Salem Church
God is Talking to You
How to be Blessed
Locations & Times
Clove Lakes Campus
634 Clove Rd, Staten Island, NY 10310, USA
Sunday 8:00 AM
Sunday 9:45 AM
Sunday 11:30 AM
Sunday, January 5, 2025
Dr. John Welborn
God is Talking to You
How to be Blessed
Psalms 119:1-16
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”2 Corinthians 5:17
Salem Church Theme for 2025: Letting Go to be Made New in Christ Jesus
To embrace our theme for 2025, we must get into the word of God right off the bat! How will we know what to let go of? The word of God will tell us! How will we be made new in Christ Jesus? The word of God will show us.
Today we kick off a 6-week series on the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119. We will see how vital the word of God is to those who want to know, follow, love, and serve God. Christians believe in a God who is present, active, and communicates with his creation. We are not Deists who believe in a creator because logic compels them to, while denying the supernatural and rejecting the idea that the Creator is in any way involved in the lives of his created beings. This is false!
“He is there, and He is not silent.”Francis Schaeffer
Revelation: Because we believe that God exists, and that he is not silent, then we must constantly be on the lookout for ways that he reveals himself. Otherwise, we are left to mere speculation about the person, character, nature, and expectations of our Creator. Revelation comes in two forms…
• General Revelation (Psalm 19:1-4, Romans 1:19-21) An Act of God whereby He makes himself known to humanity in general through His creation, providence, and conscience.
• Special Revelation (2 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 1:1) An Act of God by which He makes Himself known to people by His redemptive word-work found in the person of Jesus & the scriptures.
Psalm 119: This desire to receive, understand, and respond to God’s special revelation of himself in his word leads us to the longest chapter in your Bible.
• It’s a Poem – An acrostic with 22 Eight Verse Sections, each starting with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet (Aleph, Beth, etc.). Nearly every verse contains one of eight words for God’s revelation.
• It’s a Prayer – The whole thing is addressed to God. It is not to be dissected or studied on its own, but instead in relationship to God.
• It’s a Plan – To live a life in relationship with God; immersion into the word of God is a non-negotiable essential element. God has revealed himself in his word, and if we want to know God…dive in!!!
2025 Salem Church Bible Reading Plan
“(ALEPH) - Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me! (BETH) How can a young man keep his way 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 statutes; I will not forget your word.” Psalms 119:1-16
Main Idea: We are Blessed by God’s Revelation in His Word
Two Ways We are Blessed by God’s Revelation in Psalms 119:1-16
I. Blessed with Guidance from the Word of God – Psalm 119:1-8
In the first stanza, the psalmist declares that those who are blessed are blameless (perfect, unblemished). He prays for total commitment to seeking the Lord for uprightness (vs. 3). He reminds himself of his susceptibility to sin (vs. 5-6) & dedicates himself to an upright (sincere, straight) heart (vs. 7).
“Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” Proverbs 30:5
“Those who do not believe in the blessedness of seeking the Lord will not be likely to arouse their hearts to the pursuit, but he who calls another blessed because of the grace which he sees in him is on the way to gaining the same grace for himself.” Charles Haddon Spurgeon – What do we value?
In 2025, let’s resolve to be a church and people who find our guidance in the word of God rather than the wisdom of the world or in the advice of those who do not trust in the Lord!
II. Blessed with Goodness thru the Word of God – Psalm 119:9-16
In the second stanza, the psalmist takes a journey with a young man who lacks wisdom and experience, so he is easily tempted by the flesh and is susceptible to wandering from God. The second stanza provides the avenue by which the young man can stay pure & loyal to the Lord: through the word!
“As you read the Word and meditate on it, it cleanses your inner being, just as water cleanses the body.” Warren Wiersbe
“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-27 – Jesus cleanses us by the word!!!
I have found that memorizing and meditating on the word of God (Ps. 119:11) is a sure-fire way to resist temptation. When I am fighting temptation, I can recall a verse that I’ve memorized and be victorious. It doesn’t even have to be a verse about my temptations.
“Here is not a person who is sinless. It is, however, a person who sins less.” Danny Akin
So much of stanza two (BETH) deals with our posture to the word of God. With my whole heart (vs. 10), stored up in my heart (vs. 11), teach me (vs. 12), I delight in your statutes (vs. 14), meditate/fix my eyes (vs. 15), and I will delight (vs. 16). If we continue to see the word of God as a burden, a drudgery, a discipline, confusing, out-of-date, boring, and unimportant we will never experience all that God promises! Pray for a passion for the word of God like the Psalmist describes here, beg God to change your heart!
This series is all about God’s revelation of himself in his word. And a unique way to describe Jesus in John 1 is that he was the Word, who became flesh (John 1:14). Regarding Jesus, the author of Hebrews tells us…
“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” Hebrews 1:3a
God is talking to you! He’s saying how to be blessed. It’s an invitation to the word of God, which is really an invitation to Jesus, and an invitation to Jesus is really an invitation to the word of God! All the Scriptures point to Jesus and the only way to understand the Scriptures is to meditate on them as a disciple of Jesus Christ. So, on the authority of the word of God I call you to trust in the Son of God who died and rose again!
Sources and Further Reading Opportunities:
CSB Study Bible – Trevin Wax, General Editor (2021)
Exalting Jesus in Psalms 119 – Daniel L. Akin (2021)
The Treasury of David – Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1869)
Expository Outlines on the Old Testament – Warren Wiersbe (1993)
The New Bible Commentary – Carson, France, Motyer & Wenham (1994)
Dr. John Welborn
God is Talking to You
How to be Blessed
Psalms 119:1-16
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”2 Corinthians 5:17
Salem Church Theme for 2025: Letting Go to be Made New in Christ Jesus
To embrace our theme for 2025, we must get into the word of God right off the bat! How will we know what to let go of? The word of God will tell us! How will we be made new in Christ Jesus? The word of God will show us.
Today we kick off a 6-week series on the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119. We will see how vital the word of God is to those who want to know, follow, love, and serve God. Christians believe in a God who is present, active, and communicates with his creation. We are not Deists who believe in a creator because logic compels them to, while denying the supernatural and rejecting the idea that the Creator is in any way involved in the lives of his created beings. This is false!
“He is there, and He is not silent.”Francis Schaeffer
Revelation: Because we believe that God exists, and that he is not silent, then we must constantly be on the lookout for ways that he reveals himself. Otherwise, we are left to mere speculation about the person, character, nature, and expectations of our Creator. Revelation comes in two forms…
• General Revelation (Psalm 19:1-4, Romans 1:19-21) An Act of God whereby He makes himself known to humanity in general through His creation, providence, and conscience.
• Special Revelation (2 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 1:1) An Act of God by which He makes Himself known to people by His redemptive word-work found in the person of Jesus & the scriptures.
Psalm 119: This desire to receive, understand, and respond to God’s special revelation of himself in his word leads us to the longest chapter in your Bible.
• It’s a Poem – An acrostic with 22 Eight Verse Sections, each starting with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet (Aleph, Beth, etc.). Nearly every verse contains one of eight words for God’s revelation.
• It’s a Prayer – The whole thing is addressed to God. It is not to be dissected or studied on its own, but instead in relationship to God.
• It’s a Plan – To live a life in relationship with God; immersion into the word of God is a non-negotiable essential element. God has revealed himself in his word, and if we want to know God…dive in!!!
2025 Salem Church Bible Reading Plan
“(ALEPH) - Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me! (BETH) How can a young man keep his way 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 statutes; I will not forget your word.” Psalms 119:1-16
Main Idea: We are Blessed by God’s Revelation in His Word
Two Ways We are Blessed by God’s Revelation in Psalms 119:1-16
I. Blessed with Guidance from the Word of God – Psalm 119:1-8
In the first stanza, the psalmist declares that those who are blessed are blameless (perfect, unblemished). He prays for total commitment to seeking the Lord for uprightness (vs. 3). He reminds himself of his susceptibility to sin (vs. 5-6) & dedicates himself to an upright (sincere, straight) heart (vs. 7).
“Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” Proverbs 30:5
“Those who do not believe in the blessedness of seeking the Lord will not be likely to arouse their hearts to the pursuit, but he who calls another blessed because of the grace which he sees in him is on the way to gaining the same grace for himself.” Charles Haddon Spurgeon – What do we value?
In 2025, let’s resolve to be a church and people who find our guidance in the word of God rather than the wisdom of the world or in the advice of those who do not trust in the Lord!
II. Blessed with Goodness thru the Word of God – Psalm 119:9-16
In the second stanza, the psalmist takes a journey with a young man who lacks wisdom and experience, so he is easily tempted by the flesh and is susceptible to wandering from God. The second stanza provides the avenue by which the young man can stay pure & loyal to the Lord: through the word!
“As you read the Word and meditate on it, it cleanses your inner being, just as water cleanses the body.” Warren Wiersbe
“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-27 – Jesus cleanses us by the word!!!
I have found that memorizing and meditating on the word of God (Ps. 119:11) is a sure-fire way to resist temptation. When I am fighting temptation, I can recall a verse that I’ve memorized and be victorious. It doesn’t even have to be a verse about my temptations.
“Here is not a person who is sinless. It is, however, a person who sins less.” Danny Akin
So much of stanza two (BETH) deals with our posture to the word of God. With my whole heart (vs. 10), stored up in my heart (vs. 11), teach me (vs. 12), I delight in your statutes (vs. 14), meditate/fix my eyes (vs. 15), and I will delight (vs. 16). If we continue to see the word of God as a burden, a drudgery, a discipline, confusing, out-of-date, boring, and unimportant we will never experience all that God promises! Pray for a passion for the word of God like the Psalmist describes here, beg God to change your heart!
This series is all about God’s revelation of himself in his word. And a unique way to describe Jesus in John 1 is that he was the Word, who became flesh (John 1:14). Regarding Jesus, the author of Hebrews tells us…
“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” Hebrews 1:3a
God is talking to you! He’s saying how to be blessed. It’s an invitation to the word of God, which is really an invitation to Jesus, and an invitation to Jesus is really an invitation to the word of God! All the Scriptures point to Jesus and the only way to understand the Scriptures is to meditate on them as a disciple of Jesus Christ. So, on the authority of the word of God I call you to trust in the Son of God who died and rose again!
Sources and Further Reading Opportunities:
CSB Study Bible – Trevin Wax, General Editor (2021)
Exalting Jesus in Psalms 119 – Daniel L. Akin (2021)
The Treasury of David – Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1869)
Expository Outlines on the Old Testament – Warren Wiersbe (1993)
The New Bible Commentary – Carson, France, Motyer & Wenham (1994)
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