Psalm 119, verse 12. Brother Tommy just led us in
praying that the Lord would teach us His Word. Listen to David's
prayer here. Blessed art thou, O Lord, teach
me thy statutes. With my lips have I declared
all the judgments of thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of
thy testimonies as much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts
and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy
statutes. I will not forget thy word. Now David had just said in verse
7, verse 7, I will praise thee with uprightness of heart when
I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. And this was his desire
to learn the righteous judgments of God, the righteous verdicts,
decisions of God. And here, now in verse 12, we
see how that happens. If you and I are going to learn
anything of God, we're going to have to learn it from God.
Teach me. I want to learn His Word. That
doesn't happen by going to Bible college. You may learn some things,
some facts about Scripture. You may learn some historical
perspective on the Word of God. But the Pharisees knew a lot
about the Scripture. They didn't know anything. It's got to come from Him. To
you it is given, He said to His sheep. God must give us his word
which he has done. I think with me three things
that God's got to do, got to teach us. What's the first thing
that has to happen? Well we have to have his word available to us, in front of
us. You think of all the, clearly
we have Bibles, everybody in here probably has a Bible. There
are a lot of children though in homes that I have no interest
in the Word of God. It's a privilege. Though Bibles
are available, it's a privilege that the Lord has arranged it
so that you actually look at one. You actually know what it
says. He got to give us His Word. We
have before us the Word, the statutes, the judgments, the
precepts, the commandments, the Gospel of God. God's revelation
of himself in the person of his son. And I say in the person
of his son because this book, Old Testament and New Testament,
concerns God's son. Paul began the book of Romans
this way. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an
apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, which gospel he had promised
before by his prophets, in the Holy Scriptures concerning His
Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Paul said, I'm separated under
the gospel. And that gospel, God's been declaring it, promising
the good news since the world began. And it concerns His Son,
Jesus Christ, our Lord, the one who rules over us. Second thing
God's got to do, Because if he's going to teach us, he doesn't
have to do anything except what he obligates himself to do. But
he did say, I'll put my word in your heart. That's one of
his covenant promises, and I believe this is the way he'll teach us
his word. The second thing is this, he
must call and send someone to declare his word. He's going
to have to do that now. Listen to Romans 10.13, for whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. That's why
this book is written to begin with. These things are written
that you might believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and
that believing you might have life through his name. So everybody
that calls on him, when they hear this word, how are they
going to call in him of whom they've not believed? And how
shall they believe in him of whom they've not heard? And how
shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except
God send them? As it is written, how beautiful
are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring
glad tidings of good things. I've had someone say to me on
the telephone one time, and that person represented a lot of people,
when he said, we don't need a pastor. We have the word of God. And
I understand why some people think that. God's preachers are
not very smart. They're not very typically very
engaging people, somebody that you necessarily just want to
listen to just for the sake of listening to them. And you do
have a Bible. I can see why you would think
that. But God has always had ambassadors who dedicated themselves
to declaring his word, prophets, priests, preachers, teachers,
evangelists, bishops, they're called different things in the
Word of God. But they're men who God raises up. And that He
causes them to dedicate themselves to declaring His Word. And He's
not about to change the way that He does things. And I know it
doesn't make sense to people. It doesn't make sense. But after that, in the wisdom
of God, The world by wisdom knew not God. You're not going to
figure God out. You're smarter than I am probably,
everybody in here, but you're not going to figure out God.
You know how you're going to know God? It pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching. By your wisdom you're not going
to know him. How are you going to know him then? By the foolishness
of preaching. God's going to save them that
believe. There's something spiritual and supernatural about the preaching
of the gospel now. Paul said, I come and I preach
the word in power, not in the wisdom of man, but in power and
in the spirit. And this is God's way. Philip,
when he ran to that chariot where that man was sitting there, that
Ethiopian eunuch was sitting there reading Isaiah, Philip was told by the Holy Spirit,
go join yourself to that chariot. And he did, and he asked that
man, understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, how
can I except some man should guide me? I never would have if God didn't
send a man to guide me. And Philip began at that very
passage in Isaiah 53 where that man had been reading and preached
unto him Jesus. He just happened to be reading
in Isaiah 53. What if he was reading in Isaiah
40? Or in Genesis chapter 5? Could you start anywhere and
preach Jesus? Wherever somebody would happen
to be reading, could you preach unto them Jesus? The whole book concerns him.
And that man believed and was baptized. God just does it that
way. And you can rebel, you can, just
like anything else, you can do it the way that seems right.
Oh, I've got a Bible, I don't need a preacher. I'm smarter
than that preacher, yeah? Yeah, you are. You can do it
the way that seems logical, or you can submit to God's way. And then the third thing that
God does to teach sinners is to open their hearts. A preacher can't do that. The
Word of God, just the bare reading of God's Word, is not going to
happen. God's got to positively, by an act of His almighty power,
open your heart to receive the Word. Acts 16, 14, A certain
woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira,
which worshipped God, heard us, whose heart the Lord opened,
that she attended unto the things which were spoken by Paul. She
wouldn't have cared what Paul had to say. She wouldn't have
listened to the gospel. She wouldn't have had an attentive
ear to the word of God. But God opened her heart so that
she would. And she did. And she believed. And God saved her. A man can
preach never so skillfully and be never so true to the Word
of God. But unless God Himself reveals to that sinner the truth
of His Word, the sinner can never receive it. And these are truths
I know that you all know and agree with, and we see this all
through His Word, don't we? But think of it this way tonight.
Thank God. Thank God He opened my heart.
Do you know Christ? God opened your heart. A natural
man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they
are foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them, because
they are spiritually discerned. Turn to the context of this verse.
I want you to see something. 1 Corinthians 2. Where I just
read, I want us to see the context of it. 1 Corinthians 2. I just read verse 14. The natural
man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. But look
back up at verse 9. Same letter, same chapter, same
context. But as it is written, I have
not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of
man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. And what is that? What is he
talking about there? What is the things that God has prepared
for them that love Him? That's just another way of saying
the gospel. That's what this book is. It's just the good news. God
has prepared for you a righteousness. He's prepared for you a sin offering.
He's established every blessing that He has for sinners in His
Son. and has already appointed a time when you're going to meet
him and believe on him and bow to him and be saved by him. The
things which God has prepared for those that love him because
they love him because he loved them. That's why he prepared
those things for them. So what's he saying? Nobody,
these things, they're not going to register. You're not going
to see them. What did he say to Nicodemus? You can't see God's
kingdom unless you're born from above. Unless you're born of
the Spirit. The natural man, you were born
by natural birth. You're going to have to be born
spiritually or you're not going to see. And that's what he's
saying here. You're not going to see. I hath not seen, nor ear heard. Neither have entered into the
heart of man. Now people quote this verse and they say, well
that's talking about how wonderful heaven is and we just can't understand
it. Read the context. I agree, heaven
is wonderful and we can't perceive it. I haven't seen that yet. He's talking about the gospel?
You read this context, he's talking about the natural man and how
we can't receive the things of God. And eye hasn't seen him and ear
hadn't heard him and it don't enter into the heart but verse
10 God hath revealed them unto us. You see that? Then it's going
to enter your heart when God opens it. Your eye is going to
see the glory of God in the face of his son. Paul said that happened
to me. God who commanded the light to
shine out of darkness said let there be light and I saw God's
glory in the face of Jesus Christ. I have seen Once God reveals,
an ear hath heard the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not going to enter into
your heart, though, unless and until God reveals it unto us
by His Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God. I know some deep things,
don't you? I know some deep things. God
became a man. But he might say, wretched sinners
like me. That's pretty deep. I can't explain
the deep things, but I know them. So David, knowing something
about this, these three things that had to happen, he says,
Lord, teach me. Teach me. He brought you and
his great mighty province. He crossed your path with his
word. In a world full of Bibles, most
people will never, ever perceive the Word of God. Never read it. Never care whether they read
it or not. Without His grace, we have His
Word. And we have those voices. Like John said, I'm a voice crying
in the wilderness. I listen to one of those voices
just like you do. Several of them. And then the
Lord, by His grace, He opens hearts. He's still in that business.
Thank God. Lord, teach me. And don't miss
this. We are taught not just so that we'll be knowledgeable.
Look at the first part of the verse. Back in our text. Not just so that we'll be knowledgeable.
The first part of verse 12 in Psalm 119. You know, Paul said
just knowledge, just bare knowledge will just puff you up. That's
all it'll do. If you just learn the scriptures,
you'll just be a puffed up self-righteous Pharisee like they were. So it's not just about that.
I want to know about God because blessed is he The first part
of the verse, blessed is he. Oh Lord, blessed art thou. David is saying, oh Lord, you
are adored. That's the word there, you're
adored. Now teach me some more. I already am in awe of you. That word literally means to
kneel. The word blessed there, it means
to kneel. Do you kneel in your heart when
you hear about God? Oh my boy, that's the first thing.
When somebody met God in the scriptures, they went down. They
went down. And so David is saying, Lord,
I'm kneeling. Now teach me more. Teach me more. I know enough
already by your grace to kneel. I'm already bowing at your feet.
I already see you high and lifted up to some degree, through a
glass darkly. I know enough that I don't know
much. I know enough to know that I want to know more. You see
that? Oh boy, that's key in that verse there. Now verse 13, with
my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. Okay, a lot of things could be
said about this, but notice something particularly in this verse. Something
wonderful. David talking about my lips,
he said, my lips, but whose mouth is he talking about? God's mouth. Boy, you talk about
a blessing now. That's what preaching is. Preacher,
how can you say, how can you say that God chooses sinners,
and I've had people ask me this, how can you say God chooses sinners
before they're ever born? And their works have nothing
to do with salvation. Well, the thing about it is,
I don't say that. God said that. He just used my lips to do it. And that's important now. If
ever you, if ever the Lord brings you under the circumstance that
you have an opportunity to be a witness for Him, and you're
discussing the Word of God with somebody, don't ever argue with
anybody. I used to love to argue, but boy, I don't know how, I
don't know how that was because I can't stand it now. If somebody
even acts like they're going to smell like they're fixing
to argue with me, I'll walk away. I don't want anything to do with
it. My God's great. But if you're discussing the
Word of God with somebody, make sure that they're hearing from God.
Make sure that if they do disagree, they're not disagreeing with
you, they're disagreeing with God. Your lips, God's mouth. It's got to be that way now. It's from the mouth of God, and
man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes
from where? The mouth of God. This is vital. If you're going to live, you
must have God's word. You must hear from God. Just
physical food is not what you need to live. Just bread, just
the food of this world is not going to cut it. You must hear
from God and if you're going to hear from God, it's going
to be through the lips of a man. We say, we say that Jesus Christ
is God in the flesh and that he saves whom he pleases and
damns whom he pleases. He came when he gave the great
commission that religion always talks about, you know, the great
commission. We're supposed to go into all the world and that's
why we you know, going to South Africa and Haiti and all these
places. And they love to do that, but
they don't always quote all of that passage. The Lord said,
you go tell, teach people what I've taught you. They're not
doing that. They're going down there to get
somebody's say, you know, to feed them something and get them
all feeling warm and fuzzy, you know, about having something
to eat and then lead them to the Lord. The Lord said, you
encompass land and sea to make one proselyte. And when you've
made him, he's twofold more the child of hell than he was before
you made him. That's what they in the business
of doing now. But in that great commission,
he said, you go teach them what I've taught you. And if they
believe you, I'll save them. If they don't, I'll throw them
in hell. That's what he said. That's who we deal with. We say
that he came to redeem and did redeem all that the Father had
chosen in the eternal covenant of grace. Paul said, I thank
God because he had from the beginning chosen you to salvation through
sanctification of his spirit and belief of his truth. He chose
you from the beginning. We preach that. We say that the
Lord came. And He chose and came and redeemed
all that the Father had chosen in that covenant of grace. And
He didn't die nor even intercede for this whole world, but only
for those that the Father had given Him. He died for His sheep
and He redeemed His sheep. And because He did, He said they'll
never perish or ever be plucked from My hand. We say that all
that His Father gave Him shall come to Christ. because God has
purposed it and none can disannoy. They shall come. We also say
that whosoever cometh to him shall never cast away, never
be turned away, but shall have everlasting life. From God's
mouth through the lips of a sinner to the ears and by His grace
the heart of the sinner. And don't miss the word of all
in verse 13. I want to read you a passage of scripture that is
just a blessing to my heart. I could quote just one verse
out of it and make the point about all, all, all of your word,
Lord. But look at Acts chapter 20.
I got to looking at this passage of scripture I thought I wanted
to read all of it to you because it's just such a blessing. It
has to do with the Word of God and that's what we're talking
about. Acts 20 verse 18. And when they were come to him, the
Apostle Paul talked about, he said unto them, you know from
the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have
been with you at all seasons, serving the Lord with all humility
of mind and with many tears and temptations which befell me by
the lying in wait of the Jews, and how I kept back nothing that
was profitable unto you, but have showed you and have taught
you publicly and from house to house, testifying both to the
Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith
toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I go bound in
the Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall
befall me there, save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every
city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things
move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might
finish my course with joy in the ministry which I have received
of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that
you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God,
shall see my face no more. Wherefore, I take you to record
this day that I am pure from the blood of all men, for I have
not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. You see
why my mind went to this passage and then I just got to looking
at the whole passage and what a blessing it is. The Lord sent
the Apostle Paul to these folks And it's just wonderful the way
the Lord blesses his church, his people. Verse 28, take heed
therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over which the
Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the church of God which
he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that
after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not
sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall
men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples
after them. Therefore watch and remember
that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one
night and day with tears. And now, brethren, I commend
you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build
you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
I have coveted no man's silver or gold or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves
know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities and to them
that were with me. I have showed you all things,
how that so laboring you ought to support the weak, and to remember
the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, how he said it is more blessed
to give than to receive. And when he had thus spoken,
he kneeled down and prayed with them all. And they all wept sore
and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him. Sorrowing most of all for
the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more.
And they accompanied him unto the ship. He preached unto them
all the counsel of God. And that was precious to them
and to him too. They to him. Verse 14, back in
our text, Psalm 119, 14. Just a few thoughts on this one
last verse tonight. I have rejoiced in the way of
thy testimonies as much as in all riches. Let that sink in for a second.
As much as in all riches. Notice that comparison, the way
the testimonies of God David said, I have rejoiced in your
word as much as in all riches. Do you know why there are economies
in God's world? Why there is wealth and riches
in God's world? It doesn't have to be that way. I suspect it won't be that way
in the new earth, you reckon. There won't be dollars in bank
accounts. Don't have any need for that
then. But now there is. Reckon why? Well, I know this. I know God
instituted marriage to show what a precious and delightful bond
exists between his son and his bride. That's why people get
married. And even in spite of all of our
sin, we get a glimpse of that, don't we? When a wife or a husband
is indeed precious to us. God made food and water and made
us dependent on those things to show how vital and delightful
Christ is to us. Why do we have to eat? It didn't
have to be that way. Would God make things the way
they are to show the glories of his Son? Why is there food? Why is there
water? So that when the Lord Jesus said, I am the bread. I am the water of life. You drink of me and you'll never
thirst. You'll have all you need, all you want. My body is meat indeed. My blood is drink indeed. We'd
understand a little bit who he is and what he is to us. How
vital he is. He's our life. and our constant
pleasure. We enjoy food, don't we? And
our constant continual sustenance and strength. God made things
that way. His whole world runs to show
who Christ is. So God made his world run on
money, too. No question about that. It runs
on money, doesn't it? Reckon why he did it that way.
Why is gold worth anything? You ever think about that? It's
kind of pretty, but there are a lot of things that are pretty.
Broken glass can be beautiful. Things that are worthless can
be prettier than gold, just to the eye. Why is gold worth something?
Why is it so valuable and precious? It's not going to be one day
soon. He's going to pave his streets with it. It's not going
to be that way, but now it's powerful and greatly sought after
and valued. Why is that? Why is that? I'll tell you why. Psalm 19,
9, the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments
of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired
are they than gold. Yea, than much fine gold. Sweeter also than honey and the
honeycomb. Wonder why bees make honey. I'm sure there's some scientific
reason for it, but do you know why? More to be desired than gold. What would you do, what would
you do for a billion dollars? A billion dollars, I said it
with a B. A billion dollars, what would you do for a billion
dollars? Oh, I don't want to be rich Chris,
you're a liar. I guarantee you, somebody hung
a billion dollars in front of your face and said, What do you
do? Or gave you some things to do,
you'd consider it. Would you miss a ball game? Would you tell your family visiting,
you know, from up north that you can't entertain them the
whole time they're here? There's somewhere you gotta be. I gotta
go get a billion dollars so I can't be with you. What would you do? What would
you overcome? What would you give up? What
would you put off to hear from God? God's Word is precious to us
because Christ is precious. And this book reveals the Son
of God. Turn with me to 1 Peter 2. We're
done. 1 Peter 2. 1 Peter 2. First Peter 2 6 wherefore also
it is contained in the scripture. This is what we talked about
the scripture What is contained in the scripture? God says look
Look at what look at my son. I Lay inside on a chief cornerstone
elect precious And he that believeth on him
shall not be confounded How are we going to believe on Him? We
just read it in Romans chapter 10. You're not going to believe
on Him of whom you've not heard. And how shall they hear without a
preacher? The Word of God, it's written in the Scriptures. God
contained in His Scriptures the truth of His elect and precious
Son. Those that believe what he wrote
believe the record that God gave You remember the rest of that
verse the record that God has given concerning his son Those
that believe that record he's precious unto you therefore verse
7 which believed he is precious But unto them which be disobedient
the stone which the builders disallowed the same is made the
head of the corner Unto you which believe, now listen to me for
another minute, give me 60 seconds. Unto you therefore which believe
that all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ. Unto you which believe that,
he's precious. All the fullness of God in his body. Unto you that believe That he has power on this earth
To say your sins be forgiven you And all of your sins are gone
you think about that he can do that for you He can do that for
that little boy sitting right there. I unto you which believe he has
power on earth to forgive sins. He's precious. May God give me grace and strength
to keep preaching until Christ is precious to us, until Christ
is all. Let's pray.