James Shepherd
Series: Summer Nights In The Gospel
Speaker: Steve Jeffrey
Date: 23rd January 2016
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 My name is James, the student minister here at St. Paul's.
00:00:02 --> 00:00:03 Welcome to you.
00:00:03 --> 00:00:05 If you're a guest of us here this morning,
00:00:05 --> 00:00:08 look forward to catching you after this service.
00:00:08 --> 00:00:10 Before we start, let's pray.
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word.
00:00:14 --> 00:00:18 We thank you so much that in your word you reveal to us the way of salvation
00:00:18 --> 00:00:22 and how we ought to live now as we look forward to eternity.
00:00:22 --> 00:00:26 We pray, Lord, as we hear it this morning, that you would speak to us,
00:00:26 --> 00:00:30 that we would have our hearts and our minds and our ears open to what you have to say
00:00:30 --> 00:00:34 and that we would leave here changed, encouraged, rebuked,
00:00:34 --> 00:00:37 and that we would leave here desiring to follow you always.
00:00:38 --> 00:00:40 We pray this in your son's name. Amen.
00:00:41 --> 00:00:46 We live and exist in the world that constantly demands our attention.
00:00:46 --> 00:00:51 Wherever we go, we are bombarded by billboards, advertising everywhere,
00:00:51 --> 00:00:55 posters, TV commercials, radio commercials, advertising on the web.
00:00:55 --> 00:00:59 We can't go anywhere without the world wanting our attention,
00:00:59 --> 00:01:02 trying to sell us something, trying to inform us of something
00:01:02 --> 00:01:05 that we should be taking or listening to.
00:01:05 --> 00:01:08 But the world demands more than just our attention.
00:01:08 --> 00:01:10 The world demands our love.
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 The world demands our affection.
00:01:13 --> 00:01:16 And this can be particularly seen in the advertising industry.
00:01:16 --> 00:01:19 Companies work with advertisers to sell their product,
00:01:19 --> 00:01:22 not merely to just give us what we need,
00:01:22 --> 00:01:25 but to help us love their products.
00:01:26 --> 00:01:28 Companies want our affection.
00:01:29 --> 00:01:31 And their strategy totally works.
00:01:31 --> 00:01:33 I mean, how many times have you heard your friends say
00:01:33 --> 00:01:35 or yourself say these things?
00:01:35 --> 00:01:37 Look at my new iPhone.
00:01:37 --> 00:01:38 Isn't it beautiful?
00:01:39 --> 00:01:40 I love it.
00:01:41 --> 00:01:43 Oh, I love my new car.
00:01:43 --> 00:01:44 It's so cute.
00:01:44 --> 00:01:45 I named it this or that.
00:01:46 --> 00:01:47 How many people have you named your car?
00:01:47 --> 00:01:48 Who names their cars?
00:01:49 --> 00:01:50 Yeah, guilty, guilty.
00:01:50 --> 00:01:52 See, you fall into their strategy.
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 Look at how beautiful these plants are.
00:01:55 --> 00:01:56 Oh, I love them.
00:01:56 --> 00:01:57 I love how they look in the garden.
00:01:57 --> 00:01:59 I can't wait to see them blossom.
00:02:00 --> 00:02:02 Oh, my goodness, these shorts, they're so cute.
00:02:02 --> 00:02:03 I love them.
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 I'm not going to buy them, no matter how expensive they are.
00:02:06 --> 00:02:07 Do you notice something here?
00:02:08 --> 00:02:11 All these things that captivate our affection
00:02:11 --> 00:02:14 are inanimate objects.
00:02:14 --> 00:02:18 They don't return the affection at all.
00:02:19 --> 00:02:22 And we attribute human traits to otherwise things
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 that cannot love us in return.
00:02:24 --> 00:02:25 And this is no accident.
00:02:25 --> 00:02:28 This is exactly what advertisers and companies want.
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 They want to make their products
00:02:30 --> 00:02:33 more than just the necessities of life.
00:02:34 --> 00:02:35 They want to make us love them.
00:02:35 --> 00:02:38 They want us to make these products
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 the objects of our affection.
00:02:40 --> 00:02:44 And you see, advertisers have not come across this by accident.
00:02:45 --> 00:02:47 It's not something they've stumbled across.
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 They have tapped into something
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 that is very fundamental to our humanity,
00:02:52 --> 00:02:53 which is this,
00:02:53 --> 00:02:58 our innate desire to love and worship something.
00:02:59 --> 00:03:01 Companies have used this and exploited it
00:03:01 --> 00:03:04 in order to make us love and desire their products,
00:03:04 --> 00:03:07 which is why we apply human qualities and traits
00:03:07 --> 00:03:09 to things that are otherwise inanimate.
00:03:10 --> 00:03:14 The world is constantly vying for our attention,
00:03:15 --> 00:03:18 promising to be everything we hope and dreamed of,
00:03:18 --> 00:03:21 tapping into our innate desire to worship
00:03:21 --> 00:03:22 and to love something,
00:03:23 --> 00:03:26 and demanding that it be the owner of our affection.
00:03:28 --> 00:03:30 And as Christians, it can be tremendously hard
00:03:30 --> 00:03:33 to keep our attention and our affection on Christ
00:03:33 --> 00:03:36 and offer Him our affection alone.
00:03:36 --> 00:03:39 In a world demanding it so much
00:03:39 --> 00:03:40 and promising so much in return,
00:03:41 --> 00:03:44 it can be very hard to stay focused on the Word.
00:03:45 --> 00:03:48 And that is why passages such as Psalm 119
00:03:48 --> 00:03:50 are very helpful for us.
00:03:51 --> 00:03:54 Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Book of Psalms,
00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 but also the longest chapter in the whole Bible.
00:03:57 --> 00:03:59 And it's a psalm entirely dedicated to
00:03:59 --> 00:04:02 and devoted to the subject of God's Word,
00:04:02 --> 00:04:06 expressing the psalmist's delight and joy,
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 affection for the Word of God.
00:04:09 --> 00:04:11 And it works similar to the way of advertising.
00:04:12 --> 00:04:15 As the psalmist expresses his own delight and joy
00:04:15 --> 00:04:16 in God's Word,
00:04:16 --> 00:04:19 he calls his readers, us here this morning,
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 to have the same joy,
00:04:21 --> 00:04:23 to have the same delight,
00:04:23 --> 00:04:26 to have the same affection for the Word of God.
00:04:26 --> 00:04:30 The psalmist is full of praise for his Word.
00:04:30 --> 00:04:31 Listen to some examples here.
00:04:32 --> 00:04:32 Verse 20,
00:04:33 --> 00:04:36 My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times.
00:04:36 --> 00:04:37 Verse 30,
00:04:37 --> 00:04:39 I have chosen the way of faithfulness.
00:04:40 --> 00:04:41 I have set my heart on your laws.
00:04:41 --> 00:04:42 Verse 43,
00:04:43 --> 00:04:45 Never take your word of truth from my mouth,
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 for I have put my hope in your laws.
00:04:49 --> 00:04:49 Verse 47,
00:04:49 --> 00:04:52 For I delight in your commands because I love them.
00:04:53 --> 00:04:53 Verse 81,
00:04:53 --> 00:04:57 My soul faints with longing for your salvation,
00:04:58 --> 00:05:01 but I have put my hope in your word.
00:05:01 --> 00:05:02 Verse 92,
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 If your law had not been my delight,
00:05:04 --> 00:05:07 I would have perished in my affliction.
00:05:07 --> 00:05:09 I will never forget your precepts,
00:05:09 --> 00:05:12 for by them ye have preserved my life.
00:05:12 --> 00:05:13 Verse 97,
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 Oh, how I love your law.
00:05:15 --> 00:05:17 I meditate on it all day long.
00:05:18 --> 00:05:19 Verse 119,
00:05:19 --> 00:05:22 All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross,
00:05:22 --> 00:05:24 Therefore I love your statutes.
00:05:24 --> 00:05:26 My flesh trembles in fear of you.
00:05:26 --> 00:05:29 I stand in awe of your laws.
00:05:30 --> 00:05:31 Verse 129,
00:05:31 --> 00:05:33 Your statutes are wonderful.
00:05:34 --> 00:05:35 Therefore I obey them.
00:05:36 --> 00:05:41 Can you hear the psalmist's delight and affection he has for God's word?
00:05:42 --> 00:05:45 His laws, his decrees, statutes, promises, and rules.
00:05:46 --> 00:05:49 He is totally enamored by the word of God.
00:05:49 --> 00:05:51 It's the owner of his affection.
00:05:52 --> 00:05:58 This psalm is a celebration of God's gracious revelation to us in his word.
00:05:59 --> 00:06:04 And so as the psalmist writes of his own affection and love for the word,
00:06:04 --> 00:06:08 he wants to remind us who follow and love God,
00:06:08 --> 00:06:14 that the true object of our affection should be the word and nothing else.
00:06:14 --> 00:06:17 In a world that would demand otherwise,
00:06:18 --> 00:06:22 the psalmist wants to redirect our attention and our affection
00:06:22 --> 00:06:25 from temporary, worthless things in this world
00:06:25 --> 00:06:32 to the eternal, invaluable, incomprehensible, sometimes word of God.
00:06:33 --> 00:06:37 The word that leads us into the presence and knowledge of God himself.
00:06:37 --> 00:06:40 His love and affection and adoration for the word
00:06:40 --> 00:06:44 is only surpassed by his own love for God himself.
00:06:44 --> 00:06:48 You see, his affection for the word is fueled by the fact
00:06:48 --> 00:06:53 that it's the word of God that allows him into the presence of God.
00:06:53 --> 00:06:59 And that is why the word of God is the proper and rightful owner of his affection.
00:06:59 --> 00:07:02 There are two big things that come out of this psalm
00:07:02 --> 00:07:07 that remind us of why the word of God ought to be the owner of our affection
00:07:07 --> 00:07:09 and above all else.
00:07:10 --> 00:07:15 Firstly, because his word, or by his word, we receive salvation.
00:07:16 --> 00:07:18 Now if you note back to some of the examples before,
00:07:18 --> 00:07:22 much of the psalmist's affection for the word of God
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 stems from its role in salvation.
00:07:24 --> 00:07:28 The psalmist puts his hope in the word of God for salvation.
00:07:28 --> 00:07:31 He says without it, he would have perished in his affliction.
00:07:32 --> 00:07:35 In verse 81, the psalmist is longing for salvation.
00:07:35 --> 00:07:37 He feels death is at his door,
00:07:37 --> 00:07:41 but he draws comfort from the word of God
00:07:41 --> 00:07:46 and looks forward to the salvation that is promised in his word.
00:07:46 --> 00:07:49 Now it's really important to realize here that the psalmist
00:07:49 --> 00:07:53 and his knowledge of salvation does not come from the gospels,
00:07:53 --> 00:07:56 Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, or any document in the New Testament.
00:07:56 --> 00:07:59 The psalmist has in mind here the books of the law,
00:08:00 --> 00:08:01 the Torah, and the prophets.
00:08:01 --> 00:08:05 Books like Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Joshua, 1 and 2 Samuel,
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 1 and 2 Kings, and the minor prophets.
00:08:09 --> 00:08:11 He writes with these books in mind.
00:08:11 --> 00:08:15 With these books in mind, he talks about how God is his salvation,
00:08:15 --> 00:08:18 how the word is the means of salvation.
00:08:18 --> 00:08:23 Many of us here as Christians struggle at times to read the Old Testament,
00:08:23 --> 00:08:24 what the psalmist calls the law.
00:08:25 --> 00:08:27 And in fact, why would we read the Old Testament?
00:08:28 --> 00:08:30 Aren't we all about the New Testament these days?
00:08:30 --> 00:08:31 Aren't we all about the gospels?
00:08:32 --> 00:08:35 Why on earth would we read something called the Old Testament,
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 and we have what's called the New Testament?
00:08:39 --> 00:08:41 We might feel that way about the law,
00:08:41 --> 00:08:43 but the psalmist certainly does not.
00:08:44 --> 00:08:48 Whilst we might see it as something that's too hard to understand or comprehend,
00:08:48 --> 00:08:50 not relevant for us here today as Christians,
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 the psalmist sees the whole law,
00:08:53 --> 00:08:55 every single word written in it,
00:08:55 --> 00:08:57 every word God has spoken in it,
00:08:57 --> 00:09:00 as necessary for salvation.
00:09:01 --> 00:09:02 And the thing is,
00:09:03 --> 00:09:04 the New Testament also agrees with that.
00:09:06 --> 00:09:08 In Paul's second letter, Timothy says this in chapter 3,
00:09:08 --> 00:09:38 The sacred writings Paul mentions here are not the gospels.
00:09:39 --> 00:09:41 They are the books of the law and the prophets.
00:09:42 --> 00:09:45 The same writings our psalmist 119 refers to.
00:09:45 --> 00:09:49 Paul doesn't tell Timothy to forget what he grew up learning
00:09:49 --> 00:09:52 and just focus on the gospels themselves.
00:09:53 --> 00:09:56 But contrary to that, he says to remember them.
00:09:56 --> 00:09:59 For by them he learnt about a God who was holy,
00:09:59 --> 00:10:02 a God who was faithful to his people,
00:10:02 --> 00:10:05 a God who had promises to save them.
00:10:05 --> 00:10:08 And in those things that he learnt,
00:10:08 --> 00:10:11 he grew in his knowledge of his salvation
00:10:11 --> 00:10:14 that would come through faith in Jesus Christ.
00:10:15 --> 00:10:18 Paul did not see the law of God as something
00:10:18 --> 00:10:20 that is no longer required,
00:10:20 --> 00:10:23 but something that is integral for knowing
00:10:23 --> 00:10:26 and understanding where salvation comes from.
00:10:26 --> 00:10:31 In the story of the travels of Emmaus Road,
00:10:31 --> 00:10:33 we see how the law and the prophets
00:10:33 --> 00:10:38 was necessary for the people who Jesus travelled with
00:10:38 --> 00:10:40 in understanding their salvation as well.
00:10:40 --> 00:10:42 Notice that their eyes were kept
00:10:42 --> 00:10:44 from seeing that it was Jesus
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 until Jesus interpreted Moses,
00:10:47 --> 00:10:47 okay, the law,
00:10:48 --> 00:10:49 and the prophets and everything
00:10:49 --> 00:10:51 in scripture concerning himself.
00:10:51 --> 00:10:54 It wasn't until Jesus explained from all of scripture
00:10:54 --> 00:10:59 that these men understood where salvation had come from.
00:10:59 --> 00:11:02 It was the opening and the explaining of God's word
00:11:02 --> 00:11:04 from beginning to end
00:11:04 --> 00:11:08 that caused their hearts to burn
00:11:08 --> 00:11:09 with joy,
00:11:10 --> 00:11:11 with excitement within them.
00:11:12 --> 00:11:13 And at that point,
00:11:13 --> 00:11:15 when they realised who this man was,
00:11:15 --> 00:11:16 that it was him
00:11:16 --> 00:11:18 who the scriptures had talked about,
00:11:18 --> 00:11:19 that it was Jesus,
00:11:20 --> 00:11:21 the one who had come to save them.
00:11:22 --> 00:11:24 Our view of the Old Testament
00:11:24 --> 00:11:26 may be that it's boring,
00:11:27 --> 00:11:28 hard to understand,
00:11:28 --> 00:11:30 and irrelevant for us.
00:11:30 --> 00:11:32 But to the psalmist
00:11:32 --> 00:11:33 and to the authors of the New Testament,
00:11:34 --> 00:11:36 it is key to understanding our salvation.
00:11:36 --> 00:11:38 Indeed, it's more than just key
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 to understanding our salvation,
00:11:40 --> 00:11:42 but its entire purpose,
00:11:42 --> 00:11:43 from Genesis to Revelation,
00:11:44 --> 00:11:46 is to help us understand
00:11:46 --> 00:11:48 and make us wise for our salvation.
00:11:49 --> 00:11:50 Dare I say it,
00:11:50 --> 00:11:52 the four gospels on their own
00:11:52 --> 00:11:53 are not enough
00:11:53 --> 00:11:56 to help us
00:11:56 --> 00:11:57 to understand our salvation.
00:11:58 --> 00:11:59 If they were,
00:11:59 --> 00:12:01 then the whole counsel of God
00:12:01 --> 00:12:02 would only be those four gospels.
00:12:02 --> 00:12:03 But what we have
00:12:03 --> 00:12:05 here in the word here
00:12:05 --> 00:12:06 is always
00:12:06 --> 00:12:08 and completely necessary
00:12:08 --> 00:12:09 for our salvation.
00:12:10 --> 00:12:11 Even the hard bits.
00:12:12 --> 00:12:14 When we see God's word,
00:12:14 --> 00:12:14 all of it,
00:12:15 --> 00:12:15 with the purpose
00:12:15 --> 00:12:18 of making us wise
00:12:18 --> 00:12:19 for our salvation,
00:12:20 --> 00:12:21 will not our affection
00:12:21 --> 00:12:23 and love for it grow?
00:12:23 --> 00:12:25 Will not our desire
00:12:25 --> 00:12:27 to read it grow?
00:12:28 --> 00:12:29 Will not we be continually
00:12:29 --> 00:12:31 thankful to God
00:12:31 --> 00:12:32 and worship Him
00:12:32 --> 00:12:35 for His gracious revelation to us?
00:12:36 --> 00:12:38 We struggle to read Scripture
00:12:38 --> 00:12:40 because we easily forget
00:12:40 --> 00:12:42 what its purpose is.
00:12:42 --> 00:12:45 we get too bogged down
00:12:45 --> 00:12:46 by how difficult
00:12:46 --> 00:12:47 it can be to understand it
00:12:47 --> 00:12:49 and then too easily distracted
00:12:49 --> 00:12:51 by worldly things
00:12:51 --> 00:12:52 that promise to be
00:12:52 --> 00:12:53 so much more
00:12:53 --> 00:12:56 a supplement form
00:12:56 --> 00:12:57 of our salvation.
00:12:57 --> 00:12:59 But this is why
00:12:59 --> 00:13:00 we have Psalm 119.
00:13:01 --> 00:13:02 This is why the psalmist
00:13:02 --> 00:13:05 spends 176 verses
00:13:05 --> 00:13:06 talking about his affection
00:13:06 --> 00:13:07 for God,
00:13:08 --> 00:13:10 that we might not lose sight
00:13:10 --> 00:13:11 of its purpose,
00:13:11 --> 00:13:14 that it makes us wise
00:13:14 --> 00:13:15 for our salvation.
00:13:17 --> 00:13:18 All of God's word
00:13:18 --> 00:13:20 is worthy of our affection
00:13:20 --> 00:13:21 and indeed,
00:13:21 --> 00:13:23 it is the rightful owner
00:13:23 --> 00:13:24 of our affection
00:13:24 --> 00:13:25 above all else
00:13:25 --> 00:13:28 because it is the only thing
00:13:28 --> 00:13:29 in our life
00:13:29 --> 00:13:30 that can save us.
00:13:31 --> 00:13:32 The word of God
00:13:32 --> 00:13:33 deserves our affection
00:13:33 --> 00:13:34 above all the things
00:13:34 --> 00:13:35 because it leads us
00:13:35 --> 00:13:36 and guides us
00:13:36 --> 00:13:37 to the greatest treasure
00:13:37 --> 00:13:38 we will ever have in life,
00:13:38 --> 00:13:40 the one who saves.
00:13:40 --> 00:13:41 The psalmist
00:13:41 --> 00:13:43 shows his affection
00:13:43 --> 00:13:44 for God's word
00:13:44 --> 00:13:46 because it's the very thing
00:13:46 --> 00:13:47 that saves.
00:13:48 --> 00:13:50 But his worship of God
00:13:50 --> 00:13:51 for his word
00:13:51 --> 00:13:53 extends beyond that.
00:13:54 --> 00:13:55 For the psalmist,
00:13:55 --> 00:13:56 he sees that it's worthy
00:13:56 --> 00:13:57 of his affection
00:13:57 --> 00:13:58 not because it just saves him
00:13:58 --> 00:13:59 for eternity,
00:14:00 --> 00:14:01 but also because
00:14:01 --> 00:14:02 it helps him
00:14:02 --> 00:14:03 to persevere
00:14:03 --> 00:14:05 in this life now.
00:14:05 --> 00:14:06 And that's the second big thing
00:14:06 --> 00:14:07 we see in this psalm
00:14:07 --> 00:14:08 and particularly
00:14:08 --> 00:14:09 in this passage.
00:14:10 --> 00:14:11 Here in our passage,
00:14:11 --> 00:14:12 the psalmist prays
00:14:12 --> 00:14:13 that he would keep
00:14:13 --> 00:14:14 God's word,
00:14:14 --> 00:14:15 that he would receive
00:14:15 --> 00:14:16 understanding,
00:14:16 --> 00:14:17 that he would observe it
00:14:17 --> 00:14:18 for his whole heart,
00:14:19 --> 00:14:21 that it would keep him
00:14:21 --> 00:14:22 from leading a life
00:14:22 --> 00:14:24 of selfish gain,
00:14:24 --> 00:14:25 that it would keep him
00:14:25 --> 00:14:25 from leading a life
00:14:25 --> 00:14:28 looking at worthless things
00:14:28 --> 00:14:29 in order
00:14:29 --> 00:14:30 that he might
00:14:30 --> 00:14:31 have life
00:14:31 --> 00:14:32 in the ways
00:14:32 --> 00:14:33 of God
00:14:33 --> 00:14:35 according to his word.
00:14:35 --> 00:14:37 He doesn't see
00:14:37 --> 00:14:38 disobedience
00:14:38 --> 00:14:39 to God's word
00:14:39 --> 00:14:40 as only an obligation,
00:14:41 --> 00:14:42 but the very means
00:14:42 --> 00:14:43 of his perseverance.
00:14:44 --> 00:14:46 The psalmist throughout
00:14:46 --> 00:14:47 repeatedly credits
00:14:47 --> 00:14:48 God's word,
00:14:48 --> 00:14:50 specifically his law
00:14:50 --> 00:14:51 and statutes,
00:14:51 --> 00:14:52 as the very means
00:14:52 --> 00:14:54 that sustain him
00:14:54 --> 00:14:55 and help him
00:14:55 --> 00:14:56 to persevere in life.
00:14:56 --> 00:14:57 Verse 54,
00:14:57 --> 00:14:58 your statutes
00:14:58 --> 00:15:00 have been my songs
00:15:00 --> 00:15:00 in the house
00:15:00 --> 00:15:01 of my soul journey.
00:15:02 --> 00:15:03 I remember your name
00:15:03 --> 00:15:03 in the night,
00:15:03 --> 00:15:04 O Lord,
00:15:04 --> 00:15:05 and keep your Lord.
00:15:06 --> 00:15:06 The blessing,
00:15:07 --> 00:15:07 this blessing
00:15:07 --> 00:15:08 has fallen to me
00:15:08 --> 00:15:09 that I have kept
00:15:09 --> 00:15:10 your precepts.
00:15:11 --> 00:15:12 In verse 92 again,
00:15:12 --> 00:15:13 if your law
00:15:13 --> 00:15:15 had not been my delight,
00:15:15 --> 00:15:17 I would have perished
00:15:17 --> 00:15:18 in my affliction.
00:15:18 --> 00:15:19 I will never forget
00:15:19 --> 00:15:20 your precepts
00:15:20 --> 00:15:21 for by them
00:15:21 --> 00:15:23 you have preserved
00:15:23 --> 00:15:24 my life.
00:15:25 --> 00:15:26 The psalmist
00:15:26 --> 00:15:29 is very affectionate
00:15:29 --> 00:15:30 about God's law
00:15:30 --> 00:15:31 because of how
00:15:31 --> 00:15:32 he sees it
00:15:32 --> 00:15:33 help him
00:15:33 --> 00:15:34 to persevere
00:15:34 --> 00:15:35 and sustain him
00:15:35 --> 00:15:37 through the tough times.
00:15:38 --> 00:15:39 Its purpose,
00:15:40 --> 00:15:41 other than pointing
00:15:41 --> 00:15:42 towards our salvation
00:15:42 --> 00:15:43 in Jesus,
00:15:43 --> 00:15:44 is to provide
00:15:44 --> 00:15:46 a helpful corrective,
00:15:46 --> 00:15:46 to help us
00:15:46 --> 00:15:47 keep our lives
00:15:47 --> 00:15:48 on track,
00:15:49 --> 00:15:49 that we might
00:15:49 --> 00:15:51 live lives well
00:15:51 --> 00:15:52 in a world
00:15:52 --> 00:15:52 that is otherwise
00:15:52 --> 00:15:54 corrupt and broken.
00:15:54 --> 00:15:55 The law
00:15:55 --> 00:15:56 and the prophets
00:15:56 --> 00:15:58 are gifts
00:15:58 --> 00:15:59 of God's grace
00:15:59 --> 00:16:01 for our salvation
00:16:01 --> 00:16:03 and for our perseverance
00:16:03 --> 00:16:04 in this life
00:16:04 --> 00:16:05 right now.
00:16:05 --> 00:16:06 They are not
00:16:06 --> 00:16:06 a burden
00:16:06 --> 00:16:07 for us
00:16:07 --> 00:16:08 to try and avoid,
00:16:09 --> 00:16:09 but they are also
00:16:09 --> 00:16:10 not the means
00:16:10 --> 00:16:12 of our salvation.
00:16:12 --> 00:16:14 It points
00:16:14 --> 00:16:15 to where our salvation
00:16:15 --> 00:16:16 comes from
00:16:16 --> 00:16:16 in Jesus
00:16:16 --> 00:16:18 and helps us
00:16:18 --> 00:16:19 to persevere
00:16:19 --> 00:16:19 in this life
00:16:19 --> 00:16:21 knowing full well
00:16:21 --> 00:16:22 that we are
00:16:22 --> 00:16:22 under grace,
00:16:23 --> 00:16:23 looking forward
00:16:23 --> 00:16:24 to enjoying
00:16:24 --> 00:16:25 the fullness
00:16:25 --> 00:16:26 of our salvation
00:16:26 --> 00:16:27 to come.
00:16:28 --> 00:16:29 The whole
00:16:29 --> 00:16:29 counsel
00:16:29 --> 00:16:31 of God's
00:16:31 --> 00:16:32 word,
00:16:32 --> 00:16:33 the Old and New Testament,
00:16:33 --> 00:16:34 ultimately exists
00:16:34 --> 00:16:36 for our benefit.
00:16:37 --> 00:16:38 The way
00:16:38 --> 00:16:38 of salvation
00:16:38 --> 00:16:39 might be made
00:16:39 --> 00:16:40 known to us
00:16:40 --> 00:16:42 and we might
00:16:42 --> 00:16:43 have a helpful
00:16:43 --> 00:16:43 guide throughout
00:16:43 --> 00:16:44 our life
00:16:44 --> 00:16:45 to help us
00:16:45 --> 00:16:46 persevere
00:16:46 --> 00:16:48 during the tough times.
00:16:48 --> 00:16:48 This is why
00:16:48 --> 00:16:49 the psalmist
00:16:49 --> 00:16:50 is so captivated
00:16:50 --> 00:16:51 and so affectionate
00:16:51 --> 00:16:52 about God's word.
00:16:53 --> 00:16:54 He sees
00:16:54 --> 00:16:55 the eternal value
00:16:55 --> 00:16:56 of what God
00:16:56 --> 00:16:57 is trying to achieve
00:16:57 --> 00:16:58 through his word.
00:16:58 --> 00:16:58 He sees that
00:16:58 --> 00:16:59 God's word
00:16:59 --> 00:17:00 is his
00:17:00 --> 00:17:01 gracious
00:17:01 --> 00:17:03 self-revelation
00:17:03 --> 00:17:04 for us,
00:17:04 --> 00:17:05 for our benefit.
00:17:06 --> 00:17:06 He sees that
00:17:06 --> 00:17:07 by God's word
00:17:07 --> 00:17:08 we can enjoy
00:17:08 --> 00:17:09 a relationship
00:17:09 --> 00:17:09 with him.
00:17:10 --> 00:17:11 For the psalmist
00:17:11 --> 00:17:12 it is something,
00:17:12 --> 00:17:13 his word,
00:17:13 --> 00:17:14 that he falls back on
00:17:14 --> 00:17:15 no matter how dark
00:17:15 --> 00:17:16 and horrible
00:17:16 --> 00:17:17 life can be,
00:17:18 --> 00:17:18 no matter how much
00:17:18 --> 00:17:19 pain or suffering
00:17:19 --> 00:17:20 he might endure,
00:17:20 --> 00:17:21 no matter how scared
00:17:21 --> 00:17:22 and hopeless
00:17:22 --> 00:17:23 and fearful he is,
00:17:24 --> 00:17:24 he can trust
00:17:24 --> 00:17:26 in the all-powerful
00:17:26 --> 00:17:27 word of God.
00:17:28 --> 00:17:28 Know that it's
00:17:28 --> 00:17:29 sufficient and true.
00:17:30 --> 00:17:30 Know that it will
00:17:30 --> 00:17:31 never fail
00:17:31 --> 00:17:32 or fade away.
00:17:35 --> 00:17:36 And this is why
00:17:36 --> 00:17:37 the psalmist
00:17:37 --> 00:17:38 urges us
00:17:38 --> 00:17:40 to make God's word
00:17:40 --> 00:17:41 the object
00:17:41 --> 00:17:42 of our affection.
00:17:44 --> 00:17:45 And yet,
00:17:46 --> 00:17:47 we find ourselves
00:17:47 --> 00:17:48 too easily
00:17:48 --> 00:17:50 pleased by other things.
00:17:50 --> 00:17:52 we find our affection
00:17:52 --> 00:17:53 is too easily won
00:17:53 --> 00:17:55 by worldly things.
00:17:55 --> 00:17:56 The latest
00:17:56 --> 00:17:58 TV shows,
00:17:58 --> 00:17:58 work,
00:17:59 --> 00:17:59 study,
00:18:00 --> 00:18:01 sleeping in,
00:18:01 --> 00:18:02 gardening,
00:18:02 --> 00:18:03 holidaying,
00:18:03 --> 00:18:03 clothes,
00:18:04 --> 00:18:04 cars.
00:18:05 --> 00:18:06 These things,
00:18:06 --> 00:18:07 the psalmist would say,
00:18:07 --> 00:18:09 if they steal our affection
00:18:09 --> 00:18:10 away from God's word,
00:18:10 --> 00:18:11 are worthless things.
00:18:11 --> 00:18:15 The world
00:18:15 --> 00:18:16 wants our attention,
00:18:17 --> 00:18:17 the world
00:18:17 --> 00:18:18 wants
00:18:18 --> 00:18:19 our affection,
00:18:20 --> 00:18:21 and it's a battle
00:18:21 --> 00:18:23 to keep God's word
00:18:23 --> 00:18:24 as the object
00:18:24 --> 00:18:25 of our affection,
00:18:25 --> 00:18:26 the center
00:18:26 --> 00:18:27 of our life.
00:18:27 --> 00:18:28 And no doubt,
00:18:28 --> 00:18:29 the psalmist
00:18:29 --> 00:18:30 realizes this,
00:18:31 --> 00:18:32 which is why he prays,
00:18:32 --> 00:18:33 incline my heart
00:18:33 --> 00:18:35 to your testimonies
00:18:35 --> 00:18:36 and not to selfish gain.
00:18:37 --> 00:18:38 Turn my eyes
00:18:38 --> 00:18:38 from looking at
00:18:38 --> 00:18:40 worthless things.
00:18:40 --> 00:18:41 He knows the struggle
00:18:41 --> 00:18:43 that we have
00:18:43 --> 00:18:43 in life,
00:18:43 --> 00:18:45 and he himself
00:18:45 --> 00:18:46 prays that he would
00:18:46 --> 00:18:47 continue to always
00:18:47 --> 00:18:48 keep God's word
00:18:48 --> 00:18:48 at the center.
00:18:50 --> 00:18:50 What the world
00:18:50 --> 00:18:51 has to offer
00:18:51 --> 00:18:52 can look so enticing
00:18:52 --> 00:18:53 and so beautiful
00:18:53 --> 00:18:54 at times,
00:18:54 --> 00:18:55 and it can make
00:18:55 --> 00:18:56 God's word
00:18:56 --> 00:18:57 seem bland
00:18:57 --> 00:18:57 and boring
00:18:57 --> 00:18:58 and too hard,
00:18:58 --> 00:18:58 which is why,
00:18:59 --> 00:18:59 again,
00:18:59 --> 00:19:00 the psalmist prays,
00:19:00 --> 00:19:01 turn away the reproach
00:19:01 --> 00:19:02 that I dread,
00:19:02 --> 00:19:03 for your rules
00:19:03 --> 00:19:03 are good.
00:19:04 --> 00:19:06 He wants us to know,
00:19:06 --> 00:19:07 and he wants himself
00:19:07 --> 00:19:07 to always know
00:19:07 --> 00:19:08 that no matter
00:19:08 --> 00:19:09 how hard it can be
00:19:09 --> 00:19:10 to obey God's word,
00:19:10 --> 00:19:10 no matter how hard
00:19:10 --> 00:19:11 it can be to read
00:19:11 --> 00:19:12 God's word,
00:19:13 --> 00:19:14 it is always good
00:19:14 --> 00:19:15 because God himself
00:19:15 --> 00:19:15 is good.
00:19:17 --> 00:19:18 In a world
00:19:18 --> 00:19:19 constantly fighting
00:19:19 --> 00:19:20 for our affection,
00:19:21 --> 00:19:22 challenging us
00:19:22 --> 00:19:23 to make material
00:19:23 --> 00:19:25 and temporary things
00:19:25 --> 00:19:26 the object
00:19:26 --> 00:19:26 of our affection,
00:19:27 --> 00:19:28 Psalm 119
00:19:28 --> 00:19:29 comes to our aid
00:19:29 --> 00:19:31 to remind us
00:19:31 --> 00:19:32 of the eternal
00:19:32 --> 00:19:33 and beautiful word
00:19:33 --> 00:19:34 of God
00:19:34 --> 00:19:36 that makes known
00:19:36 --> 00:19:37 the way of salvation
00:19:37 --> 00:19:38 and the very instrument
00:19:38 --> 00:19:39 of our perseverance
00:19:39 --> 00:19:42 in this life,
00:19:42 --> 00:19:43 that all the things
00:19:43 --> 00:19:44 that would have
00:19:44 --> 00:19:45 our affection
00:19:45 --> 00:19:46 are insufficient
00:19:46 --> 00:19:48 since they cannot
00:19:48 --> 00:19:48 provide us
00:19:48 --> 00:19:49 what we need,
00:19:49 --> 00:19:51 nor a relationship
00:19:51 --> 00:19:51 with the one
00:19:51 --> 00:19:53 who the word reveals.
00:19:54 --> 00:19:55 The question is,
00:19:55 --> 00:19:57 is it the object
00:19:57 --> 00:19:59 of your affection?
00:20:00 --> 00:20:02 Is the word of God
00:20:02 --> 00:20:03 the object
00:20:03 --> 00:20:04 and the owner
00:20:04 --> 00:20:05 of your affection?
00:20:07 --> 00:20:08 I know this is
00:20:08 --> 00:20:09 difficult to answer.
00:20:10 --> 00:20:11 I'm at Bible college
00:20:11 --> 00:20:12 and the irony is
00:20:12 --> 00:20:13 that I've never found
00:20:13 --> 00:20:15 it harder in my life
00:20:15 --> 00:20:17 to love God's word
00:20:17 --> 00:20:19 except for the last
00:20:19 --> 00:20:19 two years.
00:20:20 --> 00:20:21 It has been really hard
00:20:21 --> 00:20:23 to make God's word
00:20:23 --> 00:20:25 at the centre
00:20:25 --> 00:20:25 of my life
00:20:25 --> 00:20:26 and the owner
00:20:26 --> 00:20:27 of my affection.
00:20:28 --> 00:20:29 And I do not wish
00:20:29 --> 00:20:29 this morning
00:20:29 --> 00:20:31 to condemn anyone
00:20:31 --> 00:20:32 here who struggles
00:20:32 --> 00:20:34 to read God's word
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 in the Old Testament.
00:20:35 --> 00:20:36 I'd only be condemning
00:20:36 --> 00:20:37 myself also
00:20:37 --> 00:20:38 if I did that.
00:20:38 --> 00:20:39 I only wish
00:20:39 --> 00:20:40 to implore you
00:20:40 --> 00:20:41 as I'm imploring
00:20:41 --> 00:20:42 myself right now
00:20:42 --> 00:20:43 as the psalmist
00:20:43 --> 00:20:44 implores us here
00:20:44 --> 00:20:45 in Psalm 119
00:20:45 --> 00:20:47 to remember
00:20:47 --> 00:20:48 what God's word
00:20:48 --> 00:20:49 is and does for us.
00:20:50 --> 00:20:51 That it makes known
00:20:51 --> 00:20:52 the way of salvation
00:20:52 --> 00:20:53 that God loves us
00:20:53 --> 00:20:53 and cares for us
00:20:53 --> 00:20:54 and in Christ Jesus
00:20:54 --> 00:20:55 has died for us
00:20:55 --> 00:20:57 and that it's there
00:20:57 --> 00:20:58 as a helpful guide
00:20:58 --> 00:20:59 to persevere
00:20:59 --> 00:21:00 in this life
00:21:00 --> 00:21:01 for the life to come.
00:21:02 --> 00:21:02 For anyone
00:21:02 --> 00:21:03 who is having
00:21:03 --> 00:21:05 a dry season
00:21:05 --> 00:21:06 in the word
00:21:06 --> 00:21:08 that it struggled
00:21:08 --> 00:21:08 to read
00:21:08 --> 00:21:10 let us not give up
00:21:10 --> 00:21:10 reading it.
00:21:11 --> 00:21:13 We have Psalm 119
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 to remind us
00:21:14 --> 00:21:15 to keep going
00:21:15 --> 00:21:16 and persevere
00:21:16 --> 00:21:17 as we read it
00:21:17 --> 00:21:18 knowing what it's
00:21:18 --> 00:21:19 achieving for us.
00:21:20 --> 00:21:21 And so this morning
00:21:21 --> 00:21:21 we have a choice.
00:21:23 --> 00:21:23 Will we love
00:21:23 --> 00:21:25 the word of God
00:21:25 --> 00:21:27 like the psalmist does?
00:21:27 --> 00:21:28 Will we see
00:21:28 --> 00:21:29 what it does for us
00:21:29 --> 00:21:30 in showing us
00:21:30 --> 00:21:31 the way of salvation
00:21:31 --> 00:21:32 and enabling us
00:21:32 --> 00:21:33 to persevere
00:21:33 --> 00:21:34 in this life
00:21:34 --> 00:21:34 and therefore
00:21:34 --> 00:21:35 make it
00:21:35 --> 00:21:37 the rightful owner
00:21:37 --> 00:21:38 of our affection?
00:21:39 --> 00:21:40 Or
00:21:40 --> 00:21:41 will we
00:21:41 --> 00:21:42 be blinded
00:21:42 --> 00:21:44 by worthless things
00:21:44 --> 00:21:45 temporary things
00:21:45 --> 00:21:46 in our life
00:21:46 --> 00:21:48 taking
00:21:48 --> 00:21:49 that steal
00:21:49 --> 00:21:49 our affection
00:21:49 --> 00:21:50 and take it away
00:21:50 --> 00:21:51 from God's word
00:21:51 --> 00:21:53 and in the end
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54 take it away
00:21:54 --> 00:21:55 possibly
00:21:55 --> 00:21:56 our salvation
00:21:56 --> 00:21:56 and the means
00:21:56 --> 00:21:57 of our perseverance?
00:21:58 --> 00:21:59 Which will it be?
00:21:59 --> 00:22:03 So
00:22:03 --> 00:22:09 I
00:22:09 --> 00:22:10 I
00:22:10 --> 00:22:12 I
00:22:12 --> 00:22:15 I
00:22:15 --> 00:22:17 I
00:22:17 --> 00:22:17 I
00:22:17 --> 00:22:19 I
00:22:19 --> 00:22:19 I
00:22:19 --> 00:22:20 I