Those Who Are Redeemed by God Delight in the Word of God

Introduction

Open to Psa 111, Word of God, Pray

What do you think of when you think of your favorite Bible passage? Why do you think of that passage? I’d like to share one of mine with you this morning and tell you why it’s important to me.

1 Corinthians 15:50–57 ESV

50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen. I think of that passage because it was a balm to my soul when the Lord took our first baby in miscarriage. Its the passage I recited when we buried our child with my wife. It reminds me that what we see here in this world is not all there is. That we have a Savior, Jesus Christ, the lamb that was given, slain for our pardon, who rose from the dead so that for those who trust in him there is a coming resurrection. He took the sting out of death, the power out of the law and sin, so that when I’m with him one day, if the Lord is merciful, I will get to see my child.

Praise God!

The Only Reason We Delight in the Word of God Because of the Gospel

Because of the Gospel!

Why do I have a deep rooted joy in my heart when I recite that passage? Why do you when you are in your favorite passages? Why does your heart burn within you? This is why delight in the word of God if you do.

Ephesians 2:1–7 (ESV)

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

You delight in God and his works because he saved you. He caused you to be born again through the living and abiding word of God.

In other words, the only way that you can delight in God and his works is through faith in Jesus Christ. Those who are redeemed by God delight in the word of God. It’s just part of who you are. You delight in the words of God that have saved you from your sin, that satisfy your deepest longings, and will send you to glory! You delight in the word of God because that’s how we know that gospel and it’s the most glorious, amazing, awesome news in all the world!

Thomas Brooks: "It is impossible for a soul not to love Christ, that knows he is the beloved of Christ." (REPEAT)

Now, some of you might be saying, and me with you, but I don’t always have delight and joy in studying the Bible. Sometimes I just don’t feel it. I know the gospel is true, but I just don’t feel it.

And God’s word has an encouragement for us today.

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 ESV

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

It is good news today that our feelings, our circumstances, our sin, our health, our performance, our abilities don’t carry the day. They are real, they are very real, but they are temporary. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever and can be trusted in the midst of everything, you know why? Because he’s already done the most important thing for you! There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! You’ve been set free, forgiven, nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus!

Amen? Praise God!

Those who are redeemed by God delight in the word of God because of the gospel.

The Kind of Delight We are Talking About

Now, before we go on, it’s important to define, to understand what kind of delight we are talking about here. When I say that “those who are redeemed by God delight in the word of God” what do I mean by delight? What does the bible mean by that. That’s not a word we use often, right?

What I’m not talking about is some form of fluffy, wishy-washy, shallow, well-meaning but fake optimism, self-protective that really just brushes over or masks the hard things in your life that are really going on. No! We talked about this with the Begg study in the fall. right? I am talking about a deep-abiding gospel-infused joy in Jesus that allows you to press up and in to God even in the midst of the most horrible things that could happen to you. It’s what nothing else can offer you., nothing in this world, no matter how hard you try. We see a great example of what this looks like in Psalm 112 means.

Psa 111 and 112 are structured the same and are likely written by the same guy. This guy was looking at his Bible, studying his Bible, and delighting in what he sees, whether God’s works or God’s commandments. And then in the rest of Psa 112 he describes the fruit of delighting in God’s word and studying it.

This is how the Psalmist in Psalm 112 describes the fruit of someone who delights in God’s word and studies it. Tell me how this sounds:

This person has a heart that is glad to obey God’s commandments. They are not burdensome.

This person passes on a legacy that is enduring, that lasts for all eternity, whether they have physical children or not, no matter how many days they may have left to live.

This person has hope and joy and guidance even in their darkest moments, whatever they may face, because God will deliver them.

whether loneliness, miscarriage, addiction, recovery, sickness/terminal cancer, disappointment, malaise/exhaustion, that sin you can’t seem to shake, fear, anxiety, depression.

This person is generous and just in their actions.

This person has a faith that is not shaken and doesn’t fear any bad news that may come their way because God remembers his covenant with them and they trust him.

This person has a heart that is steady, that will endure, knowing that they will have triumph over their enemies.

How are all of these things possible? In this world. In Minneapolis, in 2022.

Romans 8:32 ESV

32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Only because of the gospel. Only because of Jesus.

So why do those who are redeemed by God delight in the word of God? Because the word of God is about Jesus, about God’s rescue plan through Christ to seek and save the lost and make all things new!

Those who are redeemed by God delight in the word of God because of the gospel.

Psa 111

What I want to do now is look a model of this, of a man that studies the word of God, and what happens to him and others when he studies and reflects on what God has done and who God is. We’ll see the joy that oozes out of him, and we’ll see how we have a better revelation of God than this man could, and even more reason to rejoice in God.

What this passage is going to show us is three fruits of studying the word of God that should motivate it. If our heart is rooted in the soil of delighting in God in his word, the fruit will be there three things.

Three Fruits of Studying the Word of God

Our delight in God grows more deeply

We prepare ourselves to delight in God for eternity

and we are equipped to help others do the same

in other words, we are better able to help others delight in God more deeply and prepare themselves to delight in God for eternity.

So let me read Psalm 111 and let’s look at what this guy is doing

Psalm 111 ESV

1 Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. 2 Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them. 3 Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever. 4 He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and merciful. 5 He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. 6 He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the inheritance of the nations. 7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy; 8 they are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. 9 He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name! 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

Fruit #1 of Studying the Word of God: We Delight in God More Deeply

The Psalmist, starts off his this Psalm with an invitation to all who hear this or read this to praise the Lord with him. He’s saying, “Hallelujah, Praise the Lord, y’all.” He then moves to declaring the greatness of God’s works (verse 2) before he lays out what those great works are (verses 3-9). This man cannot help but overflow in praise and in delight of God for what he has done as he thinks back through Israel’s history and recounts what God has done. Do you see? He’s looking back at the Scriptures that he has and is reflecting on them which causes him to worship God, to delight in him more deeply.

Psalm 111:2 ESV

2 Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.

This word for study here means more than you think of when you think of studying for a test. It has the connotation of seeking out something—not just studying so that you have the answers to the test and then you can move on, but studying in such a way that you are searching for understanding and answers.

BBQ Illustration. I’m trying to find the best BBQ you can.

If we do that with food, how much more should we with the bread of life, Jesus? Man shall not live on bread alone, or BBQ alone, though it seems like I could, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Now, some of you may say, how can I study the Bible like this on my own? I don’t know how to do that. I don’t have the skills to do that. Look at these pastors. Look at these seminary guys. Well I’m glad you asked. How can you do that? Because you have the Holy Spirit, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, in you and the same Holy Spirit in other Christians to help you! Look at that. You want to grow in your understanding of God and his word? Trust God and study the Bible alone, and study the Bible not alone. You should study your Bible on your own, and you should study your Bible not alone, but with other believers. You know what else, you can buy a study Bible written by other people who have the same Holy Spirit guiding them to help you. You can read books by other Christians who have the same Holy Spirit to help you read the Bible. Join a Bible study here at Vine. Join a Life Group and study the Bible there. Study the Bible with your friends, your spouse, your kids, your grandkids. Studying the Bible in Sunday school (shameless plug). Come to worship services like this and study the Bible along with the preacher. Be an active participant during sermons.

This is exactly what this guy is doing in Psa 111:3-9

He’s looking back at the Bible, most likely the Torah, the first 5 books of the Bible, reflecting on what God has done and declaring who he knows God is because of that. In other words, when we see what God has done, that tells us who he is. When we see God’s works, we see God’s character

Because he has seen that God works are great and full of splendor and majesty, language that describes a king, he knows that God is the Eternal Righteous King (v 3)

Because he has seen that God has caused his wondrous works of salvation to be remembered, (probably referring to the Exodus when God freed his people from slavery in Egypt), he knows that God is gracious and merciful (v 4)

Because he has seen that God provides for those who fear him, who are in awe of him, think of Noah, Abraham, Moses, and others, he knows that God remembers his covenant to his people forever (v 5)

Because he has seen that God gave his people the inheritance of nations, the promised land, he knows that God is powerful to accomplish any of his works and able to give them their promised inheritance (v 6)

Because he has seen that God has been true to keep his covenant to his people, he can trust God’s commandments and instructions for how he should live (v 7-8)

And because he has seen that God sent redemption to his people, again, likely referring to the passover and the Exodus, and because he has brought this redemption through a covenant with his people, he can declare, “Holy and awesome is his name!” Yahweh. I am who I am.

Now, there is much more we could say here, but notice what this guy is doing. This guy is sitting there, looking at examples in the Bible up to that point in history of who God is and what he has done and he is worshipping, and overflowing with worship. He knows and rejoices, his delight in what God has done overflows into proclaiming who God is to others.

Read Your Bible As a Christian

Now, on this side of Christ, this Psalm takes on a whole new dimension, as does the entire Old Testament. Should we rejoice in the passover, the exodus, the parting of the red sea, and all the other things that God has done? You betcha. Absolutely. But honestly, this guy was missing out. He didn’t have what we have. This guy didn’t have the key to interpreting the whole Old Testament, but we do, so we read the Bible as Christians. As on the road to Emmaus, when we read this text, shouldn’t our hearts burn within us as the Holy Spirit opens up the Scriptures to us? Jesus said that all of the Old Testament was about him.

How do we, the redeemed, Christians, read this Psalm? What is the ultimate, clearest representation of God that we have? What is the most glorious thing God has done that shows us who he is? How do we know that God is:

An Eternal Righteous King

Gracious and merciful

Keeps his covenant with his people

Will give us our promised inheritance

God’s commandments are good and trustworthy

God’s name is holy and awe-spiring?

How do we know all of these things are true about God?

BECAUSE OF JESUS CHRIST.

Hebrews 1:1–4 ESV

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

If we are redeemed by God we now see the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ!

If we had more time we could come up with multiple passages for each one of things that the Psalmist worships God for in Psalm 111 and see how they climax in Jesus. So it is abundantly clear that when we study God’s word we see what he has done for us in Christ, we see who he is most clearly in Christ, and we delight in God more deeply. What a gift God gave us in his word.

So study the word of God to delight in God more deeply.

This really is the foundation of two other fruits I mentioned already.

Fruit #2 of Studying the Word of God: We prepare ourselves to delight in God for eternity

Notice how this Psalm ends. “His praise endures forever!” This is both a declaration and an invitation to us. The Psalmist is declaring the truth that God’s praise, that the worship of God will stand, or endure forever. God will be praised, God will be glorified, FOREVER. And by forever he means forever.

Look at how many times the word forever occurs in this one Psalm:

his righteousness endures forever (v 2)

he remembers his covenant forever (v 5)

his precepts, his commandments, are established forever and ever (v 8)

he has commanded his covenant forever (v 9)

and his praise endures forever (v 10)

So how studying the Bible prepare us to delight in God for eternity?

Ephesians 2:6–7 (ESV)

6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

In the coming ages… meaning for FOREVER God will be showing, revealing to us the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. How can we fathom the depths of God’s love for us? What does the text say… IMMEASURABLE… not meaning understand it, but meaning you can’t quantify it, it will take forever to fathom the depths God’s love, and forever never comes. We will never be able to completely plumb the depths of God’s love for us. We will marvel at it forever.

And if that’s what you are going to be doing forever, why not get some of that right now. What’re we waiting for? The point is you don’t have to wait to grow in your delight of God as if it’s going to run out at some point. It’s not some knowledge that you obtain and then move on to the next thing. God’s love for you and your understanding of it will never dry up. You will never plumb the depths of it.

Often this is best seen in new Christians, new believers. EXAMPLE: WOW, MY LIFE IS ALL ABOUT GOD!

So what does this mean? Let us not pit knowledge of the Bible and growing in grace against one another. If done in faith, they are one and the same.

2 Peter 3:18 ESV

18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

So studying the word of God leads us to delight in God more deeply. Studying the word of God leads us to prepare ourselves to delight in God for eternity.

And...

Fruit #3 of Studying the Word of God: Equips us to help others do the same, to help others delight in God more deeply and to prepare to delight in God for eternity

In verse 1, the Psalmist declares his personal commitment to praise the Lord, as well as where he is going to do it. In his own heart, personally, and in the midst of others who are worshipping God. The worship of God overflows from his own heart to worship the Lord in front of others. And what effect does that have? It encourages others to do the same. The Psalmist spent time reflecting on God’s word, on his works, on what God had done as seen in God’s word, and it caused his heart to worship and to give thanks to the Lord in front of other people and to call others to do the same.

With Believers

When you share your delight in God and in God’s works with other believers what happens? You encourage their faith, God uses you to stoke the flame of their faith to keep it burning. What’s one of the main things that pastors do? Study the bible, delight in God more deeply through it, and share it with other people, right? So that people would delight in God. What did I do this week? I studied the Bible, saw glorious things about God and shared them with you. Why? so that you delight in God more.

Tell me, what happens if you come into worship on Sunday and see others worshipping the Lord, especially in the midst of suffering. JOSH The same thing with is true for you this week. Commit to studying the Bible to delight in God more, to prepare yourself to delight in him for all eternity, and come prepared to share that at Bible study, at Life Group, at a prayer meeting, at dinner, during worship, and with your family.

With Those Who Do Not Follow Jesus

When you share your growing delight in God with those who don’t believe what happens? Well, hopefully the Lord uses that to save unbelievers from an eternity of conscious punishment by saving them from God’s wrath against them for their sin.

You know what are some of the greatest joys we can have as believers? When God uses imperfect, sinful, selfish, hypocritical, weak us as instruments in his hands to save other people.

One of the traits of someone who delights in God’s word is that he or she will be a conduit of God’s blessing to those who come after them. In Christ this means not just physical children that may trust in Christ, but spiritual children.

Psalm 112:2 ESV

2 His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.

Illustration: Give context, outreach.

Little did I know that a few of these people would end up shaping everything I have come to be here. I met a couple that was recently married that day and chatted with them most of the time. They seemed to take a real interest in who I was and the short story of my life that I had told them. The following week I was invited by that couple to their small group that again I had readily accepted. So here I was, still trying to find a power greater than myself as the AA steps had started me into a spiritual life, immersed into a group of Christian men and woman. I quickly felt at home here because I saw that I wasn’t the only one struggling and here was a community of people supporting, helping and loving one another. Needless to say my interest was peaked and I wanted in. I wanted what these people had and I would stop at nothing to seek it out for myself. While all of these people were vital to putting my hand into the care of Jesus, and namely a select few, it was one Christian man that really helped me build my relationship with Jesus. He saw how broken I was without God and Jesus in my life and he stopped at nothing to push me and love me. It was if he sunk a hook in me and dragged me into this life and wouldn’t let go, nor did I ever look back. Then the day came where I was starting to struggle again, with my faith and my security, and this man and his wife graciously supported me financially with a check to help pay my rent that I couldn’t keep up with. I believe it was this day I was saved. As Jesus talks about in John 10, I entered by Jesus into the pasture and was saved by the good shepherd. At first I thought that all these people who were Christians helped me because they believed in me. I thought initially that I got a check to help me because they saw something in me and believed in what I could do, but then it hit me that this wasn’t the case. This married couple and the few other Christians helped me because they believed in Jesus and the gospel. Jesus had saved them by the gospel and they knew it could do the same for me and were they ever right. I had been graciously saved and reborn into a new life. I was once dead in my sins and spiritually bankrupt only to find true happiness and peace in Christ Jesus by his mercy and grace. I was searching for in worldly things my whole life, unwavering love, true inner happiness, and someone who would never leave my side, little did I know that it was Jesus I was searching for this whole time.

Please Stand

So, brothers and sisters, remember Christ Jesus, risen from the dead, and who you are united with him in his death and life. You were blind, but now you see. You once sought your joy, satisfaction and delight in the world and now you’ve found it in christ. You see glory of God in his word. So study your bible in faith motivated by the fruit that God brings when you abide in him.

your delight for God grows more deeply,

you prepare your self for all eternity,

you help other encourage other believers and hopefully God uses the overflow of your delight in God in your words and actions to save even one more soul.

Pray