Psalm 119:89-136 The Sufficiency of God’s Wonderful Word (part 3)

Dennis Mock
Sunday, November 1, 2009

We have been looking at principles from Psalm 119. We continue today looking at
principles 12 – 17.

To what do we look most often for guidance in life? Where do we turn when things are
beyond our capacity to handle? Some look to man, science, philosophy, and organized
religion, even to government. Psalm 119 this morning will present the truth that we
should turn to the Word of God alone. It needs no prop or support. It stands alone. It
needs to be explained but it needs no supplement. It is the way in which God has chosen
to reveal Himself to us.

Let’s begin in v. 89 with our first stanza of 8 verses:

I. #12 (89-96) God’s Word is Eternal and it can be relied on all the time.
a. God is the source; He is the sovereign creator and sustainer of all things.
b. When God speaks through His Word we ought to listen!
c. Three Corollaries:
i. His faithfulness is seen in all generations. (89)
1. Societal standards and sources of authority change but God and
His standards never do!
2. Isaiah 40 tells us that we come and go but God’s word lasts
forever.
ii.God’s Word enables us to be preserved and protected through
every trial and affliction in every generation.
1. Last week we talked about affliction leading to learning God’s
principles. Every person in every generation will have affliction of
some kind.
a. This can be simple affliction or distress.
b. The other extreme is Isaiah 53 where the affliction of Jesus
is described.
2. Also look in v. 144, 152, 160.
iii.God’s Word is infinite and limitless.
1. It never needs to be adjusted or changed.
2. We can trust it in the form God gave it to us originally.
II. #13 (97-104) God’s Word Provides more insight and understanding
than can be gained anywhere else.
a. God’s Word is superior to anything else.
b. What then do we need any teacher or preacher for? The reality is that most
do not submit themselves to the Word or study it deeply enough!
c. The key is that we don’t need to go to secondary sources we need to go to
the Word itself.
d. One principle that came out of the Reformation is the “Priesthood of the
Believer”. Before that it was believed that you could only gain truth/salvation
through the Roman Church.
e. We should be very careful about movements, seminars, charismatic leaders,
fads, etc. We must always judge everything against the Word of God.
i. Be careful about quoting anyone other than God Himself and His Word.
f. Corollaries:
 i.It requires more than casual reading.
1. We must meditate on the Word.
2. More than a 30 second devotion.
3. We must work it over like a cow chewing her cud.
ii.Obedience is necessary for assimilation. (102)
1. We know what it is to sit down and read a manual or set of
instructions. It is Greek to us at first. We must put in the time
and actually begin to put it into practice and learn by doing.
2. Wisdom is the skillful application of what you know.
iii.God’s Word will steer us away from every wrong path (104)
III. #14 (105-112) God’s Word gives us heavenly light for our earthly walk
in this life.
a. Corollaries:
i.God’s Word shows us both the next step to take and the path
to take.
1. We need to choose a direction then carefully choose each step
along the way.
a. ILL: Once God reprioritized my path away from Law
Practice to seminary I knew what direction I was going but I
needed the next step to take. Which Seminary? I chose
Dallas Theological Seminary.
ii.It takes a heart committed to obedience (106, 112)
1. We must look to God’s Word for direction.
2. ILL: Daniel 1 – Daniel made the decision not to make himself
unclean with the King’s food. He took an oath to honor God’s law.
iii.There must be a steadfast diligence associated with it so that
we won’t go astray.
1. What a great thing to put on our tombstone: “I did not stray from
your precepts.”
2. A love of God’s Word should lead us to a deeper and greater love
of the giver of the Word.
IV. #15 (113-120) God’s Word deserves our highest respect and regard for
its’ ultimate authority.
a. (117, 120) Regard and fearful awe are required.
b. When the Word speaks, God is speaking.
c. ILL: The heart of the reformation had to do with authority. Were the
ecclesiastical structure and the authority of the Pope above Scripture? They
said their word was superior and superseded scripture. Much of the same
attitude is present today on an individualistic level.
d. If what someone is teaching is not supported from scripture then either their
authority and teaching must be questioned or the authority and teaching of
the Word denied.
e. Martin Luther realized that the Roman church was denying the truth of
scripture about salvation. Salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone according
to scripture alone.
f. Corollaries:
i.God’s Word proves itself in the crucible of life.
1. Churches and denominations come and go. 400+ came out of
the Catholic Church. The one thing proven true in any of them
over time is that Word of God is true and unchanging. Either that
or they slide into irrelevance or error.
 ii.If scripture is the ultimate authority then we cannot be double
minded.
1. One error the Reformers made was to try and keep some of the
wrong teachings of the Roman church.
2. There are still many today that believe we should take current
culture and perspectives as equal to the Word of God but they
are double minded.
3. (114) Our hope must be securely in God’s word.
iii.We must evidence a respect and high regard for the Word
personally. (120)
1. It should be such a deep response that it is almost physical. We
should literally tremble at times.
iv.What we love determines what we hate. (113, 119)
1. If our devotion is to God’s Word then we will hate what God
hates.
2. “My flesh trembles in fear of you, I stand in awe of your Law”
(120)
3. We would not be here today as protestant Christians if there had
not been those who took their stand on the Word of God out of
Holy reverence.
V. #16 (121-128) God’s Word is more valuable than gold in teaching us to
live righteously.
a. Gold cannot tell us what is right or wrong. Only the Word of God can.
b. (122) The Psalmist asks God to guarantee his well-being in regard to those
who attack Him.
i. What happens when we take a stand on moral and biblical grounds
today? We are rejected, derided, persecuted.
c. Corollaries:
i.God’s Word is the standard by which we determine what is
right and what is wrong.
1. Right is right even if no one is doing it.
2. We cannot determine it for ourselves. That was Satan’s great lie
to Adam and Eve.
3. God is always right!
4. All God’s righteous laws are eternal (128, 160)
5. We are constantly in the process of diluting, shunting aside the
Word of God in favor of culture and popular opinion.
6. It is the height of blasphemy and arrogance to believe we can
determine for ourselves what is right and what is wrong.
7. Look at the Ten Commandments. What would happen if
everyone really lived by them? What a difference!
VI. #17 (129-138) God’s Word reminds us to live in the light of truth and
to not let sin rule over us.
a. Romans 6:11-12 – We should not let sin reign in our mortal bodies.
b. Corollaries:
i.We must direct our steps according to His Word.
ii.God’s Word makes us sensitive to and sorrowful over sin (136)
1. Does it hurt us like it hurts God when we see people disobeying
God?
iii.We must ask God for mercy and help (132, 134)
iv.We must ask God to bless us. (135)
 1. It is legitimate to ask God to look on us with favor.

Oh God bless me as I bless you by obeying your Word!