Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb19980913.htm

PSALMS: DIARIES OF GODLY OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS
Psalm One Hundred And Nineteen (Cheth) - The Way To True Unity And Fellowship With Other Godly People
(Psalm 119:57-64)
  1. Introduction
    1. True spiritual unity amongst God's holy people is a great blessing. The psalmist claims: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" (Psalm 133:1)
    2. However, there is a false unity to avoid in apostasy and a true unity to attain as we can tell from warnings about apostasy in Acts 20:28-31, and the call for true unity on the other hand in Eph. 4:1-6.
    3. The question might then arise: "What has to happen for true spiritual unity to exist that lives above apostasy, and how is it preserved?!" Psalm 119:57-64 answers this question with applications as follows:
  2. The Way To True Unity And Fellowship With Other Godly People, Psalm 119:57-64.
    1. The psalmist called out for God to keep His promise to him regarding a special personal need, Ps. 119:58b.
    2. Then he itemized the things he had done in accord with God's Word to enjoy God's blessings:
      1. The psalmist replaced a love for earthly possessions with loving God Who provided his needs, 119:57a.
      2. Accordingly, he earnestly tried to heed God's Biblical instructions, Ps. 119:58a.
      3. He had also promised to obey the Word, Ps. 119:57b.
      4. Also, the psalmist had examined himself and made necessary adjustments en route to heeding God's Word where he knew he was in error, Ps. 119:59a.
      5. He had tried to obey Scripture as soon as he understood its directives, Ps. 119:60.
      6. The psalmist had resolved not to forget what Scripture he had come to know even though trying circumstances occupied his mind, threatening to drown out his concentration on the Word, Ps. 119:61.
      7. In fact, he resolved to recall God's Word at all times, even when awakened in the night, Ps. 119:62.
    3. Consequently, the psalmist had become a companion to all other people who likewise respected the Lord and had likewise naturally adhered this way to His Word, Ps. 119:63.
    4. In the end, the psalmist praised God for His faithfulness in keeping His promise, and ended up yearning to learn more Scripture truth for greater depths of blessing from God and fellowship with others, Ps.119:64.
Lesson: (1) True unity STARTS when individuals (a) make heeding Scripture their priority above owning material possessions, (b) from their trying to heed Scripture, (c) from their promising God to do so, (d) from their examining themselv es to see how well they are heeding it, and making necessary adjustments, (e) from their obeying it as soon as they understand it, (f) from their resolving to concentrate on Scripture's advice in hard times, and (g) from their doing so all of the time! Communion with others of like faith naturally occurs. (2) Apostasy then STARTS by individuals (a) failing to heed God's Word above owning material possessions, (b) from failing to heed Scripture, (c) from failing to promise God to do so, (d) from failing to examine one's self to see if his life conforms to Scripture and making necessary adjustments, (e) from failing to obey Scripture as soon as one understands it, (f) from not resolving to concentrate of Scripture during tough times and (g) from not following through to focus on Scripture all times! Such actions lead to the individual's loss of fellowship with God. Thus, efforts to fill the vacuum of an absence of godly fellowship leads to artificial apostate unions!

Application: (1) Failure on the INDIVIDUAL level to heed the God of the Bible in heeding and keeping in close tabs with His WORD, and that due to worldly lusts and control by the sin nature leads to a lack of fellowship with God and God's people. To fill this vacuum, artificial apostate unions arise. (2) Thus, we must focus on INDIVIDUAL relations with GOD and not live by the sin nature and follow the world's lusts of the flesh, the eyes and the pride of this life (1 Jn. 2:15-16)! Then WILL we come into true, fulfilling unity with the rest of God's people!