Walking in Liberty
Part 6
Sermon Series: A Word about the Word
Date: March 2, 2003 AM Service
Place: Allendale Baptist Church
Text: Psalm 119: 41-48
The salvation
Introduction
This section of the 119th Psalm we will look at this morning we will see 6 promises and 2 petitions.
We see in these 8 verses 6 promises to God and 2 prayers or requests to God.
Someone has said; “The main theme that runs through the entire section and ties each verse together is a holy fear of God, a deep sense of awe and reverence for who God is and what God’s presence is like. It describes what we are to be in the light of God’s presence.
AS we read this section of the Psalm we cannot help but see the heart filled with the love of God.
One important fact we will see is the psalmist desire to be a faithful witness for the Lord he loves; to give a strong testimony according to the truth of God’s Word.
Each and every one of us wants to walk in liberty. This liberty can only be found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Those of us who have entered into this relationship with Jesus experience this liberty. Not a liberty to do as we please, but the freedom and liberty to serve and obey the Lord.
This section points us to 3 truths
First if we are to walk in liberty, we are going to be …
I. Divinely Equipped
Whatever liberty is ours comes from God. It is given to us by God.
A. Reception
1. v. 41 says; “Let Thy mercies come also unto me, O Lord, even Thy salvation, according to Thy word.”
2. The salvation you and I enjoy is given only by God through the atoning death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. The salvation of God is to receive the life of God, the forgiveness of God, and the grace of God into my life.
4. And that salvation comes only through the Word of God.
Next their will be a …
B. Response
1. v. 42 tells us; “So shall I have within to answer him that reproacheth me; for I trust in Thy word.”
2. As I said last week, there is a good reproach that comes to those that walk with and are identified with Jesus.
3. The psalmist says; when that reproach comes give the words to back up my life.
4. Luke 12:11-12 says; “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and the magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
5. There are 3 kinds of critics for the Christian; the devil, the heretics and the slanderers.
a. The devil must be answered by an internal word of humility.
b. The heretic must be answered by an external word of wisdom.
c. The slanderer must be answered by an active word of conduct.
C. Responsibility
1. v. 43 reads; “And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in thy judgements.”
2. My dear friend it is the resposonsibility of each and every Christian to speak and to share, to verbalize and vocalize the truths of God’s Word to a lost and dieing world.
3. How can you enjoy the equipping of God, the blessings of God, the salvation of God and never tell a person about the Lord.
4. Manly Beasley once said a person living in the will of God would have to back slide not to lead souls to the Lord.
5. I guarantee you this if you were to meet the President of the United States you would be dieing to rush home and tell someone.
6. If you were to meet Billy Graham at Luby’s at lunch, you would tell everyone at evening service about your experience.
Not only will we be divinely equipped we will also be…
II. Directly Enabled
Notice the psalmist prayer for…
A. Consistency
1. v. 44 “So shall I keep Thy law continually for ever and ever.”
2. The Word of God has been helpful to the psalmist; it is become real in his life.
3. He desires to live a life of total obedience to God’s will.
4. I need to say this; there is no true faith without a longing for the Word of God, the presence of God in your life and obedience to the will of God.
5. As we are studying on Sunday evenings, we are no longer under the law but under grace.
6. When we come to the place of total commitment, we will not serve God out of duty, but out of desire.
7. We will not obey God not out of have to but want to.
8. For many of us that claim the name of Jesus there should be a desire and a longing for a consistency.
B. Constraint
1. v. 45; “And I will walk at liberty.”
2. The kind of commitment that longs to be obedient results in liberty.
3. Even for Christians there will be times when we want to do the wrong things.
4. Walking in liberty is not the freedom to do as we please but to do as we ought to.
5. When we give ourselves to the eternal things of God, it sets us free.
6. My friend the Word of God does not constrain us it sets us free.
7. Many of us constrain ourselves.
8. What we can do.
9. What God can do?
Last we see, when we walk in liberty it will be…
III. Distinctly Exhibited
A. Determination
1. v. 46; “I will speak of Thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed.”
2. The psalmist may not be speaking of a time he stood before actual kings, but is determined to be bold in being a witness and speaking of the testimonies of God regardless of who hears it.
3. This sounds like Paul’s statement in Romans 1:16; “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…”
4. More of us should be that determined.
Then there will be…
B. Delight
1. v.47 “And I will delight myself in Thy commandments, which I have loved.”
2. Here are the words of a man that absorbs himself in the word of God.
3. When you totally give yourself to God he removes one delight and replaces it with another.
4. When God takes away a sinful delight, He replaces it with another.
5. My question to you this morning is what do you delight in?
Last there will be…
C. Demonstration
1. v. 48; “My hands also will I lift up unto Thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in Thy statutes.”
2. A man stretches out his hands to what he longs for.
3. An alcoholic or drug addict will reach out for a drink or the next fix.
4. The hands of a drowning man will reach out to a life saver.
5. Those in war will lift up there hands as a sign or signal of surrender.
Close
The key to all this is
“Which I have loved.”
Why don’t we read the Bible?
Why don’t we live out its commands?
Because we don’t love it.
This section of Psalms 119 should challenge us to set our hearts on the truths of God’s Word.
Invitation
Second Invitation
*I am going to ask you to close your eyes this morning and think on these things:
* How long has it been since you thought on what Jesus did for you?
* How long has it been since you longed for the Word of God to speak to you?
* How long has it been since you longed for the presence of God?
* How long has it been since you’ve thought on the awesomeness of God?
