SERIES : SUMMER IN THE PSALMS
week 1 - Building The Blessed Life
Pastor Timothy Porter
Text: Psalm 1:1-6
INTRODUCTION:
What would happen if you told God how you really feel or what you really think? Have you ever found yourself praying the same words over and over again without really opening up with God?
Starting today we begin a journey through the psalms.
God is big enough to handle all your pain, rage, fear, desire for control, prejudice, greed, doubt, unfulfilled longings… or any other thoughts or feelings stirring inside you.
He’s inviting us to take off our mask and spend this summer in the Psalms.
The entire collection of Psalms is entitled Praises in the Hebrew text. Later, rabbis often designated it “The Book of Praises.” The Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the OT, labeled it “Psalms”
The Greek verb from which the noun psalms comes basically denotes the “plucking or twanging of strings,” so that an association with musical accompaniment is implied.
The English title derives from the Greek term and its background. The Psalms constituted Israel’s ancient, God-breathed
(2 Tim. 3:16) “hymnbook,” which defined the proper spirit and content of worship.
From the divine perspective, the Psalter points to God as its author. When approaching authorship from the human side, one can identify a collection of more than seven composers. King David wrote at least seventy-three of the one hundred and fifty psalms
Today I want to walk you through Psalms 1 and teach you how to seek and build the blessed life.
1.) STREET (VS 1)
BUILDING THE BLESSED LIFE INVOLVES TAKING THE RIGHT STREET.
A street that is sererated from all the traffic like I-85 or 123
A street with guard rails
The guard rails keep the blessed life from
a] Believing like the wicked - when you are building the blessed life you dont listen to the doubt speaking, people and the nasayers- your hearing is turned to a higer tone.
b] Behaving like the wicked 2 Cor 5:17
c] Belonging with thre wicked 2 Cor 6:17
Guard rails keep the building materials on the the street. they keep you from running off the road or in the ditch.
Look at Lot in Gen 19 Lot tried to take country short cut and it lead him in a downward tail spin and eventually total down fall
Look a the Apostle Paul - After Pauls Damacus road experience with Jesus, Paul was sent to the house of a man named Judas. He was a wreck and total mess but he was on a street called AStright ( by the way that stree still exist today in Damascus. It rund from the E. gate to W. gate the nme is Darb El-Mustaqim)
Many of you today need to find the street called Stright.
a] It's where you are converted
b] It's where you learn to pray
c] Dicover God's will for your life
d] You openly and publicaly identify with Jesus
e] You find community
f] You becom a living wittness
The person choosing to build the blessed life realizes there is a huge difference between theirself and the world
Psalm 1:1 (NKJV) 1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2.) SATISFACTION (VS 2)
The person building the blessed life is T-Totally satisified b/c they are genuinely and completely in love with the word of God.
Psalm 1:2 (NKJV) 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.
Let me say it like this - You would'nt intenionally choose someone evil to hang out with b/c you know they will lead you astray. If you do then you need to find your way to stright street.
Ps 1 does not give us a list of wicked peopel, actions, or ideas to stay away from.
However it does say that the eaiest way to know what to avoid is to focus on the source of blessedness.
That source is the precious word of God! The bible says we are to meditate on it day and night.
Building the blessed life is satisifing b/c the beautiful word of God has captured their full affection.
Thw word delight = satisfaction or pleasure.
The B-I-B-L-E IT IS THE BOOK FOR ME !
IT IS IN FALLIABLE, INERRANT, LIVING, AND ABSOLUTELY PERFECT IN EVERY WAY!
B/C we delight in it that means we are building on a foundation that will grow you, prosper you and even advance you into light years ahead of everyone else.
This book is the food or material you need to build the blessed life.
Milk for the young - 1 Peter 2:2
Bread for everyone - "Jesus said I am the bread of life" John 6:51
Meat for the growing
Honey for thoes in need - Ps. 19:10
If you are hungary and eager to learn the word of God you will be eager to obey it
Obediance brings Life!
Meditation brings about a comusing fire and its satisfing
3.) SUCCESS (vs 3)
Psalm 1:3 (NKJV) 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
Building the blessed life is not just a street, or is it satisfiing, it's also Success
we see in vs. 3 promises but they are conditional.
Let me explain = when you live a seperatred life and feed on your soul on the milk, bread, meat and honey of God's word. You can expect to see things start happening.
The Psalmist says you will be:
In a Position - You are a tree by the river
You will be Productive- Bringing forth fruit
? Old apple tree in the cow pasture. Man, cows, birds and insects all benefited from the fruit off this old tree.
? You may never know just who is feeding off your life!
You are Prosperious (prosperity) - The Bible does talk about prosperity1 God will bless the person building the blessed life.
He will bless their personal, family, business, Church, amnd spiritual life.
This does not mean there will not be storms along the way - what it does mean is you will be able to withstand whatever comes your way b/c Jesus ias on the boat with you.
My question to this morning is this???
how does you life square up to the Ps. 1
When you are building something you have to have something plumb or square to start square.
Amos 7:7-8 (NKJV) 7 Thus He showed me: Behold, the Lord stood on a wall made with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand.
8 And the LORD said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said: "Behold, I am setting a plumb line In the midst of My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore.
Isaiah 28:17 (NKJV) 17 Also I will make justice the measuring line, And righteousness the plummet; The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, And the waters will overflow the hiding place.
Plumb Line - Square - Level
** For preaching slides email me tim.porter89@gmail.com or www.bridgechurcheasley.com
