1 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:05,680 You're listening to Key Life Fellowship's pulpit ministry 2 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:08,880 podcast. We thank you for tuning in as we 3 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:12,280 learn from God's Word together. If you would like more 4 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:15,720 information regarding Key Life or to speak with one of our 5 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:20,920 pastors, please visit us at keylifefellow-ship.com. 6 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:24,000 Amen. How many of you are thankful 7 00:00:25,080 --> 00:00:30,880 that by His grace your life is now supported by the solid rock 8 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:40,960 of the Lord of Jesus Christ? And it is upon Christ to which 9 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:43,640 we. Stand, let me just encourage 10 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:46,040 each of you this morning before we ever get to our text for the 11 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:47,800 day. If your life is built on 12 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:53,320 anything other than Christ, your life is built upon shifting sand 13 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:59,760 and the storms, the tragedies of life will eventually overtake 14 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:02,240 you. So I would encourage. 15 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:06,800 You to see the truth that we just sang about a moment ago and 16 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:13,120 to cry out to God to save you and experience what the psalmist 17 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:16,240 said when he said that he has lifted me from the mud and the 18 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:20,000 mire and he has set my feet on the solid rock. 19 00:01:21,320 --> 00:01:23,680 If you were lifted from the mud and the mire and you were placed 20 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:27,160 on the solid Rock, You know exactly what I'm talking about 21 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:30,080 and you have great reason to praise Him this morning. 22 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:35,240 If you have your Bibles, turn with me to the 119th Psalm and 23 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:42,440 we will be looking this morning at verses 129 through 136 as we 24 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:46,880 continue our journey in learning to live life in the light of 25 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:51,200 God's Word. We will find our text this 26 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:54,840 morning under the Hebrew alphabet letter pay, which is 27 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:57,680 the 17th letter in the alphabet. Can you believe that we have 28 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:03,080 already traveled this far? The Psalmist is going to begin 29 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:07,760 the next 8 verses with a proclamation that I really want 30 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:09,720 to hone in on. I really want to focus in on 31 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:14,040 this morning because it helps us to really gain insight into the 32 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:18,120 remainder of the text that we will be examining today. 33 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:25,200 But he says in 129, he says your statutes are wonderful. 34 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:30,160 Your statutes are wonderful. Now let me make this very clear 35 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:34,160 that that word wonderful in our English language is different 36 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:37,280 than the word that the psalmist is you using here. 37 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:40,560 We would in our English language, walk out on a 38 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:47,240 beautiful day that's not near as humid as it has been, and we 39 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:52,480 would say this is a wonderful day, meaning that we enjoy it. 40 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:56,760 We're going to see that the psalmist is not talking in that 41 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:00,160 manner at all. In fact, that word that we have 42 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:04,960 translated in English for wonderful is a Hebrew word, 43 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,560 pehla. That Hebrew word means something 44 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:12,880 so much more than just this is pleasing or I enjoy it. 45 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:19,160 It actually means. Extraordinary, marvelous, 46 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:28,480 wonderful, beyond true understanding that it is 47 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:32,840 supernatural. In fact, the root word of this 48 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:36,880 word pallah is the Hebrew word pallah. 49 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:39,800 Not much difference. But what Pallal means? 50 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:44,480 Is this pall means miraculous or that it is a miracle? 51 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,560 And so when we really focus in on the first statement that the 52 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:52,760 psalmist is saying here, it's not too big of a stretch to say 53 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:56,600 this, that when the psalmist says that the statutes of God 54 00:03:56,600 --> 00:04:02,200 are wonderful, it means that his word is miraculous. 55 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:04,920 It means that his word is supernatural. 56 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:08,960 It it means that his word accomplishes amazing things. 57 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:12,080 And he rightly states this. It is wonderful. 58 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:15,680 It is full of wonder. It's miraculous. 59 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:22,000 And sadly, the Bible is not often thought of as miraculous, 60 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:26,760 though we have thankfully, in this body of believers, seen the 61 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:31,520 miraculous power of the Word of God over and over and over 62 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:33,320 again. In fact, in just a moment there 63 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:36,320 are going to be those who come and they publicly profess Jesus 64 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:39,640 Christ as their Lord and Savior, claiming that they have been 65 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:43,400 born again and they have believed in Jesus Christ as the 66 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:47,920 only true and living Savior who died on a cross to purchase them 67 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:52,160 from their sin. And because they realize that, 68 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:54,320 we see that as miraculous. Why? 69 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:59,120 Because man does not see that on their own, but it is 70 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:02,880 miraculously revealed to them as through the Word of God. 71 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:05,920 In fact, none of these people would be following the Lord and 72 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:09,920 believers baptism had not the Word of God first been preached 73 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:11,760 to them so that they could believe. 74 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:19,720 We'll join with them in just a little while and celebrating 75 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:25,240 God's wonderful word that He used to bring them from death to 76 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:28,720 life, showing them their desperate situation and their 77 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:32,600 desperate need for Him. And then confirming that He is a 78 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:37,720 Savior who saves all who call upon Him as His Spirit draws 79 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:44,000 them unto Himself for salvation. And so today we will take time. 80 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:48,360 I'm going to take all the time that we need to see just how 81 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:53,480 wonderful the Scriptures really are and how God has used them in 82 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:56,760 our lives miraculous, miraculously, and he how He will 83 00:05:56,760 --> 00:06:00,160 continue to use them in the lives of others in a wonderful 84 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:01,680 or miraculous. Way. 85 00:06:02,840 --> 00:06:04,400 In fact, the Puritan Thomas Watson said this. 86 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:09,080 He said the the word is a hammer to break, a fire to burn, a 87 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:11,920 sword to Pierce, and a balm to heal. 88 00:06:12,840 --> 00:06:21,080 He goes on to say it is miracle and mercy in one book, miracle 89 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:25,160 and mercy in one book. And I pray that God would raise 90 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:27,920 up a group of people who understand this, that you didn't 91 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:31,440 just come into this auditorium this morning with any ordinary 92 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:36,840 book in your hand, but you walked in with the very wonder 93 00:06:36,840 --> 00:06:40,960 working power of God in your hand according to His eternal 94 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:46,400 word. And it is His word that he spoke 95 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:50,800 creation into existence. And we will see it as His word 96 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:55,240 that he uses to accomplish so many miraculous things that go 97 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:58,760 unnoticed. And I pray today that we 98 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:03,200 recognize those things. We'd properly thank Him for 99 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:05,760 those things that we would see, as the psalmist wrote in Psalm 100 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:09,200 77 in our Scripture reading, that our God is still a miracle 101 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:13,040 working God. And he works wonders, and he 102 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:18,840 works miracles through his Word. So may we, along with the 103 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:23,160 psalmist today, understand just how miraculous the Word of God 104 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:27,520 really is. May we examine the miracles that 105 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:33,560 come forth when the Word of God goes forth, and may we properly 106 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:37,680 praise God for them. So we read in Psalm 119, verse 107 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:44,880 129. Under that Hebrew letter pay and 108 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:52,600 he says in 129 Your statutes are wonderful, therefore I obey 109 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:54,440 them. They're wonderful, therefore 110 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:58,760 they're worthy of my obedience. The unfolding of your words 111 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:01,840 gives light. It gives understanding to the 112 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:04,480 simple. I open my mouth and pant, 113 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:08,320 longing for your commands. Turn to me and have mercy on me, 114 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:12,080 as You always do to those who love Your name. 115 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:15,520 Direct My footsteps according to Your word. 116 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:20,560 Let no sin rule over me. Redeem me from the oppression of 117 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:24,160 men, that I may obey Your precepts. 118 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:28,960 Make Your face shine upon Your servant and teach me Your 119 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:34,400 decrees, streams of tears. Flow from my eyes. 120 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:39,520 For your law is not obeyed. Let's pray together, Father, in 121 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:43,679 the name of Jesus. We pray today that you would 122 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:48,560 make known your wonderful word, that you would make known the 123 00:08:48,560 --> 00:08:53,240 wonders of your word, that we would see that when we open the 124 00:08:53,240 --> 00:09:00,720 pages of Scripture, we hear directly from the mouth of an 125 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:06,680 eternal wonder working God. God, I pray that we no longer 126 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:12,000 consider the Bible as just a book that sets on a shelf and 127 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:15,960 collects dust, but that we. Would open the pages of 128 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:22,120 scripture as a psalmist is proclaiming today, seeing that 129 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:28,040 your statutes your word. It's wonderful, full of wonder, 130 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:33,840 full of splendor, full of majesty, Lord, that we would 131 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:38,920 experience in our lives the supernatural power of Your Word 132 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:44,320 as it is unleashed into us as individuals and to this church 133 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:47,600 as a whole. We'll be careful to give you all 134 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:50,520 the praise for it. Lord, I pray for those who are 135 00:09:50,520 --> 00:09:54,360 here today who do not know Christ, that You would, through 136 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:56,240 Your Word, perform a miracle today. 137 00:09:57,680 --> 00:10:04,000 Open the eyes of the most blinded center, soften the heart 138 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:06,720 of the most hardened creature in the room today. 139 00:10:07,680 --> 00:10:13,240 Break the strongman and have him run to your feet. 140 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:17,240 Lord Jesus, in faith and repentance, calling on the only 141 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:22,480 name that can save sinners, and we give you praise for it. 142 00:10:23,680 --> 00:10:27,120 We ask all these things in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen. 143 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:32,240 And so we see the Psalmist opening up again with a 144 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:35,440 statement about the wonderful word of God. 145 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:40,920 His statutes are wonderful. They're. 146 00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:43,400 Supernatural. They do things that otherwise 147 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:46,080 would not happen. I can tell you this, I wouldn't 148 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:50,800 be standing here today, a saved man behind this pulpit preaching 149 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:55,240 the Word of God if God's Word did not have miraculous powers 150 00:10:55,880 --> 00:11:00,200 because I was simply content, was doing my own thing, enjoying 151 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:03,640 my own sin. But it is the word of God that 152 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:07,880 shine light into the fact that I was a Sinner destined for hell, 153 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:11,520 that I was cut off and alienated from God, that I needed a 154 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:14,840 Savior. And so we see His word is 155 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:18,120 wonderful. The psalmist breaks it down like 156 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:20,080 this for us so that we can understand it. 157 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:22,160 If you're taking notes, write this down first. 158 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:25,880 The wonderful Word of God makes the simple man wise. 159 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:29,200 It makes the simple man wise. He says, your statutes are 160 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:30,880 wonderful, therefore I obey them. 161 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:33,400 He says, I, I know that I need to obey your word. 162 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:36,760 There's wisdom there because your word is wonderful. 163 00:11:37,560 --> 00:11:39,040 He goes on. And he says, the unfolding of 164 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:42,400 your words gives light. It gives understanding to the 165 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:44,480 simple. Isn't it true that the 166 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:50,280 Scriptures can take the simplest of humans and impart to them 167 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:54,520 wisdom from on high? God's wisdom. 168 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:58,320 Not the wisdom of man, not the wisdom of this world, not St. 169 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:01,600 smarts from this world, but wisdom directly from God. 170 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:05,160 Please know, when you open the Word of God, you receive 171 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:09,000 miraculous wisdom from God himself. 172 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:13,560 And so the Bible delivers God's wisdom and His knowledge to an 173 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:19,120 otherwise uneducated, ignorant and simple person. 174 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:24,040 What I'm saying is this. You don't have to have a PhD, 175 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:28,280 you don't have to have a high school education, you don't have 176 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:33,200 to have a fourth grade education to be wise in learning from the 177 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:37,960 Word of God. Many of the wisest men that I 178 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:44,720 have known in my life, we're not educated by human standards, but 179 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:49,680 we're educated through the Word of God because it is in studying 180 00:12:49,680 --> 00:12:53,240 the Word of God that God imparts to these men and these women who 181 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:57,200 study the word of God His direct wisdom. 182 00:12:57,960 --> 00:13:02,880 So the Bible can make the simple man wise. 183 00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:05,960 Proverbs 26 says, for the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth 184 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:08,160 come knowledge and understanding. 185 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:11,880 It's the Lord through His Word that gives us wisdom and 186 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:16,040 knowledge and understanding. Psalm 19 verse 7 says this. 187 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:19,920 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. 188 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:22,440 The statues of the Lord are trustworthy. 189 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:27,960 Here we see it again, making what wise the simple. 190 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:34,240 Oh, I'm so thankful. For the word of God, who's taken 191 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:40,800 this simple man who probably meets no high intellectual 192 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:46,720 standard that this world measures things by, but who has 193 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:51,320 from the Scriptures learned to trust and wisdom from on high. 194 00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:55,720 Because we can know this, our human intellect and our human 195 00:13:55,720 --> 00:14:01,040 wisdom and our human knowledge, it will cease one day. 196 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:06,280 But the Word of God and the wisdom of God is eternal. 197 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:10,960 And so when we. Trust in the Word of God and the 198 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:16,000 supernatural power of the Word of God to impart God's wisdom to 199 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:19,080 us. We are receiving even as 200 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:23,000 simpletons. Because I can tell you this, 201 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:26,280 your PhD means nothing in comparison with the infinite 202 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:30,920 mind of God. You are still but a mere speck. 203 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:36,080 Be a God in His infinite wisdom through His Word, pours out 204 00:14:36,520 --> 00:14:43,000 mysteries, gives understanding to the simple, who trust in Him 205 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:47,560 and who trust in His Word. And so we see that this wisdom 206 00:14:47,560 --> 00:14:51,880 that He gives is provided supernaturally. 207 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:57,880 See the miracle in that that the Lord could take an ignorant and 208 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:01,880 uneducated man. I think of men like Charles 209 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:06,920 Spurgeon, who had no seminary degree and had no credentials, 210 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:11,920 that he's probably the most read and the most quoted man of God 211 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:15,040 who has ever existed since the apostle Paul. 212 00:15:16,680 --> 00:15:20,120 Where did his wisdom come from? It was God through His word that 213 00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:25,000 made the simple man wise. God provides us with that 214 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:27,720 supernatural wisdom. In fact, Paul talking about this 215 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:30,880 in First Corinthians chapter 1. Verse 25 he says for the 216 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:35,080 foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness 217 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:37,240 of God is stronger than man's strength. 218 00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:41,520 He is saying what we all know, that our intellect and even our 219 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:45,520 strength shrinks in comparison to the wisdom and the power of 220 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:49,680 God. However, through the Word of God 221 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:54,160 we glean from God wisdom and power and might that comes 222 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:58,400 directly from His throne into our lives. 223 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:03,600 Paul speaks again on this in First Corinthians chapter 3, and 224 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:06,680 he says this in verse 18. Do not deceive yourselves. 225 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:11,280 If any of one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this 226 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:15,920 age, he should become a fool so that he may become wise. 227 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:20,040 Look at the paradoxical tone there that reminds me much of 228 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:22,960 Jesus when he said the first will be last and the last will 229 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:25,080 be first. The great will be small, the 230 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:28,040 small will be made great. Paul was saying this. 231 00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:33,240 If you measure your wisdom by the measurements of human 232 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:36,600 intellect, he says you need to become foolish. 233 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:40,520 You need to admit that you know nothing so that you can become 234 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:42,840 wise. I remember when God called me to 235 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:44,680 preach. That was my prayer. 236 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:50,800 God, I know nothing. Yet as I studied, his word 237 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:54,440 imparted wisdom, imparted knowledge. 238 00:16:54,840 --> 00:17:00,200 I find myself often, even to this day, some nearly 30 years 239 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:03,120 later, saying the same thing. God, I know nothing. 240 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:05,359 Why? Because I know He is infinite in 241 00:17:05,359 --> 00:17:08,040 His wisdom and His knowledge, and I still, though I know more 242 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:09,760 than I used to, still know nothing. 243 00:17:09,839 --> 00:17:13,640 I must depend upon the miracle that the Word of God continues 244 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:16,440 to bring into my life where He takes a simple man and He 245 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:21,160 continues to impart wisdom into his life that I may impart 246 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:25,440 wisdom to you, Paul says. If you think you're wise by the 247 00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:29,800 standards of this age, you need to become a fool so that you may 248 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:32,400 become wise. Verse 19, he says for the wisdom 249 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:36,960 of this world is foolishness in God's sight as it is written. 250 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:38,720 He catches the wise in their craftiness. 251 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:41,120 He says you only think you were smart. 252 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:43,840 And Romans, it says this, that professing themselves to be 253 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:46,400 wise, they became what? Fools? 254 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:48,720 Why? Because they were vested in 255 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:52,240 human knowledge, vested in human education, vested in human 256 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:55,920 wisdom. And Paul's making very clear, 257 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:59,840 and that is opposite from the wisdom of God. 258 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:03,960 In fact, 19 he says that that wisdom of this world is 259 00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:09,760 foolishness in God's sight. May we hear the word of the Lord 260 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:12,320 and know this. Many of us spend our entire 261 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:14,440 lives chasing after human wisdom. 262 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:16,120 There's nothing miraculous about that. 263 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:19,320 Some of you are more intellectual than others. 264 00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:24,120 You were born that way. However, what a miracle it is to 265 00:18:24,120 --> 00:18:28,120 see a person who may not be of the highest intellect, but who 266 00:18:28,120 --> 00:18:30,640 devotes themselves to studying the Word of God. 267 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:35,000 And God brings a miracle, and he takes that simple man, and he 268 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:37,560 makes him wise. I just as a psalmist said a few 269 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:43,040 weeks ago, I have more wisdom than my teachers, more insight 270 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:45,480 to the very elders who have taught me my entire life. 271 00:18:46,120 --> 00:18:49,280 How is this possible? Many people scratch their head 272 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:52,000 and they wonder, Oh, I'm thankful. 273 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:58,560 I am thankful that I have been taught in my life to not depend 274 00:18:58,560 --> 00:19:01,640 upon knowledge that comes from this world or the standards of 275 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:05,880 this world, but to depend on the wisdom that comes directly from 276 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:08,480 God's Word. So we see the wonderful Word of 277 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:13,520 God makes the simple man wise. What a miracle, what a miracle. 278 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:18,120 I have a friend. He was not very educated at all. 279 00:19:18,120 --> 00:19:20,840 In fact, as a grown man, 40 years old, he couldn't even 280 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:24,800 read. You know how he learned to read? 281 00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:29,880 He took the Word of God. He worked in the nursery, and he 282 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:32,320 had a little Bible lesson that he couldn't understand. 283 00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:35,080 And he prayed that God would give him understanding. 284 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:38,000 And he learned to read the Word of God so that he could teach 285 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:40,720 little children what God's Word said. 286 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:45,440 Oh, God does miracles through his Word, making the simple man 287 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:49,760 wise. Secondly, we see this the 288 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:54,280 wonderful word of God makes the sapped man watered what the 289 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:56,000 psalmist. Says He says I open my mouth and 290 00:19:56,000 --> 00:20:02,600 pant, longing for your commands. The psalmist here he found out 291 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:04,920 in his finding that the only thing that could quench his 292 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:11,400 spiritual thirst was. The word of God, He desperately 293 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:14,920 longed to have that thirst quenched. 294 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:20,120 In fact, he found himself sapped and dried and parched, panning 295 00:20:20,120 --> 00:20:24,200 for the truth of Scripture. Spiritually dehydrated. 296 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:27,600 Oh, we have a lot of that going on in the church these days, 297 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:29,640 don't we? Spiritual dehydration. 298 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:35,840 And the reason that we have spiritual dehydration is because 299 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:39,240 people have not been encouraged to turn to the Word of God 300 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:46,000 constantly in their lives and to be watered in this dry, in this 301 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:50,520 weary land. The Psalmist understanding that 302 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:54,320 the wonderful Word of God makes the sapped man watered, sapped 303 00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:59,840 of all of his strength. Spiritually dehydrated, knowing 304 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:05,360 the only thing that will quench his spiritual thirst is God's 305 00:21:05,360 --> 00:21:11,040 word. Oh, I pray that the church would 306 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:15,440 become thirsty. I pray that the church would 307 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:20,120 become hungry for the Word of God, that you would literally 308 00:21:20,120 --> 00:21:23,760 pray this God give me a hunger and give me a thirst for your 309 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:27,920 Word of God, for your Word God, like I have never had before. 310 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:31,480 Create that in me. What's His desire? 311 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:34,840 In fact, that's the Spirit who lives in you, His desire. 312 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:37,680 Jesus said this in Matthew chapter 5 verse six. 313 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:40,040 He said blessed are those who hunger and thirst for 314 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:43,200 righteousness, for they will be what filled. 315 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:46,320 How do we know what righteousness really is? 316 00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:49,080 We we don't learn what righteousness is by reading Time 317 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:52,000 magazine or the encyclopedia. I'm sorry youngsters, I dated 318 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:53,080 myself. You don't even know what an 319 00:21:53,080 --> 00:22:03,840 encyclopedia is, Google. We don't learn what 320 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:05,120 righteousness is from those things. 321 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:09,920 We learned God's righteous standard from God's righteous 322 00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:12,000 and holy Word. It is in His Word that He 323 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:18,360 reveals His perfect standard. And Jesus said, blessed are 324 00:22:18,360 --> 00:22:20,960 those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be 325 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:21,840 filled. You know what? 326 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:25,400 Some of you are spiritually dry and you're spiritually thirsty 327 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:27,960 because you're not thirsting for righteousness. 328 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:31,520 Because if you were thirsting for righteousness, you would be 329 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:35,000 going to the well of Scripture and you would be drinking from 330 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:39,400 this well. Have people who come to me, they 331 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:40,920 say, pastor, I don't know what's going on my life. 332 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:45,160 I just feel spiritually dry. You know what every single one 333 00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:46,960 of them have in common? I ask him this question. 334 00:22:47,360 --> 00:22:50,760 Have you been studying the word of God? 335 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:53,360 No, I haven't. I've been really busy. 336 00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:57,160 Let's think about. That for a second. 337 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:03,480 Do you think that your spiritual dehydration might have to do 338 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:07,560 with the fact that you are not being watered through His word 339 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:12,000 of righteousness in your life? You think it might be because 340 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:16,240 you have not devoted yourself to the Scriptures daily. 341 00:23:16,320 --> 00:23:20,120 How many of you in this room don't drink water every day? 342 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:23,000 You can do this for a short period of time, but before you 343 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:24,440 know it, you're in a heap of trouble. 344 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:33,760 Some of you, you're dry, spiritually sapped and you need 345 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:39,720 to be watered by God's Word where his righteous standard and 346 00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:42,760 his righteousness is revealed to his people. 347 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:47,200 He says if you hunger and thirst for righteousness. 348 00:23:48,360 --> 00:23:50,840 You'll be filled. Now all of us will agree with 349 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:53,240 this. Any solid Bible teacher will say 350 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:55,000 this. God is not saying that if you 351 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:57,200 hunger and thirst for righteousness, then He'll save 352 00:23:57,200 --> 00:23:59,800 you. The Sermon on the Mountain does 353 00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:03,560 not speak that at all. What it says is if you're saved, 354 00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:06,360 you will hunger and thirst for righteousness. 355 00:24:06,360 --> 00:24:09,760 Blessed is he who hungers and thirst for righteousness. 356 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:12,840 He's already blessed. He is already Macarios in the 357 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:14,320 Greek. He is happy in the Lord. 358 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:15,680 Why? Because he was brought into the 359 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:17,440 Lord and the Spirit of God lives in him. 360 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:21,480 And the Spirit of God constantly pushes him toward drinking from 361 00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:24,880 the fountain of God's Word. That's why I would implore each 362 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:28,000 of you. You're sad spiritually. 363 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:32,160 The Word of God will water the depths of your soul. 364 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:36,760 It's the only thing that will nourish one who is spiritually 365 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:41,360 dry. Psalm one O 7 verse 8. 366 00:24:41,360 --> 00:24:44,040 The psalmist says, let them give thanks to the Lord for his 367 00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:47,560 unvailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies 368 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:51,280 the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. 369 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:56,400 In Psalm 1 he says this verse 2. But his delight is in the law of 370 00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:58,920 the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 371 00:24:59,120 --> 00:25:02,800 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields 372 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:07,480 its fruit and season, and whose leaf does not wither whatsoever 373 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:12,440 he does prospers. Who is this person who is 374 00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:15,920 satisfied in their thirst? Who is this person who is like a 375 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:18,440 tree planted by streams of water? 376 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:24,400 It is the one who delights in the law of God and on His law, 377 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:27,560 His Word, He meditates day and night. 378 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:30,920 He's saying you have deep roots, and those roots run right there 379 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:32,960 because you're right beside that stream. 380 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:37,120 You are constantly being nourished by the flow of God's 381 00:25:37,120 --> 00:25:40,800 spiritual water into your soul. That's why you're not sapped. 382 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:43,960 That's why you're not dehydrated spiritually. 383 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:47,920 It's because you have tapped into God's eternal Word. 384 00:25:48,120 --> 00:25:52,080 And God's eternal Word quenches our spiritual thirst. 385 00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:59,200 Oh, if you're thirsty today, oh please don't depend solely upon 386 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:07,280 me to give you a drink when Jesus Christ died so that you 387 00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:14,080 can tap into the fountain. Tap into the fountain, and 388 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:20,240 though you'd be sapped today, you shall be watered by God's 389 00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:25,080 Word, God's wonderful Word. It quenches the deep spiritual 390 00:26:25,080 --> 00:26:29,200 longing and thirst As we drink from the fountain of scriptures, 391 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:34,560 as we drink from His well, stems from God's endless and eternal 392 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:37,440 supply. You know this, every time you go 393 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:41,880 to the Word of God, you will find a drink for your soul, and 394 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:44,920 you will find a drink for your soul every time that you go to 395 00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:48,520 the Word of God until you stand in the presence of God literally 396 00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:53,200 for all eternity. May we drink from His well the 397 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:58,440 Word that He has provided. What miracle it is when He uses 398 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:02,680 His Word to quench our spiritual thirst. 399 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:06,000 So we see the wonderful Word of God makes the simple man wise, 400 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:10,480 the SAP man watered. Thirdly, I want you to see this, 401 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:14,640 that the wonderful word of God makes this sinful man washed. 402 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:18,040 Please pay attention to this verse 132. 403 00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:22,440 He says, turn to me and have mercy on me as you always do to 404 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:27,680 those who love your name. Isn't it true that it is the 405 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:29,960 word of? God that offers mercy and 406 00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:32,480 forgiveness and cleansing from sin. 407 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:37,680 It offers all of those things from God to all who trust in its 408 00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:41,120 promises. This is a great wonder and a 409 00:27:41,120 --> 00:27:46,120 great miracle that God uses His Word and He uses this great 410 00:27:46,120 --> 00:27:49,920 wonder and this great miracle to bring forth salvation and 411 00:27:49,920 --> 00:27:51,960 cleansing and the life of a Sinner. 412 00:27:52,640 --> 00:28:00,280 There is not a person here today who is saved and truly saved who 413 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:04,240 was not saved through the preaching of the Word of God. 414 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:09,160 It is the Word of God that revealed to you your great need 415 00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:12,280 for Christ. And you saw your great need for 416 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:15,120 Christ because the Word of God revealed to you that you are a 417 00:28:15,120 --> 00:28:18,080 great Sinner, for all have sinned and come short of the 418 00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:21,280 glory of God. There is none righteous, no, not 419 00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:26,080 one, no one who seeks after him. And it is the wonderful miracle 420 00:28:26,120 --> 00:28:29,440 working power of the Word of God that brought you to this 421 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:35,680 conclusion that you are a sinful man who is in need of cleansing. 422 00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:39,400 Are you a are a sinful woman who is in need of cleansing? 423 00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:45,360 You need God's forgiveness and that was made known to you not 424 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:48,280 by fancy illustrations or cool stories. 425 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:54,040 That is made known to you by the bold preaching of the gospel 426 00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:59,680 from the Word of God. And it isn't that that God 427 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:02,880 provides the greatest miracle the world has ever seen, 428 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:09,680 reconciliation for the center to the atoning work of Jesus 429 00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:12,480 Christ. He proclaims that truth in his 430 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:17,160 Word, and it's his word that allows a sinful man to be 431 00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:19,960 washed. God's Word revealing our need 432 00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:24,360 for mercy because of our wretched sinful condition, and 433 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:29,040 then God's Word. Being used by God to bring forth 434 00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:33,040 the good news of the gospel. Bringing forth faith and 435 00:29:33,040 --> 00:29:36,400 justification for the Sinner. Romans chapter 10. 436 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:41,000 Paul speaks on this so many times we run right past it. 437 00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:43,160 But don't miss what he says here. 438 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:45,120 He says in Romans chapter 10 verse 8. 439 00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:48,240 But what does it say? He says the word is near you. 440 00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:52,720 It is in your mouth and in your heart that is the Word of Faith 441 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:54,120 we are proclaiming. They're wondering, did we not 442 00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:55,800 hear the word? No, the words in you and the 443 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:57,240 words been around you. You've heard it. 444 00:29:57,400 --> 00:30:00,120 We're proclaiming it to you now. And what is that word That if 445 00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:02,480 you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in 446 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:06,040 your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be 447 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:08,000 saved. Not you might or you could or 448 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:11,680 there's an outside chance you will be saved. 449 00:30:12,120 --> 00:30:14,480 He goes on in verse 10. For it is with your heart that 450 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:17,880 you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that 451 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:21,920 you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, anyone 452 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:25,600 who trusts in him will never be put to shame. 453 00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:28,440 You see what Paul's doing there? As the Scripture says, anyone 454 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:30,680 who trusts in him will never be put to shame. 455 00:30:30,880 --> 00:30:33,320 But there is no difference between Jew and Gentile. 456 00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:39,200 The same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on 457 00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:41,480 him. This is what the Word of God 458 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:44,760 declares. And watch this verse 13 for 459 00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:46,480 everyone who calls on the name of the Lord. 460 00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:53,720 Will be saved 14 How then can they call on the 1:00 they have 461 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:57,080 not believed in? How can they believe in the one 462 00:30:57,080 --> 00:31:00,840 of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without 463 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:05,200 someone preaching to them? He's giving rhetorical questions 464 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:07,160 there. He's saying that they can't. 465 00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:10,200 That the Word of God must go forth. 466 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:13,320 And when the Word of God goes forth, they see their sinful 467 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:15,240 condition. They see their need for a 468 00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:18,040 Savior. The Word reveals that Jesus is 469 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:21,720 that Savior. And then the Word is used by God 470 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:26,000 to miraculously give them faith as he regenerates them upon 471 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:28,560 hearing the truth. And they believe, and they trust 472 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:31,600 in Christ, and they forsake their life and their pattern of 473 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:34,920 sin, and they cling to Jesus Christ, calling on him. 474 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:38,160 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be. 475 00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:41,280 Be saved. How can they know unless 476 00:31:41,280 --> 00:31:44,480 somebody tells them? And how can they preach unless 477 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:47,360 they are sent as written as it is written? 478 00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:49,920 How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. 479 00:31:51,240 --> 00:31:55,560 I'm so thankful for the feet of the man who walked into the 480 00:31:55,560 --> 00:32:01,520 auditorium on that Sunday when the Lord saved me and he walked 481 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:06,960 in and he opened the Bible. He opened God's holy Word. 482 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:10,520 And he began to preach the truth, not afraid of offending 483 00:32:10,560 --> 00:32:13,360 anyone. And in preaching the truth, Kirk 484 00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:15,640 Hall realized that I am a wretched Sinner. 485 00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:17,560 Why? Because the Word of God declared 486 00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:22,120 that that's what I was. And I was there in that moment, 487 00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:27,440 helpless and lost and wretched, and I knew it all. 488 00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:32,840 But when that preacher. Got to the good news for the 489 00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:38,960 wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal 490 00:32:38,960 --> 00:32:41,120 life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 491 00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:46,040 When he got to the good news. Oh, it was good news in that 492 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:48,760 moment, wasn't it? Because Kirk Hall, because of 493 00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:51,240 the word of God, had already been brought to a point to know 494 00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:54,000 that I am a Sinner beyond repair. 495 00:32:55,480 --> 00:33:00,240 Unless a miracle takes place, I am destined for hell for. 496 00:33:00,240 --> 00:33:07,840 All eternity, and rightfully so. But miracle took place, and it 497 00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:10,040 is the Word of God that declares that miracle to us. 498 00:33:10,040 --> 00:33:11,720 How would they know? Unless a preacher tell them, 499 00:33:11,720 --> 00:33:15,280 they won't know. And here we have in our church 500 00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:17,600 culture, men standing behind pulpits, telling stories and 501 00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:20,960 giving flashy illustrations. We ought to be preaching the 502 00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:21,920 Word of God. Why? 503 00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:25,600 Because when we preach the Word of God, sinful men are washed. 504 00:33:26,920 --> 00:33:30,000 Sinful men hear the truth. Oh, they may not like the truth. 505 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:34,760 I didn't like it when I first heard it, but then as I began to 506 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:38,000 process everything and God began to change my heart and my mind, 507 00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:41,920 I began to say, you know what? That is exactly what I am, a 508 00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:46,360 blasphemer, a law breaker, a transgressor. 509 00:33:47,080 --> 00:33:49,760 And I need a savior on the sweet. 510 00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:57,640 Words of that preacher that day. But Jesus, 2000 years ago, he 511 00:33:57,640 --> 00:34:01,680 died on a cross to save all who will believe and trust in him, 512 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:05,120 to save all who will call upon his name. 513 00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:11,400 And in that moment the Word of God worked on my behalf in a 514 00:34:11,400 --> 00:34:14,400 wonderful way, bringing light to the fact that though I be 515 00:34:14,400 --> 00:34:19,800 sinful, Christ died for sinners who will trust in Him. 516 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:23,520 And he called me out of darkness, and he called me into 517 00:34:23,520 --> 00:34:25,920 marvelous light. And he did not do that apart 518 00:34:25,920 --> 00:34:27,080 from the Word of God. Why? 519 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:29,239 Because what Paul is continuing to say there in Romans chapter 520 00:34:29,239 --> 00:34:32,480 10, he says, and how can they preach unless they're sin as it 521 00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:33,880 is written? How beautiful are the feet of 522 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:36,639 those who bring good news. He says in 16, but not all the 523 00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:39,280 not not all the Israelites accepted the good news for 524 00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:42,239 Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message, He says in 525 00:34:42,239 --> 00:34:44,280 verse 17. Consequently, faith comes from 526 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:50,000 hearing, hearing the message and the message is heard through the 527 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:54,960 word of Christ. When the word of Christ is 528 00:34:54,960 --> 00:35:00,080 proclaimed, when the word of God goes forth, it is wonderful. 529 00:35:00,720 --> 00:35:06,600 It is miraculous the sinful man can be washed. 530 00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:09,280 Oh, isn't that what Jesus said in John 15? 531 00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:11,480 Three, speaking to his disciples, He says you were 532 00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:16,600 already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 533 00:35:17,600 --> 00:35:20,200 You were already clean because you have already put your faith 534 00:35:20,200 --> 00:35:22,520 in me as the Messiah. Please pay attention to this. 535 00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:25,880 He says you're clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 536 00:35:25,880 --> 00:35:28,680 He says I've done all this through my word. 537 00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:33,160 I've guaranteed it. I've promised the prophets. 538 00:35:33,160 --> 00:35:35,200 They promised under my inspiration. 539 00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:41,480 I've done a word through the word. 540 00:35:41,480 --> 00:35:44,480 I've. Spoken to you in Ephesians 541 00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:46,200 chapter 5. Paul calls it this. 542 00:35:46,960 --> 00:35:51,040 He calls it the cleansing by the washing with the water through 543 00:35:51,040 --> 00:35:53,560 the word. Well, I'm so thankful for that 544 00:35:53,560 --> 00:35:56,600 day that I was cleansed through the washing of the water, 545 00:35:56,600 --> 00:35:59,800 through the Word as the Word was preached, as forgiveness was 546 00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:02,600 declared, as atonement was declared. 547 00:36:04,960 --> 00:36:07,000 God imparted faith to trust in that. 548 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:10,920 And in that moment I was justified and I was cleansed. 549 00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:16,520 Just as the Word of God promises to all who believe and who trust 550 00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:21,000 in Christ. Peter declares plainly his first 551 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:26,440 epistle how we're regenerated and how we're purified by God's 552 00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:29,720 Word. First Peter chapter 1, verse 22, 553 00:36:29,720 --> 00:36:32,800 he says now that you have purified yourselves by obeying 554 00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:36,120 the truth, so that you have sincere love for your brothers, 555 00:36:36,120 --> 00:36:40,040 love one another deeply from the heart, for you have been born 556 00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:44,800 again not of perishable seed, but of imperishable seed through 557 00:36:44,800 --> 00:36:48,400 the living and enduring Word of God. 558 00:36:48,720 --> 00:36:51,240 How? Are any of us born again? 559 00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:56,400 Through the living and enduring Word of God, I am so thankful 560 00:36:56,400 --> 00:37:00,400 that it is the wonderful Word of God, His eternal Word, that 561 00:37:00,400 --> 00:37:06,120 guarantees my salvation and makes my salvation possible. 562 00:37:07,520 --> 00:37:12,200 It is the promises of His Word and faith in that which He has 563 00:37:12,200 --> 00:37:17,560 proclaimed which allows us privilege and the grace 564 00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:21,000 salvation. Please know that the wonderful 565 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:25,320 Word of God makes the sinful man washed. 566 00:37:26,040 --> 00:37:29,480 It's by that truth that is spoken to us through the Word. 567 00:37:29,480 --> 00:37:33,160 Of God, that conviction comes forth, and when conviction comes 568 00:37:33,160 --> 00:37:36,120 forth, then we cry out to the Savior who forgives. 569 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:39,200 Oh, see how this works in real time, Christian. 570 00:37:39,320 --> 00:37:42,480 The greatest miracle of all, brought forth through God's 571 00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:45,560 word. No wonder the psalmist calls his 572 00:37:45,560 --> 00:37:50,320 word wonderful, miraculous, supernatural. 573 00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:55,400 Because there's no man in this room, no woman in this room, no 574 00:37:55,400 --> 00:38:00,200 child in this room who could ever cleanse yourself from sin. 575 00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:04,840 Yet it is through the wonderful Word of God that God makes the 576 00:38:04,840 --> 00:38:08,600 sinful man washed. Faith comes by hearing and 577 00:38:08,600 --> 00:38:11,800 hearing by the Word, and you are justified by grace alone, 578 00:38:11,800 --> 00:38:13,520 through faith alone and Christ alone. 579 00:38:13,520 --> 00:38:15,520 That is your only hope of cleansing. 580 00:38:15,680 --> 00:38:20,000 And the Word proclaims that that the sinful man can be. 581 00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:23,960 And is washed. Through the washing of the water 582 00:38:23,960 --> 00:38:26,200 of the Word. Fourthly, we see this. 583 00:38:26,600 --> 00:38:31,720 The wonderful Word of God makes the stubborn man willful. 584 00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:38,040 I know none of you need this miracle in your life, but I sure 585 00:38:38,040 --> 00:38:42,080 did and I sure do. It is the word of God that makes 586 00:38:42,080 --> 00:38:44,600 the stubborn man willful. Look at 1:33, he says. 587 00:38:44,600 --> 00:38:46,600 Direct my footsteps according to your word. 588 00:38:47,360 --> 00:38:52,760 Let no sin rule over me. Here the psalmist proclaims the 589 00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:56,040 leadership and direction that is made available only through the 590 00:38:56,040 --> 00:38:59,400 Scriptures. When one truly repents and turns 591 00:38:59,400 --> 00:39:07,480 to Christ, his repentance is marked with a desire to walk 592 00:39:07,480 --> 00:39:13,600 away from the old sin and to walk in the newness of life 593 00:39:13,600 --> 00:39:19,200 according to God's Word, to walk and to live a life of obedience. 594 00:39:21,600 --> 00:39:26,560 And it is through the word that the stubborn man is made 595 00:39:27,680 --> 00:39:32,120 willful. In fact, Romans chapter 12, Paul 596 00:39:32,120 --> 00:39:33,880 says this. Do not conform any longer to the 597 00:39:33,880 --> 00:39:34,720 pattern of this. World. 598 00:39:34,720 --> 00:39:36,560 Why would he have to say that? Because they had always been 599 00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:38,720 conforming to the pattern of the world, stubborn in what they 600 00:39:38,720 --> 00:39:42,160 did, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. 601 00:39:42,960 --> 00:39:45,920 And then you will be able to test and approve what God's will 602 00:39:45,920 --> 00:39:49,280 is, is good, pleasing and perfect. 603 00:39:49,680 --> 00:39:54,000 Will. Paul proclaiming there that our 604 00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:59,320 minds must be renewed. Isn't it interesting that the 605 00:39:59,320 --> 00:40:01,400 term that we have in the New Testament, one of them for 606 00:40:01,400 --> 00:40:03,760 repentance, is metanoia and the Greek? 607 00:40:03,760 --> 00:40:07,160 And what that means is to change your mind? 608 00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:10,920 Now please know this, none of you have the ability to change 609 00:40:10,920 --> 00:40:16,800 your mind on your own, but it is God Himself, through the Word of 610 00:40:16,800 --> 00:40:23,800 God, that He changes our mind and conforms us into obedience. 611 00:40:24,520 --> 00:40:28,720 It's He, through the changing and the renewal of our mind, who 612 00:40:28,720 --> 00:40:33,720 allows us to now know and to live God's will, His good, 613 00:40:33,720 --> 00:40:39,240 pleasing, and perfect will. His word declares that we are 614 00:40:39,240 --> 00:40:45,120 stubborn in an in in, in complete opposition to God apart 615 00:40:45,120 --> 00:40:49,360 from this repentance. In fact, we remember Saul of 616 00:40:49,360 --> 00:40:52,960 Tarsus, who later became the apostle Paul. 617 00:40:53,680 --> 00:40:55,840 Acts Chapter 9. There he is on the road to 618 00:40:55,840 --> 00:40:58,560 Damascus. You know how it goes, and he's 619 00:40:58,560 --> 00:41:01,920 there and I'll read it for you so that we see it accurately. 620 00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:06,520 In verse 3, it says, as he neared Damascus on his journey, 621 00:41:06,520 --> 00:41:09,200 suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 622 00:41:09,280 --> 00:41:13,520 Who could that be? And he fell to the ground and 623 00:41:13,520 --> 00:41:20,160 heard a voice say to him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? 624 00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:24,400 He heard a voice say to him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute 625 00:41:24,400 --> 00:41:25,920 me? Some of your Bibles say, why do 626 00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:28,120 you kick against me? Some say why do you kick against 627 00:41:28,120 --> 00:41:31,040 the pricks? Regardless of however it's 628 00:41:31,040 --> 00:41:33,440 worded, we can understand this. He's persecuting God. 629 00:41:33,440 --> 00:41:36,960 He is in direct opposition, being stubborn toward God and he 630 00:41:36,960 --> 00:41:41,600 even thought that he was doing godly things but he was so 631 00:41:41,600 --> 00:41:44,480 wrapped up in his stubborn humanity he didn't even realize 632 00:41:44,480 --> 00:41:47,680 it until what the word of God was spoken. 633 00:41:48,640 --> 00:41:53,160 Oh please know this. When Saul of Tarsus heard those 634 00:41:53,160 --> 00:41:59,480 words on the Damascus Rd. It is the same word that we see 635 00:41:59,480 --> 00:42:03,360 in Genesis chapter 1 where he said let there be light. 636 00:42:03,520 --> 00:42:07,000 It is the same word that spoke this earth into existence. 637 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:09,440 It is the very word. Of God. 638 00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:13,280 And so Saul of Tarsus, hearing the word of God, a stubborn man, 639 00:42:15,520 --> 00:42:18,760 unwillful to truly follow God, but to kick against him every 640 00:42:18,760 --> 00:42:22,200 way he could. Then he replies. 641 00:42:22,200 --> 00:42:23,720 Who are you, Lord? Saul asked. 642 00:42:24,640 --> 00:42:26,680 And Jesus said, I'm Jesus whom you were persecuting. 643 00:42:26,680 --> 00:42:28,600 He replied, I'm the one that you're kicking against. 644 00:42:28,920 --> 00:42:30,680 I'm the one that you're in opposition to. 645 00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:38,640 Did you know this, the same voice that Saul heard on the 646 00:42:38,640 --> 00:42:41,720 road of Damascus is the same voice that we hear when we open 647 00:42:41,720 --> 00:42:46,320 up the pages of Scripture? And he says, Kirk Hall, you're 648 00:42:46,320 --> 00:42:50,200 in opposition to me. Because of your stubbornness, 649 00:42:50,200 --> 00:42:53,520 because of your pride, because of your humanity, you are in 650 00:42:53,520 --> 00:42:56,680 opposition to me. You're in opposition to Jesus 651 00:42:56,680 --> 00:42:58,760 the Christ. You know what words are. 652 00:42:58,760 --> 00:43:02,240 Spoken when we read that. Oh, that ought to bring a 653 00:43:02,240 --> 00:43:07,760 stubborn man to his knee, to know that he's in opposition to 654 00:43:07,800 --> 00:43:13,960 his very Creator, the one who is the giver and the sustainer of 655 00:43:13,960 --> 00:43:16,960 life. His word declares that we're 656 00:43:16,960 --> 00:43:22,240 stubborn and we're in opposition to him, that we're in need of 657 00:43:22,240 --> 00:43:27,320 repentance. In Acts Chapter 11, a few more 658 00:43:27,320 --> 00:43:28,840 chapters after the conversion of Saul. 659 00:43:28,840 --> 00:43:33,800 We see these words seven verse 18 when they heard this and no 660 00:43:33,800 --> 00:43:35,920 further objections and praise God, here's what they heard. 661 00:43:35,920 --> 00:43:38,000 They heard that the Gentiles were believing the truth of the 662 00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:41,640 gospel that these stubborn, godless Gentiles were being 663 00:43:41,640 --> 00:43:46,200 saved. These stubborn men, we're being 664 00:43:46,200 --> 00:43:50,800 changed in their will to follow Christ, to live for the one true 665 00:43:50,920 --> 00:43:54,600 and living God. This is when they heard this. 666 00:43:54,600 --> 00:43:57,640 They had no further objections and praise God saying, so then 667 00:43:58,400 --> 00:44:01,040 God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life. 668 00:44:01,040 --> 00:44:05,040 Who granted it? God granted repentance. 669 00:44:05,960 --> 00:44:08,240 Oh, repentance is not something you just go grab by yourself and 670 00:44:08,240 --> 00:44:10,120 you just say to yourself, you know, I think I'm going to turn 671 00:44:10,120 --> 00:44:13,440 around and go the other way. You're not going to do that in 672 00:44:13,440 --> 00:44:14,800 and of yourself. You're going to continue down 673 00:44:14,800 --> 00:44:16,880 the path of sin and you're going to continue down the path of 674 00:44:16,880 --> 00:44:19,440 hell. And I am thankful today that the 675 00:44:19,440 --> 00:44:21,640 Word of God opened my eyes to that. 676 00:44:21,640 --> 00:44:25,360 And it is the Word of God that made this stubborn man willful. 677 00:44:25,400 --> 00:44:28,120 He changed my mind. Many people think that God drags 678 00:44:28,120 --> 00:44:29,800 you out of your sin just kicking and screaming. 679 00:44:29,800 --> 00:44:34,000 It doesn't work like that. God changes your will, and when 680 00:44:34,000 --> 00:44:37,440 he changes your will, you run away from sin, and you run to 681 00:44:37,440 --> 00:44:39,480 the feet of Jesus, and you cry out to him. 682 00:44:39,800 --> 00:44:43,600 Jesus save me from my sin, never to return there again. 683 00:44:43,840 --> 00:44:46,400 Have mercy on me, as the psalmist said. 684 00:44:47,480 --> 00:44:51,680 As you always do to those who love your name, you run to him 685 00:44:51,680 --> 00:44:52,960 and you say, Lord, I love your name. 686 00:44:52,960 --> 00:44:54,920 Why? Because your very name says that 687 00:44:54,920 --> 00:44:58,440 God saves, and I need you to save me. 688 00:44:59,120 --> 00:45:01,920 I need you to wash me. I need you to cleanse me of my 689 00:45:01,920 --> 00:45:08,120 sin. Oh, he is a God who saves 690 00:45:09,000 --> 00:45:14,320 sinners, isn't he? Making the stubborn man willful? 691 00:45:14,320 --> 00:45:18,960 I'm so glad that He's changed my mind and He now directs my 692 00:45:18,960 --> 00:45:23,960 steps, leads me down paths of righteousness for His name's 693 00:45:23,960 --> 00:45:25,680 sake. Oh, the kicker there is the 694 00:45:25,680 --> 00:45:27,320 first part of Psalm 23, isn't it? 695 00:45:27,320 --> 00:45:31,400 The Lord is my shepherd. Is he your shepherd? 696 00:45:32,240 --> 00:45:34,560 If He is truly your Shepherd, He will lead you down. 697 00:45:34,560 --> 00:45:37,560 Paths of righteousness for his name's sake, for his glory. 698 00:45:37,920 --> 00:45:40,800 Are you walking those paths? Are you here as a psalmist to 699 00:45:40,800 --> 00:45:43,520 sing? Direct my footsteps according to 700 00:45:43,520 --> 00:45:45,440 your word. Let no sin rule over me. 701 00:45:45,440 --> 00:45:49,480 Is this important to you? Oh, the wonderful Word of God. 702 00:45:51,280 --> 00:45:54,920 Makes the stubborn man willful again. 703 00:45:54,920 --> 00:46:00,080 I won't incriminate any of you, but had I been left to my 704 00:46:00,080 --> 00:46:05,520 stubbornness, I would have busted hell wide open, and 705 00:46:05,520 --> 00:46:08,400 rightfully so because that's what I deserved. 706 00:46:08,400 --> 00:46:12,520 I was stubborn and disobedient to a holy God in all of His 707 00:46:12,520 --> 00:46:20,160 perfect commands, but yet He was merciful to me, the stubborn man 708 00:46:21,240 --> 00:46:24,560 washing me and making me willful to follow His commands. 709 00:46:25,520 --> 00:46:31,840 Once a stubborn man who's now willing, desiring to walk in 710 00:46:31,840 --> 00:46:36,800 obedience to his Savior. All the Word of God teaches it, 711 00:46:36,800 --> 00:46:43,360 teaches us God's Word, how it transforms us, how God uses it 712 00:46:44,800 --> 00:46:49,880 to break our stubborn pride and to conform us to His good, 713 00:46:49,880 --> 00:46:56,400 pleasing, and perfect will. Next we see this, the wonderful 714 00:46:56,400 --> 00:47:03,000 Word of God makes the suffering man well. 134 He says, Redeem me 715 00:47:03,000 --> 00:47:07,120 from the oppression of men, that I may obey your precepts. 716 00:47:07,680 --> 00:47:12,160 Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me your 717 00:47:12,800 --> 00:47:16,040 decrees. The psalmist is going to now 718 00:47:16,040 --> 00:47:19,400 teach us to depend on God's grace even when we're suffering. 719 00:47:21,640 --> 00:47:24,480 We depend on God's grace when we're suffering, because we 720 00:47:24,480 --> 00:47:26,640 depend on His gracious promises that are. 721 00:47:26,640 --> 00:47:30,000 Found in His Word to encourage us and to bring us along in the 722 00:47:30,000 --> 00:47:34,640 midst of our suffering. Notice the point there. 723 00:47:34,640 --> 00:47:37,600 The wonderful word of God makes the suffering man well. 724 00:47:38,680 --> 00:47:40,880 It doesn't say that it takes away his suffering. 725 00:47:41,800 --> 00:47:43,840 It makes him well in the midst. Of his suffering. 726 00:47:44,440 --> 00:47:46,480 Where he can walk through the fire is singing. 727 00:47:46,480 --> 00:47:49,440 It is well, it is well with my soul. 728 00:47:50,200 --> 00:47:53,880 It may not be well with my flesh, but it is well with my 729 00:47:53,880 --> 00:47:54,920 soul. According. 730 00:47:55,760 --> 00:47:59,680 To the scriptures. The psalmist here obviously 731 00:47:59,680 --> 00:48:02,160 facing facing opposition from sinful men. 732 00:48:03,000 --> 00:48:06,840 Now, so that you understand this, this could be an internal 733 00:48:06,840 --> 00:48:09,840 battle. This could be the psalmist in an 734 00:48:10,040 --> 00:48:15,320 internal battle, being oppressed by his own abiding and existing 735 00:48:15,320 --> 00:48:17,200 sin. Isn't that possible in the life 736 00:48:17,200 --> 00:48:19,960 of a believer? In fact, isn't that part of our 737 00:48:19,960 --> 00:48:23,000 struggle to know that God demands more of us? 738 00:48:23,000 --> 00:48:25,880 But yet we have still existing sin in our life and we ought to 739 00:48:25,880 --> 00:48:28,000 be sorrowful for that. We'll talk more about that in a 740 00:48:28,000 --> 00:48:30,880 moment. But perhaps the psalmist here is 741 00:48:30,880 --> 00:48:32,720 talking about his internal battle. 742 00:48:32,720 --> 00:48:34,880 Battle when he says redeem me from the oppression of men. 743 00:48:34,960 --> 00:48:37,240 Maybe he's oppressing himself internally. 744 00:48:37,720 --> 00:48:40,120 That I may obey your precepts. I want obedience, not 745 00:48:40,120 --> 00:48:44,520 disobedience. Or it could be, as some scholars 746 00:48:44,520 --> 00:48:47,800 believe, the external oppression that others were placing upon 747 00:48:47,800 --> 00:48:53,560 him. Either way, he's suffering and 748 00:48:53,560 --> 00:48:56,880 he needs to be made well. So either way in your life, if 749 00:48:56,880 --> 00:49:01,680 it is internal oppression due to existing sin in your life that 750 00:49:01,680 --> 00:49:05,600 you need to confess and repent of, turn from, or if it is the 751 00:49:05,600 --> 00:49:10,240 sin of others that is done unto you or that affects you, either 752 00:49:10,240 --> 00:49:14,360 way you're suffering and the Word of God can make the man 753 00:49:14,360 --> 00:49:18,000 well who is suffering. Anyone here ever suffered from 754 00:49:18,000 --> 00:49:20,600 your own sin, your own inward desires? 755 00:49:20,720 --> 00:49:23,120 Anyone here ever suffer from the oppression that comes from 756 00:49:23,120 --> 00:49:24,520 others? Yes, we can all agree that we 757 00:49:24,520 --> 00:49:25,920 face both of that in. Lie. 758 00:49:28,440 --> 00:49:31,520 Where's hope found? It's found in God's Word. 759 00:49:32,800 --> 00:49:37,840 He miraculously makes the suffering man well so that we 760 00:49:37,840 --> 00:49:40,920 can have peace even in the midst of our storm. 761 00:49:41,720 --> 00:49:44,560 That's what Paul speaks of when he speaks in Philippians chapter 762 00:49:44,560 --> 00:49:48,520 4 verse 6 when he says do not be anxious about anything but in 763 00:49:48,520 --> 00:49:50,560 everything by prayer and petition with Thanksgiving. 764 00:49:50,560 --> 00:49:52,760 Present your request to. God and the peace of God, which 765 00:49:52,760 --> 00:49:55,480 transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your 766 00:49:55,480 --> 00:49:59,840 minds in Christ Jesus. He's talking there about a peace 767 00:49:59,840 --> 00:50:02,520 that surpasses all understanding. 768 00:50:03,240 --> 00:50:06,360 And how do we access that peace that surpasses all 769 00:50:06,360 --> 00:50:08,480 understanding? Isaiah gives us insight into 770 00:50:08,480 --> 00:50:11,880 this. 26 three of Isaiah He says, you will keep in perfect 771 00:50:11,880 --> 00:50:16,680 peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in 772 00:50:16,800 --> 00:50:18,840 you. And how do we trust in Him? 773 00:50:18,920 --> 00:50:23,040 We trust in His word, we trust in the promises of his word, we 774 00:50:23,040 --> 00:50:24,800 trust in the precepts of his word. 775 00:50:25,000 --> 00:50:29,600 We look to His Word, and in looking to His Word, in the 776 00:50:29,600 --> 00:50:31,600 midst of all of our struggles, in the midst of all the 777 00:50:31,600 --> 00:50:36,600 anxieties of life and all the worries and all the fears, it is 778 00:50:36,600 --> 00:50:39,720 well. And He makes us well through the 779 00:50:39,720 --> 00:50:44,800 promises of Scripture, giving us the peace that surpasses all 780 00:50:44,800 --> 00:50:46,640 understanding. Oh, if you walk with Christ any 781 00:50:46,640 --> 00:50:48,720 amount of time, you know that peace, don't you? 782 00:50:49,800 --> 00:50:53,120 You know that peace when you got the phone call that no one was 783 00:50:53,120 --> 00:50:55,080 expecting to get and what did you do? 784 00:50:56,280 --> 00:50:59,760 Instead of freaking out, instead of becoming anxious as the lost 785 00:50:59,760 --> 00:51:06,160 world does, you went to the Word of God, and there you found 786 00:51:06,160 --> 00:51:13,360 promises such as this there in Romans 828, that He is working 787 00:51:13,360 --> 00:51:16,360 all things to the good of those who love Him and who are called 788 00:51:16,360 --> 00:51:19,760 according to His purpose. And you rested there, you put 789 00:51:19,760 --> 00:51:23,080 your head on that pillow, and God gave you peace in the midst 790 00:51:23,080 --> 00:51:25,120 of your suffering, peace in the midst of your storm. 791 00:51:25,200 --> 00:51:29,160 He gave you Wellness and healing in the midst of your oppression, 792 00:51:29,200 --> 00:51:32,920 in the midst of your suffering, He gave you the peace that comes 793 00:51:32,920 --> 00:51:36,240 for those whose minds are steadfast on Him. 794 00:51:37,160 --> 00:51:39,840 Aren't you grateful that He supplies healing for our every 795 00:51:39,840 --> 00:51:44,920 suffering through His Word? Many people suffer undue 796 00:51:45,000 --> 00:51:50,800 suffering as believers simply because you will not and do not 797 00:51:50,800 --> 00:51:53,480 apply the Word of God in these times. 798 00:51:54,440 --> 00:51:59,240 Go to the Word of God and see how wonderful His statutes are, 799 00:51:59,360 --> 00:52:01,360 even in the midst of your suffering. 800 00:52:02,200 --> 00:52:04,400 Again, those of you who have walked with Him any amount of 801 00:52:04,400 --> 00:52:06,600 time, you know this. There are times in your life 802 00:52:06,600 --> 00:52:10,480 where you had no human answer, but you went to the Word of God, 803 00:52:10,600 --> 00:52:13,360 and the Word of God carried you through your suffering, and he 804 00:52:13,360 --> 00:52:16,360 made you well even in the midst of it, and He healed you on the 805 00:52:16,360 --> 00:52:18,640 other side, just as He always does. 806 00:52:19,200 --> 00:52:22,560 Psalm one, O 7, verse 19. It says, Then they cried to the 807 00:52:22,560 --> 00:52:25,280 Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. 808 00:52:26,200 --> 00:52:30,040 He sent forth His word and healed them. 809 00:52:30,760 --> 00:52:34,360 He rescued them from the grave. How did He do this? 810 00:52:34,440 --> 00:52:37,920 He sent forth His word. He gave them a promise. 811 00:52:39,440 --> 00:52:42,600 Oh believer, you have been given a promise of eternal life and 812 00:52:42,600 --> 00:52:46,720 eternal rest in Jesus Christ. There is nothing in this world 813 00:52:46,720 --> 00:52:50,840 that He is has not already overcome on your behalf. 814 00:52:52,040 --> 00:52:53,560 Because He has overcome this world. 815 00:52:53,560 --> 00:52:55,040 You too will overcome this world. 816 00:52:55,040 --> 00:52:59,560 Rest in that. Be made well in your suffering. 817 00:53:01,040 --> 00:53:04,840 So the wonderful word of God makes the suffering man well. 818 00:53:05,760 --> 00:53:11,000 So the simple man is made wise, the SAT man is watered, the 819 00:53:11,000 --> 00:53:15,640 sinful man is washed, the stubborn man is made willful, 820 00:53:16,480 --> 00:53:21,760 the suffering man is made well, the psalmist doesn't end here, 821 00:53:21,760 --> 00:53:24,360 and I don't want us to end here because I think this is 822 00:53:24,360 --> 00:53:27,080 something that the church needs to hear abroad. 823 00:53:30,440 --> 00:53:39,080 We see lastly, the wonderful word of God makes the strong man 824 00:53:39,680 --> 00:53:46,200 weep, makes the strong man weep. Look, watch here 136 he says. 825 00:53:46,200 --> 00:53:48,440 Streams of tears flow from my eyes. 826 00:53:49,480 --> 00:53:53,280 For your law is not obeyed. Here we see the psalmist in a 827 00:53:53,280 --> 00:54:02,800 broken state over evil and sin, crying this warrior who once 828 00:54:02,800 --> 00:54:06,320 slayed A9 foot giant when everyone else was afraid. 829 00:54:07,600 --> 00:54:11,200 Here he is weeping to such a degree, he says streams of tears 830 00:54:11,200 --> 00:54:14,160 flow from my eyes. I can't even see because I'm 831 00:54:14,160 --> 00:54:19,200 crying so profusely. What is he talking about? 832 00:54:20,600 --> 00:54:24,360 Church, please listen to me because this has not been 833 00:54:24,360 --> 00:54:26,160 preached in America for quite some time. 834 00:54:28,320 --> 00:54:31,160 The Psalmist is talking about sorrow over sin. 835 00:54:32,680 --> 00:54:37,480 This could be his own sin as well as the sin of others. 836 00:54:39,680 --> 00:54:42,640 But shouldn't sin in general that nailed our Savior to the 837 00:54:42,640 --> 00:54:47,760 cross bring us great sorrow? Shouldn't it bring us to a place 838 00:54:48,560 --> 00:54:51,480 of weeping? I know in the modern church 839 00:54:51,480 --> 00:54:53,800 culture that we live in where it's all about lights and 840 00:54:53,800 --> 00:54:57,480 entertainment and all the things that we see, we don't have time 841 00:54:57,480 --> 00:55:01,200 for weeping and we don't have time for sorrow. 842 00:55:03,880 --> 00:55:07,640 You know God mandates it. He mandates it. 843 00:55:08,240 --> 00:55:14,720 In fact, in Joel chapter 2 it says this in verse 12 even now 844 00:55:14,720 --> 00:55:18,960 declares the Lord return to me with all your heart, with 845 00:55:18,960 --> 00:55:21,520 fasting and weeping and mourning. 846 00:55:22,040 --> 00:55:23,840 Rend your heart and not your garments. 847 00:55:23,840 --> 00:55:26,600 Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and 848 00:55:26,600 --> 00:55:29,120 compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in love. 849 00:55:29,320 --> 00:55:31,880 And He relents from sending calamity. 850 00:55:31,960 --> 00:55:34,560 You know why the American Church has not seen revival? 851 00:55:36,440 --> 00:55:38,720 Because the American church refuses to weep. 852 00:55:40,760 --> 00:55:45,200 They refuse to grieve over the things that grieve the very 853 00:55:45,200 --> 00:55:46,520 heart of God. Oh. 854 00:55:46,720 --> 00:55:52,560 Jesus himself as he walked into Jerusalem, and he saw their sin, 855 00:55:52,560 --> 00:55:54,880 and he saw their unbelief, and he saw their rejection. 856 00:55:54,960 --> 00:55:57,080 What did he do? He wept over them. 857 00:56:01,560 --> 00:56:06,440 May we learn to weep. May we learn to weep as Christ 858 00:56:07,320 --> 00:56:14,720 wept over sin, sin of our own, sins of this world, and the 859 00:56:14,720 --> 00:56:19,960 wickedness that surrounds us. Thomas Brooks said this. 860 00:56:19,960 --> 00:56:23,000 He said one tier of repentance is worth more than all the 861 00:56:23,000 --> 00:56:28,960 outward show of religion. We can all be pharisaical 862 00:56:30,320 --> 00:56:33,880 outwardly. Give this macho tough guy thing, 863 00:56:33,880 --> 00:56:37,040 can't we? Oh, we've learned that. 864 00:56:39,680 --> 00:56:41,480 Oh, but God does a miracle through His word. 865 00:56:41,480 --> 00:56:46,000 And you know what he does? He breaks even the strongest of 866 00:56:46,000 --> 00:56:51,440 men and He brings them to their knees, flowing with tears. 867 00:56:51,440 --> 00:56:54,800 Oh, I love to see it. I have thankfully had the 868 00:56:54,800 --> 00:57:00,200 privilege of observing it many times throughout the 30 years 869 00:57:00,200 --> 00:57:01,520 that I have been doing what I do. 870 00:57:01,520 --> 00:57:04,680 When God takes the biggest and the strongest and the meanest 871 00:57:04,680 --> 00:57:09,960 man in the room, and He crumbles them to his knees. 872 00:57:11,200 --> 00:57:14,440 And all he can do upon hearing the truth of the word of God is 873 00:57:14,440 --> 00:57:18,320 weep before God, knowing that he has offended God by his life. 874 00:57:19,320 --> 00:57:24,520 And in his tears of sorrow he cries out for forgiveness, 875 00:57:24,640 --> 00:57:31,600 repenting with true, true godly sorrow. 01 tear of repentance 876 00:57:32,880 --> 00:57:35,400 worth more than all the outward show of religion. 877 00:57:37,080 --> 00:57:40,680 Oh, I wish the church would just stop getting together for the 878 00:57:40,680 --> 00:57:44,120 sake of meeting. And perhaps we would get 879 00:57:44,120 --> 00:57:49,280 together and weep over the sins of our nation, weep over the 880 00:57:49,280 --> 00:57:52,720 sins that we still have existing in us. 881 00:57:53,680 --> 00:57:56,600 That we would weep in tears, as the psalmist is doing here. 882 00:57:56,600 --> 00:57:58,400 Streams of tears flow from my eyes. 883 00:57:58,520 --> 00:58:01,360 For your law is not obeyed. Whether that's him not obeying 884 00:58:01,360 --> 00:58:03,800 the law or whether it's someone else not obeying the law. 885 00:58:03,920 --> 00:58:05,880 It brought him to a place of sorrow. 886 00:58:08,160 --> 00:58:10,680 Sadly, in our country, it brings us to a place of complaining. 887 00:58:10,680 --> 00:58:14,080 We look at the lost world. We just complain about how evil 888 00:58:14,080 --> 00:58:15,560 they are and how religious we are. 889 00:58:18,480 --> 00:58:22,960 What would we cry for them? But when is the last time that 890 00:58:22,960 --> 00:58:25,040 you flooded the altar with tears? 891 00:58:27,360 --> 00:58:29,560 Oh, we can go back to great moves of God. 892 00:58:29,560 --> 00:58:33,280 We can go back to the Great Awakening where Jonathan Edwards 893 00:58:33,280 --> 00:58:36,440 preached. We can go back to sermons. 894 00:58:36,920 --> 00:58:38,800 Like sinners in the hands of an angry God. 895 00:58:41,360 --> 00:58:44,640 And all historical documentation of that said that that people 896 00:58:44,640 --> 00:58:47,520 began to weep and they began to well, not not only for their 897 00:58:47,520 --> 00:58:50,240 sin, but the sin of all who were around them and the sin of the 898 00:58:50,240 --> 00:58:52,320 world. They began to weep for the lost 899 00:58:52,320 --> 00:58:55,040 people who weren't in Christ. Who needed to be rescued? 900 00:58:55,040 --> 00:59:02,600 Oh, but we're too dignified. We're too religious in our days. 901 00:59:02,600 --> 00:59:07,040 We're too strong all but upon hearing the Word of God, it 902 00:59:07,040 --> 00:59:14,720 makes the strongman weep. Thomas Watson said this. 903 00:59:14,720 --> 00:59:19,400 He said if we have no tears to weep for sin, let us sorrow that 904 00:59:19,400 --> 00:59:25,120 we cannot sorrow. Or perhaps it was once a time in 905 00:59:25,120 --> 00:59:29,320 your life where the Word of God, the truth of the Word of God, 906 00:59:29,320 --> 00:59:34,400 would bring you to tears, bring you to true godly sorrow again, 907 00:59:34,440 --> 00:59:36,640 either for the sin in your life or the sin of others. 908 00:59:36,640 --> 00:59:40,720 But you have become so desensitized to that in the 909 00:59:40,720 --> 00:59:43,560 modern church culture where we have no room for this. 910 00:59:45,000 --> 00:59:47,920 Or may we return to this? Why? 911 00:59:47,920 --> 00:59:52,160 Because it's important. Now, I'll go ahead and say this. 912 00:59:53,760 --> 00:59:57,880 Tears by themselves don't mean repentance. 913 01:00:02,440 --> 01:00:04,320 They do mean an outward sign of sorrow. 914 01:00:05,960 --> 01:00:09,440 I saw just this week a post on social media that was comparing 915 01:00:09,440 --> 01:00:12,600 someone who cries over their sin and someone who actually repents 916 01:00:13,200 --> 01:00:15,440 and they presented it as an either or. 917 01:00:15,440 --> 01:00:19,320 Where it's a both and someone who truly repents, I believe, 918 01:00:19,320 --> 01:00:26,760 will come to tears. You say, well, do the tears mean 919 01:00:26,760 --> 01:00:29,120 something? Oh yes, they do. 920 01:00:29,760 --> 01:00:35,920 Did you know this both. Judas and Peter wept. 921 01:00:38,320 --> 01:00:41,560 Judas wept after betraying Christ. 922 01:00:42,640 --> 01:00:46,080 Peter wept after denying that he knew Christ. 923 01:00:47,720 --> 01:00:49,440 Now what is the difference in their tears? 924 01:00:49,440 --> 01:00:53,600 The difference is repentance. And I want you to see that Judas 925 01:00:53,600 --> 01:00:56,360 did not repent of his sin, though his eyes were filled with 926 01:00:56,360 --> 01:00:59,160 tears. How do I know this? 927 01:01:00,040 --> 01:01:04,320 Because. Godly sorrow leads to 928 01:01:04,320 --> 01:01:07,480 repentance, it doesn't lead to more sin. 929 01:01:07,960 --> 01:01:10,360 Judas went out and hanged himself. 930 01:01:11,920 --> 01:01:17,920 In the case of Peter, Peter wept bitterly, and he went bitterly 931 01:01:17,920 --> 01:01:20,480 because the word of God was spoken to him. 932 01:01:20,560 --> 01:01:22,920 And what was the word of God? Jesus told Peter. 933 01:01:23,040 --> 01:01:26,640 He said, Peter, you're going to deny me three times before the 934 01:01:26,640 --> 01:01:29,200 rooster crows. And when Peter heard the rooster 935 01:01:29,200 --> 01:01:32,640 crow, he knew the word of God was true, and he saw it for what 936 01:01:32,640 --> 01:01:35,120 it was, and it made the strongman weep. 937 01:01:35,960 --> 01:01:39,920 He, being one of the strongest of the 12, wept bitterly. 938 01:01:39,920 --> 01:01:42,240 Why? Because every single word of God 939 01:01:42,240 --> 01:01:43,760 is true. He knew that he had. 940 01:01:43,880 --> 01:01:46,640 He had denied Christ, just as Christ said he was going to. 941 01:01:46,640 --> 01:01:49,520 And what did it do? It brought him to tears. 942 01:01:51,360 --> 01:01:56,600 Brought him to godly sorrow, and godly sorrow led him to 943 01:01:56,600 --> 01:01:59,080 repentance. Paul gives clear teaching of 944 01:01:59,080 --> 01:02:01,600 this in Second Corinthians Chapter 7 he says this. 945 01:02:02,720 --> 01:02:06,240 Verse 9 yet now I am happy not because you were made sorry. 946 01:02:06,480 --> 01:02:07,880 He's writing to the Corinthian church. 947 01:02:07,880 --> 01:02:10,280 They were made sorry because they had things wrong and Paul 948 01:02:10,280 --> 01:02:12,600 had to address them. He says I'm not rejoicing 949 01:02:12,600 --> 01:02:17,560 because you were made sorry but because your sorrow LED you to 950 01:02:17,560 --> 01:02:19,480 repentance. He said that was the end goal. 951 01:02:19,920 --> 01:02:23,680 I proclaimed to you the truth of the word of God so that you 952 01:02:23,680 --> 01:02:27,160 would be sorrowful to the point that you actually repented. 953 01:02:28,320 --> 01:02:33,160 He says for you became. Sorrowful as God intended, and 954 01:02:33,160 --> 01:02:35,080 so we're not harmed in any way by us. 955 01:02:35,080 --> 01:02:38,360 He said you straighten things up before we got here, just as God 956 01:02:38,360 --> 01:02:41,120 intended. You approached him with godly 957 01:02:41,160 --> 01:02:43,160 sorrow. Verse 10, he says godly sorrow 958 01:02:43,160 --> 01:02:46,560 brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, 959 01:02:47,120 --> 01:02:50,240 but worldly sorrow brings death. You want to know the difference 960 01:02:50,240 --> 01:02:52,920 between Judas and Peter? It's right there. 961 01:02:53,400 --> 01:02:56,920 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and 962 01:02:56,920 --> 01:03:01,200 leaves no regret. But worldly sorrow brings death. 963 01:03:03,440 --> 01:03:08,240 And it is the word of God that brings the strong man to a place 964 01:03:08,240 --> 01:03:10,560 of godly sorrow where he weeps over sin. 965 01:03:12,000 --> 01:03:15,000 He weeps over the sin that he has committed, the sin that he 966 01:03:15,000 --> 01:03:18,720 struggles with. He weeps over the sin of his 967 01:03:18,720 --> 01:03:21,640 family. He weeps over the sin of this 968 01:03:21,640 --> 01:03:24,160 lost world and please for their soul. 969 01:03:26,640 --> 01:03:31,120 And it is the word of God, and crushes that man once strong, 970 01:03:32,720 --> 01:03:37,080 making him weak unto the Lord, weeping and dependent upon him. 971 01:03:37,480 --> 01:03:41,400 And so God's wonderful word will cause a person to become broken, 972 01:03:42,600 --> 01:03:47,760 weeping before a holy God over all his existing evil and the 973 01:03:47,760 --> 01:03:51,400 existence of evil around him. And so I have to ask because it 974 01:03:51,400 --> 01:03:58,040 bids that we ask this question amid all of the entertainment 975 01:03:58,040 --> 01:04:01,200 and all of the celebration and all of the things that we see in 976 01:04:01,200 --> 01:04:05,200 the modern church. Where is the weeping? 977 01:04:07,000 --> 01:04:12,000 Where is the weeping? Because the Word of God demands 978 01:04:12,000 --> 01:04:16,720 that we are broken over sin and that we come weeping. 979 01:04:17,080 --> 01:04:18,800 I know what. Many say at this point, well, I 980 01:04:18,800 --> 01:04:20,640 thought Christianity was a joyful. 981 01:04:20,840 --> 01:04:24,960 Religion it is. You know what the Scripture 982 01:04:24,960 --> 01:04:30,560 says? He who sows in tears shall reap 983 01:04:31,240 --> 01:04:34,120 in joy. You know why there's no joy in 984 01:04:34,120 --> 01:04:36,800 the church these days? Because there are no tears in 985 01:04:36,800 --> 01:04:40,680 the churches these days. We come to a place where we are 986 01:04:40,680 --> 01:04:45,000 broken over sin because the word of God still calls it sin, where 987 01:04:45,000 --> 01:04:47,760 we are broken over our sin and the sin of those around us, the 988 01:04:47,760 --> 01:04:49,200 sin of the culture that we live in. 989 01:04:49,360 --> 01:04:51,720 And we cry out to a holy God in tears. 990 01:04:51,840 --> 01:04:56,520 Lord, save us from this sin. Bring revival to your land. 991 01:04:56,520 --> 01:05:02,120 May. We weep, may we mourn, as 992 01:05:02,120 --> 01:05:05,600 Scripture tells us. So we see the wonderful Word of 993 01:05:05,600 --> 01:05:10,120 God, the miracles that He does when we preach and teach His 994 01:05:10,120 --> 01:05:13,840 Word. He makes the simple man wise. 995 01:05:14,760 --> 01:05:18,600 The SAT man watered the sinful man washed, the stubborn man 996 01:05:18,600 --> 01:05:24,080 willful suffering man well. He will take that big. 997 01:05:24,080 --> 01:05:26,720 Strong man, and he will crush him and make him weep. 998 01:05:28,600 --> 01:05:34,680 O may we find ourselves acknowledging the word of God as 999 01:05:34,680 --> 01:05:41,520 wonderful and supernatural and marvelous and miraculous. 1000 01:05:41,520 --> 01:05:47,400 Thank you, Lord, and you have given us your word to the 1001 01:05:47,400 --> 01:05:51,960 believer today. I ask you this, do you view 1002 01:05:51,960 --> 01:05:55,520 God's Word as wonderful? I'm not talking about how you 1003 01:05:55,640 --> 01:06:02,440 view a pretty day as wonderful. You view God's Word properly. 1004 01:06:03,640 --> 01:06:09,440 Do you daily open the pages of Scripture that you may see the 1005 01:06:09,440 --> 01:06:11,880 wonders of God fly off the pages? 1006 01:06:13,160 --> 01:06:16,840 Do you see His Word as wonderful? 1007 01:06:17,680 --> 01:06:20,880 Have you experienced and are you experiencing the miraculous 1008 01:06:20,880 --> 01:06:26,400 change that He continually brings to those who subject 1009 01:06:26,400 --> 01:06:28,880 themselves and saturate themselves with His Word? 1010 01:06:30,120 --> 01:06:37,600 Do you To the unbeliever. I pray that today is the day 1011 01:06:39,440 --> 01:06:45,280 that God's wonderful and miraculous Word has opened your 1012 01:06:45,280 --> 01:06:49,600 eyes to see your sinful condition, opened your eyes to 1013 01:06:49,600 --> 01:06:54,440 see your great need for Savior. I pray that the day is the day 1014 01:06:54,440 --> 01:06:57,800 that His Word confirms that Jesus is the only name under 1015 01:06:57,800 --> 01:06:59,720 heaven whereby men must be saved. 1016 01:06:59,840 --> 01:07:02,560 He is the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to 1017 01:07:02,560 --> 01:07:05,760 the Father but by Him. I pray that He opens your eyes 1018 01:07:05,760 --> 01:07:10,000 to see that, and in that He rebirths you, bringing you to a 1019 01:07:10,000 --> 01:07:13,440 place of faith where you believe and you trust in the promises of 1020 01:07:13,440 --> 01:07:16,240 the Word of God. And you cry out to Jesus Christ 1021 01:07:16,360 --> 01:07:22,720 as the only hope for sinners, trusting in Him and Him alone to 1022 01:07:22,720 --> 01:07:26,880 save you as you surrender to Him as Lord and Savior. 1023 01:07:27,760 --> 01:07:32,000 Oh, may you see and may you experience the wonderful Word of 1024 01:07:32,000 --> 01:07:34,800 God this very day. Let's pray together. 1025 01:07:34,800 --> 01:07:37,760 Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank you so much for your Word. 1026 01:07:39,600 --> 01:07:44,520 We thank you that it is wonderful and it is spectacular 1027 01:07:44,520 --> 01:07:48,720 and it is supernatural and it is all that it says, that it is 1028 01:07:50,920 --> 01:07:53,720 God. We trust today that as it has 1029 01:07:53,720 --> 01:07:58,120 gone forth, it will accomplish exactly what you desire that it 1030 01:07:58,120 --> 01:08:01,280 accomplish. Lord, may you encourage the 1031 01:08:01,280 --> 01:08:06,880 Saint. May you bring the center to a 1032 01:08:06,880 --> 01:08:12,880 place of repentance and faith, and may you be glorified and all 1033 01:08:12,880 --> 01:08:16,200 that you do today. And we give you all the praise 1034 01:08:16,200 --> 01:08:18,080 and all the honor and all the glory. 1035 01:08:18,680 --> 01:08:24,399 In Jesus name we pray, Amen. You've been listening to Key 1036 01:08:24,399 --> 01:08:27,160 Life Fellowships Pulpit Ministry podcast. 1037 01:08:27,560 --> 01:08:30,720 Join us each week for more teaching from God's Word.