It's good to be here this morning. Well, it's good to be here. And
that's the reason it's good to be here. You think it's nice to have me. Sometimes you have to dance with
what shows up. But here I am. This is like a
second home to me. It really is. I really enjoy
it. Turn to Psalm 119. Psalm 119. I'll start reading
in verse 129 through 136. Psalm 119, 129, thy testimonies are wonderful. That's what caught my attention,
that verse. Thy testimonies are wonderful. Therefore doth my soul keep them. The entrance of thy words giveth
light. It giveth understanding unto
the simple. I'm so glad of that. Oh, am I
glad of that. The older I get, the more I sit
under the gospel, the more I realize how simple I really am. I opened
my mouth and panted, for I longed for thy commandments. I longed
for the Word of God. Look thou upon me and be merciful
unto me. as thou used to do unto those
that love thy name." Look, and my margin says this, according
to the custom towards those that love thy name. It's God, as you
are accustomed to do to your family. Order my steps. Who better to
order our steps than God? Order my steps in thy word, and
let not any inequity because I have plenty of them. But let
not any iniquity have dominion over me. Deliver me from the
oppression of man, so will I keep thy precepts. Make thy face to
shine upon thy servant, and teach me thy statutes. Instruct me.
Rivers of water run down my knives, because they keep not thy law."
Let us pray. Thank you for your word that
we have read this morning. Lord, bless Thy word to our spiritual
nourishment this morning. Feed us. Feed us. Teach us. Instruct us by Thy
Spirit. Enable us to leave here, Father,
giving unto Thee the glory and the honor that is due unto Thy
name. Enable us, Father, to worship
You in spirit and in truth. Thank you for all your blessings.
Lord, they are too numerable to reckon up in order. We pray for Paul as he preaches
this morning. Bless him and give him and many
a safe journey back home. And all those who will be standing
in the pulpit this morning, Father, to preach to thy people. Enable
them to do so. We are not sufficient for these
things, but our God is our sufficiency. And we look to Thee this morning
for the ability to listen, to learn, and to worship. It's in
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen. I titled this lesson, Thy Wonderful
Testimonies. The wonderful testimonies of
God. The Word of God is wonderful. I realize that as I get older,
how wonderful His Word really is. There's not another like
it. There's not another book that
can be remotely compared to the Word of God. There's not a commentary
written that can even be compared to the Word of God. There's no
error in this book. There's no error. It's the Word
of God. It is through God's Word that
we have light and understanding, that we have some understanding
of why things are. Now, we don't understand all
things. Still too, we still have too
much sin in us, still too human. But we have some, we've been
given an understanding. And I was driving down here yesterday
and thinking about the word of God and the gospel and speaking
here this morning. And I said to Vicki, I said,
you know, we really know the future. I
said, Ernest, what's the future? This world would love to know
what's next. I may not know the next minute,
but I know the future. I know how this is going to end.
I know how it's going to end. It's going to end with a new
heaven and a new earth. And it's going to end with us
praising God in His presence. It's going to end and you and
I are going to have no sin. That's the future. That's the
future. That's what's coming. And we
know that through God's wonderful testimonies. His wonderful testimonies. And then its author is wonderful. The Holy Spirit. This is God
breathed. This is no ordinary book. It's
God breathed. It's the Word of God. And then
it reveals a wonderful person. The Lord Jesus Christ. For unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his
shoulder." Aren't you glad of that? Are you not glad the government
is upon the shoulders of the Son of God and not somebody in
Washington? I'm glad it's upon the shoulders
of my Lord. When you get up every day, you
think. You think upon Him. You think upon the One that's
running this. And then you go to work. You go about your day. The government's on his shoulder
and his name shall be called Wonderful. That's wonderful. Oh, he's God. Think of all that
God is as much as you can think, and according to the Word of
God, think of all that God is. Now, think of Jesus Christ because
he's God. He's God and He's a man. What
a wonderful person. And this person is made unto
us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Everything I
need, everything you need to stand in God's presence, this
man is made to be that to us. I don't lack anything. In Him, it says in Colossians,
in Him you are complete. I've never been complete in anything.
But in God's sight, in Christ, I'm complete. I don't lack, I lack nothing.
Nothing. And the Word of God has a wonderful
effect on those who feed on it. Those who feed on it. It's life-giving and it's life-changing. When it comes in power, you will
not be the same. You'll not be the same. Paul
speaks of the Word of God. He said how it works. It works
in you effectually. It's at work in you. There's
nothing that I have ever studied in school that's still at work
in me. It's not at work in me. But the
Word of God, It's at work in you when you don't even realize
it. It's at work. How important it is to be saturated
with the wonderful testimonies of God. And when you need it,
it'll be there. And it meets every situation.
There is no situation, no circumstance that you and I would ever come
up against that the Word of God does not have an answer for.
It cannot deal with. Therefore my soul, he said, therefore
doth my soul keep them. The reason my soul keeps them
is because they are the wonderful testimonies of God. It's not
just a testimony of several men, it's a testimony of God through
these men. And my soul, they, my soul keeps,
they reach into my soul. It reaches into you. Planted in you. My very being is engaged in keeping
them. I desire to keep His word, to
keep His commandment. He said, you keep my commandments.
Speak, Lord, thy servant heareth. Now, we're not always like that.
Don't think I'm some kind of super person. Believe me, I have
my struggles. I have my struggles. But I can
say this. When at the end of the day, and
I believe you can say it too, you who believe, you want to
keep the Word of God, keep His commandments. You want to, you
desire to. Not in order to get favor, but
because you have His favor. You have it, and that's why you
want to keep it. Christ said, if you abide in
me, and my words abide in you, You can ask what you will, and
it'll be done. And then we're given another reason why they
are wonderful. In verse 130, the entrance of
thy words giveth light. It giveth understanding unto
the simple. I tell you what, you know, there's
a lot of subjects out there in school I can't get. I cannot
get. My son, my youngest son will
start talking to me about math equations. And I mean, it's these
differential equations and it bores me to death with them,
to tell you the truth. But they're way over my head. I mean, I just
can't get it. You can stand up here and talk
to Greek to me. I can't get it. But you know what? The mysteries
that have been hid from ages and from generations, I get it.
I understand. I understand how God saves sinners.
I understand how God can be a just God and a Savior. What's that
worth? What is that worth? To have that
understanding? Priceless, as that commercial
says. Priceless. It's priceless. Oh, it gives light. All other
words give knowledge. You can educate me and give me
knowledge, but the Word of God illuminates. Scripture says you are light
in the Lord. You're light. It dispels darkness. It dispels spiritual darkness.
God said, you thought I was altogether like yourselves. At one time,
every one of us thought God was like us. Our imagination of God
was whatever we thought of ourselves, to one form or another. You thought
I was like you. Well, that's very low thoughts
of God, isn't it? That's very high thoughts of
yourself. Now, it dispels darkness. We
didn't know God or Christ or the reason man is so sinful or
why we are so sinful until we heard the Word of God, the Gospel
preached in power. Now I understand. Now I understand. It also gives
understanding to the simple. No sooner does God command light
and the soul begins to understand, that soul begins to understand
something of the true character of God. Holy is more than just a word. Just is more than just a word. You start to understand something
about the just character of God. You start to understand something
about the mercy of God. And you don't deserve it. You
realize you don't deserve it. You don't deserve it at all.
You understand how God can be just and justify you. And you begin to understand your
need of Jesus Christ. You begin to understand that.
I need Him. Like that woman with the issue
of blood, if I can just touch the hem of His garment, if I
can just get to Him, it will be alright. You begin to understand
that. The most unlearned, the most
illiterate person in the world can understand the gospel when
it comes in power. And the most educated person
in the world is as dumb as a box of rocks when it comes to the
gospel. In fact, you just listen to them. It's just the way it is. The more educated a person becomes,
the further away from God they get. The more educated the person
becomes, it seems like the more foolish this sounds. I'd rather be a little dumber. I'd rather be the simple. It gives understanding to the
simple. Then here's evidence. Here is
evidence of God at work in the soul. I open my mouth. and panted,
for I longed for thy commandments." Here's evidence of God at work
in the soul. I opened my mouth and I panted.
David said, as the heart pants after the water brooks, so pants
my soul after thee, O God. You were not born panting after
God. I was not born panting after
God. Ephesians chapter 2, those first two or three verses explain
us. Children of darkness at one time. Lost. I know and I remember what I
panted after. And I know and I still struggle
with those things at times. You still struggle with sin.
You still struggle with those things. Because this old body
of flesh is still there. Like I said to Kelly this morning,
I said, I look in the mirror and I say, you again. You look
in the mirror and you say, you again? I've got to deal with
you again today. You're going to follow me around
all day, aren't you? You're just going to mess up
my day. Who's going to mess up my day? You again. Me, looking
in that mirror. But here's the work of God that
I actually pant that I actually have a hunger and a thirst to
hear the gospel. That's the work of God, friends.
That's the work of God. His Word is food to the inner
man. It becomes our necessary food. The inner man hungers for God's
Word like the outer man hungers for natural food. It does. For
I long, he said, I long for thy commandments. I long to know
them. Lord, teach me. Teach me thy statutes. I don't
want to just read the Word of God just to be reading the Word
of God so I can say I read through the Bible. God, teach me. Instruct me. Give me spiritual
nourishment out of what I just read this morning, out of what
I'm hearing this morning. I long to know them. Long to
obey them. Long to be conformed to their
spirit. Long to teach them to others. And then David, he prays here.
He goes from praise to prayer. In verse 132 he says, Look thou
upon me. I would that God would look upon
us this morning in favor. That we would walk away from
here knowing we've been in the presence of God, that God has
been among us. Look thou upon me and be merciful
unto me as thou used to do unto those that love thy name. What's it worth to have a look
from the crucified one? What's it worth to have those
tender eyes to look at you in favor? in mercy, in grace, in
love. You know how you look at someone
you love. You know that. Your children, your spouse, you
know how you look at them with favor and desire. Look upon me that way, Lord.
Look upon me that way. As you used to do unto those
that love thy name. All he's asking for here is family
love. The way you looked upon Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob, the way you looked upon them with favor and love,
look upon me. The way you looked upon them
in mercy and grace, look upon me that way. Look upon me that way. And order my steps in thy word.
Oh, the importance of that. Order
my steps. Direct my steps. I've learned that most of my
problems come from my stupidity. You know, we talk about God sending
trials our way. I don't think he sent that many
my way. I sent them. By my sinfulness. By my sinfulness. Now, my impatience,
I brought more trouble on me than God set up on me. Just let me be me. That's all
you've got to do. And that will be enough trouble.
That will be enough. And I've learned what he's saying
here, order my steps in thy word. Let me take your word and read
it as I am this morning And Lord, teach me. Direct my steps, direct
my thoughts, direct my decisions. Give me wisdom to even make decisions. Order my steps in Thy Word and
let not any iniquity have dominion over me. Oh, this is true repentance
here. Here's true repentance. When
you beg God not to let any, you don't have any morsel there that
you want to keep over here and chew on. Lord, make a clean sweep
and don't let any of them have dominion over me. Any of them. Wipe them all out. Wipe them
all out. He prays for help to overcome
indwelling sin. As I said this morning, I'm my
problem. I'm my problem. Break the power of indwelling
sin. Christ not only died to put away
our sins, but also to deliver us from the reigning power of
sin. Lord, deliver me from the reigning power of sin that dwells
in me, that's still in my flesh. And deliver me from the oppression
of man, so will I keep thy precepts. I tell you what, The child of
God in this world, in this life, we have a lot of enemies within
and without. We are surrounded by a world
that hates God. Christ said, if they hated me,
they're not going to like you either. They're not going to
like you either. Don't be upset when they don't
like you. Don't be upset when they pick at you. Don't be upset
when they falsely accuse you. Because they did the same to
him. And he says here, deliver me
from the oppression of man. I don't want indwelling sin to
have any control over me, and I don't want the oppression of
man to cause me to sin. I don't want it to cause me I
don't want to cause me to take the edge off the gospel. Peer pressure. You know, at one time, they took
notice of the disciples that they had been with Jesus because
they had spoken so boldly. They spoke so boldly, and they
took notice that they had been with Jesus. That's what it says. We have enough trouble within,
a warfare within, wanting and desiring to keep his precepts,
then to have to fight with men just adds to the conflict. Oh,
it's a battle within and without. It's just like fighting bees.
It's like fighting bees. You run into a hornet's nest.
I did that one time. I threw rocks at a hornet's nest.
Sounds simple. I'm one of the simple. I threw
rocks at a hornet's nest and they threw hornets at me. I got
stung right here in the head, man. They was nailing me. They
was throwing harder rocks than I was. I mean, it's just, that's
what I'm telling you. Fighting, dealing with this world
on a daily basis is like fighting bees. If you're honest, if you're
honest to the Word of God, if you're honest to your calling,
You're going to be hated. We must have his help within
and without. If we are able to even keep his
precepts at all. However. If we can have this
next verse. If we can have this next verse,
we can deal with whatever comes our way, whatever comes our way.
If I can have this next verse, I can handle it. I can deal with
it. Make thy face to shine upon thy
servant. You can handle whatever comes.
And teach me thy statutes, because there's none that teaches like
God. Everyone else may frown at me,
but if I have God's favor in Christ, If I have tokens of His
love, He instructs me out of His Word, I know this, I will
learn, I will grow, and all will end well. It will all end well. Make thy face to shine upon thy
servant. Just let me be your servant.
Let me be your servant. And I'll close with this. Here
we have the heart of the believer. Rivers of waters run down mine
eyes because they keep not thy law. You know, Paul said in Romans
9 or 10, he said, I could wish that I was a curse from Christ
for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh. My heart breaks more so now than ever for men
and women that are lost, especially those who claim to know God. And they keep not the Word of
God. They twist the Gospel. I thought,
my soul, my soul, you don't know what you're doing. I pass people on interstate.
I'll pass people on interstate who are walking down the sidewalk. I always think, I wonder if he
knows the Lord. I wonder if she knows the Lord.
I wonder if that's one of his. I think about them. I think about
them. More now than ever. It breaks my heart to see, he's
saying here, to see thy people who are called by thy name not
keep thy word. When people confess to know God
and walk contrary to the Word of God, it breaks the heart.
It breaks the heart of God's servant. To see anyone,
to see any man or woman walk in rebellion is heartbreaking,
isn't it? It's heartbreaking. But I think this shows the heart
of God's people for sinners. I would to God that everybody
believed to God, and I preach to. Every time I stand to preach,
I would that everyone in this room would believe. I know the Lord's will be done. His will be done. But are not
His words, His testimonies, are they not wonderful? Are they
not wonderful? The wonderful testimonies of God.
All right.