Naylor Community Christian Church
Naylor, Georgia
I. Introduction
-- turn in
Bibles to Psalm 19:1-14
Psalm 19
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies
proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after
night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is
heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words
to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
5 It is like
a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a
champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes
its circuit to the other;
nothing is
deprived of its warmth.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing
the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise
the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy
to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light
to the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring
forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of
them are righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold,
than much
pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey
from the honeycomb.
11 By them your servant is warned;
in keeping
them there is great reward.
12 But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my
hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not
rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of
great transgression.
14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of
my heart
be pleasing
in your sight,
Lord, my
Rock and my Redeemer.
-- I read a
story about President Franklin D. Roosevelt that I wanted to share with you
this morning -- a lot of people don't know that President Roosevelt had a great
sense of humor and was known for being mischievous at times -- as President, he
often had to endure long receiving lines at the White House as guest and
foreign dignitaries would file by to speak to him and shake his hand -- He
complained that no one really paid any attention to what was said
-- so, one
day, when he was hosting a formal dinner for ambassadors from various countries
in the White House, he decided to try an experiment -- as each person passed
down the line and shook his hand, he murmured, "I murdered my grandmother
this morning." -- the guests
responded with phrases like, "That is great! Keep up the good work. We are proud of you. God bless you, sir."
-- It
wasn't until the end of the line, as the ambassador from
-- it's
frustrating when people don't listen to us, isn't it? -- when you are trying to
say something and they're obviously not paying any attention at all – a lot of
the time, they're distracted by their cell phones or the TV – sometimes, they
just don't care enough to listen
-- Kim repeatedly
complains about this to me – I think she’s just as much to blame – the other
day, she started a conversation with me by saying, “You’re not even paying attention,
are you?” – I thought that was a weird way to begin a conversation
-- the truth is that my ability to
focus has changed as I have gotten older – plus, I’m a man – so, a lot of the
times, if I’m on my computer or on my phone, I simply don’t hear or see what’s
going on around me – but that’s not okay
-- in this case, Kim was talking
about going to town or something – I honestly wasn’t paying attention – because
I was distracted and didn’t focus on what was important
-- this really bothered her, as she
made me painfully aware of – so, I’m trying to do better – and I understand why
she got upset – it’s not a great feeling when you talk with someone and they
don’t pay attention – or when they interrupt you when you’re talking, like what
you are saying is of no real importance compared to what they have to say
– I feel this, too – I’m sure you
know what I’m talking about -- it's one of those shared human experiences
-- and if
it bothers us this much, imagine how it bothers God -- imagine what God thinks
when He speaks to us and we don't take the time to listen or we just rush
through our prayers and our Bible readings and daily devotions and get on with
life
-- I’m as
guilty of this as anyone else, but I’m going to commit to doing better
-- that's
why I felt led to focus on the New Testament in the new year – I’m going to
spend all year reading and meditating solely on the New Testament, with an
emphasis on the words in red
-- It’s
like I've said before – the amount of the Bible you read in a day or in a year is
not what is important -- what is important is that read with open hearts and
open minds and open ears – what is important that when you read the Bible, you
listen for the voice of God
-- every time we approach the
Bible, we need to be asking, “What am I hearing? -- What is God saying to me?
-- What does God want me to do with what I just read?"
-- the goal
is to reach the place where it becomes second-nature to listen for God and to
look for His presence -- not just when we are taking time out of our day to
read His word -- but every moment of every day -- when we're walking through
life and going through our daily routines to just stop and think, "Where
is God? -- What is He saying? -- What is He doing right now? And what does He want me to do?"
-- with that
idea in our minds, I wanted to take a few moments here this morning to look at
Psalm 19 in a little more depth and see what we can hear from God through His
word
-- this
Psalm was written by King David -- a man who knew God intimately -- who had a
relationship with Him from the time he was a boy and who continued to spend
time with God throughout his long life
-- that's
not to say David was perfect -- the Bible tells us of the times he strayed from
God's commands and suffered the consequences -- but it also tells us of how
David returned to God and how God's word sustained him through trials and
tribulations
-- David
learned to always listen for God’s voice – and that was what made him a man
after God’s own heart
-- this
Psalm reminds us that God is constantly speaking to us and revealing His
presence and His will to us in the world today – and if we will just learn to
listen and respond to His word, we will experience renewing and revival and
restoration in our lives – so, with that, let's look at this Psalm together
again now
II. God's Revelation through Creation
-- Psalm
19:1-2
Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies
proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after
night they reveal knowledge.
-- here in
the beginning of this Psalm, David reminds us that God speaks to us through His
creation -- he writes that the heavens declare the glory of God -- the skies
proclaim the work of His hand
-- all of
creation -- from the sun and moon -- from the stars and the heavenly bodies --
to the awesome splendors of this natural world -- everything reflects the glory
of God and proclaims His presence to all who see
-- I have
had the opportunity to see various places around this country and around the
world -- I have seen the sun rise from the top of a mountain in Tennessee and
watched as a new day began in Colorado -- I have stood at the base of
waterfalls and marveled at the sheer power and grandeur of the water -- I have
found myself on my hands and knees, engrossed at the striving of a beetle as it
struggled to cross a moss-covered knoll – I have seen God through His creation
so many times that I cannot count them
-- that’s why I cannot understand
anyone who can look at this world and still say, "There is no God"
-- God
speaks to us through His creation -- He has put Himself into this world so that
might know Him and respond to Him
-- it’s
just like the famous hymn, “How Great Thou Art,” says, “When I in awesome
wonder consider all the works Thy hands have made -- I see the stars, I hear
the rolling thunder -- Thy pow'r throughout the universe displayed!
-- when you
see that, your soul can’t help but cry out to God, “How great Thou art!”
--
theologians call this display of God’s presence and greatness in nature "general
revelation" -- God's self-disclosure to a watching world through His
creation -- God making Himself known to all creation
-- that's
exactly what David is saying here in these verses -- through God's creation, He
opens our eyes and let's us see His glory -- His creation displays to us His
power, wisdom, and divine nature -- it shouts to us through our everyday lives
and tells us there is a God and we are not Him
-- Psalm
19:3-6
Psalm 19:3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is
heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words
to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
5 It is like
a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a
champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes
its circuit to the other;
nothing is
deprived of its warmth.
-- God's
revelation in His creation is a means of grace by which He speaks to the whole
world – it goes out to all people in all places – believers and nonbelievers
alike
-- that is why Matthew 5:45 says
that God causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good and that He sends rain
on the righteous and unrighteous – it is because God’s work in Creation is a
special revelation to the entire world
-- through Creation, all mankind
becomes aware of their Creator -- and the truth revealed about God through
creation is enough to make all people accountable to know about God and to
worship Him – additionally, God’s revelation of Himself through Creation is
sufficient to condemn those who plainly see there is a God but who refuse to
worship Him
-- Romans
1:19-20 says, "what may be known about God is plain to them, because God
has made it plain to them -- for since the creation of the world God's
invisible qualities -- His eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly
seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without
excuse"
-- every
single person from the beginning of time to this very moment -- every man,
woman, and child who has every lived -- knows there is a God because God has
revealed Himself to them through His creation -- and since they know there is a
God, they are required to acknowledge Him and worship Him
-- the musician
Michael Card pointed this out in an interview with Discipleship Journal – he
said, "Again and again in China I talked to people who had never heard of
Christianity, never heard of Jesus, never heard a single word from the Bible --
yet through nature and their God-given conscience, many believed in God
--
"not only did they believe God existed -- they had derived some
understanding about His loving character because He provided food, water, and a
beautiful world. One old woman told me, "I've known him for years. I just
didn't know his name."”1
-- in these
verses, David reminds us that God's word and His revelation of Himself is like
the sun rising over us -- it shines light on His presence and makes us
responsible to worship Him and to love Him, even if we don't fully understand
the magnitude of who He is and what He has done at the moment
-- and the
thing about God's creation is that it is always there -- reminding of us of God
and illuminating our hearts – all you have to do is walk outside, and you will
find God
--
as I was reflecting on this Psalm and God's revelation of Himself through
creation, I was reminded of the faith of a Russian Christian around the turn of
the century -- as the communists began to take over Russia, they began to tear
down the churches and remove all the symbols of God that were in that country
--
this Christian was confronted by a member of the Soviet police, who proudly
said, "We will crush your religion.
We will remove everything that represents your God to you."
--
to which the Christian replied, "Oh really, how will you do that? Will you pull the stars from the sky? Will you darken the sun and the moon? Will you destroy God's handiwork in
nature?"
--
the Soviet policeman was left standing there, speechless -- you see, he could
destroy the man-made symbols -- he could pass laws declaring God was dead --
but the revelation of God in Creation could not be destroyed
--
God created this world and His presence cries to us from it every single day –
no matter what happens – no matter what others might say or do -- the heavens
and the skies will continue to proclaim His glory and His presence until the
end of the age
III. God's Revelation through His Word
-- now, while
general revelation is sufficient to make everyone accountable to the truth of
God's presence and to the requirement to worship Him, it is not sufficient for
salvation
-- general
revelation awakens our understanding of the need for salvation but does not
reveal the means of salvation -- for that we need God's special revelation
-- theologians
define God's "special revelation" as God's disclosure of Himself by
an act of direct revelation -- in other words, God's special revelation is the
way He communicates with us to reveal His plans of salvation and redemption and
restoration
-- there
are many examples of God's special revelation in the Bible – we saw many
examples of this in our study through the Book of Acts
-- for
instance, God revealed His plan of salvation – the good news of Jesus and the
promise of the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life with Him – in many
different ways
-- God spoke through angels – He
spoke through dreams and visions – He spoke through missionaries and special
messengers – He spoke through the prophets and the apostles
-- and He continues to speak through
His church -- through circumstances -- and through the Holy Spirit in response
to prayer
-- but as
we all know, the main way God speaks to us and reveals His plans for our lives today
is through His written revelation – His Holy Word given to us in the Scriptures
-- in this
next section of Psalm 19 -- verses 7-10 -- David reminds us of God's special
revelation given to us through His written word
-- if you
read carefully, you'll see these verses follow a pattern -- first, David gives
us a different name for God's written word -- then he describes the character
of that particular aspect of God's word -- followed by the target of God's word
and the effect it can have in our spiritual lives
-- as we go
through this and as you look at this passage again at home, look for this
pattern in this Psalm
-- let's
start at Psalm 19:7
Psalm 19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing
the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise
the simple.
-- remember
the pattern -- first, David gives us the name of the Word -- in this case, the
Law
-- next, the character of the Word
-- God's law is perfect
-- this is followed by the target
and effect -- God's perfect law revives and restores our soul
-- taken
together, we are told that God's law is perfect -- by following His word, our
soul is revived and restored -- it is brought back to life again -- made whole
through the power of His word in our lives
-- look at
the next one -- the statutes -- the testimony or witness of the word -- are
trustworthy -- sure -- reliable -- steadfast – His word – His statutes -- makes
the simple -- the average person in this world -- wise in the ways of God
-- Psalm
19:8
Psalm 19:8 The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy
to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light
to the eyes.
-- the
precepts -- the commands of God -- are right and radiant -- pure -- untainted
by evil or error
-- they
bring joy to the heart and light to the eyes
-- God's precepts and commandments
give us well being -- they change us from the inside out -- affecting our heart
-- the seat of our emotions -- and the eye -- the window to the soul
-- Psalm 19:9
Psalm 19:9 The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring
forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of
them are righteous.
-- the fear
of the Lord – this is reverential awe -- obedient respect -- worshipful
submission – the right consideration of his ordinances and judgments – the fear
of the Lord affects our mind and our will – it brings purity – it endures
forever
-- the
second part of this verse reminds us that God's word – His ordinances -- are sure
and righteous – God’s word is the standard by which all else is measured -- it
and it alone accurately reflects reality -- it and it alone tells it like it
really is
-- we live
in a world that constantly tries to redefine what is right and what is
acceptable -- we live in a world of shifting sand, where those in charge decide
what is moral and right and just -- but God's word does not change -- it is
permanent and relevant and never in need of alteration
-- while
those around us may proclaim evil things "good" and immoral things
"normal," God's word corrects and keeps us from following the wrong
path or accepting a lie in place of His truth
-- as Adam
Clarke put it, we find in God's word His "system of instruction, by which
men are taught the knowledge of God and themselves -- directed how to walk so
as to please God -- redeemed from crooked paths -- and guided in the way
everlasting"
-- Psalm
19:10
Psalm 19:10 They are more precious than gold,
than much
pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey
from the honeycomb.
-- God's
word is more precious than gold and sweeter than honey -- many people in our
day rush around trying to gain wealth and prestige and power – they seek the
sweetness of pleasure and the pursuit of happiness -- but, in the end, all that
they have accumulated will turn to dust
-- David
tells us that God's word is more precious than all the gold of the world -- it
is sweeter than honey -- because it will never fade away -- it will never rust
or be stolen or turn to dust -- God's word is the one thing in this world that
we can depend on -- and the person who knows God's word and who follows God's
commands is the wealthiest person there is
-- worldly
knowledge and worldly wealth will only get you so far – worldly power is only
good for a moment -- knowing God through His word will get you to heaven
-- before
we move on to the next section, I want to point out something I found really
interesting in this chapter -- if you go back to the original Hebrew, you'll
see that David changes how he calls on the name of God in this Psalm
-- in
verses 1-6, as David writes of God's general revelation through creation, he
uses the name Elohim for God -- Elohim is used to denote God's power and
majesty -- it is the same word used in Genesis 1 for God as we read of God
creating the heavens and the earth
-- by using
the name Elohim in the first section
of this Psalm, David reminds us that God is Creator -- Maker -- Provider -- for
all of creation -- for every man, woman, and child -- not just for the
Christians -- not just for the Jews -- but for every person
-- the use
of the name Elohim in verses 1
through 6 speaks of God's prevenient grace that reaches out to all people at
all times to call them into relationship with God
-- Elohim
uses Creation as general revelation of Himself to the world
-- but here
in verses 7-10, David stops using Elohim, and instead uses God's
covenant name Yahweh -- the name by
which the nation of Israel knew God
-- this is the name that God first
gave Moses at the burning bush when Moses asked God, "Whom do I say is
sending me? -- Whom do I say You are?"
-- this
calls attention to the fact that God's written word is His special revelation
for His special people – Yahweh is the name of the burning bush – it is
the name of the cross – it is the name of the empty tomb
-- Yahweh is for those who
know Him and for those He knows -- for those who have a relationship with Him
-- for those who responded to His general revelation of Himself in Creation and
who have come to know Him as Lord and Savior – for those who dig into His word
to seek Him and find Him and hear from Him
-- by using
these two names for God, David is reminding us that God declares His presence
through creation to open our ears and our eyes and our hearts to His presence for
a reason -- He does it to draw us into a special relationship with Him that will
lead to redemption and salvation and restoration for our souls
-- in other
words, God speaks in creation to the entire world as Elohim so we might respond to Him as Yahweh – and then as Yeshua
-- Jesus
IV. God's Revelation Demands a Response
-- let's
finish this up – look back at Psalm 19:11-14
Psalm 19:11 By them your servant is warned;
in keeping
them there is great reward.
12 But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my
hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not
rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of
great transgression.
14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of
my heart
be pleasing
in your sight,
Lord, my
Rock and my Redeemer.
-- God
doesn't speak just for the sake of speaking -- He speaks to communicate His
will and His plans for our lives -- He speaks that we might respond to what He
is telling us
-- God's
word always demands a response
-- David
writes here that God's word serves two main purposes – first, it guides our
footsteps and keeps us on the right path -- it rewards us and leads us into
God's blessings as we follow His words and His ways -- as we keep His law and
His precepts
-- and,
secondly -- David tells us that God's word warns us when we have missed the
mark -- when we have strayed away from God's path and are heading the wrong way
-- God's word is like a warning
light in our lives -- an alarm that lets us know something is wrong
-- being in
God’s word – reading it and meditating on it and seeking God through it -- leads
to recognition of who we are and of where we are at with Christ
-- in verse
12 it says that God's word reveals our hidden faults -- this is referring to our
unintentional sins and sins of omission -- as we read God's word, we grow into
a deeper understanding of what is right and what is wrong -- and we start to
realize that there are some things in our lives that we have been doing that
are actually wrong and are hurtful to us or to others -- like Paul's example in
the New Testament with the eating of meat sacrificed to idols
-- in verse
13 David writes that God's word not only reveals willful sins, but keeps us
from committing them -- God's word becomes a boundary in our lives -- kind of
like the sidelines on a football field
-- by reading God's word -- by
knowing what He is saying -- we know what is acceptable and what is not -- we
know where we can go and what we can do and what crosses the line of God's law
and how God wants us to live as His body on earth today
-- when we
come to know Christ as Lord and Savior -- when we hear Him and respond to His
word and abide by His law -- then sin no longer rules over us and we are
blameless in the sight of God -- innocent of all transgression
--
following God's word makes us pleasing in His sight and leads to redemption,
restoration, and rest in His eternal arms
V. Closing
-- The
American Bible Society periodically releases a survey they call, "The
State of the Bible" -- and there's some good news and some bad news about
Bible reading and biblical literacy in America
-- First,
here's the encouraging news -- 85 percent of all homes in
-- But here's the bad news -- even
though most of the homes in America have a Bible, 55 percent of Americans read the
Bible less than once a year and many only look at the Bible during worship
services
-- only 17% of Americans are what
the American Bible Society terms as “Scripturally Engaged” – meaning they read
the Bible several times a year – however, only 9% of Americans read the Bible
every day
-- how are
we to hear God’s voice when He speaks if we don't open His Word? -- we spend
more time checking and reading e-mail, texts, and Facebook statuses than we do
listening to the God of all creation
-- In her
book Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus, Lois Tverberg retells the following
story about a famous first century rabbi named Rabbi Akiva:
-- "One
day as Rabbi Akiva was shepherding his flocks, he noticed a tiny stream
trickling down a hillside, dripping over a ledge on its way toward the river
below -- Below was a massive boulder -- Surprisingly, the rock bore a deep
impression -- The drip, drip, drip of water over the centuries had hollowed
away the stone.
-- "Akiva
commented, "If mere water can do this to hard rock, how much more can
God's Word carve a way into my heart of flesh?"
-- "Akiva
realized that if the water had flowed over the rock all at once, the rock would
have been unchanged -- It was the slow but steady impact of each small droplet,
year after year, that completely reformed the stone."2
-- we need
to learn to receive God's word like the boulder in this story received the
water from the stream – slow and steady – taking time to read it and meditate
on it and to listen for God to speak to us through it
-- the
Bible is God's special revelation to us -- it tells us who God is -- what He
has done for us -- and what He want us to do for Him
-- it is a
living word that can touch our lives today -- it can transform us -- it can
revive us -- it can renew us -- it can sustain us -- but it can't do any of
that if we don't let it
-- we have
to take it in daily – to let it become a part of us – to let it be the vessel
by which we hear God speak to us -- so we will become the men and women He has
called us to be and so we might walk in the blessings He promises in His
kingdom
-- I know
some of you are reading through the whole Bible this year – and I applaud you
for that – I know most of you are picking up the Bible some throughout the
week, even if it’s just on Sunday
-- but let me challenge you this
morning – let’s commit to doing more with God’s word as we prepare for the
Advent Season and for Christmas and the New Year
-- if you finished reading the
whole Bible this year, why not just commit to reading a section of the Bible –
maybe the New Testament or the Gospels – this year?
-- if you haven’t been reading the
Bible every day, why not start? – just take a few verses – maybe a chapter –
and commit to reading it every single day
-- no matter what you do, as you
read God’s word, take it slow – take it in deep – meditate on it – think about
it – listen for God’s voice to speak to you through it
-- this Psalm tells us that God
reveals Himself and His will and His ways through creation and through the
special revelation of His word – so, let’s begin to seek Him through His word,
beginning today
-- the important thing is not how
much we read – but that we are in the Bible and we are listening for God and we
are responding as He leads, so we can be transformed and renewed in His
presence
-- let us
pray
------------------------------------
1 Michael Card, interview in Discipleship Journal (Nov/Dec
2002), p. 72
2 Lois Tverberg, Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus
(Zondervan, 2012)
