Psalm 19

 The 19th Psalm

1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

2 Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge.

3 There is no speech, nor are there words; Where their voice is not heard.

4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun,

5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.

6 Its rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

1. Verses 1-6 Creation Apologetics

1. It doesn’t take faith to believe God is.

2. It doesn’t take a Bible to believe God is, but don’t chuck your Bible.   The God who inspired this Bible is the only God there is, so our mission isn’t to just get people to a place where they believe there is “a God”.   Our mission is to proclaim “The God of the Bible”, the one-and-only God, the True and the Living God.

3. So, apologetics isn’t about winning an argument

4. It’s not about getting into an argument at all

5. it’s about getting to the Gospel, because, the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16)

6. I’m sure none of what we’ll discuss tonight is new to any of you… 

7. Even the least mature christian knows this.

8. Even a child can grasp this.

9. Everyone… and I mean every human being that has ever lived is without excuse, when it comes to knowing God is

Romans 1:18-28 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen (that’s experience), being understood (that’s knowledge) through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do those things that are not proper,

10. A couple questions: 

1. Based on verse 18 - how can and how do people not believe in God?

2. What do you picture when you hear the phrase “suppress the truth”?

3. Based on verses 19-20 - what is the ultimate proof of God’s existence?

4. Based on verses 21-28 - what are the results of not believing in God?

11. Another question:

1. What name does God call people who say they don’t believe in Him?   Let’s look up the definition of the word fool in Psalm 14:1 hint (Not ignorant or dumb or even unschooled)

1. Corrupt

2. Abominable

3. Not doing good.

12. You don’t need a college degree in science to understand the complexities of DNA, or the big-bang theory, or evolutionary theory (oh those good to know)

13. You don’t need a degree in philosophy to understand the complexities of the teleological argument, or the cosmological argument, or the ontological argument, etc.)   I have a hard time even pronouncing them.

14. You certainly don’t need a Theological degree to understand soteriology or ecclesiology or the hypostatic view of the nature of the Trinity.

15. How can we formulate a brief statement to get people beyond that roadblock of denying God?

1. Look at any building…

2. How do you know that building had a builder?

3. The building itself is absolute proof of a builder.

4. Look at any painting…

5. How do you know that painting had a painter?

6. The painting itself is absolute proof of a painter.

7. Look at creation (birds, trees, flowers, mountains, oceans, cats, puppies, butterflies, people, babies)

8. Creation itself is absolute proof of a creator.

9. You don’t believe the scientific impossibility that nothing created everything, do you?

16. I Peter 3:15 But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you, (but give the answer) with gentleness and respect.

Back to Psalm 19:

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring (or converting) the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.

10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.

13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

2. Verses 7-14 The Law of the Lord

1. What do I mean when I say “The Law”?   The two tablets of the Ten Commandments.   The moral law.   In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus said, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38“This is the great and foremost commandment. 39“The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 40“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

2. If you Love God, you will believe that He is and you’ll put Him first, and you’ll not create an idol to replace Him.   You won’t use His name in vain, and you’ll honor him by remembering the Sabbath day to keep it holy.   And you’ll honor God by honoring your parents.

3. If you Love your neighbor, you won’t murder him, you won’t commit sexual immorality with him, you won’t steal from him, you won’t lie to (or about) him, and you won’t lust after him or his stuff.   Envy is “I want what you have.”   Covetousness.

4. One function of the law is to “stop the mouth” of the sinner. In other words to keep them from justifying themselves.   Romans 3:19

5. One thing the law does is to bring the knowledge of salvation (Romans 3:20)   Think about when you or I are confronted with something we’ve done wrong.

6. Another purpose of the Law is to be a tutor (a schoolmaster) to lead us to Christ, that we might be saved by faith Galatians 3:24.

7. Here’s a question:  Biblically speaking, what is sin?   We find the definition in 1 John 3:4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.

8. Here’s another question: Would you use the Law in evangelism? Or how might you scripturally justify, using the Law in evangelism?  Without using the law to bring a recognition of sin,  1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

9. In navigating a gospel conversation, (while witnessing) the non-believer will become convinced by the law as transgressors James 2:9

10. Jesus, the Rock of the Gospel is offensive to the blatant sinner
      1 Peter 2:8 and, "A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE"; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this [doom] they were also appointed.

11. By using the law, the Gospel won’t be foolishness, and it won’t be offensive, it will become the Power of God unto salvation, Romans 1:16.

12. The good thing about using the law in evangelism, besides that it makes the Gospel make sense, it diffuses the tension of the non-believer admitting sin.   In an witnessing encounter, we have an ally inside the non-believer; their conscience.   People already know right and wrong, good and bad, righteousness and evil by their consciences.   The very word Conscience means “with knowledge”.   Every time a person sins they do it with knowledge.   Romans 2:15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,

13. The law is useful even if a non-believer has a seared conscience
    1 Timothy 4:2  by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, what do I mean by a seared conscience?  Let me use a food analogy; have you ever gone to a good restaurant for a steak dinner?   They’ll drop the steak on a hot iron cooktop and the outside cooks quickly to form this kind of crusty barrier that keeps the steak tender and juicy on the inside.    The Law comes along like a sharp knife that cuts into that sinner’s hard heart, to reveal a tender conscience that is still alive and active and functioning.

14. The Law doesn’t help us, it just leaves us helpless before the Just Judge of the universe.

15. We are all faced with Hebrews 9:27 It is appointed for a man once to die and after that comes the judgement.

16. That’s why God commands all men everywhere to repent, because He’s appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness. Acts 17:20.   So it’s a matter of righteousness

17. Contrast this scriptural approach of using the Law to expose sin, with the modern evangelical Gospel message:   “Just try Jesus” (And I heard the “Purpose Driven Life” guy say that on TV).

18. Sometime in the 19th century, many (not all, but many) evangelists went from “biblically explaining the need for repentance and faith” to “you have a God-shaped vacuum in your heart and Jesus will give you peace, joy, love, hope and happiness”.

19. No, no… What do you say to a person who says, “I’m perfectly happy with my life.   I’m very happy, and content”.   The sinner in many cases will be enjoying the pleasures of sin (Hebrews 11:25)

20. Proverbs 11:4 says, “Riches profit not in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death”   Jesus said, in Matthew 16:26 What would it profit a man if he were to gain the whole world (substitute joy, peace, happiness, love, contentment) and yet lose his own soul.

21. Another question: When we talk about salvation, what are we saved from? Romans 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath [of God] through Him.

22. Paul said, “I have joy and peace in believing” Romans 15:13.   So that is a legitimate fruit of salvation, but it isn’t legitimate to use that as a way to attract people to salvation.