BLESSED IS THE MAN
Psalms 1
Intro: In thinking on this evening’s message I thought of the times the Lord has blessed me in my life. I meditated on the fact that I am saved from hell. I have a good place to live and food in my refrigerator. But I also realize that I personally have been in a spiritual drought. And it could be that some of you are there as well. This is not a strange occurrence as we all have and will experience these times. But it doesn’t have to stay like this for me and you. There are some things be can do that I will guarantee you if we will try them the showers of blessings will fall again upon our heart. I want to preach this evening on the subject “BLESSED IS THE MAN”.
I. BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT
A. Walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly
1. This part of the verse emphasizes the distinction between the righteous and ungodly
2. True believer can be distinguished by the things they don’t do, the places they do not go, and the company they do not keep
B. Nor standeth in the way of sinners
1. How do we stand in their way?
A. The way we live in front of them
B. Our failure to witness to them
C. By sitting in the seat of the scornful
C. Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful
1. Scorn - 1 : open dislike and disrespect or derision often mixed with indignation
2. Indignation - anger aroused by something unjust, unworthy, or mean
II. BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT
A. Delights in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night
1. If we are ever going to be blessed we are going to have to eschew evil and cleave to that which is good
2. We need and insatiable desire to read and study God’s Word.
3. We are going to have to build our life around God’s Word
4. We are going to have to meditate on His Word to get some things in shape:
A. Our thinking
B. Our Attitudes
C. Our Actions
III. BLESSED IS THE MAN (Psalms 32:2)
A. Unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile
B. If we want God to treat us as righteous we are going to have to be righteous
IV. BLESSED IS THE MAN (Psalms 34:8)
A. …that trusteth in him
1. We are going to have to learn to trust in the:
A. On the mountain top (Easy Trust)
B. In the valley. This is where most people fail to trust the Lord
B. Psalms 23:4 Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I shall fear no evil, for thous art with me. Thy rod and they staff they comfort me
C. He’s promised he would be there if we would trust him
D. (Jeremiah 17:7) Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
V. BLESSED IS THE MAN (Psalms 94:12)
A. Whom thou chasteneth, O Lord, and teachest him out of they law
B. When the Lord chastens us he is doing us a great favor and trying to show us some things:
1. (Hebrews 12:6) He is showing us he still loves us
A. For who the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son who he receiveth
B. All the nights we have spent crying tears of sorrow because we hurt God and he has had to punish us has not gone unnoticed
2. (Hebrews 12:7) He is giving us an assurance of his love and concern for us
A. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons…
VI. BLESSED IS THE MAN (James 1:12)
A. that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
B. The key word in that verse is “endureth”.
C. ENDURE: 1 : to undergo (as a hardship) especially without giving in : S
2 : to regard with acceptance or tolerance
1 : to continue in the same state :
2 : to remain firm under suffering or misfortune without yielding
D. We will be blessed on how we endure our temptation
E. Ask yourself this question: How do I handle my time of testing?
1. Do we complain about our misfortunes or do we rejoice and thank the Lord for them?
2. Do we advertise our trials or do we bear them quietly?
3. Do we live in the future, waiting for our circumstances to improve, or do we live in the present seeking to see the hand of God in all that comes to us?
4. Do we indulge in self pity or do we indulge ourself into the service of others?
5. Do we help others bear their burdens or do we pass them by and say good luck?
Close: So do you want to be blessed? I do!! Your being blessed depends on how you decide to live for the Lord. If you decide to live loosely the there will be few blessings. But if you decide to walk upright and in the pathways of righteousness then the showers of blessings will fall once again.
