A Question Many Fail to Ask - Part 2 of 2

This is LeSary Bradley, Jr., and I just wanted to convey a special message today to those of you listening on podcasts. I have to admit, when my staff first started talking to me about putting the broadcasts on podcasts, I didn't know what they were talking about.

I still don't understand it, but I'm thankful for it. Thankful that we can get the message out by another channel. And I just wanted to say how much I appreciate the fact that so many of you are listening to it. I was recently on a preaching trip to Jackson, Mississippi, and so many people came to me and said, I listen every day.

In fact, a number of them said that's the first thing I do in the morning, is listen to one of the programs on podcasts. So I just wanted to say I appreciate the fact that you're listening. I pray the message will be a blessing to you, and we'd love to hear from you. Our mailing address is Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. Thank you for listening, and may the Lord richly bless you. O for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's praise, Thou the grace of my God and King, Thou triumphs of His grace.

This is Lisea Bradley, Jr., welcoming you to another broadcast of the Baptist Bible Hour. Who builds of golden grain, who forms the seed that makes the wheat, and gives us daily bread to eat? Who, in the winter, sends the snow? Oh, tell me, who, if you should know, Who has designed each lovely play, what wondrous power did it take? Who laid the leper in the sea? Who formed the grass to line the tree?

Who made the cattle on the hilltime, creeping things in rocks and rills? He takes a sinner, fainted by a man, makes him have some little child, subdues his will, and guides his feet, and draws him to the mercy seat. Let all creation lift his voice, and in the Lord let us rejoice, and all his words praise and confess the glory of his righteousness. We continue with our study entitled, A Question Many Failed to Ask. This is the second part of a message from Psalm 119, verses 9 to 16.

I hope you were right. Let us know that you've listened to the program, and if you can help with the support, we'll be thankful for that. Our address is Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. And then we think about Daniel and his friends, always such great examples of young men committed to do what's right. Turn to the book of Daniel, notice chapter 1.

Here's a young man, just a teenager, carried into captivity, removed from family, taken away from his homeland, from the best of influences. But even in this distant place, it says in Daniel 1.8, But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself of the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank, therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now that may seem like a small matter to us. We're not concerned about the dietary laws under which they lived in Old Testament times. Many times not that concerned about diet at all, when we ought to certainly be concerned about eating that which is healthful and that our bodies may truly be recognized as the temple of the Holy Spirit. But here's a young man whose commitment is such that he says, because of my dedication to my God, I'm going to ask for permission that I not have to eat the king's meat.

I'm going to observe and recognize the diet that I believe will honor my God. And then in chapter 3, we read in the 17th verse when Daniel's friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were being challenged. We're told that they'd be cast into the fiery furnace. Chapter 3 verse 17, if it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. And notice this, here's faith, they believe that God was able to deliver them, but if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. We know he's able to deliver us, but if he doesn't, we're still not going to bow.

We're still not going to serve false gods. Oh, in this day of pragmatism, can't you envision somebody reasoning about it and saying, well, you know, I could bow, and yet in my heart say, I'm not really giving in to this. You know, I'm just bowing so I don't get killed. I don't want to go into the fiery furnace, but in my heart I'll say, Lord, I don't really mean it, I'm just bowing. No, these young men said, we're not going to bow.

Have you made that kind of commitment in your life? Am I going to bow to that which is error, that which is evil, that which is forbidden by God, that which would dishonor his name? So the solution provided is, first of all, by taking heed. Secondly, by using the word of God. Wherewith also a young man cleanses way by taking heed thereto according to thy word. If I'm going to be using the word of God, it's going to be according to the word, not just taking heed, not just setting up my own rules, not just taking a survey of friends and say, what do you think about how I should conduct my life? No, it's going to be according to thy word. This is the ultimate authority, the one and only book upon which we can rely.

The one and only book that should be utilized in patterning your life, in setting your goals, in making your plans, in making your commitments. It's going to be according to thy word. Verse 11, then says, thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee.

I'm not only going to recognize its authority, I'm going to hide it in my heart. Well, to do that, you've got to be knowledgeable of what it says. If you know what it says, you've got to read it. You need to read it.

Commit some of it to memory. Take every opportunity to hear it preached. God uses then the word as you receive it, as you receive the word when preached, not as just being man's testimony, but as it is the word of God. Paul rejoiced that those at Thessalonica so received his preaching in that manner. When you realize how great the battle is against the world, the flesh, and the devil, you would think that God's people would want to take every opportunity to be under the sound of the preaching of his word, that their faith might be strengthened, that they might more securely hide the word in their heart that they can overcome.

The word in you. In the book of Colossians chapter 3, we see a confirmation of this principle that's here in this very psalm that our heart is to be a home for the word of God. And in Colossians 3 16 it says, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Literally rendered, that means let the word of Christ be at home in you. You should have received it, read it, meditated upon it to such a degree that it is prominent in your thinking that when an issue arises, you immediately think biblically. When you face a crisis instead of responding as the flesh dictates, the Spirit of God brings to your mind a portion of scripture and you respond to it and you act in a godly way.

A little outline that I find quoted by several writers and nobody seems to know who first penned it, but it certainly describes what's in this psalm. It's talking about the best thing in the best place for the best reason. The best thing being the word of God. Thy word I will hide my heart. It's in the best place. Where? In your heart. Not just a book on the coffee table at home, but in your heart. And it's for the best reason.

Why? That I might not sin against thee. That's the ultimate goal here. That I might live a godly, righteous life to the praise of my Savior Jesus Christ. You see, we need to recognize the cleansing benefit of the word of God. In the 15th chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus said in the third verse, Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Chapter 17 of the 17th verse, again, Jesus speaking. This is in his prayer to the Father. Sanctify them through thy truth.

Thy word is truth. To be sanctified is to be set apart, to be cleansed. How is it then that this progressive aspect of sanctification is going to proceed? By the cleansing that comes about with the use of the word. This was the prayer of Jesus. And then we go to the book of Ephesians chapter 5. And here, a lesson concerning husbands loving their wives, and yet look at the reference to the value of the word. Ephesians chapter 5 verse 25, Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it that he might sanctify it and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. How is it that the church, the body of believers is going to be sanctified, it's going to be cleansed, it's going to be by the word?

Oh, in so many religious circles today, there's a movement away from emphasis on the word. People want to go to large gatherings to hear a gospel concert. They want to see some kind of a dramatic performance.

They want to hear a message that makes them feel good about themselves. But what is it that's going to make a difference in our life? What's going to get our minds renewed and on target, focused on honoring Jesus Christ? It's going to be with the washing of the word. Somebody says, but I get a little weary because I don't like being convicted. I don't like feeling that I missed the mark.

I'd rather somebody tell me I'm all right. We need to be convicted and we need to be made to realize that the only way we can stand acceptable in God's sight is through the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. But as far as our daily walk is concerned, this sanctifying process needs to be going on.

So after we see that there is a need addressed and a solution provided, we see a method encouraged. The method encouraged, of course, is by keeping his commandments. With my whole heart have I sought thee, O let me not wander from thy commandments. Lord, I want to recognize what you have commanded.

In spite of the fact that there is that part of my human nature that resists being told what to do, I really do want to bow in submission to your will. I want to be able to say with Jesus Christ himself, I delight to do thy will, O God. Matthew chapter 22, look at verse 36. Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. Now the psalmist talks about regarding the commandments of God. So here's the first commandment. This is the greatest commandment. Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. And that coincides with his expression that he was going to seek God with all his heart.

Not with a divided heart, but with all his heart. Now we turn to the book of 1 Thessalonians. Talking about the commandments of God.

God revealing his will for us. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verse 2. For ye know what commandments we gave unto you by the Lord Jesus. Alright, here's another commandment given by the Lord Jesus.

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication. That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor, not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God. Here's a commandment of God.

Purity of life. That you not be given to fornication. That you not be given to sensual sins. That you walk in a godly, honorable way.

Chapter 5, verse 18. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. This is God's will. This is God's commandment to you. In everything give thanks.

How easy it is to fail in that area. We sit down at the table and give thanks for the food and for the blessings of the day. But when the troubles of life come, the burdens are heavy. It's so easy to get focused on the burdens.

So easy to become so consumed with thinking about the problems and the difficulties that we're encountering. That we forget to give thanks. If we're going to cleanse our way, then there must be that commitment to love God first. To walk in a godly way with purity of heart.

And to be thankful for God's daily benefits. Furthermore, the psalmist tells us, we're talking about the method encouraged, is that we are to be praying for guidance. He prays in verse 10, let me not wander from thy commandments.

In verse 12 he says, blessed art thou, O Lord, teach me thy statutes. He recognizes that I need to be taught. I can't accomplish this on my own. How many times have you made some great promises and said, I'm going to do better about reading the Bible. But you read some and you didn't understand much and you said, you know, I'm not accomplishing anything and you gave up.

How many times in your reading have you prayed, Lord, teach me. I need to be taught. I need help.

I can't get this on my own. I pray that you'll give me understanding. I pray that you'll open my eyes, touch my heart, help me to receive it. In the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 2 we learn the necessity of this. Verse 12 says, now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. How are we going to know the things that are given to us of God?

Through and by the enabling grace of the Holy Spirit. Which things also we speak not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. It's made quite clear that man in his natural state apart from the spirit of God cannot know spiritual things. They could be presented in the simplest form possible and a man still would not know them.

He'd not be able to grasp the spiritual meaning. But by the spirit of God we can be taught and learn the things that are freely given us of God. And then by applying what we learn. Doesn't mean much if we gain a lot of knowledge but there's no application of it. Verse 13 of the psalm says, With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. The things that I've learned, now I'm going to talk about them.

And there's a great advantage to that. Because as you internalize the teaching of scripture and it means something to you and you have benefited by it. And then you talk about it, you tell others about it. You seek somebody else in need and you try to minister to them. You see a brother overtaken and a fault and you seek to restore him. You seek someone that needs comfort and you try to comfort them with the same comfort where with you yourself have been comforted. Then all of this becomes a very part of you. And it's rich in your own experience because you're speaking of the things that you have learned. In Psalm 71 verse 15, David says, My mouth shall show forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day.

For I know not the numbers thereof. All the day I'm going to show forth your salvation. I'm going to talk about it. I will go in the strength of the Lord. I will make mention of thy goodness even of thine only. O God, thou hast taught me from my youth and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. David says, Even from days of my youth I have declared your wondrous works. I not only have admired them. I not only have been able to appreciate them and rejoice in them.

I've talked about them. How often do you talk about the things of God? You know really this problem of evil influences from the wrong companions could be readily solved if you were talking daily about the things of God.

You'd find there are some people that don't want to spend time with you if you want to be talking about God and about His truth and about what He means to you and about what you've learned from His Word. Then he says, When I'm old and gray headed, O God forsake me not until I've showed thy strength unto this generation and thy power to everyone that is to come. He had a concern not only about talking now, talking on a daily basis about what he had learned and what God had done for him, but he was concerned that even the generation coming on might be able to hear the great things that God had done. And then he says in the fourteenth verse of the psalm, I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches. Rejoicing, rejoicing in His commandments, rejoicing in His Word. The young man is going to have his way cleansed by taking heed to the Word. Well the Word is not something that's harsh and something that is destructive and something that's going to pull you away from that which is best and honorable, but it's that which is good and it's comforting.

And so understanding that makes a vital difference. Turn to the book of Romans chapter 15 where we're reminded of the benefit of the Word of God in this regard. Verse 4 says, For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

There are two things you learn there about the Scriptures. From the Scriptures you have comfort and you have hope. So you get to the place many times that your heart is troubled.

You get to the place that you feel like I've got little hope about certain things. Here you're going to find both comfort and hope in the Scriptures. And then in the counsel of the Word of God. Verse 24 of Psalm 119 says, Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors. You need counsel, you need guidance, you need help in a time of need.

Many people struggle with fear, all kinds of fears that alarm people, disrupt their lives, make life difficult for them. But you go to the counsel of God's Word. Hebrews 13 5 says, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee that we may boldly say the Lord is our helper.

Where could we turn for anything that could be more consoling and more readily relieve our fears than to read the promise of God that He is with us and will not forsake us. Somebody struggles with guilt. I've had people say, well I've confessed my sin but I don't feel forgiven. But 1 John chapter 1 verse 9 says, If we confess our sins, He's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Not one word about feeling, but there is something about the faithfulness of God. Do you believe God is faithful to do what He says? He said if we confess our sins, He's faithful and just to forgive us.

What a benefit we find by going to the Word of God. You say, I feel faint. I'm weary. I'm discouraged. I don't know how it can go on.

I just can't make it much farther. But you go to God's Word. Here's a wonderful promise. Isaiah chapter 40 verse 29. He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might He increaseth strength.

Sam down for the count. Here's help. He gives power. He gives grace to the weak, to those who are faint, to those who are at the end of themselves.

And then finally, the psalmist says in the 16th verse of this passage, I will delight myself in thy statutes. I will not forget thy word. Part of the method then encouraged is by keeping in memory what we have learned. I will not forget it. How easy it is to forget. You no doubt have recognized that what we've been talking about this morning is absolutely in harmony with the Word of God. This is something that you need to think about, you need to remember.

But in the midst of the busy rush of life, by midweek you may have forgotten about it. Oh, may you today recognize the need of hiding the Word in your heart that you might not sin against God. That you would pray that God would give you grace and help you, that you will not forget it.

Not forget. This is a question that many fail to ask, but it's a vital one. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his ways by taking heed thereto?

By looking to God's Word for the guidance that's needed. And as it's particularly true for young men, it's true for us all. That we need to take heed to our ways. But somebody may say today, preacher, I wish I had heard this message 50 years ago. The days of my youth have long faded into the past. And I made a lot of wrong choices. I wish somebody had been there to counsel me.

Or maybe they were and you just didn't listen. You say, I wish I'd taken heed to what I'd been taught. It may be that today you are still suffering the consequences of bad choices that you made earlier in your life.

And so the question may be asked, when I look at my own failure, is there any hope for me? Psalm 32 verse 5, I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgaveth the iniquity of my sin.

How good to know that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin. Certainly for those who have failed, their word to young people today would be in harmony with what the psalmist says. Take heed.

Take heed. But where you see that you have come short, there's hope for fallen sinners through the shedding of Christ's blood through His substitutionary death. Well, I'm glad you've been with us today and hope you'll come back tomorrow at this same time. If you'd like to help keep the program on the air, you can make a donation by going to our website at BaptistBibleHour.org. Now, till we greet you at this same time tomorrow, I'm Pastor LeSara Bradley Jr. bidding you goodbye and may God bless you. .