Intro: What does it mean to be blessed? Who are the blessed? How can we be blessed? Psalm 128 declares a blessed life is when God is at the center of life and when that happens, the work, family and personal lives become all blessed by the Lord. Are you living a blessed life?
I. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BLESSED?
A. People usually associate blessings with material and financial matters only. But that is a false view and one that puts limitations on the great ability of God to bless.
B. To be blessed means to possess power for success and prosperity in both material and spiritual realms. To be blessed speaks of a rich and abundant life from God in the Physical (Deut. 15:14), Mental (Isa. 26:3), Emotional (Psa. 146:5), and Spiritual (Eph. 1:3).
II. WHO ARE THE BLESSED?
A. The Bible is clear on who is blessed in: Psa. 1:1; 32:1; 34:8; 84:5, 12; 119:1; 146:5, etc.
B. True blessedness is more connected with what you are in the Lord rather than what you have in the world!
III. HOW CAN WE BE BLESSED?
A. The condition of blessedness lies in our willingness to be obedient to God and His word (Psa. 128:1).
B. Blessedness comes when our lives are rooted and grounded in God and His word (Deut. 11:26-28).
C. You know you are blessed when your conscience is clean and at peace with both God and men (Acts 24:16).
D. Can we be blessed in our personal, work and home life if we disobey God’s word? No! (Amos 3:3).
1. To be blessed at WORK (Psa. 128:2).
God intended work to be a blessing but often it seems a curse to other people (Gen. 2:15). After man sinned and judgment came upon man and land, work became heavy and burdensome. Some statistics say that by the age 40 most people are sick, tired and miserable of their work.
(a) Work is a blessing when life is centered on God. Your years of labors will bring happiness and joy to your life and family.
(b) God may not give us all we WANT but He will certainly see that we have all that we NEED (Psa. 37:25; 55:22; Phil. 4:19).
(c) God guarantees us that if we get our focus right He will take care of us.
2. To be blessed at HOME (Psa. 128:3, 6)
(a) The blessing of a godly wife (Prov. 31:10)
(b) The blessing of godly children (Psa. 127:3)
3. To be blessed in PERSONAL (Psa. 128:4-5). Zion was viewed as the heart of the city, politically and spiritually. The psalmist confirms that the blessed life come from fearing and obeying God and then suggests that the Lord promises security and stability like Zion.
CONCLUSION: The blessed life is conditioned upon the God-centered life! And when life is centered upon God’s word and will, it becomes a wonderful blessed life that positively affects the work, home and personal life.
The blessed life all begins when a person realizes that he is a sinner under God’s judgment and sees his need for Jesus as Lord and Saviour. If you are not saved and born-again, all your earthly labors and efforts will all be in vain. Jesus said, "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36)
