Your Word, My Life

1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!

2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,

3 who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!

4 You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently.

5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!

6 Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.

7 I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules.

8 I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me!

Point of Passage:

The Word of God reveals a life of obedience to God and satisfication in God.

Kids

God’s Word tells us how to love and live for God.

Introduction

22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet

Accrostic Psalm - Each verse begins with the letter of the stanza.

8 terms used to refer to God’s Word: instruction/law (25), word (24), judgments/ordinances (23), decrees (23), commands (22), statutes (21), precepts (21), promise/word (19)

Longest chapter in the Bible - 176 verses

Verses 1-8: Aleph (א)

I. Walking in the Word (Psalm 119:1-3)

Psalm 1:1-2 “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

Blessedness - What about when I don’t feel blessed? What about when I realize the guilt of my sin and how much I fall short?

“Walk”

illustration: Learning to walk again...frustration because you know what you are supposed to do but doing so is another story...constant work...concentration...practice...diligence...drive

Blessedness measured against a holy God will invoke guilt, however, Blessedness in the work of Christ offers sinners an invitation through grace.

“The word of the Lord is the path to blessing.”

The NIV Zondervan Study Bible

Psalm 101 “A Psalm of David. I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music. I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil. Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure. I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me. No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes. Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land, cutting off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord.”

The Law merely has the ability to cause sinners to recognize and feel remorsful, not to redeem.

If there is to be blessedness in the Law, there must be more than the Law.

“Blessedness is ascribed to those who treasure up the testimonies of the Lord: in which is implied that they search the Scriptures, that they come to an understanding of them, that they love them, and then that they continue in practice of them. We must first get a thing before we can keep it.”

Charles Spurgeon, Treasury of David

II. Keeping the Word (Psalm 119:4-5)

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it

Prone to leave the God I love

Here's my heart, oh take and seal it

Seal it for Thy courts above

(Come Thou Fount)

There is great importance connected to the theme of Psalm 119 being a right ability to study God’s Word. No matter our intentions or acknowledgement, we are being taught how to think, interpret, and communicate God’s Word. This may come in multiple forms:

Commentaries

Sermons

Bible Studies

Social media

Self intuition

Discipler

The World

Each of these can either point us to the truth of God’s Word or cause us to doubt the goodness of God’s Word.

We will only keep what we think is good, beneficial, helpful, right...

“The careful, thoughtful Bible student must be struck with the idea that every writer of the sacred book seems to feel himself perfectly free from any necessity of taking up the burden of proof regarding the truthfulness of his record. He simply makes his statements one after another, and seems not to have the least anxiety as to whether some one may not believe what he has written...The reason for this is found only in what they themselves tell us about it; namely, that the book and the facts and the entire business was God’s, not theirs.”

Charles Octavius Booth, Plain Theology for Plain People

Can God’s Law be trusted?

Psalm 19 “To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat. The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sw…”

Who is blameless?

Who does no wrong?

Psalm 24 “A Psalm of David. The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah”

“God’s Word does not have suggestions for our consideration. They are commands from a king who demands our obedience.”

Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in Psalms 119

“While the servants of God are happy, they still need to take refuge in his mercy, because their uprightness is not complete. In this manner are they who faithfully observe the law of God said to be truly happy;”

John Calvin

III. Praise from the Word (Psalm 119:6-8)

The concern for each one of us is our standing before the Lord:

Our Savior bore our shame

Hebrews 12:1-4 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.”

Righteousness is offered to those once rebellious

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” g

Forgiveness is offered to the forsaken

Galatians 3:10-14 “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.”

“Sin brings shame, and when sin is gone, the reason for being ashamed is banished”

Charles Spurgeon, Treasury of David

Colossians 3:12-17 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Devotion and delight in the Word of God is the greatest form of praise we can offer.

We will walk in obedience

We will glorify the Lord in our life

We will be a witness to the world

We will sing to the Lord

We will rightly proclaim the name of God

Why is this so important?

John Piper coined (popularized) the phrase theological famine concerning the American church...

God did not intend for his people to be a starved people but to be a bulwark.

1 A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing. For still our ancient foe does seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.

2 Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing. You ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he; Lord Sabaoth his name, from age to age the same; and he must win the battle.

3 And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God has willed his truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo! his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him.

4 That Word above all earthly powers no thanks to them abideth; the Spirit and the gifts are ours through him who with us sideth. Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill: God's truth abideth still; his kingdom is forever!

Martin Luther, A Mighty Fortress is Our God

If the Church is to be defended against evil, it must be guarded by God’s Word, it must walk in God’s commands, and it must delight in God’s revelation.

“We must learn to praise, learn that we may praise, and praise when we have learned”

Charles Spurgeon, Treasury of David