Psalm 119:9-16
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(Rough Draft)
(Rough Draft)
Greatest Temptation - What is your greatest temptation? What is a sin struggle that you have to fight regularly?
Charles Lindbergh great American aviator made history with his famous 1927 non-stop flight across the Atlantic. Lindbergh was a married man, but because of Lindbergh’s popularity and travel he had girlfriends in all the major cities he traveled to.
John Lennon - famous Beatle - was know to be physically abusive to his first wife Cynthia.
Love for Gods Word
Nicole Kidman has to regularly eat cake. Sounds like sugar is a temptation.
We all know of someone who desperately struggles with addiction.
What is your greatest temptation?
Today we will see that the power of God’s Word enables us to overcome temptation.
I. God’s Word towers over my temptations
In our first verse today we see what would be considered the greatest temptation of men.
In our first verse today we see what would be considered the greatest temptation of men.
9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
Pure?
Love for Gods Word
9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
10 With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
11 I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O Lord;
teach me your statutes!
13 With my lips I declare
all the rules of your mouth.
14 In the way of your testimonies I delight
as much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on your precepts
and fix my eyes on your ways.
16 I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.
Authorship - most likely David, Ezra or Daniel
While this verse is speaking to the greatest temptation of men - it also speak to others greatest temptations.
9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
This verse speaks to what is the most difficult temptation for a man (especially a young man). The temptation to keep his life pure.
This is not just talking about sexual purity only, but definitely includes it.
So we see what is the most difficult temptation for a man (especially a young man).
Sexual temptation is so demanding that almost all young men in our culture have given up on fighting it.
It is viewed as a very difficult command.
Samson - The Strongest Man failed in keeping his way pure.
David the Man After God’s Own Heart - failed in keeping his way pure.
Solomon - The wisest man ever to live failed in purity.
This temptation is one of the greatest for men. It does not escape women either.
Application - You may have a command that is differnt, but equally as tough for you.
-A tongue that speaks to quickly.
-A temper that is short.
-A desperateness to be loved that leaves you vulnerable to bad decisions.
-A desire to please others so much that you compromise your convictions.
Illustration Transition - Greek Mythology written before the New Testament speaks to unbearable temptation.
Illustration
Singing Sirens - In Greek Mythology Odysseus was a warrior and sea captain in his travels he had to pass through a narrow straight that would take he and his men past the deadliest of all tests - the singing sirens.
The singing sirens were beasts who looked like beautiful woman. They would sing a loud song to sailors passing by. The Siren Song was irresistible. When men heard it they would sail their ships to the sirens, ships would be sailed to the Sirens, the ships would run aground and break up on the nearby rocks. The men would jump overboard and swim to the singing sirens where the men would be eaten.
-The crazy thing about this is that the sailors would know in advance about the temptation of the sirens. The sailors would know about the pending death of the siren, but they would go anyway.
Have you ever had a temptation like this?
You know that if you fall into temptation that there will be seriously consequences, but you give in anyway.
The temptation draws you in. Before you experience the outward sin you have already said yes to it in your heart.
What is your singing siren?
This begs the question - How do we handle temptation that seems irresistible? How do you combat the most difficult of temptations?
This is for young men a temptation that for many seems irresistible.
This begs the question - How do we handle temptation that seems irresistible? How do you combat the most difficult of temptations?
I’m glad you asked, because our passage today tells us.
How do we keep our way pure?...
Last half of verse 9, “…by guarding it according to your word.”
King James - “by taking heed according to thy Word.”
Spurgeon - How shall a young man make a clean way, a pure line of conduct, through this defiling world.
Spurgeon - How shall a young man make a clean way, a pure line of conduct, through this defiling world.
Spurgeon - How shall a young man make a clean way, a pure line of conduct, through this defiling world.
NIV says, “By living according to your Word”
How can I overcome the most difficult of temptations
Illustration - Singing sirens
The foundation for fighting sin in our lives is a strong knowledge and application in your life of God’s Word.
Note that this verse doesn’t say:
How do we keep our way pure?...
-Make sure you have godly friends,
-steer way out of the way of sin,
-stop those things that drag you down spiritually,
-deafen yourself to the voice of the world.
(These things are true and helpful - they should used, but not the foundation.)
Verse 9 gives us the foundation for all obedience to Christ - The Word of God
Transition, Verses 9-11 tell us how to apply God’s Word to our life so that we walk with God closely and overcome temptation.
Answer? He must face his inward corruption. The World of God helps us with our inward struggle.
Verses 9-11 tell us how to apply God’s Word to our life so that we walk with God closely and over come temptation.
vs. 9, guard it our way (guard our life)
The ESV tells us in verse 9 to guard our way
Your translation may use a different, but similar word.
9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
What are we guarding?
What are we guarding?
Answer? He must face his inward corruption. The World of God helps us with our inward struggle.
Guard what?
His way, his conduct, how he lives his life, his actions.
-Illustration, Several years ago I borrowed a family members powered mitre saw to do some work. Recently I purchased a low end mitre saw. The saw I borrowed and the saw I purchased looked different. The one I borrowed didn’t have a safety cover over the blade. The blade to a mitre saw can spin 5,000 times a minute. When I was working fast with the borrowed saw with no blade guard I found my arm reaching for cut wood toward the blade before the blade stoped spinning. More than once I had a close call.
The saw I use now has a guard. It doesn’t guard the blade.
The saw I use now has a guard. It doesn’t guard the blade.
It guards your hand. From what? A trip to the surgeon.
The Bible is guard us from those things that destroy our soul.
When we are committing our life to God’s Word we are guarding our life.
Most of you would never use a power saw that didn’t have a blade guard. That’s foolish.
Most of you would never use a power saw that didn’t have a blade guard. That’s foolish.
But - you choose to expose your soul to a much worse danger than a spinning blade by failing to guard your life with the Word of God.
Many in this room expose their soul to much worse danger by not guarding their heart and soul by God’s Word.
Use God’s Word to guard your heart.
Transition - We guard our life by seeking God through His word with your whole heart.
Transition - We guard our life by seeking God through His word with his whole heart.
vs. 10, Seek with our whole heart
10 With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
We see a commitment to not view the Bible as a book of does and don’ts.
We see a commitment to not view the Bible as a book of does and don’ts.
There are some in this room that follow the Bible because it is the best track to follow to live life.
It gives the best directions for our actions.
It does do that.
BUT! It does so much more. DON’T MISS THIS!
God’s Word transforms the heart.
As a Christ follower God must have your outward actions.
He must also have your heart.
Verse - 10 shows how the heart wanders. There is a request from God, “Please help me to not get away from your commands.”
We don’t know the exact person who wrote , but it has been narrowed down to 3 likely people.
King David, The Prophet Ezra or Prophet Daniel.
These are men who walked closely with God.
One of them is saying, Please help me stay close to your commands.
One of the best prayers that you can pray for yourself is -
“God help me walk in obedience in my outward actions and with a transformed heart.”
Transition - We see one of the great ways of having this transformed heart is by memorizing scripture.
11 I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
vs. 11, memorize Scripture
I will continue to challenge you to spend time with God in the Bible everyday.
I will keep telling you, use your devotional book, but also read a chapter of scripture right beside that.
How would it change your life if you memorized a verse a week?
Answer? He must face his inward corruption. The World of God helps us with our inward struggle.
Biblical Illustration -
Jesus entered the wilderness full of God’s Spirit. For 40 days he ate nothing (fasted).
For 40 days he ate nothing (fasted).
Jesus was confronted and tempted by Satan himself.
Satan did his best to give Jesus his hardest temptations.
In responding to temptation Jesus did not command Satan to leave. He did not use The Force and electrocute Satan with lightening from His finger tips.
Jesus responded to Satan with the Scripture.
Scripture he had memorized. The scripture He had hidden in His heart.
God’s Word Towers Over Our Greatest Temptations.
KJV - “Taking heed” according to thy Word
Spurgeon likes the term, “by observing what is according to thy Word”
Transition - The great gift that God has given us in His Word demands a response.
vs. 10, Seek with our whole heart
vs. 11, memorized
II. Response to God’s Word
12 Blessed are you, O Lord;
teach me your statutes!
vs. 12, Wanting more of God’s Word.
Warning, God’s Word is addicting. You can’t get enough.
vs. 12, Wanting more of God’s Word. Warning, God’s Word is addicting. You can’t get enough.
“Teach me your statutes...”
Do you think David, or Ezra, or Daniel do not know the basics of God’s Word? Of course they do.
The writer can’t get enough.
When you had a really good plate of food at your grandmothers house. Even though one plate was good - did you want to go back for seconds? Yes.
When you were a teenager when you rode the biggest roller coaster 1 time was that enough and satisfying?
You wanted more.
God’s Word is so good - you develop a desire for more.
Transition - You want more of God’s Word because you delight in it.
14 In the way of your testimonies I delight
as much as in all riches.
16 I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.
P
vs. 14 & 16, Delight (rejoice) in God’s word - as I would if I had all riches.
If every verse of the Bible was $1000 cash that you could have - your flesh would delight in it.
Speaking of God’s Word...
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
The bible says that God’s Word is to be rejoiced in more than the greatest of riches.
vs. 14 & 16, Delight in God’s word - as I would if I had all riches.
Money will only last a life time, God’s word will last forever.
We must delight in it!
Illustration is the transition
Illustration - If you owned the largest cut diamond in the world “Star of Africa” 3 thousand carats. (about a pound and a half). You would occasionally take time to pick that diamond up and marvel at it. You would look at it from every angle. You would shine a flashlight or laser on it. You would place it on different color backgrounds to see how its color changed.
God’s Word is like that diamond.
15 I will meditate on your precepts
and fix my eyes on your ways.
Psalm
Meditating on God’s Word means to look at it from every angle. Turn it over and over and look into every facet.
You can only do this by spending time alone with God and His Word.
If you believe that God’s Word has power over your sin.
If you believe that God’s Word transforms you heart and life.
If you believe that God’s Word is more valuable than gold..
Then you will spend time with God in His Word.
Question - Are you regularly spending time in His Word?
Transition - As God transforms your life, your speech will be changed. You will speak up and share the greatness of what you have learned.
God has called us to not be silent about Him.
13 With my lips I declare
all the rules of your mouth.
Question - Who do you talk about your spiritual walk with?
Challenge - Part of your spiritual development that God wants you to grow in is talking about your spiritual walk with others. -If you are afraid to do this there are 2 good ways to start.
1. -Pick one gentle person who you can share with. Meet to talk about what God is teaching you.
2. -Start to practice in Sunday School. Sunday School is a great place to practice sharing spiritually. Your teaching is there, not to shoot you down, but to encourage you.
When something is great - you want to talk about it.
Conclusion/Gospel
Transition - If you are hear and a Christ follower, someone in your life thought the Bible was so great that they told you about it. They spoke up to you about Jesus.
Question - Will you today make a decision to up your game in spending time in God’s Word. Will you begin reading, read more, memorize a verse a week?
If you are hear and a Christ follower, someone in your life thought the Bible was so great that told you about it. They spoke
Who h
If you are an unbeliever, not a follower of Christ - you are here today because someone in your life spoke to you and encouraged you.
God speaks to you today.
He says, be saved today.
31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
If you have not had your sins forgiven, will you come and be saved today?
Not forget. Because you’ve read and read it.
Illustration - movie that can be quoted word for word.
No on set out to memorize the movie. It was simply watched so much with passion that it found its way in.
vs. 15, meditation - Time with God’s Word
vs. 16
vs 13, Speak up for GodC.T. God’s Word fights against life’s greatest temptations.
C.T. God’s Word fights against life’s greatest temptations.
Spurgeon - Several things assumed in verse 1: A
A) We are polluted with sin & we need to be cleansed
B) We need to pay attention to evil early in our lives.
C) We need to seek a remedy to our