April 28, 2024 - Psalm 23 - Dr. Matthew Thomas

[00:00:00] Speaker A: All right, so let's stand as we go to the Lord in prayer. This morning we had a great first service. I just believe we're going to have a great second service. Just remind you after the service, if you have opportunity, go down to the fellowship hall. And I think there's 22 different ethnicities fixing tastes or samples of it. I discovered something. If you go through all 22, you've had lunch. It's quite filling. So, Father, we thank you for your grace and mercy in our lives. And we thank you that you are speaking and working in homes and families, in people's individual lives. We thank you. We're just hearing such amazing answers to prayer. We pray for those that are walking through seasons of challenge. Some are walking through grief. Right now. We've had many that have lost a loved one. So I just pray right now, Father, that you will strengthen us and. And that we will hear your voice this morning and leave here knowing that you have been among us. And we thank you for that. In Jesus name, amen. You may be seated. It's my privilege to introduce Doctor Matthew Thomas. Some of you are relatively new to our church. Doctor Thomas had been quite consistent coming yearly to our church. And then COVID came along and then two heart attacks. And that's really affected how many times he's been here recently. But we've known him now for the last 23 years. I've been to India twelve times to teach in the seminary. It's an amazing work. Our church family felt directed by God to help them with orphanage work there. And it was amazing. You know, we built an orphanage in a year. And we are. I don't know how many years ago. It must be at least 15 years. We have been caring for orphans since that time. And many of you are contributing to that on a monthly basis. If you have any questions about any of these ministries, please talk to us. Because there's ways that you can contribute and be involved in seeing these wonderful ministries advance. So we're grateful for that. I'm going to turn it over now to Doctor Matthew Thomas. Let's welcome him. [00:02:09] Speaker B: What time? Good morning. Good afternoon. No, still time. I just picked up the bible from living in stone pews. So don't think I'm bringing something from third world country. A lot of new doctrines, new things come. So I have the bible from here. So when I read it's for living stone. Am I right? God has been good to me. Three years. Years. I couldn't believe I could not make it. But God has a plan. He knew sometimes you know, we complain when we get sick, you know, I don't complain. I said, yeah, maybe that's the way you want me to take rest because we get so busy, you know, I teach five to 6 hours in the seminary and then we have service Sunday morning, then Tuesday night and Wednesday night, Saturday night when I'm there, I have to preach, we don't relax anyhow, I will retire. Someone asked me when you're going to retire, because they know I'm 76 now, young, I said, I will retire, only thing you have to break the word retire. I will put the new tire because I believe there is no retirement for preachers, leaders, ministers of the word of God, and how you get the strength after open heart surgery, quadruple and all those things, the two stents are there, I believe in God, I don't just say it, I don't just read it, I don't just memorize it. Some people, they say, oh pastor, we have memorized 2001 scriptures. Good, show me one scripture in your life. People read your life day in and day out, they don't have time even to open the Bible. Can they say seeing your life, you are a true believer? I don't. Previously I used to use the word Christian, I don't use now, the christian name in the Bible was like a nickname for taunting. I said, I am the follower of Christ, and when I say follower of Christ, I must be a real follower, otherwise I will take some people because of my life to hell. Believers become strong in the word of God, nothing else. I'm Christian for 68 years and I can tell boldly, this Bible has changed my life. In a country where we have 130 million gods, what made the difference in my life, the word of God? What made me to be in the ministry? I was in the business world, president of the Chamber of Commerce, I was the first indian in Chicago land to be the president of the Chamber of Commerce. Why? I have compassion for souls, I think we have messed up the whole thing. People come to me all, oh pastor, I have passion for the people. I say, get lost. I dont need you to have passion for people, I want you must have passion for Jesus Christ which will turn into compassion. God has been good to living stone 23 years. I am in relationship friendship with Pastor Paul and I think so. I saw Pat coming in, oh yes, she knows I will pick on her on the second service, that's why she came in. I enjoy this family, I look forward, I have not seen my children, grandchildren. I just landed ten days ago and the first visit is Livingstone. This church means a lot to me. Not just because I have cheesecake. I'm thinking I'm from Chicago land. Chicago is known for cheesecake. The second good cheesecake is in New York. So I'm changing my philosophy statement. If you need a good cheesecake, come to Livingstone, Pastor Paul's and Patty's house. I'm just inviting all of you, but don't come today because I have a piece there left from Friday night. And I put my name in that. So Pastor Paul and Pat cannot touch it. It is the 11th commandment. I made it for them. Someone came in and asked me in second service. Oh, we love to see you because you come with the biggest smile. Theres a reason I have a smile. Yes. Thigh is still problem. For three to four years I will have numbness in my thigh because my. What they call. What is the word? Medical term? No. For my heart it will come back. I'm getting young, 76. So the words may not come right away, but I will push the right button. It will come, you know. And my sternum region 24 bones are tied with a very thin wire. Yesterday was the first time, actually on Friday was the first time I picked up the Bible bag. Also they will not allow me to lift three pound of bag, not more than three pounds. So now I think after eating the cheesecake and all the prayers I can go up to ten pounds now. God has been good church. Your help means a lot to us. Some of the things I cannot tell. We are going through a lot of challenges. A lot of churches have been burned near Nagaland. Some 1700 christians lost their homes. They're just burning the people. But my God has been good as my God has been good. In spite of all those things. I believe book of Romans. All things work together for good to those who love him. I dont know what will come out of this one, but I know the Bible. Bible says in Book of Exodus, more they persecuted, more they multiplied. So I believe I'm getting ready. I already told the church and the fellowship. Let's get ready to build 25 churches before December election is started today. It'll go up to next week. Result will come on 6 June. I don't care who comes, but I do care. Jesus is watching me. He called me into the ministry. No church. My dad never called me. Dad was in the ministry 59 years and I took over that church in 92. My grandpa was a pastor. So we have a legacy of. And I have already prepared the next generation. I have to plan. I'm not dying I'm not old but already is in the minutes. Enough 2007 who will take over the ministry because I do not want carnal people appoint next generation leader. Oh sorry, you call here elders and board. I call carnal because most of the people, they dont have vision for the church. So I already put in the minutes. That was 2007, this is 2024. I may sit strong preaching the word of God and my prayer that I will preach till I am 90. You may say, no, no you will not. I know one of my pastor, Pastor Paul knows that guy from Seattle area. He was preaching at the age of 93, standing behind the podium, not sitting. So I know God can fulfill my desire church, you dont have to go to some family conference. I had been to because I was much involved in my church to family conferences. But I have decided for the last 23 years dont go to family conference. I dont know whether you have you or not. If it is go, although you will say you came and mess up the whole schedule. Im serious. If you want to have a strong family, happy family. As I said, happy family, family, go to Pastor Paul and Pats house Friday night, the best night I had to have nine people eating together, salmon, steak, holy cow, whatever, you know, everything. And they laugh. I couldn't believe they were laughing like anything. And the joy they have. And pastor Paul is playing baseball with his grandson. He was only less than a year old when I saw him first. How the kids are growing to see Andrea in the worship? Oh I'm talking. You don't know. I know her. When she was 16, I was rejoicing and I told her after the first service, what a powerful worship your church. You're blessed to have powerful worship team here. Can you give a big hand to the worship team? They are not performing. They are singing from their heart. When she sang about the empty tomb, you can see the tears of joy. I thank God for this church. I thank God for the people who are supporting the orphanage. Let me read a passage. You will say, I have not opened the Bible, so I will open the living stone bible. Go to one Samuel and I will not give you the chapter now because I am a preacher and I want to have little suspense. Surprise. I see in last three years, since 21 churches are changing, believers are getting weaker, they are becoming shallow. Their life is built upon circumstances around their friends and they get disappointed by their own friends. So disappointments, discouragement, depression, distress, sorrow, difficulties, I see all the time. And bottom line is these all creating stress in our life and many people are getting spiritually down decline in their life because they dont know how to handle the stresses, the disappointment, the discouragement. Godly person can get discouraged. Moses got discouraged. Elijah got discouraged after miracle. And he says, Lord, take my life underneath the juniper tree so much. Discourage. David was discouraged in one time in his life. He got so depressed. And psalm says, how long you will keep your head down? Time has come today for this church to say goodbye to stresses. Goodbye enough now. I will not spend a minute, a moment for all these things. I want to be strong Christian. You can become a strong christian in the midst of all the challenges, difficulties, surgeries, operation building, burning, protests in my town in front of Bible college. Lock the door. I never gave up. People ask me why. I said, I have a good shepherd. I was talking to Andrea on Friday. I said, tell me how many songs you are going to sing on Sunday morning. She said four songs. So she gave me the first 1. Second one was from psalm 23. I never talked to her. She picked up this song in February. God put in my heart. He downloaded this word stress in my heart 1012 days ago. And I wrote down in my notebook, it's in a new book. Every time I come, I try to build a new book. So there is the first time I am using this word stress. I know it is a confirmation from God because the song was so good. Most of the thing which I will share is in that song. So before I jump to psalm 23, lets see a life of David. First Samuel, chapter 30, verse number six. David was greatly distressed. Hope you are getting that word there. This says distrust because the men were talking of stoning him. Each one was bitter in his spirit. You will find people all the time like that, with bitterness because of his sons and daughters. Now it's powerful. But David found strength in the Lord, his God. But David found strength in the Lord. In the midst of distress, in the midst of his enemies, in the midst of bitter people, he found strength in the Lord. Believers, in the midst of all the stresses you go through, you have to depend on God and God alone. Yes, sometime the stresses come because we are watching football and your team is losing. I have seen people, I go to a place in west coast, I will not tell where. I just said west coast. There are many cities I have seen. Sometimes this passer gets up from his recliner and then he shouts for his team. When the team is losing, you can see everything is down. Hes not playing. But he brought stress in his life and then he gets negative. Do you need to have cup of coffee? No, no, no. Dont talk to me now. Wife goes slowly to the kitchen. Hes under stress. I have seen lot of induced stresses. Has killed the joy and destroyed the marriage. According to doctors. Ive talked to some doctors. We have doctors in my family. Most of the time the headache. Not all the time. Most of the time, headache, ulcer, all these things is because of stress. Even a heart attack. When I went for my surgery and the doctor is working, then I was still in sense, I didn't lose the sense. I was just going to lose everything. He said after the surgery, three and a half hours. He said, you were not stressed out, you have the goodness of God. I said, doc, not only I have the goodness of God, I am blessed. That's why I'm not stressed. Sometimes we make our problems so big because we are stressed. Don't do it. Don't do it. Learn the biblical principle. Go back to God. 23 psalm is beautiful. I know we have devalued psalm 23 by reading only in the funeral services. Nothing wrong you can read. But this 23 psalm is good for the people when they are in difficult situation. Disappointment, depression and all negative things, headache, backache. Just read it says, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall lack nothing. How I'm going to apply to my stress, my disappointment. If this tells you this psalm is teaching you and I that depend on God. Depend on God to meet your needs. Lord is my shepherd, I shall lack nothing. When you say shall lack, nothing means nothing. Nothing means nothing. Yes, things are coming on our way. Negative people thought you will not be able to travel. Now whose report you are going to believe? You will be confined to recliner. Lazy boy. Theres the name of the company. Theres la z boy here im not. I said, lord, I shall lack nothing. Meet my need. You have to give me strength, power. And I want to declare to you. I just had the church. I just arrived from India after nine and a half months. I went for Chekhov to see my cardiologist. He said, you look very healthy, everything is okay. But just to make sure, I want to do an echo doppler which report will come on Tuesday after two days. But I know I'm doing good because I put my complete trust in the Almighty God. I shall lack nothing. When COVID hit a lot of people who were supporting the ministry, they stopped. Listen to me. My eyes are upon God. He is my everything. I say he is everything. And I will lack nothing in that. Nothing I shall lack. You can put whatever you want, whatever you want. I will have joy. All the time unspeakable and full of glory. Because when you have the joy of the Lord, Bible says, joy of the Lord is my strength. People ask me even today after first service. They said, do you think you can do two service? As I am planning to do four services next weekend. Not three, four, from morning till 1010 30. And from there I go to the airport. Red eye flight. Tell me now what happened in my thinking. My thinking was based on the word of God. Not based on the circumstances or the people. People are the stealer of your joy. Circumstances will steal your joy. Worry, anxiety, tension will take your joy. Fear will take your joy. So why not we keep our eyes on the good shepherd? And he says, you will lack nothing. Nothing I can say with boldness. I am christian. Not just a few years. 68. I have a long testimony. The God is a good God. As a God is a good God. So depend on God. Depend on God. We pray sometime on the phone people call me. It is Sir Tucker. We are very weak and I don't know what I can do next Sunday. I said, do you trust God? You will preach next Sunday. You will preach following Sunday. You will keep preaching till God calls you home. I will keep preaching. I already made plan for 25 2025. I told Pastor Paul, I'm coming for this. Three years was too long for me to be away from Livingstone. I'm waiting. They want me to be in Amsterdam for a conference. I will go everywhere, anywhere where people are hurting. Listen to me carefully. I don't need crowd. I need people. Those are hurting where I can teach them to depend on God for everything. Are you. Do you have faith in God or you just talk? A lot of people, they talk about faith. They sing about faith. They write about faith. But they don't have faith. I don't do anything. I just blindly. I believe is the word of God. I don't use logic. I know I shall lack nothing. My God shall supply all my needs according to his riches in glory. Amen. The second thing you can see from psalm 23. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. Rest is in the end time. So if you want to know the medicine to get rid of the stress antidote, follow the commandment of God. You know God doctors, you go, they give you instruction. Okay? Eat red meat. No, sorry. Eat a lot of veggie and drink a lot of water and all these things. Then come back after 15 days. I'm telling you. God is telling you. You can get rid of stress. Just follow his commands and instructions. He makes me to lie down green pastures. His instructions are simple. Sometimes we come up with new instructions. Hey, just come, come. You are not getting enough rest. Come, come unto me. Book of Matthew. Those who are heavy laden, I will give you rest. Follow the commands. People come to me all the time, especially when they have financial problem. They say, doctor Thomas, you know we have lot of financial problem. I say, you have. And will you pray? Will you anoint me? I'm not against anointing oil. If you have more, you can get more. More people can pray. But I'm against of just anointing everyone. Those who are not even believing the word of God. Commandment of God for financial blessing. Yes, I have prayed for many, many places. I was in a church in New York and they needed $1 million in one offering. And I raised the money. There was nothing wrong to pray for financial blessing. But it's wrong when they don't follow the commandment. I believe and have seen all over the world, those who are tithers, those who give tithe according to the scriptures, they will be blessed. Our youngest daughter, now, she is 35 or 36. She tells me, dad, I will never be out of money. I said, tell me why I am a tither. I give tithe and I will never be sure of money. Follow the command, follow the instruction. You will have good rest. You don't need sleeping pills now. If you need good rest free, just call pat and book that room. And that room downstairs is so peaceful. That's why I want to come back again. Because then I get extra energy for next three months in America. Then go back to India. Listen to God. Obey God. Then he says he will refreshes my soul. He refreshes my soul. In other words, God will replenish. Sometimes we become so empty, no strength, we become powerless. And then we don't want to do anything. And first thing we do, we cut ourselves from the church. When you are in trouble, you must be in the church fellowshiping with each other. They become encouraged. Some of their words will bring blessing to you. But we have seen, I have seen all over the world. When problem, struggle, disappointment come. First thing, they cut off themselves from the church. Don't do it. Never do it. You have to replenish. Oh, God is directing me to go to other church. How many times you need the direction? In five years, five, seven churches. Something wrong? I don't believe that God, he has planted you in a church. Local church. Be faithful to a local church and you will see what God will do in you and through you replenish your strength. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. I want to let you know daily, early morning we get up even after the heart surgery we get up in the morning and Elizabeth and I will pray. I cannot come. I say, oh, I'm preparing. Doesn't matter. Preparation. Put on the side for family prayer. We pray. We want to get the strength for the day. I cannot run Sunday morning because I had the extra strength on Saturday. Each day you need the new strength. Oh you didn't get it. I said each day you need the new power, new strength. Challenge your heart to replenish your soul. Then he says, he makes me to lie down in green pasture. He leads me beside the peaceful water. He leads me by the peaceful waters. Guide us. Look, look what he is telling you. Hey, I know you are stressed. You are stressed out. You have lot of disappointments, you have a lot of discouragement. Your children have done lot of nonsense but dont kill your whole day talking about the nonsense they have done. Start talking about the goodness of God that I want to see. My children shall be blessed, my family shall be blessed, my finances shall be blessed. Enjoy your beauty you have around you. He will take you to green pastures. According to doctor nature is good. That's why in some of the hospital room they put a good color on the wall. Good paintings and all white. It has an effect on you. So when you are really stressed and your wife made a burn steak not yell he said Gani, lets go for a walk and well go for a walk for 1 mile and theres an ice cream shop there. Its not open? No it will be open next weekend. I don't know. I messed up my dates anyhow every time I come they are open anyhow. True. Try this one. These are very practical. You don't need a scientist's brain to understand the passage. Bible is very simple. He takes me, he makes me lie down in green pasture. If he is making you to align, God has a purpose. He is making you. I am going to enjoy the beauty we have around us. Am I right? You can. I was talking to Marsha and Pat. I mean they enjoy seeing the things and I last. I mean yesterday. Yeah yesterday I thought I visited different countries because Pat has all the pictures you know. Look how beautiful is this. How beautiful this one. And then I saw a picture of good food also. Enjoy your life. Don't spend time in murmuring a lot of people they don't know the scripture. Bible says God in book of numbers God has heard their murmuring. God hears even your complaints, so dont complain. I know one thing. Book of Corinthians says complainers will not see the kingdom of God. So enjoy your life. I say, enjoy. Oh, I have three minutes for he guides me along the path of righteousness. He guides those who are new. I never get new revelation after designated time, and I have only one closing. I get used to people come in my conference, you know, I tell them to finish by this time because I have four speakers every morning. They say God is leading me to go to the already the time is over. I say, yeah, you can go. I turn the mic off, turn the power off, and then I will never call them back to come back to my conference. So I know I want to be back here. Pastor Paul will never say that you went over time. God's guidance. He is the best counselor. I say, he is the best counselor I have seen. No doubt. I have done my PhD in christian counseling and pastoral therapy from America. Not $50. I have to spend a lot of time. And I can tell you, no one is a counselor like Jesus. He is the best. God is the best counselor. Follow the. Okay, time is over. So page three, page four I will do tonight. So now let me conclude in one and a half minute. In the midst of disappointment, you need just Jesus. In the midst of discouragement, you need just Jesus. In the midst of sorrow, you just need Jesus. In the midst of pain, you just need Jesus. Just Jesus in your home, Jesus in your life, Jesus in your finances, Jesus in your marriage, Jesus everywhere. Jesus. Let people see Jesus in you and through you. Let them be attracted because of Jesus. Amen. My God is good. God. I say, my God is good. God. And God knows when you are tired, he will bump you into first class in the plane. It happened to me. It happened to me. My God is good. He is concerned in every details of your life, every details of your life. Love him. He loves you so much. I want to tell you, God loves you so much. That's why he has chosen me out of a country where idol worship is so strong. We have five brothers, one sister, but he has chosen me out of six to carry and continue the legacy. I was not. I was not able to even walk. My dad and mom, they gave up. But then you start praying. I'm the second oldest. God gave me so much strength and power. None of my brothers can walk with me. You know why? He is a good shepherd. We sang Jehovah, Jireh, Jehovah, Rapha. And I will see you, God willing, next year. [00:42:17] Speaker A: Let's stand. Thank you, doctor Thomas. Appreciate it. It's refreshing. Just want to remind us, free food, we filled our spirit, our soul. Now you can go fill your bodies. We have beautiful people in our church, family, all these different tastes of the world, and they've done that for you and for me. Isn't that beautiful? And every year when we do this, I go down there and no kidding, I go, you know, you think you couldn't get filled when you try 22 samples, believe me, you'll be full. That's what I've experienced. There's a lot there. So, Father, thank you for a joyous time. Thank you that even though we have troubles in this world, Jesus, you said be of good cheer, be happy, have hope. I've overcome this world. And I just pray today that the words that Doctor Thomas shared with us would bring such encouragement. You are the most loving person, most wonderful person, gracious person, kind, generous father. I just pray today, whatever our need is today, that we would just stretch out our hand to you and say, lord, would you take this need? Maybe it's a sickness, it's a disappointment, a difficulty. Yes, we all go through those things. We walk through the valley of the shadow of death. But your word says that with us, you are with us. What a beautiful promise. You're walking through our valleys. You're walking through a season where we feel fire purifying, refining. We go through the times when we feel the water is overwhelming us, but when we come out of it, we're in a new place. And you've never forsaken us, even in that difficult place. So I pray today that we would leave with confidence, that we would leave with hope, we would leave with encouragement. We would leave with a deep sense that we're going to trust you in everything we're experiencing. In Jesus name, amen. God bless you as you leave.