The Necessity of God’s Word (Psalms 119:33-40)
The Necessity of God’s Word
Psalms 119:33-40
September 11, 2011
Tonight we continue our study of the 119th Psalm.
And we have thus far learned a tremendous amount
About the sufficiency of God’s Word.
• It is sufficient to bless a life.
• It is sufficient to bring purity in a life.
• It is sufficient to remove hypocrisy.
• It is sufficient even when you don’t think it is.
Tonight we not only learn about the sufficiency of God’s word,
But we also learn about the necessity of it.
We live in a day where the word of God
Is becoming more and more de-valued.
It seems that everywhere you look churches and denominations
Are focusing on something other than God’s word as what they need.
In today’s world people are taught to follow their experiences,
Their emotions, even the “signs” around them.
It is bothersome because I hear a lot from people today
About wanting to hear from God, or about wanting to know God’s will.
And most of the time people are employing all sorts of methods,
And very few have anything to do with actual study of God’s word.
I remember the youth at Crawford wanted to participate in Lent.
(Their reasoning was to draw closer to God)
Carrie had a conversation this week with a woman confused because her church told her to fast and she didn’t even know what it was.
But does abstaining from food actually better enable you to encounter God?
Colossians 2:23 “These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.”
Galatians 3:1-3 “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”
I’ve told you before fasting is a natural fruit of a life seeking God,
Not a means to make God move faster.
The point is that there is a definite way to draw near to God
And to learn His will and to have Him permeate your life.
• But it is not through gimmicks…
• It is not through programs…
• It is not through self-abasement…
• It is not through works of the flesh…
The means to growing closer to God has always been the same,
And that is through His word.
Thank God for the 119th Psalm to reinforce that truth.
It is not a Psalm that focuses on the importance of experiences…
It is not a Psalm that focuses on the importance of self-abasement…
It is not a Psalm that focuses on the importance of programs…
It is not a Psalm that focuses on the importance of spirituality…
It is a Psalm that for 176 verses
Focuses solely on the importance of the word of God.
It reminds us that not only is God’s word sufficient,
But that it is also necessary.
You can’t grow spiritually without it!
Of all the different mediums and ways that presume God is leading us,
There is only one way that we can always say with certain,
“I know God said this…”
That medium is His word.
And as I have told you many times before everything else we think, or see, or hear, may in fact be from God, but it must be tested by His word.
2 Corinthians 10:5 “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,”
And the point is that without the Scripture,
There is no possible way for a person to grow spiritually.
It is a guide…
It is reliable…
It is a standard by which we test everything else…
We need the word of God to become the person God wants us to be.
And consider the power of God’s word.
It can convict you.
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
It can save you.
James 1:21 “Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.”
It can grow you.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
2 Peter 2:1-2 “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;”
It can encourage you
Romans 15:4 “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
God’s word is absolutely essential to Christian life.
And tonight we see that it is God’s word
Which creates a heart of faithfulness.
Experiences come and go…
Emotions come and go…
Commitments even come and go…
(They are really quite momentary)
But the word of God has the ability to change us like nothing else.
And you will see that in our Psalmist tonight.
There are 6 points tonight
#1 HIS DESIRE
Psalms 119:33-35
When you read those verses it is not hard to see
The simple desire of this man.
• He wants to learn God’s word and keep it to the end.
• He wants to understand God’s word and keep it with all his heart.
• He wants to obey God’s commands without fail.
And so it is also not hard to understand our Psalmists circumstance.
This stanza comes from a heart that seeks to be more dedicated to God.
It is written from a hungry heart.
He wants to be totally obedient all the time.
And I think there are a great number of you in here tonight
Who can identify with that sentiment.
And indeed we ought to identify.
Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
And how many times have read that 7th chapter of Romans
And identified with Paul as he grieved over sin he committed.
His spirit was willing but his flesh was weak.
He craved for righteousness.
And we can identify with that.
This man desires to be righteous.
He desires to obey God with all his heart and to never stop doing it.
But there is a problem.
#2 HIS DEPENDENCE
Psalms 119:33-35
This is the other thing that is unmistakable in the first three verses.
That while he longs for perfection, he cannot achieve it on his own.
Notice his dependence.
He would like to “observe” God’s statutes “to the end”, but he can’t
Unless God teaches him.
He would like to “observe” God’s law “with all my heart”, but he can’t
Unless God gives him “understanding”
He would like to “walk in the path” of God’s commandments, but he can’t
Unless God makes him.
Perfection is out of his reach, unless God comes to his aid.
He is dependant upon God to
Educate, Explain, and Enforce His word.
And I think we can identify here as well.
It is absolutely impossible for you or I to learn God’s word on our own.
We clearly know that a natural man can’t learn it.
1 Corinthians 2:14 “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.”
And this is not an isolated thought.
Consider the apostles.
They could not learn the truth on their own,
But it was God who taught them.
John 14:25-26 “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”
Even before Jesus left, notice what occurred.
Luke 24:44-45 “Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,”
They couldn’t get it unless Christ gave it to them.
And that is true for us as well.
The Bible is no ordinary book.
It contains spiritual words.
Could you read a book written in German?
Could you read a book written in Spanish?
You probably could read the words, but could you understand it?
No.
And with the Bible we’re talking about a language too lofty for all mankind
The Bible is God speaking.
You can read it, but apart from God you can’t understand it.
Listen to what Paul said about Scripture.
1 Corinthians 2:11-13 “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.”
Scripture comes from the depth of the mind of God.
Only the Spirit of God can interpret it.
(I can’t express how long sermons took me this week)
2 Peter 1:20-21 “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”
And so we understand where our Psalmist is coming from.
He has a desire to be perfectly obedient to the word of God,
But he knows that is impossible
Apart from God’s Education, Explanation, and Enforcing of His word.
So he is a man with a desire, but also a man in extreme dependence.
But that is not all we learn about him.
Let me show you another very important fact
To help us understand his circumstance.
#3 HIS DILEMMA
Psalms 119:36-37
Now all of a sudden we see why our Psalmist
Wants so badly to be given the word of God.
Because apparently his focus has been off.
In his life, in his flesh, he has a propensity to desire the wrong things.
WHAT DOES HE DESIRE?
“dishonest gain”
In fact in verse 37 he says, “Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity,”
That could certainly include monetary gain.
And all of a sudden we understand where our Psalmist is coming from.
He is a man who hasn’t been as dedicated as he would like.
He is a man who has been too allured by the things of the world.
And now he wants God to change his heart back to His word.
“Incline my heart to Your testimonies”
He wants God to help him get his focus back on the right things.
Our Psalmist reminds me quite a bit of another man in Scripture
TURN TO: ECCLESIASTES 2
Solomon certainly learned of the “vanity” of life.
And by the end of the book, do you remember Solomon’s advice?
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”
His conclusion was to “fear God and keep His commandments”
He had learned through a life of seeking the wrong thing,
That he must now seek the right thing.
That right thing is God, who alone can enlighten His word to you.
We find our Psalmist in a similar dilemma.
His life isn’t what he wants it to be
So he is seeking God to give him his word.
Now that poses a good question for us.
• Here our Psalmist has found himself in a dilemma.
• He has a propensity to seek the wrong things.
• And his response to walking the wrong direction is that he wants God to explain His word to him.
WHY SEEK THE WORD HERE?
Why not seek a vision?
Why not seek an experience?
Why not seek a sign?
#4 HIS DISCERNMENT
Psalms 119:38
Here is the key verse of the stanza.
Furthermore it explains why when his life is out of sorts
Why he wants God’s word.
“Establish Your word to Your servant, As that which produces reverence for You.”
WHAT DOES GOD’S WORD PRODUCE?
Reverence for God.
Fear of God.
And I find this to be such a foundational passage
To the way in which we live.
Think of all the things he could have substituted there for God’s word.
“Give me a vision, to produce reverence…”
“Give me an experience to produce reverence…”
But none of those things produce genuine reverence.
God’s word produces reverence for God.
Listen to what God told Moses.
In regard to the King.
Deuteronomy 17:18-20 “Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. “It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel.”
In regard to the feasts
Deuteronomy 31:10-13 “Then Moses commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, at the time of the year of remission of debts, at the Feast of Booths, when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place which He will choose, you shall read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing. “Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn and fear the LORD your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law. “Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.”
Moses knew that nothing produced reverence for God
Like the reading of God’s word.
• This is also why Ezra read the whole Law to the people.
• This is why Paul commanded Timothy to “give attention to the public reading of Scripture”
• This is why we read and preach Scripture.
NOTHING PRODUCES REVERENCE FOR GOD LIKE HIS WORD
And the Psalmist knows it too.
“Establish Your word to Your servant, As that which produces reverence for You.”
And now it all begins to make sense.
• Here is a man who recognizes his heart desires the wrong things.
• But he wants that to change.
• And in order to help him change he asks God to teach him His word,
• Because he knows that God’s word will change his heart.
ISN’T THAT BEAUTIFUL!
And certainly we understand that.
How many times have we had God’s word literally grip us and change us into the person God desires us to be?
The Psalmist knows that he will never be right without the word of God.
His Desire, His Dependence, His Dilemma, His Discernment
#5 HIS DREAD
Psalms 119:39
Now this is an interesting verse, but one that is very honest.
The Psalmist knows that learning and adhering to God’s word
Is the only thing that will effectively change his life.
But there is a problem with that.
With obedience comes reproach.
And he dreads being reproached.
“Turn away my reproach which I dread,”
And this may have actually played a role
In his going the wrong direction in the past.
But now he wants to have and obey God’s word,
He just dreads the reproach that so often comes with it.
So his request is that God turn that reproach away.
And his request is based on a fact.
“For Your ordinances are good.”
In other words, there is no reason for this world
To reproach those who obey Your word, because Your word is right.
There is no basis for their mocking and attacks,
Because Your word is good.
So what we are hearing here is very clear.
• It is a man who wants righteousness,
• Who knows it only comes through God’s word,
• But he dreads the reproach that so often comes with it,
• He is asking God to take it away.
We call that a cross roads.
It is decision time in his life.
He has to choose either to obey God or to yield to the skeptics.
He has to choose if he will fear men or fear God.
And this is no small decision for him, for he dreads what is coming.
WHAT DOES HE CHOOSE?
# 6 HIS DECISION
Psalms 119:40
“Behold, I long for Your precepts;”
WHY?
Because of the righteousness that comes with them.
“Revive me through Your righteousness”
My choice God, in spite of my dread of reproach, is that I want Your word anyway, for it is the only thing that can make me righteous.
Now here is the point.
It is clear that our Psalmist dreaded the reproach
That comes with obedience to the word of God.
SO WHY DID HE CLING TO GOD’S WORD?
Because that was the only way
To obtain the reverence and righteousness that he wanted.
This is like Jesus in the garden praying, “Let this cup pass from Me…Yet not My will, but Yours be done.”
That is to say if there is any other way, let’s do it.
But there was no other way.
I realize that Bible study isn’t the easiest practice in the world.
I realize that Bible study takes work.
I realize that Bible study takes time.
I know it can be frustrating
(especially since we are dependent upon God even to understand it)
I realize it takes discipline.
I realize it takes commitment.
BUT YOU AND I STILL MUST DO IT, BECAUSE IT IS THE ONY WAY.
God’s word isn’t just sufficient of life, It is necessary for life.
You have to have it.
I remember a conversation I had with a man several years ago.
• Confused theologically
• Wanted closer to God
• Wanted to know how to do it.
I told him, “You can’t obtain spiritual growth through a drive through window. There is no substitution for you studying the Bible.”
And that is what is so badly missing in so many lives.
• People want the quick version.
• I want holiness through a drive through window.
• They want spiritual maturity in a 40 day study.
• They want depth of understanding in a 30 minute sermon.
They want the end result without the dedication.
But that is not possible.
• This man wanted reverence and so he cried out for the word of God.
• He knew it would bring reproach, but he asked for it anyway.
• And all he asked of God is that God teach him, help him understand, and enforce his word to him.
And if God would do that, he said
“I shall observe it to the end…And keep it with all my heart.”
There was no substitute for God’s word in his life.
• There is a “knock-off” brand for everything in this life.
• There are generic versions of just about everything you need.
• There is generally even a “soy” imitation of what you want.
BUT THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR GOD’S WORD
If you and I desire holiness and freedom from our apathy,
We must dive into the word of God.
Psalms 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”
