A Plan for the Future - Part 1 of 2

Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's praise, Thou the praise of my God and King, Thou triumphs of his grace.

This is Lisei Bradley, Jr., welcoming you to another broadcast of the Baptist Bible Hour. Jesus has a table spread where the saints of God are fed. He invites his chosen people, come and dine.

With his manna he doth feed, and supplies our every need, owns his sweetness up with Jesus all the time. Come and dine, the Master calleth, come and dine. You may feast at Jesus' table all the time. Be who fed the multitude, turn the water into wine. To the heart recalleth now, come and dine. Soon the Lamb will take his bride to be ever at his side. All the hosts of heaven will assemble be. Oat will be a glorious sight, all the saints in spotless flight, and with Jesus they will feast eternally. Come and dine, the Master calleth, come and dine. You may feast at Jesus' table all the time. Be who fed the multitude, turn the water into wine. To the heart recalleth now, come and dine. We continue our study in Psalm 119, the section we look at now. We've entitled A Plan for the Future. I hope the message will be a blessing to you.

If it is, tell your friends and neighbors that they can hear the broadcast at this same time each day on this station. And if you want to help keep us on the air, you can go to our website at BaptistBibleHour.org and make a donation there. We look once again at Psalm 119. In verse 41, we saw a desire for salvation. Verse 42 says, So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me, for I trust in thy word, and take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for I have hoped in thy judgments.

We will see reference to some similar thoughts here later, so we'll just comment briefly to say that the psalmist is prayerful, that he will have the words to speak. As he prays it from a negative standpoint, take not thy word of truth utterly out of my mouth, then his desire is the positive side of that. I want my mouth to be full of thy truth. I want to be knowledgeable of thy truth.

I want to be courageous that I may be able to speak it appropriately. And then we come to verse 44, So shall I keep thy law continually forever and ever. Here we see a plan for the future. There is a life commitment. I shall keep thy law continually forever and ever. Most of you here today have made a public profession of your faith in Jesus Christ. You've followed him in baptism. And certainly by that confession of faith and submission to that ordinance, you have said, I intend to follow Jesus Christ. I am confessing my faith in his death, burial, and resurrection.

I believe that I'm identified with him, that as he was raised I had been raised to walk in newness of life, all of which implies keeping his commandments. Because as we are told in the 28th chapter of the book of Matthew, to go into all the world preaching the gospel, making disciples, and it says, teaching them to observe whatsoever things I have commanded you. So part of the responsibility of the gospel minister going to preach and to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, is also to teach those then who have been baptized to observe the things that are commanded. But how many could say today that there has actually been a time in my life that I have come before the Lord and said, Lord, I today want to make a lifetime commitment. I truly want to promise, knowing that I'm subject to fall, I'm weak, I've failed many times, but it is my desire and intention to keep thy law continually. Now we hear these things preached, we hear the duties and responsibilities of God's people set before us, we read of them in his Word, we often grieve over the fact that we have so often missed the mark. But what about even today, before the day has ended, coming before the Lord, and say indeed, Lord, I want this to be my lifetime commitment, that I intend to keep your commandments. Now I know that to some people that sounds extremely legalistic, but Jesus taught us that an evidence that we love him is that we keep his commandments. So we're not talking about the slavish service of legalism, we're talking about a service of love, obeying our Savior Jesus Christ because of the great mercy that he has so abundantly bestowed upon us. The psalmist says, I promise to keep it, I promise to keep it continually, no matter what my mood of the moment may be. Now you can be in a church service singing hymns that are uplifting, being encouraged as you sing some of these wonderful hymns of praise. They talk so beautifully of the greatness of God.

They describe in such a wonderful way our own experiences and lift up the name of Jesus Christ as being our friend and helper. And right at that moment, your frame of mind is such, your spirit and mood is such that you say, yes, I do want to move forward in my daily life serving God, keeping his commandments. But at some later day, you're having a bad time. Things are not going well.

It looks like piece by piece your life is kind of coming apart at the seams. You're very frustrated. And you're not in much of a mood to think about keeping the commandments. As a matter of fact, if you in your frustration happen to be displaying an attitude that is improper and someone would see fit to admonish you, you'd probably say, I don't need that. I don't want to hear anything about that today. I'm not in any mood to be admonished. I'm having a bad day. You pretty well have committed yourself to that bad day.

I'm having to deal with some very unpleasant things and I'm in an unpleasant mood and so don't bother me about that. But the psalmist says, I will keep thy law continually. That means on your good days and your bad days. Your days when you feel like it and the days when you don't. No matter what the circumstances may be. Not just when you've had evidence of an immediate answer to prayer. Not just when you've had some good news about how things are falling out in pleasant places.

But under every condition and every circumstance. When there are problems in the workplace. There are problems in the family at home. There are challenges in getting along with friends.

There are financial difficulties. The problems that God's people can encounter are numerous. But whatever they may be, you still come back to this commitment. No matter what, Lord, my determination is, I will keep thy commandments continually. It's a commitment to the Word of God.

I'm going to keep thy commandments. In other words, I'm going to reject all other counsel. Somebody might come along with a suggestion that seems reasonable. Say, you know, this kind of appeals to me.

I like this concept. But then when you examine it by the Word of God, you find out it's invalid. It doesn't meet the test. It's man-focused rather than God-centered. And oh, there's so much of that information prevalent in our society today. Even religious books are written, no doubt, with that in mind. A desire to appeal to the largest number of people possible. And often to do that, there is some way of trying to help people feel good about themselves, telling them what they want to hear, and in the process, the counsel of God, the Word of God, is rejected. But this is a commitment to reject human philosophy, man-centered counsel, and rely on God's Word. David had said back in the 24th verse of this psalm, My testimonies also are my delight and my counselers.

Where am I going to go for counsel? Now you may feel that I hammer this point too frequently, but I feel it's necessary. Because we're living in what has been called the information age. And it's just remarkable how much information is available at any given time.

It's coming at you in various forms, not just the printed page anymore, but television, the internet. I don't know how people have the time to examine so much of it. If I've reviewed everything that people suggest to me from time to time that I might want to read or look at, there's not enough hours in the day to get it all done. There's a lot of things that are good and valuable and you'd like to be able to read it and review it. But there's an awful lot of information that, on the surface, sounds pretty good. Say, this sounds like this might work.

I kind of like the way this writer writes. But when you really begin to test it by the Word of God, there's something left out. God is not first and foremost. It's not a matter of worshipping Him, honoring Him, respecting His Word, doing things God's way.

It's a matter of maneuvering things to a level where you yourself will be comfortable. I believe that the psalmist actually has a view not only to a lifetime commitment, but even to eternity. Because he says, so shall I keep my law forever and ever. This is something that you can begin on earth that you won't have to quit in heaven. God's children can joyfully anticipate that time when they will keep the commandments perfectly.

Wouldn't that be good if you could do that now? Even as you say, Lord, I want to join with the psalmist and declare, I will keep thy law continually forever. But you know that while you're yet in the flesh, there are going to be failures. While you're yet here on this earth, there are going to be times that you've missed the mark.

And you become deeply grieved because of it. Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could determine that from this day forward, I will never sin again while I'm on this earth? Never have a sinful thought, never have a wrong motive, never think anything wrong, do anything wrong.

That'd be wonderful, wouldn't it? But there's no promise for us that we're going to experience that while we're here. Walking in a godly path is to be our goal, but it'll be in heaven itself when we finally realize it. But you see, God is right now preparing us for that great time to come. As you become grieved over your own sin and failure, as you become frustrated with the sins of others that touch your life, as you become grieved because of the sin that's rampant in the world today, all of this is stirring your heart with a greater intense desire to someday be free from it all, to be present with the Lord, free totally from anything that contaminates, free to serve God in perfection. Revelation chapter 7 verse 15 says, Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. Now there's going to be no night in heaven, so in heaven those who are there are serving God day and night. So you're not going to get bored in heaven, not going to just be floating around on a cloud plucking on a harp. You're going to be serving God. And can you think of anything that could be more wonderful than that? To say that I have the privilege of serving God and serving Him perfectly?

All of my efforts to serve Him here, as sincere as they might have been, have all been mixed with imperfections of varying degrees. But there, whatever He commands, whatever He orders, whatever He instructs, I'll be able to do it. I will do it with delight, with joy. I'll do it without sin. I'll do it without weariness.

I'm going to get tired to say, it's too much, I can't handle this. No, because in your resurrected glorified body, you'll be able to do exactly what the Lord has bidden you to do, to the praise of His wonderful name. Let's look at the 21st chapter of the book of Revelation. Verse 27 says, And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie, but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Now that's marvelous to anticipate, is it not? Going to be in a place where there's nothing there that defiles, there's nothing there that's an abomination to God, there's nothing there that works a lie. Going to be in that happy, eternal home, present with my Savior Jesus Christ, serving Him without interruption, serving Him with delight, keeping His commandments in perfection, doing exactly what He bids me to do, and understanding that the reason I'm there and that this great mercy is mine is because of His sovereign saving grace. The song of heaven is a song of triumph, a song of praise to Jesus the Lamb. Thou art worthy for Thou was slain and hast redeemed us to God by Thy own precious blood.

That's the song that is continually sung in His presence. Charles Bridges writes in commenting on this portion of the psalm, Is it not evident that heaven itself can afford no real delight to one who feels that the service of God on earth is irksome? Think about it. I think some people have the idea that a person just drifts along through life, maybe continues to live perpetually in a sinful course. The only thought about heaven is that someday I won't have any more aches and pains, someday I won't have any more frustration, and we're going to have a big, glorious family reunion up there, and it's going to be a great day for that. But the idea of going to heaven and serving God for eternity, I think it's hardly bare to think about serving God on earth. Where is the indication that this person is headed for heaven?

They'd be miserable if they got there. So, well, the Lord's going to change it. Yeah, there'll be a final change to perfection then, but that change has already started in those that have had an experience of grace. The old Elder Pat Burr down in South Georgia, quite an unusual character and one that I enjoyed when I first came among the old Baptists.

He was talking one day about how a lot of people try to make out a case for almost anybody to say, well, you know, in the final analysis, they may have done all this mean stuff, but, you know, they've got a good heart. You know they'll be in heaven someday. And so I tell you, if you tried to put a bunch of these renegades I see running around in heaven, they'd be tearing down the pearly gates on the way in. So you can rest assured that there's not going to be any rebels up there.

There's not going to be anybody unhappy with the arrangement. There's going to be people in heaven that had the desire to go there. So if there is no satisfaction here in serving God, why should one think that heaven will be a place where they would find contentment? God is presently preparing His people for that great day when they'll ultimately be with Him. And so David makes a promise. He has a plan for the future. As far as his life here is concerned, I will keep Thy law continually. He looks onward to eternity. I will keep it forever and ever.

Not going to stop here and plan someday to do it in perfection when I'm with the Lord. And then verse 45 says, And I will walk at liberty, for I seek Thy precepts. I will speak of Thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed of great freedom enjoyed. Freedom. Then many a battle fought between the nations of earth with the idea that the real issue was freedom. We want to gain our liberty, or we want to preserve our liberty. We want freedom. And yet there's a lot of misunderstanding about freedom. Some people have the idea that if they're pursuing a sinful course of action because it's something they want to do, this is freedom. I'm enjoying liberty to do my thing. This is what I want, and you don't have any right to question it or challenge it.

I'm free to do it. But sin is not freedom, it's slavery. John chapter 8 verse 34, Jesus answered and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. Sin enslaves us. A continued pattern of sinful behavior becomes difficult to overcome. This fallen sinful nature is subject to various kinds of addictions. Go down a certain path, deal with certain activities, and after a while the person is totally enslaved.

They're not free, they're in bondage. The habit to which they committed themselves has taken over their life. And even apart from drugs or alcohol or other things that might be considered addictive, just certain patterns of behavior. The person continually gives in to anger, for example, without using self-control, which the scripture commands us to do, it becomes a way of life.

And instead of an individual trying to control what they say and how they conduct themselves and what their attitude is, they just perpetuate that same pattern of activity over and over again. Sometimes when I think of the cross, I find the sorrow there. To think of such a worth it might be gained without a tear. I say, I say, you're glad, you're good for me. Be glad, be glad, and I'll be good for me. His life's so perfect and mine's so worthless, be glad, and I'll be right for me. The nails that fit his hands and feet, the crown of horns he wore.

That noble sword that gives his sight, the guilt of scale he bore. I say, I say, you're glad, you're good for me. Be glad, be glad, and I'll be right for me. His life's so perfect and mine's so worthless, be glad, and I'll be right for me. But Jesus came to that old cross and shed his blood for me.

And sorrow turned to happiness, he rose to victory. I say, I say, you're glad, you're good for me. Be glad, be glad, and I'll be right for me.

His life's so perfect and mine's so worthless, be glad, and I'll be right for me. Well, thank you for listening today. I pray the message has been a blessing to you.

If it has, we'd like to hear from you. Our mailing address is Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. Till we greet you at this same time tomorrow, this is LeSaire Bradley, Jr., bidding you goodbye, and may God bless you. Praising my Savior, praising my Savior, praising my Savior. All the day long.