Psalm 119 - Part 21 - Great Peace In The Law Of The Lord

Q: What does the Bible say about peace in knowing God?

The Bible teaches that true peace comes from loving God's law and knowing His sovereign nature. Psalm 119:165 states, 'Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend them.' This highlights that true peace is not found in worldly circumstances but in the knowledge of God and His Word. Understanding the sovereignty of God enables believers to approach life's uncertainties with confidence. In this respect, peace is tied directly to our relationship with God; we embrace His law and trust in His ultimate authority. If we are deeply rooted in His Word, then regardless of turmoil, we can experience that peace which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

Q: How do we know sovereignty of God is true?

The sovereignty of God is affirmed throughout scripture, demonstrating His ultimate control over all things. The concept of God's sovereignty is deeply embedded in scripture, as seen in verses like Ephesians 1:11, which states that God 'works all things according to the counsel of his will.' This implies that every event, no matter how trivial, is under God's sovereign plan. Additionally, Romans 8:28 assures us that 'all things work together for good to them that love God.' This reflects the belief that nothing occurs outside of God's control and purpose, affirming the truth of His sovereignty in both salvation and the unfolding of history. The consistent narrative of God’s control—from creation to redemption—underlines His sovereign nature.

Q: Why is believing in God's sovereignty important for Christians?

Believing in God’s sovereignty is essential for Christians as it provides comfort and assurance amid life's uncertainties. Belief in God's sovereignty reassures believers that there is a divine plan and purpose in all situations. This perspective allows Christians to navigate challenges and trials without falling into despair. For example, in John 15:18-20, Christ prepares His disciples for the inevitable persecution they will face by reminding them of His sovereignty. Understanding that God is in control encourages believers to trust Him amidst hardships rather than relying on their limited understanding. Furthermore, the assurance of God's providential care fosters peace, as seen in Psalm 119:165, where those who love God's law enjoy great peace.

Q: What does it mean to love God's law?

Loving God's law means embracing His Word and desiring to live according to His will. Loving God's law is about cultivating a deep affection for His Word, which encompasses all of Scripture. As expressed in Psalm 119:165, this love generates a profound peace that is absent from those indifferent to divine truth. When a believer loves God's law, they recognize it as a guide for righteous living. This affection implies not just passive assent but an active desire to conform one’s life to God’s commands, reflecting the righteousness imbued in the law itself. Moreover, it leads one to a transformative relationship with God, enhancing understanding of His character and purpose.

Q: How can Christians find peace in difficult times?

Christians find peace amid difficulties by trusting in God's sovereignty and loving His law. In times of trouble, Christians can look to their faith for solace. Trusting in God's sovereignty reassures believers that He is in control of all things, even in challenging circumstances. Psalm 119:165 highlights that those who love God's law experience great peace, suggesting that immersing oneself in Scripture strengthens faith. This peace is not dependent on external factors but is rooted in a deeper understanding of God’s nature and purposes for His children. Consequently, Christians can approach life's unpredictability with calmness, knowing that God’s providence ensures His plans will ultimately lead to their good and His glory.

Thank you. You may be seated. Now I would have you turn to
Psalm 119. Psalm 119. We're coming to the
end of this psalm, and I hope you have received a blessing
from it, as I have. There have been times through
the study of this that I wish the whole congregation were had
been in that little cubicle down there with me. It doesn't always
come out up here in the pulpit like it went in down there in
the dungeon to study. But I have enjoyed this immensely. And if anything, the Lord has
blessed me and I'm thankful. And we could certainly spend All of our time on one verse,
on each verse here in this portion, my brother-in-law graciously
gave me a whole set of books by Thomas Manton, a great old
preacher years ago, a whole set of books, very costly and very
valuable, and I appreciate it. And in that set, Brother Manton
has a sermon on every verse in Psalm 119. I didn't get the books until
just recently, but that may be well because we'd still be in
this for the next ten years. Well, the first verse here is very
clearly speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 161 is where
we start our study tonight. Very clearly speaking of the
Lord Jesus Christ. But there's one verse in this
whole study that I gave the title of this message with. It will serve as our text. Verse
165 is the one we'll look at more than any other. Great peace
have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend them. Now, there is no peace, there
is absolutely no peace to be found anywhere with anyone and
in anything in this world outside of a knowledge of the Holy Sovereign
God. No peace. Zero. No peace and no understanding. No wisdom. You have no wisdom
or knowledge at all about anything that is right understanding,
right wisdom, unless you know his story or him, whom to know
is to have eternal life, the true God. And if you do not believe
in an all wise, all powerful, holy and sovereign God, then
you will be in constant doubt and confusion. You will be in
constant perplexity and despair in trying to figure out the answers
to all of the unanswerable questions that are going around about this
world. You will be constantly asking
this. Why? Why? And you'll never have any satisfactory
answers to why. And thus you will be filled with
bitterness and you will become cynical. Cynical, like so many
people are today. But our text says, verse 165,
great peace. That word means strong consolation,
assurance, confidence, real comfort, great comfort, settled assurance,
confidence, rest, firm persuasion. You want that? Great peace. Have they which love thy law? Thy law. A key word here is not
law, necessarily. It's the word thy. Men have their
laws, and there is this law and that law, but whose law is it
that will give peace? Or whose word? Now, when you
use this word law, when we see this word law throughout Psalm
119, I think we've clearly established that the word law is referring
to all the Word of God, not just the Ten Commandments, not just
the ceremonial laws, but all of the Word of God. OK? And there's
peace to be had, and it says, Nothing shall offend them. Nothing. Now, it doesn't say
here that they will understand everything. It doesn't say that
they which love God's law will understand everything and nothing
will trouble or perplex them. It doesn't say that. On the contrary,
Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4a, I'm going to give all my scriptural
references tonight. Paul said we're troubled on every
side, yet not distressed. We are troubled,
oh Arnold. Don't you, you get troubled by,
you ask questions within yourself. Why? It's our natural predisposition
or our nature to ask questions. Man is an inquisitive being.
There's really nothing wrong, God gave man an intellect and
a mind to figure out things. Okay? To reason things. But there's
some things that cannot be reasoned and simply must be believed.
And Paul said, we are troubled on every side, yet not distressed,
or that is, not at the end of our rope. And sorrow is those
who have no hope. There's part of a song, Terry. Want to write one? We're not
at the end of our rope because we sorrow as those who have no
hope. We don't sorrow as those who have no hope. We're troubled,
yes, but not distressed, stressed out. We are perplexed, Paul said,
Or that is confused. Are you confused by something?
If you're not, you're a better man or woman than I am. But we're
not in despair. That is, we're not without help,
without means, without hope, without a way out of our perplexity. We're troubled, but not distressed. We're perplexed, but not in despair. Now, I want you to consider Consider
the Son of God himself. Consider the Lord Jesus Christ
as our example here, OK? As a man, as a man, the Lord
Jesus Christ was troubled. If you look at it sometime in
John 11, I didn't write the verse down, but take my word for it,
it's in John 11 when he went to the tomb of Lazarus and it
says that he saw the people weeping and saw Mary and Martha. groaned
and he was troubled. And if you look in your center
reference, it says he troubled himself. I like that. It wasn't that he was troubled
because he didn't know the answer to things. He just couldn't understand
why. He voluntarily troubled himself. It took our infirmities to know
how we would feel, but he was troubled. He troubled himself.
He was troubled nonetheless. Yet he never asked why? Christ
never, look it up, never asked one time why, except when he
was hanging on the cross. Remember? My God, my God, why? Only time. And you know why I
believe that he said that then? He knew why. He knew he had to
be separated from God. He knew that. I believe he said
that so you and I know that God had forsaken him. We wouldn't
know otherwise would we, Henry? You see, we deserve to be forsaken,
but Christ was hung on the cross in our stead and he was forsaken
by the Father in our stead, so he cried out so that everybody
would know that God, he was made sin, he was made us, so he cried
out to let us all know that God forsook him as we deserve. Because there's coming a day
when everybody's going to be hollering, why, why, why, why, when God cuts them off on that
cross. You see, if you know all the
answers, you never have to ask why. Christ knew all the answers. Why? Because he is the one with
even all the questions. He's the one that wrote the law.
He was the lawgiver. If you know all the answers,
you never have to ask why. But we don't know all the answers.
But I tell you what, if you know at least who it is
that knows the answers, who is controlling all things, you'll
not have to ask why then either, or at least you won't do it very
often. Abraham, I'll give you that. Abraham is an illustration,
all right? The Lord God, whom he did not
know, did not know very fully, Henry, came to him one day in
his idolatry, a seventy-five-year-old man, and said, Abraham, get thee
out. Get out of your father's house
and go to a land that I shall show you. Okay, and he left. He hadn't the foggiest idea of
where he was going, what he was going to do, but he knew who
was leading him. He didn't have the foggiest idea
of where he was going, but it was enough for Abraham that he
believed who it was that was leading him, even though he didn't
know him perfectly. But he did know that it was God
that was leading him, and God knew where he was going. That's
good enough, right? Huh? In fact, that ought to be
good enough for us. I tell you what, I'm on to something
here. We don't have to know where we're
going and what's going to happen in our lives. It's enough to
know that God knows where we're going, and he knows what's going
to happen in our life because he caused it. That's where your
peace is going to come, because you may not find the answer in
this life. You may not find the answer to
all of your questions in this life. God may be gracious and
merciful and give you some answers, some questions, and later on
show you why he did thus and thus and thus, but he may not,
he says. But someday, it says, we will
know. even as we have been known. So, consider our Lord Jesus Christ,
like I said, he was troubled. Look at verse 161 with me. Now,
princes, he said, have persecuted me without a cause. This is clearly
speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ. Can you think of anything more
frustrating or perplexing or troubling than to be hated or
maligned or tried and convicted for no just reason? Can you? Can you think of anything that
would just tear your heart out? Wouldn't that make you ask why?
Why? I haven't done anything to deserve
this, wouldn't it? Why is this happening to me?"
And this is what people ask all the time, isn't it? When something
evil, you know the book said, when bad things happen to good
people? That's a wrong title, isn't it?
But anyway, that's the question, or that's the book. When bad
things happen to good people, and people, because they think
they're good, when something happens to them, they say, why?
Why me? Why me? Brother Scott Richardson recently
said, you know what he said, Henry, in light of all of this
that has happened to him? He said, why not me? Now, there's the attitude and
the question of a son of God, isn't it? Why not me? If you consider yourself the
chief of sinners, you'll say that, won't you? Well, it ought
to happen to me and not Sherry if I esteem her better than myself,
right? I ought to be the one hobbling
around on Christmas. She's shaking her head no. She
says, no, it's me. Somebody said, there's going to be an argument
in heaven. about who gets the lowest seat, who gets the last seat. Nobody
will feel like they deserve a front row seat, will they? No, no,
no, no, you sit there. But Christ was persecuted without
a cause and so are his people. Have you ever felt it? Have you
ever been? My wife and I have in this town,
you know, in a small town. Everybody knows when you ate
last. And I came in, when I first came
into this town, I've told you this before, but I'll tell it
to you again. Went in the hardware store and I said, I'd like to
open up an account here. And the fellow said, OK, go ahead.
Get what you need. Well, don't you want to know
who I am? He said, I know who you are. You're a preacher. Lived down
at 212 Main Street. Don't you drive a white Oldsmobile?
You have a little girl? Whoa! Has he been staking my
house out or what? No. But in a little town, you
know, you live in a fishbowl, especially a preacher. But we've
felt some of the unjust persecution and hatred because of what we
believe. Articles in the paper, whatever
it may be. But we've been snubbed and blackballed. We had to switch
banks because of it. We weren't even afforded common
courtesies in the bank. And I believe it's because of
believing the truth. You become people's enemy just for telling
the truth. But that's fine, you know. But the Lord says here, and we
can say with him, they've persecuted me without a cause, but, God,
but my heart rejoices, standeth in awe of thy word. My heart
standeth in awe of thy word. Turn to John 15 with me. John
chapter 15. It's marvelous. Even though these,
the persecution people experience, we experience, and hatred, and
I know we don't want to be hated. I thought about that after the
message this morning. I thought, am I preaching in
such a way to make people think that I enjoy a fight? That we don't want anybody to
believe what we preach? I don't want to give that impression
at all. I'm just stating a fact. I'm
just trying to state some facts this morning. If you dare to
stand up for the truth, you're going to be hated. That's what
Christ said. And I don't like that. I don't
want the cross to be offensive. One preacher said, the offense
is not in the cross really, it's in man. You understand what he's saying
there? The cross is not offensive. It's a blessing. It's salvation. The offense is in this evil nature
of ours. The nature of man is offended
by that. And I don't want to be an offense,
and I don't want the cross to be an offense. I want it to be
believed. I do. I want people to believe it.
I wouldn't be preaching if I didn't want people to believe it. But it's marvelous and it's amazing
how men fulfill the word of God against them. In doing the very things he said
they would do, even the wrath of man shall praise God. And
I have to stand back and just marvel at it. I don't want it
to... And you know what I'm saying
here, I don't want men to be angry and reject the gospel and
all, but they do, and they fulfill the word of God by doing so.
And I stand back in amazement and say, God said this would
happen, and look, it's happening. You see, like David said there,
my heart standeth in awe of the power of God and his word. The very scripture This very
scripture that we just read is prophesied here by our Lord here
in John 15, verse 24. Look at it. Verse 24 says that,
Now if I had done among them the works which no other man
did, they had not had sin. But now have they both seen and
hated me, both me and my Father. But this came to pass, that the
word might be fulfilled, that is written in their law, Psalm
119. They hated me without cause,
persecuted me. And that's in Psalm 35, too.
Verse 19, Psalm 69, verse 4. It fulfills the word of God.
And though we're troubled and persecuted, and men don't believe
the gospel, we have to still stand back in awe that God said
it would happen. And we have to rejoice in it,
don't we? He said it would happen, and
this is exactly what's happened. My, my, the Lord, He's powerful,
and men sure are to pray. And look at verse 18. Remember,
Christ said, If the world hated you, you know it hated me before
it hated you. If you were of the world, the
world would love his own. And here's the blessing. Here's
the blessing. Didn't Christ say in Matthew
5, Blessed are you when men shall persecute you and say all manner
of evil falsely? Against you, for my name's sake,
didn't it? For the gospel's sake. He said, remember that. If you
were of the world, the world would love you. If you were believing
the world's religion, you'd get along just fine. But blessed
are you, Henry Sword, you're not of the world. You don't have
the world's religion. And because you're not of the
world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore they
hate you. And everybody that passes by in Phillips 76 says,
there's that old heretic. Hope he goes out of business. Blessed man, you're a blessed,
not because people hate you, but because God said, I chose
you. Oh, blessed are you, he said,
for thus persecuted day the prophets before you. You may not feel
like a prophet, but you're going through the same thing they did.
Elijah's had only one. Henry says, I'm the only one
in Pharaoh. No, Henry, there's seven, maybe in Pharaoh, but
there's 7,000 all over somewhere. that have not bowed the knee
to this false god and his gospel. Remember, verse 20, remember,
and here's for your comfort, remember the word that I said
unto you. That's the only place you can turn, folks, the word.
Remember the word that I said unto you. Remember Christ said
this, servants not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted
me, they will also persecute you. If they have kept my say,
they'll keep yours also. The time you need to start worrying
is when all men speak well of you, Christ said. And that probably means you're
not standing up for the gospel. All right? Christ said this. Turn back to the text. Christ
said this. The princes have persecuted me
without a cause, but my heart standeth in all thy works. Christ
said, for which good work they started stoning. For which good
work do you stone me?" And they said, we don't stone you for
a good work, because you, being a man, maketh thyself what? God. They understood that he
said he was God, didn't they? They understood. And we say the
same thing, don't we, to people. Why do you hate me and get so
angry with me? I haven't done anything. Huh?
Oh, you haven't done anything. No, you're a decent enough fellow,
a law-abiding citizen and so forth, but it's what you say
that I don't like. Right? It's what you say. It's what you believe. It's your
insistence that Jesus Christ is God. I don't like that. Now, that's what I don't like.
Isn't that right? Perfect parallel. It's your insistence
and your belief that in this sovereign God who reigns and
rules and elects—oh, I hate that word, elects. That's like a cross
to Dracula, you know. Oh, predestination. Isn't that
right? I don't believe anything but
that. It's your insistence that God
must save or God condemn His sovereign will, that God discriminates,
that He chooses this man and leaves this one alive. Oh, I
don't like that. It's your insistence that God
sovereignly reigns. It's your insistence that God
doesn't need man's acceptance, that he's the one that has to
do this. I don't like that. And we will not have this man
to be God over us. We have our free will, they say. And you say, no, you're a liar.
Let God be true. Romans 9.16, it's not of him
that willeth. Romans 9.16, it's not of him
that willeth. Romans 9.16, it's not of him
that willeth or of him that runneth or worketh, but it's of God that
showeth mercy, right? John 1.13, those that believe
on his name were born not of blood, not because Daddy and
Mommy were good Baptists. Not of the will of the flesh,
not of the will of man, not of the will of the man, not of the
will of man, but of God, right? John 1, 13. There's my Scripture
reference. Philippians 2, 13. It is God
that worketh in us most of what? Somebody say it. Will and do
of His good pleasure. If any man wills, it's God that
did it. If any man does anything, it's
God that does it. Philippians 2 verse 13, Psalm
110 verse 3, Thy people shall be made, what? Willing, when? When they decide? In the day
of whose power? God's power. How many verses
do they need? But, a goat will say. Goats,
you know, they like it. But if God's will is sovereign,
and this is what Paul said they'd say, why does he find fault? If God's sovereign, then why
does he find fault? Aren't they saying the same thing?
If God's will will be done, man's will doesn't play any part, why
does he find fault? What does Paul answer to that?
Paul says, well, let's figure this thing out. No, he doesn't
say, oh man, who are you to even talk about God Almighty? You
filthy worm, get his name off your lips. if you're not going
to do it in praise and honor and glory. If you're not going
to believe in it, no such a thing. Right? That's the answer we ought
to give these butters, these ghosts, because we don't have
all the answers. Do we? Well, if God's sovereign,
then what about the Responsibility Amendment? Oh, man, who aren't
they? They're replaced against God.
shall the thing form to him that sayeth, You can't be sovereign,
for sure. I'll show you. I'll make you
a chamber pot then. Right? Can he not make of one
vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor? That's about as
dishonorable as you can get. You see, God Almighty first demands—He
doesn't ask anybody to believe Him. This is the commandment
of God, right? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Does He ask anybody? Is it an
invitation, Henry? No, it's only used in the Scripture
two or three times. Every time, every time the word
invite is used, it's talking about eating dinner. God doesn't invite men everywhere
to believe His Son. Oh, that's blasphemy! Won't you
please? Doesn't that make God a beggar?
Won't you please? He wants... Oh, no! Where the Word of the
King is, there's power! And I tell you this, I say with
all authority, based on the Word of God, every last one of God's
people will believe. They'll be made willing. Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ and everyone that seeth the Son.
This is the will of the Father. that they that seeeth the Son
will believe on it, and they do. And Christ says, I'll raise
them up at the last day, every one of them. Boy, I like that. Why? Because I know what I am, and
where I'd be if God hadn't said, Be willing. Right? I wouldn't
have been willing. Because all we like sheep have
gone astray, we've gone every man our own way. That's where
I was headed. Unless God arrested me, oh, I tell you what, my soul
is the ultimate form of blasphemy to attribute salvation in any
way, shape, form, or fashion to anything in a man. The ultimate
form of blasphemy and ingratitude. As much as I despise it, you
think about God Almighty. What do you say to these things?
That's what Paul went on to say. What do you say? Why? No, you say, just let God be
true. Well, he says, he goes on, I
rejoice at thy word as one that findeth great spoil. I rejoice
in Christ Jesus. Rejoice in the Lord. Rejoice,
I say. Let him be your rejoicing. The
word, the incarnate word. Son of God, I rejoice in the
Lord Jesus Christ as one who has found a great pearl of great
pride, great spoil. And the Word of God, the written
Word of God, I rejoice in it, all of it. Every last word, John,
every last word. Yeah, even the ones that talk
of, that convict me. See, it's good for me that I've
been afflicted and convicted. Isn't it good? Huh? If you weren't
convicted of your sin, you'd be a self-righteous Pharisee
on your way to hell, wouldn't you? But God says, no, you're
a worm, Barbara. Thank God. He came to save worms. He said, fear not thou worm,
Barbara. Yeah, that doesn't offend me. Does that offend you? Call you
a worm? No, it doesn't. That's my title. I can read my
title clear. Why? Worms will be saved. Call me a worm like old Scott
said. Go ahead, convince me I'm a sinner. Call me a sinner all
you want to. That just makes me more entitled
to heaven. Through the blood of Christ,
he came to save sinners. Call me a sinner. Tell it like
it is. Maybe not in front of everybody,
but tell me. And I rejoice in all the Word
of God. It's no longer a point of debate. It's not a point of
debate with a child of God in it. You don't go anywhere and
say, well, but, I see that, it says that, but. You don't ever
say that, do you? You might say, well, I don't
understand it, but you say, there it is, I like it, that's just
good, that's fine, I'm dandy with me, God said it. Right? I don't understand it.
You go on to the next verse. Right? I rejoice in all of God's
all-wise, immutable, and perfect Word. I esteem all thy precepts
concerning all things to be what? Right. Right. And even things that are
unexplainable that happen in this world, in this universe,
even the apparently evil things, I have to say. I have to say. If I believe God at all, I have
to say. It's right. I was having the father know
best, huh? Sure he does. Sure he does. Thousand times so. Great peace. I'm telling you, great, he's
telling, great peace have they which love thy law and nothing
shall offend them. Verse 163, I tell you what, there
is something that offends them though, or that they get mad
and angry at anyway. Verse 163, I hate the poor lying. But thy law do I love. I hate
lying. And David said in Psalm 139,
Do not I hate them that hate thee. Now you listen to me very
carefully here. The Lord said in Matthew 5 to
pray for them that persecute you. Isn't it? Why? Because we deserve it. I
mean, there's nothing good about us. Anything that happens to
us, we can't complain. We're no good. But when they
lie on your Lord, There's nowhere where Christ said, pray for those
who despitefully and blasphemously persecute and reproach your God. On the contrary, David said,
do not I hate men that hate thee. Do you remember in the garden
when Peter cut off the high priest servant's ear? The Lord didn't
rebuke him. All he said was, put up your
sword. He said, I could call twelve looting angels right now.
But he didn't say, what's wrong with you, Peter? Peter was standing
up for his Lord. Joab, you remember, I mentioned
it this morning, Shimei started cursing David his king. Started
cursing David his king, and Joab, was it, I think it was Joab,
yeah. Joab said, I'm going to cut that dead dog's head off,
cursing my king. Don't you know David must have
smiled at that old boy, huh? Thank you, Joab. I appreciate
you feeling like that about me. But David had the Spirit of Christ
there. He said, let him alone. I deserve to be cussed. But never
does our Lord ever deserve to be reproached or blasphemed in
his gospel treatment. Never. And his servants rise
up in arms, don't they? It's called the church militant. And they come to the defense
of the Lord in his gospel. Not that he needs our defense.
You know what I'm saying. And that's justifiable. Anger. Do not I hate them that hate
thee. I hate and abhor a liar. Let me tell you something. I
hate everything they're saying today about God. I hate it. That's the reason I preach mad
all the time. Turn with me to Jeremiah 23.
I hate it. I'm against it, just like the
Lord is. If I'm a man after God's own
heart, if I agree with God, I have to hate the things He hates,
don't I? I'll have to love the things
He loves, don't I? Huh? My wife and I, we're two. The
two of us are one. We've got the same likes and
dislikes. Hadn't always been that way. But we've grown together,
you know. Some say you grow to look like
your mates. Or. Hopefully I'm going to look like
her I've grown in hair but maybe we we resemble one another in.
More sharing. And say that standing by. But
I'm supposed to be grown to look like my Lord and have the same
likes and dislikes. Look at Jeremiah twenty three
here. I hate these liars on God. They're lying on God. They say,
God told me this or that. No, He didn't. Anytime anybody says, God told
me something, he's a liar, unless he gets it right out of here.
God showed me something. Now, there's a difference, isn't
there? God showed me in His Word something. Now there's a difference. Not God told me. God didn't tell
it. God doesn't speak in these last days. He's spoken by his
Son, which is the Word incarnate, the Word written. And look at
Jeremiah 23, verse 31. I am against the prophets, saith
the Lord, that use their tongues and say, God said this. Rick, we would be justifiable
if we saw one of those guys that just... I'm serious, there's a heart
attack. Elijah, the prophets of old,
said, take them and cut their heads off. He had them all slain. The apostles said, let's call
them fire, didn't they? Huh? The Lord didn't rebuke them then,
really, either. He had the smile at their zeal.
You know, Christ said the reproaches of them that reproached thee
fell on me. Christ never came in his own defense, really. But
when they started reproaching his God, the Pharisees, when
they started saying things about him, he walked in the temple
one day and he said, My father's house shall be called the house
of prayer. You've made it a damn thing.
Now, get out! Didn't he? Huh? This is my father's
house. The zeal of my father's house
I didn't hear. And I'm against every one of
these fellas that say it. God say it. God told me. They
prophesy in false dreams, verse 32. They prophesy in false dreams,
sayeth the Lord, do tell them, and cause my people to err, fall
into error by their lies about God, their likeness, their flippancy,
their familiarity. I didn't send them, nor commanded them, and they
move prophets to people. On the contrary, they'll damn
them. Lying about God, saying all things about God, that God
loves you, when God said no such thing. They need to study John
3, 16 carefully in light of John 1 through 15. Right? Don't take John 3, 16 out of
the whole chapter. He was talking to a Jew, died
in the womb of a Jew there that believed that the Jews were only
people on the face of the earth. But Christ was saying, no, I've
got people under every tribe, kindred, nation, and tongue under
heaven. The world, the Jews knew the world meant Gentiles too.
They thought it was Jews and they were the only, that was
it. The world was out there. We lie, we're of God and the
whole world lies in wickedness. Same sense. And they say God
loves you, when God said no such thing. He very distinctly says
in one place, Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I flat, detested,
and abhorred. I laid his heritage waste, it
says. It says that he hates all workers
of iniquity. Abhorred, that doesn't mean love
less. They say God can't save you unless
you let Him. They say God's done all He can
do. They say God's not responsible for your sickness and this and
that. Well, who is then? Where is God
then? Why doesn't He do something?
He can't. Oh, I hate that. I hate that,
don't you? How would you feel? Let me just
ask you your own personal feeling. How would you feel if somebody
began lying on you? Going around, Sherry, how would
you feel if somebody went around telling everybody, well, Sherry
told me this? Oh, you'd hate it. What if it was just exactly
opposite of what you'd say? Sherry said this, I heard it,
she told me, she called me on the phone the other day and told
me this. Well, you'd become indignant,
wouldn't you? Misquoting you, spreading rumor. That's what
they keep on doing about God. Look at Jeremiah 23, verse 17. It says, they say, still unto
them that despise me. They're telling God haters, God
loves them. They're saying unto them that
despise me, the Lord has said, you've got peace. You have peace.
God's got a wonderful plan for your life. God's got a plan.
He's going to send you a soul to hell, man. It ain't a wonderful
plan, but it's the plan. Lying, aren't they? Oh, my soul. Hey, look at verse 23. God says,
Am I a God at hand, and not a God at far off? They say, God didn't have a hand
in that, does He? God didn't have a hand in it.
Now, wait a minute. It's the Scripture says, Scripture
says, the God in whose hands you are, thou hast not glorified. God didn't have a hand in it.
Come on, everything's in God's hands. No, he didn't have his hand in
it, like there's this big old thing and God's sticking his
hand, everything's in his hand. Right? And things he doesn't
like, he leaves alone, and his permissive will or whatever,
he just takes out of his hand and flips it over his head. And
it becomes wild and evil. Listen to these scriptures, Ephesians
1.11. He worketh A-double-L, all things, after the counsel
of his own will. Romans 8, 28. All things, A-double-L,
all things. work together for good to them
that love God, who are called according to his purpose." Colossians
1.17. He is before all things A. L. L., all things, and by him
all things A. L. L. consist. Isaiah 45, 7,
I form the light, I create darkness, I make peace, I create evil,
I, the Lord, do all these things, Romans 11, 36, for of him and
through him and to him are all things, right? To whom be glory
both now and forever, amen. How many scriptures have I given
thus far tonight? And they're lying about man.
I hate it. I hate it what they're saying to men. They're dragging
men's souls. Here's the urgency of this thing.
People's souls are being dragged down into hell. And the preachers
are doing it with a smile on their face. Aren't they? They're saying there's some good
in man. And the Bible says expressly
different. to the contrary. They're saying
there's something lovable about man that God has to have. They're
saying there's something useful in man to God. Nancy, I read in their songbook
over at that church, the title of one of their hymns was this,
God believes in you. That's what they're singing in
fundamental Baptist churches, people. God believes in you. Can you imagine the darkness,
the ignorance of somebody to say such a thing and write a
song about it? I hate and abhor lies like this. I hate it. It gives men and women
a false hope. You know, it gives men and women
such a false hope, and they're so deceived that one of these
days... We were talking about this last night. Men and women
are going to be so deceived, such strong delusions, have such
strong religious experience, down at the altar, crying, weeping,
tears, and knowing Jesus, and isn't that such strong delusion? Believe life, take God's Word. Because you, I called you a fugitive,
you wouldn't believe what I said, I'm going to send you something,
you're going to believe that. But such strong delusions, Terry,
they're going to be so delusional. And so ignorant of who God is,
they're going to stand in the face of the holy God at the day
of judgment and say, and talk about what all they've done.
Can you imagine? Instead of fear and tremor and
on their faces before this thrice holy God, they're going to stand
up with a chest puffed out and say, I did this, I did that.
and fully expect a reward. And the scripture says God is
going to reward it by saying, depart from me, you worker of
iniquity. I never knew you. Bind them hand
and foot. And the scripture says there's
going to be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. You ever
gnash your teeth? The dentist says, my teeth, I'm
wearing them down. She said, do you grit your teeth
at night? I don't know. I'm asleep, I see.
But I pin up all the time. I don't... I'm doing it now,
you know. Wearing an emerald off of... And it says that people are going
to gnash their teeth down to the nerves. Who? At who? God! Well, I did this. Doesn't that count for something?
Huh? Isn't that what they're going
to say? That's in the church all my life. You mean that's
in vain? Nasty teeth. You ain't got no right to do
while they're pulling them off. And I tell you what, their preacher's
going to be down there with them. Can you imagine the nastiness
of their teeth at that time? Well, you liar. You didn't tell
me about this, holy God. You didn't tell me about this.
I never knew him. He doesn't know me now. Because
I never knew him. And if they could get their hands
on him, they'd kill him, wouldn't they? It says a worm dies not,
this gnawing and anger and bitterness and rudiment. They'd want to
kill themselves, but they can't. Do you see why I hate, why David
said, I hate life? Don't you? And I pour it for
God's law I love. And he said, I love it so much,
Seven times a day, I praise thee, because of thy righteous judgment,
I tell you. And I pass this up principally. They're lying on the Lord Jesus
Christ. It's one thing to lie on me. You run around and start telling
rumors on my daughter. You know, I've heard of great
feats of strength performed by little old frail women when their
children are in danger. You ever heard some of these
stories? You know, a child pinned under a car or something, and a woman
picked the car up. True story. You start bad-mouthing my daughter,
or some man do something to my daughter, he's going to have
a 152-pound Tasmanian devil on him. I mean, he's going to wish
that he never lived. Huh? Am I telling the truth,
Rick? God almighty. Got one son. Well beloved. He loves him a
whole lot more than I love my own daughter. Oh my soul. I tell you what. And they're
lying on him. Aren't they? They say he's only
a man. They say he's only a son of God.
Not the same as God. They say he was the illegitimate
son of a German soldier. There was a movie out not too
long ago that said he was a homosexual. They say it's worse than that. They
say he died for everybody and his blood really didn't save
anybody. What? So he lived and died, yes, but
that's not enough. You hear faith. Your faith adds
to it. His righteousness was not enough.
He didn't have to live. He didn't have to Fulfill every
jot and tittle of the law. You don't have to do that. Now
it's up to you. You say, you mean to tell me? They say, open the door to Jesus.
He's out there knocking. Won't you accept Him into your
heart? God will reward you if you accept His Son. What? I'll tell you what God says. He said in Isaiah 45, I didn't
write it down. Look it up. The last few verses. He said, I've sworn. I've sworn
by myself. When he could swear by no greater,
Henry swears by himself. It's the only sense in this that
could ever be said. The Lord says this. By God, you're going
to bow your knees to my son. That's why he said, I've sworn
by myself that by God every knee shall bow and every tongue shall
confess that he's Lord. Not your personal little flippant
Savior to come when you call. He's Lord to the glory of God
the Father. Right? And he says, bow, kiss the son,
doesn't he? Lest he be angry. And you perish
from the way when his anger is kindled just a little bit. A
little bit. You understand something about
that? And that God judged Christ in
your place. You will rise seven times a day
to praise because of his righteous judgment, because that's not
you that's going to be on the other end of this wrath God's
going to pour out on people. I'm telling you, the force of
God is going to come down on this wicked generation. And the
righteous judgment, the justifying righteousness of Christ, the
shed blood of Christ is precious. It's not doctrine, it's my life,
it's my covering, it's my protection. God judging Christ in my stead,
I won't dare touch that ark. It's so great a salvation, I'm
not going to reach my hand up and touch that to steady it,
add to it. Boy, you'd just stand back in
awe and amazement. at what God's done, and you'll
have great peace. It says He made peace by the
blood of His cross, didn't it? Great peace, and nothing shall
offend them. Nothing shall offend them. I've
got to give this in a practical sense here. Verse 165, great
peace of they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend
them. The word offend means shock or
scandalize. No word, scandalize. Many things
are apt to shock, and I got all this from Thomas Manton in the
12th hour a moment ago. Many things are apt to shock
and offend men, like God's judgments, God's workings. Shock them, offend
them. Oh, I can't understand. I can't
reconcile that how God would do, let this go on and so forth.
But David, it said here, David praised God seven times a day
for him. And the scripture says nothing
shall offend him, nothing, not God's dispensations. I mean,
what all happens in the world, everything that happens, God
wisely has dispensed it or allowed it or directed it. I can't explain
it, we're not supposed to be in the business of explaining
it, but proclaiming it. God's dispensation. Even if these
things are ever so cross or opposite of my desires and my reason,
I have to say it's the Lord. He knows best. And like David
said, although my house be not so with God. Everything's just
not the way I'd like for it to be. But he's made with me an
everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure. And this
is all my hope and my desire, although he make it not to grow
as fast as I'd like it to. And I'm sure thankful he's revealed
himself to me. Made with me an everlasting covenant. Didn't have to. God's dispensations
won't scandalize or shock or offend them. The actions of men. won't. Offend us all this the
tumult writing political upheaval you worry about the world situation. You write your congressman. I'm
not saying it's a bad thing maybe it's not I don't know but he's
not going to he's going to do what he gets paid most for doing
that right now. But I don't get real involved
in how I vote, I counsel everybody to vote. I'm not making a lot
of that. It's a God-given freedom. Vote, vote. But I tell you who's
going to be elected. I know who's going to be elected.
I know exactly who's going to be the next president. Y'all
want some inside information? I know who's going to be president.
You do, don't you? God's man is going to be president.
Whoever God decides is going to be president. Even the king's heart is in the
hands of the Lord. Saddam Hussein, yeah, that old
buzzard, only does exactly what God allows or permits or directs
or something. Just the same as George Bush,
same way. And I tell you what, all the
actions of men, God's people, can smile at it. We read and
sung that in that song. With God. It says the kings of
the earth set themselves, the rulers take counsel together
against the Lord, against his anointed, against the sovereign
God, against this gospel of Christ. And they say, let us break these
bands asunder, let's break these little sovereign grace churches
up, cast away their cords from us, we'll not have this man reign
over us, we'll not have that heretical doctrine of devils.
But it says, verse four, he that sits in the heavens will laugh. Oh, you're going to fight against
God? Your hand's way too short, bud. Your left jab won't even
come close. The actions of men that won't
shock us or trouble us, God's people can smile at Satan's rage
and face the frowning world. The reproaches, and now I said
a while ago with David that I get mad, I'm angry, I hate I hate
and I'm horrified, but it's not going to trouble me, really.
I mean, I'm not going to lose sleep over it. All the reproaches
and the scandalous talk and blasphemous ways of religion, the hatred
and denouncements of the gospel. I asked John this back in the
study. I said, does all of this false doctrine and so forth that
goes on in the name of Christ and religion, does it trouble
you? What does it do? I said, does
it make you, give you doubts? and fears and it makes you run
back and say, was that so or not? Is sovereign grace so or
not? Does it? Paul said that to the Galatians.
He said, I marvel that you're so soon removed. He said, who
is he that troubled you? How could you? Where's that joy
he said you once had? Does it trouble you? John said,
no, it just confirms what I believe. Just confirms it. Doesn't trouble
me. I mean, I hate it, but I don't
want to sleep over it. It makes me mad, but it just
confirms it. Thomas Manson said this, you know, dogs bark at
the moon when it shines the brightest. Those dogs are really doing damage.
Boy, they're out to get the moon. I'll get you. And the man in
the moon is smiling at those foolish dogs. He said gold is gold even if
it's cast in the dirt. Even though men cast the gospel
in the dirt, it's still the gospel. Even though they maligned it,
it's still the power of God and the salvation. So nothing shall
offend them. Shall we leave the ways of God
that have given us such peace and comfort because other people
speak against them? No way. It just grounds me and
settles me in truth. Well, Lord, he said, I have hoped
for thy salvation, verse 166. Where is your hope? Where is
your hope that your faith will save you? Read Psalm 71 afresh. I read it again today. David
said, boy, he said, I am going to rejoice in thy salvation,
thy righteousness, thou art my hope, thou hast given commandment
to save me. My praise shall be continual
of thee, thou art my strong refuge. My mouth be filled with thy praise,
thy honor, thy salvation, thy righteousness, thine only, thy
wondrous works, thy strength, thy power, thy truth, thy righteousness." Lord, I've hoped in thy salvation,
not mine, not man's, not this freewill Arminian lie, no, not
at all. And I've done your commandments
by your grace, by your mercy. I believe your son. I believe
your son. That's the commandment of God.
And my soul hath kept thy testimonies, cleaves, clings to the gospel
of Christ by faith. And I love it. I love this gospel. Don't you? I tell you, I sometimes,
like I said this morning, I don't, I'd just as soon have somebody
else preach, but sometimes when the Lord Blesses me, I enjoy
myself. I've had fun tonight. Got mad,
but I've had fun. This rejoices my heart. It rejoices
my heart. I love them exceedingly. Exceedingly. And I could sit down and let
somebody else stand up and preach the same thing over again. I
believe I could rejoice in it. I have kept thy precepts and
thy testimonies. How's that? In Christ. Because all my ways are before
thee, or in Christ. I live, nevertheless, it's not
I, but Christ that liveth in thee. Great peace have they which
love thy law, and nothing, nothing shall offend thee. Stand with
me. I tell you what, you ought to
be able to sing this now. When I can read my title clear
to mansions in the sky, I'll bid farewell to every tear and
wipe my weeping eyes, and wipe my weeping eyes. Thank you very much.

Psalm 119 - Part 21 - Great Peace In The Law Of The Lord

What does the Bible say about peace in knowing God?

How do we know sovereignty of God is true?

Why is believing in God's sovereignty important for Christians?

What does it mean to love God's law?

How can Christians find peace in difficult times?

Sermon Transcript

About Paul Mahan

Comments

Joshua

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Music

Recent Comments

About

Legal

Subscribe

Account

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Recent Comments

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Collections

Music

About

Legal

Subscribe

Psalm 119 - Part 21 - Great Peace In The Law Of The Lord

What does the Bible say about peace in knowing God?

How do we know sovereignty of God is true?

Why is believing in God's sovereignty important for Christians?

What does it mean to love God's law?

How can Christians find peace in difficult times?

Sermon Transcript

About Paul Mahan

Comments

More from Paul Mahan

Related Sermons

Same Scripture

Articles by Paul Mahan

Joshua

Where this book stands in the tradition

Plato

Augustine

The Western Christian Tradition

This Book