1 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:06,160 You are listening to Key Life Fellowship's Pulpit Ministry 2 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:08,640 podcast. We thank you for tuning in as we 3 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:12,360 learn from God's Word together. For more information about Key 4 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:17,200 Life Fellowship, visit us on the web at keylifefellow-ship.com. 5 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:21,200 Amen. Are you thankful this morning 6 00:00:21,240 --> 00:00:25,520 that His Word truly is a lamp unto our feed and light unto our 7 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:28,240 path? I can speak for myself and 8 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:32,040 saying this, I don't know where I would be without guidance from 9 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:34,440 His Word. I know one of those options 10 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:38,680 would be eternity and hell. But I'm thankful that His Word 11 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:42,400 is definitely a lamp into my feet and a light unto my path, 12 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:46,080 just as the Psalmist has told us in the 119th Psalm. 13 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:49,040 And I invite you to turn with me there to Psalm 119. 14 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:53,800 And we will continue to look at our study this morning entitled 15 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:57,440 Living a Life in the Light of God's Word as we are verse by 16 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:01,600 verse traveling through the 119th Psalm. 17 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:06,480 And here we are in the 7th letter of the Hebrew alpha 18 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:09,720 alphabet. Evolve in your Bible. 19 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:13,440 It's spelled in English WAW, but it is evolve in Hebrew. 20 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:17,400 And the the psalmist is going to take this next acrostic. 21 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,400 And what he's going to do in these 8 verses in this acrostic 22 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:25,400 Psalm is he's going to give us today 7 blessings that we 23 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:29,200 receive from God's Word. Seven blessings. 24 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:32,040 Now I told the men earlier, this is not an exhaustive list. 25 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:35,720 There are more, but these these are those that in this portion 26 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:39,160 of this Psalm, the psalmist focuses on. 27 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:42,880 So we'll, we'll be looking at those seven specific blessings 28 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:47,440 or what we know as graces from God that directly stem or come 29 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:50,560 from his word. And I want us to see how 30 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:55,840 important the word of God is. And so in looking at this many 31 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:59,840 times, because we fail to see the blessings that He has given 32 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:04,040 us in His Word, and we fail to utilize the opportunities that 33 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:09,039 we have to get into His word, we then forfeit the blessings that 34 00:02:09,039 --> 00:02:15,080 He desires that we have. And so in looking at 7 points 35 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:17,600 that lie ahead of us, you know what we have to do. 36 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:20,040 We have to jump in rather quickly if we're going to get 37 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:22,840 all seven points out. And that's what I intend to do 38 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:25,600 now. I intend to do it before 3:30. 39 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:30,640 Now make you that promise. But we jump right into Psalm 119 40 00:02:30,640 --> 00:02:34,040 as we look at these seven blessings from God's word. 41 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:37,520 And I pray that you would bear witness to this and that you 42 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:42,520 would testify to how God has graced us with His Word and how 43 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:45,240 every time that we open the pages of Scripture, it is 44 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:47,880 blessing upon blessing upon endless blessing. 45 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:53,400 Verse 41 it says, May your unfailing love come to me, O 46 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:57,240 Lord, your salvation according to your promise. 47 00:02:57,920 --> 00:03:02,120 Then I will answer the one who taunts me, for I trust in your 48 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:05,360 word. Do not snatch the word of truth 49 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:09,920 from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws. 50 00:03:10,640 --> 00:03:15,600 I will always obey your law. Forever and ever I will walk 51 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:19,760 about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. 52 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:24,920 I will speak of your statutes before kings, and will not be 53 00:03:24,920 --> 00:03:29,960 put to shame, for I delight in your commands because I love 54 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:32,520 them. I lift up my hands to your 55 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:37,960 commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees. 56 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:40,360 Let's pray together, Father, in the name of Jesus, we come to 57 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:44,520 you now thanking you for your word, thanking you that today as 58 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:48,280 we open our eyes and our ears and our. 59 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:51,920 Hearts to your word. Lord, that you're going to give 60 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:56,280 us understanding and into what a blessing your word is to your 61 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:58,880 children. God, I pray as we look at these 62 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:02,080 seven things, Lord, that we would be encouraged that we 63 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:06,760 would rejoice that our God has given, given us the blessings 64 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:08,920 that he has through the scriptures. 65 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,800 And God, that we would devote our lives to studying them even 66 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,720 more diligently, diving off into the meditating, as the psalmist 67 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:20,640 says, loving them. And God, that you would change 68 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:25,280 our lives through Your Word, as Your Word promises to do, to set 69 00:04:25,280 --> 00:04:27,080 us apart, to sanctify. US. 70 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:32,120 In your truth, Lord, we pray all these things that we not be 71 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:34,360 filled up with knowledge and become pompous. 72 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:37,600 Well, we say all these things and we ask all these things so 73 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:41,920 that you would receive all glory and honor and praise as a God 74 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:46,640 who richly blesses his children. God, I pray for the soul who's 75 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:51,160 here today who does not know Christ, who is going through 76 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:53,960 life ignoring the greatest blessing of all, the fact that 77 00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:57,320 God sent his only begotten Son to this earth to rescue sinners. 78 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:01,480 I pray today that you would open the sinner's eyes to that fact 79 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:04,960 that they are Sinner and they are in need of a Savior. 80 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:08,760 And Lord, I pray that in your mercy and by your grace you 81 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:12,000 would meet their need and save them today as only you can, and 82 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:15,240 God will give you all the glory for it in Jesus name, Amen. 83 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:17,920 Amen. So we see the Psalmist here in 84 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:25,000 these 8 verses, these 8 verses coinciding with that 7th Hebrew 85 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:28,840 letter. He's giving us insight into 86 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:32,760 blessings that often times we receive from the scripture and 87 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:36,240 don't really realize the magnitude of these blessings. 88 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:39,080 What? What does this consist of? 89 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:43,720 And he jumps right into it. In verse 41, he says this, May 90 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:50,640 your unfailing love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according 91 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:55,000 to your promise. It's the psalmist here quickly 92 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:59,880 recognizing the blessing of salvation that comes through the 93 00:05:59,880 --> 00:06:03,000 Word of God. Let me make that ever so clear. 94 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,880 It is through the Word of God that salvation has been brought 95 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:11,240 unto any of us. It is the Word of God that has 96 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:13,040 revealed to us the truth of the gospel. 97 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:15,200 It is the Word of God that has revealed to us through the 98 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:17,480 prophets the Messiah that was pointed to. 99 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:20,680 It is the Word of God that confirms that it was truly Jesus 100 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:24,120 Christ, God Incarnate, who came to this earth and who offered 101 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:28,520 himself as a propitiation upon a cross, a payment and atonement 102 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:32,320 for sinners. And it is the Word that declares 103 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:36,360 those things, bringing a man to the knowledge of his need for 104 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:38,840 salvation. And so the psalmist saying this 105 00:06:38,840 --> 00:06:41,520 very quickly, may your unfailing love come to me, O Lord, your 106 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:43,760 salvation according to your promise. 107 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:46,560 You know what he's saying. I want to be saved according to 108 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:48,680 your word. I want to experience your 109 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:52,440 unfailing love according to your Word, because it's through the 110 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:55,560 Word that God truly does bring. Salvation to his people. 111 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:58,200 That's why Paul, in speaking to Timothy in Second Timothy 112 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:01,600 chapter 3, says this to Timothy in regards to the Scriptures. 113 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:04,480 He says the scriptures that he's known from infancy, which are 114 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:07,640 able to make you wise unto salvation. 115 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:10,600 Did you know this? There's not a person who is 116 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:16,440 saved who was saved without hearing the word of God. 117 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:19,760 It is impossible. It is impossible for a person to 118 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:22,920 have some kind of traumatic experience and then somehow that 119 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:25,880 traumatic experience LED them to God. 120 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:29,320 We are not led to God by traumatic experiences. 121 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:32,640 We're not led to God by our feelings and our human emotions. 122 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:36,360 We are led to God through the teaching and the preaching and 123 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:40,280 the reading and the studying of God's Holy Word. 124 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:46,360 In fact, salvation is impossible without hearing the word of God. 125 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:48,440 I know many people are confused about this. 126 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:50,880 I've heard testimony after false testimony. 127 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:54,080 I was in this tragic car wreck and I was on the brink of death 128 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:56,680 or I had some near near death experience. 129 00:07:56,680 --> 00:07:59,640 And then I came back and, and now I'm trying to live a good 130 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:01,560 life because I've got a second chance. 131 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:05,160 Well, welcome to legalism. You're going to try to live 132 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:07,160 alive because you got a second chance. 133 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:08,640 And you've mentioned nothing about Christ. 134 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:10,520 You've mentioned nothing about the truth of the word of God. 135 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:14,120 You've mentioned nothing about the gospel mentioned, mentioned 136 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:16,560 nothing about truth that is revealed in His Word. 137 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:21,600 Romans 10 verse 17 makes it very clear it says this. 138 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:23,480 Consequently, faith comes from hearing. 139 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:27,320 The message and the message. Is heard through the word of 140 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:30,000 Christ. And so if faith is birthed 141 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:32,000 through hearing the message, and the message is the word of 142 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:36,360 Christ, it is impossible for you to have true saving faith, true 143 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:39,039 faith in God without the Word of God. 144 00:08:39,159 --> 00:08:41,240 See what a blessing the Scriptures are to us. 145 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:44,840 Let it be known that this is more than just a book of 146 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:51,960 instructions for life. This is and contains the very 147 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:56,600 Word of God that leads and directs us to salvation, 148 00:08:56,600 --> 00:08:59,720 forgiveness of sin, and eternal life. 149 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:02,920 The psalmist knew that. Oh Lord, your salvation, bring 150 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:09,480 it to me according to your promise, because you, your 151 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:13,400 infinite wisdom, will lead me to truth in regard to salvation. 152 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:16,360 Isn't it funny how there's so many false doctrines out there 153 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:20,320 that are actually leading men away from salvation, all the 154 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:23,080 while telling Him that it's leading them towards salvation? 155 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:25,920 The reason that we know this is because this path that these 156 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:29,000 false teachers are laying out for these folks, this path is 157 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:32,120 not defined by scripture alone, but it's defined by their own 158 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:33,800 philosophies and their own intellect. 159 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:38,040 But it's God through His scriptures, it brings us to a 160 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:40,480 place of salvation. Is God through his scriptures 161 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:44,880 that opens our eyes to see the truth, opens our deaf ears to 162 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:47,640 hear the truth? Is God through that truth 163 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:51,400 coupled with the power of His Spirit that quickens us to new 164 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:55,360 life, bringing about faith, bringing about repentance, 165 00:09:56,040 --> 00:10:01,920 bringing about true salvation. In John chapter 17, verses 6 166 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:03,760 through 8, Jesus gives us some insight on this. 167 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:08,080 He says this in verse 6. I have revealed you to those 168 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:11,800 whom you gave me out of the world, and they were yours, and 169 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:14,960 you gave them to me, and they have obeyed Your word. 170 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:18,400 What did they do? They obeyed the Father's word. 171 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:20,280 How did they receive the word of the Father? 172 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:22,840 They received the word of the Father through the Old Testament 173 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:24,760 Scriptures, through the prophets, and then through 174 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:27,520 Christ Himself. Who taught them how the Old 175 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:29,600 Testament Scriptures? And the prophets pointed to 176 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:33,160 himself. It says now they know that 177 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:35,960 everything you have given me comes from you, for I gave them 178 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:38,720 the words you gave me and they accepted them. 179 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:42,840 They knew with certainty that I came from you and they believed 180 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:44,200 that you sent me. How? 181 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:49,040 Did they believe that he was sent by the Father because 182 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:53,160 Christ declared the word of God to his disciples? 183 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:55,920 And in hearing the word of God, they believed. 184 00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:59,640 And unless you hear the word of God, you cannot believe. 185 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:02,960 But they did believe in what a blessing salvation is, and it 186 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:08,520 comes through the Word of God. The psalmist here specifically 187 00:11:08,520 --> 00:11:14,840 saying, according to your promise, the psalmist wanted to 188 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:18,600 receive salvation God's way. He didn't want to receive 189 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:21,840 salvation his way or anyone else's way. 190 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:25,080 He wanted to receive salvation God's way. 191 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:28,440 He said May your salvation come according to your promises. 192 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:31,360 Let me just help all of you. If you bought into some man made 193 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:35,080 gospel that is not based on scripture, you bought into a 194 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:38,600 lie, therefore you are not saved. 195 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:40,840 Please hear that. I say that because I am 196 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:44,040 concerned for your soul in a church culture where they have 197 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:47,280 lightened the gospel message so much that it's not even 198 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:50,520 biblical. And so we need to examine the 199 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:53,240 scriptures. We need to see has the true way 200 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:58,040 of salvation come to me according to his promises. 201 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:01,440 What did he promise? He promises how he truly saves 202 00:12:01,560 --> 00:12:03,840 sinners. What does this look like? 203 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:07,600 We know that Paul gives a very clear description of this in 204 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:11,840 Romans chapter 10. He says in verse 9 he says that 205 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:14,480 if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe 206 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:16,680 in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be 207 00:12:16,680 --> 00:12:18,080 saved. For it is. 208 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:21,160 With your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is 209 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:23,960 with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 210 00:12:24,560 --> 00:12:27,920 As the Scripture says, anyone who trusts in Him will never be 211 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:30,640 put to shame, for there is no difference between Jew and 212 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:33,880 Gentile. The same Lord is Lord of all and 213 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:36,800 richly blesses all who call on Him. 214 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:43,120 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 215 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:46,920 How do we know this is true? Because Scripture says that it 216 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:50,240 is true. And so God saves sinners 217 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:53,720 according to what He has promised long before we get into 218 00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:58,080 any theological debates. If you do call upon the name of 219 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:00,920 the Lord, and you do believe and you do confess with your mouth 220 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:04,520 the Lord Jesus, yes, God has done a gracious work in order 221 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:07,680 for all that to happen. And He's done it first of all 222 00:13:07,680 --> 00:13:09,400 through the preaching and teaching of His word. 223 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:13,440 Now when that happens, when you truly do believe and you truly 224 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:17,240 do confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior, calling on Him and 225 00:13:17,240 --> 00:13:20,760 Him alone to save you, you were then saved according to 226 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:23,040 Scripture. Please note this. 227 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:27,560 Nowhere in there did it say pray a little prayer, ask Jesus into 228 00:13:27,560 --> 00:13:30,680 your heart, walk an aisle, do a dance, nothing of the sort. 229 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:35,400 It is simply telling you the truth about how a person is 230 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:39,080 honestly saved. What are the signs that this 231 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:42,440 person has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit according to the 232 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:44,800 Word of God? We see Him giving those 233 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:47,800 indications there in John chapter 3 where He says you must 234 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:52,680 be born again long before he gets to John chapter 3 verse 16. 235 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:56,640 But when we get to 16, after a person has been sovereignly 236 00:13:56,640 --> 00:13:58,920 regenerated, what does salvation really look? 237 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:01,720 Like he says this, for God so loved the world that he gave his 238 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:05,240 one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish 239 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:08,560 but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son 240 00:14:08,560 --> 00:14:10,960 into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world 241 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:13,760 through him. Whoever believes in him is not 242 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:15,960 condemned. Please pay attention to this. 243 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:20,040 But whoever does not believe stands condemned already because 244 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:23,440 he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 245 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:26,000 Well, Scripture makes that very clear how salvation comes. 246 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:28,520 Doesn't it? Salvation comes through faith in 247 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:31,280 Christ and that alone. Salvation does not come in any 248 00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:34,560 good work that you can do. Salvation does not come in any 249 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:37,880 religious merit that you have a religious ritual that you have 250 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:41,440 somehow partaken in. Salvation comes to faith in 251 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:43,600 Christ alone. A man is justified by faith 252 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:46,800 apart from any law. The Scripture makes that so 253 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:49,240 clear, and that's why when we read the scriptures, we can see 254 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:51,560 what it really means to know Christ as our Lord and Savior. 255 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:55,000 What does this look like? How does this transpire? 256 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:59,800 John there in chapter 3 on down to verse 33 says the man who has 257 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:01,920 accepted it is certified that God is truthful. 258 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:05,040 When you believe in Christ and you accept Christ, you certify 259 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:06,320 that God is truthful. What is he saying? 260 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:08,400 Because God brought this truth to you by His grace through the 261 00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:10,400 preaching of the Scriptures. As you open your eyes, you 262 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:13,560 certify that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent 263 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:16,880 speaks the words of God. For God gives the Spirit without 264 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:19,160 limit. The Father loves his Son and has 265 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:23,080 placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has 266 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:29,680 eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see 267 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:34,440 life, for God's wrath remains on him. 268 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:37,400 Why are we looking at John chapter 3? 269 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:40,520 We're looking at John chapter 3 because John chapter 3 defines 270 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:45,920 for us true biblical salvation in Christ and in Christ alone. 271 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:50,320 True faith, true belief, true trust in Christ. 272 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:53,400 That is why the preaching and the teaching of the Word of God 273 00:15:53,400 --> 00:16:00,400 accurately is so important. Romans chapter 10 verse 14 says 274 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:02,680 this. How then can they call on the 275 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:05,440 1:00 they have not believed in? Why is? 276 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:08,200 Paul talking about this because you must believe in Christ to be 277 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:09,960 saved. And how can they call on the one 278 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:12,560 that they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the 279 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:17,320 one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without 280 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:20,000 someone preaching to them? What are we preaching? 281 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:21,760 We're preaching the Word. We're teaching the truth from 282 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:24,200 the Scriptures. And how can they preach unless 283 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:28,360 they are sent as it is written? How beautiful are the feet of 284 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:32,880 those who bring good news, who bring the truth of the gospel. 285 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:37,120 I'm thankful for the beautiful feet of the man who walked into 286 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:39,880 that church service on that Sunday morning. 287 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:44,160 And he preached the truth of the Word of God to this young man. 288 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:47,360 Because God used the Scriptures and the preaching and the 289 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:51,480 teaching of the Scriptures to open my eyes to my need for a 290 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:54,880 Savior. And He sovereignly saved me that 291 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:58,240 morning, giving me faith to believe and strength to repent, 292 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:01,400 empowered by His Holy Spirit for the very first time. 293 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:03,520 And how beautiful are the feet of that man? 294 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:06,400 Who was obedient and preaching the Word of God? 295 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:09,240 Why? Because God uses His Word to 296 00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:15,119 bless us with salvation. Salvation, the grace that His 297 00:17:15,119 --> 00:17:17,280 Word brings into our life. Let us recognize that. 298 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:18,400 Let us. Rejoice in that. 299 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:22,640 You didn't get saved because you made some decision. 300 00:17:24,079 --> 00:17:25,760 You got saved because of the Word of God. 301 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:29,320 And the Word of God does what the Word of God is intended to 302 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:33,520 do, and that is to set the sinners free from their sin upon 303 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:37,320 hearing the truth of His Word. So we see salvation. 304 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:40,640 May your unfailing love come to me, O Lord, Your salvation 305 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:43,400 according to your promise. Psalmist then moves on and he 306 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:47,520 says, then I will answer the one who taunts me, for I trust in 307 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:49,960 your word. Obviously here someone is 308 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:51,800 taunting him. It seems to be a theme of the 309 00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:53,760 Psalmist's life. We see that all throughout the 310 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:56,360 Psalms, right? Someone ridiculing, persecuting, 311 00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:00,640 saying false things against the man of God. 312 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:04,080 He says that there are these who are here who are taunting me, 313 00:18:04,080 --> 00:18:07,320 probably taunting him for his faith and his trust in the Word 314 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:09,520 of God when others are not trusting in the Word of God. 315 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:12,280 And he says, for I trust in your word. 316 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:16,000 See the confidence there? Is it true that God through his 317 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:20,320 Word gives us confidence that we would not have otherwise? 318 00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:23,080 The Psalms here displaying this confidence. 319 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:25,520 I'll answer the one who taunts me, for I trust. 320 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:28,480 In your word. And trusting in God's Word, 321 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:30,440 please listen to me, believe you're trusting in God's Word 322 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:34,520 will bring you confidence to stand even when others are 323 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:37,240 opposing you. Because you're not standing in 324 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:39,440 the in the confidence of your own flesh. 325 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:41,920 You're standing in the confidence of the truth, the 326 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:43,840 word of God. And it is absolute truth. 327 00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:47,280 And you're standing in that. You're standing on his promises, 328 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:50,480 you're standing on his precepts, you're standing on his commands. 329 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:53,840 You're trusting in him over you and over those who are opposing. 330 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:56,800 You. That's what we see here, the 331 00:18:56,800 --> 00:19:00,720 psalmist standing in that confidence that he has been 332 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:03,120 blessed with through the word of God. 333 00:19:03,120 --> 00:19:04,320 Where did the confidence come from? 334 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:07,800 He tells you, for I trust in Your word. 335 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:10,920 I don't trust in what I see. I don't trust in my critics and 336 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:14,640 what they say. I don't trust in the things that 337 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:18,040 I'm going through in this life. I trust in your Word. 338 00:19:19,120 --> 00:19:22,160 He was confident. He was confident that God's Word 339 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:24,120 is truth. Is that not what Jesus said, 340 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:29,520 John 1717, where He said your word is truth and what He means 341 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:30,960 by that? It's absolute truth, and there 342 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:34,480 is no other absolute truth. God's word is truth. 343 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:37,360 That truth ought to be our confidence. 344 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:40,120 We got to stand in it just as the psalmist is standing in it 345 00:19:40,120 --> 00:19:42,160 here, even in the face of our enemies. 346 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:45,280 God's word is truth. Psalm 12 verse 6 says this. 347 00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:49,600 And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in 348 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:55,080 a furnace of clay. Purified 7 times God's number of 349 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:58,600 perfection all throughout Scripture, it is completely 350 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:02,960 flawless and pure. Second Samuel Chapter 7 verse 28 351 00:20:03,360 --> 00:20:06,320 says this. O sovereign Lord, you are God, 352 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:10,520 Your words are. Trustworthy and you have 353 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:14,800 promised these good things to your servant. 354 00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:18,680 What we see there, the man of God trusting in the Word of God, 355 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:21,920 the word of God being his confidence. 356 00:20:22,360 --> 00:20:26,320 Again, even in the face of those who would oppose us or oppose. 357 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:28,840 The truth. You know what I've learned? 358 00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:34,040 I don't have to defend myself when I'm standing in the Word of 359 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:36,840 God because I am not standing in myself. 360 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:41,280 I can sit back and I can rest in the confidence of the Word of 361 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:45,600 God to defend itself when someone wants to oppose the Word 362 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:47,720 of God. And do you know what I just 363 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:51,360 continually give to them? The Word of God. 364 00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:54,720 And they are going to tire themselves out. 365 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:59,200 They are going to exhaust themselves arguing with God. 366 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:03,680 They will never win. But I will not entertain an 367 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:05,800 argument with them. That's not what the psalmist is 368 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:09,200 saying here. He's saying I can answer the one 369 00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:12,800 who taunts me with truth, with solid truth. 370 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:16,320 I can say thus saith the Lord, and I can walk away. 371 00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:19,040 I don't have to defend myself. I don't have to defend my 372 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:21,600 stance. I rest in the confidence of 373 00:21:21,600 --> 00:21:24,440 Scripture. You know that's lacking today in 374 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:26,800 the Christian Church, isn't it? Right. 375 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:29,440 We were compromising, it seems, at every turn. 376 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:32,040 I know this is not popular. People are going to get upset 377 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:34,680 with me and it's OK. My confidence is in the Word of 378 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:37,840 God, when many so-called Christians are debating things 379 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:40,960 that they ought not be debating, like sexually immoral 380 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:45,120 lifestyles, like homosexuality, we are not to be debating at 381 00:21:45,120 --> 00:21:48,360 those things right here. You're not to fornicate, you're 382 00:21:48,360 --> 00:21:50,040 not to sleep with someone who's not your wife. 383 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:52,960 And we know that scripture says that a man is not to lay with a 384 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:55,840 man as he lays with a woman. It's very cut and dried. 385 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:58,200 It's very clear. My confidence is in that when 386 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:00,280 someone wants to bring accusation against me or they 387 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:03,400 want to oppose me on that, I simply quote for them what the 388 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:06,000 scriptures say. Such will not inherit the 389 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:08,680 Kingdom of. God and I don't have to say 390 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:11,600 anything else because God has already spoken on that. 391 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:14,640 My confidence is in the Word of God. 392 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:17,760 What about this in our liberal way of thinking, right And day 393 00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:21,720 when everyone is embracing things that are unbiblical, for 394 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:24,000 instance, women pastors, I know some of you are going to get mad 395 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:25,160 because you're going to say this to me. 396 00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:27,440 Well, my aunt's a pastor. No, she's not. 397 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:32,640 Your aunt's posing as a pastor because Paul's very clear that a 398 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:34,760 woman is not the teacher to have authority over a man. 399 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:36,320 And he's talking about in the church. 400 00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:38,880 It is not supposed to happen. It is not biblical. 401 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:41,280 I don't have to argue with you about this. 402 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:44,760 Did you notice the church for almost 2000 years has never 403 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:47,960 argued this until the the women's liberal movement has 404 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:50,360 infiltrated our culture. They didn't have to argue about 405 00:22:50,360 --> 00:22:51,400 it. They knew. 406 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:53,440 What the word of God said and they were confident in the word 407 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:56,640 of God and they said here's what the Lord says. 408 00:22:56,880 --> 00:22:58,240 There's no need to really debate this. 409 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:00,920 It's interesting that there are entire denominations debating 410 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:03,200 these things. The debates over God has spoken, 411 00:23:03,360 --> 00:23:04,560 read the. Text. 412 00:23:06,040 --> 00:23:08,040 I can stand in the confidence of the text. 413 00:23:08,360 --> 00:23:10,560 And say this is what God has said, therefore it's what is 414 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:13,560 true. There's no room for compromise 415 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:16,680 in any of this. So the Psalm is your 416 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:19,160 understanding that he could face those who taunted him, right? 417 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:22,200 Those who would say, oh, that outdated religion with all those 418 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:25,960 crazy outdated beliefs, The psalmist could say, thus saith 419 00:23:26,120 --> 00:23:28,600 the Lord. Let's say at the Lord, I don't 420 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:30,560 have to argue with you, I don't have to get into this with you. 421 00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:33,960 All I have to simply do is say what the Lord has already 422 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:36,560 spoken. And in that He will defend 423 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:37,840 himself, and He will defend His word. 424 00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:39,840 And that is my entire confidence. 425 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:41,680 That ought to be all of our confidence. 426 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:44,640 And what a blessing that is. What a blessing it is to know 427 00:23:44,640 --> 00:23:47,680 that I am not here to convince everyone that I am right about 428 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:50,760 something. My job is to simply state that 429 00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:52,880 God is right in everything that He says. 430 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:56,160 And here's what He said. And you can fight with God if 431 00:23:56,160 --> 00:23:57,840 you want to, but let me just warn you, friend, you're going 432 00:23:57,840 --> 00:23:58,320 to. Lose. 433 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:01,560 You're going to lose in the end. Well, it may seem like you're 434 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:03,760 doing OK in this life, but I promise you there will be an 435 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:07,320 eternity to pay. You will pay for all eternity 436 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:09,440 facing the wrath and the judgement of God. 437 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:12,960 Embrace His truth and embrace His truth with confidence. 438 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:20,080 Mark chapter 13 Jesus Speaking of the confidence that he was 439 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:23,040 giving to his disciples. He says this in Mark 13 verse 9. 440 00:24:23,040 --> 00:24:24,520 He says you must be on your guard. 441 00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:28,000 You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in 442 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:29,480 the synagogues. Oh, who wants to be a follower 443 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:32,080 of Christ? Doesn't sound like modern 444 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:34,200 invitations where he's going to make your life peachy and Rosie 445 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:37,960 come, just ask him into your heart, He goes on. 446 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:40,160 He says on account of me. You will stand before governors 447 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:44,320 and kings as witnesses to them, and the gospel must first be 448 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:47,320 preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and 449 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:50,360 brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. 450 00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:54,480 Just say whatever's given you at the time, for it is not you 451 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:57,600 speaking, but the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit speaks, 452 00:24:57,600 --> 00:24:59,760 the Holy Spirit speaks as the word of God, because every 453 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:03,160 single word that we have from God is breathed by the Holy 454 00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:06,560 Spirit as he carried the men of God of old along. 455 00:25:07,360 --> 00:25:09,280 And so we know this. He's promising his disciples. 456 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:12,240 You can have confidence in my word when you're standing before 457 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:14,280 kings and magistrates, you're standing before those people who 458 00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:16,640 are opposing you and can take your very life and, and in fact, 459 00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:18,960 they did. He said, don't worry about what 460 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:20,560 you're going to say. You don't have to worry about 461 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:24,760 what you're going to say. You just let my word speak. 462 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:27,480 We see Jesus teaching that to his disciples. 463 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:30,920 We see Paul exhorting the Ephesians to confidently use the 464 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:33,960 word of God there in Ephesians chapter 6 in a very popular and 465 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:35,440 familiar passage of Scripture, right? 466 00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:37,320 It's talking about the armor of God in the battle that we're 467 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:39,720 facing. And Paul tells him when the day 468 00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:41,520 of evil comes, not. If the day of evil comes, but 469 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:44,680 when it comes, he gives them some hope in in the armor of 470 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:46,200 God. And he says this in verse 17 of 471 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:49,680 chapter 6 of Ephesians. He says take the helmet of 472 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:53,440 salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of 473 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:55,560 God. Oh what great confidence you 474 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:57,920 have now going into the battle. You have a sword, not only just 475 00:25:57,920 --> 00:26:00,960 a sword, a double edged sword, you have a sword that's. 476 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:03,960 Provided for you by God for defense and for offense. 477 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:07,520 And you don't have to rest in your own confidence. 478 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:09,640 You can rest in the confidence of the Lord. 479 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:12,200 Psalmist knows this. Then I will answer the one who 480 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:14,360 taunts me, for I trust in your word. 481 00:26:14,360 --> 00:26:18,320 His confidence was fully in God's blessing and grace of 482 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:20,360 confidence that comes through the word of God. 483 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:23,240 Thirdly, we see this as the psalmist continues to walk this 484 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:25,200 out. He says in verse 43. 485 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:28,120 Do not snatch. The word of truth from my mouth, 486 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:31,360 where I have put my hope in Your laws. 487 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:36,400 Do not snatch the word of truth for my mouth, for I have put my 488 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:39,840 hope in your laws. You know what the Psalmist knew 489 00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:41,680 here. He knew something that many 490 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:44,920 times we forget. The Psalmist knew how the Word 491 00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:50,560 of God, if truly absorbed into the heart, will produce an 492 00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:55,680 outward profession. It will come out of your mouth. 493 00:26:56,800 --> 00:27:02,520 He knew exactly how an inward hope would be accompanied by an 494 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:06,200 outward profession. In fact, first Peter. 495 00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:09,120 Peter says this in chapter 3, verse 15. 496 00:27:09,360 --> 00:27:11,840 But in your hearts, set apart Christ as Lord. 497 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:15,600 Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you 498 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:17,960 to give the reason for the hope that you have. 499 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:20,400 But do this with gentleness and respect. 500 00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:23,600 What is Peter saying here? He's saying this that we know in 501 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:26,240 your. Heart and by faith in the unseen 502 00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:31,320 you will experience salvation, but it will result in a constant 503 00:27:31,320 --> 00:27:35,760 and continual profession of Christ and the hope that you 504 00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:40,200 have inside coming out on the outside. 505 00:27:41,560 --> 00:27:43,840 It's sad that we live in a church culture that thinks 506 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:48,400 baptism is an option. Baptism is your public 507 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:51,360 profession of faith in Jesus Christ. 508 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:56,920 It is you outwardly expressing what Christ has done inwardly 509 00:27:56,920 --> 00:28:00,120 inside of you. There are people who say, you 510 00:28:00,120 --> 00:28:04,280 know, I, I have trusted Jesus in my heart, but I'm not ready to 511 00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:06,600 be baptized. I don't know about going in 512 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:11,760 front of all those people. To you I say this, I question 513 00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:15,840 the sincerity of your faith. I question the sincerity of your 514 00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:20,600 faith, because inward faith must be present. 515 00:28:21,040 --> 00:28:25,640 But please know this outward expression must be present as 516 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:28,520 well. That is confirmation that you 517 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:32,720 are a true believer. Isaiah 51 verse 16, it says, I 518 00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:35,920 put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of 519 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:38,440 my hand. I who set the heavens in place, 520 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:41,280 who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, you 521 00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:43,280 are my people. He said, I put my very words in 522 00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:45,400 your mouth. If you're his people, He puts 523 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:48,160 his words in your mouth. He gives you a profession. 524 00:28:48,320 --> 00:28:51,040 That's why we know this. Paul teaches it just like that 525 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:53,840 in Romans chapter 10. We looked at it a moment ago for 526 00:28:53,840 --> 00:28:56,720 another example, but let's look at it again that if you confess 527 00:28:56,720 --> 00:28:59,840 verse 9 with your mouth. Jesus is Lord and believe in 528 00:28:59,840 --> 00:29:00,680 your. Heart that God. 529 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:05,440 Raised him from the dead. You will be saved, for it is 530 00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:08,160 with your heart that you believe and are justified is with your 531 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:11,000 mouth that you confess and are saved. 532 00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:15,480 So inward faith without an outward profession is not 533 00:29:15,480 --> 00:29:21,240 salvation, it's intellectual knowledge, because true 534 00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:24,200 salvation through the Word of God and according to the Word of 535 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:26,760 God, you will be graced with a profession. 536 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:28,320 And what will that profession be? 537 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:31,440 Christ and Christ alone. If it weren't for Christ, I 538 00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:32,800 would still be destined for hell. 539 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:35,000 If it weren't for Christ, I would still be condemned. 540 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:38,600 If it weren't for Christ, I would still be the Sinner that I 541 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:42,520 always have been. But in Christ I have been 542 00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:45,960 cleansed, I have been washed, I have been given eternal life. 543 00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:51,160 Both are required. Please note that Paul didn't say 544 00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:54,320 that we can confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and we 545 00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:55,840 don't have to worry about it in our heart. 546 00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:58,160 And he didn't say that we have to believe in our heart, not 547 00:29:58,160 --> 00:29:59,640 really worry about our profession. 548 00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:03,400 He said if both are present, you can know this true salvation has 549 00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:06,400 taken place. And a person who says that I 550 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:08,840 believe, but yet I'm too embarrassed to get baptized. 551 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:12,520 You fall into the category that Jesus taught about when he said 552 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:16,000 if you were ashamed of him on this earth, he will be ashamed 553 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:18,320 of you before his Father in heaven. 554 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:21,480 Please take that seriously. That's the word of God. 555 00:30:21,480 --> 00:30:23,200 That's not Kirk's opinion. That's not Kirk's 556 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:26,080 interpretation. That's exactly what the truth of 557 00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:29,720 Scripture says. And so please understand that 558 00:30:29,720 --> 00:30:34,120 today that your profession, you're our profession. 559 00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:39,640 Is a result of a work of God, and it is a result of a work of 560 00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:43,360 God through the Scriptures. He says, do not snatch the word 561 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:45,600 of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws. 562 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:49,480 He put hope in his laws inwardly, and now he's 563 00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:51,440 professing the truth with his mouth. 564 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:54,000 He said. I don't want to lose that. 565 00:30:55,120 --> 00:30:57,480 I don't want to be ashamed of my God who's done so much for me. 566 00:30:57,480 --> 00:30:59,760 I don't want to be ashamed of my God who rescued me. 567 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:02,000 I don't want to be ashamed of my God who sent his only begotten 568 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:05,920 Son to rescue me on a cross. I want to proclaim that truth to 569 00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:09,040 everyone I know. And then some. 570 00:31:10,520 --> 00:31:14,520 Oh so many times we don't think of our profession as a grace, 571 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:16,120 but all of our salvation is a grace. 572 00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:20,160 And if professing Christ is a part of our expression of 573 00:31:20,160 --> 00:31:26,560 salvation, then we ought to see it as his grace in and through 574 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:28,640 us. The reason that I can profess 575 00:31:28,640 --> 00:31:32,800 that Christ is my Lord is because Christ graciously saved 576 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:35,240 me. And I can profess it according 577 00:31:35,240 --> 00:31:38,080 to the Scriptures accurately because Christ graciously gives 578 00:31:38,080 --> 00:31:41,000 me the truth of Scripture. Jesus is not my homeboy, He's 579 00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:44,480 not my best friend. Scripture says Jesus is my 580 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:48,640 atoning substitute, that he died in my place, that he. 581 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:52,120 Who knew no sin? Became sin so that I might 582 00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:54,720 become the righteousness of God. Scripture tells me how he 583 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:58,160 suffered and how he bled and how he died to rescue me. 584 00:31:59,120 --> 00:32:02,000 And that is what I profess. I profess it because Scripture 585 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:05,960 dictates it. Scripture mandates it. 586 00:32:07,040 --> 00:32:10,600 So we see that even our profession may we understand 587 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:17,040 that that required profession. It's a grace that God has given 588 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:19,160 us through the Scriptures. He has let us know. 589 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:22,280 It's not enough just to secretly say you're a follower of Jesus, 590 00:32:24,480 --> 00:32:27,720 but you must profess and you will profess according to the 591 00:32:27,720 --> 00:32:30,160 word of God. But you see the blessing that 592 00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:34,680 that is if you do profess Christ, and if you don't profess 593 00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:36,880 Christ, I pray that you would search your soul today. 594 00:32:37,920 --> 00:32:39,560 I pray that you would test yourself to see if you were 595 00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:42,680 really of the faith. So we see the psalmist here 596 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:45,880 seeing the third blessing, that of profession. 597 00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:48,400 He says, do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth. 598 00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:53,440 Oh, where would I be without that word confirming that I do 599 00:32:53,440 --> 00:32:57,000 truly have hope inwardly because of what Your word says. 600 00:32:57,680 --> 00:32:59,600 Fourthly, we see this, he says in 44. 601 00:32:59,800 --> 00:33:05,880 I will always obey your law, forever and ever. 602 00:33:06,520 --> 00:33:08,760 Oh, we see there the blessing of obedience. 603 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:11,320 Now let me make this clear to all of you folks here today so 604 00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:14,920 that you know this. When you obey God, don't pat 605 00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:18,640 yourself on the back. That is simply what Ephesians 606 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:21,960 chapter 2 verse 10 calls good works which He prepared in 607 00:33:21,960 --> 00:33:25,760 advance for you to do. And you learn to do these 608 00:33:25,760 --> 00:33:27,000 things. How? 609 00:33:27,760 --> 00:33:30,160 Through the studying and the teaching of the Word of God. 610 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:32,560 Isn't it the word of God that teaches us right from wrong? 611 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:34,080 It's the Word of God that teaches us. 612 00:33:34,080 --> 00:33:36,440 Black from white, right? Black from white. 613 00:33:36,440 --> 00:33:37,880 It's the Word of God that teaches us. 614 00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:40,120 Unrighteousness from righteousness. 615 00:33:41,080 --> 00:33:42,920 It's the Word of God that teaches us holiness from 616 00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:44,960 wickedness. We know that we learned those 617 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:46,720 things through the Scripture, and without the Scripture we 618 00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:49,080 would not even know what obedience is. 619 00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:51,520 That's what Paul said when he got down to the root of the law. 620 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:54,080 He said it's the law that showed me what sin is. 621 00:33:54,160 --> 00:33:55,680 Had the law not come forth, I wouldn't. 622 00:33:55,680 --> 00:33:59,800 Have even known what coveting is, but His word shows me what 623 00:33:59,800 --> 00:34:04,400 is sinful, and it also shows me what is obedient and righteous. 624 00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:07,680 So the psalmist here is saying, I will always obey your law, 625 00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:09,920 forever and ever. Why? 626 00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:12,199 Because he had been blessed through knowing the Scriptures. 627 00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:17,679 With the gift of obedience, He'd been graced with that God's word 628 00:34:17,679 --> 00:34:22,360 had allowed him to see all of his deficiencies and his need to 629 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:25,159 count on God in every area of his life. 630 00:34:25,159 --> 00:34:28,280 To know that there is no righteousness that is found in 631 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:31,040 and of ourselves, but righteousness comes from God. 632 00:34:31,480 --> 00:34:34,440 We know that Paul declares that that righteousness has been. 633 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:40,880 Revealed in Christ, God's Word, He gives us all the wisdom and 634 00:34:40,880 --> 00:34:45,000 all the direction that we need to be obedient to God. 635 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:49,880 Proverbs 2 verse 6 says this. For the Lord gives wisdom, and 636 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:52,239 from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 637 00:34:52,760 --> 00:34:54,639 He holds victory in store for the upright. 638 00:34:54,639 --> 00:34:58,000 He is a shield to those who want whose walk is blameless, for He 639 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:00,720 guards the course of the just and protects the way of his 640 00:35:00,720 --> 00:35:03,400 faithful ones. Then you will understand what is 641 00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:06,320 right and just and fair. Every good path. 642 00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:08,360 How will you know this? Go back to the first part. 643 00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:12,360 The Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and 644 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:14,880 understanding. How do we have knowledge and 645 00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:17,160 understanding to walk the path of obedience? 646 00:35:17,360 --> 00:35:20,480 It is His Word. It is a lamp unto our feet, and 647 00:35:20,480 --> 00:35:23,120 it is a light unto our path. That's why the psalmist said, 648 00:35:23,120 --> 00:35:26,200 I've hidden Your word in my heart so that I might not sin 649 00:35:26,320 --> 00:35:28,760 against God. He had a desire for obedience, 650 00:35:28,760 --> 00:35:30,120 and where did that desire come from? 651 00:35:30,120 --> 00:35:33,360 Please don't take credit for it. He didn't come from you. 652 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:38,400 God put that desire for you to obey in you when He saved you, 653 00:35:38,760 --> 00:35:42,960 because it should be the desire of His children to obey Christ 654 00:35:43,080 --> 00:35:45,720 to obey. The Word of God, Jesus, Matthew 655 00:35:45,720 --> 00:35:48,760 chapter 17 Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord shall enter 656 00:35:48,760 --> 00:35:51,400 the Kingdom of heaven, but only he who does what the will of my 657 00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:54,560 Father. Why do you have a desire to do 658 00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:56,720 the will of the Father? Because the word has shown you 659 00:35:56,720 --> 00:35:58,800 that that ought to be your desire and has shown you what it 660 00:35:58,800 --> 00:36:02,600 means to actually live out your faith obediently. 661 00:36:03,760 --> 00:36:07,120 If you're not living out your your claim to faith obediently, 662 00:36:08,160 --> 00:36:11,480 A, you're not truly saved or B, you're ignoring the word of God 663 00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:14,560 because a true believer is going to see the word of God for what 664 00:36:14,560 --> 00:36:18,960 it is, wisdom and direction and how to obey God, how to bring 665 00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:23,000 him glory in your life. Don't forget this. 666 00:36:23,840 --> 00:36:29,480 If you're obedient to any degree in your life, it's because of 667 00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:33,360 His work of sanctification. It's because of His work of 668 00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:35,640 sanctification. And what did Jesus say? 669 00:36:35,640 --> 00:36:40,040 Go back to John 1717 again. He said sanctify them by truth. 670 00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:42,440 Your word is truth. And if you were being 671 00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:44,920 sanctified, that means you were being moved from sinful and 672 00:36:44,920 --> 00:36:48,280 disobedient to holy and righteous and obedient, 673 00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:51,160 conforming to the image of Christ, just as He preordained 674 00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:53,840 for you to conform to. If that is going on in your 675 00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:57,600 life, it does not happen without the blessing that comes from the 676 00:36:57,600 --> 00:37:00,600 Word of God in regard to our obedience. 677 00:37:02,240 --> 00:37:04,240 So if you're obedient, it's because of Him, it's not because 678 00:37:04,240 --> 00:37:06,920 of you. Give the praise that is due. 679 00:37:08,200 --> 00:37:12,640 Luke 11 verse 27, it says this as Jesus was saying these 680 00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:15,480 things, a woman in the crowd called out, blessed is the 681 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:17,480 mother who gave you birth and nursed you. 682 00:37:17,480 --> 00:37:21,960 She was obviously Catholic. She's obviously wrong. 683 00:37:23,160 --> 00:37:25,600 Watch what he says, He replied. Blessed. 684 00:37:25,760 --> 00:37:31,520 Rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it. 685 00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:36,760 What a blessing that it would have been from God. 686 00:37:36,800 --> 00:37:40,840 Can you imagine being Mary? And we know we can read the 687 00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:44,320 account of how she was informed that she was going to bear the 688 00:37:44,320 --> 00:37:47,360 Messiah. What a blessing that would have 689 00:37:47,360 --> 00:37:50,000 been that she would be a vessel chosen by God. 690 00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:53,320 And please know that just the vessel, just the tool chosen by 691 00:37:53,320 --> 00:37:58,520 God for His incarnation. She was even overwhelmed with 692 00:37:58,520 --> 00:38:04,520 that blessing. Now Jesus himself said a greater 693 00:38:04,520 --> 00:38:09,120 blessing that we can receive is this, to hear the word of God 694 00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:13,320 and to obey it. The psalmist understood this. 695 00:38:13,320 --> 00:38:16,280 I will always obey your law forever and ever. 696 00:38:16,280 --> 00:38:19,400 He was devoted to obedience because God had done a work in 697 00:38:19,400 --> 00:38:21,360 him. Through the word. 698 00:38:21,760 --> 00:38:24,760 So when we see obedience toward God in our lives, may we realize 699 00:38:24,760 --> 00:38:30,280 that any and all obedience comes as a blessing, as a grace from 700 00:38:30,280 --> 00:38:31,880 God. Don't pat yourself on the back. 701 00:38:33,720 --> 00:38:35,640 And pat yourself on the back and say how good you are, because 702 00:38:35,640 --> 00:38:37,200 you used to not obey, and now you're obeying. 703 00:38:38,400 --> 00:38:40,720 Now you say how good God is that He would grace you with the 704 00:38:40,720 --> 00:38:44,520 truth of His Word, so that you would walk in obedience to His 705 00:38:44,520 --> 00:38:47,400 Word, and you would walk in that blessing that He desires. 706 00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:51,200 To give you of O obedience. What a gracious God that we 707 00:38:51,200 --> 00:38:57,960 serve, that a once willful center like myself who 708 00:38:57,960 --> 00:39:00,560 contradicted God in every area of my life, every word from my 709 00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:05,800 mouth, every thought in my mind that He would now through His 710 00:39:05,800 --> 00:39:10,280 Word, through the teaching of His Word, grace me with 711 00:39:10,280 --> 00:39:15,120 sanctification and obedience and allow me to now be a vessel who 712 00:39:15,120 --> 00:39:19,720 brings Him glory through that obedience that He has given me 713 00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:22,280 to live out. Psalmist understood that I'll 714 00:39:22,280 --> 00:39:24,720 always obey Your law forever and ever. 715 00:39:25,320 --> 00:39:28,720 We go to verse 45 and we see the 5th blessing. 716 00:39:29,200 --> 00:39:33,080 Of God's word this morning says I will walk about in freedom, 717 00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:35,800 for I have sought out your precepts. 718 00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:38,760 We see freedom here. What a blessing. 719 00:39:39,480 --> 00:39:42,800 The psalmist understood freedom through the word of God, freedom 720 00:39:42,800 --> 00:39:45,920 through sound teaching from the Word of God. 721 00:39:46,880 --> 00:39:50,920 He knew that through His Word, God enlightens us to the fact 722 00:39:50,920 --> 00:39:56,720 that we can be set free from the bondage of sin that once held. 723 00:39:56,720 --> 00:40:01,400 US. The psalmist getting that I will 724 00:40:01,400 --> 00:40:04,800 walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. 725 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:07,120 Isn't it interesting that the lost world thinks that the Word 726 00:40:07,120 --> 00:40:10,600 of God will confine us? The Word of God will hold us in 727 00:40:10,600 --> 00:40:12,720 bondage to those ancient traditions. 728 00:40:15,640 --> 00:40:17,840 But isn't it true that the opposite really happens to the 729 00:40:17,840 --> 00:40:21,560 child of God? It is the Word of God that sets 730 00:40:21,560 --> 00:40:27,400 us absolutely free from bondage. What the psalmist is saying 731 00:40:27,400 --> 00:40:30,400 here, you know what to be true if you've read the New Testament 732 00:40:30,400 --> 00:40:33,040 and all that. We have freedom in Christ, 733 00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:34,720 number one, we have freedom from sin. 734 00:40:34,720 --> 00:40:37,600 According to Paul, what he wrote in Romans chapter 6, he says in 735 00:40:37,600 --> 00:40:41,600 verse 18, you have been set free from sin and have become slaves 736 00:40:41,960 --> 00:40:43,800 to righteousness. Why? 737 00:40:43,800 --> 00:40:46,640 Because of God's grace, because of God's mercy, because of the 738 00:40:46,640 --> 00:40:50,880 truth of God's Word, we have been set free from sin, from the 739 00:40:50,880 --> 00:40:53,640 penalty, and the power of sin in our life. 740 00:40:54,240 --> 00:40:56,560 How many people just settle for being freed from the penalty? 741 00:40:57,760 --> 00:40:58,880 Why? It's not going to be held in my 742 00:40:58,880 --> 00:41:01,480 charge eternally, and I'm not going to have to go to hell now, 743 00:41:01,480 --> 00:41:03,440 so I'm going to get to go to heaven, and that's cool. 744 00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:07,760 But Jesus died according to the Word of God, not just. 745 00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:10,400 To free you from the penalty of sin, but to also free you from 746 00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:13,560 the power of sin. So that you can walk in 747 00:41:13,560 --> 00:41:15,600 obedience, so that you can be holy. 748 00:41:15,600 --> 00:41:18,960 For the Lord your God is holy, just as Scripture has commanded 749 00:41:18,960 --> 00:41:20,760 us to do. Jesus Christ has set us free 750 00:41:20,760 --> 00:41:22,080 from the penalty and the power of sin. 751 00:41:22,240 --> 00:41:26,000 And one day ultimately, according to the Word of God, He 752 00:41:26,000 --> 00:41:28,040 will set us free from the presence of sin. 753 00:41:28,040 --> 00:41:30,760 We will dwell with him in a sinless environment for all 754 00:41:30,760 --> 00:41:32,920 eternity thinks be unto God through Jesus. 755 00:41:32,920 --> 00:41:36,040 Christ our Lord, and so we have freedom. 756 00:41:37,440 --> 00:41:39,360 Freedom from the penalty and the power of sin. 757 00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:43,400 Now make no mistake, it's not freedom to sin because 758 00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:46,600 unfortunately the carnal mind hears freedom from sin and you 759 00:41:46,600 --> 00:41:48,920 think freedom to sin. That's not what he's saying. 760 00:41:50,160 --> 00:41:54,800 In fact, we ought to never abuse our freedom from sin by 761 00:41:54,800 --> 00:41:58,480 participating in sin. Galatians chapter 5 verse 13. 762 00:41:58,480 --> 00:42:00,600 Paul makes this very clear. He said you, my brothers, were 763 00:42:00,600 --> 00:42:03,680 called to be free. But do not use your freedom to 764 00:42:03,680 --> 00:42:07,400 indulge the sinful nature. Rather serve one another in 765 00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:09,760 love. The entire law is summed up in a 766 00:42:09,760 --> 00:42:11,800 single command. Love your neighbor as yourself. 767 00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:13,400 What is Paul saying? He's saying this. 768 00:42:13,400 --> 00:42:16,120 You are freed from the penalty and the power of sin in your 769 00:42:16,120 --> 00:42:19,000 life. There is no sin that is going to 770 00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:20,360 be held to your charge eternally. 771 00:42:20,360 --> 00:42:23,240 If you were in. Christ, they're all forgiven, 772 00:42:23,240 --> 00:42:25,040 past, present and future. He said. 773 00:42:25,040 --> 00:42:26,560 But that's no. Excuse for you to do whatever 774 00:42:26,560 --> 00:42:28,600 you want to do, because you could call somebody else to fall 775 00:42:28,600 --> 00:42:29,960 into sin. You could call someone else to 776 00:42:29,960 --> 00:42:32,600 stumble. You could hurt your testimony to 777 00:42:32,600 --> 00:42:34,600 others. Paul taking that very seriously. 778 00:42:34,600 --> 00:42:37,560 We know that how the word of God is when we look at freedom, the 779 00:42:37,560 --> 00:42:39,040 blessing that we have from the word of God. 780 00:42:39,040 --> 00:42:41,800 We also need to see if freedom is not to be abused. 781 00:42:43,200 --> 00:42:45,960 So we have freedom from sin, not freedom to sin, but we also have 782 00:42:45,960 --> 00:42:47,960 freedom from legalistic righteousness. 783 00:42:49,400 --> 00:42:51,280 Oh, I would to God that some of you would get freedom from 784 00:42:51,280 --> 00:42:53,360 legalistic righteousness. You think that if I check all 785 00:42:53,360 --> 00:43:01,000 the boxes, I'm going to be OK? Galatians 5 says this verse one. 786 00:43:01,200 --> 00:43:04,360 It says it is for freedom that Christ has set you free. 787 00:43:04,880 --> 00:43:07,480 Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by 788 00:43:07,480 --> 00:43:09,720 the yoke of slavery. Mark my words. 789 00:43:09,720 --> 00:43:12,480 I Paul tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, 790 00:43:12,480 --> 00:43:14,520 Christ will be of no value to you at. 791 00:43:14,520 --> 00:43:17,000 All. Again, I declare to every man 792 00:43:17,000 --> 00:43:20,120 who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the 793 00:43:20,120 --> 00:43:21,360 whole law. So what's going on here? 794 00:43:21,520 --> 00:43:23,760 These Judaizers have crept in and they're trying to promote 795 00:43:23,840 --> 00:43:25,560 circumcision. That's always the first step 796 00:43:25,560 --> 00:43:27,400 because we know that circumcision precedes the. 797 00:43:27,400 --> 00:43:29,680 Law. Because circumcision came with 798 00:43:29,680 --> 00:43:31,440 Abraham, the law came with Moses. 799 00:43:31,440 --> 00:43:33,440 So what's happening here? These people are telling the 800 00:43:33,440 --> 00:43:35,920 people that they must be circumcised even though they are 801 00:43:35,920 --> 00:43:37,760 in Christ. And some of them, even Gentile 802 00:43:37,760 --> 00:43:39,720 believers, Paul saying absolutely not. 803 00:43:39,920 --> 00:43:44,400 Don't return to that yoke of slavery and legalistic 804 00:43:44,400 --> 00:43:47,920 righteousness, he says. I tell you that if you let 805 00:43:47,920 --> 00:43:50,840 yourself be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at 806 00:43:50,840 --> 00:43:52,560 all. Again, I declare to every man 807 00:43:52,560 --> 00:43:55,440 who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the 808 00:43:55,440 --> 00:43:56,640 whole law. He says if you're going to go 809 00:43:56,640 --> 00:44:00,760 through with this, you have to obey the other 613 commandments 810 00:44:00,760 --> 00:44:02,520 of the law. If you're counting on that to 811 00:44:02,520 --> 00:44:05,160 justify you, you have to be perfect and your righteousness. 812 00:44:06,280 --> 00:44:07,640 He doesn't. Verse 4, you who are trying to 813 00:44:07,640 --> 00:44:10,600 be justified by the law, that's for all the people who say what 814 00:44:10,600 --> 00:44:12,320 he was talking about circumcision here and not 815 00:44:12,320 --> 00:44:13,800 talking about the entirety of the law. 816 00:44:13,800 --> 00:44:14,960 There you go. Paul has spoken. 817 00:44:15,320 --> 00:44:17,680 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been 818 00:44:17,680 --> 00:44:20,760 alienated from Christ. You have fallen away from grace, 819 00:44:21,560 --> 00:44:24,040 but by faith we eagerly await is through the Spirit, the 820 00:44:24,040 --> 00:44:25,800 righteousness from which we hope. 821 00:44:26,360 --> 00:44:29,440 For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision 822 00:44:29,440 --> 00:44:32,000 has any value. The only thing that counts is 823 00:44:32,000 --> 00:44:35,440 faith expressing itself through love. 824 00:44:35,760 --> 00:44:38,800 What's Paul talking about here? He's talking about freedom from 825 00:44:38,800 --> 00:44:43,800 legalistic righteousness. I don't have to earn salvation. 826 00:44:44,600 --> 00:44:48,160 I don't have to do this. I don't have to do anything so 827 00:44:48,160 --> 00:44:51,880 that I can be saved. Jesus Christ has done it all. 828 00:44:52,000 --> 00:44:56,800 I simply by God's grace, trust in that, in that alone, 829 00:44:56,920 --> 00:44:59,760 according to the word of God. And so people who teach you 830 00:44:59,760 --> 00:45:03,080 things, Jesus plus anything, right? 831 00:45:03,080 --> 00:45:05,360 Jesus plus you have to be baptized, Jesus plus you have to 832 00:45:05,360 --> 00:45:07,120 go to church. Jesus plus you have to wear a 833 00:45:07,120 --> 00:45:11,960 black suit and a black tie. Jesus plus anything is 834 00:45:11,960 --> 00:45:16,160 legalistic righteousness. That's not the gospel, That's no 835 00:45:16,160 --> 00:45:17,840 blessing at all. What that is, it's another yoke 836 00:45:17,840 --> 00:45:20,920 of slavery. Paul said don't return to that. 837 00:45:21,600 --> 00:45:23,200 You have freedom from legalistic righteous. 838 00:45:23,200 --> 00:45:24,360 You have freedom from the law. Why? 839 00:45:24,360 --> 00:45:27,280 Because Christ has fulfilled the law fully for those who are in 840 00:45:27,280 --> 00:45:30,480 Christ. And thirdly, we see this in 841 00:45:30,480 --> 00:45:32,360 regard to freedom. We have freedom through the the 842 00:45:32,360 --> 00:45:34,400 truth of God's Word. How does this come about? 843 00:45:35,440 --> 00:45:40,280 Through God's Word? John chapter 8 verse 31 says to 844 00:45:40,280 --> 00:45:42,800 the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, if you hold to my 845 00:45:42,800 --> 00:45:44,400 teaching, you are really my disciples. 846 00:45:44,400 --> 00:45:47,160 Again teaching the doctrine of perseverance, that a true 847 00:45:47,160 --> 00:45:49,640 disciple will hold to his teachings, the teachings found 848 00:45:49,640 --> 00:45:53,760 in His Word, and then you will know the truth and the truth 849 00:45:53,760 --> 00:45:55,600 will set you free. There's freedom again. 850 00:45:55,680 --> 00:45:57,840 And what has set them free? It is the truth. 851 00:45:57,840 --> 00:45:59,720 The truth of what? The truth of the Word of God. 852 00:45:59,880 --> 00:46:03,000 So it is in the Word of God that true freedom comes to those who 853 00:46:03,000 --> 00:46:06,480 are really in Christ because they have believed the truth of 854 00:46:06,480 --> 00:46:10,120 the Word of God. And we know what he says in 36. 855 00:46:10,440 --> 00:46:14,000 So if the sun sets you free, you will be free indeed. 856 00:46:14,000 --> 00:46:15,840 This is no longer up for discussion. 857 00:46:15,840 --> 00:46:18,920 If you are truly in Christ, set free by the truth of God's Word, 858 00:46:19,280 --> 00:46:22,040 you have the blessing of. Freedom. 859 00:46:22,760 --> 00:46:28,360 You are free now to rejoice and to be obedient to God, not out 860 00:46:28,360 --> 00:46:30,400 of obligation trying to be justified. 861 00:46:30,400 --> 00:46:32,920 You get to be obedient to God out of appreciation for what 862 00:46:33,000 --> 00:46:34,560 Jesus Christ did for you at the cross. 863 00:46:34,560 --> 00:46:36,240 And. Let me tell you this, I've done 864 00:46:36,240 --> 00:46:41,120 it both ways. 1 is a yoke of slavery, legalism and the other 865 00:46:41,120 --> 00:46:45,200 is true freedom and trusting in Christ that if I lay my head on 866 00:46:45,200 --> 00:46:49,600 a pillow tonight and and all the boxes are not checked, Jesus 867 00:46:49,600 --> 00:46:51,280 Christ has already checked all the boxes that need to be 868 00:46:51,280 --> 00:46:54,720 checked for me and I have faith and I have hope in him and him 869 00:46:54,720 --> 00:46:57,160 alone. What freedom that he blesses us 870 00:46:57,160 --> 00:47:01,040 with through knowing his word. Sixthly, we see this as the 871 00:47:01,040 --> 00:47:04,480 Psalmist continues verse 46. He says, I will speak of your 872 00:47:04,480 --> 00:47:08,040 statutes before kings and will not be put to shame. 873 00:47:08,040 --> 00:47:10,200 What are the psalmist doing here? 874 00:47:10,200 --> 00:47:14,120 The psalmist is offering for us boldness, and the psalmist could 875 00:47:14,120 --> 00:47:18,680 boldly proclaim truth, He says, even before kings, before rulers 876 00:47:19,120 --> 00:47:22,360 and those in authority, because he trusted in the word of God, 877 00:47:22,360 --> 00:47:26,880 and he trusted in the word of. God to be his powerful boldness, 878 00:47:26,880 --> 00:47:28,880 he says. I'll speak of your statutes 879 00:47:28,880 --> 00:47:31,480 before kings and will not be put to shame. 880 00:47:31,480 --> 00:47:33,440 That's what Jesus told his disciples they would do as well, 881 00:47:33,440 --> 00:47:34,520 right? You're going to go before kings 882 00:47:34,520 --> 00:47:36,280 and magistrates, but don't worry about what you're going to say. 883 00:47:37,640 --> 00:47:39,720 Holy Spirit's going to give you the word to say My word is in 884 00:47:39,720 --> 00:47:42,120 you. He's going to speak through you. 885 00:47:42,120 --> 00:47:43,800 He's going to give you the boldness that you need. 886 00:47:44,160 --> 00:47:47,960 Isn't that what Jesus promised the followers of Christ there in 887 00:47:47,960 --> 00:47:50,920 Acts chapter one? That they would receive boldness 888 00:47:50,920 --> 00:47:53,440 to be witnesses when the Spirit's power came. 889 00:47:53,440 --> 00:47:54,640 Upon them. And that's exactly what 890 00:47:54,640 --> 00:47:57,720 happened. So we see that. 891 00:47:59,240 --> 00:48:02,440 The psalmist understands the blessing of true boldness from 892 00:48:02,440 --> 00:48:07,560 the Word of God. To simply proclaim God's Word as 893 00:48:07,680 --> 00:48:10,920 truth and not compromise at all, and just to be bold in that 894 00:48:10,920 --> 00:48:12,240 people. Ask all the time, why are How 895 00:48:12,240 --> 00:48:13,800 are you so bold? I'm not bold. 896 00:48:14,960 --> 00:48:20,160 Truth be told, I don't even want to be up here, but God's word is 897 00:48:20,160 --> 00:48:23,920 bold and God has empowered me with his word and when that 898 00:48:23,920 --> 00:48:25,720 comes out, it comes out as bold. Why? 899 00:48:25,720 --> 00:48:29,760 Because God is bold and His Word is bold, that He has graced us 900 00:48:29,760 --> 00:48:33,240 with boldness if we are in Christ, so that when we stand 901 00:48:33,240 --> 00:48:37,480 before whoever, be it kings, be it magistrates, be it governors, 902 00:48:37,480 --> 00:48:41,600 be it a group of people known as Goli Fellowship, when we stand 903 00:48:41,600 --> 00:48:45,120 before those people and we stand in His Word, we stand in the 904 00:48:45,120 --> 00:48:47,720 blessing of boldness. That's what the psalmist is 905 00:48:47,720 --> 00:48:50,080 getting at here. I'm going to speak of your 906 00:48:50,080 --> 00:48:53,560 statutes before kings and will not be put to shame. 907 00:48:53,560 --> 00:48:55,560 I'm not going to be afraid of them, what they can do to me 908 00:48:55,560 --> 00:48:57,080 because kings could take his life. 909 00:48:58,680 --> 00:49:01,520 He's not worried about that. He's going to proclaim boldly 910 00:49:01,520 --> 00:49:03,360 the truth of the word of God because of the truth of the word 911 00:49:03,360 --> 00:49:07,240 of God is bold. So anytime you proclaim God's 912 00:49:07,240 --> 00:49:08,920 truth, it's bold, It's bold truth. 913 00:49:10,160 --> 00:49:11,800 People like you're, you're just black and white. 914 00:49:11,800 --> 00:49:13,200 No, the word of God's black and white. 915 00:49:15,440 --> 00:49:16,840 It says what it means and it means what it says. 916 00:49:16,840 --> 00:49:20,800 And we simply get up here and we just discharge the word of God. 917 00:49:20,800 --> 00:49:22,880 And we we broadcast it out to everyone. 918 00:49:22,880 --> 00:49:24,560 It does what it's intended to do. 919 00:49:25,280 --> 00:49:27,920 It boldly confronts your sin. It boldly confronts your life. 920 00:49:28,040 --> 00:49:29,880 It boldly confronts your unbelief. 921 00:49:30,320 --> 00:49:33,800 It boldly confronts your doubt. It boldly confronts your fears. 922 00:49:34,240 --> 00:49:35,920 It boldly confronts everything in your. 923 00:49:35,920 --> 00:49:38,240 Life because the word of God is bold. 924 00:49:39,440 --> 00:49:41,600 Psalmist here understanding that I'll speak your statutes before 925 00:49:41,600 --> 00:49:43,520 kings and will not be put to shame. 926 00:49:44,720 --> 00:49:47,000 No, we remember the words of Paul where he told Timothy there 927 00:49:47,000 --> 00:49:49,720 in second Timothy chapter 4. Preach the Word, be prepared in 928 00:49:49,720 --> 00:49:52,080 season and out of season, correct rebuke, encourage with 929 00:49:52,080 --> 00:49:54,680 great patience and careful instruction, for the time will 930 00:49:54,680 --> 00:49:57,440 come when men will not put up with sound doctrine and said to 931 00:49:57,440 --> 00:49:59,240 suit their own desires, they will gather. 932 00:49:59,240 --> 00:50:01,400 Around them a great number of teachers to say what their 933 00:50:01,400 --> 00:50:04,200 itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away 934 00:50:04,200 --> 00:50:06,320 from the truth and turn aside to myths. 935 00:50:06,480 --> 00:50:08,440 In the midst of this, Paul saying that there is going to be 936 00:50:08,440 --> 00:50:10,560 this downgrade and people are not going to want sound 937 00:50:10,560 --> 00:50:14,280 doctrine. He's telling Timothy boldly 938 00:50:14,480 --> 00:50:18,240 stand on the Word of God and let the Word of God be what it is, 939 00:50:18,240 --> 00:50:22,120 bold, and just stand there in season and out of season. 940 00:50:22,120 --> 00:50:24,040 You know what that means when it's popular and when it's not 941 00:50:24,040 --> 00:50:28,600 popular, when it's accepted, when it's not accepted, when the 942 00:50:28,600 --> 00:50:30,800 people who you're talking to are going to prove of it or the 943 00:50:30,800 --> 00:50:33,080 people who you're talking to are going to disapprove of it. 944 00:50:33,800 --> 00:50:37,240 He's saying stand in boldness and it is in the Word of God 945 00:50:37,240 --> 00:50:39,800 that we have boldness. What a blessing that is. 946 00:50:40,680 --> 00:50:44,360 Now we see the example of Paul not only speaking to Timothy 947 00:50:45,480 --> 00:50:48,080 about boldness and preaching the word of God without compromise. 948 00:50:48,080 --> 00:50:52,000 We see it in his life. Paul living this out. 949 00:50:52,000 --> 00:50:55,720 Acts chapter 24 before Felix, standing in the boldness of the 950 00:50:55,720 --> 00:51:00,680 word of God before Festus in Acts chapter 25, standing in the 951 00:51:00,680 --> 00:51:02,600 boldness of the word of God before Herod and Griffith. 952 00:51:02,680 --> 00:51:05,480 There again in Acts 25 standing in the boldness of the word of 953 00:51:05,480 --> 00:51:07,120 God. We see in Acts 25. 954 00:51:07,120 --> 00:51:10,000 Many believe that he actually stood before Nero. 955 00:51:11,000 --> 00:51:14,160 How do you stand before Nero? In the boldness of the word of 956 00:51:14,160 --> 00:51:18,560 God, blessed and graced with that boldness that comes from 957 00:51:18,560 --> 00:51:22,040 the Word, we think of men like Luther throughout history, 958 00:51:22,040 --> 00:51:25,720 Martin Luther, who took his stand on the Word of God. 959 00:51:25,720 --> 00:51:31,000 At the deer of worms, he refused to recant the truth of 960 00:51:31,000 --> 00:51:34,640 Scripture. He refused to back down from 961 00:51:35,880 --> 00:51:40,000 what the word of God said and what the word of God taught, and 962 00:51:40,000 --> 00:51:41,480 he stood with these famous words. 963 00:51:41,480 --> 00:51:46,640 Here I stand, I can do no other. How he was facing 964 00:51:46,640 --> 00:51:49,240 excommunication and possibly even facing death. 965 00:51:51,640 --> 00:51:55,280 And Luther stood in the boldness that comes when a man stands on 966 00:51:55,280 --> 00:51:57,200 the truth of the word of God. And he stood there, and he said, 967 00:51:57,200 --> 00:52:00,160 here I stand. I can do no other. 968 00:52:00,160 --> 00:52:06,240 I got no other choice. Preacher, why are you always 969 00:52:06,240 --> 00:52:08,800 confronting issues with the Scriptures so boldly? 970 00:52:08,800 --> 00:52:12,880 I've got no other choice. Here I stand. 971 00:52:12,880 --> 00:52:15,600 I can do no other. Let me just tell you this. 972 00:52:15,600 --> 00:52:18,080 If you claim to be a preacher and you can do something else, 973 00:52:19,520 --> 00:52:23,640 you're mistaken in your calling. The preacher is going to stand 974 00:52:23,640 --> 00:52:26,440 in the boldness of the truth of the Word of God, and he can do 975 00:52:26,440 --> 00:52:29,520 no other. I tell these young ministers all 976 00:52:29,520 --> 00:52:31,920 the time who I work with. If you can do something else, do 977 00:52:31,920 --> 00:52:34,240 it. Start today, put out your 978 00:52:34,240 --> 00:52:37,960 applications, get out of here. There's lots of good jobs. 979 00:52:37,960 --> 00:52:42,640 Go find a job. But if we're going to do what 980 00:52:42,640 --> 00:52:44,840 we're called to do, we're going to have to trust the Word of God 981 00:52:44,840 --> 00:52:46,640 that He's going to give us all the boldness that we need. 982 00:52:46,640 --> 00:52:48,600 And he's going to, you're going to need it. 983 00:52:49,240 --> 00:52:52,720 He's going to give it to you. So we see boldness as a blessing 984 00:52:52,720 --> 00:52:54,240 that comes from God through His Word. 985 00:52:55,600 --> 00:52:57,320 We read account after account in Scripture. 986 00:52:58,240 --> 00:53:00,520 The men and women of God who were equipped with the word of 987 00:53:00,520 --> 00:53:04,080 God and allowed them to be bold. Even in the face of persecution, 988 00:53:04,080 --> 00:53:06,480 even in the face of death, they were bold. 989 00:53:07,240 --> 00:53:08,880 That boldness came from the truth of Scriptures. 990 00:53:09,480 --> 00:53:14,880 And lastly, we see this verse 47, he says, For I delight in 991 00:53:14,880 --> 00:53:18,720 your commands because I love them. 992 00:53:21,480 --> 00:53:24,000 Instead, I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love. 993 00:53:25,280 --> 00:53:29,000 And I meditate on your decrees. I want you. 994 00:53:29,000 --> 00:53:31,840 To see the blessing of affection that he has been given, you say, 995 00:53:31,840 --> 00:53:32,840 well, wait a minute, he's been given. 996 00:53:32,840 --> 00:53:33,920 It sounds like he's given it back. 997 00:53:33,920 --> 00:53:35,440 He had to receive it before he could give it. 998 00:53:37,800 --> 00:53:41,520 And is the Word of God that revealed God's love to the 999 00:53:41,520 --> 00:53:44,520 psalmist, just as the word of God reveals his love to us. 1000 00:53:45,680 --> 00:53:49,040 Psalmist here, obviously overwhelmed with love for God. 1001 00:53:49,040 --> 00:53:52,400 And for his word. The reason that he's overwhelmed 1002 00:53:52,400 --> 00:53:56,000 because he received God's unfailing love that he asked for 1003 00:53:56,000 --> 00:53:57,960 in verse 41. Go back to verse 41. 1004 00:53:57,960 --> 00:54:02,240 What did he say? Go back there, he says, may your 1005 00:54:02,240 --> 00:54:05,720 unfailing love come to me. That's his first request and now 1006 00:54:05,720 --> 00:54:07,480 we see. Here at the end of this Psalm, 1007 00:54:07,640 --> 00:54:10,520 obviously his unfailing love came to him. 1008 00:54:11,120 --> 00:54:14,640 And we know that his unfailing love came to him because we know 1009 00:54:14,640 --> 00:54:16,360 what John teaches in his epistle. 1010 00:54:16,440 --> 00:54:18,920 We love because he first loved us. 1011 00:54:20,880 --> 00:54:23,640 And now, because the psalmist has received, has received the 1012 00:54:23,640 --> 00:54:29,480 blessing of God's love and affection, he now walks in that 1013 00:54:29,480 --> 00:54:38,560 same affection, reciprocating that love back to the Father, so 1014 00:54:38,560 --> 00:54:40,920 having true love for God and for his. 1015 00:54:40,920 --> 00:54:47,080 Word folks, it's a blessing. It's a blessing that is brought 1016 00:54:47,080 --> 00:54:52,440 about in our lives because God has revealed His love to us 1017 00:54:52,440 --> 00:54:55,600 first. And when you see the magnitude 1018 00:54:55,600 --> 00:55:01,160 of God's love, Romans 5/8 God demonstrates his love for us in 1019 00:55:01,160 --> 00:55:06,760 this While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 1020 00:55:07,520 --> 00:55:14,040 When you see the magnitude of God's love, and your response is 1021 00:55:14,040 --> 00:55:19,600 not utter love in return, something is spiritually wrong 1022 00:55:19,600 --> 00:55:23,120 with you. Something is dreadfully off from 1023 00:55:23,120 --> 00:55:27,600 what a believer ought to be. So the psalmist here having 1024 00:55:27,600 --> 00:55:29,520 affection, look at his deep affection. 1025 00:55:29,520 --> 00:55:31,560 For I delight in your commands because I love them. 1026 00:55:32,120 --> 00:55:34,760 I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I 1027 00:55:34,760 --> 00:55:37,400 meditate on your decrees. Oh, think of the psalmist there 1028 00:55:37,400 --> 00:55:38,920 going. Through the Word of God, 1029 00:55:40,640 --> 00:55:44,400 meditating on those truths over and over and over again, and, 1030 00:55:44,400 --> 00:55:50,160 and in doing that, seeing the extent of God's love for him. 1031 00:55:52,280 --> 00:55:58,240 Up in the attic above my garage, I keep a small blue Rubbermaid 1032 00:55:58,240 --> 00:56:01,240 tote that I've had for years. In fact, had it since high 1033 00:56:01,240 --> 00:56:08,320 school. Inside that tote there are love 1034 00:56:08,320 --> 00:56:12,680 letters that I received from my now bride when we were just 1035 00:56:12,680 --> 00:56:19,000 kids, while we were in high school, when she went off to 1036 00:56:19,000 --> 00:56:21,480 college and we thought we were going to die because we were 1037 00:56:21,480 --> 00:56:29,040 away from one another. Many times I have revisited that 1038 00:56:29,040 --> 00:56:31,800 treasured vault, sometimes by myself. 1039 00:56:31,800 --> 00:56:35,920 Sometimes we've actually read these things together. 1040 00:56:36,280 --> 00:56:38,720 Please don't judge us on our grammatical errors. 1041 00:56:41,880 --> 00:56:44,360 But one thing I will I'm reminded of every time and I 1042 00:56:44,360 --> 00:56:46,720 still don't know why. I'm reminded of every time I 1043 00:56:46,720 --> 00:56:49,320 read those letters that that woman loves me and I don't know 1044 00:56:49,320 --> 00:56:53,080 why. And she's loved me since we were 1045 00:56:53,080 --> 00:56:57,160 kids. It's the same. 1046 00:56:57,240 --> 00:57:02,200 And even to a greater degree, when we open up the Word of God, 1047 00:57:03,760 --> 00:57:07,720 we see the truth, and my God loves me. 1048 00:57:08,680 --> 00:57:12,560 And I may not have any idea why. I don't have any idea why I can 1049 00:57:12,560 --> 00:57:15,560 give him a million reasons why not to love me, just as I could 1050 00:57:15,560 --> 00:57:23,450 my wife. But the Lord has determined to 1051 00:57:23,450 --> 00:57:25,250 love me, and His word confirms that. 1052 00:57:25,250 --> 00:57:34,450 Over and over and over again, I think about those letters, when 1053 00:57:34,450 --> 00:57:36,890 I would receive those letters. That's how we used to do it. 1054 00:57:36,890 --> 00:57:40,850 All you youngsters, the mail we didn't have, e-mail we didn't 1055 00:57:40,850 --> 00:57:41,410 have. Text. 1056 00:57:43,280 --> 00:57:46,200 My wife went off to college. She's quite a bit older than me 1057 00:57:50,680 --> 00:57:55,560 while I was still in high school, and it was a difficult 1058 00:57:55,560 --> 00:57:59,120 time because contrary to what anyone else thought, parents 1059 00:57:59,120 --> 00:58:01,480 included, we loved each other. We knew that we were going to 1060 00:58:01,480 --> 00:58:03,480 spend the rest of our life together and that the Lord had a 1061 00:58:03,480 --> 00:58:06,400 plan for us. I'm thankful that he did. 1062 00:58:07,760 --> 00:58:11,960 But I can remember when I knew that she had sent me a letter. 1063 00:58:11,960 --> 00:58:15,080 It would take about 2 1/2 to three days, whatever, from 1064 00:58:15,720 --> 00:58:17,440 getting from where she was to where I was. 1065 00:58:18,680 --> 00:58:20,440 I would listen. I couldn't wait because I don't 1066 00:58:20,440 --> 00:58:23,160 know why the US Postal Service can't fix their brakes, but they 1067 00:58:23,160 --> 00:58:25,080 have the squeakiest brakes in the world. 1068 00:58:26,920 --> 00:58:29,600 And my mail lady would come and I would hear her brakes and I 1069 00:58:29,600 --> 00:58:31,960 would know, oh, that's probably a letter from Brandy. 1070 00:58:33,600 --> 00:58:35,240 And I'd already mailed one off because she made. 1071 00:58:35,240 --> 00:58:37,200 Sure, if I'm sending this, you better send me one. 1072 00:58:40,160 --> 00:58:43,720 How we go out to that mailbox and get that letter as fast as I 1073 00:58:43,720 --> 00:58:44,880 could. I just wanted to know, does she 1074 00:58:44,880 --> 00:58:48,480 still love me like she used to? Does she still want to be mine 1075 00:58:48,480 --> 00:58:54,360 forever? So many times we don't do that 1076 00:58:54,360 --> 00:58:57,800 with the word of God, do we? We don't get excited on Sunday 1077 00:58:57,800 --> 00:59:00,000 morning to come and to hear that He still loves us. 1078 00:59:00,960 --> 00:59:02,320 He still has a plan for our life. 1079 00:59:03,000 --> 00:59:06,360 We're still His children. We're still the apple of his 1080 00:59:06,360 --> 00:59:07,760 eye, even though we don't know why. 1081 00:59:09,120 --> 00:59:12,640 And he sent his only begotten Son to die to rescue us so that 1082 00:59:12,640 --> 00:59:15,520 he could love us, so that we could then love him in return. 1083 00:59:15,520 --> 00:59:16,880 And that's what the psalmist is doing here. 1084 00:59:17,080 --> 00:59:19,640 He is blessed with love in return to God. 1085 00:59:19,640 --> 00:59:22,680 He gets to love God back. And that means a lot from a guy 1086 00:59:22,680 --> 00:59:27,120 who understands that he was once cut off from God, but now I get 1087 00:59:27,120 --> 00:59:30,280 to love him back. I get to approach his throne of 1088 00:59:30,280 --> 00:59:33,360 grace. I get to commune with him, He 1089 00:59:33,360 --> 00:59:35,800 with me. Well, the psalmist understood 1090 00:59:35,800 --> 00:59:36,760 that. And how do I understand that? 1091 00:59:36,760 --> 00:59:40,920 The Word of God, the Word of God, every time I open it up, it 1092 00:59:40,920 --> 00:59:47,600 is 66 volumes of letters that He has left for me so that I can 1093 00:59:47,600 --> 00:59:50,320 know more about Him, so that I can fall deeper in love with 1094 00:59:50,320 --> 00:59:54,640 Him, so I can fall deeper in love with who He is for what He 1095 00:59:54,640 --> 00:59:58,240 has done for me. So that I can long. 1096 00:59:58,960 --> 01:00:01,720 To see him again. Oh, just like those letters used 1097 01:00:01,720 --> 01:00:03,840 to serve that purpose in the human sense. 1098 01:00:03,840 --> 01:00:06,040 Oh, we long to see each other again. 1099 01:00:06,040 --> 01:00:08,320 We couldn't wait till that day and those letters were full. 1100 01:00:08,320 --> 01:00:10,160 We still read them if we open them up today. 1101 01:00:10,400 --> 01:00:12,080 Oh, I can't wait until this weekend. 1102 01:00:12,080 --> 01:00:17,880 I haven't seen you in four weeks and we're about to die then. 1103 01:00:17,880 --> 01:00:20,600 It's sad that sometimes we spend more than four weeks without 1104 01:00:20,600 --> 01:00:25,120 even opening the pages of Scripture, missing out on the 1105 01:00:25,120 --> 01:00:28,120 wonderful love that God has for us so that we can reciprocate. 1106 01:00:28,920 --> 01:00:31,920 That love for him, that's what John said, John says, and John, 1107 01:00:32,640 --> 01:00:36,240 John's epistle, the 4th chapter, he says this is love, not that 1108 01:00:36,240 --> 01:00:41,240 we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an 1109 01:00:41,240 --> 01:00:44,160 atoning sacrifice for our sins. How do we know about that? 1110 01:00:46,360 --> 01:00:48,920 Through the Scriptures. Through the scriptures. 1111 01:00:48,920 --> 01:00:50,760 I wouldn't there at the feet of the cross when Jesus was 1112 01:00:50,760 --> 01:00:53,040 crucified, but I know through the Scriptures that He has 1113 01:00:53,040 --> 01:00:59,040 preserved for me through the ages, for you as well, that God 1114 01:00:59,840 --> 01:01:04,720 has shown us His love through the sacrifice of His Son. 1115 01:01:06,520 --> 01:01:10,320 May we love Him in return. Because we're not for the Word 1116 01:01:10,320 --> 01:01:12,880 of God. We'd have no real understanding 1117 01:01:12,880 --> 01:01:16,040 and real no real knowledge of God's love for His own. 1118 01:01:17,120 --> 01:01:21,480 We'd have no real hope. He has given us his word and we 1119 01:01:21,480 --> 01:01:24,880 have all of those things, Stephen Sharnick said. 1120 01:01:24,880 --> 01:01:28,880 This he said, before the new creation, there was no affection 1121 01:01:28,880 --> 01:01:30,680 toward the law. He said I had no affection 1122 01:01:30,680 --> 01:01:34,320 toward God's Word. It was only a dead letter. 1123 01:01:35,160 --> 01:01:38,480 But when this is written within him, he is. 1124 01:01:38,480 --> 01:01:40,280 So. Pleased with the inscription 1125 01:01:40,280 --> 01:01:44,080 that he would not for. All the world be without the law 1126 01:01:44,360 --> 01:01:48,760 and the love of it. What is Sharnic saying? 1127 01:01:48,760 --> 01:01:52,800 He's saying before you were born again, you gave no regard to 1128 01:01:52,800 --> 01:01:56,560 God's word. But since you have been born 1129 01:01:56,560 --> 01:02:00,240 again. It ought to be a love in your 1130 01:02:00,240 --> 01:02:03,040 life, just as those letters that I received from my wife would 1131 01:02:03,120 --> 01:02:06,600 would assure me of her love and our love for one another as she 1132 01:02:06,600 --> 01:02:08,320 would read letters that I wrote to. 1133 01:02:08,320 --> 01:02:12,600 Her. It ought to be the same for the 1134 01:02:12,600 --> 01:02:18,840 born again believer. A love for God's Word Look what 1135 01:02:18,840 --> 01:02:20,320 the psalmist says here. He says, I'll speak of your 1136 01:02:20,320 --> 01:02:22,640 statues before kings and will not be put to shame. 1137 01:02:22,640 --> 01:02:24,800 Then he says, Fry, delight in your commands because I love 1138 01:02:24,800 --> 01:02:28,080 them, and I lift my hands to your commands. 1139 01:02:28,080 --> 01:02:30,000 Look at the response here, which I. 1140 01:02:30,000 --> 01:02:32,240 Love and I meditate on your decrees. 1141 01:02:32,240 --> 01:02:33,320 What's he saying? I lift my hands. 1142 01:02:33,320 --> 01:02:34,880 Well, we can lift our hands and do a lot of things right. 1143 01:02:34,880 --> 01:02:38,480 Pray, praise. We can lift our hands to work 1144 01:02:38,480 --> 01:02:41,040 for the Lord and to serve Him. Isn't that part of our worship 1145 01:02:41,040 --> 01:02:44,200 and our love toward Him? He's saying because of your law, 1146 01:02:44,200 --> 01:02:46,520 I do these things. You have overwhelmed me with 1147 01:02:46,520 --> 01:02:49,600 your love to a point that I love you and I lift my hands to Your 1148 01:02:49,600 --> 01:02:52,640 word and what Your word says to me and I love it. 1149 01:02:53,840 --> 01:02:55,720 And I love it so much that I meditate on it. 1150 01:02:55,720 --> 01:02:57,560 Just like the letters that I've spoken of. 1151 01:02:57,720 --> 01:03:00,360 I meditated on those things over and over and over. 1152 01:03:00,360 --> 01:03:05,320 I process those things. That we do the same with the 1153 01:03:05,320 --> 01:03:13,680 Word of God, because it is love for God and His Word that moves 1154 01:03:13,680 --> 01:03:16,880 us to worship, that moves us to service, that moves us to 1155 01:03:16,880 --> 01:03:21,200 intense adoration. May we be moved. 1156 01:03:22,240 --> 01:03:24,520 By the Scriptures in regard to all of those areas in our life, 1157 01:03:24,520 --> 01:03:27,200 for not for God's Word revealing God's love for us, we would 1158 01:03:27,200 --> 01:03:30,400 never love neither God nor His Word. 1159 01:03:30,400 --> 01:03:32,960 But because of that blessing that we have received of His 1160 01:03:32,960 --> 01:03:37,640 Word, we know of His love, and we in return love Him, and we 1161 01:03:37,640 --> 01:03:40,200 love His Word and we meditate on it. 1162 01:03:41,200 --> 01:03:46,680 The lover of our soul has revealed Himself to us through 1163 01:03:46,680 --> 01:03:50,840 the Scriptures. May we see the blessing that it 1164 01:03:50,840 --> 01:03:54,160 is, and may we love the Lord and His Word in return. 1165 01:03:55,040 --> 01:03:59,000 So we conclude with this this morning to the believer, I ask 1166 01:03:59,000 --> 01:04:00,720 you this question. Are you reaping the blessings 1167 01:04:00,720 --> 01:04:04,400 and the benefits from God's Word that we see the psalmist reaping 1168 01:04:04,400 --> 01:04:06,400 here? Those blessings and those 1169 01:04:06,400 --> 01:04:08,400 benefits that He intends for you to have? 1170 01:04:08,400 --> 01:04:12,480 Are you thankful for the graces that we have seen, those seven 1171 01:04:12,480 --> 01:04:14,320 blessings that He has covered in God's Word? 1172 01:04:14,320 --> 01:04:18,520 Are you thankful for those things in your life daily, or 1173 01:04:18,520 --> 01:04:20,760 you just simply take them for granted, never giving any 1174 01:04:20,760 --> 01:04:24,280 thought to His Word or to loving His Word? 1175 01:04:25,960 --> 01:04:28,840 Are you thankful for the salvation that His Word has 1176 01:04:28,840 --> 01:04:32,000 brought, the confidence that His Word brings, the profession that 1177 01:04:32,000 --> 01:04:35,360 you have because of His Word, obedience that you have through 1178 01:04:35,360 --> 01:04:38,960 His Word, freedom that you have according to His Word, boldness 1179 01:04:39,520 --> 01:04:45,800 in His word, and affection, It comes from His word. 1180 01:04:46,840 --> 01:04:50,200 Oh, what graces we have received, believers, I'll take 1181 01:04:50,200 --> 01:04:53,800 those things for granted. Don't miss seeing them as the 1182 01:04:53,800 --> 01:04:57,480 blessings that they truly are to the unbeliever. 1183 01:04:59,440 --> 01:05:05,240 I turn your attention back to .1 because until God graces you 1184 01:05:05,240 --> 01:05:11,120 with knowledge of true salvation, none of the other 1185 01:05:11,120 --> 01:05:13,480 things will be applicable to your life. 1186 01:05:15,000 --> 01:05:19,200 So for you it must begin all the way back in .1. 1187 01:05:20,280 --> 01:05:26,120 Salvation and God's word has made it very clear that sinful 1188 01:05:26,120 --> 01:05:29,600 man is in need of salvation. In fact, Romans chapter 3 verse 1189 01:05:29,600 --> 01:05:32,600 10 says this as it is written. There's no one righteous, not 1190 01:05:32,600 --> 01:05:34,400 even one. There is no one who understands, 1191 01:05:34,400 --> 01:05:36,720 no one who seeks God. All have turned away. 1192 01:05:36,840 --> 01:05:38,360 They have together become worthless. 1193 01:05:38,360 --> 01:05:40,640 There is no one who does good, not even one. 1194 01:05:40,800 --> 01:05:43,480 Their throats are open graves. Their tongues practice deceit. 1195 01:05:43,480 --> 01:05:45,160 The poison of Vipers is on their lips. 1196 01:05:45,320 --> 01:05:47,240 Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. 1197 01:05:47,400 --> 01:05:48,920 Their feet are swift to shed blood. 1198 01:05:49,080 --> 01:05:52,360 Ruin and misery mark their ways and the way of peace They do not 1199 01:05:52,360 --> 01:05:54,440 know. There is No Fear of God before 1200 01:05:54,440 --> 01:05:55,960 their eyes. Scripture is very clear about 1201 01:05:55,960 --> 01:05:57,880 this. I told you that it is the truth 1202 01:05:57,880 --> 01:05:59,840 of Scripture that will show you your need for a Savior. 1203 01:06:00,000 --> 01:06:02,160 Scripture is very clear that apart from Christ you are a 1204 01:06:02,160 --> 01:06:06,160 Sinner, that all who are apart from Christ are sinners. 1205 01:06:06,160 --> 01:06:08,840 None are righteous. No one seeks after him. 1206 01:06:09,560 --> 01:06:12,640 In fact, in Romans 3, Paul continues in verse 23, for all 1207 01:06:12,640 --> 01:06:14,760 have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 1208 01:06:14,960 --> 01:06:18,880 Everyone and all are justified freely by His grace through the 1209 01:06:18,880 --> 01:06:21,200 redemption that came through Jesus Christ. 1210 01:06:22,000 --> 01:06:24,400 And God presented Christ as the sacrifice of atonement through 1211 01:06:24,400 --> 01:06:27,000 the shedding of His blood to be received by faith. 1212 01:06:27,360 --> 01:06:29,720 He did this to demonstrate His righteousness because in His 1213 01:06:29,720 --> 01:06:32,400 forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished. 1214 01:06:32,960 --> 01:06:35,160 He did it to demonstrate His righteousness at the present 1215 01:06:35,160 --> 01:06:37,880 time so as to be just in the One who justifies those who have 1216 01:06:37,880 --> 01:06:41,760 faith in Jesus. It is also His Word, and we see 1217 01:06:41,760 --> 01:06:45,880 reveals to us that the only way to experience His unfailing 1218 01:06:45,880 --> 01:06:50,120 love, His forgiveness, His true salvation is through faith in 1219 01:06:50,240 --> 01:06:53,840 Jesus Christ. And that alone and His faith in 1220 01:06:53,880 --> 01:06:56,840 Jesus Christ and that alone that a person will be justified 1221 01:06:56,840 --> 01:07:01,480 before a holy God. He is the only hope for sinners. 1222 01:07:01,480 --> 01:07:04,440 In fact, Scripture tells us that there's no other name given 1223 01:07:04,440 --> 01:07:06,920 under heaven whereby men must be saved other than the name of 1224 01:07:07,000 --> 01:07:10,840 Jesus Christ. Romans chapter 10 gives us the 1225 01:07:10,840 --> 01:07:12,640 answer to all of this. And I am a Sinner, and I'm 1226 01:07:12,640 --> 01:07:16,560 separated from God, and I'm destined for judgement in hell. 1227 01:07:17,840 --> 01:07:19,320 What does the scripture say for me now? 1228 01:07:19,320 --> 01:07:21,640 It says this, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is 1229 01:07:21,640 --> 01:07:23,480 Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the 1230 01:07:23,480 --> 01:07:27,040 dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that 1231 01:07:27,040 --> 01:07:29,920 you believe and are justified. And it is with your mouth that 1232 01:07:29,920 --> 01:07:33,280 you confess and are saved, as the scripture says. 1233 01:07:34,120 --> 01:07:36,640 Paul going back and quoting the Old Testament scripture showing 1234 01:07:36,640 --> 01:07:40,040 us that people have always been saved the same way both Old 1235 01:07:40,040 --> 01:07:43,080 Testament and New Testament faith, he says anyone who trusts 1236 01:07:43,080 --> 01:07:45,840 in him will never. Be put to shame. 1237 01:07:46,040 --> 01:07:50,640 What is the hope for sinners? Trust in Christ Trust in Christ 1238 01:07:50,680 --> 01:07:55,480 as the only acceptable sacrifice for your sin. 1239 01:07:56,520 --> 01:08:00,200 Romans 10/13 Paul makes it very clear for everyone who calls on 1240 01:08:00,200 --> 01:08:01,760 the name of the Lord, we'll be saved. 1241 01:08:01,920 --> 01:08:05,560 See your desperate condition as God opens your eyes today that 1242 01:08:05,560 --> 01:08:10,040 you are a Sinner and you are separated from a holy God, and 1243 01:08:10,040 --> 01:08:13,760 that you must cry out to Jesus in desperation because he's the 1244 01:08:13,760 --> 01:08:16,399 only hope that you have to ever be forgiven of your sin. 1245 01:08:16,600 --> 01:08:21,040 And this day, cry out to the Lord Jesus Christ calling on His 1246 01:08:21,040 --> 01:08:25,640 name, and you will be saved. Save from what? 1247 01:08:25,920 --> 01:08:27,160 Many people don't even know this. 1248 01:08:27,160 --> 01:08:29,040 Save from what? Save from judgment. 1249 01:08:29,120 --> 01:08:31,399 It is coming. Judgment is coming upon all 1250 01:08:31,399 --> 01:08:34,040 unbelieving sinners. The Word of God says that I 1251 01:08:34,040 --> 01:08:36,880 stand in that truth and I do not compromise. 1252 01:08:38,200 --> 01:08:39,640 Save from the judgment that is to come. 1253 01:08:40,640 --> 01:08:44,120 Save from the wrath of God that will come upon all unrepentant, 1254 01:08:44,200 --> 01:08:47,080 unredeemed sinners. The wrath of God is coming. 1255 01:08:47,279 --> 01:08:53,399 Flee the wrath of God today and be secured in the ark of Christ. 1256 01:08:53,640 --> 01:08:57,720 Flee to Christ today and away from the wrath that is to come. 1257 01:08:59,160 --> 01:09:02,439 Free from judgement, free from wrath, and free from hell. 1258 01:09:02,439 --> 01:09:04,160 Yes, this preacher still believes in hell. 1259 01:09:04,160 --> 01:09:05,680 Why? Because Scripture still 1260 01:09:06,960 --> 01:09:08,160 commands. That we believe in it. 1261 01:09:10,640 --> 01:09:13,479 And so I say to you today, oh, I know what some will do. 1262 01:09:13,760 --> 01:09:15,000 I'm never going back to that church. 1263 01:09:15,000 --> 01:09:17,800 He preaches all that Hellfire, brimstone stuff. 1264 01:09:17,800 --> 01:09:19,439 I preach you nothing but the scriptures. 1265 01:09:21,760 --> 01:09:24,000 I've spent this entire morning showing you the blessings that 1266 01:09:24,000 --> 01:09:26,000 come from hearing the word of God and from learning the word 1267 01:09:26,000 --> 01:09:27,319 of God. And one of those blessings is 1268 01:09:27,319 --> 01:09:31,160 this. And when a person hears the word 1269 01:09:31,160 --> 01:09:35,560 of God and the truth about hell, God can use that to spark 1270 01:09:35,560 --> 01:09:39,240 something in them, to cause them to flee to Christ as their only 1271 01:09:39,240 --> 01:09:41,000 hope. And I pray today that He sparked 1272 01:09:41,000 --> 01:09:45,240 that in you, that He causes you to flee to Christ, calling upon 1273 01:09:45,240 --> 01:09:47,000 His name. Let's pray together, Father, in 1274 01:09:47,000 --> 01:09:49,720 the name of Jesus. We thank You for Your word, and 1275 01:09:49,720 --> 01:09:53,720 it has gone forth, and we trust that it will do exactly what you 1276 01:09:53,720 --> 01:09:56,040 desire for it to do. Break the hearts of sinners. 1277 01:09:56,040 --> 01:09:59,880 Draw them unto yourself. Encourage the Saints. 1278 01:10:01,200 --> 01:10:02,640 Teach them to count. Every blessing that they 1279 01:10:02,640 --> 01:10:06,000 received from your word, as they walk in it, as they learn it, as 1280 01:10:06,000 --> 01:10:09,640 they grow from it. God, we ask in this moment that 1281 01:10:09,640 --> 01:10:14,200 you do what only you can do. That is to draw wicked men unto 1282 01:10:14,200 --> 01:10:18,640 yourself for salvation, granting them forgiveness and eternal 1283 01:10:18,640 --> 01:10:19,880 life. And we pray all these things in 1284 01:10:19,880 --> 01:10:22,680 the mighty name of Jesus. Amen. 1285 01:10:23,320 --> 01:10:25,480 Would you stand to your feet? Heads are bowed and eyes are 1286 01:10:25,480 --> 01:10:27,720 closed. You have been listening to Key 1287 01:10:27,760 --> 01:10:30,400 Life Fellowships Pulpit Ministry podcast. 1288 01:10:31,040 --> 01:10:33,680 Join us each week for more teaching from God's Word. 1289 01:10:34,240 --> 01:10:37,360 If you would like to speak with one of our pastors, please visit 1290 01:10:37,360 --> 01:10:40,200 us on the web at keylifefellow-ship.com. 1291 01:10:40,880 --> 01:10:42,760 Thank you again for joining us today.