Turn back to Psalm 119. Psalm 119. I was reading a sermon the other
day, and verse 129 was quoted in that sermon. And just that first sentence
there, Thy testimonies are wonderful. caught my attention. Thy testimonies
are wonderful. Therefore doth my soul, my very
being, keep them. And I began to think how wonderful
the Word of God is. I know it's too wonderful for
me to put into language this morning. I know that. But there's
not another one like it. There is not another book like
the book you're holding in your lap this morning. That's the
Word of God. That's the Word of God. There's
not another one to be compared to it. How many billions of books,
words have been written, and none of them, not even the commentaries,
All the commentaries put together, written on the Bible, by the
best of men, cannot be compared to this book, the Word of God. This is the Word of God that
we have and that God has given to us. It is through God's Word
that we have a real and a true understanding of things that
are and things that are coming. It's through His Word. It's through
His Word we understand creation. It's through His Word that we
understand why Christ came into this world. It's through this
Word right here. This Word. And the author of
this book is wonderful. There's not a more wonderful
person than Jesus Christ. It is written in Isaiah 9.6,
For unto us a child is born. unto us a son is given, and the
government of all things, all persons, and everything that
exists, the universe, shall be upon his shoulders. And his name
shall be called, and the first name that he's called is Wonderful. That's the first name he's called.
Wonderful. Counselor. He is the Wonderful
Counselor. He's the wonderful God, the mighty
God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. This person
is truly wonderful, wonderful. And His words, His testimonies,
and the testimonies are more than those just written in red.
It's the whole Word of God from Genesis to Revelation. God's
Word is wonderful. It's wonderful in its nature.
It's pure. Pure. There's not one error in
God's Word. You notice in verse 128, he said,
Therefore, I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right. To be right. Without error. Without any error. It's right.
And then it reveals in this book As I've already mentioned, this
wonderful person who is God manifest in the flesh, the Almighty God,
the Everlasting Father. He said, you've seen me, you've
seen the Father. He is the one who's made unto
us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. And it reveals His wonderful
work. of redeeming sinners like you and me. It reveals His wonderful
work. He came into this world. He said,
I must work the works of Him that sent me. And that work is
redeeming. Redeeming all those who were
given to Him. Redeeming them. And this Word,
like no other book, has an effect on your life like
no other book can have. When you study, I'm talking about
believers now. The unbelievers, they read this, it's just another
book. But now when believers take the Word of God, just like
we had this morning, and you read it, you study it, you feed
on it, it is life changing. Life changing. And he says here,
thy testimonies are wonderful, therefore doth my soul keep them.
The reason my soul keeps them is because they are God's wonderful
testimonies. His testimonies, not man's. Oh,
this was written by several men. But it's God's testimonies. They
wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit to write. But they're
God's testimonies. And they and they alone are worth
keeping. The only ones worth keeping.
He said, my soul keeps them. They reach into my soul. You
know, I've read many books and you've read many books, but none
of them have reached into my soul. None of them have had,
I can say that not any of them have had a real effect on my
soul, on my very being. Not any of them. Not any of them
that I've read. But this one. This one. They reach into my soul, my very
being is engaged in keeping them. Christ said this, if you abide
in me and my words, that's his whole book. My words
abide in you. You shall ask what you will and
it shall be done to you. And then he gives us another
reason why his word is so wonderful. In verse 30. The entrance of
thy words giveth light. It giveth understanding unto
the simple. All of the books that I have
read gave me information, filled with information. But this one
gives light. This one illuminates. This one
illuminates. And this one actually gives understanding
when attended by the Spirit of God. All other words give knowledge. This Word gives light. God's
Word gives light. It illuminates. And it illuminates,
listen, within. Within. It dispels the darkness
that's within us, that we're born with. It dispels the spiritual
darkness. And it gives light. We did not
know God. We did not know Christ. We did
not know the reason that man is so sinful, nor why we were
so sinful, until His Word came. Until His Word came. He commanded
light, as we read over in 2 Corinthians chapter 4. When God commanded
the light to shine out of darkness, it has shined in our hearts.
He's given us an understanding. That's what it says here. It
also giveth understanding to the simple. This is the eye that
sees the light, this understanding. He gives the light. He commands
the light. And you see it and you understand. For the first
time, you understand something of who God is. You actually understand
something of holiness. You actually understand something
of your sinfulness and what sin is. It's a nature. You understand
that. For the first time, seeing goes
from being something you're doing to something you are. You didn't
understand that until His Word, listen, He says, enter, enter
the entrance. If all you do is hear the Word
spoken, you just hear with this natural ear, it won't do any
more for you than listening to another book. Other words. But if it enters, the entrance
of thy word. If it enters the heart, I promise
you, it gives understanding. It'll give you understanding
of the gospel. You'll understand the gospel. You won't be so confused. You'll understand the gospel.
It also gives understanding to the simple. That lets me in. That lets me in to the simple. No sooner does God's word No
sooner does he command light, and the soul begins to understand,
see, see. That soul begins to understand
the character of God. He understands the person of
Christ. That is, he sees. For the first time, he begins
to see that. And for the first time, that soul sees its need
and understands its need of Christ. When His Word, this Word being
read and being preached, when it enters into the heart, you
understand it. And for the first time, you see
your real need of Christ. You see. Here's evidence of God at work
in the soul. He says, thy testimonies are
wonderful, therefore doth my soul keep them. The entrance
of thy word giveth light, it giveth understanding to the simple.
And here's the evidence that his word has entered into your
heart, into your soul. Here's evidence of it. I opened
my mouth and I panted. I longed for thy commandments. I longed to hear thy word. Have you ever really Been hungry
for the Word. I mean, you want to go, more
than usual, you just want to go to the service so you can
hear the Word. Hear the Word preached. And he said, I opened
my mouth and I panted. His Word is food to the inner
man. This is the inner man crying
here. This is that new man crying out here. I opened my mouth and
I panted, it becomes our necessary food. You notice I read to you,
David said here, therefore I love thy commandments above gold.
I love it above my treasures. My treasure, whatever it is you
treasure. He said, I love thy commandments above that. I want
you to notice over here, look in verse 153. Let me read a few
verses down through here. And one of the things you'll
notice if you ever just read through Psalm 119, how often
he speaks of God's commandments, His judgments, His precepts,
His word, His law. I mean, it's all through this
chapter 119. Consider mine affliction and
deliver me, for I do not forget thy word, thy law. Plead my cause
and deliver me, quicken me according to thy word. Salvation is far
from the wicked, for they seek not thy statutes. Great are thy
tender mercies, O Lord, quicken me according to thy judgments.
Many are my persecutors and my enemies, yet do not I decline
from thy testimonies. I beheld the transgressors and
was grieved because they kept not thy word. Consider how I
loved thy precepts. Quicken me, O Lord, according
to Thy lovingkindness, Thy Word. Thy Word is true from the beginning,
and every one of Thy righteous judgments endure forever. Oh,
how He makes much of God's Word. Our value, the value we put on
the Word of God, is a direct reflection of how we value the
Lord Jesus Christ, the Living Word. Our value and our time
spent with this is a direct reflection of our time spent with Christ.
You search the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have life,
but they are what? They are they which testify of me. And the
soul that loves Christ, desires Christ, will look for Christ
and find Christ in the Word. in the written Word. You cannot
separate the written Word and the living Word. They cannot
be separated. Can't be separated. And so he says here, I opened
my mouth and panted, for I longed for thy commandments, thy directions,
Lord, teach me, lead me, guide me. The inner man hungers for
God's Word like the outer man hungers for natural food. There's a true hunger there in
that inner man for God's Word. to hear it, to read it, because
it speaks of the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. David
said in Psalm 42, As the heart panteth after the water brooks,
so panteth my soul after Thee, O Lord, O God. And I long, he
said, for I long for Thy commandments. I long to know them. Long to
obey them. Long to be conformed to their
spirit. And long to teach them to others.
I long for thy commandments." Evidence of life in the soul.
There's evidence of life in the soul. Now, David goes from praise
to prayer. If you'll note the next few verses,
note this order. It is look, order, deliver, and
make. He says in verse 132, Look thou
upon me, O that God Truly, that God this
morning would look upon us in mercy, favor, in Christ. Look thou upon me
and be merciful unto me as thou used to do. You see how he reaches
back to the past mercies of God? As you used to do unto those
that love thy name. What's it worth to have a look
from the crucified one? Oh, what's that worth? What's
it worth to have Christ to look my way in favor? When Peter denied
Him three times, the Lord just gave him what? A look. A look. He didn't scold Him. There's
a lot to be said in a look. You can tell when somebody gives
you a look, whether they like you or they don't like you or
they're upset. You can tell all that in a look.
And He's just saying, look! Look and be merciful. And when
the Lord looked at Peter, I'm telling you, that was a look
of mercy. That was a look of pity. That was a look of just
kindness to him. It wasn't, Peter, I told you
so. It wasn't a look of disgust. It was a look of favor from the
Lord. And Peter knew that. When he looked and Peter looked
back at him, it just broke his heart. It crushed him. And he never forgot that, he
never got over that. I'm sure he walked humbly before
God throughout his life with that memory, that memory of denying
him. Look thou upon me and be merciful
unto me as you used to do, as you used to, to those that love thy name. You
know what he's asking for here? as thou used to do unto those
that love thy name?" David wants nothing more than family love. He said, you looked upon Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob. You looked upon all those with
love and favor. Give me that same look. Let me
have that same favor. Let me have that same love that
You gave to them. Oh, let me have that. Let me
have that. It's just one's family love. That's what He wants. And order
my steps in Thy Word. This is a powerful
prayer, isn't it? Order my steps. We ought to get
up every morning. When we get up in the mornings,
We ought to get up and say, Lord, order my steps this day. Order
my steps, order my speech, order my communications today. Lord, order them. Order my steps
in Thy Word. I tell you what, if we want our
steps to be ordered out of His Word, we've got to get in the
Word and read it, don't we? We have to get in and read it.
Order my steps in Thy Word and let not any iniquity have dominion
over me. Control my steps. Guide my steps
today that I leave not the way. I don't want one step. Now listen.
This is what he's saying. I do not want one step today
or any day to be wrong. Not one step. Lord, guide every
step. I don't want one of them to be
wrong. And guide me in Thy Word. When I read Thy Word, instruct
me that I may know how to walk, that I may know Thy will and
how to conduct myself. Oh, instruct me out of Thy Word.
And let not any inequity have dominion over me. He prays for
help to overcome indwelling sin. We still got it. We still got
it. And he's asking here, break the
power of indwelling sin. Lord, break that power of indwelling
sin. The hardest thing to ever overcome
is what's within. That's the hardest thing to overcome,
is what comes from within. And he's saying, break the power
of indwelling sin. Christ not only died to put away
our sins, but also to deliver us from its power. Lord, deliver
me from the power of mine iniquities and of indwelling sin. And deliver me from the oppression
of man. So will I keep thy precepts.
Not only deliver me from the indwelling sin and iniquity,
but also outward enemies. I tell you what, our enemies
are within and without. Constantly. Constantly. And to
have to fight with enemies without, as well as within, just adds
to the conflict. He said, Lord, deliver me from
my iniquities. Don't let any of them have dominion
over me. Don't let any of them control
me. Deliver me from their power.
And deliver me from the oppression of those who hate the gospel. The inward enemies and the outward
enemies. And make thy face. This goes along with look thou
upon me. Make thy face to shine upon thy
servant. When you walk out of the building,
there's no greater light, no better light than the sunlight
is there. You walk outside and you just
feel that light just beaming in your face and the warmth that
comes from that sun. David says, make thy face to
shine upon me. Oh, to have God's favor. To have
God's favor in Christ. To have God to actually look
upon me. and shine upon me. His favor to shine upon me. Make
thy face shine upon thy servant and teach me thy statutes. Instruct
me. We came here this morning as God's family to worship. To worship the Lord. But we also
came to be instructed. Lord, teach me. Here we sit. The Word of God is open. I stand here and preach. Lord,
instruct me. Teach me. Get my attention. It's like you teach in your classes.
You've got to get their attention. Lord, get my attention and instruct
me. Teach me. Not just in form. You know, you
go to school, you are educated, and you get a lot of information.
And you get a lot of instruction. But not like you get out of the
Word of God. Not like you get out of His Word. This gives wisdom. This gives wisdom. This gives
understanding. This brings us to Him. This gives
us a knowledge of Him. This enables us to worship Him.
Lord, instruct me out of Thy Word. Everyone else may frown at me,
but Lord, You shine on me. You shine on me and instruct
me. And if You instruct me, if You
become my teacher, all His children shall be taught of God. All Thy
children shall be taught of God. If you become my teacher, I will
learn. I will learn. And I will grow. And in the end, all will be well.
If you take me in hand and instruct me and make your face to shine
upon me, and if God reveals the gospel
to your heart, my heart, His face has shined upon us. We have
His favor. We have it. And you notice his
humility here in his prayer. Thy servant. Thy servant. And then he closes here, and
I'll close. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they
keep not thy law. It breaks my heart, David said,
to see thy people who are called by thy name not keep thy word. David was affected by this. Israel, the Lord, wept over them. He wept, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
if you had known, if you had known. He wept over them. When people confess to know God
and walk contrary to the Word of God, it breaks the heart.
It truly does. It breaks the heart. To see any man walk in rebellion
breaks the heart. But this shows here, this shows
the heart of God's people for sinners. Oh, that they would know God.
That all would know Him. I don't know how many times I've
driven down interstate and all these cars pass me. It's just
something I think of. I wonder if they know the Lord
as they pass by so quickly. You know, cars just zipping by
you. I think I wonder if they know the Lord. It just breaks
your heart. And the more I preach and the
more I started to do this, I can say the more it breaks my heart
just thinking of people in general being lost. It's troubling. It's troubling to me. It's something
I think of every week. I can say every week I think
of just people out here lost. Lost and dying. And it breaks
my heart. It breaks my heart. Alright, Mike.