ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
April 24, 2005 AM
Sermon Outline
PS 119:137-144
INTRO: In the course of my study of the prayers found in this great Psalm I came to this section and found that virtually the entire section is in the form of a prayer to God. And as I read it I realized that here the psalmist is making some great acknowledgments ... acknowledgments to God which he makes in prayer. Such acknowledgments as these are absolutely essential in ones life if he is to be governed by God! Such acknowledgments as these make all the difference in the way we view Gods government, His authority over us. In v. 139 the psalmist expresses anguish, indignation because so many have simply forgotten Gods word. As we look at the acknowledgments here, it is easy to understand why his zeal had consumed him.
1. The Lord is righteous - v. 137a
a. the first acknowledgment tells us about the source of the word
b. the Lord is the embodiment of righteousness - righteous art thou
c. Deut 32:1-4 - ...a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he
d. everything about God is right - ...his work is perfect...
e. think about this: if the source of the word, the law is not totally and completely right, one could not expect, then, His law to be right!
f. this first acknowledgment becomes the basis for all of the others he makes
2. The judgments of the Lord are right - v. 137b
a. Ps 19:9 - ...true and righteous altogether
b. there are those who would question the judgments of God
c. there are those who read the Bible only to conclude that God is cruel and unreasonable
d. the psalmist has had his own experiences with Gods judgments!
e. I think of the death of the baby born of his adultery with Bathsheba - he could have exclaimed of the inequity, unfairness of God - but did not
f. in life we must understand that we simply cannot know the incredible workings of God - Rom 11:33,34
3. The commandments of the Lord are right - v. 138a
a. here is another area of experience in which people have questions
b. surely God did not really mean for us to have to do that!
c. I just cannot believe that if I dont do that Ill be lost!
d. well, if God is just and right, we are confronting a real problem - how can He be just and right and really not intend for us to follow the commandments He has revealed?
e. 1 Thes 2:3,4 - since it is He Who has commanded, we have no options!
f. can we come to the point acknowledging this in our lives?
4. The commandments of the Lord are faithful - v. 138b
a. the commandments of God can be trusted for their blessings
b. one has observed that He is scrupulously faithful to and in every detail
c. the commandments of the Lord often have promises, blessings attached
d. we can absolutely depend on His keeping that promise if we obey the commandment
e. the marvelous thing for us is that we have historys lessons to confirm it
f. Heb 10:23 - for he is faithful that promised
5. The word of God is pure - v. 140
a. pure suggests to me integrity - no mixture of impurity
b. gold, etc. need to be refined to bring to purity (Ps 12:6)
c. the word of God needs no such refining - is pure because He is pure!
d. I think of the contrast with the creeds and writings of men - yes, among them one might find references to scripture ... but mixed with those are the thoughts, the impressions, the decisions of human beings
e. too often one finds these human words in conflict with Gods words
f. those conflicts are impurities which are spiritually harmful if ingested!
6. The righteousness of God is everlasting - v. 142a
a. time is filled with swift transition...hold to Gods unchanging hand
b. Mal 3:6 - For I am the Lord, I change not...
c. our time is so accustomed to change ... rapid change
d. it is, I suppose, difficult for us to conceive of One Who is the same yesterday, today and forever - Heb 13:8
e. but God is always righteous - what a great source of comfort and joy!
f. my hope is in holding to the unchanging hand of God!
7. The law of God is truth - v. 142b
a. the modern idea? everything is relative
b. my truth - your truth - their truth - todays idea may be Judg 21:25
c. what God reveals is the truth - is from Him Who is Truth (Deut 32:4)
d. the world is awash in opinions and truths - we are fortunate, indeed, to have the truth ... the word of God
CLOSE: So, the psalmist can say, Thy commandments are my delights. Are we as consumed by this devotion to the word as was he?
Cecil A. Hutson
April 24, 2005