PSALM 119:17-24 // ASK YOUR FATHER

WELCOME

3rd sermon in our series this summer from Psalm 119

Next Sunday (22nd): Al Pino, joining as part of our 40th Anniversary Year

Following that: Shane for two weeks (29th/6th) as well as Mike Nash (13th)

PASTORAL PRAYER

Men in the church

INTRO

today we gather to reflect on the profound truths found in Psalm 119:17-24, all while celebrating the special occasion of Father's Day.

These verses speak to the longing of our hearts to know God more deeply and to navigate the complexities of life with divine guidance.

GOD OUR [TRUE] FATHER

God as our 'True Father' is both sovereign and intimately present, combining God's supreme authority and covenantal faithfulness with the personal, experiential relationship with the Holy Spirit.

God as our True Father is not a distant deity but a loving, involved, and guiding presence who adopts us into His family through Jesus Christ and fills us with His Spirit to walk in intimacy and power.

God's fatherhood means he exercises divine sovereignty and covenant relationship. As our Creator and sustainer, He lovingly governs all things (Psalm 103:19), and through Christ, He brings us into His family, making us heirs of His promises.

Romans 8:15 says, 'For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"'

This reflects both the legal standing we have in God through justification (reformed theology) and the experiential reality of intimate communion (charismatic insight).

Galatians 4:6 affirms this by stating, 'Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"'

Showing that through regeneration and the indwelling Spirit, we experience God not only as King but as a tender Father who invites us into deep fellowship.

God as our True Father cherishes the present ministry of the Holy Spirit who assures us of this fatherly love and identity.

In John 14:23, Jesus says, 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.'

This denotes a real, ongoing relationship, emphasizing God's nearness.

God our True Father is the sovereign Lord who lovingly adopts us, awakens our spirits to call upon Him with childlike trust, and walks with us in dynamic, Spirit-filled communion, shaping us into the likeness of His Son.

TRANSITION

Our focus today will be on three key points from Psalm 119:17-24: asking God for help, seeking His power, and craving persistence amidst opposition.

READ

English Standard Version Psalm 119

Deal bountifully with your servant,

that I may live and keep your word.

18  Open my eyes, that I may behold

wondrous things out of your law.

19  I am a sojourner on the earth;

hide not your commandments from me!

20  My soul is consumed with longing

for your rules at all times.

21  You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones,

who wander from your commandments.

22  Take away from me scorn and contempt,

for I have kept your testimonies.

23  Even though princes sit plotting against me,

your servant will meditate on your statutes.

24  Your testimonies are my delight;

they are my counselors.

ASK YOUR FATHER FOR HELP

Firstly, we see the psalmist's cry for help in verses 17-18: "Deal bountifully with Your servant, that I may live and keep Your word. Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law."

Here, the psalmist acknowledges his dependence on God's generosity and illumination.

Just as children turn to their fathers for assistance and instruction, we too must turn to our Heavenly Father for guidance.

This is an important reminder on Father's Day, a day when we honor earthly fathers for their support and love, pointing us ultimately to the care of our Father in heaven.

Imagine a child learning to ride a bicycle, looking up to their father with a plea for steady hands and assurance.

Similarly, we are encouraged to bring our needs to God, trusting His wisdom and provision.

Ultimately, the help that we need is to keep God’s Word!

v.17 acknowledges that God’s Word is life to the servant

and v.18 proclaims how wonderful God’s Word is along with a plea for eyes to be opened to understand.

Application Questions:

Where in your life do you most feel your need for God's help right now?

Are you currently approaching God's Word with humility, asking Him to open your eyes to its beauty and truth?

How can you grow this week in treating prayer not as a task, but a relational cry to your True Father for help and insight?

ASK YOUR FATHER FOR POWER

Moving on to verses 19-20, the psalmist asks for power: "I am a sojourner in the earth; do not hide Your commandments from me. My soul breaks with longing for Your judgments at all times."

The psalmist feels like an outsider in a world that often opposes God's truth.

Last week we spent some time on being wanderers, this week the psalmists acknowledges that we’re living in a world that is not our home. We’re misplaced here

This is a powerful illustration of our own spiritual journey as pilgrims and strangers, navigating a world that frequently lures us with its temptations and distractions.

In our contemporary culture, where self-dependence is esteemed, this plea for divine empowerment challenges us to seek strength not from within ourselves but from God's word and Spirit.

As Jesus taught in Matthew 7:7-11, we are invited to ask, seek, and knock, with the assurance that our loving Father will not withhold what is beneficial for us.

This reminds us who we are in Christ, sojourners headed toward a different kingdom

This also reminds us that we are needy as travelers: we need a passion for this word that provides us with life!

It is sustenance for the spiritually-weary traveler.

Application Questions:

In what areas of life are you tempted to rely on your own strength instead of God's power?

Where are you feeling spiritually weary — and what would it look like to rely on the Word as your nourishment again?

How is your identity as a spiritual sojourner shaping your decisions at work, school, or in your relationships?

ASK YOUR FATHER FOR PERSISTENCE

Finally, in verses 21-24, we encounter the challenge of persistence amidst opposition: "You rebuke the proud—the cursed, who stray from Your commandments. Remove from me reproach and contempt, for I have kept Your testimonies. Princes also sit and speak against me, but Your servant meditates on Your statutes. Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors."

The psalmist invites us to see how God's statutes provide the stability needed to withstand external pressures.

In a world where opinions fly fast and judgment prevails, drawing us into debates and discouragement, the Word remains our anchor.

It's much like a ship tossed in rough seas, faithfully connected to a steadfast lighthouse.

We too, must cling to God's truth as our guiding light, especially when others oppose our faith and values.

Yes, there will be times of opposition.

Trust that God will deal with the arrogant and disobedient (119:21).

Trust that God will hear your prayers for relief from persecution (119:22-24).

While you trust him, keep his testimonies (119:22).

While you trust him, meditate on his statutes (119:23).

While you trust him, delight in his counsel (119:24).

Application Questions:

Are you facing any resistance right now (internal or external) when trying to pursue God faithfully? What is it?

How can you make meditation on God’s Word a daily discipline that fuels perseverance?

When opposition comes, how quick are you to retreat to the voices of culture versus the counsel of the Word?

PRAYER AS AN ACT OF TRUST

This call to ask God for help, is really a call to a life of prayer. Amid those prayers we are declaring our trust in God, to not pray is to declare our trust is many things other than God.

Prayer and trust are closely linked!

Studying this has brought to mind Ps. 20, specially verse 7

Psalm 20:7

[7] Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

All of Psalm 20 is a call to trust in the Lord, it uses the language of the Lord’s anointed in the King as an illustration of this spiritual truth.

The Lord’s undefeated record of saving his anointed assures the believer that God will answer when he calls, because we are united to Christ the King (v. 9; Acts 4:26–29).

God is our True Father

Christ is the True Anointed One.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

How is your current prayer life reflecting (or not reflecting) a genuine trust in God as your True Father?

What would change if in every area of need — clarity, strength, endurance — you first turned to the Father in prayer before turning elsewhere?

CONSIDER

Like the psalmist, Christ depended on the Father's help, power, and presence, even amidst rejection and adversity.

As we prepare our hearts for communion, reflecting on Matthew 7:7-11, let us remember how Jesus, the bread of life, was given that we may be made whole.

Christ perfectly exemplified seeking help, leaning on the Father's power, and remaining persistent through opposition, all for our redemption.

CLOSE

In conclusion, on this Father's Day, whether you remain outside the body of believers or are a committed follower of Jesus, the invitation to ask of our Father is yours to embrace.

If you have yet to place your trust in Christ, the invitation is clear: bring your burdens, your need for help, and your longing for power and guidance to Him who never fails.

As an act of receiving of the grace extended to you: Trust in him today for the forgiveness of your sins. Believe in your heart and confess that he is Lord.

For those of us who already walk with Christ, may we continue to rely on His strength and let His Word guide us through every season, especially when faced with opposition.