Believers that Won’t Be Blown Away (Psalm 1)
Please turn in your Bibles to Psalm 1 as we begin a new sermon series. For the next eight weeks we are going to be in the book of Psalms. Some of you might already be checking out, or at least wondering, “what am I going to get out of this?” Because isn’t Psalms just a book of poetry? How does a hymnbook help me with my daily life? I need something more practical.
Think of Psalms as a book of practical poetry. It is for artists and engineers. Musicians and military. Creative thinkers and concrete thinkers. Psalms is for you.
Next week we will get in to some of the structure and features of this book, but this week, I wanted to just jump in with Psalm 1, because it is seen by a lot of theologians as an introduction to the entire book. So I would invite you to stand in honor of the reading of God’s word as we read Psalm 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; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 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 wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”
??Psalms? ?1:1-6? ?ESV??????
We can think of Psalm 1 as a song with three stanzas and a coda. The first stanza is going to teach us about the posture of the pilgrim. The second stanza deals with promises to the planted. Stanza 3 is all about warnings to the wicked. Then the coda—the cherry on top, turns from talking about us as believers to talking about God—the character of the creator.
First Stanza: Posture of the Pilgrim (v. 1-2)
The first stanza, verses 1-2, talks about the posture of the pilgrim. A pilgrim is someone who is on a journey, usually for religious purposes. The Psalmist is going to give us some guidance for how to be blessed on this journey, this pilgrimage, of life. In the Hebrew, the word blessed is actually plural, so you could say, “Blessings on top of blessings” for the man who…
Doesn’t walk in the counsel of the ungodly.
Think of “walking” as “how we live” [transition]. If someone said to you, “How is your walk with the Lord,” you would know what they meant. Ephesians 4:1 Paul says we are to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we’ve been called. The invitation Jesus gives us is to “follow him.” So we have a choice. We can either “walk with the wise and become wise” as it says in Proverbs 13:20, or we can walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Verse 1 makes us ask the question, who do you listen to? Who are you influenced by? Who do you get advice from?
Does this mean that we should only go to Christian doctors, or only consult with a Christian financial planner, or only use a Christian realtor? Should we enroll our kids in a Christian school and only consider a Christian college? Not necessarily. But realize that the foundation of our worldview is going to be our relationship with Jesus. There isn’t an area of our lives that the Lordship of Jesus won’t profoundly influence. Verse 1 says the man who doesn’t “walk in the counsel of the ungodly” is blessed.
Stand in the Way of Sinners
If “walk” is about how we live, then “Stand” is about how we fight [transition]. Paul wrote to the Ephesians and said (Epg. 6:13)
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
Again, If someone said to you, “What do you stand for,”, you would understand exactly what they meant. What do you believe in? What do you fight for? And what do you fight against? The Psalmist says we are blessed if we don’t “stand in the way of” (which means to stand with) sinners. Standing “in the way of sinners” means lining yourself up in opposition to God’s rule and plan for our lives. So there are blessings on top of blessings for the one who doesn’t stand with sinners. Now, I want to be careful here because I think this is a place where I could be misunderstood. Are we supposed to reject sinful people? No. We are to show the love of Jesus to all people, especially sinners, because we ourselves are sinners. Paul said “Christ died to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.” (1 Tim. 1:15) I’m not saying you reject sinful people, but sinful practices.
Sit in the Seat of Scoffers
The last posture verse 1 talks about is sitting. If walking is about how we live, and standing is about how we fight, think of “sitting” as being about where we rest. [transition]
The Psalmist says “Blessed is the man who does not sit in the seat of scoffers.” What is a scoffer? A scoffer is one who scoffs. Who mocks. Who tears down instead of builds up. Cynical. Sarcastic. So to sit in the seat of scoffers means that you are most comfortable with cynicism and sarcasm. You’re resting position is with those who mock and tear down instead of building up.
What’s the alternative? Look st verse 2:
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
The alternative is to delight in the law of the Lord. Who delights in the law? Mike Vineyard, have you ever stopped someone for speeding, and when you told them they were going 70 in a 45 zone, did they say, “Oh, the speed limit is 45? That’s delightful.” Of course you haven’t. It isn’t natural for us to take pleasure in following God. Even though God created us to enjoy him forever, sin has corrupted our desires so that “delighting in the law of the Lord” doesn’t feel natural.
Do you notice that all of the references I have here are from the book of Ephesians? There is a reason for that. [Transition]
Watchman Nee was a pastor in the Chinese church. He was born in 1903 and was converted to Christianity at age 17, and within two years began holding worship gatherings that would grow into the “local church” movement and involve millions of Chinese Christians. When the Communist revolution swept over China in 1949, Watchman Nee was sent to prison, and he died in a Chinese labor camp in 1972.
Watchman Nee wrote a commentary on the book of Ephesians called “Sit, Walk, Stand.” [transition] It is an amazing little book. It’s only 90 pages. You can read it in a weekend.
Here’s what he wrote in his commentary on the book of Ephesians:
"The Christian life consists of sitting with Christ, walking by Him and standing in Him. We begin our spiritual life by resting in the finished work of the Lord Jesus. That rest is the source of our strength for a consistent and unfaltering walk in the world. And at the end of a grueling warfare with the hosts of darkness we are found standing with Him at last in triumphant possession of the field."
Watchman Nee
You might notice that this “Sit, walk, stand” is the opposite order of Psalm 1 [transition]
In Psalm 1, the ungodly walk, then stand, then sit. But Watchman Nee, saw in Ephesians that the the Christian begins by sitting [transition]— resting the finished work of Christ. He points out Ephesians 2:
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”
??Ephesians? ?2:4-6? ?ESV??????
Once we are seated with Christ, then we can begin our walk with Christ [transition]. Just a few verses after this, check out Eph. 2:10:
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
??Ephesians? ?2:10? ?ESV??????
And its only through following Jesus, walking with him, that we know what to stand for. [transition] Otherwise, we stand for the wrong things and we wind up falling for anything.
So to sum up, the posture of the pilgrim is seated with Christ instead of seated with the scoffers; walking as children of light instead of in the counsel of the ungodly, and standing against the evil one instead of in the way of sinners. We do this by delighting in the law of the Lord. Meditating on God’s law day and night. Next week, we are going to be looking at two of the Psalms that focus on God’s Word. And I want to ask you to come ready to share the passages of Scripture that have meant the most to you in your life. We are going to have microphones set up all over the sanctuary, and I’ll invite you to share your most significant life verses out loud.
But now, let’s look at the promises God makes to the one who delights in God’s law, and meditates on it day and night. [transition]
Second Stanza: Promises to the Planted (v. 3)
Verse 3 says, “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.”
There are three promises the Lord makes to the one who is in Christ:
1. Permanence: “He is like a tree planted by streams of water”— Even though a tree doesn’t live forever, it’s the closest thing we have on earth to something being permanent. When we were in Israel, we saw an olive tree in the garden of Gethsemane that was over 2000 years old. It would have been there when Jesus was praying in the garden. Psalm 1 says that the man who delights in the law of the lord is like that tree.
2. Productivity — “which yields its fruit in season” this is a productivity that trusts in god’s timing. There is a season to everything (Ecclesiastes 3)
3. Prosperity -- Please don’t misunderstand me here. This word prosperity has been so corrupted by the false prosperity gospel that we’re scared to talk about what the bible teaches on the prosperity of the believer. But the Bible teaches that those who are rooted and established in God’s word as Psalm 1 describes it will prosper in all they do.
• Dt. 29:9: Therefore keep the words of this covenant and do them, that you may prosper[fn] in all that you do.
• Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the LORD commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed. (1 Chronicles 22:13)
I believe this means that things generally have a way of working out for the good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. If that sounds naïve to you, then realize that I didn’t come up with it. It is a promise from God’s word.
Third Stanza: Warnings for the Wicked (v. 4-5) [Transition]
Just as there are promises for the planted, there are warnings for the wicked: Verses 4-5
“The wicked are not so. But are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.”
• Instability in this world (v. 4): “Not so the wicked. They are like chaff which the wind blows away.” Realize that the wind is going to blow against the wicked and the righteous. The rain will fall on both the just and the unjust. Jesus told Simon peter that “Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat.” (Luke 22:31). The question we have to ask ourselves is, when the testing time comes, will the chaff be blown away, or will we be blown away. But the wicked will be blown away when the wind comes. They have no stability in the world.
Spend some time on this point. It’s the title of the sermon– Believers that won’t be blown away.
• Insecurity for the next world (v. 5)— “therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous” we will all stand before God one day. (2 cor 5:10: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”) what are you basing your security on when you do?
Coda: Care of the Creator (v. 6)
“For the Lord knows the way of the righteous.” Know is Yada, (Seinfeld—yada yada yada) and it is more than intellectual knowledge. It is intimate knowledge.
Psalm 31:7 (ESV)
I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul,
Psalm 37:18 (ESV)
The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever;
Psalm 44:21 (ESV)
would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart.
Psalm 69:5 (ESV)
O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.
Psalm 69:19 (ESV)
You know my reproach, and my shame and my dishonor; my foes are all known to you.
Psalm 91:14 (ESV)
"Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.
Psalm 94:11 (ESV)
the LORD--knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath.
Psalm 103:14 (ESV)
For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
Psalm 139:1 (ESV)
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
Psalm 139:2 (ESV)
You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.
Psalm 139:4 (ESV)
Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
Psalm 139:23 (ESV)
Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
Invitation: Does God know you? Are you sitting, resting in him?
