“I Will Instruct You” (Part 2 of 3)

The after King David confessed his sin. God not only for gave him, but he also taught him how you learn from your mistakes how you move on today on Truth for Life Alastair big teaches that God is big enough to deal with your past and to direct your future. Alastair continues his message.

I will instruct you in Psalm 32 it's impossible to travel on any day without meeting somebody who's on a course. You notice that you sit down on the plane.

So what are you doing I'm on a course going to coffee shop. What was that big book. I want to course everyone's on a course don't feel left out if you are a follower of Jesus, you are on a course and here it is not a golf course and instruction course look at the verbs instruct teach counsel watch over.

Now let's look at this under for headings are for words concerning this instruction, let's notice. First of all, that it is vital. It is vital instruction and it is vital for any particular classes of person number one, it is vital for the beginner for the beginner. If anyone is in Christ is a new creation the old is gone, the new has come.

If we were asked to explain how the evidence of transformation is revealed, we might mention all kinds of things. Interestingly, in the context in which verse 17 falls in two Corinthians 5 Paul is pointing out that the big change in the person who has been changed is in essentially the way they view things the way they view things before a person comes to trust in Jesus, they take pride in what is seen. They live for themselves and they regard Jesus from a worldly point of view, but when a person is in Christ, and becomes a new creation. These three things are altered and the believer has an altogether different view of Jesus of other people, and of himself or herself out unless we are able to go to the Bible to the instruction manual then were never going to know that kind of thing by nature, we viewed ourselves in one way and by grace we see ourselves completely different and when we begin the Christian journey.

We are so unaware of the who God is, were really unaware of ourselves and what we like our vulnerability to temptation and the dangers were just frankly, a bunch of babies and we need to be suckled by the milk of God's word. As Peter says when he writes to his followers the instruction that is vital force of all for the beginner. Secondly, it is vital for the confused for the confused. You probably heard somebody remark or you really shouldn't pay much attention to me. I only know enough to be dangerous.

I say that phrase reminds me of our son in one occasion when he had cut his hand open with a with a bottle and that he went for stitches somewhere here in the chagrin Valley and they had him lying on the bed and he had to live as hand flat on it on a little tray as the doctor came to him as a young looking Dr. and our our son looked up as he came towards him and he said to the doctor give amassed one of these up and quick as a flash, the doctor said I never did one of these before. We don't want that kind of thing when it comes to our discovery of the details of the Christian faith. The Bible acknowledges that we are foolish people.

We are wayward lights.

Why verse 90 which will never come this morning is right there. Do not be like the horse or mule some pretty straightforward statement is that I think many of you be tempted to take verse eight and Annex it I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you and watch over you. I'm sure somebody can put a lovely melody line to that, you know, I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go's a nice cozy thought is not right that the June for.

Do not be like the horse are the mill which have no understand is not a nice way to treat people as I say let's set up class horse. He stopped the mill. Widget listen to same like a horse or mule where horses and mules like we'll talk about that later I'm still researching it by the fact is, they're not particularly irrational.

That's why you have to nudge him and squeeze him and Bannerman who come and do all of them and do all those things and we are by nature confused people. The Galatians were confused. That's why Paul writes to them and says you foolish Galatians, are you getting confused all over again. Paul writes to Timothy and he tells them you need to understand that there will be people in your congregation who are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, they will be always learning and never able to acknowledge the truth to get that always learning, never able to acknowledge the truth. That's one of the saddest aspects of pastoral ministry incident to have people under your tutelage in your care by a certain point on the road, ought to be teachers, but they're not and they constantly like children drift from one idea to another and their great need is the instruction which God provides. I know that you think that all I do is read Pilgrim's progress. As I mentioned it so much. He says the only book is ever read.

Apart from the Bible but it's not true but when I was reading this again.

I I would. I remembered the interchange between Christian and ignorance towards the end of Pilgrim's progress and let me just give us two years and is a little test okay another hand you have to hand in papers but I want you to think about this. This is ignorance speaking now in our thought is the vital nature of the instruction for the confused note none of your confused. I'm sure not like ignorance. Let's see. Ignorance speaks I believe that Christ died for sinners and that I shall be justified before God from the course through his gracious acceptance of my obedience to the law has a false one person said false is about 1200 and here we don't know where we are. The rest horse is ignorance. Christ makes my duties that are religious, acceptable to his father by virtue of his merits and so shall I be justified Christian response. Let me give an answer to this confession of faith number one now believe most with a fantastical faith for this faith is nowhere described in the Bible to now believe us with a false faith because it taken justification from the personal righteousness of Christ and applies it to thy own.

Thirdly, this faith maketh not Christ justifier of thy person, but all of thy actions and all of thy person for thy actions sake which is false. Therefore, fourthly, this faith is deceitful.

Even such as will leave the under the wrath in the day of God Almighty. But I would be at all surprised if on first reading. If I didn't tell you, set you up by letting you know that this was Mr. ignorance state that some of us might have had to think a great deal to see what is possibly wrong with this statement.

After all, it begins so well and it seems to make much of Jesus course.

What it does is it underlines the absolute necessity of this instruction for those who are confused and we dare not be confused about what it means to be put in a right standing with God, not on the basis of any of our actions, but on the basis entirely of what he has done not on the basis of our keeping of the law, but of his keeping of the law and of the fight that he was the sacrifice for our sins because we are by nature lawbreakers. In essence what Bunyan is addressing. There is the idea that justification includes both the work of Christ and our good actions and it doesn't. According to the Bible.

It is all in what Christ has done all of our actions is faith alone that saves the faith that saves is not alone because the faith is accompanied by actions, but those actions do not contribute to our acceptance with God.

It's hard to know to say these things over and over again as we do here on the pastoral team and listen to some of you talk or receive your emails or the suggested conferences that we might attend as pastors or the books that you have found so very helpful to shake my head and say, can it possibly be that these people who by this time, ought to be teachers remain so confused and third, it is vital instruction for the forgetful for the forgetful, so I'm not confusion.

I hope you aren't suggesting that everybody is the potential is there, but most of us are forgetful on. That's why the Bible tells us again and again to remember. Remember Jesus Christ process to Timothy, who could ever forget that. Remember lots wife who look back and turned back. Remember your creator in the days of your youth. Indeed, the ministry of teaching and preaching is essentially a ministry, a reminder, Peter makes it clear when he says I intend always to remind you of these things even though you know them and are doing them so that after my departure. You live may be able to recall all of this, let's move on. We spent too long and that I'm sorry this this instruction is vital.

Secondly, this instruction is practical.

It is practical.

It is not merely theoretical God is not content for us to be loaded up with information big heads as it were just gargantuan craniums stashed with phraseology and information what you know all about the what the Bible has to say about the doctrine of X and out it comes little little little little little little little and Seminoles Aurora little.

The fact of the matter is that the information is given to us in order that it may be worked into the warp and woof of our life. So, for example, a young man is going through his life and he seeking to be a follower of Jesus is trusted in Christ and the heaviness is been replaced by this great happiness in in finding the will and the way of God and his wrestling with the question of purity in the reeds in the instruction manual and the instruction manual says that your to live in purity and as he is buffeted and challenged both by temptations from within and without.

He finds himself say, but how in the world am I supposed to do that goes back into the instruction manual and he finds the answer that there is not simply the doctrine but there is also the precept, hundred 99 how well a young man keep his way pure by living according to your word. Here is the demand here is the here is the imperative and here is the indicative vans have near the old Southern preacher. I had just a couple of times before he died. After I arrived in this country. I always love to hear preaching on Moody had a great voice that great and it is to say, sitting keep you from this book are this book will keep you from sin. Have you noticed neglect this is much easier to sin. It's much easier to deviate much easier to wander much easier to play fast and loose with whatever is out there, but when we have outstanding daily diet and input of the instruction manual. It changes things. That's why we say to did you go through there and get the New Testament in a year.

Did you buy one you have 1211. How can we help you make sure this instruction is intensely practical for you. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go in the way you should go member per Solomon says in Proverbs.

There is a way that seems right to a man by the end their office death and the way that we should go is different from the way that seems right to people and that's what makes it so tremendously exhilarating and very often dreadfully challenging to go out into the thoroughfare of life and see that we're going this way that we going to go God's way because God's way is perfect in men and women say but that's not the way most of us are going. Of course, it isn't. That's why the psalmist says teach me your way, old Lord note we must draw this to a close. How does this work itself out in life will take any doctrine you want. Take for example the doctrine of creation. Here we have the instruction of God's word about about creation in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. That's the instruction.

So we start from that point, how does that work itself out when it changes the way in which we view.

For example, the elderly, it has a radical impact in the way in which we view the information coming from Great Britain that is suggesting that malformed babies after birth should be killed. It changes the way we view the elderly in our society and moves us from the realm of sheer pragmatism entered wrestling with the consequences of this doctrine. This instruction that God made man in his own image and therefore the image of man is to be protected and cared for. Because of who God's, or if we take the doctrine of Jesus second person of the Trinity, the Lordship of Christ. Jesus is Lord, the incarnation, it changes everything, came home to me this week when I was involved in a little interview with one of the local television channels here in the course of the interview. The gentleman pressed me routinely on the exclusive claims of Jesus what he asked me about all the billions of people that have never heard of Jesus. What about all the comparative religions of the world what you have to say about that what he is saying or use.

Are you actually saying Alister that Jesus is the only Savior as one thing went when some your next-door neighbor asked you that question is another thing when they've got you absolutely under a television camera.

And you know the answer is going to go out to the hall of the Cleveland area. So what I say I'm not going to tell you I will tell you what what I said was I have I have no option but to affirm this fact Jesus is the only Savior because Jesus is the only one qualified to save. He is the only incarnate one. He is the only one who bore our sins, he is the only one who was raised from the dead. He is the only God, man. Therefore, we are shut up to more than what are you going to do. I said were going to go out into all the world am I going to tell as many people as we possibly can about this glorious wonderful news that is as wide as the ocean and is as vast as the sands of the sea and the company that God is putting together will involve people from every tribe and nation of people in language and tone throughout the whole universe. How do we get to that only from the Bible in Jesus is Lord we have no freedom to believe anything other than what Jesus himself taught in Jesus as Lord.

We have no freedom to behave in any other way than the way in which he said we must behave. So the instruction vital as it is is intensely practical.

That's why Jesus said was a wise man and he build a house to be built on solid foundations and it didn't fall down when the storm hit.

There was a foolish man, and he build a house he built on the sand and it collapsed when the storm hit and he said the one whose house stood is the picture of the man who hears my words and puts them into practice by the collapsed house is the picture of the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice. I can only but imagine that his brother James listen very carefully to them on that day because by the time James writes his letter is absolutely packed with practical information and it is clear to James that this instruction that is provided for us, changes everything the way we conduct business the way we handle money the way we treat our employees the way we view social standing in this classic question is there for us. What good is it if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds be like Rick memorizing recipes but never cooking meals certainly never sharing them with anyone who is hungry. This instruction is vital. It is practical.

Thirdly, I knew had the word I had wrong. It is watchful we can come to that. And then, finally, of course, it is rational will come back to this father, thank you that we have a Bible that we can go away and read this stuff and check to see if it ties in with our research. We pray Lord for you to accomplish your purposes. As a result of our study now and later we thank you that you don't try to us at arms length. Is it whereby you come right down and in beside us in the person of your son Jesus. So take me by your hand today teach me, Lord, and lead the way and let my words and life convey father, your love is faithful now may the grace and mercy and the peace from God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit be our portion now and forevermore. Amen Alistair Begg with a great reminder today of just how practical God's listing to Truth for Life.

As Alister explained today Bible reading is essential for each one of us. If you don't have a Bible, you can access one right now on the truth like mobile app, just click the Bible icon you see on the bottom toolbar or you can purchase a softcover edition of the Bible for just two dollars Truth for Life.org/store. And if you're looking for a way to focus your thoughts on Jesus in the weeks leading up to Easter.

We want to recommend to you a book titled an ocean of grace. This is a six week devotional that includes daily meditations and prayers written by well-known Christians, major authors from the past, people like Martin Luther and Charles Spurgeon.

We love about this devotional is the inspiration it offers from faithful believers who have lived throughout the centuries requester copy of an ocean of grace. When you donate visit Truth for Life.org/donate, click the book image in the app or call 888-588-7884.

Now here's Alister with information about an exciting opportunity.

While thanks Bob you know if you have yet to book your summer vacation plans. I have a suggestion. Why not join us as we take an adventure cruise to Alaska at the end of August and into the beginning of September. I've been invited to be the Bible teacher. On that occasion and it would be really fantastic to meet a number of you there.

The views are spectacular.

They tell me. And I'm sure everything about it will be super. What matters most to me is that I have the opportunity to greet many of you that I only know by name and were going to just enjoy not only the splendor of God's creation, but the wonder of God's revelation to us in his word.

So there's more details to be found elsewhere.

Bob can give you the website. The phone number etc., but I hope you will think about coming and you can learn more. Book your ticket for the cruise. When you go to deeper faith cruise.com, call 855-565-5519.

Take note of that number again 855565551 Bob Lapine thanks for listing Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life. Learning is for Living