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Four Stages of Salvation

Serenity

Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is amy shepherd; bI shall not want.” [1]

 I.  Satisfaction

          A. Routine

          B. Rut

II. Surprise

          A. Ready

          B. Realization

III. Surrender

          A. Release

          B. Relief

IV. Serenity

          A. Righteousness

          B. Relationship

Introduction:  We have been considering David’s path through sanctification for these past five weeks.  When a person has a renewed relationship with God there are some folks who believe that at that instant the relationship is complete.  There are people who believe that at the moment a person becomes a Christian that the journey is reckoned and the person is locked in.

There are others who believe that a person can fall out of favor with God once they have accepted salvation.  They believe that the person who has received salvation must be in continual confession and humble repentance.  They believe that a person can allow his/her heart to be hardened again if they backslide and therefore they can fall from grace and lose the free gift of salvation.

David’s journey is a reminder of what normal Christian life looks like.  His kingship was a great surprise to him but there would be many more.  His satisfaction led to complacency and would not be a onetime happening in his climb through sanctification.  He would be complacent many more times.  He surrendered the position of king that Samuel anointed him for and went into hiding when King Saul threatened his life.  He would later be threatened by his own son who attempted to take the kingdom away from him.

The events within Second Samuel chapters fifteen through eighteen account Absalom’s attempt on David’s kingdom and his life are well documented and are worth our attention.  But today in the essence of time we will skip only to the last verse of chapter eighteen where David surprises his closest supporters again.  2 Samuel 18:33 “And the king was much moved, and went up to xthe chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, yO my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!” [2]

We find David’s closest advisor, Joab, was shocked at the beginning of chapter nineteen.  David’s troops, who were led by Joab, had defeated Absalom and saved David’s life as well as the kingdom.  Twice before David had lost sons by the separation of death and both times when it was over and told to David, he seemed to accept the fact graciously.  This time with Absalom there was extreme bitterness.  Why?

David was confident that the first son with Bathsheba was in heaven and we read the account of that.  Surely he was upset that Amnon had been killed yet David seemed to be more grievous over the unresolved disagreement with Absalom that led to Absalom leaving.  Could his deep grief been because of David’s own lack of action over what happened to Tamar?  Who knows?  God knows!  Could it be because David was afraid that he might never see Absalom again even in heaven?  Only God knows.  We want to know when we lose loved ones where they go because we want to see them again but only God knows the hearts of others.

David went through things that most of us will never realize.  We all go through things that God allows in our walk.  That is how God grows our faith.  We realize more with each passing trial how much God really does love and protect us in our walk with Him until we finally reach that point of serenity that Paul described in Philippians 4:11-13, “Not that I speak in respect of bwant: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be ccontent. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed dboth to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things ethrough Christ fwhich strengtheneth me.” [3]

Scripture:  The scripture today is Psalm 23:1.  Please stand if you can for the reading of God’s Word.

Prayer:  Please be seated.

Message:  To understand that the same man who obsessed over the death of Absalom could be the same man who wrote the twenty-third Psalm is to understand a miracle.  That is what the Christian life is.  It is a miracle, an amazing act that only God can accomplish, that God would give His Only Begotten Son as a sacrifice for me.  David finally realized that God loves.

Was David a righteous man?  Okay!  Are you a righteous man or woman?  Am I?  We live in a nation where our leaders are supposed to be elected by us.  Who have you ever known to be righteous whom you have voted for to govern your life?  This is not a referendum against voting.  We have a unique opportunity to cast our votes and we should not give that up.  People need to understand that there is none righteous, no not one.  When we find the person that wants to lead as he/she is led by God, then we have a leader that we might trust with our vote.  It’s getting harder to find godly leaders as time goes by.

David knew what it was to be a shepherd.  He knew how sheep depend on their shepherd.  He knew that it was not a smart thing to trust just anyone to be a shepherd.  He learned from all the trials that God allowed him to go through.  Now finally David had reached the place of serenity.

In Psalm twenty-three David said something like this; I know that THE LORD is MY SHEPHERD.  There is only one.  He is THE.  Not one of many but THE ONLY ONE.  All that I have is given to me by Him.  All that I expect to have is because He gives it to me.  That is the one and only perfect relationship in my life!  Because I have finally gotten to this place in my life now I can say beyond a shadow of doubt that I am finally content.  I have finally reached that elusive place of serenity.  If anyone feels that they can put their trust in anything or anyone else than in MY LORD that is totally up to each and every individual but THE LORD, He is MY SHEPHERD and I have and want no other.

We have considered what those words, “I shall not want” mean.  It could mean physical things like wealth or health or popularity.  Consider this.  It might mean that David had no want for any other shepherd.  David knows that he has the One True Savior to follow.  Why would anyone want someone to follow other than Jesus Christ?  Why indeed!

If we His church only wanted to have Jesus as our shepherd, how would this world be?  You better think long and hard on that one because that is exactly what heaven is going to be.  We will have THE ONE AND ONLY SHEPHERD and that leader will not be a liar.

Join me as we say the 23rd Psalm’ A Psalm of David.

“1   The Lord is amy shepherd; bI shall not want.

2    cHe maketh me to lie down in †green pastures:

dHe leadeth me beside the †still waters.

3    He restoreth my soul:

eHe leadeth me in the paths of righteousness ffor his name’s sake.

4    Yea, ffthough I walk through the valley of gthe shadow of death,

hI will fear no evil: ifor thou art with me;

Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5    jThou preparest a table before me kin the presence of mine enemies:

Thou †lanointest my head with oil; my mcup runneth over.

6    Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord †for ever.” [4]

We learn to recite this from the time we are children.  The man who wrote this Psalm came through trials and tribulations maybe more than most of us.  That is how he finally came to be able to write these words.

Prayer:  Let us pray.

Invitation:  As we come to this time of invitation please consider this truth.  You started a journey the moment that you became a Christian that is still in progress.  Jesus is walking in front of you because He is the Shepherd and you are a sheep.

There have been times when you have faltered along the way and there have been times when, if someone had not been there to stop you, you would have considered quitting.  Don’t quit!

He is leading us for His name’s sake.  He will lead you through some very dark times, even times of death, but if you continue on with Him you will learn to trust and not fear Him.  He has and gives what He needs to protect you.  Even your enemies will learn that they can’t take anything away from you that He gives you.  You will partake even in their presence.  He is anointing you with that which makes you dazzling clean and there is no end to His blessing of good.  This will last as long as heaven lasts and in heaven we will be with Him forever.

There are some who are satisfied where they are and God knows that they will not be moved.  Don’t be confused when you see some who seem to be satisfied and never meet some of the obstacles that move you.  David thought he was satisfied until God moved him with a surprise.

We meet all kinds of surprises if we are not where God wants us to be.  That’s how He moves us.  Some people are in a continual loop of satisfaction and then surprise because they never surrender to God.  Are you there?  Is there something that you refuse to leave behind?  He knows.  If He hasn’t given up on you He will keep surprising you until you finally do surrender.

When that time comes of true surrender of your willful self to His will there will be peace like you have never known.  Finally when you understand that you cannot trust in yourself with all your heart and surrender to the truth that you must trust only in The Lord with all your heart will you finally find that place of serenity, comfort, and peace.

Are you ready for that?  If you aren’t and if He hasn’t given up on you He will keep sending the trials until you do.  Is that day today?  Are you finally ready to say AMEN to Him?   Consider as we sing…

a Isai. 40:11. Ezek. 34:23. See John 10:11.
b Phil. 4:19.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ps 23:1). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
x See Judg. 3:20.
y ch. 19:4.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 2 Sa 18:33). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
b Mark 12:44.
c See 1 Tim. 6:6.
d So 1 Cor. 4:11. 2 Cor. 6:10. & 11:27.
e So John 15:5. 2 Cor. 12:9.
f 1 Tim. 1:12 (Gk.). 2 Tim. 4:17. Heb. 11:34. So Col. 1:11.
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Php 4:11–13). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
a Isai. 40:11. Ezek. 34:23. See John 10:11.
b Phil. 4:19.
c Ezek. 34:14. So John 10:9.
† Heb. pastures of tender grass. See Ps. 65:12.
d Ps. 31:3 (Heb.). Isai. 40:11. & 49:10. Rev 7:17.
† Heb. waters of quietness. Comp. Je. 51:59 (Heb.).
e Ps. 5:8. & 31:3. & 139:10, 24. & 143:10.
f See Ps. 25:11.
ff So Ps. 138:7.
g See Job 3:5.
h So Ps. 3:6. & 27:1, 3. & 118:6.
i So Isai. 43:2.
j Ps. 78:19. Prov. 9:2 in the Heb. So Job 36:16. Ps. 69:22.
k Comp. Ps. 31:19.
† Heb. makest fat.
l So Ps. 133:2. Eccles. 9:8. Matt. 6:17. Luke 7:46. Comp. Ps. 92:10.
m See Ps. 16:5.
† Heb. to length of days. Ps. 93:5. See Ps. 91:16 marg.
[4] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ps 23:title–6). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.