INTRODUCTION
On the streets of New York City, a man was seen walking with a sandwich board over his shoulder. You have seen these boards carried by some cartoon characters and they usually say, "Eat at Joe's." As you met him, this man's sign said, "I'm a Fool for Jesus."

People would walk toward this man, read the sign, and think, "How ridiculous. " When they turned to take another look at this person, they saw on the back of the sign this question, "Whose Fool are You?"

The man's sign could have said, "I Have Yielded to the Lord's Control," and then ask, "Who Controls You?"

In the text, David has yielded to the Lord's control and makes several requests that illustrate his desire. We can learn from this example of David's that when a person yields to the Lord's control they"

Seek His control through the Law

Seek His control over Sin

Seek His control over Words and Thoughts

Please follow in your Bible as we develop these three points.
 
 

EXPLANATION
In this Psalm, David makes several statements about God's Word. He also uses several terms to define what we call the Old Testament and what the Word of God accomplishes. Notice the following:

Term Statement Accomplishment

v 7    Law Perfect Restoring the Soul

v 7    Testimony Sure Make wise

v 8    Precepts Right Rejoicing the Heart

v 8    Command Pure Enlightening the Eyes

v 9    Fear of the Lord Clean Enduring Forever

v 9    Judgments True, Righteous More Desirable than Gold

David had a high and lofty view of God's Word.  The Word of God is always held in a place of high esteem by those who seek his control.

ILLUSTRATION   
A clergyman took a seat in a dining car on a train traveling along the Hudson River. Opposite him was an atheist who, seeing his clerical collar, started a discussion. "I see you are a clergyman." "Yes," came the reply. "I am a minister of the gospel." "I suppose you believe the Bible." The clergyman, orthodox in his views, responded, "I certainly do believe the Bible to be the Word of God." "But aren't there things in the Bible you can't explain?" With humility the minister answered, "Yes, there are places in the Bible too hard for me to understand." With an air of triumph as though he had cornered the preacher, the atheist asked, "Well, what do you do then?" Unruffled, the clergyman went on eating his dinner--which happened to be Hudson shad, a tasty fish but noted for its bony structure. Looking up, he said, "Sir, I do just the same as when eating this shad. When I come to the bones, I put them to the side of the plate and go on enjoying my lunch. I leave the bones for some fool to choke on.  

Application

If anyone wishes to have their life controlled by the Lord, they will have a very high opinion of the Bible. They will read it, study it, and seek to apply it in their life. When it is applied one has a desire to stop sinning. Notice verses 12 and 13 and David's desire to have the Lord's control over sin.
 
 

EXPLANATION
In verse 12 David's love for the teaching of God convicts him of his errors and hidden or unknown faults. His desire to be a godly person causes him to be concerned about the possibility of sin in his life that he didn't even know he had committed. What might unknown sin be?

It could be sin caused from ignorance,  or a new Christian may not know,   an uneducated Christian may not know,   it could be sin caused by not thinking.

People taking sick days when you're not sick.

It Could be caused by a cold and indifferent heart of a person far away from the Word of God.

David, in verse 13 asks that the Lord control him and keep him from presumptuous sin. He realized that there were times when he knew full well what he was doing and just did it anyway. It is self willed sin. It is of set purpose. It is planned or premeditated. David didn't want his lifestyle to be one of looking for ways to sin. He asked for the Lord's control. He did not want sin to rule his life and he realized he needed the Lord inside his being controlling what his lifestyle would be.

ILLUSTRATION
While pastoring the Charity Church in Carlinville, Illinois, one of our members had an unusual experience. Mr. Bates had purchased the best paint he could buy for the stucco walls on the outside of his home. He then had the home painted. Much to everyone's surprise, in a matter of weeks the paint began to peel and fall off. Mr.

Bates went to the paint store and complained. They said there was no way that the quality of paint used would peel. They wanted to blame the painter. The painter said he had done everything properly. Finally the paint manufacturer sent a representative out to investigate. They found that the paint used was interior paint. However, the paint can labels said exterior use only.

APPLICATION

It is what's inside that counts. You and I can have many labels, but what's inside will determine what our lives produce. David wanted the Lord's control so errors and sins would not come out of his being and produce a sinful lifestyle. Now notice verse 14.
 
 

EXPLANATION
Included in the great texts of the Bible would be this 14^th verse. David's desire for the words of his mouth and the meditations of his heart to be acceptable in the sight of the Lord. David was saying, "make all the words that I speak and all the thoughts my mind and heart linger on be acceptable to you, Lord." He wanted them to be such as the Lord would approve.

The theme of David's request in there verses supposes:

    That God can so control a human being if they yield to Him.

    That it is proper for a sincere person to request the Lord's control.

 The last part of verse 14 indicates why David thought he could make this request. He calls the Lord, "my strength (or rock) and my redeemer." When you yield to the control of the Lord, He becomes your strength and redeemer.

ILLUSTRATION
Rev. Gregory Oravec,  sent the following stories to the editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. In the country church of a small village an altar boy serving the priest at Sunday mass accidentally dropped the cruet of wine. The village priest struck the altar boy sharply on the cheek and in a gruff voice shouted: "Leave the altar and don't come back!" That boy became Tito, the Communist leader.

In the cathedral of a large city an altar boy serving the bishop at Sunday mass accidentally dropped the cruet of wine. With a warm twinkle in his eyes the bishop gently whispered: "Someday you will be a priest." That boy grew up to become Archbishop Fulton Sheen. And Rev. Gregory Oravec adds: "Oh, the power of words, be they written or spoken!"

APPLICATION

What about our words? Are they acceptable unto the Lord? What about our thoughts? All of us need to be yielded to the Lord's control.

The first step in yielding to the control of the Lord is to repent of sin and invite Christ to control your life. We sing an invitation hymn for you to do that today.