5.18.25 Psalm 119
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion (a commander of 100 soldiers) came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.” Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him.” The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” Matthew 8:5-9
Jesus was amazed at this Roman soldier’s faith…and his faith was revealed in his recognition of Jesus’s authority.
The soldier understood authority…he knew how it worked.
Authority is the power to give orders or make decisions: the power or right to direct or control someone or something.
We all live under various levels of authority.
In our work, schools, homes.
In society we are under the authority of laws and under the authority of those who are tasked with forming and enforcing those laws.
But everyone decides personally who will have ultimate command authority in their own life.
By this I mean who will determine what ideas or thoughts they will allow to determine the course of their lives…what beliefs will command their behavior.
Timothy McVeigh murdered 167 people (19 children) and injured almost 700 more in his bombing of the federal building in OKC.
The authority of US law put him to death, but it was the authority of certain ideas that he had given himself over to, that led to his terrible crime.
There is real danger in the kind of thinking that McVeigh gave authority to, but destructive ideas come in many forms:
Sigmund Freud: His ideas regarding human psychology (literally study of soul), though he didn’t believe in a soul.
God was a delusion for him.
And his delusional ideas caused a lot of harm and continue to do so.
Benjamin Spock, a pediatrician: His book on raising Children sold 50 million copies.
Not all of his ideas were bad, most of them were.
And they did great harm to the lives of people…they still do as generational bad ideas often get passed down.
Karl Marx: His terrible ideas about human thriving led to mass human suffering and death…his bad ideas continue to harm people.
Alfred Kinsey: His ideas about human sexuality…continue to destroy lives.
I could on, into the many current ideas and the many self-proclaimed “thought leaders” of our day.
A thought leader is an individual recognized as an authority in a specific field.
As the term implies, a thought leader leads others in the thinking around a given topic.
But what happens when those thoughts that are shaping lives…are wrong?
What happens when people give authority to bad thinking?
The movie Inception is about a technology that can plant ideas into human minds.
The technology is far-fetched, but the theme of the movie is accurate, the main character has one line that summarizes the film’s plot:
“An idea is like a virus, resilient, highly contagious. The smallest seed of an idea can grow. It can grow to define or destroy you.”
This is, without dispute, a fact.
What we let stay in our minds is what we let shape our lives.
When we give command authority to ideas…they will direct the course of our lives.
Beliefs, ultimately, shape behaviors.
THEN
What we do over time…is who we become and what becomes of our lives.
You have a choice in what ideas you let shape your life.
In fact, we have responsibility, and we will be ultimately held accountable for the thoughts we allow to shape us.
We decide who we will believe and obey.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Tim. 3:16,17
Scripture has ultimate command authority in our lives, because it is God’s word…it comes from him.
He is God, he is the sovereign King…all authority on heaven and earth is his. (Matt 28:19).
So, his word has full authority in our lives.
We give some weight of authority to experience and to science (human discovery) …but ultimate authority for what is real, true, and good…rests with Scripture because it is as Scripture says, “God-breathed.”
We trust God’s word because we trust God…it is true because it comes from him, and he is truth.
So, I trust the HVAC guy, who knows how Air conditioners work…he has authority in my life in that area. (at least you hope he knows how it works)
I trust Greg, my doctor, I give him authority in my health…because he has medical training I don’t have. (He is the first to admit, his knowledge is limited, as is his authority)
But I give ultimate command authority to God’s word in my life, because God has command authority in my life.
If someone decides to trust some of Scripture, then they have decided that they themselves have ultimate authority.
If you are going to decide which part of Scripture you will believe and obey and which parts you will not then you have assumed authority over Scripture, it does not have authority over you.
Someone like Freud will come along with an idea that flies in the face of Scripture, or some other new gee whiz thought leader…if it sounds good to people, sounds reasonable, they believe it.
Scripture…get in the back seat…this new idea is now riding shotgun.
It’s not so much their authority is now Freud, but it is that they are their own source of authority…they decided to trust him.
They are driving this vehicle.
So, it looks like people are jumping from authority to authority…but in fact, at the foundational level…they trust themselves…they do, as the book of Judges condemned…what is right in their own eyes.
In the internet age the access to ideas, influence and sources of authority has grown exponentially…but it still comes down to just two…. I will trust God or I will trust myself.
I will trust myself…to decide what is true and good and right…who I will believe today.
A famous musical group named for an insect combined with the word “beat” were thought leaders in the 60’s.
Why?
Because they wrote, entertaining, but largely, silly songs.
So much for thought leaders being chosen for their expertise.
Maharishi Yogi was the founder of the cult called Transcendental Meditation.
In 1967 the Beatles made him their spiritual advisor…so thousands of their fans, began to follow Yogi’s false teachings because of the Beatle’s influence.
A year later, after spending extended time with Yogi in person…they distanced themselves from his teaching…they saw who he really was.
But the harm was done, his ideas had taken root.
The Beatles gave him authority, then took it back…so who had authority in their lives?
Well, they did…they decided who to believe and who they would become.
Today we will look at a passage from Psalm 119, it is the longest chapter in the Bible.
It is called an acrostic poem because it has 22 stanzas that correspond to the 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet.
Each stanza has eight verses, each verse starts with same Hebrew alphabet letter.
So, 22 sets of 8, if you read this chapter this week…your Bible will have the Hebrew letter above each set of 8.
There are also 8 different words used to describe the Word of God, these have different English translations, they are: law, statute, precept, decree, command, judgment, word, and promise.
The author uses one of these eight words in almost every verse.
Each has its own unique way of describing the attributes of the Word of God.
So, the longest chapter in God’s word is about God’s word…specifically it’s authority.
It is arranged around the building blocks of words…the Hebrew alphabet.
This isn’t an attempt to be cute, but to be memorable and to make a point…the Word of God must be given priority in our lives…because the God of the word has priority.
Look again at those words used to describe the Word of God…I’ll address just a few of them.
The words translated “Laws and statutes” affirm that God’s word expresses the mind of God.
They come from Hebrew words that mean to make a decision about or bear witness to…what is right and wrong.
God’s word gives us his mind, what his will and his ways are…how we are to know, love, and obey him.
The word translated “decrees” carries the idea of something “engraved into stone”…the permanence, the unchanging nature of God’s word.
“Law”, of course means authority but is used elsewhere to describe the careful instruction a father gives to a beloved child (Provers 3:1).
We tend to see “laws” as barriers to happiness…but just look to a country where laws have failed, or a home that has become “lawless” and tell me…where do you find any signs of happiness there?
God’s laws are expressions of his love for us…his laws are freedom, life apart from his laws, is slavery.
“Command” means just that…we are to obey the commands of the one who has rightful command authority in our lives.
“Precept” suggests applying God’s commands to the details of our lives…embedding his commands into our overall lifestyle.
Let’s read the first stanza together:
1 How happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk according to the Lord’s instruction!
2 Happy are those who keep his decrees and seek him with all their heart.
3 They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways.
4 You have commanded that your precepts be diligently kept.
5 If only my ways were committed to keeping your statutes!
6 Then I would not be ashamed when I think about all your commands.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart when I learn your righteous judgments.
8 I will keep your statutes; never abandon me.
Happy or blessed are those who walk (live) according to the Lord’s instruction.
In scripture a happy or blessed life is a life lived under God’s approval.
This is important because what God approves of is ultimately good, pure, and will lead to a life without lasting regret.
Look at verse 6, “I will not be ashamed when I think about (my mind is fixed on) your commands.”
To not be ashamed is a life without lasting regret, to avoid the wasted life and to gain the well-spent life.
This opening stanza is about the foundational longing for what every single human wants.
That is, if humans were self-aware enough to know that they want…many don’t…sadly, until it’s too late.
*This is yet another reason for us to share the gospel…the good news.
As we do…we help others understand what their true problem is: sin and separation from God, and what the true solution is: Belief in Christ and repentance.
When people get the problem wrong…they will get the solution wrong…to devastating ends.
So, we have here, the two things people really want:
Happiness (a blessed life, good life) (this is found in relationship with God)
AND
Meaning (a well spent, not a wasted life) (this is found in living in obedience to God’s word)
“I thought that we were supposed to seek holiness not happiness.”
Yeah and since holiness is being set apart for God and his purposes…to be holy is to be happy and to be truly happy is to be holy.
Let’s go to the second stanza, here the Psalm writer gives practical direction towards this blessed and well-spent life
Let’s read it together
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping your word.
10 I have sought you with all my heart; don’t let me wander from your commands.
11 I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.
12 Lord, may you be blessed; teach me your statutes.
13 With my lips I proclaim all the judgments from your mouth.
14 I rejoice in the way revealed by your decrees as much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on your precepts and think about your ways.
16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.
This does not exclude women, or older men.
This Psalm is a wisdom Psalm…a Proverb-like Psalm.
The first seven chapters of Proverbs are addressed to “My son” this doesn’t mean only sons are the intended audience.
Clearly, there are not different ways to become wise or to remain pure if you are an old man or a woman.
The focus here is on a young man whose life is under nearly constant pressure to remain pure.
What is true for him, is true for everyone.
“How can a young man keep his way pure?”
“Terry, most young men don’t care about purity.”
That’s not true, it never has been.
I was once a young men surrounded by young men.
Now I am an old man, I still interact with young men…in the church and outside of it.
Most young men don’t believe it’s possible to be pure (especially those outside the church)…that’s different than not wanting to be pure.
There is a current trend for young men, even outside the church, to want to escape the slavery of impurity.
Many are enticed by sin’s lies…but no one enjoys the actual fruit of sin…it’s disgusting, foul-tasting fruit.
They may enjoy the act of sin in a moment…but everyone learns to hates the bitter fruit that follows.
Many are addicted to sins of various kinds…but you don’t love what you are addicted to…you don’t love what has enslaved you.
Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. A slave does not remain in the household forever, but a son does remain forever. So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. John 8:33-36
People long for freedom…they just don’t know how to be free…or if it is even possible.
Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey—either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness? But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were handed over, and having been set free from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness. Romans 6:16-18
I don’t know of anyone who actually enjoys being a slave to sin, I have known some who doubt they can ever be free of their slavery to it.
You can be…but only by being enslaved to righteousness…which is real human freedom.
So, the question, “How can a young man keep his way pure?”
Is what every human heart, if we had enough self-awareness to know it, is asking.
“Are you saying it is possible to be free from sin’s slavery?”
“Are you saying I can have a life that is blessed and meaningful?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“By keeping God’s word.”
“Uh…how else?”
**There is no other way.
But for the one who says…”Tell me how to do that!”
That is a good question.
But before we look at the rest of this passage…and the answer to that question.
It’s important to give the fuller New Testament balance to this Old Testament passage.
By balance I don’t mean the OT is imbalanced but rather it is incomplete…the Bible is a single story, and you must read the beginning and middle with the end in mind.
If someone writes you a letter…You don’t really know what all the parts of the letter means, until you read the whole letter.
- The law is consistent with God’s character and expresses his will for how we should lead our lives.
- Neither in the Old nor the New Testament is the law the key to establishing a relationship with God, that is an act of God’s grace in our lives.
- However, the law is an expression of the character and will of God, and we maintain our relationship with him by keeping it.
- Jesus is the only one who has perfectly kept the law. Jesus not only kept the law, but died on our behalf, so we can have a relationship with God.
(Longman III, Tremper. TOTC Psalms (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries). Kindle Edition.)
So, as we look at what it looks like to “keep his word” we do this in line with the gospel.
We are saved by grace through faith.
We live out our salvation through grace empowered effort.
That effort means keeping his word in order to live a life that honors him, a life with God’s approval.
But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were handed over, and having been set free from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.
So, back to Psalm 119
The question is posed: How can we live pure lives?
“Too late for me Terry, I have lived an impure life.”
No, it’s not…remember the gospel.
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7
How do we pull this off?
There are four helpful principles from our text:
- We must balance Grace and Grit
Vs. 10″I have sought you with all my heart (Grit, will)…don’t let me wander from your commands.”(Grace, empowered will)
*Last week we talked about biblical tensions…including this one.
We must exert our will in knowing and obeying God’s word…as we do, we must stay plugged into God’s power to pull this off.
If you let go of grit/will…you are waiting for God or others to do for you what he has commanded you to do.
If you let go of grace…you are overly self-reliant, and your strength will fail you.
Keep this tension with great care.
- Direct your emotions towards his word
Look at verses 11, 14, 16…treasured, rejoice, delight.
These are action verbs…but they do describe human emotions.
We don’t choose our emotional response in the moment…but we can shape our emotional responses over the long-haul…we can train our hearts to treasure, rejoice, delight.
It has been said that when you shake a cup, what is inside spills out.
When our lives are shaken…what is in our hearts comes out.
This is not reason to despair…but it can be like a check-engine light to help us see if we are directing our hearts towards his word…or if our own emotions have been given command authority in our lives.
When we treasure…wrap our hearts around, our affections around… his word.
When we rejoice in God’s authority.
When we train our hearts to delight in his word.
We are shaping our emotional responses over the long haul.
This is not meant to be a full biblical teaching on human emotions…but it is true, again, that though we don’t always choose our immediate emotional responses we do choose how our hearts are being shaped over the long haul.
The Psalmist said, “I rejoice in the way revealed by your decrees as much as in all riches.”
Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there you heart will be also.”
Our hearts follow our investments…what we invest ourselves in over time…what we give, thought, effort, time to…we will get a heart for…an emotional attachment to.
You get to choose this…you decide what your heart will treasure.
- Talk to yourself and others about the authority of God’s word
“With my lips I proclaim all the judgments from your mouth.”13
I don’t just mean share the gospel and I certainly don’t mean “preach at people.”
I mean in the normal course of your life…tell yourself the truth, speak what is true in authentic and appropriate ways to your friends and family.
As you build God’s word into your life and it begins to work its way out in your life…your words will take on authority and power…for the good of those around you (and to your own good)
This doesn’t mean your words will make you look smart or spiritual or powerful…but your words in line with your life, will draw people to God…your words will make God look good to others.
If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:11
As this happens both you and those around you are blessed, they and you will more fully enjoy God’s “approved life.”
Words are powerful…ideas are expressed in words.
Ideas shape lives.
What you say matters…what you say shapes your heart…what you say, comes from how your heart has been shaped.
- Choose your thoughts carefully and intentionally
I will meditate on your precepts and think about your ways. (v.15)
We are back to where we began.
Consistently and intentionally…choose the thoughts you let shape your life.
Take thoughts captive to Christ.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
2 Cor. 10:5
Some use this verse like a kind of magic incantation…”I take every thought captive.”
This verse is an ongoing choice…a part of living decided.
You don’t merely say this…you do it.
Say it, but be sure you actually doing.
Like a gate guard…protecting the base….You draw your weapon on rogue thoughts and make them comply.
ID ideas
God is to have command authority in your life.
He has given you command authority in your own mind.
“You”…he commands…are to take command of your thinking…to make it obey Christ.
You can do this…it will take grace and grit.
“But how?”
Prayer, effort, time, help, plans…overwrite old thoughts with new ones.
“This feels like a war inside my head.”
That’s exactly what it is sometimes…but you must not surrender your mind, you must take enemy thoughts captive to Christ…thoughts that come from him.
It will take the sanctified will, and the power of community in the church…but we can, and we must do this.
This is the blessed, God-approved, life.