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