Psalm 119:11

One verse in Psalm 119. Psalm 119 verse 11. Psalm 119 verse 11.

Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee. The Lord will bless what we have heard already today and also this from his good word. If you've ever read Spurgeon in Psalm 119, he brings three things out of this verse and I'm going to use those three things at the end of the conference that Spurgeon brings out.

First of all he says, thy word the best of provision. Have I hid in my heart the best of places that I might not sin against thee, the best of purposes. So the best of provision, the best of places, and the best of purposes, thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.

Now if you read Psalm 119, you discover two things. The first thing I discover as I read Psalm 119 is this, what the psalmist hated. You go through the psalm and you'll discover three things that the psalmist hated.

First of all, he hated vain thoughts. Secondly, he hated every false ways. And then thirdly, he hated and he abhorred lying.

So there was things in the psalm that the psalmist hated. But you know I'm going to speak today about things that the psalmist loved. What I want you to do today very quickly, we're going to go through the psalms and we're going to notice what the psalmist loved.

Now remember we're living in the last days and men and women are going wrong in their affections. Lovers of self, lovers of money, lovers of that which is not good, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. And I'm going to go through the psalms and we're going to notice what the psalmist loved.

First of all, in Psalm 16, he loved the people of God. Listen to what he says, As for the saints that are on the earth, not in heaven, to dwell above with those we love, that will be glory. But to dwell below with those we know, that's a different story.

But as for the saints that are on the earth, David loved them. I come to Psalm 26, David says this, Lord, I have loved the habitation of thine house, the place where thine owner dwelleth. I come to Psalm 116 and I read a verse like this, I love the Lord because he has heard my voice and my supplication.

And I come to Psalm 119 and I read a verse like this, I will delight myself in thy commandments which I have loved. I'm going to give you five reasons why David loved the Word of God. And because David loved the Word of God for those five reasons, you and I ought to love the Word of God for those five reasons.

First of all, David loved the Word of God because of its perfection. I didn't need to come to Iowa to tell you this. Everything about God is perfect.

Let's go through the Bible very quickly and notice everything about God is perfect. I turn to Exodus 32, I read a verse like this, he is the rock, his work is perfect. Whether I think of his work in creation or whether I consider his work in redemption, remember God's work is perfect.

But then I come to Psalm number 18 and I read a verse like this, as for God, his way is perfect. Oh yes, Psalm 77 tells me this, his way is in the sanctuary and his way is in the sea. Let me say this, when God's way is in the sanctuary, I can trace him, I can trust him, I can thank him.

But when God's way is in the sea, I cannot trace him, but you know, I can trust him and I could thank him. For Psalm 18 says this, as for God, his way is perfect. Thirdly, you know God's wisdom is perfect.

I think someone quoted it in prayer on Friday night, a God who is too wise to err, a God who is too loving to be unkind, I turn to Job 36 verse 4, I read a verse like this, he that is perfect in knowledge is with you, God is perfect in his wisdom. I come to Romans chapter 12 and I notice God is perfect in his will, that you might prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. But you know, David loved the word of God because of its perfection.

Psalm 19 says this, the law of the Lord is perfect and because of its perfection, David loved the word of God. But then secondly, you know, he loved it because of its preciousness. I listen to what the Bible says, more to be desired than gold, yea than fine gold, sweeter than the honeycomb.

And David loved the word of God because of its preciousness. Come again, David loved the word of God because of its purity. Listen to what the Psalm says, oh how pure is thy word, therefore doth thy servant love it.

David loved the word of God because of its purity. Come again, you read this Psalm and you'll discover David loved the word of God because of the peace that it brought. Listen to what I read, great peace of thee which love thy law and nothing shall cause them to stumble.

My faith's power. You read eight times in Psalm 119, according to thy word, according to thy word. You read about comfort and you read about cleansing and you read about salvation and you read about strength and you read about being quickened and it's according to thy word.

Young Christian get this today and older Christian get it too. Go to God's word regularly. Open it prayerfully.

Read it expectantly. Study it joyfully and live it, study it diligently and live it joyfully. Henry Pickering was once asked, what's the best use of the Bible? And if you could give me something better than this one, you tell me after the meeting.

Henry Pickering said this, read it through, note it down, pray it in, live it out and then pass it on. Now, secondly, the best of places have I had in my heart. Now I want you to notice what the verse does not say and then I want you to notice what the verse does say.

You know the verse does not say, thy word have I held in my hand that I might not sin against thee. The verse doesn't say that. Again, the verse does not say, thy word have I allowed into my mind that I might not sin against thee.

To get the word of God in your heart, you have to have it in your hand. And to get the word of God in your heart, you have to have it in your mind. But I want you to get the verse, thy word have I had in my heart that I might not sin against thee.

Now what I'm going to speak on is the far-reaching effect sin has. Will I say that again? We're going to notice the far-reaching effect that sin has. Let me give you what's on my mind.

And we're going to prove it then from the Bible. Sin affects God. Sin affects Christ.

Sin affects the Holy Spirit. Sin affects the assembly. There's a sin that affects your body.

There's a sin that affects your spirit. And there's a sin that affects your soul. Now let's prove that today from the Bible.

First of all, does sin affect God? Listen to three verses. You remember Joseph? How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? You remember David in Psalm 51? Against thee only have I sinned and did that which is evil in thy sight. You remember Samuel in the book of Samuel? God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you.

Sin affects God. But then I come to 1 Corinthians chapter 8 and I notice sin affects Christ. Listen to what Paul says to the Corinthians.

If you sin against your brother and you wound his conscience, you sin against Christ. And then I come to Acts chapter 5. I read a verse like this. Why has Satan filled thine heart? To lie to the Holy Spirit? Why have ye agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? So remember, sin affects God.

Sin affects Christ. And sin affects the Holy Spirit. Sin affects the assembly.

I read in the Corinthian epistle, a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. I read in the Galatian epistle, a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. The Corinthian epistle, moral sin.

The Galatian epistle, doctrinal sin. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. There's a sin that affects the body.

Every sin that a man committeth is without the body. But he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. Sin affects the body.

Sin affects your spirit. 2 Corinthians 7 and verse 1 says this. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourself from all filthiness of the flesh, that's the body, and of the spirit, your own spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord.

And remember, sin affects the soul. We've to abstain from fleshly lusts that warreth against the soul. So I leave it with you.

Thy word, the best of provision, have I hid in my heart the best of places, that I might not sin against thee, the best of purposes.