of oil right by the door. Very expensive ointment, perfumed. And when a very important guest would come into the home, maybe a family member who'd been gone for a long time, or someone that you dearly loved, someone that you wanted to see, the guest would come and greet his friend, and there would be a kiss on either cheek, and then he would reach into that bowl of ointment. And he would put that ointment on the face and the head and the hair of his guest.
It would perfume that person and refresh them. They called it the anointing of the head. And the rest of the feast, that person would smell that sweet perfume and that ointment that was on his head. They do something like this in Hawaii. When you come into a home in Hawaii, they take a ring of flowers called a lei, and they put it around your neck.
And the whole time you're there, you're just smelling those flowers that are around your neck. It's their way of saying we love you. You're special. You're welcome.
Now, if the lady from next door came over to borrow an egg or some flour or something, they didn't anoint her head and so forth. But it was something special. Remember there the story where Mary. Took that alabaster box of ointment and anointed the hairs of Jesus and even his feet. There was a man there named Simon, and Simon and others were complaining.
And Jesus said, "Simon, you didn't anoint my head when I came into your house. You didn't do this. That is, Simon, you did not show me that reverence and that respect. But this woman has not only anointed my head, but my feet with this ointment and this perfume." You see, it says that you're very, very special, and this anointing was to refresh, and just to make you feel good. You're special, and then the last thing—not only was there the prepared table and the the anointing of the head, but there was something else that was so very wonderful.
There was the overflowing cup. My cup runneth over.
Now let me give you the background for this. In Bible times, they didn't have the hotels and the motels and the restaurants and the things that we have today.
Now there were a few inns, but most of them were dirty and filthy, and the few that were there were crowded. For example, with Jesus, there was no room in the inn. They were expensive and many times very immoral. But there was a law in the land, the law of hospitality, that if you were traveling, and you came to a man's house in the middle of the day, and you asked for food, it would be absolutely unthinkable that he would let you go on without first feeding you. It was just simply, folks, the law of the land that a stranger would be invited in and be given a meal.
Now suppose that stranger came about even time. It's in the evening, and he sits down, and you give him this meal.
Now suppose you have done your duty. You've been respectful. You've been nice. You fed him, and it's time for him to go on. But suppose you really have come to like this person.
Even you strike up a friendship, and you're very interested. He's an interesting conversationalist. Are you just feel for whatever reason that that you want him to stay? Here's the way they would do it: the host would take his cup at the end of the meal, and it had been already imbibed and emptied. And the host would take the pitcher, and if it was time for this man to go, he would fill that cup half full, half full.
And what that meant is, Mister, when you finish your dessert, hit the road. I mean, that's it. The cup is half full. He wouldn't have to say a word. But if the host would come with that pitcher and began to pour into that cup and would pour it up to the brim and then just let it overflow and run over, it was saying, "You're special.
I love you, and you are invited to stay in my home overnight." As a special guest, that's what David is saying. David is saying, "Look, He, Jehovah, has prepared a table for me. I'm special. Jehovah has anointed my head. He loves me.
My cup runneth over.
He is showing hospitality to me. He is my friend. And of course, who is our Jehovah, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd? And Jesus said." In John 15, verse 15, I don't call you servants; I call you friends. Isn't that beautiful?
Don't you don't think negatively about a friend?
Somebody says a friend is somebody who knows all about you and loves you just the same, or.
Somebody said that a friend is someone who goes on liking you, no matter how successful either one of you becomes. Or here's a good definition: a friend is somebody who believes in you when you have ceased to believe in yourself. Or a friend is a source of celebration when you've come to believe that there's nothing to celebrate. A friend is somebody who comes to your side when you call, and often answers even before you call. And of course, we know that all of those things.
Picture the Lord Jesus Christ, the friend of sinners. What a friend we have in the Lord Jesus! He prepares a table; he anoints my head with oil. My cup runneth over.
Don't you ever let the devil get you to thinking negatively about God. The three things I want you to think about the Lord in this verse of Scripture. First of all, as you think about the prepared table, I want you to think of the fullness that we have in Christ. That is that Jesus Christ meets the deepest hungers of our heart. And it does.
Jesus Christ satisfies the deepest longings, the deepest hungers of your heart. Jesus satisfies. Did you know that the Bible is just kind of a continual feast from Genesis right on to Revelation? I was thinking about all of the feasts and the meals that our Lord prepared for His disciples, the Good Shepherd. I was thinking, for example.
About how the Lord Jesus Christ fed the five thousand, and He performed a miracle to feed five thousand—a few fish and loaves—and He fed five thousand people. He prepared a table of replenishment when there was the enemy of inadequacy, and you know He's done that for me so many times. I feel so inadequate. And I run out of resources, and the Lord just prepares a table before me when, frankly, folks, I need it, but I don't deserve it. And bless God, I can't even explain it how He meets my needs day by day.
And I'm not just talking about physical needs, those, but more than that. I want to ask you a question: Was there any way that you could explain the feeding of the five thousand? Not any way except God, isn't that right? Let me ask you this question. What is there about your life that cannot be explained apart from God?
Did you know that's the only part that you have that you can call believable? Only the unexplainable is what you. That's the only right you have to be believable. I mean, if your neighbor can explain you, you're just like him. Only you're religious, friend.
That's not going to convince him. But when he sees a God. Who is supernaturally meeting your needs and preparing for you a table of replenishment? Then you're going to be believable. Not only a table of replenishment, but what about a table of restoration?
Do you remember when Simon Peter cursed and swore? And denied the Lord Jesus. Jesus was crucified, and He was raised from the dead. And the disciples were discouraged, and they weren't sure, half believing, half doubting. Peter said, "I go fishing." The others went with him.
They'd gone back to Galilee, and Jesus had said, "Tarry in Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high." There they were, disobedient, disconsolate, out there fishing, and they fished all night and hadn't caught anything. Boy, I've been on some of those. And then Jesus says, "Hey, have you caught anything?" Standing on the seashore, don't you hate people when they do that? Have you caught anything? And they said, "No." He said, "Well, why don't you cast your net on the other side?" And they did, and and you remember they caught all of those fish and.
Peter, he knew it was Jesus. He said, "It's the Lord!" And Peter took off his fisherman's coat and jumped in the water and made his way over there to meet the Lord Jesus. And when he got there, what had the Lord done? Prepared a table. There were fish on those hot coals and fresh bread.
Now I can understand the fish. He was there by Galilee. I can understand where he got the fish. But where did he get that bread? I really don't know, but you know what I like to think.
I like to think He turned stones into bread. I'll do it when I want to, Satan, not when you want me to. And but whatever, however, can you imagine fishing all night? You know how hungry you get when you've been working nets all night long, and it's breakfast time, and there on the shore, and smell that hot baked bread, and Jesus says, "Come and dine." Come and dine. Thou preparest a table before me, not only a table of replenishment, but a table of restoration.
Have you failed him? Probably you have cursed and sworn and denied him like Peter did. But I want to tell you, my dear failing friend, he says, "Come and dine." And there, just before he was crucified, he had the Passover feast and and he sat down with them and broke the bread. He was the host there at that table. He passed the cup.
And he said, "This do in remembrance of me. Not only a table of replenishment and a table of restoration, but a table of remembrance and redemption. We can sit down and feast at the table he has prepared for us. But listen, the best table is yet to come. Jesus said, 'I'm not going to drink this cup again until I drink it with you anew in the kingdom.
Where is that going to be? At the marriage supper of the Lamb?" There's yet a feast that we're coming to. Our Lord, who's preparing a place, is also preparing a feast. One of these days we're going to sit down at that table up yonder. One of these days He will come.
And we're going to be caught up, swept up to meet the Lord in the air, and we're going to sit down at that table. Listen, friend, don't you think negatively about God? When the Bible describes our salvation, the Bible doesn't describe our salvation as a funeral, but as a feast. Thou preparest a table before me, and so first of all, I want you to think of the fullness that we have in Christ. But now, the second thing I want you to think about—that ought to make you feel good about God.
I want you to think about the freshness we have in Christ. The freshness we have in Christ. Thou anointest my head with oil. Now, what does that tell me? He's telling me that there ought to be a refreshing.
There ought to be a sweet aroma. There ought to be a Just a oil of gladness about serving the Lord. Hey, don't feel sorry for me because I'm a Christian. I'm having a wonderful time, and I want to tell you something. His mercies are new every morning.
Every morning he anoints me with fresh oil. When I was preparing this message, I I got to thinking about this. I was sitting at my desk, and I thought, Is this true? Is there fresh oil every morning? And I had to put down my pen and lift my hands and praise the Lord.
Say, Lord, it is true, it is true. I love Him better today. I really believe than ever before, and I can say with my heart and my soul, I it's still exciting to me, and it's more exciting to me. And I thank God for the freshness in Christ. Other things get old, but friend, He just gets better.
He gets sweeter. He gets more real. He satisfies every need. Yes, there's the fullness in Christ. He prepares a table.
There's the freshness in Christ. That fragrance of Christ. That beauty of Christ. That reality of the Lord Jesus Christ. Don't you ever let the devil get you to thinking negatively about God.
I tell you, there's a third thing that this verse tells me. It makes me feel good about God. Not only the fullness in Christ and the freshness in Christ, but the freeness—the freeness that we have in Christ. My cup runneth over when He gives; He gives so freely, so lavishly, so wondrously. God is a God of the open hand and the open heart.
God is not stingy. God doesn't hold back. You see, in that passage on the Good Shepherd in John ten verse ten, what did Jesus say? Jesus said, "I've come that you might have life, but not just life. I've come that you might have life and have it how?
Abundantly. Not only does He add years to our life." He adds life to our years, and and it's an abundant life. When Jesus turned the water into wine in John chapter two, do you know what the Bible scholars tell us? You know how much wine he made that day of the best wine, one hundred and twenty gallons.
Now, folks, they didn't need one hundred and twenty gallons, but he just their cup overflowed. Let me give you another example. When Jesus fed the five thousand. With a little boy's sack lunch, that was wonderful. But now, wait a minute.
After he fed the five thousand, then there were twelve baskets full left over. Think about it. Our cup runs over. Listen. He speaks of peace, but not just peace.
Peace that passes understanding. He speaks of joy, but not just joy, but joy unspeakable and full of glory. When the prodigal son came back, he said, "Kill the fatted calf, not just kill a chicken. The fatted calf, not just a calf, the best." And he said, "Bring forth the best robe and put it on him." He's not talking here about necessities. He's talking about luxuries.
He's talking about out of his infinite goodness and fullness, he just keeps on giving and giving and giving. Have you ever thought about God that way, as the giving God, as the lavish God? Oh, freely you have received the freeness that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. God doesn't measure His blessings drop by drop. Our cup runs over.
I heard about a little lady who went to the bank to cash a check, and she got her money, and she stayed there and she counted it all. Then she counted it again, and then she counted it three times. And the teller said, "What's the matter, lady? Isn't it all there?" She said, "It just is." Now, friend, I want to tell you that God just throws in a few extra dollars. He just our cup just runs over.
I mean, He doesn't measure His blessings. And how we ought to be like that? You see, the Bible says, "Freely you have received, freely give." You know what some folks I know would want to do. When God gives that way, and when the cup runs over, they don't let it run over. Do you know what they want?
Bigger cup, bigger cup. You don't have to have a bigger cup, friend. If your cup is running over, remember the man in the Bible whose property brought forth so much. He said, "I have no room to bestow my goods." He said, "I know what I'll do." I'll pull down my barns and build bigger barns. I don't want it to run over.
I don't want it to bless anybody else. I want it all for me, all for me, all for him. No, no. Listen, listen. Freely have received, freely give.
Let the cup run over and let it be a blessing to somebody else. What do we have in the Lord Jesus? Oh, my dear friend, we have fullness in Christ. He prepares a table. What do we have in the Lord Jesus?
We have freshness in Christ. He anoints our head. What do we have in the Lord Jesus? We have freeness in Christ. Our cup runs over.
Don't you let the devil get you to thinking negatively about God. I want you to hear Jesus saying to you, "I prepared a table for you." Come and dine, come and dine. If you would like to learn more about how you can know Jesus or deepen your relationship with Him, simply click the Discover Jesus link on our website lwf.org. For a copy of this message or additional resources, visit our online store at lwf.org, or call one eight hundred two seven four five six eight three. Thank you.
