EVEN THOUGH - Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table

I want to talk for a few minutes about the text that changed my life a real text not a text of Scripture but a text on my phone and I'm not being dramatic when I tell you that this text changed my life not a week goes by in the years since I got this text that I don't think about this text you ever gotten a text like that that was so powerful somebody spoke something so powerful that you still remember it I could probably scroll back five years and find it but I still think about it multiple times in a given week and it changes the temperature in the direction of my life every single week it's amazing how God is gracious like that to bring truth into our lives just at the right time we're talking in this series even though I will about defiant faith we're talking about a kind of faith that when life closes in the faith doesn't deflate it actually inflates even more and that sounds kind of backwards to to us but every time we turn a page in Scripture we find people who are in circumstances in situations where you shouldn't have faith Daniel is in Alliance 10 you're thinking that's the night your faith is going to deflate I'm just trying to follow God I'm just trying to honor him I'm just trying to be obedient to what he's called me to do now I'm gonna be dinner for the big cats God how have you put me in here how did this all work out what what were you thinking did you not hear me why didn't you answer my prayer I thought you were for me I thought that you were on my side and look here I am must not have been true all along must not be who you say you are no Daniel is in the middle of it all saying I believe God can close the mouth of the lion but if he doesn't I'm still going to praise him like how do you get that how do you have forged in you that kind of defiant faith we talked about midnight in Philippi Paul and Silas in the stocks in ER prison the middle of the night beat up for their faith in Jesus Christ this is where faith deflates right hey we were just on a mission trip we were just trying to honor you and this is what we get for that no they said about midnight they were singing hymns of praise to God and all the prisoners were listening and I look at Paul's life Silas life I look at all of the people who are my heroes in the story of God in Scripture and all of them came up against even though I will moments Noah even though I've never ever one time seen it rain I will build a boat last week even though War break out against me I will be confident Habakkuk even though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vine even though the fields produce no food even though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stall even though even though even though even though he says yet I will rejoice in my god how do you get and even though I will faith not the faith of the normal Christian who believes in God in the sunshine but sort of wilts under the pressures in the night and I believe we've seen it that it has a lot to do with where we have our focus and what we see today we see another even though I will it's one of the most famous verses of Scripture if not besides John 3:16 the most famous verse of scripture in the Bible and it's in Psalm 23 and this is what it says in verse 4 it says even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death isn't it amazing that these even those there right there in the text even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death that we have people in the room tonight who are walking literally through the valley of the shadow of death real death like the loss of a loved one a burial a funeral grief and loss so we know that this is a part of our story that we are going to walk through the literal valley of the shadow of death but you may be walking through some other death right now the death of a relationship or of a dream or you tried to get into this program or into this school and it didn't work out or you were going for that internship and the thing that thing turned right at the last minute or you thought that that person was interested in you but it turns out the last minute they just wanted to be friends and there's a death of a lot of things in our lives the death of a business deal some of you guys or ladies were trying to close on the death of the dream to have a son or a daughter of your own maybe that window seems to have closed there's a lot of times that death comes into our story and so we can identify with David when he writes even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death where there is real danger there's there's real danger lurking around every single turn but he said even though I walked through that valley look at the next line he says I will there's our our will I will fear no evil even though I will even though I will even though I will you could just slip the words a little bit even though I walk through a very very dangerous season I will not be afraid how do you say even though I'm walking through something that could take me out I'm not going to be afraid the answer falls right into our lap he says because you are with me you are with me imagine if we can really get our heads around that today you are with me so whatever you're walking through right now this is the good news not that God's just going to help you that's not the whole message oh you're going through such a hard time I'm going to pray that God will help you you're going through struggles I'm going to pray that God will help you I think sometimes what God wants us to do is take a step beyond that and say you're going through a really challenging season right now I just want you to see that God is with you that he's with you in the darkness he's with you at the grave he's with you at the cemetery he's with you and you're sitting at the table now by yourself he's with you when you received the news he's with you when the phone call came he's with you when you're sitting on the chemo ward he's with you in the storm and in the wind and in the trial he's with you in the famine he's with you in the valley he's with you God Almighty your shepherd is in it with you I believe this is game-changing revelation and it changes our prayer life we don't pray Lord I mean I'm in a storm help me we pray God thank you that you are in this storm with me how are we going to do this and it's a shift it's a complete shift of life even though I walk I will not be afraid why because you're with me and if that's not enough your rod and your staff they comfort me in other words I get comfort from the fact that you've got a staff that guides me in a rod that will beat the living daylights out of anything that comes against me you're like oh wait a minute I thought we were talking about Jesus you know meek and mild the robe and the sandals and the beautiful hair and how soft he speaks when he talks and you know he's just a wonderful meek and mild one oh you know he's always got the prayer hands going and you know no no no no Shepherd shepherd he's got a staff to kind of poke and prod and guide you know because we've said it many times hear it when we are referred to metaphorically as the sheep in this text it costs not paying us a compliment like what do you mean by that well he's like going oh you're so cute and cuddly and wooly and wonderful and when you hide so cute oh you're so cute my little sheep no he's saying you don't see good and you're not real Swift and you can't fight I mean you know a little bit you know of that but that's about all you got you sometimes get your wool hung in the briars under the tree and you can't get out and you starve to death some nights you just go oh look we're all on the pin I'm gonna go this way hey I wonder what's over here I'll just check it out I'll be back in about a month why did Jesus say that you had to leave the 99 and go to the one because there's always one he's going good Penn Good Shepherd safety security Night Watch he wasn't saying you guys are so awesome he was saying I'd like to lead you that's gonna involve a few great things I'll make you lie down in green pasture this is how helpless I am that my shepherd has to make me lie down in green pasture I'm not even smart enough to do that by myself he says I'll lead you beside quiet waters ello anybody want to be led in this room anybody need any leading he said I'll lead you he said I'll restore your soul anybody like any restoration anybody anybody like any recipe I'll restore you I will guide you anybody looking for guidance hello we just solved all the world's problems and we're not even past the very first few sentences in the promise I'll make you lie down I'll lead you in your life I will restore whatever you need restored in your life I will guide you however you need to be guided in your life then I'll guide you in these paths of righteousness for my name's sake and even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death you shouldn't fear any evil because I'm gonna walk through the valley of the shadow of death with you I've got a staff to guide you in a rod to protect you and I hope that they bring you comfort more than southern comfort or something in a bottle or something that you can take at night or some other thing that you go to to feel okay about the fact that you're going through a valley I hope you'll take comfort in the fact that I'm right there with you and I've got what you need to protect you in the midst of the valley I hope that brings you some comfort in your life tonight and then he goes on to say that's not the end of the promise here it gets a little interesting and we're gonna drill down just for a moment he says I'm gonna prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies I'm gonna anoint your head with oil so much so that your cup is gonna overflow in other words you're gonna be the person who's not only got enough you're gonna be the person that's gotten more than enough and he said and then I'm gonna follow you around if that's okay do you mind if I just follow you around I'm gonna follow you everywhere you go I'm gonna follow you this year and next year and a year after that and next week and the week after that this season and the season after that I'm gonna keep following you with goodness and with love goodness and love I'm gonna be right there behind you going I love you I love you you keep on going I love you I love you I'm with you just letting you know that I love you I I want you to know that I've got goodness for you I am here cheering you on until you come to rest in my house that I have prepared for you for ever would you like to be led by a shepherd like that this promise is not just needlepoint on grandma's pillow although my mind goes there pretty fast anybody like in a frame over the dining room table the Lord is my shepherd took somebody about seven months to do that don't go there come here and understand that Jesus is in the room right now offering you all that he's offering us all of this promise tonight and our opportunity in this room is to say no thank you I will lead myself or no thank you somebody else is leading me right now they're offering me the promise and showing me the way and telling me how it works and I'm depending on them to get me to Stillwater and green pasture and to do good things for me or we can just say you know what I need it all the things that you're offering so I'm gonna surrender to your leadership tonight in my life and I love zeroing in on this verse five because our our messages even though I walk through the valley I will fear no evil but there's a beautiful twist here and he says you prepare my shepherd a table before me in the presence of my enemies now we would have written that different I believe most of us would have written that different in fact I think if you really think about it a lot of us haven't really thought about it because a if I had written it I would have said you lead me through the valley of the shadow of death I probably would have said and we're never going through the valley of the shadow of death thank you so much Shepherd that you're gonna lead me other ways all the way and then I would have written and thank you so much that you wipe out all my enemies when you would that be your Psalm 23 I am so glad that we do not go through valleys and we don't go through shadows and we do not go through death and I thank you that you have wiped out all of my enemies that would be one way to write it the second way the more obvious way to write it would be and you prepare a table before me in your presence this is what we want right get me out of the valley and into your presence eject me out of the circumstance and just get me with you I just want a table with you in your presence he said no I got a better idea I'm gonna do a table with you but I'm gonna do it in the presence of your enemies I'm gonna bring my presence my person at the table with you in the presence of your enemies while you're surrounded you and I are gonna sit at a table together and this is going to be the most amazing gospel of all yeah I'm not sure I bought into it yet well there's a big why he did it this way and we'll say it in just a moment but before we get there let's talk about the table just for a second and I have time to go around so we'll just come down hey it's like two feet nine inches but thank you for the confidence here's the table it's a table for two and the beauty of it is is it's showing us right now what our relationship with God is all about he didn't say I'm gonna prepare a table before you and put a manual on it just read it he said no I'm gonna put a table there for us and when he said table that meant something to the mind of the person in the time of the 23rd psalm because they lived in an arid environment they lived in a desert climate and so a table with food and drink in cool water these were precious commodities and to put a spread out for somebody was the ultimate act of hospitality and generosity so God is showing us he doesn't have a scarcity mentality he has a generosity mentality and even when you're surrounded by enemies I'm gonna prepare a table before you I'm gonna put a spread out for you now you're not my enemies okay it did I'm aware of and if you are let me know later send me a note slip it up onto the table but you're not my enemies but for the sake of this message tonight you're my enemies okay if you're surrounding me you're all the bad people in my life you're all the people out to get me in my life anybody got anybody out to get them in their lives you're all my people okay so watch out because I can see you back there these are my enemies so he says you're surrounded by pressure circumstance situation diagnosis divorce family collapse internal struggles depression anxiety addiction a relationship that went bad somebody cutting you down somebody's spreading rumors about you somebody's trying to undermine your best effort whatever it is that's pressing in on you he says I've prepared a table for you in the presence of your enemies this my friends is what following Jesus is all about it's about a relationship with him everyone in the room may not know all the songs we sang or why and everyone in the room may not know much about the scripture and why and everyone in the room may not know much about Jesus and why but every person in the room knows what this is everyone knows what this is and this is what God is dreaming about for you not over here hey let's get outta this place man hey grab a piece of fruit and let's get out of here because that looks hard and difficult and challenging and we don't need any of that let's just get over here and get a table over here in my presence you know put the table right here would you like to sit down he's like would you like a cup of cool water and I say yes and I'll serve you one because why wouldn't I the problem is that at the table for two it's possible that someone else will get to your table I told the story and I always feel terrible telling it but I tell it anyway it wouldn't sell me now we're having a birthday dinner at a restaurant in another country we had planed it for a while ended up in this place it was perfect and we loved it we were at a 4-top table and but there was just two of us and some people were leaving and they came by and as they were leaving person kind of looked a few times and I said I think that person recognizes us and so a young man walks over to the table hey are you louie giglio and I say yeah I am I thought you were this is crazy because I was at a conference that you spoke a few weeks ago and me and God really spoke to my life and I've been thinking for a couple of weeks now I would go excuse me I want to talk to that guy he wasn't joking but I am and I saw well that is so great how amazing that God spoke to you that's incredible thanks for telling us that and I love some point to hear you know what God's done in your life kind of like awesome great he said great to meet you now if he went chilling I would on raising life we live about 10 minutes later I see him coming back in the restaurant toward the table do you see this coming you see where we're going here no do you see where we're going you're like you're looking right at me yes I am you're this sitting right by my table here would you like something here let me just this is I know distracting some of you guys that Eclair is ridiculous Oh too bad it's just a cucumber we didn't lose anything important Jesus doesn't need a napkin hill he doesn't mind sharing there you go have this Eclair it's really amazing it looks phenomenal share some of it with those people they here have one of these there you go these people are like the Lord lives God has answered my prayer this is phenomenal I haven't eaten since I had that Subway sandwich on Thursday and so I'm thinking did he leave his glasses or his phone no comes to the table he says we got outside and my friend said to me was that Louie and I said yeah and they said oh my gosh haven't you been wanting to talk to him and I said you know and I said yes and they said this is the Lord this is God you got to go back you got to go talk to him right now he said I didn't know but I thought well maybe I should and so the spirit led me back in to talk to you and I was like oh I don't know about that I don't know says test the spirits and so I thought I've got an easy out though anyone said that we were trying to be punks it was just I thought okay I've got easiest out in the world I said oh that's great but it's my wife's birthday and we're having her birthday dinner that's the easiest out in the world right and he says happy birthday and then he proceeds to start his story and I'm like oh wow this is gonna be really awkward and I do I do check my heart really fast and I'm like god I don't want to miss anything here am I missing anything he says no you're not missing anything I'm like great okay give me grace and give him grace and so eventually he takes a breath after about 10 minutes and he goes so what do you think and I'm like I don't know I haven't heard anything you've said because I'm freaking out over here cuz I don't know what to do and I said well maybe I I'm not sure if I said it or not but it's my wife's birthday second time's gonna work right and finally he's looking at me like like what you want me to go I'm like yeah yeah yeah thanks for stopping by though then I did I said email our church and let me know your story I'd love to hear it it's not you know birthday it was amazing how fast a guy we didn't even know who is almost at our table but that's not the point and that guy changed all the details on that story so you don't know anything about that story you don't know if it was in a foreign country or not or if it's a he or a she because I changed all the information that because I don't want anybody to feel awkward if they ever hear this so that's not the important part but if anybody felt a little nervous just then think about this think about how fast the devil gets at your table God's prepared a table for two it is amazing how fast the enemy just casually comes up hey mind if I sit down how you doing what's going on how you feeling good how the relationship thing going oh man I'm telling you what I don't even know how you're in it right now I don't know how you do it air you drip out like crazy man you're hanging in there though way to go amazing how's everything home now your dad is a deadbeat bro I told you that you mom Jennifer I'll watch out for her she's going take you out you know what you said to Bethenny you hereby hmm as soon as you left I mean yeah everything great you were right you walk down the door and I mean that feature tore you apart she took the Cuban I'll watch you back so I feel real and in two seconds he's not your table you're Shepherd prepared a table for you in the presence of your enemies and before you knew it the enemy was at your table you're like okay but how would I know if he was at my table couple ways really fast number one if you've heard recently that it's better at another table than this table then the enemy is at your table Jesus said in his own words John 10:10 the enemy comes the thief comes he called him to what steal kill and destroy but I've come that they may have life and have it to the full this table is about life in life to the full any other table is about stealing killing and destroying and the enemy is not going to come to your table he's not dressed in a red suit with little things on the top in a pitchfork going and that even scared me man I don't even know what happened it was terrible I'm sorry did I scare you I'm sorry about that I don't know what happened hmm bless me the Holy Spirit he's not gonna show up at the table and go would you like me to gouge your right eye out or your left eye out no no he's gonna sit down look at all cool looking like what you're looking for looking like what you're looking for sounding like what you're listening for telling you what you want to hear if you need a guy with a job he's got a job nice little crisp button-down blazer short cut not too short high pants with narrow legs some good-looking lace-up shoes little stubble but not trying to make a point [Laughter] I don't even know what that means but it spoke to somebody touch somebody he's not gonna come to the table and tell he's trying to kill you he's gonna come to table and seduce you but if he's telling you you need to leave this wife because better over there with her if he's telling you to abandon everything you know about truth and go do your own thing for a season cuz that's gonna be what you want then I'm telling you the enemy is at your table I'll tell you second way you know he's at your table if you're hearing this in your head I'm not good enough now this is crazy to me because I'm thinking we're all in here we're in worship we've sung these amazing songs to God he's chosen to come and meet with us today we're having a phenomenal time but they're people sitting in this room probably 25 feet from me right now who are living life behind the eight-ball and it's all they know I'm not good enough I'm not smart enough I'm not pretty enough I'm not influential enough I've never measured up enough I've never done enough I'm just not good enough and if you've heard that voice the enemy is at your table you say well how would I know that because the very next line Jesus said I am The Good Shepherd and the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the Sheep translation Jesus gave his life so that he could sit at this table with you making this reservation cost him everything and I wonder tonight if you had come and sit at this table and eat his food and drink his drink and look into his eyes and reciprocate his love and say my goodness you must think a lot of me to have gone to the links that you did to prepare this table in the presence of my enemies the Good Shepherd gives his life for the Sheep so if you're a sheep maybe it's not a big compliment but the fact that the Good Shepherd gave his life for that sheep is a great compliment because it tells you you are loved you are prized you are value you matter to God a third way that you know that the enemies at your table would just do two more really quickly if some voice has told you you're not gonna make it anybody we repeat it how you doing I don't know I don't know if I'm gonna make it why would we say that I don't know if I'm gonna make it through that I don't know if I'm gonna survive this anybody said that recently I don't know if I'm gonna get through this I don't think I'm ever gonna be the same I don't think I'm ever gonna recover maybe in your mind you're thinking I'll never get back to where I was it'll never be the same as it was before I'm not gonna get through this in some of you are probably thinking in real terms I honestly literally Louie don't know if I'm gonna make it through this or not I've been contemplating my options and if you're thinking like that the enemy is sitting at your table so how would I know that because the Shepherd didn't say that to you the Shepherd said we're going through this valley we're going through we're going all the way through and we're gonna have a story to tell on the other side me and you are about how in the middle of the pressure in the middle of the enemies my shepherd led me all the way through I'll tell you a third way or the last way the fourth way you know the enemies at your table is if you've heard that voice that said everybody's against you anybody heard that voice everybody's against you everybody hates you all your roommates hate you everybody your class hates you everybody and your family is against you everybody your job hates you it's honest somebody not too long ago no kidding and they were like yeah I'm quitting this job because everybody there hates me I was like man I didn't know I even know you worked there I thought you worked at such-and-such no I left there everybody over they hated me I was like hmm what were you from again you told me that how long you been gone from there a little while ma'am and you get out of there my family hate me ex-wife hate me timeout if that's maybe just you it's not as a different message but maybe um maybe it's you because it's possible that somebody hates you right anybody no no well you hasn't got it good but it's not likely that everybody's against you but it is likely if you're hearing that and operating in it that you got your dukes up you got your wall up right 45 feet high worth and don't think about coming over it because I may look a little meek and timid but I'll kick the ever-loving daylights out of you if you come across that wall because I got my dukes up and I'm gonna punch you before you punch me or I'm gonna get out of here before you punch me I'm gonna walk away before you punch me I'm not even gonna get close enough that you can't punch me because I know everybody's against me right enemy man he just sat down and he's like man it must be rough being you it must be hard being you everybody against you and everybody's trying to get you and would you like the tart here awesome isn't it look so good yeah here let me get that for you there you go yeah feels good doesn't it tastes good and all of a sudden you're over here believing something that isn't even true in missing what is true that those who are with you second King six are greater than those who are with them and all of a sudden God opens the eyes of a servant and you see angels and chariots and horses on the hills and you go man I may be surrounded by enemies pressure circumstances but God's got us all surrounded and not only does he have us all surrounded the King is that my table so there was a season of life that I was feeling some pressure and talking too much to the enemy probably letting him influenced my thinking too much I texted a friend that sort of pour out my heart who I knew had my back I like talking about this you need somebody right you know Jennifer she's got my back not that's great Jennifer we love you you're awesome and amazing until you decide you want to do something else that's never happened though with the person that had your back decided to stick you in the bag that's never happened so we don't have to worry about that happening but even in that Jennifer thank you you're awesome I love you I know you believe in me I know I can count on you I know you can keep confidence with me and you'll pray for me but come on you cannot go to bed tonight feeling good about life and comfort in the fact that Jennifer's got your back she's five foot six she's not all-seeing and all-knowing she weighs 139 pounds I mean that's what she's telling everybody so too personal can I just say this to us tonight he has got your back God has got your back so tore out this text I'm a terrible texture it takes me 30 minutes it's this long I know and I believe and I know you'll believe and I know that you see it and I know that you understand and bla bla bla bla bla I hit sinned and I'm waiting staring at the phone you know that text that you sinned and you're just gonna stare til you get something back if it takes a week it doesn't matter I'm just gonna stare nothing's coming back and finally the little thing starts moving in like all right it's about time and I'm looking for something equal proportion to what I've poured out this is a rule of texting by the way do not have me pour my heart out in a text and say pound it bro like can you not even type a word I get a text back I'm like that's certainly not all of it maybe he hit Send too soon there's something else gonna come roll fast or maybe he's one of those people that you know send you every sentence you know what you love that you know hey man she's getting a paragraph send it I'll process it send you something back and realize nothing else is coming and I'm like that's it that's it oh Texas right there it's nine words and then I looked at the words and everything changed that text changed my life it said don't give the enemy capital e in E my a seat at your table man you take the boxing gloves off I need to stop looking over my shoulder I need to stop trying to manage all the outcomes I need to stop worrying about what other people are doing and I need to realize the king of the universe is sitting at a table with me and I let the enemy sit down at the table and convince me of things that are not true and I just took that text to heart and in my mind I just said you may prowl around that's what you do the scripture says you prowl around seeking someone to devour I can't stop you from traveling around but I can't tell you this in the name of Jesus you may prowl around but you can't sit down at this table but come on Church we've got authority in Jesus name to clean what Jesus has provided for us and you've got that authority to say look I can't stop you from prowling around but you cannot sit down just like the Shepherd did when he came to his table why don't you want to turn a rock into bread that tastes amazing he said it is written that man shall not live by bread alone don't you think you're sitting down at this table and our Shepherd another place said get thee behind me Satan no sir not this table this is the table my shepherd has prepared before me in the presence of my enemies we're closing why in the presence why in the presence because what gives God glory more then you sitting in the middle of it all and going I'm okay I'm okay I'm okay I'm okay instead of coming into work tomorrow and fighting everybody I'm gonna bring a fruit board hi how y'all doing have some grapes take the whole bunch yeah don't try to pluck one off that's just annoying take the whole thing have some fruit how are y'all doing today y'all doing good everybody have a good weekend hi how are you doing so good to see all you guys the enemy tried to tell me y'all hate me and I decided I'd get a fruit board hey house you don't have to say that hey how's everybody here hold your hands out bro have some blueberries there you go amazing I can't eat all this I already got snacks earlier this is my cup overflowing my head is anointed with oil I have the reflection of my Shepherd on my face I don't have your reflection on my face I have his reflection on my face I'm not looking over my shoulder at you I'm looking straight at him and I'm telling you something I'm okay at the table with my king I am okay at the table with my shepherd yes it's a storm yes it's dark yes it is long and yes I've got enemies but I'm gonna be okay and even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will not be afraid I'll fear no evil because you are with me don't give the enemy a seat at your table you have the power as a son or daughter of God in Jesus Christ to exercise that defiant faith and tonight it could just be a whisper you may not be ready to shoot up and go get away from my table it may just be a little whisper that says you've been stealing from me too long eating my food too long drinking my drink too long and every day that I've entertained your words entertain your thoughts I'm having a conversation with a killer and I say get away from my table I'm not even worried about you getting away I'm just gonna focus on my shepherd and lock eyes with him and I'm gonna listen to every word that comes out of his

Channel: Passion City Church

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Id: pLpajUJjGiA

Length: 43min 11sec (2591 seconds)

Published: Wed May 09 2018