I Have Not Forgotten
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Psalm 119 is the longest book in the Bible and it’s all about God’s Word...
In Psalm 119, the Word of God is referred to in almost every verse of the chapter with the exception of a few, somewhere around 171 of the 176 verses contain reference to God's written revelation.
God's Word is referred to in this Psalm by terms such as law, word, judgments, testimony, statutes, commandments, precepts, sayings, and way.
With that in mind, I want to look at several verses here tonight as an introduction…Don’t worry, I’m getting to the text, but laying some groundwork...
16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word. GIMEL
I have not forgotten thy statutes because they bring me joy.
61 The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy law.
I have not forgotten thy law because it brings me hope.
83 For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.
I have not forgotten thy statues because they bring me comfort.
93 I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me.
I have not forgotten thy precepts because they bring me life.
109 My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law.
I have not forgotten because it brings me wisdom.
141 I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts.
I have not forgotten thy precepts because they bring me strength.
153 Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law.
I have not forgotten thy law because it brings me deliverance.
176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.
I have not forgotten thy commandments because they bring me rescue.
I want to preach for just a little while tonight on the thought "I Have Not Forgotten"
Sometimes the soul forgets just how good God has been and continues to be to His children!
Is it not true that we allow ourselves to get caught up in the problems and troubles of life, so much so that we forget where the Lord found, what He did for us and where He is taking us?
Aren't we guilty of allowing our eyes to wander from the Lord? Aren't we guilty of allowing our focus to be man-centered instead of God-centered? Far to often, we are guilty of forgetting what God has done in us! You see, the world around us is in a constant state of change!
The world is at war today. The economy goes up and down. People have problems with their health, their homes and their finances. Even the church is not immune from problems as people come and go.
But, I would like to remind you today that while the world is changing, while the church is changing, while your life is changing, the benefits of the Lord never change! Why? Because He never changes!
8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
The key verse of our text tonight is vs. 2 - "...and forget not all his benefits."
What benefits?
In verses 3-5, the Bible gives us five benefits that we have in the Lord...
I don’t believe there’s any coincidence that we have five benefits here and the number five in the Bible is the number of "grace"?
Where would we be if not for grace - God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense - It’s getting everything for nothing!
Let's look at these benefits...
I - THE BENEFIT OF FORGIVENESS (VS. 3)
I - THE BENEFIT OF FORGIVENESS (VS. 3)
Psalm 103:3 (KJV (WS))
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;...
Man's greatest need makes the top of David's list!
When a person comes to the Father through faith in the Son, all is forgiven!
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
The psalmist here uses the word "Iniquity."
That means crookedness — This doesn't mean just our weaknesses and failures, but the gross, enormous, crimson red sins that we commit. Jesus forgives them all — original, actual, life, lip, heart, omission and commission, are all washed away in the precious blood of Jesus!
Thank God that He forgives!
II - THE BENEFIT OF HEALING (VS. 3)
II - THE BENEFIT OF HEALING (VS. 3)
Psalm 103:3 (KJV (WS))
3 ...who healeth all thy diseases;
This verse doesn't refer to the healing of the body, but to the healing of the soul.
Our souls are subject to many terrible diseases. Among them are lust, hate, greed, jealousy, discouragement, depression, anger, fear, guilt, and doubt, just to name a few.
Just as surely as diseases of the body can take away physical life, the diseases of the souls can deaden us toward the things of God and leave us lifeless and weak.
Thank God, there is a remedy for the diseases of the soul, what is the remedy?
20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
It's no surprise that the remedy is His precious Word!
This Bible tonight is like a surgeon’s scalpel - It’ll cut, but it cuts to heal us!
Thank God He heals the disease of the soul!
III - THE BENEFIT OF REDEMPTION (VS. 4)
III - THE BENEFIT OF REDEMPTION (VS. 4)
Psalm 103:4 (KJV (WS))
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;...
Every soul that comes into this world is a slave to sin...
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
And because of that sin, every soul has a horrible destination...
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Thank the Lord though that He saw our ultimate destiny in Hell, and wasn't just merely content to see the need, but He did something about it!
He came into this world and paid the price for our redemption.
68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
When I think of the fact that I was once a slave to sin, but now I am free from sin's bondage, sin's curse and sin's penalty, I just have to say, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.”
IV - THE BENEFIT OF COMPASSION (VS. 4)
IV - THE BENEFIT OF COMPASSION (VS. 4)
Psalm 103:4 (KJV (WS))
4 ...who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
We can see a progression here!
Going back to the beginning, we can see ourselves in the prison at the beginning of verse 3, but watch how God takes us out of the prison, and puts us into the hospital at the end of verse 3, then He takes us into the pawn shop at the beginning of verse 4 and He pays the price for our redemption, and now we see Him taking us into the palace here at the end of verse 4...
Isn't that just like God?!
He brings us into the palace, along its splendid corridors and into the throne room itself!
What does He crown us with?
We are told that He crowns His children with “lovingkindness” and “tender mercies”. “Lovingkindness” corresponds to what the New Testament calls “grace”.
3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
When you study out all of Psalm 63, you find that David is in the wilderness of Judah; a place where you don't want to be, and he's saying that He'd rather have God's lovingkindness in his troubled life in the wilderness than a life of pleasure in his palace at Jerusalem without it!
There's an old hymn that says this:
"Better than life itself, Thy love,
Dearer than all beside to me;
For whom have I in heaven above,
Or what on earth compared with Thee?"
David realized the truth we find in
Acts 17:28 (KJV (WS))
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being;...
“Tender mercies” carries the idea of “compassion and tender love”.
His grace is matchless and marvelous, but His tender mercies are glorious beyond our ability to even explain!
22 It is of the Lord'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Notice that He doesn't just give “mercies”, He gives “tender mercies”.
He doesn't just give “kindness”, He gives “loving kindness”.
We serve a God Who always operates in the over and above!
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
God moves in the realm of overabundance. He operates in the arena of “more than enough”
When He moves in your life, He will never be just enough, He will always be more than enough!
Thank God for His compassion!
V - THE BENEFIT OF SATISFACTION (VS. 5)
V - THE BENEFIT OF SATISFACTION (VS. 5)
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
It's only by the grace of God that we can have true satisfaction today!
Man apart from God may be satiated but never satisfied.
9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
An empty world can only deliver empty dreams...Only Christ can truly satisfy the longing soul...
It is the Savior alone who can give supreme satisfaction!
How wonderful it is to be one of God's happy people. The devil has no happy people.
They may be happy temporarily, but the party always ends...He does not have what it takes to make people happy, and he would not make people happy even if he could.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
I'm glad I'm satisfied tonight!
There's a song that says it like this...
Hallelujah! Thou hast found me!
Whom my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies my longings;
Through His life I now am saved.
Can you say with the Psalmist tonight?
A Psalm of David.
Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
John Newton, writer of the hymn Amazing Grace said this nearing the end of his life:
My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things - that I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Saviour!
May God help us tonight, not to forget His benefits...