Sufficiency of Scripture – Psalms 119 (Pastor Jeff Shipley)

The Setting in Psalm 119 and the Sufficiency of Scripture

Now I want you to pay attention it wasn't anything in Israel wasn't their military.

We're gonna be in Psalms chapter 119. Psalms chapter 119 and I'm going to endeavor to do this before the end of next year. Let me explain. Psalms 119 is an acrostic. Hey guys make this much bigger est.

It's an acrostic which means there are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet and Psalms 119 is divided up into 22 different sections with each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Beginning that particular verse so today.

We're going to start in Hebrews. I know I mean, I'm sorry Psalms chapter 119 verse 9, and I know that's weird. We're starting there, but you'll see a method to my madness in a few months. Verse 9, and that's the letter Beth the B sound in Hebrew it's it's called Beth and actually the word Beth in Hebrew Actually means house like Bethlehem is the house of bread.

I always thought that was so cool that that's where Jesus was born. And he is the bread of life. But the house of bread or Bethlehem or Beth is the letter we're focusing on today now. A few years ago.

I don't know pastors correct me or maybe it was just a year ago I know it was during hunting season so I wasn't happy. The five pastors here at Witten Baptist Church in an effort to continue our education and be better pastors for our people.

Went to a class at the the Mid America Seminary. What am I trying to say Baptist seminary over here and what I took away from that class was this statement the sufficiency of scripture now. I disagreed with his premise that the sufficiency of scripture is By default meaning that everything else in the world is meaningless.

He and I disagree on that. I am a complementarian when it comes to psychological counseling. But I do agree that the sufficiency of scripture is all the believer needs for the sanctification Process that God calls us to.

You don't need fancy preachers obviously. You don't need all the trappings of modern religion. The Word of God in and of itself is all you need coupled with the Holy Spirit of God or empowered by the Holy Spirit of God to Grow you and mature you in your Christian faith.

Purity, Desire, and the Word of God

So we're going to look at that starting in verse 9, and I'm going to ask you to read with me Psalms 119 starting in verse 9. And it says this how can a young man keep his ways pure? By guarding it according to your word with my whole heart I seek you let me not wander from your commandments.

I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you O Lord. Teach me your statutes with my lips. I declare all the rules of your mouth in the way of your testimonies.

I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statues. I will not forget your word. The sufficiency of Scripture to clean up our lives ladies and gentlemen.

There are some folks in this room this morning. Who are not just strayed from the Word of God. Their life is in crisis and their life is in crisis and with either ignorance or arrogance they are pointing to someone or Something else for why their life is in crisis.

You see your life's in crisis because either a God is trying to teach you something or be it is the effect of your own causality. Now, let me say that again Some of you live in.

Perpetual.

Victimhood. I watch some of your Facebook posts and I'm like, oh my gosh You could be one of those talk shows. You are in constant drama about something and what it is. It's a self-perpetuating need to be at the center of intention.

And then you can't figure out why your life screwed up. Let me tell you something. If God is at the center of your attention and you are rotating around him your life Although still may be troubled at times you will have what you're looking for and that is peace in this life.

God's Word is sufficient This morning right now to clean up your life number one.

I want you to notice the desire.

Needed to do that verse 9 this person asked the question. We're not sure who wrote this. Actually, I think this was written over years. Think of this as an inspired diary. Somebody but it says in verse 9.

It says this how can a young man keep his ways pure? This is a prayer. He is praying. He is praying and saying God. How can I not get out of this mess. God? How can I? Readjust my life to know the Righteousness.

I need the word pure here and you got to understand. I'm having struggles because I memorized this verse in King James, and so I'm trying to translate it. But and actually I think King James is the better translation in this particular passage.

But the word pure here is how to keep clean. It is a parallel word in the Hebrew with the Greek word Righteousness. So this young man, and I'm assuming it's a young man by context saying how can a young man keep his ways?

Righteous or pure. Now it's funny the word his way specifically way is the Hebrew word a rock and it simply means this it means a.

Rut or a.

Track that was worn into a stone road by a chariot or a cart. So we sit in there saying how can I? Do this how can I keep this rut that I'm in pure. A Lot of times ladies and gentlemen One of the first things we need is we need a desire to have a desire.

I actually had a lady years ago, and she's sitting in this room, and I love you so much she said to me pastor. I Need the desire to have the desire to get right with God. Can any of you other people identify with that or y 'all all good Baptists, okay?

I've been there.

And I ain't talking about 20 years ago. I was there like four or five months ago. Where my reading the scripture and my personal prayer life even though it was there. It was kind of like you know. Eating Suzanne's cooking you know what I mean my mother-in-law.

I love you very much Suzanne.

It was bland.

It didn't have that kick to. You got to remember guys. You know I grew up in a household where if it didn't have garlic Tabasco salt pepper. You know. And cayenne you didn't eat if you didn't like those things.

It's My rut. Got to a place where I was going through the motions. I had a desire to be right, but I needed a desire to change Christian. Let me tell you something if you've been in that place For years.

Okay first thing you need to do is quit being self-condemned. Come. Thank you, and you need to pray to the Lord to give you the desire to desire. We think sometimes we got a Manufactured desire before God will come and help us.

That is not scripture. I'm telling you that the very faith that you had to save you came from God. The Regenerating power of the Holy Spirit found you and called you. You didn't find God. And God hadn't changed.

His relationship with you is in such that he knows that he's got to be the prime mover of every act of pursuit. Towards him that you're gonna have. Listen to this. How can a young man keep his ways by guarding it according to your word.

Now listen?

It says his ways.

Here's what some of us fail to do in our lives. We get convicted of a sin and Then we want to repent of that. Okay, guys. How many y 'all don't raise your hands especially if your wife's sitting right?

But how many y 'all struggle with the pornography you know? I know no one in here does but in other churches. Oh my god, Bellevue. They got everybody's on porn you know. Come on man, we all struggle. Especially when you're younger you struggle with that.

You struggle with that now all my young married men wives. They don't I'm just saying before they found you they were struggling with it now. No problem and guys we get convicted of that sin. But the problem is we so focus on that sin we forget what God's really calling us to.

He's not calling us to repent of A sin he's recalling us to repent of a sinful life. See if you focus on just one thing you're gonna miss everything else, and I'm gonna be honest with you. How can a man purify his ways?

There's only one thing that desire that you need is gonna come from the same place. That the healing is gonna come from and that's the word of God alone. Let's look at our defense for a second. He answers the question he doesn't have to ponder about it.

He already knows the answer. How many of y 'all said I know what I need to do. I know what I need to do, but I'm not doing it well. You're in good company because in Romans chapter 7 the Apostle Paul says why do I not do the things?

I know I should do and do the things I know I shouldn't do. Because you're a big fat stupid loser like the rest of us man. You struggle like the rest of us, but there has to come a time when the stupid stops.

There has to come a time you married men. Will you put away the video machines and actually? Matriculate into being a man. You got to go cut the grass if your wife is nagging you it's because you're still living in an infantile state.

Unless she's one of them drama queen crazy chicks that needs to get her life, right? But we'll talk about those some other time watch this. It says by guarding it according to your word. What is the standard of purity in God's Word.

Here's what Jesus said in first Peter. You be holy as I am holy. That's the standard.

I.

Mean if y 'all are as holy and separated as Jesus is right now. Man, I ain't I ain't gonna lie. I got I lost my temper. I lost my temper on vacation. Bad. Oh, we were in Omaha Beach. And I was already emotional.

I was already emotional because I'm a big girl. At the end of the day I am I'll admit it and. So we come up over the crest of this hill and there is a sea of white crosses 19 18 20 21 year old young men.

Who never got to hold babies? Never got to get married.

Just.

There and it was one out of 27 cemeteries along the Normandy coast 10 ,000 young men right there. And as I come up over the hill There's this chick there from Japan or China, or I don't know somewhere and she's sitting there right in front of the crosses and she's doing this and people are taking pictures of her and so I walked up and got about this far from her face and Enjoyed that awkward uncomfortableness that I was projecting onto her and just stared in her face Until she walked away.

You may say well pastor that deserves it. Well, maybe so but it should have been done in righteousness rather than in anger. Guys I have the desire sometimes. But I falter and fail. How can I keep from doing that?

Well number one. I need to be praying rather than preaching sometimes. You see we sometimes take offense at the hedonism in this world. Them day Z sir. Oh, I just thought it was so stupid. I read it, but but you a gossiping.

Idiot.

You see we're preaching what the world should be doing when we should be on our knees and a level of humility. Then go to the world. You see it's according to his word that the standard needs to be met.

It's hard Christian, it's hard sometimes. But when you've reached the end of your rope, I'm telling you it is the Word of God. That's gonna bring you back. I'm gonna move on from there. Our desire our defense and our determination.

Determination, Scripture Memory, and Obedience

And here is the meat of what we really need to hear. Listen to verse 10 and 11. Let me just read 10 through 16. With my whole heart. Oh, that's a big problem. With my whole heart. I seek you. Let me not wonder from your commandments.

I have stored up your word in my heart that I may not sin against you. Blessed are you O Lord? Teach me your statutes with my lips. I declare all the rules of your mouth in the way of your testimonies.

I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statues and I will not forget your word. Guys, our defense is the Word of God our desire needs to be there.

But here's where the rubber is going to hit the road for you. If you want to change if you want to clean up the rut that you're in guys. You're gonna have to get determined and what do I mean by determination?

I could give you so many sports analogies and military analogies to illustrate this point. We could be here all week, but I don't need to because if you really are a Christian. You know what's really lacking in your life.

You know what I mean by determination that means this that you're gonna do what you need to do. Before what you want to do. You see there's a sign of maturity. Some of us in this room no matter what our chronological age.

Still have not matured to a level where we're getting off the passy and feeding our selfishness. We keep wondering what's wrong with our life. And why are we stuck in this rut when it really is we're so busy feeding our flesh.

We forget to do what we have to do. I remember I can remember this. I would not on Fridays when I'd be driving home. I made sure That I had everything I needed for the weekend before I went in there. Some of y 'all don't understand what I'm saying in other words.

I made sure I had a carton of cigarettes. By the way, I used to be able to fill up my truck and buy a carton of cigarettes for 20 bucks.

God I.

Made sure I had cigarettes. I made sure I had my scores bees.

I.

Made sure that I had other things. So that I would not have to in a state not performing driving a vehicle get back out again. And so I knew that if I got home, I didn't have one of those things. I'd be kind of like man.

It's like you can't relax. Y 'all know what I'm talking about. Then you all need to be at war this Thursday at 630. Okay, if you know what I'm talking about, you need to be there. You're determined to feed the flesh.

But you need to be just as determined to feed the spirit. Well pastor.

I don't have that desire yet.

If you will override the need to have desire and step up to that next level of maturity and do it regardless of your feelings You'll begin to mature your life will begin to change and for the better. It says right here with my whole heart I seek you man.

That's a hard thing to do, but I've seen some of you do it. Here's what I've seen and it's not in the good. Certain folks walked out they need to be in here to hear this. Some of you people are in codependent relationships and your entire life revolves around smoothing out issues and Facilitating and enabling someone else or something else in your life to be at peace so that you can be at peace.

That is a jacked up way for you to live. It will rob you of your youth. It will rob you of your joy. It will rob you of your peace. Well pastor How do I break it take your whole heart instead of pursuing something in the flesh?

Start pursuing it the Spirit of God and if you lose that What your mind is focused on you are in better shape. No matter how bad it feels at first for where God guides He provides and where he wants you to be in that place of peace He will put things and people in your life who will be real friends to you and actually love you enough To tell you the truth for you to find God in a place and strengthen you and edify you to move you along or or the other thing is keep doing what you're doing expect a different result and Here's what you're gonna be at 50 year old 60 year old 70 year old.

You're either gonna be that old hag in the back row who was never satisfied with anything. By the way, if that's you where you're critical about everything. You need to check your spirit because that is not the fruits of the Spirit.

That's not what the Word of God says. If you want to be known as one of those people about I tell you how to callate the cabbage you need to get saved. Because you are not submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

If you're one of those folks who need That place in your life of peace. I wish I could tell you there's another way other than the determination. With your whole heart to sacrifice Anything and anyone to rip out of your life no matter what drug it is.

No matter how hard it's gonna be the people in your life that are holding you down. Rip them from your life cry out to God say God save me and as he says in Psalms 43 I heard his cry and I lifted him up out of that mirey sticky clay and I set his feet upon a rock Man, you know what freedom is?

Freedom is falling face first by faith into the hands of Almighty God knowing. With your whole heart you're gonna be made free. It says this with my whole heart. I seek you. Let me not wonder from your commandments.

Watch this if you think determination on its own is gonna get you to where you need to be.

You're on crack.

Okay, let me tell you something and by the way 630 war Thursday be up there, but anyways. Listen to me for a second. I Know there are things in my life that are too Powerful for me. They're too powerful for me.

My wife and I were in another hemisphere. No accountability. Whatsoever no accountability whatsoever and my wife acted like a godly wife the whole time I was worried about her. I was getting away from you people, you know her family my wife run buck wild man.

She'd be up in some French honky-tonk, you know doing wild things. But she stayed godly the entire time. We went to church. We went to church. Why. No one would see us you see. Because the Word of God says here you will keep me from wandering.

I have to rely not just on my determination I also Need to know and take peace that if I truly submit the power of the Holy Spirit will come in your life something that you will both see and.

Feel and.

It will empower you like nothing else. No stupid sermon from a dumb fat bald pastor is going to motivate you like the presence of God Almighty.

In his spirit.

Transforming your life as you offer it up onto his altar and man when you do that Son, he will keep you from wandering. I promise you that drink won't taste as good. That sin won't be as pleasurable. The Affirmation of that codependent individual will start to sound stupid in your ears as you're constantly in God's Word and the truth of God's Word starts slowly changing your life.

Look at this. It says I have stored your word in my heart that I may not sin against you. Let me see it in King Jimmy thy word. Have I not though? Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Suzanne I picked on her for her cooking. Let me pick on her for something awesome. I Have five children and a lot of you. That when they were this big they sat under Suzanne and you know what Suzanne did.

She taught them to memorize.

Scripture.

Every week. They would come home and said daddy. I learned this. I'm like, how did you learn this? Because that lady sacrificed her time to put into my children The Word of God and I'm eternally and everly thankful for it.

And I think I am seeing the results of that sacrifice. You see listen to me and I know some of you people. Let me let me just go ahead and get this out of the way. Well pastor I struggle with scripture memorization.

Okay.

Struggle don't mean you quit you Nancy. Okay, take the dress off find your spine and actually put some work into it. Richard McGee is a hundred and thirty four years old. He is older than dirt. I actually saw his name inscribed in some of the Roman walls that Richard was here, right?

And he spent two and a half years. How old are you for real Richard.

Oh.

74 I thought you said before. Richard is 72 years old. Spent two and a half years in a class. We're only in the last 25 years only 10 of people have graduated. 10 Richard what college you go to? Did you actually graduate from Memphis States.

I'm just at cuz you tasted ice cream for a living. I could just sit and listen to him all day. I taste the coca-cola time. I didn't know there was a coca-cola tasting. Bachelor's degree, but maybe there is.

Richard spent two and a half years in a class of younger folks learning the Word of God. Memorizing the Word of God. September 8th, we're starting it again. We're starting again. And hey if you're go, well, I'll never be able to pass that class.

You're the kind of loser that I'm talking about to today. You can do it same Spirit of God and send me it's the same Spirit of God saying you I'm nothing special. I'm just a big schmooze. That's all I am.

So are you. Vicki could do it even and she's a government employee and if a government employee can do it. You can do it, right?

I.

Word have I hidden my heart how much scripture. Do you have memorized? Seriously, how much scripture do you have memorized? How you don't you oh my god Give me a scripture. Give me a scripture. Everybody started looking down.

Give me a scripture. Too late. Give me a scripture. What's John 1 1 say in the beginning was the Word and the Word? Was God in the Word was with God that that's pretty good. That's pretty good Evie. Uh-huh.

Just give me one in Spanish Moses give me a scripture. Right here baby right here baby. Good job. Yeah, I see you looking away. Give me a scripture church boy. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Give me a scripture Lisa.

It's what's that you need another cigarette so Psalm 19 what to say. Guys, you can do this Scripture memory is not to get a gold star on some stupid Church Sunday school report. It says right there that word in my head in my heart that what?

Well pastor, I keep struggling with this sin. Well, how much scripture memorizing none, but I'm really struggling with a sin will memorize some scripture. Okay, I will. Pastor I'm really struggling with what scripture meant none.

So God gave you the answer you want another answer. But what God gave you that's easier for you to do. I don't know maybe go to your doctor and get another pill maybe that'll help you or Actually do what the Creator who created you and wired you together.

Actually do he wrote the Chilton's. You young kids know what that is. He wrote the YouTube video because he did it's right. My old man knows what a Chilton's is, don't you? Yes, sir 350 Chevy guys you got to come to a place where you're actually applying what God's Word says and you're saying well pastor.

I can't do it.

That's part of the determination and the obedience for the sanctification presence that you really want. And guys it's self-perpetuating. Once you get over that first hump, maybe you're like, oh I can do this.

Oh, I can do this. I can do this guys sit down at night instead of watching TV. Fathers get the Word of God out and memorize it together with your family.

I have guys that say I want to do that.

But it feels so awkward. The reason it feels awkward is you feel like you're a hypocrite guess what you are. So am I so are the rest of us so go ahead and give it a whirl anyways, and let's see what happens.

You see we can actually start obeying and seeing the benefits of obedience in Christ. All right. Let me close out. Blessed are you Oh Lord. Teach me your statutes. Here's the difference a statute is it's a.

An.

Engraving. Okay, think the Ten Commandments. Those are statutes I know we always call them commandments, but they're statutes in the Hebrew. You have. Statutes you have. Precepts you have. I wrote it down on your papers.

You can study it later, but it says teach me your statutes. Oh with my lips, I declare all the rules of your mouth in the way of your testimony. I delight as much in all riches. Who's excited about some UT football, huh?

Yes, sister. I know you are come on. Yeah, you got a smile man at the lights at Memphis Airport. Go out. We'll just shine a flashlight and see her smile all the way up from here. Thank you, brother. I got one person going to heaven.

Anybody else. All right, you going to hell boy. I watch who we recruit Throughout the year. You know, hey, we got a five-star pick here.

Hey.

We picked up this guy here and I start thinking about the rankings and the possibilities of what it happening. This guy's sitting here saying I Meditate on your precepts and fix your my eyes to your ways guys.

If you want to get to point B, you're gonna have to start Meditating thinking the word meditate means to take it and look at it Three-dimensionally, so when it tells us to meditate on scripture, it's not just memorization.

Thy word if I hid my heart today may not sin against me thy word not my word not pastors word. Not stupid churches word thy word. Okay. Thy word. Have I hid in my heart? What's it mean to hide it means to hold sacred and secure hid in my heart heart like bump bump.

No, the inner post part of myself that I may not so there is this is this. This is the effect of the benefit of this sin against you not against the world not against morals not against religious Institutions.

Ultimately my goal is to be as pure as Christ. That's what meditation means that's how you should read scripture if you're sitting there every morning going for guys who love the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believe man Lord helped me today, but I Just don't feel close to God cuz you ain't Cuz you're not meditating memorizing scripture and then this last thing I'll say this and the music people can come do Whatever you need to do says this.

I Delight in your statutes, I will not forget your word. Mmm, one of the things that helped me. I Had a nervous breakdown I was a pastor Of a huge church when I got there there was eight people. And bar none Wyoming that paid me 25 bucks a week.

I actually started out as the youth pastor of one youth and We started a martial arts ministry man I think blew up it grew and got bigger est and bigger est and bigger est. How is actually preaching things to people that I wasn't experiencing I?

Don't know if this is ever. Probably none of you are this big of a loser, but I was Man the joy of the Lord is your strength, and I'm dying inside Man God loves you so much. He will never forsake you God am I even a Christian anymore?

I've gone too far. Here's the one I always did I blaspheme the Holy Spirit. Oh my gosh I'm on my way to hell and I lived out my life in constant fear and doubt and here's why I never felt worthy of The love that God was giving me.

Any of y 'all struggle with that? I'd like to get some coffee cake and a little group support group together to help me with that. Yeah High five man I Felt like that here's the funny thing I Never understood that I can never appreciate the sweetness of God's grace without first knowing The deficit of my sin that it was God's transforming act.

It was God's teaching moments for me to actually understood not just theologically the word grace But actually know it in my heart. I Usually tell a story right now that I'm not gonna tell I know Josiah is happy.

But I.

Actually had to learn through losing my mind. That God has never left me former source for sooth me. Listen to me for a second if you're struggling you can come talk to Pastor Jeff. You can talk to Pastor Jeremiah or Pastor John.

You can come and wait for the music to build you up and then here's what's gonna happen. I'm just gonna tell you the music's gonna stop the preaching is gonna stop. You're gonna walk out that door and you're gonna be bright back to the same boat you are guys.

I'm nothing special. I can't come up and go somebody stole my Honda and you're like, oh fall out on the ground I I can give you a right hook to knock you out, but I can't. I I don't I don't I don't know how to do.

That God never gave me that Look up here gift. Okay, personally, I think it's full of crap, but that's another sermon. But what I can tell you is this I can tell you.

There's your answer. I.

Can point you to the same grace that God gave me. I Will not forget Ever his word not from an intellectual theological understanding. Before it changed my whole life. Rehab did not change me.

Pet talks.

From guidance counselors. Jeff you have so much potential. Do y 'all hear that speech? All you have so much potential if you would just apply yourself, I don't care what you say, I don't care what you say.

All that stuff that I wasted and failed God never let me go. The Word of God is hidden in my heart. Not just from an intellectual accountability sake. I know God More than I know his word now. Do you understand what I'm saying?

I have a personal relationship with the author of that book that will give you Determination and drive and a defense it will give you a piece that you are desperately searching for. We're gonna have a hymn of invitation here.

Listen to me. Listen to me if you on the struggle bus if anything I've said today hits you in the eyes. You got two choices. Stay where you are and walk out the door the same way you walked in or actually humble yourself get rid of your pride and Ask for help.

I Can't fix you, but I can show you the guy who can okay. If you need a church home. If you need some accountability. If you need to be baptized. If you need to truly get saved. Now is the time to do it.

I'm gonna ask you to stand and as the pastors come down if God has spoken to you today. You come this morning as God leads.