Setting:Traditional Worship
Length: 33:24
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Title: The Present and Future of the Blessed, part 1
Commentary: part 1 is an emphasis on the present life
Main Scripture: Psalm 1
Main Topics:
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Introduction
-the Psalms are a completely different place in comparison to the historical books or the NT letters
-the Psalms are songs
-songs are poetry
-and poetry is not like any other writing in the Scriptures
-it’s structures have rhythm, balance and power
-it’s words are carefully chosen and tightly organized
-and meaning is found in surprising places
-let’s look at verse 1
1 Blessed is the man who
does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers
The psalm sings of a life of a blessed man
-“Blessed” means extremely happy or fulfilled
-but notice how this positive life is immediately described by a string of negatives….as what he does NOT do….is emphasized
-that he does NOT….walk in the counsel of the wicked, #1
-that he does NOT….stand in the way of sinners, #2
-and that he does NOT….sit in the seat of mockers, #3
-3 ways of really…saying the same thing
-the song speaks powerfully and poetically about a degenerative process that happens in our lives if we are not careful
-looking back on this year, all of us can find examples of how one sin led to another sin
-some of you might remember a sermon I preached last year on the nature of sin
-we looked at Galatians 5 and saw how sin was at war inside us
-you might remember the example I used of Cain in Genesis 4
-where Cain was angry that his sacrifice was not accepted by God
He comes to him in Genesis 4 and says in v.6
"Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?
7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?
But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."
The man in Psalm 1 is blessed….happy…fulfilled because his life is NOT like that
-he looks at his life and there is no evidence of such degeneration
-because….his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
-instead of a life spiraling out of control, the blessed life delights in the “law”….
-the word “law” in the original Hebrew can be better translated
“instruction” or “teaching”
-and the one who is blessed is the one who has made the commitment to meditate on this instruction…. “day and night”
-and this happy and fulfilled life is illustrated in vs.3 in a powerful way
-for the one who is blessed….fulfilled and happy is described as a tree
-verse 3 says…
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
-a striking illustration considering how dry and barren the Holy Land is
-what if this tree was given a different environment?
Whatever he does prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
But the psalmist cuts right to the point. He says
They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
-and let’s imagine that I am standing way up….on top of a hill
-threshing floor
-I was standing in the middle of a threshing floor
-the first process is called threshing
-the second process is called winnowing
-the tree and the chaff
-you might have already noticed that this Psalm is about comparisons
-the blessed vs. the wicked
-the tree vs. the chaff
-the wicked and righteous in vs.5-6
-which we will see next week
-this past year….for all of us…was filled with decisions we made
-the downward progressions we have experienced
-the commitment to follow God’s way
-NOT everyone makes this commitment
-Jesus said
Matt.: 7:13-14
13 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
-you would think that everyone who hears the truth would immediately choose the right way
Listen to part 2:
Here are more sermons on looking back into our past:
Part 1 mentions Genesis 4:7...how sin was working in Cain.
This is further explained in the following sermon:
Compare Psalm 1 with Matthew 5:3. Their unique positions in the Bible are similar.
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