"what is the favorite meal that you have ever had? I have a few meals that come to mind, but one that specifically stands out to me is the night that I got engaged to my wife Samantha I had just proposed the ring was on her finger. And we were going to celebrate at an incredible steak dinner at the revolving restaurant in downtown Cincinnati there at sunset on the 20th floor, 18th floor, whatever it was, it was really high up and so are my spirits. And so we were at the very top of this hotel and the restaurant rotated around the city. So on one side you saw the Ohio river on the other side, you saw downtown Cincinnati. Everything lit up, the sun was going down and everything seemed to be flickering off the diamond that I just placed on my fiance's finger. Now what made that meal incredible. Yes the steak was awesome but also it was the occasion and who I was with. Have you ever had a V. I. P. Dining experience? You know I I read about him and I hear about him but you know like maybe it's with a celebrity or or just a wealthy person who goes back and reserves that special table in the back and has full on just catered service to every whim and desire that you could have while dining. What makes a great V. I. P. Dining experience is who is there and then what was the cost of the reservation? Well today As we continue our series through Psalm, 23 we're going to talk about the greatest meal you could ever have supper with the shepherd, So who is at this meal that makes it V. I. P. Well, it's a good shepherd himself, the creator of the world and the savior of your life. And what was the cost of the reservation? The cost was eternal because jesus died on the cross. It says in Corinthians that he who knew no sin became sin so that we could become righteous. In other words, the cost to make that reservation of that dining experience was his own life. We pick up our story in psalm 23 verse five, you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, you anoint my head with oil and my cup overflows. You prepare a table before me. In Sheppard's terms, they would lead sheep to flatlands for green pastures. Another word for flatland is mesa or table and shepherds would go ahead of them and pull out the poisonous plans to prepare the table or the flat land for them. Now, that's a really cool interpretation with regards to the shepherd and his sheep. But I believe in this particular case that David is going from the field to the valley to the home and I say that because he uses words that are very personal, he continues talking to God and second person referring to him personally and addressing him directly. And we see words like table cup and then in verse six, he refers to dwelling in the house of the Lord. And so when you have that imagery of a table, a cup at house literally brings the message home. And so that's what we're going to talk about today is how does God prepare a meal or a table before you in the presence of your enemies? One of the things that made that engagement dinner so special was the view that we had. Now this view seems really odd, doesn't it? You prepare a table in the presence of my enemies. Now it seems weird until you recognize this truth, jesus did not prepare this meal so that you can view your enemies. He did it in this location so that the enemies, I can see you, the enemies can look in and they realized that they can't touch you that you belong to God. The fact that he prepared a table prepared a feast for you so that the enemies and satan and the evil spirits can look in and see, wow, he belongs or she belongs to the good shepherd. And there is nothing that we can do. And when you're at that feast, it says that you anoint my head with oil. Now we've been talking throughout this series about those pesky flies that come into play and it was the oil that was placed on the heads of the sheep that would keep them away also in religious circumstances and situations people would be anointed with oil. So you combine those two metaphors and you see this incredible powerful cleansing picture that God anoints you, that he protects you with the oil or with his spirit in your life. When you have dinner with the good shepherd and he's anointed your head with oil. Surely your cup will overflow. I think of another incredible meal when I've eaten at a texas, Brazilian steakhouse you've ever eaten at one of those? It's awesome. They literally give you a card that's green on one side and red on the other and green means go and yes, red means stop. Well, they served over the course of one meal, 15 different cuts of meat and steak. Let me tell you, I never flipped my card over to read. Now, if you're not a meat eater, okay. Think about the endless options of vegetables or whatever food that you love. But for me, steak. Oh, I love it. Okay, now having a meal with the good shepherd surrounded by your enemies. Seems crazy. But here is the truth to declare, jesus prepares a feast in the middle of your fight, jesus prepares a feast in the middle of your fight. So if you're battling something right now, if you feel surrounded by darkness, remember the previous verse was walking through the valley of the shadow of death. And so it's just on the other side of that. Or maybe even in that same valley, that God prepares this table for you. He wants you to know that it's okay. He wants you to know that you're okay and he wants you to feast on what he has for you even in the middle of your fight. Now, this is an incredible truth to declare. But today I want to give you a very specific action to apply and it's this, don't give satan a seat, don't give satan a seat. Previously, we've talked about knowing the shepherd, trusting the shepherd, listening to the shepherd and turning to the shepherd in difficult times of the six verses. This is the one defensive verse I'm going to offer to you don't give satan a seat. He will not sit down at your table unless you let him imagine at that dinner with my fiance, they're at this incredible restaurant, the rotating view of the city at sunset. Imagine if I invited a stranger to join us and not only did this stranger sit down next to me, the stranger would start eating my food and then start questioning our relationship. Can you imagine somebody I don't know taking a seat right next to me and starts saying, hmm, Samantha! Do you really want to marry this guy? I think you can do better. Aren't you guys a little young for this? Can you imagine how crazy that would be and how that would ruin a special night. But yet this is exactly what we do all the time, jesus has prepared a feast in the middle of our fight, and not knowingly we have invited satan to sit down right next to us. Let me prove it to you. Have you ever had a thought that went like this? I'm not good enough. I'm just not good enough. God could never use me, She could never love me. I'm never gonna get that promotion. Gosh! Everybody hates me. I hate everybody. If you've ever experienced negative talk, where do you think that comes from? It does not come from the good shepherd. It comes from the Evil one. So the best way for you to avoid that negative talk. And we all do it, don't we all have that negative voice in our head, the best way to avoid that and to miss that. It's simply don't give satan a seat. Don't let him sit down. He can watch you eat because jesus prepared a table in the presence of your enemies. Jesus is not scared of your enemies. And so you shouldn't be either. But if you're in the middle of a feast in the middle of your fight, then do yourself a favor and do not give satan a seat. Don't let him sit down and speak to you and get between you and the good shepherd who loves you. Don't let negative self talk. Come between you and God don't let self doubt and worry and anxiety and shame. And guilt keep you from the life that God has called you to. So remember, even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you will fear no evil. Why? Because the Rod of God's Word, the staff of God's Spirit that comfort you. But then also God has prepared a table for you. Yes, it's in the presence of your enemies, but it's not so you can see your enemies and so that your enemies can see you because they can't touch you. If you don't give satan a seat, allow God to anoint your head with oil and may your cup overflow. Let's pray dear Heavenly Father. When we go through difficult circumstances, you have invited us to the greatest feast, the greatest meal of all to have a personal relationship with you. God. It was of greatest cost because that reservation cost you your life. And so may we choose to feast with you to have relationship with you. And let us not allow satan to take a seat. Let us not listen to the voices of guilt and shame and anxiety and worry and sinful habits and doubt. Instead, let us listen to your voice. The good shepherd. God, You said in John 10, that we will hear your voice, You know your own and that your own. No you! And that's my prayer today that we will hear your voice, that we will enjoy this feast and then we will refuse to allow satan to take a seat in our lives. Yes, he could watch from afar, but he cannot sit between you and I. Let us feast on your word. Let us connect with your spirit, and God let us live in your love. It's in your son's name. We pray. Amen. Don't give satan a seat this week, enjoy the feast that God has prepared you. And I promise you, you will continue to find that piece that you've been looking for."