The Sufficiency of God s Word Psalm 19:7-14 - NCBC, January 8, 2017 Main Point: God s Word is fully sufficient for you. Its Titles Its Characteristics Its Benefits 7a The Law Perfect Restores the soul 7b The Testimony 8a The Precepts 8b The Commandment Sure Right Pure Makes wise the simple Rejoices the heart Enlightens the eyes 9a The Fear Clean Enduring forever 9b The Judgment Application: Delight in God s Word. True Produces full righteousness What a wonderful prayer to sing together as God s redeemed as we prepare to feed on God s Life-giving Word together. We need to see Jesus this morning. Our souls were made to worship God and God alone. So I d invite you to open your copy of the Holy Scriptures to Psalm chapter 19. How will I read God s Word? How will I memorize God s Word? How will I learn God s Word from others? How will I share God s Word with others? Opening Announcements: Women s Spring Bible Study Launch Newcomer s Lunch next Sunday. <<Your Words of Life>> If you don t have a Bible with you this morning, please catch the attention of the ushers now. You are welcome to take this Bible home as our gift to you, or just simply return it after our service by placing it on the table in the back of the room. Page 1a of 14 Page 1b of 14
At the start of every year we set aside a number of weeks to focus on key spiritual disciplines for the believer. Last week we considered How to Really Change through faith and repentance, by considering 2 Corinthians 3-4. Next week we will consider the foundational relationship of marriage. Regardless of whether you are single, married, divorced or widowed you need to hear next week s message. For God s design for marriage is good and right and very counter-cultural to the popular mindset of our world. Then we will turn our attention to the disciplines of prayer, giving, serving as a deacon, and suffering. These will be our topics of study to start 2017. But today our Bibles are open to Psalm 19, where we focus in on, the words of Scripture, and then the last verse is a prayer that God would change our words as well. You will find our text on page in the giveaway Bibles. In honor of God s Word, I d invite you to stand as I read from the ESV translation of Psalm 19, starting in verse 7: The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. 13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. This is the inspired word of God. You may be seated. Please pray with me. The Sufficiency of God s Word. This Psalm of David is all about words. The first 6 verses describe the words of Creation itself as the heavens declare the glory of God. Verses 7-13 describe Imagine for a moment that you are the apostle Peter. You are Simon. Formerly a fisherman, now a fisher of men. You walked with Jesus. Talked with Jesus. Jesus Page 2a of 14 Page 2b of 14 Start by 8:38/11:08 // half by 8:57 / 11:27
loved you, and you loved Him. O you weren t perfect, and you had a lot of blundering and blubbering moments with our Lord but you were one of His disciples. You had seen the resurrected Lord, and you were filled with His Spirit now that Jesus had ascended back to His heavenly Father. As an apostle the Spirit now worked through you to miraculously heal and even raise people from the dead.1 God has certainly allowed you see and experience a lot of His glory throughout your life so far. And you ve definitely had some mountaintop experiences. One of your all-time highlights had to be witnessing the transfiguration of Christ in all of His glory with James and John in Matthew 17!2 So if you are the apostle Peter how are you going to help others come to know the glory of Christ for themselves? How will you encourage people to know Christ and His glory just as personally as you have known Him? Here s what Peter actually wrote in 2 Peter 1:16-19, We were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when [Christ] received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased, 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. This is in reference to Peter witnessing the transfiguration of Christ in Matthew 17. Can you imagine the glory of that moment? Hearing the voice from heaven, saying, This is my Beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. So Peter keeps writing in verse 19, 19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 1 Acts 9:32-42 2 Matthew 17:1-8 Don t miss the wonder of 2 Peter 1:19 this morning. As awesome as the mountain-top experience, the prophetic word of God is more certain. More reliable. More sufficient for our needs. For the inspired word of God is Page 3a of 14 Page 3b of 14 Start by 8:38/11:08 // half by 8:57 / 11:27
the lamp that shines into our very hearts and awakens faith and repentance. It is the Holy Scriptures which show us the glory of God! In other words, Peter is wisely counseling us towards the more reliable and sure revelation of God Himself. The inspired Word of God that is fully sufficient for all your needs. We must never let this miracle of God s self-revelation become mundane to us. This morning we behold wonderful words of life. And from Psalm 19, we learn from David s pen just how sufficient and marvelous is God s Holy Word to us! God s Word is fully sufficient for you. This is the main point of our lesson from Psalm 19 this morning. God s Word is fully sufficient to show you God s glory. More sufficient than any mountain-top as good and as helpful as such experiences may be in their due season. It is God s Word that provides all we need for life and godliness in our daily lives. 3 Verses 7-9 will be our primary focus for our time this morning, where we observe 6 different titles or names given to God s Word. With 6 corresponding characteristics, producing 6 corresponding benefits. And as we unpack these verses together, I pray that God s Spirit would build our hope, and increase our hunger for God s all-sufficient word. Verse 7 starts by saying, The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. Do you believe this? Do you recognize the glory that is bound in calf-skin this morning? If you had a choice to experience the Transfiguration with Peter, James, and John or to open the book in your lap this morning and read which would you choose? 3 2 Peter 1:3-4 So the title is the Law. Its characteristic is perfect. And its benefit is that the Law of the Lord restores the soul. Page 4a of 14 Page 4b of 14
Now it s worth noting at the beginning of our study that all six of these titles use the phrase, of the LORD. The LORD is in all-caps-signifying the name Yahweh. The covenant-keeping, eternally-existing, God of salvation is the author! The law, testimony, precepts, commandment, fear, and rules all come from our God of salvation. Scripture is the self-revelation of God Himself. No matter how you describe Scripture, you must acknowledge that it is of the LORD. Coming from Him and consisting of Him.4 Torah, or law in English, is the Scripture s favorite word for itself. Think of the Bible like the manufacturer s instruction manual for life. So what is Scripture claiming to be sufficient for in this verse? Now this should cause you to sit up straight and shout out an Amen this morning. For the word for reviving is more powerful than just simple refreshment. This is the word for regeneration. Transformation. Conversion! And it s perfect meaning complete. Comprehensive. Providing everything that is necessary for our salvation and sanctification. For what benefit does the law of the Lord produce inside us? It revives or restores our soul! The teaching of God in the Scripture is so perfectly comprehensive and sufficient that it is able to completely transform an individual from the inside out saving and rescuing a lifeless soul from bondage to deceptive pride and idolatry. The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. When we hear the word law we think rules, commandments. But you need to think like a Hebrew here. Because the word law is the word Torah and it means instruction. Think teaching The teaching of the Lord is perfect. How precious is God s Word to you this morning? 1 Peter 1:23 says that we are born again through the living Word! 2 Timothy 3:15 says God s Word is able to make us wise for salvation. Now as we study Psalm 19, it s instructive to glance over at Psalm 119 as well. For almost every one of the 176 verses in Psalm 119 describe some aspect of God s sufficient Word: 4 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21 Page 5a of 14 Page 5b of 14 Start by 8:38/11:08 // half by 8:57 / 11:27
Verse 25 give me life according to your word. Verse 50 your promise gives me life. Now this is very good news! Not only does God s Word convert us and bring us to salvation but it also sanctifies us and makes us simpletons truly wise! Verse 107 I am severely afflicted; give me life, O LORD, according to your word! In other words do you believe that the law of the Lord is perfect,.fully sufficient to change and transform your inner soul? Keep reading, because the verse goes on, the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; The Scriptures here are called the testimony of Yahweh. That s a great name. If you put God on the witness stand, and asked Him to bear witness about His character and His deeds what He would say is exactly what you are already holding in your hands this morning. It s God s self-revelation of Himself. His testimony about who He is and what He has done. Page 6a of 14 Page 6b of 14
And the testimony of the Lord is sure meaning it s reliable and trust-worthy. More fully confirmed than any eye-witness experience, Peter taught us in 2 Peter 1. Now notice how sufficient the Scripture claims to be here. God says His testimony makes a simple person wise. Have you ever heard someone boast about how openminded they were? In the Hebrew language of this Psalm, a simple person is someone who is completely open-minded. Their mind has no gates or doors on it. Any thought or philosophy can walk into their mind and be at home anytime. So being open-minded is not a virtue! It s a curse a simple person has no discretion. No basis for rendering accurate judgments. his sinful living from the previous 40 years had stolen all that ability from him. My brother was a simple man. So what did he do? He started listening to the Bible on tape. Washing his mind with the living testimonies of the Lord. And in time, this brother not only taught himself how to read the Scripture again but he became a man who knew how to live again for the testimonies of the Lord make wise the simple! Psalm 119 says it this way, Now give this kind of simpleton the testimonies of Yahweh, and what is the result wisdom. Skillful living. This is the ability to make the right decision at the right time in order to please God. This is the powerful transforming sufficiency of God s Word in our lives! Every time I read this verse I think of a man from my past who was the town drunk. He had burned his brain out on drugs and years of prodigal living. He was constantly in trouble, and could never hold down a job. In fact he had lost the ability to read or count change. But then the Spirit of God used the preaching of the Gospel to regenerate this man s soul and grant him eternal life. It was a glorious conversion on all accounts! Psalm 19:7 in action! And now that his mind was renewed by God s grace my brother wanted to read the Scriptures. But Verse 130 The unfolding of your words give light; it imparts understanding to the simple. Dear one this is the claim of Scripture itself. It claims full sufficiency to help make you wise for living. Do you believe this? Verse 8 goes on, The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart. Page 7a of 14 Page 7b of 14 Start by 8:38/11:08 // half by 8:57 / 11:27
In other words, God s Word is a guide to us. We don t have to question how to navigate in the midst of swirling opinions and low-hanging clouds. The precepts of the LORD are right bringing joy and rejoicing to our whole person what the Bible calls our heart. So don t miss the sufficiency of God s words for you this morning! Again, notice the progression. First the Word of God converts you. Then it teaches you how to live, so that you might experience true joy! If you are depressed, or anxious, or fearful, or doubting the answer to your distress this morning is to come and feed on the precepts of the Lord! Let biblical doctrines guide your emotions and your will. Let God s right precepts bring rejoicing to your heart as you get back on the Biblical path and walk in obedience to the revealed word of God! All true pleasure and contentment come from knowing and fellowshipping with God through His Word! Do you remember what the prophet Jeremiah prayed when he was thrown into a pit and rejected by everyone around him? Jeremiah 15:16 says, The title of Precepts refers to the doctrines or propositional truths of Scripture. And when you read the word and come face to face with its doctrines or truths you will discover that the truths of Scripture are right. Meaning that they point you in the right direction. The propositions of biblical doctrine set you on the right path towards godliness. Your words were found and I ate them, and your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart! Psalm 119 agrees! Page 8a of 14 Page 8b of 14
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. Verse 111 your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart. Verse 162 I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil. Is this true of your soul this morning? Is God s Word your most treasured possession? You know over Christmas break I watched more TV than normal. Saw a lot of commercials. Commercials for cars. Cell phones. All kinds of jewelry that Jody needs. But I never saw a commercial for the most valuable possession that mankind could ever possess the very word of God that is sufficient to regenerate a person from the inside out, that is sufficient to make a simple person wise. This is the only possession that can give lasting joy to your heart! But that s not all, is it? For verse 8 goes on to teach us that, Now doesn t this remind you of 2 Corinthians 3 and 4 from last week? 5 How does God s Spirit awaken hearts and open eyes of those caught in sin? Through His authoritative mandates and commands! The Gospel commands a response of faith. Every time the word of God is faithfully proclaimed, souls are 5 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:6 Page 9a of 14 Page 9b of 14
commanded to repent and believe to submit their hearts to the divine decrees of their creator God. And God s commands are not burdensome. 6 For the commandment of Yahweh our promise-keeping God of salvation is pure meaning clear. Easy to see and understand. You can pick up the Bible anytime and understand it. Really, you can! But you ll hear people I can t understand the Bible. It doesn t make sense to me. And people will self-justify their own darkness in the ignorance of their unbelief. But for the one who seeks to understand the one who comes praying that the Author would reveal the meaning of the text to them their minds are renewed by Scripture such that the Word is the light that makes the darkness of unbelief disappear. How fully sufficient is God s Word to us, church! Psalm 119 again testifies, In verse 105, your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Verse 130 The unfolding of your words give light. The Spirit of God turns on the lights of repentance and faith in our hearts using the catalyst of God s Word. Faith comes by hearing the words of Christ, Romans 10:17 teaches. Next verse 9 says, The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever. 6 1 John 5:3 Page 10a of 14 Page 10b of 14
Now at first glance, this doesn t seem to be a consistent title for the word of God compared to the rest of the list. Psalm 119 asks, But the fear of the LORD is a title for God s Word that emphasizes how the Bible is a worship manual. How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. The Bible communicates not just instruction, and testimonies, and precepts, and commandments but also fear. The Bible teaches us how to wonder. The Bible communicates awe and fear to us. And from this vantage point its characteristic is clean meaning without error, unsullied, or without impurity. Translation God s word is the only sure means for knowing how worship God in spirit and in truth. 7 His Word is not just sufficient to bring you joy in every situation His Word is always relevant enduring forever so that you might always know how to worship and praise our great God. Because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The words of the LORD are pure always trustworthy and always relevant for our every situation and circumstance. Are you thankful for God s Word this morning? For He gives us one final title to consider in Psalm 19. Verse 9 ends by stating, The rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. 7 John 4:24 Page 11a of 14 Page 11b of 14
Bible is true and can be applied to our lives at any point in time then it s able to produce a comprehensive righteousness. Just like Jesus prayed in John 17:17, sanctify them through your Truth, your word is truth! Psalm 119 again expands on the brevity of Ps 19, In other words, the rules or judgments of Scripture are true able to produce full righteousness. Righteous altogether can be taken in the sense of They make completely righteous or sanctify. Verse 160 The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. Now I know we ve raced through these 3 verses together but just pause and let it soak in for a moment. You know why this is good news? Because in our broken world today, there s a lot of injustice isn t there? But wash your soul this morning with this truth God s Word promises justice! God s judgments are true. Romans 3:4 says let every man be found a liar, but let God be true! God cannot lie. His promises are certain and trustworthy. And since the Page 12a of 14 Page 12b of 14
word is the greatest possession greater than gold itself! And the greatest pleasure! In verse 11, God s word is the greatest protection. In verses 12-13, God s word produces the greatest purity. So what must we do but, God s Word brings salvation restoring the soul. God s Word brings sanctification making wise the simple. God s Word guides us through the maze of life and gives our hearts joy! God s Word grants repentance and faith by opening our eyes to God s glory! God s word is always relevant in every situation and is able to bring about final justice and righteousness out there and in here. Can t you agree this morning that, When you come to understand how fully sufficient God s Word is for our daily living and our relationship with God, how could we not delight in it? Of course we don t worship the Bible we worship the God who gave us the Bible. We delight in the Bible because His Words are how we know God, and are set free from the blinding corruption of this world. So as we conclude, please consider the four questions in your notes this morning: God s Word is fully sufficient for you! Time doesn t permit us to do this justice, but just glance at the rest of psalm 19. In verse 10 we learn God s How will I read God s Word? How will I memorize God s Word? How will I learn God s Word from others? How will I share God s Word with others? Page 13a of 14 Page 13b of 14
On the back of your notes page, I ve offered some simple ideas and resources to help. Because if you believe what Psalm 19 is teaching us about God s Word there s no other response that is appropriate than to intentionally pursue delighting more in it this year! God s Word is fully sufficient for us! Are you hungry for more? Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen. Let s pray. <<Ancient Words>> Let s pray Psalm 19:14 as our Benediction now, Page 14a of 14 Page 14b of 14