Characteristics Of A Successful Believer Series

Pastor Allan Kircher

Shell Point Baptist Church

Oct 13th 2013

Psalm 1:1-6

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SUCCESSFUL BELIEVER

See how this Book of Psalms opens with a benediction,

Who wants to be blessed of God?

• Most would answer "I do."

• Your presence/indicates your interest/God's blessing

• Your desire to be blessed of the Lord.

The First step in God's way of blessing is salvation.

• The message of the entire Bible.

• There is no formula/blessing does not begin with faith.

Faith:

• Foundation/Christian character/security of the soul.

• In Christ basis of all working, all sanctification, and all hope.

• Gives birth to prayer/trust/godly desire

• Finally to blessing from God.

• Psalm 1 assumes that salvation has already taken place

====================================

There are many yardsticks by which men measure success.

• wealth, power, position, prestige

• All indicators of worldly success.

• However, measuring your spiritual success

• Your success as a Christian is a little more difficult.

Often, there is little tangible, visible evidence, which you can put your hands on to prove you are living a successful Christian life.

Generally, success/believer/more internal than external.

Small amount/external evidence we produce

• Result of much internal activity in our hearts and lives.

That is why it is difficult for God’s children, who live in a materialistic world, to gauge their success in their walk with God.

Thankfully Psalm 1 exists.

In this worthy doorkeeper to the psalms, we find insight into what

makes a believer successful.

As/plumb line/God’s Word moves alongside your life

• See how you measure up/God’s standard for successful Christian living.

• As we move through this Psalm, allow me to share with you The Characteristics of the Successful Believer.

========================================

I. v. 1 THE PATH OF THE SUCCESSFUL BELIEVER

Successful believer is separated in his walk of life.

• Devil is active and will put obstacles in your way.

• He will use those who are his to hinder and hurt you.

1. He doesn’t Believe like the wicked

He/man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly.

• doesn’t listen to their counsel

• to the invitations to evil

• Hearing is turned a little higher!

• He takes wiser counsel/walks/commandments/Lord his God.

To him the ways of piety are paths of peace and pleasantness.

• Footsteps/ordered/Word of God

• Not by the cunning and wicked devices of carnal men.

Rich sign of inward grace when the outward walk is changed, and when ungodliness is put far from our actions.

===================================

1. He doesn’t Behave like the wicked – 2 Cor. 5:17

• The old man has been put forever away!

• Stand not in the way of sinners.

• not mean standing against them

• But with them, agreeing with them.

• No, his company is of a choicer

• Although a sinner himself, he is now a blood-washed sinner, quickened by the Holy Spirit, and renewed in heart.

• Standing/rich grace/God/congregation/righteous

• He dares not herd with the multitude do evil.

======================================

2. He doesn’t Belong with the wicked – 2 Cor. 6:17

• "nor sits in the seat of mockers"

• Feels out of place when surrounded/devil’s crowd.

• Finds no rest in the atheist's scoffings.

• Let others make a mock of sin, of eternity, of hell and heaven, and of the Eternal God

• Too much sense/God's presence/endure/hear His name blasphemed.

• seat/mocker may be very lofty/very near/gate of hell

• Flee from it/soon be empty/destruction swallow up/man who sits there.

=====================================

Watch out for these dangers. Notice the progression.

• The downward progress!

• Walking in the counsel of the ungodly. Accepting advice.

• Standing in the way of sinners: being a party to its ways.

• Sitting in the seat of the mockers adopting its attitudes.

When men are living in sin they go from bad to worse.

At first they merely walk/counsel/careless/ungodly

• the evil is rather practical than habitual

• after that, they become habituated to evil

• they stand/way of open sinners who willfully violate God's commandments

• if let alone, they go one step further

• Become themselves pestilent teachers and tempters of others, and thus they sit in the seat/mockers.

Successful believer realizes there is a vast difference between him and the world he was saved out of, and he lives accordingly!

========================================

II. v. 2 THE PLEASURE OF THE SUCCESSFUL BELIEVER

The successful believer is genuinely/completely/love/Word/God.

A. The Word Has Captured His Full Affection – Delight = Pleasure!

• Word/God isn’t a Book of fables, myths and legends.

• To/child of God/very Word of Truth.

• It is God-breathed and infallible, inerrant/absolutely perfect.

• He loves it and he lives it

• Finding/pages all he needs to grow and prosper for Jesus.

=======================================

The value of the Word: