The Wisdom of the Word

Excerpts from the Sermon by Lester Roloff

My friends, there is no wisdom apart from God’s Word. Maybe that explains why we’re in such a foolish nation tonight—the Word’s been counted out. And the only way for God’s people to stay well is to live by the Word. We will either learn to live by faith or we will die by sight.

The realm where we are missing out is the Bible realm. Today’s generation has hundreds of modern inventions, but we are missing out on the Word of God. We have automobiles, telephones, and radio. And of course we have television—the monster of the living room—to keep us from our Bibles. We’ve surrendered our homes to television. And when you lose your home, you’ve lost it all. I’ve been on the phone today with broken home after broken home— begging, pleading, and talking. Do you know why people break up a home? It is because they love sin.

I spoke with a wife this afternoon who is heartbroken and home-broken—abandoned along with her four children. When a church deacon can abandon his family for another woman and still call himself a Christian, that’s rotten to the core. It’s chilling and devilish. Do you know what’s wrong with most fathers? They’re out of the Word of God. They watch television until their eyes are as big as grapefruits, but they have no footing in the Word. We are out of the Word and missing out on the Word. What a price we are paying!

Let’s go to the greatest and longest chapter of the Bible—Psalm 119. The very first word is “blessed.” Do you know what that means? Happy. We’re on the road to happiness tonight. This wonderful psalm is going to give us everything we need to be happy!

Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in His ways. Thou hast commanded us to keep Thy precepts diligently. O that my ways were directed to keep Thy statutes! –Psalm 119:1-5

No man can have wisdom without the Word of God. And nobody can have power with God without God’s Word. Nobody can pray intelligently unless he prays according to the Word—with a mind saturated by the Word. No man can pray inside the will of God while he lives outside the Word of God. Put that down: there is no way!

We have got to get our people back in the Word of God. Do you know how many saints we’ve got here tonight? Every person who is saved is a saint. I’m not talking about living holy to get saved; I’m talking about living holy because we’re saved. Saved people are holy people. If you are saved, then you are a saint. This world needs preachers who are willing to preach God’s holiness to His saints!

Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all Thy commandments. –Psalm 119:6

The average person lives in the land of shame. But God’s Word can deliver you from shame. When a person comes to Christ, he meets the great Head-Fixer and the great Heart-Fixer. Our Savior does a wonderful job, and we are about to see just how He does it!

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy word. –Psalm 119:9

Listen friends, the Word of God and impurity cannot live in the same house or heart. If you will read the Word of God and believe it and stay with it, you won’t be able to watch impure things take place. And yet, many people who call themselves members of the Church spend more time reading the daily paper than they do the daily Word of God. It’s just sad. Life’s main priority is to “seek first the kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33). That means we put the King first and His Word first!

With my whole heart have I sought Thee: O let me not wander from Thy commandments. Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee. –Psalm 119:10-11

Deal bountifully with Thy servant, that I may live, and keep Thy word. –Psalm 119:17

Only the Word of the King can give you purpose in life. People call me and say, “Brother Roloff, I have no purpose for living. I don’t care whether I live or die.” Our people don’t understand because they’ve never been shown the beautiful purpose that the Word offers!

Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law. –Psalm 119:18

Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors. –Psalm 119:24

My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken Thou me according to Thy Word. –Psalm 119:25

The Word of God is the best counselor you’ll find in all the world. And if you want to get quick on the draw, get in the Word of God. Quickening is always by the Word of God, and David asks for quickening nine times in this chapter. The man who knows the Book has always got the answer!

Make me to go in the path of Thy commandments; for therein do I delight. –Psalm 119:35

The proud have had me greatly in derision: yet have I not declined from Thy law. –Psalm 119:51

I would rather be in derision than indecision or confusion. God’s people never need to be confused. If you will stay in the Word of God, you will always know the answer. And you won’t have to wonder about God’s will for your life. There is only one way to stay in His will, and that’s to stay in His Word!

Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage. –Psalm 119:54

Have you ever heard anyone truly sing from a joyful heart who didn’t love the Book? There is no kind of singing in the whole world that can come close to the singing of the Word of God. Do you know why? Because if His statutes are my songs, then I’ll be singing them in Heaven! We won’t have to switch songs when we get to glory—we’ll just keep on singing!

This I had, because I kept Thy precepts. –Psalm 119:56

I had to figure this one out. What did David have? Here is the answer: exactly what David needed! He had peace and joy and the overcoming portion when his heart was in better tune than his harp. He had all the provisions God wanted him to have—and we can too. You can have the assurance of salvation and enough joy to share with somebody else. Let’s keep going to see how that is possible!

I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto Thy testimonies. –Psalm 119:59

The average person doesn’t like to think about anything for too long. But that is exactly what David did. He thought about his ways until he did a 180. If only we could get America to sit down tonight to do some thinking. Every church ought to make people think about eternity, about sin, about their home, and about their children. It isn’t enough to “learn” the people: we must “alert” the people. And if we purpose to never leave the Word of God, it will never leave us—God’s Word is always vindicated.

At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto Thee because of Thy righteous judgments. –Psalm 119:62

If David had to get back out of bed at midnight, then he must have gone to bed early. Do you know what is wrecking the health of the American people? They don’t know when to go to bed. Americans are prowling like possums at night. Down into the back-alley garbage cans they go, eating hamburgers, french-fries, and potato chips until 11 or 12 o’clock at night. Then they go home and ride nightmares till daylight, spending all the next day wondering what is wrong with their health!

Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept Thy word. –Psalm 119:67

It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn Thy statutes. –Psalm 119:71

I know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are right, and that Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. –Psalm 119:75

Unless Thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction. –Psalm 119:92

Oh, the mighty doctrine of affliction! Folks, we might as well face it and submit to it. I don’t believe I’d be alive today if afflictions hadn’t driven me to the Word. I tell you what—when health begins to fail and trouble comes, when the wind begins to blow and the rain begins to fall—that is when we actually get to know our Savior personally. If the Lord lets me live another ten years, then the past ten years of affliction will have been the greatest preparation. Every trouble is part of God’s bootcamp for what is ahead.

The law of Thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn Thy commandments. –Psalm 119:72-73

David wanted understanding so that he could get a hold of the Word of God. The first purpose of school ought to be to learn the Word of God. But now, schools aren’t allowed to have the Word of God. The purpose of education has become materialistic to the core. We send people off to school to make money, only to be disappointed into eternity.

For ever, O Lord, Thy Word is settled in Heaven. –Psalm 119:89

I believe I’ll close with this—this is a good stopping place. Brothers, God will protect this Book. God has preserved His Word in Heaven, and I believe He has preserved His Word down here too. The Word must have the authority in our hearts tonight. God has settled His Word in Heaven. Have you settled the Word in your heart?