Good News Club: Psalm 19, God Speaks to Me Through His Word, Pt. 1

Introduction: Friends, last time we considered that God’s amazing creation testifies to His unparalleled greatness. If the Lord has given so much beauty and power to our sun, then God must care about all of His creation, to include you and me! As wonderful as God’s creation is in telling us about His greatness, there’s still something more that we need to learn that we can’t get from the message of creation. Let’s turn our attention back to Psalm 19 and let’s learn about more that we need to know about God that we can’t get from creation.

Psalm 19:7 “7 The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.”

The Law of the Lord (God’s Word, the Bible) is described as perfect!

What does it mean for something to be perfect?

For something to be perfect, it has to be without fault (ex. a perfect diamond has no dark spots, it’s clear).

For something to be perfect, it also has to be complete, or whole (ex. a perfect diamond is not missing any pieces)

With God’s Word being described as perfect, it is without fault and complete; in other words, it’s without error.

Friends, only God’s Word is without any errors!

If God’s Word is without error, then that means we can trust whatever it says.

We can trust what it tells us about God.

We can trust what it tells us about ourselves.

Look at what the Law of the Lord does in one’s life: Reviving the soul!

What does it mean to revive something?

Another way that we can understand this is through the idea of restoration!

We need to be restored in a right relationship with God because of our sin

Sin: anything that we think, say, or do that displeases the Lord.

God has designed His Word to bring us back to Himself from sin.

God’s Word points out sin in your and my life, helping us understand what specific thing we’ve done wrong.

God’s Word reminds us that God hates sin; when we sin, we’re doing something that God does not like!

Notice the next part of the verse.

What is a testimony?

It’s a statement about someone or something.

It’s about giving witness in describing something about someone or something.

These testimonies are Lord’s, which tells us about God’s character.

We find the testimonies of the Lord in the Bible.

We see here that the testimonies of the Lord are described here as “sure”.

What does it mean for something to be “sure”?

It’s firm, it does not move either at all or easily.

Example: me with big rock (picture).

What God’s Word proclaims is unchanging and trustworthy; it is always true!

Notice, the Lord’s testimonies make the simple wise.

The phrase “the simple” just refers to someone who still has more learning to do.

You know what, we all have more and more that we could learn!

What God’s Word does is it helps people to learn the things about God that we need to.

Wisdom is not about getting smarter.

Instead, it’s about learning about God to avoid what He hates (sin) and do what pleases Him (Wiersbe).

Wisdom, friends, is knowing God more through His trustworthy Word that begins with having believed in Jesus as your Savior.

Psalm 19:8 “8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.”

A precept is a rule that you live by (Brannan).

Example: If I were to tell you, “The early bird gets the worm,” what life rule would that encourage? (picture)

The importance of getting up early!

Application: A precept is something that guides your choices in the way that you live.

We Find the Lord’s precepts in the Bible! (hold up Bible)

How are they described?

As right; that is, we find the right way to live in God’s Word, according to how He wants us to live.

What is the result of the Lord’s precepts?

Your heart rejoices!

You see, living your life according to God’s Word is not a burden!

Instead, living your life according to God’s Word is a great joy! (picture: smiling child!)

Why?

Because it is always a blessing to please the One Who made you.

The next item that the Psalmist references is the Lord’s commandment, which we find in the Bible.

For something to be pure means that it does not need to be mixed with anything.

No need to add to it.

No need to take away from it.

Example: Eph 6:1, obey your parents (take out the trash)

The result of God’s pure commandments enlightens the eyes.

Helps us see things clearly from God’s perspective.

God’s commandments in His Word help us determine right from wrong as God is the ultimate judge (Calvin).

Sometimes, because of our sin, we call things right that God says is wrong.

Instead, we need what God says is wrong to be what we consider wrong and what God says is right to be what we consider right.

Psalm 19:9 “9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.”

The fear of the Lord, here, is not referring to being scared of the Lord!

Instead, it refers to learning how to relate to the Lord.

We have an attitude that says to the Lord, “Because You are greater than I am, God, You are the One in charge of my life.”

This attitude then leads you to obeying what God says in His Word because you want to follow Him.

This we learn in God’s Word, the Bible.

The Fear of the Lord described as Clean.

If something is clean, it is not stained or filthy.

In the Bible, our sin is described as staining us so that we need to be made clean from sin.

God’s Word has no sin in it whatsoever.

And, God’s Word will never lead us to sin.

Instead, God’s Word will only lead us to obey God and please Him.

Look at what the Fear of the Lord does.

It endures forever.

If it lasts forever, then it means that it is always good and beneficial for all times.

The rules/decrees of the Lord are mentioned next.

These refer the actions that the Lord has taken based on a decision that He has made (Wiersbe).

Anything that God decides is true and anything that God does is right (kickball rules, something that has been decided).

God has recorded so many of these that He wants us to know about Himself in His Word. (hold up the Bible)

These give us confidence that, whatever God asks of us, we can confidently do those things because God always makes the best decisions that lead to the best actions.

If God can make the best decisions that lead to the best actions, He can help us do the same so that we please Him.

Psalm 19:10 “10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.”

At this time, gold was the most valuable thing that one could own! (picture)

When David wrote this Psalm, the sweetest thing anyone could eat was honey. (picture)

God’s Word is even better than all the money and sweet treats in the world!

Because it leads us back to God, helps us understand more about God, makes us glad above anything else, directs our lives, lasts forever, and shows us the right thing to do.

Nothing else on the face of the planet can do any of these things, let alone all of them like God’s Word does!

Psalm 19:11 “11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.”

And, on top of all these things, God’s Word still has more to offer!

It warns us against dangers of living in sin, that displeases God!

Our sin deserves punishment from God.

However, God warns us about that punishment.

God even shares with us in His Word that He sent Jesus to die for our sins so that we could be forgiven if we believe in Jesus as our Savior.

In using the phrase “great reward”, nothing is better in life than to obey the Lord and please Him.

Psalm 19:12 “12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.”

Why must the Psalmist ask this question?

Because sometimes we don’t even realize that we’ve sinned and done something wrong.

Friends, this is how sin can deceive us.

Also, this is how important it is to live in a way that pleases God according to His Word.

We should not want there to be anything in our lives that keeps us from pleasing the Lord.

Not even something that might be hidden to our understanding.

Psalm 19:13 “13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.”

A presumptuous sin is one that you do knowing full well that it’s wrong.

Friends, we’ve all done this.

Ignored our parents/teachers when they tell us to do something

We know we ought to listen but we choose not to.

Why?

Because we don’t want to.

This is a problem.

This is sin that God does not like

This highlights for us that we want to sin.

There’s a problem with our desires that only Jesus through His sacrifice can make right.

Psalm 19:14 “14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.”

Notice, friends, the Psalmist prays that what he thinks and says would be pleasing in the Lord’s sight.

Is there anything that God does not see?

No!

Then how often does the Psalmist want to please the Lord?

All the time!

God sees everything all the time.

What’s incredible is how the Psalmist describes God as both His rock and Redeemer.

When the Psalmist uses this language, he is recalling when the Lord protected Israel from their enemies and provided for Israel’s needs in the wilderness (picture).

Friends, this demonstration of God’s faithful power in the past gives us confidence to trust Him for what we pray for in the present.

We can’t trust ourselves to live in a way that pleases the Lord.

But we can trust the Lord to help us to live to please Him because He is faithful.

Conclusion: This is the goal of this passage; God’s speaking through creation points to His unmatched greatness; however, we need the Bible to help us know Him so that we can know how to live to please Him - this should be our desire; if it is not, then it points out a problem with our heart.

Friends, if you can confidently say I have believed in Jesus as my Savior, would you raise your hand? Thank you friends for your honesty in those that have raised your hands and those that did not; for those of you who did not raise your hands, if you for the first time ever in your life would like to believe in Jesus as your only Savior from your sins, would you lift up your hand?

Friends, in just a moment, if you raised your hand to indicate that you want to believe in Jesus as your Savior from your sins for the first time in your life, you’re going to get a chance to speak with Ms. Carol in the back corner of the room (point, and make sure everyone sees it).