A Change of Scenery

48:39 I want to preach a little bit about a change of scenery a change of scenery why don't you look at your neighbor if you don't like them you chose the wrong seat this morning but come on show them all your teeth is show them all your teeth is if you're missing something on that side put your hand on that side and speak through the other side and say neighbor oh neighbor in life we experience a change of scenery if you know it's true put those blessed hands together and give god great praise a change of scenery i solicit your prayers the only constant in life is change Change is inevitable.

49:35 Times change. Seasons change. People. I thought I was going to get a few more amens there. People change. Change is going to happen. Whether we want it to happen or not. If you don't believe time brings about a change, scientists tell us that every day 30 to 50 billion cells die in our bodies every day i didn't say 30 to 50 million no i said 30 to 50 billion cells die in our bodies every day that means within the course of a week 350 billion cells have already died in our bodies that's why it's gonna be hard for some of y'all to stay awake during this sermon because we're falling apart even as i speak if you don't think time brings about a change remember the time you could stay up all night long but some of y'all yawning already why because time brings about a change remember now you could stay up all night and you could sit in a rocking chair but now it takes you all day to get that rocking chair started because time has brought about a change your knees buckle but your belt won't y'all not helping me because time has brought about a change i mean you looking for your glasses and they on your head you you looking for your keys and they in your hand you looking for your cell phone and you talking on it y'all not because time brings about a change even in the political sphere we see

51:43 that there are changes of scenery a few months ago they dismembered provision two of these voters rights act with now allows politicians to choose their voters rather than voters choosing their politicians it's because time has brought about a change and there will be other changes of scenery but i need to serve notice that every time we look around it look like we take two steps forward but they push us three steps back even target y'all saw what happened with target with that black face costume it seemed like every time we move forward they keep on pushing us back but i want to tell you they forget brothers and sisters that every time they try to bury us we're like seeds and when you bury a seed it comes back bigger it comes back better it comes back better and there will be other changes of scenery what are we to do with the changes of scenery that are on the horizon i believe we should look at a passage of scripture that is inundated with changes of scenery and look at how these changes of scenery in the past can help us deal with our changes of scenery in the present and our changes of scenery in the future psalm 23 is inundated with changes of scenery because when you run through the roses When you dance through the daffodils, when you tiptoe through the tulips of Psalm 23, beginning at verse 2, you'll see a series of scene changes.

53:41 Can we walk through the scripture?

55:55 give us some helpful holy hints as to how we can deal with these changes of scenery well since I'm at fellowship I think I see some ships in the text this morning in every scene change there's a ship you can hold on to to get you through the changes of scenery he said verse 2 he maketh me to lie down in green pastures that's his lordship because notice he didn't ask me if i wanted to do it but because he's lord he makes me lie down in green pastures it moves from his lordship to his leadership because he leads me beside the still waters he leads me in the paths of righteousness it moves from his lordship to his leadership look like i'm facing a hard ship because i'm walking through the valley of the shadow of death but although i got his lordship and his leadership look like I'm facing a hardship.

57:08 I got his companionship because although I'm in the valley, I'm not in the valley by myself because as I walk through the valley, I fear no evil because the Lord is with me. It goes from his lordship to his leadership. Look like I'm facing a hardship. I got his companionship, but look at his showmanship because he prepares a table before me, not in the presence of my friends, but he shows out so good that he can give me a table and give me reservations in front of folk that can't even stand me. If there anybody know, you got a God that knows how to show out. He's so ambidextrous that with one hand, he's preparing the table But with the other hand, he's anointing my head with oil.

58:07 My cup runs over. But look at the partnership. Because surely, goodness. I thought I had a witness here. And mercy. Slap side with your neighbor. Say, I would have been all right with goodness. I would have been all right with mercy. But thank God. He just doesn't give me goodness on one side. and don't give me mercy on the other side. But thank God I got goodness and mercy. It ain't got to follow behind them because God fixed it that they'll follow it behind me. I wish I could have had some folk to just jump about your seat and just start walking around where you are and say, hey, goodness, hey, mercy. That's why I got through the rain this morning.

59:00 Because I had goodness on one side. I had mercy on the other side. I got goodness and got mercy. And they're following me all the days of my life. And I'm going to dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Can I give you the last ship? He led me from the Lordship through his leadership. look like I'm facing a hardship got his companionship got his showmanship got the partnership because I'm going to the championship because one day I'm going to dwell in the house of the Lord forever see when you a baseball player your championship is the commissioner's trophy when you a basketball player your championship is the Bill O'Brien trophy when you a football player Your championship is the Vince Lombardi trophy.

1:00:00 If you're an Olympian, your championship is a gold medal. If you like golf, your championship is called the Masters. But slap fire with your neighbor. Say, neighbor, I ain't going to the Masters. But in my championship, I'm going to see the Masters. Is there anybody in here? Say, I want to see him. I want to look up on his face. there to sing forever of his amazing grace on the streets of glory let me lift my voice tears are past I'm home at last ever to rejoice but there's one verse I have not lifted in your hearing.

1:00:57 That's verse number one. Because David said, the Lord, stop. Sometimes we read the word too fast. He said, the Lord is. See the reason why some of y'all already shouted Is because That's your testimony That whatever I have needed In my life Not the Lord was But the Lord is High five your neighbor Say if you need a doctor The Lord is If you need a lawyer The Lord is If you need a friend The Lord is if you can't read all 118 words of Psalm 23, if you just read the first three, you got everything you need.

1:01:53 because the Lord is and David what is he David said the Lord is my ship why y'all ready for this because Vass you can't have his lordship and his leadership and his companionship and his showmanship and the partnership and the championship if you ain't got no relationship. you got to have a relationship with the Lord I'm hearing you my time is fleeting away do you know that there are certain theologians who suggest mama that you can take verse one and put it at the end of the psalm and the psalm would not lose what theologians call its iambic pentameter.

1:03:06 What does that mean? Sharpe said he don't know what it means. Let me tell you, brother. Let me tell you what it means. Iambic pentameter. It's a nice way of saying that the psalm would not lose its rhythm. it would not lose its cadence come on just come on just bob your head with me like that it would not lose its syncopation watch this y'all don't believe me okay we're gonna take verse one and we're gonna put it at the end of the sun y'all ready verse two he making me lie down in green pastures leave me beside still waters restore my soul leave me in paths righteousness for his name say he's gonna walk through the valley of a shadow of death I was here no even without witness I run on a staff they come with me that prayer the table before me in the present my enemy down on it my hip record my cup runs over surely goodness and mercy to follow me all the days of my life and I would do it on the house of the Lord why because the Lord is so so if verse one could work really at the end why does David intentionally why does David meticulously put this in verse number one because notice the numbering of him saying the lord is my shepherd is in verse one he's trying to communicate that your relationship should be your number come on help me now.

1:04:49 Number one priority. Because when you run through the roses, when you dance through the daffodils, when you tiptoe through the tulips of the scripture in Matthew 6 and 33, it says, seek ye second. No, it says, seek ye what? First, the kingdom of God and his righteousness and what? All them other ships. are going to be added unto you. I'm hearing my time has almost gone. Dr. Rick Warren says that our preaching would be much more efficacious.

1:05:34 Our people would benefit more from our preaching if we just didn't preach ought to sermons but how to sermon. Let me see the hands of those that know that your relationship with God should be your number one priority. We know that. But how do I get there?

1:06:00 What indicators reveal that I actually have put God in first place? Can I tell you, I'm going to give you four things and I'm going to see. if you want him to be in number one in your life first place in your life number one and all of them have first within this composition you must give God the first moments of every day before you talk to your wife before you talk to your children before you talk to your plants before you talk to your dog have a talk with the law because how many know that that one talk with the law one word from the law can make everything all right first few moments of the day number two you have to give him the first consideration of every decision I know you are the sharpest knife in the drawer I know you think you are the brightest color in the rainbow but you can see down the corner but you can't see over the horizon you need somebody bigger than you you need somebody bolder and badder than you higher than you that can look beyond where you are because Proverbs 16 and 25 said there is a way that seems right but in the end thereof is death because you could be going down the right street in the wrong direction That's why you need to consult the Lord because he's Alpha and Omega.

1:07:45 The beginning and the end. The first and the last. Can I give y'all some machiology in the balcony? If he's the beginning and the end, that means he can stand in the beginning. Look at the end. And tell you at the beginning how it's going to end because he's the beginning and the end. Y'all not. I wish I had a witness in here. First few moments of every day. First consideration of every decision. Y'all not going to like this one. You got to give them the first fruits. oh oh oh i see i got a good crowd right here the first fruit of your increase can i give you a little bit more machology a checkbook a bank statement is a theological document that tells what your values really are because whatever you love you spend money on him you can't say you love your husband you don't spend no money on him and maybe just be underwear and socks but at least you did it I wish I had a witness in here look at my wife I can't say I look at all of that beer all that stuff she got going on right there I can't say I love her and don't put no money on your table you got to put your money where your mouth is because where your treasure is that your heart is also and then you've got to give god the first day of the week i mean every time the door is open on sunday morning you ought to be marked present in the church and we're still having this age-old debate as to whether or not we should attend church in person or still watch

1:09:51 it online but can I tell you what did it for me can I go on and be real with y'all for a minute I love Popeye's chicken I know folks say that chickens die that preachers might live I believe that especially at popeyes reg i even like the popeyes commercial i tell my peep my children to be quiet when i see that orange box come y'all not helping me here on tv and they throw that chicken in there then they throw that paprika y'all ain't helping me and that salt and pepper and that chicken is climbed through those seasonings I love every minute of it can I tell y'all something brothers and sisters not only do I love to watch it I love to go get it because no matter how good the chicken looks on the commercial it can't fill me up no matter how good it looks on the screen.

1:10:56 It can't satisfy my hunger. I got to get my behind up and go to Popeye's. And brothers and sisters, if I got enough faith in Popeye's to get my behind up and go to Popeye's, surely I got more faith than God to get myself up and press my way to his house. I know y'all saying, well, gas is high. Well, gas didn't stop you from going to the beauty shop gas didn't stop you from going to the casino gas didn't stop you from going to the barbershop if anybody in here say i was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the lord but brothers and sisters can i tell you the real reason why I trust in the Lord during the scene change is because of his reliability not just because of his rewards and not just because of my relationship but because of the reliability of the shepherd because every time the scenes change the shepherd is always there the Bible said he makes me lie down in green pastures.

1:12:17 He can't make me do it if he ain't there. He leaves me beside the still waters. He can't lead me if he ain't there. And I got some help in here. You know I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I I I I I will fear no evil. Why? Because the Lord is with me. Have I got a witness in here?