All right, Psalm 119. We'll be taking this chapter
eight verses at a time, so we're going to be here a little while.
But the first and then the one for today has been such an encouragement
to me and I hope to you also. As I mentioned in our first study,
of this great chapter. Psalm 119 is about the Word of
God. Where would we be without the
Word of God? You ever thought about that? The Word of God teaches
us the authority of God, who God is. The Bible declares God
is sovereign. omnipotent, almighty. The sovereignty of God is not
just a doctrine, it's not just an afterthought, it's who he
is. He is the first cause of all
things and everything. The ruler, the potentate, the
almighty one who works all things. How many things? All things.
After the counsel of his own will. It's about the Word of
God, Psalm 119. We're to bow to what God says
in His Word. I'm so glad that God has left
us His Word. Where would we be without the
Word of God? Isaiah 820 says this, to the
law and to the testimony being the Word of God, if they speak
not according to this Word, the words in the book that you hold
this morning in your lap. It says, if they speak not according
to this word, it's because there is no light in them. No light. I had a man tell me
not long ago that he did not need the scriptures. He didn't
need the Bible to discern between right and wrong. He said the
Bible had been a detriment to society and the entire planet
as a whole. He told me that the book that
I chose to live my life by is riddled with fairy tales and
false claims. Actually said that to me, actually
wrote it to me. There's no light in that man,
none, no light. You can't argue and debate with
man about the Word of God. If a blind man or a blind woman
thinks that the sky is green, you'll not convince them otherwise,
because they don't have eyes to see it. It's the same with
the Word of God. If God hadn't opened your eyes
and enlightened your spiritual sight, He can't convince you
of anything. God has to give a man life, has
to give him sight before they see anything. Now some think that this part
of the Psalm is David speaking to Solomon. It may very well
be, we're not told. But look at verse nine. He asks
this question, wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?
Well, it's very simple. He answers it right here. By
taking heed thereto according to thy word. Without the written
word of God, we could not do like the noble Bereans did. And
that's what every professing believer needs to do. They need
to get into the Word of God to see
if the things they hear preached are true. We're told that Paul
and Silas, by night, went into Berea, into the synagogue of
the Jews, and those folks, the Bereans, were more noble than
those in Thessalonica in that they received the Word in all
readiness of mind, and they searched the Scriptures daily. whether
those things that Paul preached were true. And then it says, therefore,
many of them believe. Don't depend on me alone or a
preacher alone to give you the word of truth. Search the scriptures
for yourselves daily if you can. to see if the
things that I tell you be so. Don't simply take a man's word
for it. That's why we got the mess in religion today that we
have. That's why we got so many denominations and churches on
every street corner, because man is telling what he thinks
God said. Or he's just telling what he
thinks to be so. Don't simply take a man's word
for it. You have God's Word in print. And you've got concordances and
dictionaries and everything to help you see what God says in
this book. And really, you know, the best
commentary on the Scriptures is the Scriptures. Scripture
agrees with Scripture. We're told very plainly the truth
in God's Word. How does a young man cleanse
his way? How does any man or woman cleanse their way? They
don't. But the Word of God tells them
who does, and when that man takes heed to God's Word, God is faithful
to reveal it. He promised. God is faithfully
promised. We have not because we ask not.
Let's just be honest. Divine revelation comes from
the author of this book. Take heed, he says, take heed. Lord help us to take heed. 2 Timothy 3.16, all scripture from
Genesis 1.1 all the way to Revelation 22.21 is given by inspiration
of God. You know what that means? It's
God-breathed. When Adam was formed out of the
ground, when did he become a living soul? When God breathed into
him the breath of life. The Spirit of God breathed into
a man. That's what gives him life. And
it's given by the inspiration and the breath of God and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness. How do I become righteous before
God? What do I have to do? You can't do anything. How do
I become righteous? By Christ's righteousness. He
was made to be sin for me and gave me His perfect righteousness.
That's the only way I can. That the man of God, now listen,
may be perfect. just as He's perfect, thoroughly
furnished unto all good works. People argue that it was men
who wrote the scripture. I'm not gonna argue with them,
it was. But it was by the inspiration, the God-breathing and God-breathed
and inspired, exactly as God would have said it. Peter said, knowing this first,
that no prophecy, no preaching of the scripture is of any private
interpretation. That's what we have today. A
lot of private interpretation. Well, let me tell you what I
think it means. It doesn't matter what you think it means. What
did God say it means? Man wrote the scriptures, but
it was exactly as God said it. Peter said, knowing this first
that no prophecy of the scriptures of any private interpretation
for the prophecy came, not in old time by the will of man,
but holy men of God, the Old Testament prophets, holy men
of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Friends, if we didn't have the
Bible, We'd be without hope, and we'd be totally dependent
on what men told us. And God alone is truth, and every
man a liar. Boy, I wouldn't feel a bit... I'd just be without hope if we
didn't have the Word of God, and so would you. This is where
we draw our strength from, our encouragement from. Without the Scriptures, we could
not know God. There's no knowing God apart
from this book. There are some things that we
could logically know about God, but we couldn't know God. Hold your place here and turn
with me to Romans chapter 1. Look at this. Romans chapter
1, verse 18. Men and women can understand
some things about God logically, but they can't know God. Romans
1 verse 18. For the wrath of God is revealed
from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who
hold the truth in unrighteousness." No matter what you think, no
matter what you say it means, you're holding the truth in unrighteousness
because that's what you are by nature, you're unrighteous. Verse 19, because that which
may be known of God is manifest in them for God has showed it
unto them. For the invisible things of him
from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood
by the things that were made. You know what that means? It
means that you can look at God's creation and know there's a God. And you know that he's all powerful
because only an all powerful God could create such a thing. Being understood by the things
that are made, even His eternal power in Godhead, so that you're
without excuse. Well, I mean, I never went to
church anywhere. Have you ever looked at the moon
at night? Have you ever felt the heat of the sun during the
day? That's proof enough. You can know some things about
God. You can know He's sovereign. You can know He's omnipotent.
You can know He's the creator of all things. When you look at the things of
creation, the only logical explanation is that creation is of God. God did it. He spoke it into
existence. One day there was nothing, nothing
but God. And some folks say there was
a big boom. Everything just formed and worked
in perfect order. And my question has always been,
well, who lit the fuse? If there was only God, and this
world was created by a big boom, who lit that fuse? Who brought
about that explosion? Who caused the big bang? And the only logical, rational explanation
is God did. God is. And God created and no
one created him. Human logic can reveal that to
some folks. But it doesn't tell me anything
about God being just. Don't tell me anything about
me being a sinner. Doesn't tell me anything about
that only the Lord can save. If God, I have mercy on a sinner,
God will forgive sin, and God will save me, don't tell me that.
That's why I need this book, this God-breathed Word of God. We can only know the true character
of God through this God-breathed Word. Back in Psalm 119, In the
eight verses before us this morning, there are eight different words
used to describe the Word of God. First in verse nine, it's
described as the Word. According to thy Word, the psalmist
wrote. Have you ever thought about what's
in your mind? The only way you can know is
by the words that come out of your mouth. The Word of God tells
us what is in God's mind. who He is, what we are, how the
two can be reconciled. You can't figure that out on
your own. According to thy word. The second
word found in verse 10, he writes, with the whole heart have I sought
thee, O let me not wander from thy commandments. The Word of
God is a commandment from God. It's not just advice. We hear
somebody talk about a problem and we say, well, let me give
you some advice. That's not what this is. It's
a commandment. It's to be believed. It's to
be bowed to. Verse 11, the word have I hid
in my heart that I might not sin against thee, thy word. And that's a different word than
used in verse nine. It's where we get the word of
Toro from, and that is the first five written books of the Bible. So this is a reference, this
verse is a reference to the written word of God. There's the written
Word of God, and then there's Christ, who is the incarnate
Word of God. One and the same. In the beginning
was the Word, and what? The Word was with God. Not just
that. The Word was God. And what we
have here is the written Word of God. Verse 12, blessed art
thou, O Lord, teach me thy statutes. That's another word for the Word
of God, it's statutes. It means decrees. It means appointments. David says, good for me that
I've been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes. Your decrees,
Your appointments. Teach me Your statutes, Your
decrees, and Your appointments. Show me who You are, Lord. Show
me that You're the first cause. That You work all things after
the counsel of Your will. And that You work all those things
for my good and Your glory. We wouldn't have it any other
way. Then in verse 13, we read of his judgments. Look, with
my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. That's
what this book is. It's God's judgments. God says
justice and judgment are the habitation of my throne. Mercy and truth shall go before
thy face, Psalm 89, 14. God is just. This book shows
us and tells us so. Verse 14, I've rejoiced in the
way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. This book is
testifying to me, and it's testifying to you, His people, that this
is His Word. It's God giving witness to who
He is and what we are, as I see it. Then we read in verse 15,
I will meditate in all thy precepts. God's Word is His precepts, and
we have respect unto His ways, precepts, mandates, appointments,
providence, God working out in time what He purposed in eternity. This book is full of His precepts. Isaiah 55a, God says, My thoughts
are not your thoughts. How true is that? That's our
problem, that's men's problem, men and women's problem. They
thought that God was altogether, or that we were altogether such
a one as He is, and He's altogether such a one as we are. He said,
I'm gonna reprove you, I'm gonna set you straight on that. Not
so, not so. For as the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are my ways higher than yours, and my thoughts
higher than yours. I believe that, I know that's
so. You don't have to have very intelligent thoughts to be higher
than mine. And the scriptures are referred
to as his ways, this is his way. There's a way that seems right
unto a man, but the end thereof are what? The ways of death. I want to know His ways. I don't
want to go my way. I know Frank Sinatra and Elvis
and several other songs, I did it my way. I don't want to do
it my way. We must do things His way. And
then in verse 16, it is said, I will delight myself in thy
statutes. Again, we see that word. He said, I will not forget thy
word. So I want to read these verses in light of the written
word of God and emphasize to you that our attitude toward
God himself is only seen in what this word of God says. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing
by what? Word of God. Verse 9, wherewith it shall a
young man cleanse his way. Well, I'm going to tell you something.
I used to, but by God's grace, I don't have any confidence in
my ways anymore. They've disappointed me too many
times. I thought I had it all figured out. It turns out I don't
have anything figured out. God's revealed some things to
me by His grace, and I know my way's not the way. My way seems
right, but the end thereof is death. I want to do things His way. How can we be cleansed? By taking
heed, by listening, by bowing to the Word of God. For the Word
of God is quick. and powerful, and sharper than
any two-edged sword, piercing even the dividing asunder of
soul and spirit, and of the joints in the marrow, and a discerner
of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4.12. How
am I gonna cleanse my way? By listening and hearing His
Word. That's how. That's the only way.
By hearing what God says. And I know there's loony tunes
out there that say, you know, God told me this, and God told
me that. If He didn't tell you through this book, He didn't
tell you at all. Only God can give me ears to
hear, and only God... Let me... God, who at sundry
times and in divers manners spoke in time passing to the fathers
by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us by His
Son. He gives us ears to hear by reading
the Word of God, by listening to gospel, true gospel preaching,
the means by which God saves those who believe. Isn't that
what he said? It's a faithful saying and worthy
acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
How does he save them? By the Word of God. Philip asked that Ethiopian eunuch,
Do you understand what you're reading? You remember what he
said? He said, how can I? Except some man should guide
me. It's by the foolishness of preaching.
That's the means that God uses to save those who believe. And not just any preaching. That eunuch was reading about
the Lord Jesus in the Old Testament. He said, who's this talking about? Philip said, let me tell you.
I'll tell you who it's talking about. It's talking about God
in the person of His beloved Son. Have you heard that? You heard that story? A man once said to me, I won't
be coming to hear you preach anymore. He said, I'm gonna make
a go of it on my own. With that kind of attitude, you're
gonna fail. And you're gonna fall. It's by the means of preaching
the Word of God in spirit and in truth, not just anything,
that God saves sinners. You agree? That's what God, that's
what this Word says. Where would we be without the
Word of God? How do we know that the preacher's
telling us the truth? Read it, study it yourself. Do like those noble Bereans did.
That's why when I pray, I endeavor to try to back everything I say
up with what God says. Because what I say and what I
think doesn't matter. Don't simply take my word for
it. Search the scriptures for yourself.
True preachers, Won't try to hide the Word of God for you.
They encourage you to read and study and search them. You know,
some churches discourage you from reading the Bible. They
do. Hard to believe, but they do.
Well, you don't need to bring a Bible to church with you. I'm
going to tell you everything you need to know. Are you? Without
the Word of God, how would I know? What they're desiring to do is
to hide the Word of God from you so you'll believe what they
say. What does the Word of God declare? Verse 10, with my whole
heart have I sought thee. Oh, let me not wander from thy
commandments. Now listen, the Lord can't truly
be sought in a half-hearted way. The gospel is of infinite importance. It's life and death. It's crucial.
It cannot be moderately important. We see the truth with our whole
heart. I don't know that I've ever worshipped
Him with my whole heart. I want to. But I shall seek in Him that
way, not in lukewarmness, but the whole being of our souls,
not half-heartedly, but all in." You've heard people say, I'm
all in. Are we all in in the Word of God? There's some hard
things for folks to believe. That's why folks reject election,
predestination, salvation alone by grace. Lord, don't let me wander. Don't
let me go astray is what it means, like a sheep, a dumb sheep. It's what we are by nature, dumb
sheep. Don't let me, like a lost sheep,
go astray, but let me seek thy servant. The last verse of Psalm
119, verse 176 says this. I have gone astray like a lost
sheep, Seek thy servant, for I do not forget thy commandments.
This is the heart cry of every single believer. Lord, don't
let me be prone to wonder. By nature, I am just prone to
wonder, prone to leave the God that I love. Don't let me wander. Verse 11, by word have I hid
in mine heart that I might not sin against thee. What'd that
man do that found that treasure in the field? You remember that? In the New Testament, he found
a treasure in the field. What'd he do with it? He hid
it. He hid it. It was so precious and it was
his treasure, so he goes and he sells all that he had. to
buy that field and preserve that treasure. I got to have it. That's the one thing, Needful,
I got to have it. Everything else can go, as long
as I have that. That's the attitude of a child
of God. Why do we hide God's word in
our hearts that we might not, it says right here, that we might
not sin against him? I don't want to sin against Him.
I do. You remember the last thing that
the Lord said to that woman that was caught in the act of adultery?
I still wonder why they didn't bring the man that was caught
in the same act. Because it's probably one of
them or somebody that they knew very well. But the Lord said
to that woman, the last thing He said to her, He said, go and
sin no more. Go and sin no more. Friday evening, we went down
to Drew Dietz's, me, Clayton, Chris, and Glenn, and to hear
Tim preach. And he said something to me like,
you need to do this or whatever, just joking. And I said, Tim,
give me something I can do. Go and sin no more. That's something
I can't do. Not in and of myself. People
seem to think that though salvation is by grace, that they can continue
in sin that grace may abound. God's grace doesn't give us a
license to sin. It says go and sin no more. How do we do that? How can we do that when sin is
what we are? Only one way. You know the answer. Only in Jesus Christ. And when we do sin, we have an
advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. When David says in verse 11,
thy word have I hid that I might not sin against thee, May that
be written on my heart, to hate my sin and never desire to sin
again. Verse 12, blessed art thou, O
Lord, teach me thy statutes. Paul wrote in Ephesians, one
blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places
in Christ. Same thing. That's what Paul
said. Same thing it says here. What
does the sweet psalmist ask here? Blessed art thou, O Lord, teach
me thy statutes. You remember when the Lord said
in the Gospel of John, they shall all be taught of God? If you
know anything at all about the character of God and the Gospel
of God, God taught you. God revealed it to you. God taught
it to you and God revealed it to you. How do you know when you've been
taught of God? Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned
of the Father cometh unto me. That's what the Lord Jesus said.
How do we know we've been taught of God? We've come to Christ. It's not hard, but it's impossible
apart from God. Lord, teach me, don't lead me
to myself. Enable me to come, cause me to
come, give me life so I have the ability to come, because
no man can come unless the Father which sent Christ draw him. Draw me, Lord. Make me willing
to come in the day of your power. Don't allow me to lean on my
own understanding. Lean not on your own understanding.
Better not do it. Verse 13, with my lips have I
declared all the judgments of thy mouth. And here, that's the
subject of our preaching. Lord, never let me stand up here
where I'm not declaring all the judgments of thy mouth. That's
our subject, Christ, he fulfills that. He's the subject of our
preaching with our lips, and that's to declare all the judgments
of His mouth. Is one part of the gospel more
important than another? Nope. All the judgments of His
mouth. Everything in this book, whether
we see it or not, is vital to our salvation. And our prayer
before we meet ought to be, Lord, show me all your judgments. Enable
me to understand all the things that come from your mouth. I
know there's some things that we weren't meant to know and
meant to understand, but that don't mean we don't want to. All the judgments of His mouth.
What are we going to leave out? Not critical enough that we leave
it out. Had a man tell me one time, well,
I like what you preach, but you need to go on into the deeper
things. How am I going to do that? What's deeper than God
becoming a man and dying in my room instead and putting my sin
away and giving me his perfect righteousness? People just say
ignorant things. Teaching, the Lord said, teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I've commanded you,
and lo, I'm with you always, even to the end of the world.
That's our only hope of knowing all the things that the Lord
taught, is that He be with us and continue to teach us. What do we have to believe to
be saved? You ever thought about that? You gotta believe everything
that God says. All the judgments, that word
means verdicts. The verdicts of His mouth without
exception. Verse 14, I have rejoiced in
the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches. When our Lord Jesus said, I am
the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the Father
but by me. We need to understand that when
our Lord Jesus went to His Father, every believer went with Him.
We were in Him. We died in Him. We were buried
with Him. We were risen with Him. And when
He ascended, we ascended with Him. Every believer went with him
into the very presence of God. Isn't that what Paul said? Come
boldly into the throne of grace in time of need. The only way
we can come boldly into God's throne of grace is to be in Christ. I rejoice in that. That's Christ's
testimony. He's the way. He's the truth.
He's the life. Infinitely more valuable than
all the riches in this world. What would a man give to have
life eternal? If it was a potion you could
buy, they'd sell all and buy it and that'd be their treasure.
But it can't be bought. It's only freely given. infinitely more valuable. In
the end, it's the only thing that'll matter. Verse 15, I will
meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy ways. The scripture is the word of
God. Read it, study it, come hear it preached, memorize it. Ponder the Scriptures. Think
about them and what they mean. Meditate on how God can be just
and justify the ungodly. I've spent hours thinking about
that. Just in wonder. How could a holy and just God
who can have nothing to do with sin have something to do with
me? How can God be just and justify the ungodly? Because He's a just
God and a Savior. Become familiar with these things.
How does faith come? Again, by the hearing and hearing
by the Word of God. Meditate on your union with Christ. You've always been in Christ. You've always been saved since
the foundation of the world. He died for you before you were
born. How can that be? before you've done any good or
evil that the purpose of God, according to election, might
stand. We don't understand that, but
we shall believe it. He loves you with an everlasting
love. He was your substitute, the Lamb
slain before you ever came into existence. He loved me with an everlasting
love. Therefore, with a loving kindness, He's what? Drawn me. to himself. No man can come unless
the Father would send me. Draw him. I said last week the foundation
of a good relationship is respect even in human relations. Relationships,
but especially respect to God. I respect the Lord's way to salvation. I pray you do too. In verse 16,
I will delight myself in thy statutes, I will not forget thy
word. When I hear the gospel declared
concerning what Christ has done for a wretched, depraved sinner
like me, I find such great delight when I see that salvation had
nothing to do with me and what I've done, and everything to
do with Christ and what He's done. That I know that then I
cannot lose my redemption. I didn't do anything to be saved. I can't do anything to be lost
because it's all based upon His righteousness. And we make that
so much more difficult than it is. It's the truth. It's what
God says in His Word. Why don't we believe it? Because
we look within. We look within. We look within. For by God's grace, we'll never
forget God's Word. How shall a man, young, middle-aged,
or old, cleanse their way? By taking heed to the Word of
God.