Do you want to have a Happy New Year in 2007? Do you want to live a happy life in 2007? Well, the Psalmist tells us how in the opening hymn of his hymnal.
Here the Psalmist presented two ways of living life. In fact, this psalm provides the “door way” as it were to the remainder of the psalter, as well as to life itself. And as an introduction to the Book of Psalms, the psalmist tells his readers that there are two ways of living life. If you want to live a happy life and have a happy New Year, this year, the Psalmist unlocks the door in Psalm 1.
So, from God’s perspective life is a lot more simple than the way we sometimes see it. In fact, I regret simplifying the matter so today, but from God’s viewpoint we are living life one of two ways: A Happy Life or A Hazardous Life. To have a Happy New Year, you must choose The Happy Way Of Living Life described in verses 1-3.
I. THE HAPPY WAY OF LIVING LIFE verses 1-3
What the Psalmists gives us here is “the way of the righteous,” as he characterizes it in verse 6, “For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous.” This is the godly life that comes to us in Jesus Christ. Paul characterizes this life as our reign in life by Christ having received “the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness” in Romans 5:17. We are righteous in our spirit and we have the mind of Christ in our soul (1 Corinthians 2:16). The Psalmist says this way of life is “Blessed.” Living the happy way of life is a happy inner state regardless of the outer circumstances. It is a restful, peaceful place to live. To live this way, there are three aspects to getting there in Christ. There are some:
1. NEGATIVE REFUSALS TO MAKE verse 1
Life is not all positive. We must say NO to some things in life!
a. “Walk not with the wicked” Don’t live your life guided by those going away from God. The “ungodly” are literally the loose ones, those out of touch with God. So don’t follow the advice of evil men. Don’t live out your like under the influence of those who are not walking with God. As Christians, and as a Church all too often we listen to the counsel of those who are out of touch with God. So, don’t do it!
b. “stand not with sinners” Don’t hang around with sinners. Now you can’t avoid them all together because you live in the world with them, but you are not of the world. So, don’t stay around too long with those who are “missing the mark.” Don’t find your fellowship in the company of those habitually falling short! Just don’t do it!
c. “sit not in the seat of scoffers” Don’t settle down, assemble or habitually associate with those who ridicule or make light of God or His people or other peoples religion or relationship with God. I don’t know if you caught it or not, but there is a progressive flow to these three perfect tense verbs indicating never allow this to happen.
I know It’s difficult to say no these days. Why do you think diets are so difficult. We want the taste of banana pudding and not put on pounds. But the truth is, if we are to live a happy life in 2007, there are some negative refusals to make. However, there are also some:
2. POSITIVE PURSUITS TO TAKE verse 2
This is the key to living a happy life, the beginning of so living! In fact, you can have a new beginning if you take a positive pursuit. Every day and every year is an opportunity for a new beginning.
a. “Delight in the law” This means to be preoccupied with, to take joy and pleasure into something. It means to have a desire, interest and concern for something. For the Psalmist this was the Law of God. For him this may have meant the Pentateuch or possibly the whole of the Old Testament. “Torah” was the word for law and it’s meaning is to throw or shoot, to point, to teach or instruct. This refers to the revealed will of God as His guide to His people. For us we are to delight in God’s directions. And His directions come to us by His Holy Spirit through the written Word, the Holy Bible, the whole Word of God as the author reveals, illuminates and interprets it to each of us personally. We will live a happy life if we delight in God’s directions and will for our lives.
b. “Meditate in it day and night” Literally this word means to murmur, mutter, speak with low voice reflecting concentrating. We are to constantly keep the Word on your mind, mulling it over until it becomes the ruling force in your life. You are to think on it, memorize it, engraft it into your mind and heart so that you can live happily and victoriously. In Christ, just remember that you have the mind of Christ dwelling in your soul. And the Holy Spirit sealed inside your spirit to be your guide and to teach you everything you need to know. We must know from the Word and by the Spirit what God says about who we are in Christ and to Him if we’re to be happy! The most positive pursuit to get there is to fix your eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) and set your mind on things above (Colossians 3:1-2). To live a Happy Life, there are some negative refusals to make, some positive pursuits to take and there are some:
3. TREMENDOUS DIVIDENDS TO BE PAID verse 3
The image here is of a tree whose roots have grown deep and strong. A happy, godly life in Christ will be anchored, steadfast and firm. You will be able to ride out the storms of life when they come your way. A well nourished life with roots grown deep will yield a happy life, one that brings forth fruit. And the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, and self-control. These will characterize your life regardless what may be going on around you at any given time if you keep your focus on God.
The picture here is that of a fruitful and useful tree. So, living a happy life means we will have meaning and purpose and bear fruit to the glory of God. Your Christian life will have vitality, inner fellowship with the Lord and outward blessing in service to your fellowman. After all the Law of Love is to unconditionally and sacrificially love the Lord you God with all your heart and soul and love your neighbor as yourself!
However in conclusion I must indicate to you that there is one other option in terms of living life: There is:
II. THE HAZARDOUS WAY OF LIVING LIFE verses 4-6
There is a radical difference in the two ways of living life as indicated by the double negative in verse 4. Literally rendered from the Hebrew verse 4 would read “not so the wicked not so.” Their way of living life leaves them as described in four ways as I read these verses. They are:
1. Helpless in the Here and Now verse 4b
“Like chaff which the wind driveth away” The picture is that of grain being threshed on the threshing floor. Even the lightest wind blows the husk away from the threshing floor like a reed in the wind as Paul would put it. The ungodly are on their own for they are out of touch with God. They have no substance. They are spiritually dead, therefore useless to God and helpless to His purposes. When the storms of life come they have nothing to hold on to. They are dependent to cope with life out of their own resources for they are without God in the world.
2. Have no Hope in the Hereafter verse 5a
“Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment” The ungodly being, “out of touch” with God have no basis upon which to stand in the presence of a holy God. We have no righteousness of our own outside of Jesus Christ. Our righteousness is as filthy rags. Christ is our righteousness. He is the solid rock upon which we can stand. However, the ungodly are not safe on Judgment Day!
3. Horrified in the Home of Heaven’s Family verse 5b
Those who are habitually missing the mark are actually horrified in the presence of people living for God. Those who continually live for Self, can’t be comfortable in the congregation of the righteous, the worshipping community. I could sense the nervousness of a family member during the past Christmas season as we just talked face to face. No wonder lost people don’t come to church, they don’t want to be around the Spirit of God! A sinner just can’t continue to look a saint in the face!
4. Headed straight for Hell verse 6b
“. . . but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” The Presbyterian minister, Clarence McCartney once said, “perish is the most harassing word in the Bible.” Literally it means a road that leads nowhere. Harold Bryson told the story about returning to Memphis, Tennessee after they had built a new Interstate near the airport there. Every road he took led to a dead end or a fence in the road as he attempted to get to the airport. Each road he took led nowhere.
Where is the road you are on leading? What kind of life are you living? Are you living a Happy Life or a Hazardous Life? What kind of year do you want to have in 2007? There’s a way to have a great New Year and live a happy life in 2007 through giving your life to Jesus Christ!
There’s a poem by Joseph Addison Alexander that I believe drives home the urgency for someone here today. It’s untitled to my knowledge and goes like this:
There is a time, we know not when,
A place, we know not where;
Which marks the destiny of men
To glory or despair.
There is a line, by us unseen,
Which crosses every path,
Which marks the boundary between
God’s mercy and his wrath.
To pass that limit is to die,
To die as if by stealth;
It does not dim the beaming eye,
Nor pale the glow of health.
The conscience may be still at ease,
The spirit light and gay;
And that which pleases still may please,
And care be thrust away.
But on that forehead God hath set
Indelibly a mark;
Unseen by man, for man as yet,
Is blind and in the dark.
He feels perchance that all is well
And every fear is calmed;
He lives, he dies, he walks in hell,
Not only doomed, but damned!
O, where is that mysterious line
That may by men be crossed,
Beyond which God himself hath sworn,
That he who goes is lost?
An answer from the skies repeats,
“Ye who from God depart.”
Today, O hear His voice,
Today repent and harden not your heart.
(A portion of this outline and content came from a sermon I heard preached by Harold T. Bryson)
