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Pastor Scott L. Harris
Grace Bible Church, NY
December 12, 2021
Understanding & Applying the Word of God
Psalm 19:7-14
Introduction
This morning will be, or at least is planned to be, the last sermon on some basic Biblical principles before I move on to pointing out how God establishes nations for His glory and then punishes them when they depart from that purpose. This has been in preparation for a series on 1 Peter which I should be able to start in February. The changes in the United States in the last couple of years seem very rapid, but it has actually been happening for a long time. Romans 1:18-32 makes it clear that moral decline will eventually result in depraved thinking, and that has been the downward spiral in our own society for over fifty years. We now live in a society that has for the most part turned away from God’s word as its moral foundation and is therefore becoming increasingly hostile to those that desire to know and follow Jesus Christ. The warning that the apostle Paul gives in 1 Timothy 3:12 is becoming reality in our own land, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” By no stretch of the imagination are Christians here suffering persecution the way our brothers and sisters in Christ in other parts of the world are suffering, but we need to be preparing now for what both Biblical prophecy and news headlines are warning is surely coming. How fast this will occur remains an unknown, but as the events of the last two years prove, when you are not expecting it, it comes much faster than you are ready to deal with it. I want you as individuals and we as a church to be ready for whatever comes so that we can respond in godliness and glorify our Creator and being witnesses of His goodness and grace in Christ Jesus so that even our enemies will have to take note.
Two major reasons that even churches that are supposed to be conservative and evangelical are falling for both the old heresies of theological liberalism and the new heresies related to cultural Marxism such as social justice and Critical Race Theory are 1) a deplorable lack of knowledge and understanding of the Word of God, and 2) a lack of proper Christian fellowship so that the truths of the word of God are applied to life as the people of the church interact with each other using their spiritual gifts to bring maturity to the body.
The Necessity of Church Body Life
Paul comments in Ephesians 4:11-16 that it is this proper usage of spiritual gifts by each member of the body that causes it to grow and mature and be able to keep from being “14 . . . tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming, 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.”
It is easier to state what church body life is supposed to be like than to carry it out, especially the instructions in verse 15 about – speaking the truth in love. Emotional turmoil and irritations that come from every direction tend to provoke responses, so it can take some effort to slow down and be thoughtful in what is said guided by proper motives. No wonder Paul adds at the end of Ephesians 4 the instructions to “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”
I had a great advantage in understanding brother Randy’s sermon last week because he has been talking to me about what God was doing in him and what he wanted to preach for many months. At least some of you also understood him and his great humility in publically confessing his own sins and failures as he examined his own heart because you told him so which was a great encouragement to him. Others of you were left at least somewhat confused. Randy is not a public speaker which is why he said several times he was simply sharing and not preaching. And at least a few of you did not understand and made conclusions contrary to his intentions because you told him so. Randy has asked that he be given the chance to clarify his point so that there will not be any confusion, so he will do that now.
RANDY
I agree with Randy that we always need to be ready to examine our hearts and motives and both acknowledge and turn away from the evil that arises. As Paul points out in Romans 6 & 7, we still live in bodies of sin and must resist our old master and instead submit to our new master of righteousness. Paul also points out in Romans 12 that we have to actively resist the pressure from the world to conform us to its behaviors and values. We are to instead be transformed by the renewing of our minds. The apostle John adds to this in 1 John 1:8-10 that Christians will sin, but the difference between us and unbelievers is that we confess our sins and receive God’s forgiveness and cleansing instead of either denying them or excusing them. Neither you or I can earn our salvation nor can we warrant being forgiven, but God graciously extends it by His own love as we have faith in Jesus.
I am aware that one of the accusations against Randy’s sermon last week is that he was “giving me a pass.” To that I can only say, “I wish.” Over the years Randy has at times been my harshest critic and has at times held counsel with those that set themselves against me. Yet, we have remained good friends because that is that nature of true Christian brotherhood and love. No grudges are allowed, conflicts are worked out, forgiveness is exchanged, and we grow closer together.
For myself, my striving is to maintain a conscience clean before God. My desire for even those that have slandered me and caused my wife and I the most harm over the years is that they would get right with God and that we will see each other in heaven giving praise to God. Why? Because as Randy also pointed out last week, life is not about us. It is about the glory of God who created us for His own purposes as I pointed out in several sermons last August & September. And in terms of our relationships with one another, Paul instructs us in Philippians 2:3-4, 3 “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” Jesus is the example for us in doing this as Paul points out in verses 5-9 that follow. Randy was correct telling us to get over ourselves. Our focus is to be on Jesus Christ and others.
I need to also point out that Randy and I had already talked through the issue on which he was supposedly “giving me a pass.” Since the beginning of ministering God’s word in teaching and preaching for over three decades years ago, I have consistently invited people to come to me if they did not understand something I said, thought I missed something or took a contrary position to what I taught. I have never knowingly received “a pass” nor do I want one. I oppose that. Our mutual goal should be to spur one another on to a better understanding and application of God’s word because life is about living for the glory of God.
Let me put it this way. If you can show me from Scriptures where I am wrong, I will change my position. However, keep in mind that I have already done my homework, so you need to make sure you have done yours if your purpose is to challenge me. Keep in mind as well that with as many years under my belt, it is unlikely you are going to present me with some new argument – though that could be possible. You are also more likely to find that I will answer your questions as Jesus did – with a question. Why? 1) It enables me to assess how carefully you have thought through the issue so that I can address the heart of it. 2) It is a teaching method that enables me to help you figure out things for yourself. That is important because conviction that arises out of God’s word is better than human opinion.
I must also point out that I am a true fundamentalist. I will be dogmatic on issues of basic truth especially as they pertain to the gospel of Jesus Christ because error on those points places your soul in jeopardy. At the same time, I am gracious in areas of secondary theological importance. I hope you will be the same. We don’t have to agree on every minor point in order to work together in harmony as brothers and sisters in Christ for His glory and the expansion of His kingdom. As we humbly study God’s word together, those disagreements should become fewer and fewer.
Finally, I must give this warning. I am not here to entertain you or make you feel good about yourself. I am charged by God as a pastor with being a shepherd who must not only feed and care for the flock for which God has made an overseer, but I must also protect the flock from the many dangers from both the wolves in sheep’s clothing that arise from within the church and the Satanic forces and worldly influences that attack from outside the church. As Paul states in 2 Timothy 4:2, I must “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” Those that elevate minor issues of disagreement to cause dissensions and factions as well as those that slander and falsely accuse are subject to such rebukes and discipline.
1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4:11-16 both teach that when the body of Christ is functioning properly with each member of it using their spiritual gifts and contributing, then the whole body matures. It is able to both withstand the attacks by enemies against it and further the cause of Christ in the world. Proper Christian fellowship is essential to spiritual health of both the individual and the whole church. What then is your involvement in it?
The Necessity of Understanding & Applying God’s Word
Turn now to Psalm 19. Paul states in Romans 1:20 that creation reveals “God’s invisible attributes – His divine nature and eternal power.” In the first six verses of this Psalm David points to the revelation of God’s glory as seen in the handiwork of Creation and specifically the heavens. Psalm 19:1–6, 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; 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.”
In the second half of the Psalm David changes his focus to the Scriptures describing them in a brief but instructive Hexapla containing six descriptive titles of the word of the Lord, six characteristics of it, and six divine effects or qualities it. This hexapla is followed by a recognition of the supreme value of the Scriptures. In short, verses 7-11 uses the Scripture to describe the character and nature of God revealed in His word and the effect it should have upon you.
The Hexapla – Psalm 19:7-9
The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul
The testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple
The statutes of the Lord are right rejoicing the heart
The commandments of the Lord are pure enlightening the eyes
The fear of the Lord is clean enduring forever
The judgments of the Lord are true they are righteous altogether
There are six titles or functions of the Word of God that are given: it is law, testimony, statutes, commandments, fear, and judgments. There are six characteristics qualities of the Word of God that are given: it is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, and true. There are six summary statements which tell of a divine effect or quality of the Word of God that are given: it converts or restores the soul, makes wise the simple, rejoices the heart, enlightens the eye, endures forever, and they are righteous. To this we can add that holy Scripture is a warning to God’s servants which brings about great reward when it is heeded.
But notice that the key characteristic of this section is the repetition of the phrase “of the Lord.” David changes the name he uses for God in this section compared to verses 1-6. In verse 1 he used El – the creator God. In this section he uses Yahweh – the covenant keeping God that revealed Himself to men through special revelation of His word. The emphasis is not upon Scripture itself, but on the Lord who has given Scripture to man. Let’s examine each one of these statements a little more closely.
The Law of the Lord is Perfect, converting the soul.
Scripture is the law of God. Law is “torah” – instruction, direction. In specific torah is a set of regulations made of statutes, ordinances, precepts, commandments and testimonies. It is the general word for Scripture under which the specifics given in the rest of the Psalm fall. It is the revelation of God’s will. Torah is also a picturesque word describing Yahweh pointing out the road to life.
Perfect is tamim – its literal meaning is “all sided,” and its fundamental usage is in the sense of complete from which ideas of being perfect, whole and entire arise. Nothing should be added to it, and nothing should be taken away. The effect of the law is to convert or restore the soul. The word is shub and is used to signify turning back or repentance (Joshua 24:23, Jeremiah 4:4,14 and Hosea 10:12), and while shub does not necessarily mean conversion in the sense we use that term within Christianity, it does speak of a beneficial reviving effect that permeates the very life and soul of a child of God. It speaks as much or more to those already saved as to those still lost. The ESV emphasizes that idea translating it, “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.”
The Testimony of the Lord is Sure, making wise the simple.
The root meaning of testimony, duth, is “to bear witness” and it is used as a synonym for “law” in Psalm 119 nine times (vs. 14, 31, 36, 88, 99, 11, 124, 144, 157). Its tie to the law is seen in that the tablets of Ten Commandments is also referred to as the testimony (Exodus 30:6) or the location of the tablets can also be called the ark of Testimony (Exodus 31:7) or tabernacle or tent of testimony (Exodus 38:21; Numbers 17:22). The law of God is His testimony because it is His own affirmation relative to His very person and purpose. This testimony is man – sure, firm, reliable, permanent. It can be relied on to remain certain and without variation. That would be expected since James 1:17 states that with God there is no variation or shifting shadow. When God wanted to show the sureness of His covenant with Abraham, He swore by Himself (Hebrew 6:13). This is the firm foundation upon which you can build your life. This testimony makes the simple wise. Simple (pethi) does not mean foolish, but “open, spacious, wide.” The simple are open to the instruction of wisdom or folly. The testimony of the Lord will give Godly wisdom to the one who is open to receiving it. The foolish will receive no such instruction.
The Statutes of the Lord are Right, rejoicing the heart.
Statutes or precepts (piqqud) is a general term for the responsibility that God places on His people by the authority of His uttered word. It is used 24 times with all but three in Psalm 119. These are the principles by which the Lord wants us to live. These statutes are right, (yasar), for they are founded upon the righteousness of God and not on the vain philosophies and wisdom of men. The word can also mean straight, and the precepts of the Lord map out a straight course which will guide a man. Is it any wonder then that they cause the heart, the inner being of a person to rejoice and be glad? Contrast the frustration of being lost in trying to get to a destination with the joy of having and being able to follow clear and correct directions to some wonderful destination. That is the joy in the heart of a man using the precepts of the Lord in guiding his life.
The Commandment of the Lord is Pure, enlightening the eyes.
Commandment (Mitsvah) is the specific instruction of someone in a superior position to someone in an inferior one – a father to a son (1 Samuel 17:20), a farmer to his laborers (Ruth 2:9), a king to his servant (2 Samuel 21:14). A statute is a general principle and His commandment is a specific way of carrying out that principle. For example, the specific command in Exodus 23:4-5 concerning the return of lost property is directly related to the prohibition not to steal and is part of loving your neighbor. God’s commandments are bar – pure, clean, without defilement, no mixture of error, no sin stain pollutes it. The NIV translates it as “radiant” to express this purity which in turn enlighten the eyes. Visual perception is difficult in the darkness as is spiritual perception when surrounded by the darkness of sin, but the commandments of the Lord brings light to the subject so that you can see clearly and be able to discern and distinguish. The Lord ’s commands impart freshness and joy to the very looks of the eye.
The Fear of the Lord is Clean, enduring forever.
Proverbs 1:7; 9:10 & 14:27 state that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and understanding, and it is a fountain of life. The fear of the Lord is wholesome reverence for the Lord and His will. It is a response of submission to God’s authority and majesty. This is a proper fear and it is clean – tahor – which refers to both ceremonial and ethical purity and is used for refined metals from which the dross has been removed. The fear of the Lord acts to remove the impurities from our lives so that we are clean. The fear of the Lord is clean and endures forever because its value never diminishes and it imparts life.
The Judgments of the Lord are True and Righteous altogether.
Judgment concerns the administration of justice in evaluating and discerning the application of law, testimony, statues, and commandment of the Lord upon an individual. Judgment can result in decisions of either commendation or condemnation or a mixture. There is no corruption in court of the Lord for His judgments are true. The Lord is judge over the lives of men and the verdicts He gives are true. There is a strong emphasis upon this word true (emeth) because it is the only noun among the corresponding adjectives and it implies utter dependability. All of these together are summarized as righteous (tsdq). They are correct, just, holy.
Those are the titles and characteristics of the word the Lord and the effects it should have upon those that will pay attention and heed it. David continues in verses 11-12 to describe their value before making his own plea to God.
Their Value – Psalm 19:10-11
10 They are to be desired more than Gold, yea, than much fine Gold; They are sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them is Thy servant warned, and in keeping of them there is great reward.
The word of God was precious to David, more precious than gold or any other material thing. Mark 8:36 asks the question “What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?” The answer of course is nothing, and David recognized the worth of the word to be above all else. David also found the word to be sweet as honey. Remember that they did not have Nutra-Sweet, Saccharin, or even processed sugar. The sweetest, most pleasant food that could be mentioned was honey and especially that honey which dripped from the honeycomb. It had no impurities in it and so was the sweetest. That is how David regarded the Scriptures. He knew that they were a warning to him of how God wanted him to live and the dangers of going down his own path. He also knew that by keeping the Scriptures – hiding them in his heart and obeying – there would be great rewards.
David did not view Scripture as just some set of rules and regulations to follow or some great literary work that should be studied for its intellectual content. David loved the Word because it reveals God – His attributes and His love for man. 1 Samuel 13:14 states that the Lord had searched out for Himself a man after His own heart, and that man was David, and David’s heart after God is revealed to us most clearly in his love for the things God had set forth in Scripture. If we want our relationship with God renewed, if we want to be people who truly seek after God, then part of that is approaching Scripture in the manner David did. We need to develop a love for the word because it reveals God to us and that changes our lives.
David’s Plea – Psalm 19:12-14
We see the effect of the word on David’s life in the next section.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. 13 Also keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I shall 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 Thy sight, O Lord, My rock and my Redeemer. David asks, “Who can discern his errors?” Jeremiah would echo that thought some years later saying, “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick: Who can understand it?” Because David had been confronted with the reality of God he recognized his true position and state. The revelation of God in creation reminded him that he was only a creature made by an awesome and marvelous God. His study of Scripture told him even more of this wonderful God and how that God wanted him to live. David recognized his own sin and requested mercy from the LORD. He asks God to “Acquit me of hidden faults.” He prays for pardon for those sins he has done in ignorance.
But David does not stop there. He goes on knowing that he could fall into other types of sin as well, so he prays, “Also keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.” David wants the Lord to keep him from falling into sins of pride and arrogance that result in willful sin. Such willful, defiant sin is mentioned in Numbers 15:30 and the penalty is being cut off from the congregation. David wants to be kept far from being under the control of such wickedness. He desires the opposite. He wants to be blameless and found innocent of great transgression.
But David goes on. He does not just want forgiveness for sins done in ignorance and to be prevented from willful sinning, David also desires to have an on-going relationship with God which is brought out in verse 14. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.” David has a relationship with God and he wants to be pleasing to the Lord both outwardly – the words of his mouth – and inwardly – the thoughts of his inner being. He concludes calling the Lord his rock and redeemer. Rock is used metaphorically here as a reference to God the source of strength for He is totally reliable and enduring. Redeemer refers to the Lord reclaiming David from sin and restoring a proper relationship.
The Effect
In this Psalm, David observes the heavens and their expanse and recognizes that God declares His glory in creation. He then observes the Lord’s revelation of Himself and His will in His word and recognizes its various aspects, characteristics and effects. The combination produces a response in David of valuing it above all else because it keeps him from sin and brings him into a right relationship with God. It is this effect on David in causing him to eschew / shun / forsake sin and instead seek to be acceptable to the Lord both inwardly and outwardly that demonstrates he knows and understands God and His word.
Or to put it a different way. If your observation of God’s creation does not cause you to worship Him in wonder and awe, then you neither know God nor understand creation. If your interaction with the word of the Lord does not cause you to flee from sin and pursue righteousness in heart and action, then you neither know God nor understand His word. Paul states in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that the Scriptures are inspired by God – literally God breathed – for the purposes of teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. Study of the Bible that does not produce righteous change in your life is the worthless intellectual exercise Paul warns about in 2 Timothy 3:7 – “always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
There is an important point I want to emphasize that is brought out in the hexapla of this Psalm that will help you to understand God’s word so that it will protect you from falling into either legalism or licentiousness and will enable you to apply its truths properly to life. The word of the Lord is revealed in His law, testimony, precepts, commandment and judgments. Some of these are very specific, some are more general, and some are broad principles. All of them must be considered in making decisions about the proper action, response and even attitude in any particular situation.
Those who want things to be black and white, yea or nay must be careful of legalism in which context is removed resulting in a specific command negating a more important principle and struggle to distinguish the more important of competing lines of authority. Example: You see an injured child out on a lawn, but the sign states, “Keep off the grass.” What is the proper action to take? You tell your seven year old to stay in bed, but his four year old brother fell out of bed and is crying. What is the proper action for you child to do? There is conflict between laws, statues and ordinances being issued by national, state, county and town governments. How will you figure out what you should you do?
Those who want maximum freedom to do what they want are in danger of licentiousness by emphasizing principles they like out of context and ignoring the ones they do not like and specifics that might restrict them. Example: Galatians 5:1, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” That is a precious statute but its context is the Mosaic Law. Romans 6:18 states Christians are “slaves of righteousness.” Part of Jesus’ command in the great commission is to “teach them to observe all that I commanded you.” You are not free to do whatever you want. You are free in Christ to do what God wants, but as you mature in Christ, what you want should become more harmonious with what God wants.
Legalism and licentiousness are the extremes, but they are real dangers. All of us need to be careful to make sure we are applying the breadth of the word of the Lord to the situations we face in life so that it is having the proper effect of producing godliness.
Conclusions
Let me wrap this up by saying this. 1) The greater your breadth of knowledge of the Scriptures, the better able you will be to harmonize the law, testimony, precepts, commandment and judgments of the Lord and apply them to the particular situations that arise in life. But that will also take humility to be honestly seeking the Lord’s will instead of your own. You will know you are properly applying the Scriptures by the effect they have upon you. Are you responding like David does in Psalm 19? Are you seeing the fruits of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – increasing in your life (Galatians 5:22-23)?
2) Proper Christian fellowship enables the whole body to mature because of the collective godly wisdom and mutual encouragement and accountability. We help each other think through and apply the truths of God’s word both individually and collectively. What is your involvement in the local church body? How are you using your spiritual gifts in the lives of others? How are they using theirs in your life? How well are you practicing the many “one another” commands?
I believe that conflicts in the church among those that genuinely love Jesus Christ, including those that occur in this one, are often rooted in weaknesses in these two areas. And yes, that even includes those related to government directives and medical practices concerning SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. The only real issue for us as Christians and as a church is this: What does God want in general and in specific? Just keep in mind that figuring that out can be difficult, so you need to be humble, teachable, gracious and forgiving with one another. Life is about God’s will and glory, not your own, and it is to Him that you will be held in account for both your actions and motivations. It is wise therefore to be a diligent student of His word so that you know His will and to be actively involved with other believers so that mutual ministry to one another produces maturity.
Sermon Notes – 12/12/2021
Understanding & Applying the Word of God – Psalm 19:7-14
Introduction
1) A deplorable lack of knowledge and understanding of the Word of God,
2) A lack of proper Christian fellowship
The Necessity of Church Body Life – Eph. 4:11-16; 1 Cor. 12
Philippians 2:3-4
Fundamentalism
Pastoral Responsibilities
The Necessity of Understanding & Applying God’s Word – Psalm 19
Verses 1-6 – The declaration of the heavens
The Hexapla – Psalm 19:7-9
- The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul
- The testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple
- The statutes of the Lord are right rejoicing the heart
- The commandments of the Lord are pure enlightening the eyes
- The fear of the Lord is clean enduring forever
- The judgments of the Lord are true they are righteous altogether
The Law of the Lord is Perfect, converting the soul.
Law / Torah –
Perfect / tamim
converting, restoring / shub the soul
The Testimony of the Lord is Sure, making wise the simple.
Testimony / duth
Sure / man
making wise the simple / pethi
The Statutes of the Lord are Right, rejoicing the heart.
Statutes, precepts / piqqud
right / yasar
rejoicing the heart
The Commandment of the Lord is Pure, enlightening the eyes.
Commandment / Mitsvah
Pure, clean / bar
Enlightening the eyes
The Fear of the Lord is Clean, enduring forever.
Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; 14:27
Clean / tahor
Enduring forever
The Judgments of the Lord are True and Righteous altogether
Judgments
True / emeth
Righteous / tsdq
Their Value – Psalm 19:10-11
Precious
Sweet
David’s love for the word of the Lord
David’s Plea – Psalm 19:12-14
Quest for forgiveness
Quest for blamelessness
Quest for acceptance
The Effect
Eschew sin, pursue God
Maturity
The Word of the Lord contains specific commands, general statutes and broad principle
The danger of legalism
The danger of licentiousness
Conclusions
A greater breadth of knowledge of the Bible better able to harmonize & apply the word of the Lord
Proper Christian fellowship enables the individual & the collective body to mature
KIDS KORNER
Parents, you are responsible to apply God’s Word to your children’s lives. Here is some help. Young Children – draw a picture about something you hear during the sermon. Explain your picture(s) to your parents at lunch. Older Children – 1) Count how many times the “Lord” is mentioned. 2) Talk with your parents about how to know and following the Lord.
THINK ABOUT IT! – Questions to consider in discussing the sermon with others. Why should Christians be prepared for persecution? What is the relationship between Biblical knowledge, proper Christian fellowship and spiritual maturity? What is church body life and why is it necessary? What is your involvement in it? What is the importance of Philippians 2:3-4? How are you fulfilling its commands? What are the tenants of true fundamentalism? What are the responsibilities of a pastor according to 2 Tim. 4:2? What is the point of Psalm 19:1-6? How do you respond to creation? Explain the hexapla of Psalm 19:7-9. What are the similarities and differences in the descriptions of the word of the Lord. What value did David put on the Scriptures? What value do you place on them? How is that demonstrated? What effect did the scriptures have on David? What effect are they having on you? How is knowledge & understanding of the Scriptures practically demonstrated in life? How is that demonstrated in your own life? How can you properly apply various facets of the word of the Lord when more than one can be applied to the situation? What is legalism and how can it be avoided? What is licentiousness and how can it be avoided? Are either of these a danger for you? What must you do to protect yourself? How does a lack of Biblical knowledge & understanding contribute to church conflict? How does a lack of proper Christian fellowship contribute to church conflict? What can you do to diminish church conflict?
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