WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:11.740 You may be seated. This morning we're looking at Psalm 19. Psalm 19, as we continue in our 00:00:11.740 --> 00:00:18.500 series through the Psalms this fall, looking at these ancient songs and prayers of the people 00:00:18.500 --> 00:00:30.660 of Israel that have helped the people of Israel and the church for centuries, for millennia, 00:00:31.439 --> 00:00:38.579 to pray. I'm going to read Psalm 19. Let me read these words to us. 00:00:39.960 --> 00:00:47.260 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 00:00:47.259 --> 00:00:55.699 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, 00:00:55.839 --> 00:01:01.839 nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, 00:01:01.899 --> 00:01:07.659 and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, 00:01:08.420 --> 00:01:13.819 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and like a strong man runs its course 00:01:13.819 --> 00:01:21.159 with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, 00:01:21.759 --> 00:01:29.599 and there is nothing hidden from its heat. The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. 00:01:30.539 --> 00:01:37.539 The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, 00:01:37.540 --> 00:01:46.420 rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord 00:01:46.420 --> 00:01:55.400 is clean, enduring forever. The rules of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired 00:01:55.400 --> 00:02:03.040 are they than gold, even much fine gold. Sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb. 00:02:03.040 --> 00:02:09.900 Moreover, by them is your servant warned. In keeping them there is great reward. 00:02:11.400 --> 00:02:18.800 Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also 00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:26.500 from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless and innocent of 00:02:26.500 --> 00:02:35.099 great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, 00:02:36.120 --> 00:02:50.659 O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Is there a God? And if so, how can we know God? For centuries, 00:02:50.659 --> 00:02:55.659 human beings have looked around and asked this question, whether it's farmers in rural areas, 00:02:56.240 --> 00:03:03.639 hikers in the wilderness, or remote tribes gazing up at the night sky in wonder, or college students 00:03:03.639 --> 00:03:10.919 hashing out the meaning of life until 4 a.m. in their dorm rooms, or scientists marveling at the 00:03:10.919 --> 00:03:17.039 vastness of the universe and the complexity of microscopic life, or philosophers crafting 00:03:17.039 --> 00:03:25.019 treatises about the epistemology of religion, how can we know things, or children who ask as they grow up, 00:03:25.979 --> 00:03:33.639 how did I get here? How did this whole world get here? Throughout human history, across all different 00:03:33.639 --> 00:03:38.799 times and cultures and places, human beings have continued to ask this question, is there a God? 00:03:38.800 --> 00:03:49.540 And if so, how can we know? Now, by definition, if God is really out there, we can only know God if God 00:03:49.540 --> 00:03:57.580 chooses to show himself to us. It's like a game of hide and seek. If God is infinite and we are finite, 00:03:58.320 --> 00:04:05.900 he can always find somewhere to hide that we would never find him on our own. He could leave us in the 00:04:05.900 --> 00:04:14.280 dark and we would be wandering and uncertain forever. We'll only find an infinite God if that God has 00:04:14.280 --> 00:04:23.840 chosen to show himself to us in one way or another. And the good news of the Bible is that the one true 00:04:23.840 --> 00:04:32.139 and living God has chosen to do just that. And that's what this psalm celebrates, that God has revealed 00:04:32.139 --> 00:04:39.360 himself and that we can know him. Now, this psalm is not a philosophical argument attempting to prove 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:44.279 the existence of God. There's a place for philosophical arguments, but that's not what we're dealing with 00:04:44.279 --> 00:04:53.519 here. We're looking at a poem, a song, celebrating how the one true and living God has revealed himself 00:04:53.519 --> 00:05:00.500 to the world. Now, the first way that this psalm tells us that God has revealed himself is in 00:05:00.500 --> 00:05:10.959 verses 1 through 6, is through the heavens. The heavens declare the glory of God. The sky above 00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:17.839 proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech and night to night reveals knowledge. This is grand, 00:05:17.839 --> 00:05:26.899 majestic, exuberant language. Notice the verbs in verses 1 and 2. Declare, proclaim, pour out, 00:05:26.899 --> 00:05:33.560 reveal these powerful communicative verbs. It's saying the heavens bear witness to God continually, 00:05:34.259 --> 00:05:40.799 abundantly, and everywhere. Continually, day to day, night to night. Even the verb tenses express 00:05:40.799 --> 00:05:48.979 a sort of ongoing, never-ending action. Abundantly pouring forth like a stream of water and everywhere. 00:05:49.359 --> 00:05:53.799 Verse 4 talks about it going into all the earth, to the ends of the world. 00:05:53.800 --> 00:06:01.819 Romans chapter 1 verse 20, which we read earlier, says that God's eternal power and his divine nature 00:06:01.819 --> 00:06:07.980 have been clearly seen in what has been made. John Calvin wrote that the universe is a theater 00:06:07.980 --> 00:06:15.800 of the glory of God. In other words, an ongoing display of his power and wisdom and beauty and 00:06:15.800 --> 00:06:22.439 vastness. Immanuel Kant wrote, two things fill the mind with ever-increasing admiration and awe. 00:06:23.160 --> 00:06:32.939 The starry heavens above and the moral law within. Have you felt that sense of ever-increasing 00:06:32.939 --> 00:06:38.580 admiration and awe? Perhaps looking up at the stars on a clear night away from the city lights or 00:06:38.579 --> 00:06:44.560 watching the sun as it rises or sets, bathing the sky and the earth in brilliant color. 00:06:47.279 --> 00:06:53.620 David poetically describes the sun in verses 5 and 6. He compares it to a bridegroom leaving his 00:06:53.620 --> 00:06:58.539 chamber, emerging from his tent. You know, both then and now, Jewish weddings traditionally took 00:06:58.539 --> 00:07:04.899 place under a tent where the bride and groom would make their vows to one another, and they would come 00:07:04.899 --> 00:07:10.919 forth, sort of like a married couple would process out down the center aisle of a church or of the 00:07:10.919 --> 00:07:21.899 wedding venue, beaming with pride and joy. Either way, this is an image of youthful energy and joyful 00:07:21.899 --> 00:07:29.099 anticipation. The sun is also compared to a strong man, to a valiant soldier, fearlessly rushing into 00:07:29.100 --> 00:07:36.720 battle, triumphantly sweeping from one end of the heavens to the other, burning away fog and clouds 00:07:36.720 --> 00:07:46.540 and shining upon the world. It says there's nothing hidden from its heat. Especially those who lived in 00:07:46.540 --> 00:07:55.240 the desert would have felt that unrelenting heat of the sun. One commentator says the sun is penetrating, 00:07:55.240 --> 00:08:01.819 warming, warming, and life-giving to the world while also searching, testing, and purifying. 00:08:04.560 --> 00:08:12.720 Now, some of you might say, well, that's a nice poem from the ancient world, but, you know, I'm a modern 00:08:12.720 --> 00:08:19.860 person, and I believe in science. You know, back in the day, ancient people didn't really understand how 00:08:19.860 --> 00:08:24.620 the world worked, and so they were inclined to attribute everything they didn't understand to a god 00:08:24.620 --> 00:08:32.360 or gods. But today we know a lot more than they did. I mean, sure, the sun is beautiful, it keeps us alive, 00:08:33.259 --> 00:08:39.299 you know, it's nice to sit in the sun on a cool day like today, but we know now that the sun is 00:08:39.299 --> 00:08:45.460 basically a ball of fire that formed billions of years ago when a cloud of dust and gas collapsed in 00:08:45.460 --> 00:08:51.820 on itself as the universe continued expanding. I mean, that's really what it is, after all. 00:08:51.820 --> 00:08:59.820 But, you know, it's not just ancient people, pre-scientific people, who have expressed awe 00:08:59.820 --> 00:09:07.120 and wonder at the heavens above. You know, in the early 20th century, and actually for some time 00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:13.879 before that, the prevailing theory of the universe was called the steady state theory. And basically 00:09:13.879 --> 00:09:18.480 what that theory said is that the universe, the physical universe that we live in, has been around 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:25.440 forever, pretty much as it is today. Maybe fluctuating a little bit here and there. But basically the 00:09:25.440 --> 00:09:30.940 universe is here, and it's always been here, and so it doesn't really need any further explanation. 00:09:32.399 --> 00:09:39.580 And so non-religious scientists were very comfortable with that theory. But then in the mid-20th century, 00:09:40.259 --> 00:09:47.060 that theory began to be seriously questioned by scientists. Astrophysicists began measuring cosmic 00:09:47.059 --> 00:09:52.039 background radiation and found that the universe was gradually expanding and concluded that the 00:09:52.039 --> 00:09:58.339 universe that we live in today has not been around forever, just like it is now, but rather it had a 00:09:58.339 --> 00:10:06.259 definite beginning long ago. And that finding deeply troubled many scientists who are convinced 00:10:06.259 --> 00:10:13.819 atheists. And some of them desperately tried to rescue the steady state theory and find sort of 00:10:13.820 --> 00:10:19.980 workarounds and ways to compensate for this new evidence that was coming forward. But those attempts 00:10:19.980 --> 00:10:28.040 have been soundly rejected. You see, what troubled them is if this universe of ours had a definite 00:10:28.040 --> 00:10:36.000 beginning, then it doesn't just explain itself so easily. If it all started with a big bang, well, 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:42.799 who or what caused that beginning? And why is there something rather than nothing if the something 00:10:42.799 --> 00:10:51.960 that is here can't justify itself and hasn't always been here the way it is now? 00:10:54.279 --> 00:10:59.440 Another question that you could ask is, why are we able to do scientific research at all? 00:10:59.440 --> 00:11:06.340 Why are we able to study the world that we live in and identify meaningful patterns and how it operates? 00:11:06.580 --> 00:11:12.760 I mean, the whole of modern science assumes three things. It assumes that the universe is orderly 00:11:12.760 --> 00:11:18.400 and not completely chaotic. It assumes that the universe is intelligible to human beings, that we 00:11:18.400 --> 00:11:25.140 can understand something about how it works. It's not complete gibberish to us and that it's contingent. 00:11:25.139 --> 00:11:30.740 That means it doesn't have to be the way that it is. It could be some other way. That's why we have to do 00:11:30.740 --> 00:11:38.360 experiments rather than just reason it out from deductive principles. You see, if the world wasn't this way, 00:11:38.399 --> 00:11:43.939 if the world was completely chaotic or unintelligible to humans, or if it had to be the way it is, then scientific 00:11:43.939 --> 00:11:49.659 experiments wouldn't make any sense. We wouldn't be able to discern any patterns or regularities. 00:11:49.659 --> 00:12:00.459 Or, which, but here's the thing. Without a creator God, there is no reason that we should expect the 00:12:00.459 --> 00:12:05.879 physical universe to be orderly, intelligible, and contingent. 00:12:05.879 --> 00:12:13.500 And yet, that's exactly how the Bible describes the physical universe that we live in. 00:12:14.320 --> 00:12:19.639 That it's orderly because God made it. That it's intelligible to human beings, partly because God has 00:12:19.639 --> 00:12:25.259 made us in his image and made the universe so that we can explore and understand it better. 00:12:25.580 --> 00:12:29.759 And that it's contingent rather than necessary because God could have made it a different way. 00:12:29.759 --> 00:12:37.799 So the biblical worldview makes sense, or science makes sense within the biblical worldview. 00:12:40.100 --> 00:12:42.600 The 17th century chemist Robert Boyle said, 00:12:42.700 --> 00:12:46.860 God would not have made the universe as it is unless he intended for us to understand it. 00:12:48.120 --> 00:12:51.500 You see, faith and science are not enemies. They are friends. 00:12:53.139 --> 00:12:56.620 In other words, standing in awe of the works of God, looking at the heavens, 00:12:56.620 --> 00:13:01.740 and saying they declare the glory of God goes hand in hand with exploring and understanding 00:13:01.740 --> 00:13:03.500 how it all works. 00:13:04.779 --> 00:13:09.240 The pioneering astronomer Nicholas Copernicus wrote about 500 years ago, he wrote this, 00:13:09.299 --> 00:13:10.879 to know the mighty works of God. 00:13:12.200 --> 00:13:18.560 To comprehend his wisdom and majesty and power, to appreciate in degree the wonderful workings of his laws. 00:13:19.100 --> 00:13:24.100 Surely all this must be a pleasing and acceptable mode of worship. 00:13:24.100 --> 00:13:28.240 The contemporary biologist Francis Collins wrote, 00:13:28.379 --> 00:13:31.399 the God of the Bible is also the God of the genome. 00:13:32.340 --> 00:13:35.259 He can be worshipped in the cathedral or in the laboratory. 00:13:36.800 --> 00:13:39.860 So that's the first way that God has revealed himself to the world, 00:13:39.980 --> 00:13:42.759 is through his creation, through the heavens. 00:13:43.800 --> 00:13:48.960 But the psalm goes on to speak of another way that God has revealed himself in verses 7 through 11. 00:13:49.540 --> 00:13:51.120 And that is through the scriptures. 00:13:51.120 --> 00:13:57.159 Ever since the early church, theologians have talked about God's revelation coming to us 00:13:57.159 --> 00:13:59.200 in two volumes, or two books. 00:13:59.279 --> 00:14:02.200 The book of nature, which is described in verses 1 through 6, 00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:06.360 and the book of scripture, described in verses 7 through 11. 00:14:07.399 --> 00:14:08.840 So Tertullian put it this way, 00:14:08.940 --> 00:14:11.580 we conclude that God is known first by nature in his works, 00:14:11.659 --> 00:14:13.220 but then he says more particularly, 00:14:13.919 --> 00:14:16.519 God is known by the teaching of his revealed word. 00:14:16.519 --> 00:14:20.600 Now what we see in verses 7 through 11, 00:14:21.120 --> 00:14:24.480 is that while God's revelation in nature is broadcast widely 00:14:24.480 --> 00:14:27.100 to the ends of the world, right? 00:14:27.159 --> 00:14:30.340 Everybody can see it, whether or not they've ever had access to the Bible. 00:14:32.139 --> 00:14:35.079 God's revelation in scripture penetrates more deeply. 00:14:36.259 --> 00:14:39.439 It penetrates to the depths of the human soul. 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:44.820 The word for God, in verse 1, 00:14:44.980 --> 00:14:47.320 is the general word for the divine being 00:14:47.320 --> 00:14:49.840 that was used not only among the people of Israel, 00:14:49.960 --> 00:14:51.760 but also by the surrounding nations. 00:14:52.180 --> 00:14:53.440 It's a word that sort of means 00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:55.000 the creator of everything, 00:14:55.240 --> 00:14:57.260 or the high God. 00:14:58.840 --> 00:15:01.020 But the word in verses 7 through 9, 00:15:01.100 --> 00:15:02.380 that's repeated six times, 00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:03.320 is the Lord. 00:15:03.480 --> 00:15:04.580 And in most Bibles, 00:15:04.860 --> 00:15:07.140 it's written in small capitals. 00:15:07.139 --> 00:15:10.120 And that means it's the word Yahweh. 00:15:10.539 --> 00:15:12.259 It's the personal name 00:15:12.259 --> 00:15:14.379 by which God revealed himself 00:15:14.379 --> 00:15:15.879 specifically to Moses 00:15:15.879 --> 00:15:17.699 and to the people of Israel 00:15:17.699 --> 00:15:18.620 and said, 00:15:18.980 --> 00:15:20.639 I am your Lord. 00:15:21.419 --> 00:15:24.000 I'm not just the God way out there, 00:15:24.100 --> 00:15:24.819 way out there. 00:15:25.000 --> 00:15:26.919 I'm your God, 00:15:27.179 --> 00:15:28.279 your Lord. 00:15:29.220 --> 00:15:30.899 You see, when we look at nature, 00:15:31.019 --> 00:15:32.799 we can see a God of glory, 00:15:33.720 --> 00:15:34.819 terrifying power, 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:36.720 matchless beauty, 00:15:37.580 --> 00:15:38.679 inscrutable wisdom, 00:15:38.819 --> 00:15:40.100 all those things you can see 00:15:40.100 --> 00:15:41.899 in the created order. 00:15:42.480 --> 00:15:42.840 But you know, 00:15:42.899 --> 00:15:44.240 if you just look at nature, 00:15:44.860 --> 00:15:46.220 it doesn't tell you 00:15:46.220 --> 00:15:47.919 whether that God 00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:49.299 is a personal being 00:15:49.299 --> 00:15:50.480 who would want to interact 00:15:50.480 --> 00:15:51.299 with his creation. 00:15:52.899 --> 00:15:55.199 And it doesn't give you 00:15:55.199 --> 00:15:57.399 clear moral guidance for living. 00:15:57.980 --> 00:15:58.819 I mean, you look at nature, 00:15:58.899 --> 00:16:00.779 there's some pretty terrifying things. 00:16:00.779 --> 00:16:05.659 It doesn't give you a clear sense 00:16:05.659 --> 00:16:06.860 of what's right and wrong 00:16:06.860 --> 00:16:08.899 or if there is a God 00:16:08.899 --> 00:16:10.399 who cares about right and wrong. 00:16:12.240 --> 00:16:13.740 But the scripture does 00:16:13.740 --> 00:16:15.740 clearly show us that. 00:16:16.539 --> 00:16:18.000 When God revealed himself to Moses, 00:16:18.120 --> 00:16:18.480 he said, 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:19.259 the Lord, 00:16:19.940 --> 00:16:20.519 the Lord, 00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:22.120 a God merciful and gracious, 00:16:22.320 --> 00:16:23.039 slow to anger 00:16:23.039 --> 00:16:24.840 and abounding in steadfast love 00:16:24.840 --> 00:16:25.539 and faithfulness, 00:16:25.800 --> 00:16:26.700 forgiving iniquity 00:16:26.700 --> 00:16:27.560 and transgression 00:16:27.560 --> 00:16:28.480 and sin, 00:16:29.539 --> 00:16:30.740 but who will by no means 00:16:30.740 --> 00:16:31.440 clear the guilty. 00:16:33.180 --> 00:16:33.840 In other words, 00:16:34.019 --> 00:16:35.139 God is saying, 00:16:35.700 --> 00:16:37.039 I am the Lord of mercy 00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:38.560 and justice. 00:16:39.820 --> 00:16:41.440 Not only the God of glory, 00:16:41.519 --> 00:16:42.500 but the Lord of mercy 00:16:42.500 --> 00:16:43.379 and justice. 00:16:43.500 --> 00:16:43.740 You see, 00:16:43.800 --> 00:16:45.240 looking at beautiful sunsets, 00:16:45.420 --> 00:16:46.539 going for long walks 00:16:46.539 --> 00:16:47.059 in the woods, 00:16:47.179 --> 00:16:48.500 gazing up at the night sky, 00:16:48.659 --> 00:16:49.819 studying astronomy 00:16:49.819 --> 00:16:50.519 and biology 00:16:50.519 --> 00:16:51.599 and physics and chemistry, 00:16:51.599 --> 00:16:53.120 you may see the glory of God. 00:16:53.439 --> 00:16:54.259 You may be filled 00:16:54.259 --> 00:16:55.480 with admiration and awe, 00:16:55.559 --> 00:16:56.679 but those things alone 00:16:56.679 --> 00:16:58.279 will not save your soul. 00:16:58.659 --> 00:16:59.459 Those things alone 00:16:59.459 --> 00:17:00.819 will not transform you 00:17:00.819 --> 00:17:02.679 personally from the inside out. 00:17:02.759 --> 00:17:03.839 They will not bring you 00:17:03.839 --> 00:17:05.079 into personal communion 00:17:05.079 --> 00:17:06.319 with the living God 00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:07.420 and they will not give you 00:17:07.420 --> 00:17:08.359 clear moral guidance 00:17:08.359 --> 00:17:10.899 for living in a deeply broken world. 00:17:12.119 --> 00:17:13.240 But the word of God 00:17:13.240 --> 00:17:14.759 can do all of those things. 00:17:14.759 --> 00:17:17.599 Look at what the word of God does 00:17:17.599 --> 00:17:19.599 in verses 7 and 8. 00:17:23.579 --> 00:17:24.319 First it says, 00:17:24.480 --> 00:17:24.940 the word of God 00:17:24.940 --> 00:17:26.680 can revive the soul. 00:17:27.059 --> 00:17:27.500 In other words, 00:17:27.579 --> 00:17:29.279 God's word brings us to life. 00:17:29.819 --> 00:17:31.660 That verb revive 00:17:31.660 --> 00:17:33.420 can also be translated return 00:17:33.420 --> 00:17:35.019 or bring back. 00:17:35.099 --> 00:17:35.519 In other words, 00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:37.059 God's word brings us back 00:17:37.059 --> 00:17:38.220 from our wandering 00:17:38.220 --> 00:17:39.740 and disobedience 00:17:39.740 --> 00:17:41.559 to a place of repentance 00:17:41.559 --> 00:17:43.420 and to the path of life. 00:17:43.420 --> 00:17:45.160 And you know, 00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:46.680 every follower of Jesus Christ 00:17:46.680 --> 00:17:47.420 has experienced 00:17:47.420 --> 00:17:49.300 this reviving power 00:17:49.300 --> 00:17:50.539 of God's word. 00:17:51.580 --> 00:17:51.820 You know, 00:17:51.860 --> 00:17:53.360 it happens in various ways. 00:17:53.480 --> 00:17:54.039 Maybe it was through 00:17:54.039 --> 00:17:54.759 hearing a sermon. 00:17:54.920 --> 00:17:55.400 Maybe it was through 00:17:55.400 --> 00:17:56.740 reading the Bible for yourself. 00:17:57.080 --> 00:17:57.600 Maybe it was through 00:17:57.600 --> 00:17:58.660 a friend or a parent 00:17:58.660 --> 00:17:59.960 who told you about Jesus. 00:18:00.460 --> 00:18:02.380 But one way or another, 00:18:02.380 --> 00:18:03.480 if you are a follower 00:18:03.480 --> 00:18:04.400 of Christ today, 00:18:04.519 --> 00:18:05.460 you have encountered 00:18:05.460 --> 00:18:06.360 God's word 00:18:06.360 --> 00:18:07.240 and your heart 00:18:07.240 --> 00:18:08.340 has been brought to life. 00:18:08.339 --> 00:18:10.740 That's one reason 00:18:10.740 --> 00:18:11.619 why we love to 00:18:11.619 --> 00:18:12.500 invite people 00:18:12.500 --> 00:18:13.859 to share some of their stories, 00:18:13.939 --> 00:18:14.759 some of their testimony, 00:18:14.899 --> 00:18:16.139 as Jeff and Nicole did earlier, 00:18:16.319 --> 00:18:18.379 of how God has brought them to life 00:18:18.379 --> 00:18:20.319 through his word, 00:18:20.419 --> 00:18:20.899 through the word 00:18:20.899 --> 00:18:22.439 of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:18:24.419 --> 00:18:25.699 But God's word 00:18:25.699 --> 00:18:26.559 doesn't stop there. 00:18:26.639 --> 00:18:27.500 It brings us to life, 00:18:27.579 --> 00:18:29.119 but it also helps us grow up. 00:18:30.419 --> 00:18:32.099 It says it makes wise 00:18:32.099 --> 00:18:32.720 the simple. 00:18:33.879 --> 00:18:34.159 Now, 00:18:34.339 --> 00:18:35.459 a simple person 00:18:35.459 --> 00:18:36.579 in the Bible, 00:18:36.579 --> 00:18:37.659 the word simple means 00:18:37.659 --> 00:18:38.960 somebody who is immature 00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:40.179 or naive 00:18:40.179 --> 00:18:41.199 or gullible. 00:18:42.379 --> 00:18:42.859 Occasionally, 00:18:42.919 --> 00:18:43.379 the word's used 00:18:43.379 --> 00:18:44.439 in a positive sense 00:18:44.439 --> 00:18:45.659 for someone who's sincere 00:18:45.659 --> 00:18:46.779 or teachable 00:18:46.779 --> 00:18:47.779 or open-minded. 00:18:49.619 --> 00:18:50.379 But either way, 00:18:50.460 --> 00:18:51.159 God's word helps 00:18:51.159 --> 00:18:51.919 simple people 00:18:51.919 --> 00:18:54.139 grow up into mature people, 00:18:54.259 --> 00:18:55.139 people with spiritual 00:18:55.139 --> 00:18:56.019 understanding 00:18:56.019 --> 00:18:57.079 and discernment 00:18:57.079 --> 00:18:58.839 who can navigate 00:18:58.839 --> 00:19:00.319 the temptations 00:19:00.319 --> 00:19:01.159 and distractions 00:19:01.159 --> 00:19:02.399 of a fallen world 00:19:02.399 --> 00:19:05.720 and keep their focus. 00:19:06.579 --> 00:19:09.740 John Bunyan 00:19:09.740 --> 00:19:10.519 wrote, 00:19:11.179 --> 00:19:12.019 speaking of the Bible, 00:19:12.179 --> 00:19:12.699 this book 00:19:12.699 --> 00:19:13.659 will keep you 00:19:13.659 --> 00:19:14.480 from sin 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:15.879 or sin 00:19:15.879 --> 00:19:16.579 will keep you 00:19:16.579 --> 00:19:17.519 from this book. 00:19:18.740 --> 00:19:19.240 In other words, 00:19:19.339 --> 00:19:19.779 God's word 00:19:19.779 --> 00:19:20.779 makes wise 00:19:20.779 --> 00:19:21.559 the simple. 00:19:23.480 --> 00:19:24.339 But God's word 00:19:24.339 --> 00:19:25.099 doesn't stop there. 00:19:25.399 --> 00:19:26.659 It brings us to life, 00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:27.720 it helps us grow up, 00:19:27.740 --> 00:19:28.879 and it also sustains 00:19:28.879 --> 00:19:30.039 and energizes us 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:30.339 throughout 00:19:30.339 --> 00:19:32.000 our life. 00:19:32.599 --> 00:19:33.659 It gives joy 00:19:33.659 --> 00:19:34.439 to our heart, 00:19:34.559 --> 00:19:35.480 rejoicing the heart 00:19:35.480 --> 00:19:36.779 and enlightening the eyes. 00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:37.500 In that way, 00:19:37.579 --> 00:19:37.960 God's word 00:19:37.960 --> 00:19:38.779 is like the sun, 00:19:40.299 --> 00:19:40.960 penetrating, 00:19:41.180 --> 00:19:41.480 warming, 00:19:41.640 --> 00:19:42.240 and life-giving, 00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:43.440 but also searching, 00:19:43.700 --> 00:19:44.019 testing, 00:19:44.140 --> 00:19:44.860 and purifying. 00:19:46.400 --> 00:19:48.180 And while the sun 00:19:48.180 --> 00:19:48.920 does that 00:19:48.920 --> 00:19:50.039 to our physical bodies 00:19:50.039 --> 00:19:51.559 and to the earth, 00:19:52.559 --> 00:19:53.400 God's word 00:19:53.400 --> 00:19:54.539 penetrates it 00:19:54.539 --> 00:19:55.140 to our hearts, 00:19:55.220 --> 00:19:55.960 it illuminates 00:19:55.960 --> 00:19:56.519 our minds, 00:19:56.519 --> 00:19:57.819 it renews 00:19:57.819 --> 00:19:58.539 our perspective, 00:19:58.759 --> 00:19:59.720 it energizes 00:19:59.720 --> 00:20:01.279 our whole being. 00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:03.779 Hebrews 4 says, 00:20:03.779 --> 00:20:04.420 the word of God 00:20:04.420 --> 00:20:04.920 is living 00:20:04.920 --> 00:20:06.160 and active, 00:20:06.339 --> 00:20:07.119 sharper than any 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:08.879 two-edged sword, 00:20:10.099 --> 00:20:11.160 discerning the thoughts 00:20:11.160 --> 00:20:11.720 and intentions 00:20:11.720 --> 00:20:12.279 of the heart, 00:20:12.579 --> 00:20:13.740 and nothing is hidden 00:20:13.740 --> 00:20:15.259 from God's sight. 00:20:18.139 --> 00:20:18.740 God's word 00:20:18.740 --> 00:20:19.379 penetrates 00:20:19.379 --> 00:20:20.000 into the depths 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:20.480 of our soul, 00:20:20.599 --> 00:20:21.519 bringing us to life, 00:20:22.299 --> 00:20:23.180 helping us grow up, 00:20:23.480 --> 00:20:23.940 sustaining 00:20:23.940 --> 00:20:24.920 and energizing us, 00:20:24.980 --> 00:20:26.059 and it can do 00:20:26.059 --> 00:20:27.119 all those things 00:20:27.119 --> 00:20:29.980 because of what it is 00:20:29.980 --> 00:20:32.339 by its very nature. 00:20:32.339 --> 00:20:35.139 Look at the nouns 00:20:35.139 --> 00:20:35.779 at the beginning 00:20:35.779 --> 00:20:37.079 of the sentences 00:20:37.079 --> 00:20:38.959 in verses 7-9. 00:20:40.419 --> 00:20:41.879 There are several terms 00:20:41.879 --> 00:20:42.459 used. 00:20:42.619 --> 00:20:43.720 God's law, 00:20:44.279 --> 00:20:45.199 that is his teaching 00:20:45.199 --> 00:20:46.240 or instruction, 00:20:46.459 --> 00:20:47.799 God's testimonies, 00:20:47.919 --> 00:20:48.919 that is his statements 00:20:48.919 --> 00:20:49.759 or reminders, 00:20:50.220 --> 00:20:51.139 God's precepts, 00:20:51.179 --> 00:20:52.159 that is his orders 00:20:52.159 --> 00:20:53.699 or his commandment, 00:20:53.779 --> 00:20:54.459 his rules 00:20:54.459 --> 00:20:55.559 or verdicts. 00:20:56.459 --> 00:20:57.720 These are all words 00:20:57.720 --> 00:20:58.740 that carry a sense 00:20:58.740 --> 00:20:59.519 of authority. 00:21:00.459 --> 00:21:01.579 They're not just referring 00:21:01.579 --> 00:21:03.079 to the laws in the Bible 00:21:03.079 --> 00:21:04.379 like the Ten Commandments, 00:21:04.659 --> 00:21:05.939 but they're indicating 00:21:05.939 --> 00:21:07.539 that all of Scripture 00:21:07.539 --> 00:21:09.480 carries God's authority. 00:21:09.980 --> 00:21:11.480 It is God's authoritative 00:21:11.480 --> 00:21:13.299 message to us. 00:21:15.359 --> 00:21:17.059 And it's not just authoritative, 00:21:17.159 --> 00:21:18.199 it's also reliable. 00:21:18.919 --> 00:21:20.220 Look at the adjectives 00:21:20.220 --> 00:21:21.359 at the end 00:21:21.359 --> 00:21:22.460 of the phrases, 00:21:22.619 --> 00:21:22.819 again, 00:21:22.899 --> 00:21:24.059 in verses 7-9. 00:21:25.199 --> 00:21:25.819 There are these 00:21:25.819 --> 00:21:27.119 symmetrical phrases, 00:21:27.639 --> 00:21:27.899 right, 00:21:27.939 --> 00:21:28.519 with a noun, 00:21:28.779 --> 00:21:29.259 an adjective, 00:21:29.259 --> 00:21:30.740 and then an action, 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:31.460 right? 00:21:31.740 --> 00:21:32.579 But if you look 00:21:32.579 --> 00:21:33.319 at the adjectives, 00:21:33.460 --> 00:21:33.839 perfect. 00:21:34.799 --> 00:21:35.420 It's a word that means 00:21:35.420 --> 00:21:36.700 complete or whole, 00:21:36.900 --> 00:21:37.400 sure. 00:21:38.079 --> 00:21:39.059 It means trustworthy, 00:21:39.539 --> 00:21:39.859 right. 00:21:39.980 --> 00:21:40.579 It's a word that means 00:21:40.579 --> 00:21:41.720 level or straight, 00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:42.460 not crooked 00:21:42.460 --> 00:21:44.319 or deceptive. 00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:45.059 Pure, 00:21:45.259 --> 00:21:45.660 clean, 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:46.200 true, 00:21:46.579 --> 00:21:47.180 and righteous 00:21:47.180 --> 00:21:47.980 altogether. 00:21:49.299 --> 00:21:50.059 All those words 00:21:50.059 --> 00:21:50.819 are saying God's word 00:21:50.819 --> 00:21:51.519 is reliable. 00:21:51.660 --> 00:21:52.660 It's not just authoritative, 00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:53.680 it's reliable 00:21:53.680 --> 00:21:54.559 and trustworthy. 00:21:56.019 --> 00:21:56.740 And finally, 00:21:56.859 --> 00:21:57.700 verse 10 shows us 00:21:57.700 --> 00:21:58.559 it's desirable. 00:21:59.840 --> 00:22:01.120 More to be desired 00:22:01.120 --> 00:22:01.819 than gold. 00:22:03.140 --> 00:22:04.799 It's inherently valuable 00:22:04.799 --> 00:22:05.440 and precious. 00:22:06.940 --> 00:22:08.279 It's sweeter than honey 00:22:08.279 --> 00:22:09.140 and drippings 00:22:09.140 --> 00:22:09.840 of the honeycomb. 00:22:09.960 --> 00:22:11.700 It's experientially satisfying. 00:22:11.799 --> 00:22:12.860 Have you experienced 00:22:12.860 --> 00:22:13.880 the word of God 00:22:13.880 --> 00:22:14.759 in that way? 00:22:16.340 --> 00:22:17.440 Some verse 00:22:17.440 --> 00:22:18.059 in the Bible 00:22:18.059 --> 00:22:19.360 or story in the Bible 00:22:19.360 --> 00:22:20.519 or message from the Bible 00:22:20.519 --> 00:22:22.319 that has been sweet 00:22:22.319 --> 00:22:23.319 to your soul 00:22:23.319 --> 00:22:25.059 that you have found 00:22:25.059 --> 00:22:25.580 precious 00:22:25.579 --> 00:22:27.119 and that you've held, 00:22:27.220 --> 00:22:28.439 that you can hold on to 00:22:28.439 --> 00:22:29.699 and that's sustained you 00:22:29.699 --> 00:22:30.419 or warned you 00:22:30.419 --> 00:22:31.119 or corrected you 00:22:31.119 --> 00:22:31.919 or guided you. 00:22:33.339 --> 00:22:34.000 Verse 11, 00:22:35.740 --> 00:22:36.639 the psalmist says, 00:22:37.839 --> 00:22:39.099 begins to talk about 00:22:39.099 --> 00:22:39.679 the effect 00:22:39.679 --> 00:22:40.619 of the word of God, 00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:42.079 that it warns us 00:22:42.079 --> 00:22:44.480 and also that it rewards us. 00:22:45.960 --> 00:22:46.259 You see, 00:22:46.299 --> 00:22:46.679 the invitation 00:22:46.679 --> 00:22:47.579 of these verses 00:22:47.579 --> 00:22:48.799 is to receive 00:22:48.799 --> 00:22:49.439 and treasure 00:22:49.439 --> 00:22:50.359 God's revelation 00:22:50.359 --> 00:22:51.199 in the scriptures. 00:22:52.699 --> 00:22:53.699 Several years ago, 00:22:54.139 --> 00:22:55.039 John Lennox, 00:22:55.039 --> 00:22:57.259 who is an emeritus professor 00:22:57.259 --> 00:22:58.240 from Oxford University 00:22:58.240 --> 00:22:58.740 in England, 00:22:59.019 --> 00:22:59.599 a mathematician, 00:22:59.859 --> 00:23:00.680 he came to speak here 00:23:00.680 --> 00:23:01.039 in New Haven 00:23:01.039 --> 00:23:01.779 and he came to preach 00:23:01.779 --> 00:23:02.399 at our church. 00:23:03.399 --> 00:23:03.940 And you can find 00:23:03.940 --> 00:23:04.759 his sermon on the, 00:23:04.839 --> 00:23:05.379 if you go into 00:23:05.379 --> 00:23:06.079 the sermon archive 00:23:06.079 --> 00:23:06.920 on our website, 00:23:07.940 --> 00:23:08.899 it was a great sermon, 00:23:09.019 --> 00:23:10.059 but he gave a specific 00:23:10.059 --> 00:23:11.500 challenge to the students 00:23:11.500 --> 00:23:12.559 in our congregation. 00:23:13.920 --> 00:23:14.259 He said, 00:23:14.379 --> 00:23:14.960 think about 00:23:14.960 --> 00:23:17.019 how much time 00:23:17.019 --> 00:23:17.859 and energy 00:23:17.859 --> 00:23:18.619 and money 00:23:18.619 --> 00:23:19.759 and brain power 00:23:19.759 --> 00:23:21.000 you are investing 00:23:21.000 --> 00:23:22.039 or you have invested 00:23:22.039 --> 00:23:23.079 in your studies, 00:23:23.299 --> 00:23:24.440 studying in your field. 00:23:25.720 --> 00:23:26.059 And of course, 00:23:26.099 --> 00:23:26.740 he's saying this 00:23:26.740 --> 00:23:27.420 as someone who has been 00:23:27.420 --> 00:23:27.859 a professor 00:23:27.859 --> 00:23:28.639 for probably 30, 00:23:28.720 --> 00:23:29.359 40 years, 00:23:29.700 --> 00:23:29.920 right? 00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:31.839 He's written all these books 00:23:31.839 --> 00:23:33.200 and he's an expert 00:23:33.200 --> 00:23:35.220 on all kinds of things. 00:23:35.859 --> 00:23:36.240 But he says, 00:23:36.319 --> 00:23:37.339 think about all the energy 00:23:37.339 --> 00:23:38.460 that we've all put into this, 00:23:38.559 --> 00:23:39.180 gaining knowledge, 00:23:39.319 --> 00:23:40.019 asking questions, 00:23:40.200 --> 00:23:41.180 considering implications, 00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:42.680 evaluating theories, 00:23:42.839 --> 00:23:43.539 writing papers, 00:23:43.879 --> 00:23:44.500 reading papers, 00:23:44.639 --> 00:23:45.579 conducting experiments, 00:23:45.759 --> 00:23:46.599 putting into practice 00:23:46.599 --> 00:23:47.440 all that you've learned. 00:23:47.440 --> 00:23:47.980 He says, 00:23:48.059 --> 00:23:49.900 the Bible is worth 00:23:49.900 --> 00:23:52.539 that and much more 00:23:52.539 --> 00:23:53.900 of your energy 00:23:53.900 --> 00:23:54.880 and ambition 00:23:54.880 --> 00:23:56.600 and diligent study. 00:24:00.340 --> 00:24:01.120 He said, 00:24:01.240 --> 00:24:01.720 think about 00:24:01.720 --> 00:24:03.660 all that motivates you 00:24:03.660 --> 00:24:04.360 to study 00:24:04.360 --> 00:24:05.640 in your field 00:24:05.640 --> 00:24:07.140 and apply 00:24:07.140 --> 00:24:08.500 that same energy 00:24:08.500 --> 00:24:09.620 and diligence 00:24:09.620 --> 00:24:10.420 to your study 00:24:10.420 --> 00:24:11.279 of God's word. 00:24:11.500 --> 00:24:12.940 It will be worth it. 00:24:12.940 --> 00:24:15.240 The Apostle Paul said, 00:24:15.420 --> 00:24:16.259 let the word of Christ 00:24:16.259 --> 00:24:19.420 dwell in you richly. 00:24:21.680 --> 00:24:22.580 So, so far, 00:24:22.660 --> 00:24:23.640 we've seen God's revelation 00:24:23.640 --> 00:24:24.960 through the heavens, 00:24:25.120 --> 00:24:25.940 through his creation, 00:24:26.799 --> 00:24:27.440 God's revelation 00:24:27.440 --> 00:24:28.279 through the scriptures, 00:24:28.559 --> 00:24:29.580 through his written word. 00:24:30.880 --> 00:24:31.259 And third, 00:24:31.360 --> 00:24:32.519 in verses 12 through 14, 00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:34.059 we see the response 00:24:34.059 --> 00:24:34.920 of God's servant, 00:24:35.100 --> 00:24:37.160 an honest and humble prayer. 00:24:38.620 --> 00:24:39.100 You see, 00:24:39.140 --> 00:24:40.140 until verse 11, 00:24:40.220 --> 00:24:41.100 the psalmist has talked 00:24:41.099 --> 00:24:42.639 about things outside himself, 00:24:42.939 --> 00:24:43.879 the heavens above 00:24:43.879 --> 00:24:45.659 and the scriptures. 00:24:47.319 --> 00:24:48.240 But then starting 00:24:48.240 --> 00:24:48.980 in verse 11 00:24:48.980 --> 00:24:49.899 and for the rest 00:24:49.899 --> 00:24:50.439 of the psalm, 00:24:50.539 --> 00:24:51.899 it gets much more personal. 00:24:52.059 --> 00:24:53.219 He begins to speak 00:24:53.219 --> 00:24:54.279 in the first person. 00:24:55.919 --> 00:24:57.699 He's personally responding 00:24:57.699 --> 00:24:59.159 to this God 00:24:59.159 --> 00:25:00.279 who has revealed himself. 00:25:01.159 --> 00:25:01.899 And that's what 00:25:01.899 --> 00:25:02.319 the scriptures 00:25:02.319 --> 00:25:03.480 are intended to do. 00:25:04.079 --> 00:25:05.240 Not just to fill our, 00:25:05.639 --> 00:25:06.559 not just to increase 00:25:06.559 --> 00:25:07.819 our knowledge, 00:25:08.879 --> 00:25:10.299 not just to fill our mind 00:25:10.299 --> 00:25:11.379 with grand ideas 00:25:11.379 --> 00:25:12.259 or fill our heart 00:25:12.259 --> 00:25:13.359 with grand feelings, 00:25:13.440 --> 00:25:14.659 but to lead us to pray 00:25:14.659 --> 00:25:16.259 with honesty 00:25:16.259 --> 00:25:17.359 and humility. 00:25:18.839 --> 00:25:20.559 Look at how David prays 00:25:20.559 --> 00:25:23.119 in verses 12 through 14. 00:25:24.720 --> 00:25:25.700 Verse 12, 00:25:27.299 --> 00:25:28.379 who can discern 00:25:28.379 --> 00:25:29.579 his errors? 00:25:30.579 --> 00:25:31.579 Declare me innocent 00:25:31.579 --> 00:25:32.659 from hidden faults. 00:25:33.039 --> 00:25:34.500 David faces his flaws 00:25:34.500 --> 00:25:36.319 and prays for forgiveness. 00:25:36.319 --> 00:25:38.259 You see, 00:25:38.339 --> 00:25:39.139 in the pure light 00:25:39.139 --> 00:25:39.759 of God's word, 00:25:39.879 --> 00:25:41.099 David sees more clearly 00:25:41.099 --> 00:25:42.399 his own propensity 00:25:42.399 --> 00:25:43.119 to error. 00:25:44.079 --> 00:25:44.819 It's sort of like 00:25:44.819 --> 00:25:45.740 if you get dressed 00:25:45.740 --> 00:25:47.159 in a dark room 00:25:47.159 --> 00:25:48.759 and then you go out 00:25:48.759 --> 00:25:49.639 into the light of day 00:25:49.639 --> 00:25:50.159 and you see that 00:25:50.159 --> 00:25:51.139 your shirt is on backwards 00:25:51.139 --> 00:25:52.200 and your pants are stained. 00:25:53.720 --> 00:25:54.460 And you think, 00:25:54.599 --> 00:25:54.819 ah! 00:25:57.099 --> 00:25:57.539 Right? 00:25:58.200 --> 00:25:58.899 The verse is saying 00:25:58.899 --> 00:25:59.799 we're all prone 00:25:59.799 --> 00:26:00.759 to fall short, 00:26:00.859 --> 00:26:01.480 to mess up, 00:26:01.519 --> 00:26:02.539 to go off track, 00:26:02.599 --> 00:26:04.119 to get out of line 00:26:04.119 --> 00:26:05.439 even without realizing it, 00:26:05.479 --> 00:26:06.659 even without intending to. 00:26:08.259 --> 00:26:09.359 Often our own faults 00:26:09.359 --> 00:26:10.119 are hidden from us 00:26:10.119 --> 00:26:11.239 because they're so deeply 00:26:11.239 --> 00:26:12.679 ingrained in our personality 00:26:12.679 --> 00:26:13.579 or in the way 00:26:13.579 --> 00:26:14.239 we were raised 00:26:14.239 --> 00:26:15.179 or in our habitual 00:26:15.179 --> 00:26:16.119 ways of thinking. 00:26:16.399 --> 00:26:17.219 That's why David says 00:26:17.219 --> 00:26:18.059 who can discern 00:26:18.059 --> 00:26:18.919 his own errors? 00:26:20.739 --> 00:26:21.559 The only way 00:26:21.559 --> 00:26:22.500 we can become aware 00:26:22.500 --> 00:26:23.239 of our errors 00:26:23.239 --> 00:26:24.019 and hidden faults 00:26:24.019 --> 00:26:24.739 is by getting 00:26:24.739 --> 00:26:26.319 help from the outside. 00:26:27.599 --> 00:26:28.139 Now sometimes 00:26:28.139 --> 00:26:28.939 we get this help 00:26:28.939 --> 00:26:29.679 through other people. 00:26:30.179 --> 00:26:31.179 If you're growing up 00:26:31.179 --> 00:26:31.739 in a family 00:26:31.740 --> 00:26:33.960 and you have parents 00:26:33.960 --> 00:26:34.980 or brothers and sisters, 00:26:35.539 --> 00:26:36.579 sometimes your parents 00:26:36.579 --> 00:26:37.460 or your siblings 00:26:37.460 --> 00:26:38.559 can identify 00:26:38.559 --> 00:26:39.799 some of your flaws 00:26:39.799 --> 00:26:40.539 as well as 00:26:40.539 --> 00:26:41.480 some of your strengths 00:26:41.480 --> 00:26:42.819 better than you can. 00:26:44.579 --> 00:26:45.620 If you're married, 00:26:46.339 --> 00:26:47.039 your spouse 00:26:47.039 --> 00:26:48.620 can probably identify 00:26:48.620 --> 00:26:50.220 some of your flaws 00:26:50.220 --> 00:26:51.200 as well as your strengths 00:26:51.200 --> 00:26:52.079 better than you can. 00:26:52.740 --> 00:26:53.700 Have they ever done that? 00:26:55.819 --> 00:26:57.440 It's a good thing. 00:26:59.240 --> 00:26:59.880 Proverbs says 00:26:59.880 --> 00:27:00.700 that a good friend 00:27:00.700 --> 00:27:01.720 will do the same. 00:27:02.460 --> 00:27:03.360 Will help us see 00:27:03.360 --> 00:27:04.759 both our own flaws 00:27:04.759 --> 00:27:05.940 and weaknesses 00:27:05.940 --> 00:27:06.880 that we're blind to 00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:07.860 as well as our strengths 00:27:07.860 --> 00:27:08.340 and gifts 00:27:08.340 --> 00:27:09.519 that we might neglect 00:27:09.519 --> 00:27:12.000 or be ashamed of. 00:27:13.240 --> 00:27:14.559 God has put other people 00:27:14.559 --> 00:27:15.380 in our lives 00:27:15.380 --> 00:27:16.420 to help us see 00:27:16.420 --> 00:27:17.299 our strengths and gifts 00:27:17.299 --> 00:27:18.360 as well as our errors 00:27:18.360 --> 00:27:19.340 and hidden faults 00:27:19.340 --> 00:27:20.100 more clearly. 00:27:21.299 --> 00:27:21.759 But you know, 00:27:21.819 --> 00:27:22.539 more than anyone 00:27:22.539 --> 00:27:23.299 or anything else 00:27:23.299 --> 00:27:23.900 because you know what, 00:27:23.920 --> 00:27:24.660 other people can have 00:27:24.660 --> 00:27:25.340 their own opinions 00:27:25.340 --> 00:27:26.039 that are influenced 00:27:26.039 --> 00:27:27.380 by their own hidden faults. 00:27:27.380 --> 00:27:29.740 more than anyone 00:27:29.740 --> 00:27:30.740 or anything else, 00:27:30.820 --> 00:27:31.500 the pure light 00:27:31.500 --> 00:27:32.100 of God's word 00:27:32.100 --> 00:27:33.580 brings us face to face 00:27:33.580 --> 00:27:34.860 with our errors 00:27:34.860 --> 00:27:35.700 and hidden faults 00:27:35.700 --> 00:27:36.740 and leads us 00:27:36.740 --> 00:27:37.680 to cry out to God 00:27:37.680 --> 00:27:38.300 for forgiveness 00:27:38.300 --> 00:27:39.420 as the psalmist does. 00:27:39.540 --> 00:27:40.560 Declare me 00:27:40.560 --> 00:27:41.820 innocent Lord. 00:27:42.360 --> 00:27:43.320 Forgive me. 00:27:43.319 --> 00:27:47.460 So David faces his flaws 00:27:47.460 --> 00:27:48.559 and prays for forgiveness. 00:27:49.819 --> 00:27:50.460 But second, 00:27:50.579 --> 00:27:51.720 in verse 13, 00:27:51.819 --> 00:27:53.319 he faces his temptations 00:27:53.319 --> 00:27:54.819 and prays for freedom. 00:27:55.939 --> 00:27:57.200 Keep back your servant 00:27:57.200 --> 00:27:59.099 also from presumptuous sins. 00:27:59.220 --> 00:28:00.579 Let them not have dominion 00:28:00.579 --> 00:28:01.460 over me. 00:28:01.779 --> 00:28:03.059 Then I shall be blameless 00:28:03.059 --> 00:28:04.220 and innocent 00:28:04.220 --> 00:28:05.279 of great transgression. 00:28:05.439 --> 00:28:05.659 You see, 00:28:05.720 --> 00:28:06.279 in verse 12, 00:28:06.339 --> 00:28:06.939 David knows 00:28:06.939 --> 00:28:07.980 that he needs forgiveness 00:28:07.980 --> 00:28:10.220 for unintentional sins, 00:28:10.359 --> 00:28:10.740 errors, 00:28:10.919 --> 00:28:11.639 hidden faults 00:28:11.639 --> 00:28:12.859 that he's blind to. 00:28:13.879 --> 00:28:14.899 But he also prays 00:28:14.899 --> 00:28:15.839 that God would preserve him 00:28:15.839 --> 00:28:16.879 from even greater 00:28:16.879 --> 00:28:17.919 spiritual dangers, 00:28:18.119 --> 00:28:18.559 what he calls 00:28:18.559 --> 00:28:19.839 presumptuous sins 00:28:19.839 --> 00:28:20.859 or what we might call 00:28:20.859 --> 00:28:21.700 willful sins 00:28:21.700 --> 00:28:23.579 or great transgressions, 00:28:24.279 --> 00:28:25.619 expressions of hard-hearted 00:28:25.619 --> 00:28:26.939 rebellion against God. 00:28:29.319 --> 00:28:29.639 You know, 00:28:29.659 --> 00:28:30.439 every once in a while 00:28:30.439 --> 00:28:31.799 we hear about 00:28:31.799 --> 00:28:33.240 a Christian leader 00:28:33.240 --> 00:28:33.919 who gets caught 00:28:33.919 --> 00:28:35.879 doing something horrible, 00:28:36.599 --> 00:28:37.359 something shameful, 00:28:37.359 --> 00:28:39.019 something deeply destructive, 00:28:40.740 --> 00:28:42.259 blatantly hypocritical. 00:28:43.319 --> 00:28:45.079 And you know, 00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:46.480 it can be tempting 00:28:46.480 --> 00:28:47.279 to look at people 00:28:47.279 --> 00:28:47.839 like that 00:28:47.839 --> 00:28:48.519 and say, 00:28:49.359 --> 00:28:49.599 well, 00:28:49.679 --> 00:28:51.319 I would never be like that. 00:28:52.179 --> 00:28:52.960 How terrible. 00:28:55.279 --> 00:28:56.419 But what this psalm 00:28:56.419 --> 00:28:57.460 invites us to do, 00:28:57.539 --> 00:28:57.839 rather, 00:28:58.839 --> 00:29:00.439 is to pray, 00:29:01.200 --> 00:29:01.500 Lord, 00:29:01.919 --> 00:29:02.659 keep us. 00:29:03.659 --> 00:29:03.960 Lord, 00:29:04.159 --> 00:29:05.000 keep me. 00:29:05.779 --> 00:29:07.480 Because I'm a sinner too, 00:29:07.480 --> 00:29:08.680 and I could get there 00:29:08.680 --> 00:29:10.180 even if, 00:29:10.400 --> 00:29:13.039 even if it seems like 00:29:13.039 --> 00:29:14.000 the temptation 00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:14.759 that's far away 00:29:14.759 --> 00:29:15.360 at the moment. 00:29:17.480 --> 00:29:18.599 Jesus taught us to pray, 00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:20.099 lead us not into temptation, 00:29:20.319 --> 00:29:21.559 but deliver us from evil. 00:29:23.120 --> 00:29:24.500 And David goes on to say, 00:29:24.579 --> 00:29:26.420 then I shall be blameless. 00:29:26.920 --> 00:29:27.940 As a forgiven 00:29:27.940 --> 00:29:29.599 and free person, 00:29:29.599 --> 00:29:30.599 he prays 00:29:31.120 --> 00:29:32.279 that he would be blameless. 00:29:32.279 --> 00:29:33.759 And that word translated 00:29:33.759 --> 00:29:34.480 blameless 00:29:34.480 --> 00:29:36.500 in verse 13 00:29:36.500 --> 00:29:37.480 is the same word 00:29:37.480 --> 00:29:38.519 translated perfect 00:29:38.519 --> 00:29:39.500 in verse 7. 00:29:40.720 --> 00:29:41.420 It's a word that means 00:29:41.420 --> 00:29:42.879 complete and whole, 00:29:43.139 --> 00:29:44.059 healthy and sound, 00:29:44.139 --> 00:29:44.799 without blemish. 00:29:44.899 --> 00:29:45.680 David's prayer 00:29:45.680 --> 00:29:47.279 is that by God's grace, 00:29:47.420 --> 00:29:48.160 he would become 00:29:48.160 --> 00:29:48.899 as pure 00:29:48.899 --> 00:29:49.899 and complete 00:29:49.899 --> 00:29:50.799 and whole 00:29:50.799 --> 00:29:51.879 as the word 00:29:51.879 --> 00:29:53.099 of the Lord itself. 00:29:53.819 --> 00:29:55.079 Isn't that an amazing prayer? 00:29:55.660 --> 00:29:56.839 That our lives 00:29:56.839 --> 00:29:57.619 would be 00:29:57.619 --> 00:29:58.440 as pure 00:29:58.440 --> 00:29:59.319 and complete 00:29:59.319 --> 00:30:01.240 and unblemished 00:30:01.240 --> 00:30:03.480 as God's very word. 00:30:05.099 --> 00:30:05.859 That should be 00:30:05.859 --> 00:30:06.599 our prayer too. 00:30:07.960 --> 00:30:08.619 The Apostle Paul 00:30:08.619 --> 00:30:09.099 prayed 00:30:09.099 --> 00:30:10.700 for the Thessalonian Christians, 00:30:10.859 --> 00:30:11.700 may your spirit 00:30:11.700 --> 00:30:12.339 and soul 00:30:12.339 --> 00:30:12.859 and body 00:30:12.859 --> 00:30:13.839 be kept blameless 00:30:13.839 --> 00:30:14.460 at the coming 00:30:14.460 --> 00:30:15.919 of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:30:16.039 --> 00:30:16.619 Jesus has died 00:30:16.619 --> 00:30:17.539 to grant us forgiveness 00:30:17.539 --> 00:30:18.799 from our sin 00:30:18.799 --> 00:30:19.460 and freedom 00:30:19.460 --> 00:30:20.740 from the power of sin. 00:30:21.159 --> 00:30:21.519 And so, 00:30:22.179 --> 00:30:23.339 and he has called us 00:30:23.339 --> 00:30:23.939 to be holy 00:30:23.939 --> 00:30:24.579 and blameless 00:30:24.579 --> 00:30:26.059 in God's sight. 00:30:27.579 --> 00:30:28.559 So David faces 00:30:28.559 --> 00:30:29.079 his flaws 00:30:29.079 --> 00:30:29.480 and prays 00:30:29.480 --> 00:30:30.000 for forgiveness. 00:30:30.179 --> 00:30:30.539 He praises 00:30:30.539 --> 00:30:31.279 his temptations 00:30:31.279 --> 00:30:31.699 and prays 00:30:31.699 --> 00:30:32.119 for freedom. 00:30:32.220 --> 00:30:32.639 And finally, 00:30:32.740 --> 00:30:33.339 verse 14, 00:30:33.460 --> 00:30:34.099 he prays 00:30:34.099 --> 00:30:34.679 that he might 00:30:34.679 --> 00:30:35.720 join in the chorus 00:30:35.720 --> 00:30:36.379 of praise. 00:30:37.460 --> 00:30:38.039 Let the words 00:30:38.039 --> 00:30:38.759 of my mouth 00:30:38.759 --> 00:30:39.980 and the meditation 00:30:39.980 --> 00:30:40.839 of my heart 00:30:40.839 --> 00:30:42.299 be acceptable 00:30:42.299 --> 00:30:43.099 in your sight, 00:30:43.179 --> 00:30:43.639 O Lord, 00:30:44.500 --> 00:30:45.259 my rock 00:30:45.259 --> 00:30:46.379 and my redeemer. 00:30:47.679 --> 00:30:48.019 You see, 00:30:48.079 --> 00:30:48.500 in one sense, 00:30:48.559 --> 00:30:49.259 this last section 00:30:49.259 --> 00:30:49.799 of the psalm 00:30:49.799 --> 00:30:50.240 shows us 00:30:50.240 --> 00:30:51.579 the proper human response 00:30:51.579 --> 00:30:52.720 to God's revelation 00:30:52.720 --> 00:30:53.819 in the heavens 00:30:53.819 --> 00:30:54.659 and in the scriptures. 00:30:56.099 --> 00:30:56.899 But it's more 00:30:56.899 --> 00:30:57.439 than that. 00:30:57.440 --> 00:30:59.420 We're not only 00:30:59.420 --> 00:31:00.940 responding to God's revelation, 00:31:01.059 --> 00:31:02.440 we're also joining in 00:31:02.440 --> 00:31:03.900 and giving testimony 00:31:03.900 --> 00:31:06.840 to who the real God is. 00:31:07.620 --> 00:31:08.840 The heavens are declaring 00:31:08.840 --> 00:31:10.220 God's power and glory 00:31:10.220 --> 00:31:11.500 and the scriptures testify 00:31:11.500 --> 00:31:12.519 to the Lord's mercy 00:31:12.519 --> 00:31:13.080 and justice, 00:31:13.220 --> 00:31:14.100 but in verse 14, 00:31:14.180 --> 00:31:15.019 a third voice 00:31:15.019 --> 00:31:16.759 chimes in the chorus 00:31:16.759 --> 00:31:18.680 and joins in the song, 00:31:18.900 --> 00:31:20.680 the voice of a forgiven sinner 00:31:20.680 --> 00:31:22.200 who is now 00:31:22.200 --> 00:31:23.259 the Lord's servant 00:31:23.259 --> 00:31:24.680 who calls upon 00:31:24.680 --> 00:31:26.100 my rock, 00:31:26.460 --> 00:31:27.580 my redeemer. 00:31:27.900 --> 00:31:29.100 Now our voices 00:31:29.100 --> 00:31:29.840 can join 00:31:29.840 --> 00:31:31.180 with the proclamation 00:31:31.180 --> 00:31:31.960 of the heavens 00:31:31.960 --> 00:31:32.820 and with the testimony 00:31:32.820 --> 00:31:33.620 of the scriptures 00:31:33.620 --> 00:31:35.000 declaring the praises 00:31:35.000 --> 00:31:35.900 of God 00:31:35.900 --> 00:31:36.720 who has called us 00:31:36.720 --> 00:31:37.420 out of darkness 00:31:37.420 --> 00:31:39.460 and into his marvelous light. 00:31:40.200 --> 00:31:40.820 And we can say 00:31:40.820 --> 00:31:41.880 he is our rock, 00:31:42.440 --> 00:31:43.680 our unchanging source 00:31:43.680 --> 00:31:44.320 of stability. 00:31:45.320 --> 00:31:46.240 He's our redeemer 00:31:46.240 --> 00:31:47.740 who has come 00:31:47.740 --> 00:31:48.660 to rescue us 00:31:48.660 --> 00:31:49.779 when we were lost 00:31:49.779 --> 00:31:50.620 and helpless 00:31:50.620 --> 00:31:52.560 and who has paid the price 00:31:52.560 --> 00:31:53.500 to set us free 00:31:53.500 --> 00:31:54.220 from our sin 00:31:54.220 --> 00:31:55.360 and has taken hold of us 00:31:55.360 --> 00:31:56.840 and promised to never leave us 00:31:56.840 --> 00:31:58.300 and always love us. 00:32:01.640 --> 00:32:02.560 Perhaps you're asking 00:32:02.560 --> 00:32:03.120 the question 00:32:03.120 --> 00:32:04.500 we started with, 00:32:05.620 --> 00:32:06.580 is there a God? 00:32:07.420 --> 00:32:07.900 If so, 00:32:07.960 --> 00:32:08.940 how can I know him? 00:32:10.860 --> 00:32:11.660 This psalm tells you 00:32:11.660 --> 00:32:12.420 look to the heavens 00:32:12.420 --> 00:32:13.080 where the power 00:32:13.080 --> 00:32:13.920 and glory of God 00:32:13.920 --> 00:32:14.540 is displayed. 00:32:15.519 --> 00:32:16.560 Consider the scriptures 00:32:16.560 --> 00:32:17.279 where the mercy 00:32:17.279 --> 00:32:18.240 and justice of God 00:32:18.240 --> 00:32:18.779 has revealed 00:32:18.779 --> 00:32:20.420 and listen to the honest 00:32:20.420 --> 00:32:21.400 and humble prayers 00:32:21.400 --> 00:32:22.519 of those of us 00:32:22.519 --> 00:32:23.279 who have found him 00:32:23.279 --> 00:32:24.480 to be our rock, 00:32:25.380 --> 00:32:26.140 our redeemer. 00:32:27.460 --> 00:32:28.120 This psalm 00:32:28.120 --> 00:32:29.319 is an invitation to you 00:32:29.319 --> 00:32:31.220 to join in the song. 00:32:31.940 --> 00:32:32.440 Let's pray. 00:32:36.779 --> 00:32:37.940 God, we praise you 00:32:37.940 --> 00:32:39.799 for the witness 00:32:39.799 --> 00:32:40.799 of the created order, 00:32:42.079 --> 00:32:42.700 the beauty 00:32:42.700 --> 00:32:43.640 and power 00:32:43.640 --> 00:32:44.279 and wisdom 00:32:44.279 --> 00:32:45.799 that we see 00:32:45.799 --> 00:32:46.299 reflected 00:32:46.299 --> 00:32:48.480 in the skies above. 00:32:49.680 --> 00:32:50.660 We praise you 00:32:50.660 --> 00:32:52.359 for the clear testimony 00:32:52.359 --> 00:32:53.160 of your scriptures 00:32:53.160 --> 00:32:54.200 to your mercy 00:32:54.200 --> 00:32:55.539 and your justice 00:32:55.539 --> 00:32:57.980 and your desire 00:32:57.980 --> 00:32:59.720 to have relationship 00:32:59.720 --> 00:33:00.500 with us. 00:33:02.940 --> 00:33:03.740 Oh, Lord, 00:33:03.779 --> 00:33:04.740 we pray that we might 00:33:04.740 --> 00:33:05.839 know you 00:33:05.839 --> 00:33:07.879 and treasure you 00:33:07.879 --> 00:33:08.399 and proclaim 00:33:08.399 --> 00:33:09.319 and bear witness 00:33:09.319 --> 00:33:09.660 to you 00:33:09.660 --> 00:33:10.379 as our rock 00:33:10.379 --> 00:33:11.619 and our redeemer. 00:33:11.619 --> 00:33:13.779 we thank you, 00:33:13.859 --> 00:33:14.059 Jesus, 00:33:14.179 --> 00:33:14.759 for all that you 00:33:14.759 --> 00:33:15.779 have accomplished 00:33:15.779 --> 00:33:16.539 on our behalf. 00:33:18.119 --> 00:33:18.919 We pray that 00:33:18.919 --> 00:33:20.139 our voices 00:33:20.139 --> 00:33:20.879 would join in 00:33:20.879 --> 00:33:23.000 to give you praise 00:33:23.000 --> 00:33:24.139 in your name. 00:33:24.699 --> 00:33:24.919 Amen. 00:33:24.920 --> 00:33:25.060 Amen.