Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Detailed outline: “Life's Alternatives” TBC March 15, 2015 Psalm 1

“Life's Alternatives”  TBC    March 15, 2015 Psalm 1
 
Introduction
The Bible doesn’t wash over immorality. It makes clear distinctions about the consequences of the choices people make.
The Bible encourages godly living and discourages wicked living.
Why does it want to that?
Because there is an eternal difference between the way of the Godly and the way of the wicked.

I. The Way of the Godly (1-2)
A. Actively avoids evil influences
1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

“Blessed is the man” This could be translated Happy or Blissful is the man.  The imagery here is of someone who lives in fellowship with the Lord.
The psalmist describes how the godly person, this blessed man or woman, will do two things. The first one here is to actively avoid evil influences.
There seems to be progression of negative involvement.
>walks not in the counsel of the wicked------------------- going after the advice of the wicked
>nor stands in the way of sinners-----------------------participating with outright sinners.
>sits in the seat of scoffers; .----------------------- joining with those who mock the Lord.
Those who take with contempt the things of the Lord.

A godly person is one who will actively avoid those progressively bad influences.

You might be thinking.
Aren’t we supposed to seek to have a positive influence for the Lord in all sorts of circumstances?

Yes, but you need to ask, who is influencing whom?  The first issue is discernment.

It is more important for you to live a holy life, than to go into an environment which might cause you to stumble with a vague  urge to be a positive influence for the Lord.

The Apostle John wrote concerning the influence of false teachers:
2 John 1:10-11 (ESV)
10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.
The godly individual...
B. Actively delights & Meditates on the Lord
2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

The first verse was the negative of what to avoid. This verse speaks of the positive of what to pursue
We should have great pleasure toward the law of the Lord.
God’s word helps us live in harmony with His perfect will.

The word of God is powerful....

The author of Hebrews writes:
Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
A godly person actively mediates and delights in the word of God.

Meditation in our current American culture has the sense of emptying one’s mind.
Mediation in the Bible has the sense of filling one’s mind with the word of God.

Verses 1 and 2 looked at the way of the Godly in first actively avoiding evil and secondly in actively delighting and meditating on the law of the Lord.

II. The Future of the Godly (3)
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
The future of the godly is someone who is solidly rooted in the character and purposes of God.

A commentator said
[K & D] 86]1-3} The green foliage is an emblem of faith which converts the water of life of the divine word into sap and strength, and the fruit, and emblem of works, which gradually ripen and scatter their blessings around; a tree that has lost its leave, does not bring its fruit to maturity.

[application]
Bloom where the Lord has planted you. He wants to use your circumstances as an opportunity for His grace and power to be revealed in His perfect time.

Jesus uses another type of imagery describing the value of listening to His Word and putting it into practice.
Matthew 7:24-25 (ESV)
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

III. The Future of the Wicked (4)
4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

The future of the wicked is ultimately unstable.
From God’s perspective it is like chaff that the wind blows away.

Jesus also uses this contrast.
Matthew 7:26 (ESV)
26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
IV. The Final Judge (5)
A. Responding to the wicked
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

Ultimately there is a judgment. It is more enjoyable to preach that God is love, which is true. But need to recognize and remember that God along with being love, He is holy, righteous and just.

B.  Responding to the Righteous. 
6 for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

The way of the righteous is characterized by Love for God and Love for Man.

(Mark 12:30 NIV)  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' (Mark 12:31 NIV)  The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
Fill your mind with the good things that God has provided.    
Philippians 4:8 (ESV)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV)  For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. "
                                                                     
Right thinking leads to right living.                   


                                   

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