2020 Resolution? Think Sweets!

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Turn to Psalm 19 P. 480 at the bottom
Why this message today?
Rhythm of Preaching Calendar:
Colossians in the Spring
Psalms in the summer
Exodus next fall - “Approaching Sinai” (Ex. 15:22-19:25) - leads us right up to the ten commandments...
Advent 2020
And then we’ll be back here again on the last Sunday in December (before we know it) and saying, next week it’ll be 2021! (If the Lord tarries)
Most every year, there is a Sunday after Advent but before the New Year begins, and I want to use those Sundays as a reminder for us as a church to refocus our hearts and minds on Spiritual Disciplines for the purpose of Godliness or Christ-likeness. That’s why today’s all about making a 2020 resolution!
How many of you make New Year’s Resolutions?
There’s a lot of wisdom in not being consumed with making outlandish or unachievable goals. But from time to time we all need a “reset” of sorts, and for me, personally, the beginning of a calendar year is a natural point to stop, reassess and reprioritize.
For all of us who profess faith in Jesus Christ, we should constantly have it as our goal to become more like Christ, so really every sermon is an opportunity to reprioritize and refocus on becoming more like Jesus.
Romans 8:29 says
Romans 8:29 ESV
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
God has a pattern, or a mold if you will that he is shaping us into - the image of Christ.
When we gather together as Elders to pray for our members by name every month - there is no higher priority, no more fervent prayer that we have than that you are becoming more like Christ every day.
That’s one of the reasons why the Elder’s book nook contains a new edition for 2020: “Christ Formed in You,” by Brian Hedges. Both Allen and I had the privilege of reading through this book, and we wholeheartedly recommend it. It is not about doing, striving, to do lists, greater resolve, or more will-power. It is about the gospel, grace, Spirit-led living - and it puts Spiritual Disciplines in the appropriate context of the greater goal: which is your Spiritual formation into the image of Jesus.
Let me read you an excerpt:
“Finally, remember that the purpose of spiritual disciplines is to form you more and more into the image of Christ so that you will reflect his worth and glory to others through a life of love. We stray in our thinking about spiritual disciplines when we forget their purpose. The disciplines are not rungs to be climbed on a ladder of meritorious works that secure favor with God. Neither are they divinely prescribed yardsticks for measuring spiritual growth. You cannot determine your status with God or discern your level of maturity by the number of chapters you read in the Bible each day or the length of your prayers. Nor do the disciplines themselves change us. Jesus changes us through the application of the gospel by the power of the Spirit. The goal of the disciplines is to help us keep Christ central.”
I like that. I want that in my life. I don’t want wrote, boring, legalistic Bible reading. I want to become like Jesus. I don’t want monotonous, rigorous, repetitive Scripture memorization, I want God’s word formed deep in my heart so that I might not sin against God. I don’t want long-winded, distracted, impotent prayers, I want to pour out my heart to God in an expression of my utter dependence upon Him for transformation. Don’t merely give me more to do - give me Jesus.
How do we get there? How is it that we see the discipline and the training of Godliness like that?
Don’t strip away delight from the disciplines. If your disciplines are merely duty, they will be lifeless, dull, boring and a waste of your time. But if you delight in God and his Word, you will be revived, made wise, filled with joy, enlightened, purified, and transformed.
I believe Psalm 19 can help us be the kind of people that delight in the Word of God. This psalm says there are inexpressible delights when we meditate on Scripture.
Psalm 19 (bottom of p. 480)
Stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word
Psalm 19:7–10 CSB
7 The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous. 10 They are more desirable than gold— than an abundance of pure gold; and sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb.
You may be seated
If my new year’s resolution was to invest $1,000 in a sure-fire stock that would make me a millionaire, and to eat more sweets so that I can lose weight and gain muscle - I could keep my 2020 resolution.
Make a profit on my investment?
Enjoy the pleasure of peanut m&m’s and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups?
That’s is my kind of resolution! It sounds almost too good to be true! But it’s not.
Psalm 19:10 says the Scriptures are:
Psalm 19:10 NIV
10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.
You’ve got something for the older, more sensible investor: Gold.
And you’ve got something for the younger, more passionate pleasure-seeker: Honey.
Psalm 19:7-10 teaches us that

The Word of God is the source of great profit and pleasure because it satisfies the deepest needs of our souls and reveals the character of God.

Allow me to show you

Six Sweet Specifics about the Worth of the Word

These come from verses 7, 8 & 9 which are all couplets - so three verses with six statements about God’s Word. 1st...

1) The Word of God renews our souls.

Psalm 19:7 CSB
7 The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise.
Some of you more advanced Bible students will get a little tripped up when David speaks of the Law being perfect. You have read Paul before. You know how he speaks about the law - that it saves no one. I have a few things to help ease your mind this morning.
First of all, the way David uses multiple synonyms here in Psalm 19 for the Scriptures intends to point out the comprehensive nature and benefit of all of what God says. David is saying in many different ways that all that God reveals to us in his Word is good.
Secondly, Paul himself does not see the LAW of God as bad. In Romans 7:12 he corrects any misunderstanding of his teaching...
Romans 7:12 ESV
12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
The law didn’t do anything wrong to Paul - it merely showed him he was a sinner and it proved how utterly evil sin is.
Thirdly, David is saying that the Word of God is what restores, refreshes or revives our souls. We know this to be true today in the New Covenant - because God writes his law on our hearts and causes us to obey his statutes. The law was always intended to be believed by faith and not accomplished by works.
The law is not bad.
Without the Word of God, none of us would be saved:
Romans 10:17 ESV
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
One of the ways that helped me analyze this passage is to look at the implied deficiency of the person reading this.
If the Word of God restores our souls, the clear implication is our soul is in need of restoration. We are all marred by sin and will never be made complete until we submit ourselves to the Word of God. When you come to understand that the Word renews and restores your life, that is really sweet. That’s honey on a ritz cracker sweet.
The psalmist goes on to say that the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple...

2) The Word of God makes us wise.

Now, let’s use our same method from before to turn this part of verse 7 upside down. If the Bible is able to make us wise, what is the implication??
We’re foolish. We lack wisdom.
On our own, we are foolishly headed toward destruction. Proverbs says
Proverbs 14:12 ESV
12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
But the Word of God is trustworthy, and Psalm 19 says it will teach us the wisdom of God.
Proverbs 3:13 ESV
13 Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding,
In our day and age, there is something extremely valuable about wisdom. We have no shortage of knowledge in the world. But finding a man or woman of wisdom is becoming increasingly rare. The Bible is so sweet, and so valuable because it can transform our simple-mindedness into wise living.
But in addition to renewing our lives and making us wise...

3) The Word of God satisfies our hearts.

Psalm 19:8 CSB
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up.
I want to ask everyone in the room here today a critical question. Does your heart resonate with this statement?
Can you say: “The Word of God satisfies my heart like nothing else can?” I mean, that is the whole point of the text today. The Psalmist is able to say that the Bible is PROFIT and PLEASURE - it makes his heart GLAD!
Paul said
Romans 7:22 ESV
22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,
What brings your heart joy? If at the very core and fiber of your being you feel like the Word of God is dull and boring and uninteresting, that should give you great pause. Would you rather have the cheap thrill of a tv show or another flick on the thumb on instagram? Or do you recognize when you’ve drunk deeply from the word of God that it is more refreshing and satisfying than anything this world has to offer?
Charles Spurgeon said, “How odious is the profaneness of those Christians who neglect the Holy Scriptures, and give themselves to reading other books! How many precious hours do many spend, and that not only on work days, but holidays, in foolish romances, fabulous histories, lascivious poems! And why this, but that they may be cheered and delighted, when as full joy is only to be had in the [Bible]. Alas! the joy you find in those writings is perhaps pernicious, such as tickleth your lust, and promoteth contemplative wickedness. At the best it is but vain, such as only pleaseth the fancy and affecteth the wit; whereas these holy writings (to use David’s expression), are “right, rejoicing the heart.”
These days I’m afraid it’s not just books that keep us from the Bible, but it is interesting to note that there is a timelessness to the way Satan would have us distracted by Turkish Delights instead of feasting on the bread of life.
Now don’t misunderstand me to think that the Bible will read like a thriller novel on every page and always tickle your ears. While there are times you will find the Bible interesting and even rather salty if you really dig into it, sometimes reading portions of Scripture will take effort and focus and may not seem to be of tremendous consequence.
How many of you know what this is? [USE A LEVEL FOR THIS ILLUSTRATION]
If I was going to ask you to give me a list of tools, you might say “hammer, or drill, or saw.” Almost no one would think of a level...
But I’ll tell you what - if you go to build your house or your shelves without one of these - your heart will not be rejoicing at the finished product.
The Hebrew word in verse 8 when it says the precepts of the Lord are “right” is Yashar. It means straight, level, smooth or right. And I think this gets to the real reason why the Word of God is so satisfying - because if you will trust it, the end result of all your efforts will not be vanity. Don’t trust the cotton candy, lust-tickling pleasures of the world. But find the deep, honey-comb satisfying pleasure of building your life on the level ground of the Holy Word of God. Only it can satisfy your heart.
But not only does the word of God satisfy our hearts, we learn from the second half of verse 8 that...

4) The Word God illuminates our eyes.

Scripture says the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up.
Psalm 19:8 CSB
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up.
When your eyes are dim or weak, more often than not it signifies sickness.
Christina has mom superpowers. She has this sixth sense when Judah is getting sick. But even DAD can tell when his boy is sick if his eyes start to get that look. You all know what I’m talking about - you can see it in a person’s eyes when they’re sick.
The Bible teaches that all of our spiritual eye-sight is completely impaired. We are as blind as the man in John 9 who was blind from birth. When this verse says that the command of the Lord can light up our eyes the implication is that our eyes are dimmed and cannot see the glory of God for who he is because of sin. But when the Word of God comes, and the Holy Spirit moves – he enlightens our eyes so that we can see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
This isn’t an exposition on John 9, but how interesting is it that the person who was once blind is able to see more clearly who Jesus is than the religious leaders of the day. When he came in contact with the WORD made FLESH, his physical eyes were enlightened, and more importantly his spiritual eyes saw Jesus for who he is.
If you are having trouble seeing Jesus as your treasure and understanding how worthy of worship He is, then I encourage you - READ THE WORD of GOD. Spend time in the Bible. Because prayerfully, the power of the Holy Spirit will use your time in the Word of God to open your eyes to see Christ and to treasure him as the glorious Savior he is.
The Word of God illuminates our eyes to see the Glory of God. In fact, we’ll see that the Word of God itself is a reflection of God’s character in our final two points. You see...

5) The Word of God remains forever.

Like God himself, His word is eternal. It lasts. It stands firm. It endures. It remains forever.
Psalm 19:9 CSB
9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous.
When you think about 2020 and all of your endeavors, you’re probably thinking about making wise investments and doing things that will make a lasting impact. Let’s consider your options: You could invest your whole self into financial endeavors, or fitness, or clean eating, or sports, or boating, or knitting, or a thousand other hobbies. None of those things in and of themselves are necessarily bad, but not one of those endeavors will last.
Stock markets can earn you money, but even if you’re successful, you can’t take your money with you into the grave.
Fitness is a good thing, but even if you’re successful, you can’t out-exercise your certain death.
Clean eating is helpful to your digestive system, but even if you can afford it, you could get run over by a bus.
Sports are exciting, but even if you’re successful, you could get injured and will certainly age out of being competitive.
Boating looks real relaxing, but I’ve heard their are only two times you really enjoy it - the day you buy a boat and the day you sell it.
Knitting can help pass the time, but let’s face it your blankets will eventually get eaten by moths one day.
Now don’t leave today and think that I hate knitting or sports or fitness or investing. I’m simply trying to prove a point. Anything you could spend your time devoting yourself to in 2020 will eventually be destroyed.
But I know something you can do that will remain and will last forever - spend time reading, meditating on and memorizing the Word of God. God’s Word endures forever.
1 Peter 1:22–25 ESV
22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
Peter says the WORD OF GOD is an imperishable seed that was preached and planted deep down in the heart of the listener in such a way that he or she was born again by it. That reminds me of the first point - our very souls are renewed by the eternal word of God.
God’s Word, LIKE GOD HIMSELF, is eternal and will never pass away. It is pure - like purified precious metal.
Psalm 12:6 ESV
6 The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.
When this world is destroyed by fire, you can count on the pure and eternal Word of God remaining forever.
Lastly, Psalm 19 teaches us that

6) The Word of God demonstrates God’s justice.

Psalm 19:9 CSB
9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous.
This word that the CSB translates “ordinances” is the Hebrew Word “mishpat” - which is also translated “rules, judgments, decisions”
I think the NET gives a good rendering of the original language here:
Psalm 19:9 NET
9 The commands to fear the Lord are right and endure forever. The judgments given by the Lord are trustworthy and absolutely just.
The psalmist is telling us that when God hands down a judgment you can trust that it is absolutely 1000% just.
I don’t know about you, but in a world where it seems like there are so many people that get away with so much and some people that get punished for things it seems like they shouldn’t have been punished for, it encourages me to know that God will demonstrate his justice. There are some crimes that have been committed in this world that could never be repaid in this life - but God will make sure that justice is served.
Now, I say that with all confidence looking - “out there” - at the justice I desire from God. But the source of my greatest joy and gratitude is that God in his justice has found a way to save and forgive a sinful person like me. God is absolutely concerned about justice.
Romans 3:21–26 ESV
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
God has made a way to be both just toward sin and to justify those who put their faith in Jesus. It’s called the cross.
The cross proves that Psalm 19:9 is true. It said “the judgments given by the Lord are trustworthy and absolutely just.”
God punished Jesus for the sins of those who put their faith in him so that he would be just in pardoning you.
Friends, God does not wink at sin. He does not take any sin lightly. And the Word of God proves that God is concerned with justice.
So how should we respond? What does this mean for us as we turn open up a new calendar and pin it to the wall, how should we live in light of what we’ve learned about God’s Word today?
Let me give you six points of application that correspond to each of our main points today.

Six Ways to Treasure the Word in 2020

1) By faith, trust Jesus to save you from your sin.

If you haven’t put your faith in Jesus do it today. We said the Word of God renews our souls. We learned that the way people are born again is by hearing the good news preached to them and faith springs up in their heart to trust Jesus as Savior. You will not and cannot see the Word of God as profit or pleasure until you have trusted Jesus.
Romans 8:7 ESV
7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.

2) As you read your Bible, ask God for wisdom.

You could read 5 psalms and 1 proverb every day and finish Psalms and Proverbs every month this year.
But the wisdom of God is not confined only to proverbs. Paul says Jesus is the wisdom of God. And James promises
James 1:5 ESV
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
When you open your Bible in 2020 to read, pray this prayer and ask God to make you wise through the reading and meditating on God’s Word.

3) Stop snacking on junk and feast on the Word.

Junk food gives us the illusion of satisfaction but does not fully satiate our appetites. In a similar way, we learned that the Word of God satisfies our hearts in a way that all the fleeting pleasures of the world never will.
Your twitter, facebook, instagram, snapchat, netflix, apple tv+, disney+, magazine, book, or 24 hour network news is not going to satisfy your soul. You will constantly be spiritually unfulfilled by this junk food.
When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness he said
Matthew 4:4 ESV
4 But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
Do you have that kind of relationship with the Word of God? That you can’t live without it?
Peter said to Jesus when all the other so-called disciples were turning away when Jesus’ words were getting hard to understand and digest...
John 6:68 ESV
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,
Make a commitment in 2020 to put your phone down and pick up your Bible.
John Piper has said: “One of the great uses of Twitter and Facebook will be to prove at the Last Day that prayerlessness was not from lack of time.”

4) Don’t just read the Bible, pray for the Holy Spirit to help you.

One of the things that Judah is learning in his New City Catechism is who the Holy Spirit is and how he helps us.
Question 37 is “How does the Holy Spirit Help Us?” and the children’s answer is:
“The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, and he enables us to pray and to understand God’s Word.”
If your devotions are fruitless, it could be because you are not spending time asking God’s Spirit to assist you in understanding. Jesus said
John 16:13–15 ESV
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
So don’t just rush through your reading plan in 2020, pray for the Spirit to illuminate your eyes through the Word.

5) Invest in the eternal.

Don’t waste your money, energy, or that most precious commodity: time, on fleeting things. Your ROI with the word of God will far surpass any investment you can make.
I have this theory - that since the Word of God is eternal, one of the most important uses of my time is to memorize it. Trust me on this: you will not be able to get a more valuable return on your time and energy than to spend time memorizing and meditating on God’s Word. Jesus defeated temptation with a proper understanding of Scripture that he knew by heart. David says
Psalm 119:11 ESV
11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
If you want to wage war on sin and fight off temptation in 2020, start investing in the eternal word of God.
Lastly, in 2020 I pray that as you read God’s Word you will

6) Thank God for the cross of Jesus every day.

Were it not for Jesus and his obedient suffering and shed blood on calvary, you and I would have received the just penalty for our sin. We know that God is just. We know that his judgments are true. And when he looked at every one of us - he would have declared us guilty of rebelling against Him. But God in his mercy gave Jesus to show that he was just and does not wink at sin. There is a way you and I can be forgiven of our sin and be in a right relationship with God, and it is only because of the cross of Jesus Christ. So as we study the Word in 2020 together, my prayer is that we would see more and more of Jesus and love the cross for its demonstration of mercy and justice.
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