God does not wait until chapter two before He tells us how we can receive a blessing. He starts off in chapter one, verse one.
The word translated, “Blessed,” is from the Hebrew word, “aishair” which simply means: “HAPPINESS.” Many people have different ideas on how to find happiness in this life.
Illus: Dr. Norman Vincent Peale has written a book called, “The Power of Positive Thinking.” In his books and teachings, he taught that to find happiness, all we need to do is think POSITIVE THOUGHTS.
This is a popular concept with many lost people, because to them, happiness does not depend on God but on their own POSITIVE THINKING! But remember, God’s Word says, in Prov. 14:12, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FALSE WAYS THAT SEEM RIGHT UNTO A MAN TRYING TO FIND HAPPINESS?
(1) SOME FEEL IT IS WHAT YOU HAVE
If they can just buy one of these and one of those, they are satisfied they will be happy. We live in a world today where people are addicted to shopping.
Listen, we live in an age where people LOVE THINGS and they will do anything to get them!
Illus: I heard about a woman that had a unique way of shopping. She entered the butcher shop one day and confronted the butcher with the news that she was pregnant and she asked what he was going to do about it?
Very reluctantly, the butcher finally said he would provide her with free meat until the child was 16. She agreed.
The baby was born, and it was a boy. Later when the boy was old enough, she would send him down to the butcher shop and very reluctantly the butcher would supply her with free meat each week.
The years went by, and he marked off each year on the calendar, waiting for the day he would no longer have to provide free meat to the woman and the boy.
Finally the boy was 16, and he came in for his weekly supply of free meat. While he was there, he said, “I will be sixteen tomorrow.” The butcher smiled and said, “Yes, I know! Go home and tell your mom this is the last week of free meat and watch the expression on her face."
When the boy arrived home he told his mother. The woman nodded and said, "Son, go back to the butcher and tell him that for the last sixteen years, I have had: free bread, free gas for my car, free milk for my family, and free groceries and watch the expression on his face!"
There are people who believe that to find happiness in this life, they must HAVE AN ABUNDANCE OF THINGS IN THEIR LIFE! And they will do anything to get them! ANYTHING!
Listen, the American people are living proof that things do not bring happiness. We have more people today that have more than any society on this earth, but look at the misery among the youth and adults in this nation.
(2) SOME FEEL IT IS WHAT YOU DO NOT HAVE
This thinking was prevalent during the 60’s. Many young people were very confused about life. They became known as the anti-establishment generation. They were against everything that their parents had provided for them.
HOW DID THEY REACH THIS CONCLUSION ABOUT LIFE?
They had been raised in the era of PEACE and PROSPERITY of the 50’s. Many of their parents had been through the “great depression.” Those parents had gone through a time when they did not have even the essentials of life, and they were determined that their children would not have to struggle and do without, the way they had to. So, they bought things that they never had when they were growing up during the depression for their children.
These parents gave them beautiful homes to live in, nice clothes, and an abundance of food, and took them to “nice” churches.
Young people with nothing to do become restless. They rebelled against “The Establishment.” They would live in tents and sleep in old Volkswagens because they were convinced that you did not need things in your life to be happy.
Thank God, some of them have come to know the Lord, and found out that happiness does not depend on WHAT WE HAVE or DO NOT HAVE!
(3) SOME FEEL HAPPINESS CAN ONLY BE ACQUIRED WHEN RELIGION HAS BEEN ABOLISHED
Illus: Carl Marx said, “The first requirement for people’s happiness is the abolition of religion.”
There are people today that are trying to take God out of everything, because they are convinced we will never have happiness until RELIGION HAS BEEN BANNED FROM THIS COUNTRY.
The author of this portion of scripture tells us how we can have happiness in our lives. We are told that there are THREE things we MUST NOT DO if we want to find HAPPINESS.
• The devil is constantly telling us what we are to do if we wish to find happiness in this life.
• God tells us things we must do to find happiness in our life.
I guess the question is, which of these two we are going to believe. God’s Word says -
I. WE HAVE TO CONSIDER OUR STEPS
Look at Psa. 1:1, we read, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly…”
Did you know you become like those you associate with? Isn’t that a frightening thought?
It is recognized that:
• You can associate with someone that is always cursing, and soon you will start cursing
• You can associate with someone that lies, and soon you will be lying
• You can associate with someone that steals, and soon you will be stealing
The word of God says, in 1 Cor. 15: 33, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”
God’s Word says we should not be not deceive about this; but many are. They are convinced that they can associate with the scum of the earth and it will not rub off on them.
We live in an evil world. HOW DID OUR SOCIETY BECOME THIS WAY?
As we associate with evil people, we have to be careful that we don’t become like them.
• The Hollywood crowd is evil. They know that if they can get people to spend hours watching them, they will become like them
• The homosexual life style is evil. They know that if they can get that lifestyle on television programs and get people watching them, they soon will become like them
As we travel through this life, we have to be careful of our “WALK.” Life is filled with many kinds of steps.
• Some steps lead TO HAPPINESS
• Some steps lead TO MISERY
Illus: If you are headed for the dump, and I see you going down the road and I jump in my car and follow you, then I am going to end up at the dump with you.
In the spiritual context, sometimes Christians will follow people who are lost, and act as if it will not affect them in the slightest! NOT SO ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF GOD!
Look at verse 1. We read, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly...”
God said that if you want happiness in your life you had better hang out with the godly. If you choose to hang out with the ungodly, they are going down a road that leads to misery and they will take you with them.
If we are going to find happiness in this life, WE HAVE TO CONSIDER OUR STEPS. .
Illus: Dr. Odell Belger has a home in Chimney Rock, NC, where he likes to go to relax. He said that in the summer time he is very conscious of the many dangerous snakes in the mountains. He said, “As I walk I am always watching where I put my feet.”
Every day in this Christian life, we have to WATCH OUR STEPS WHEN IT COMES TO WHO WE ARE WALKING WITH. It could be deadly! Bad company has destroyed the lives of some, and they don’t understand what brought them to where they are today.
WE HAVE TO CONSIDER OUR STEPS, and-
II. WE HAVE TO CONSIDER OUR STANDING
In Psa. 1:1, we read, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, NOR STANDETH IN THE WAY OF SINNERS...”
Notice, the Psalmist moves from WALKING to STANDING. In this context, “standing” indicates a more fixed position.
Each day, we have to walk with the ungodly and we have no choice in the matter. Some will have to go to work tomorrow and on that job there are some evil people. They are cursing, lying and telling one dirty joke after another. Listen, we have to make a living and we have to walk among people like this, but we do not have to stand around and listen to this garbage that comes out of their mouths.
STANDING is a deliberate choice. We do not have to STAND with the ungodly. STANDING with the ungodly will cause the child of God to backslide and get caught up in sin.
Illus: Years ago, a very famous evangelist set his office up on Bourbon street, in New Orleans. He had a national television ministry. He stood with those hookers for several years. One day, one came to him trying to seduce him and he said he told her that He was not interested, but if he ever backslid he would look her up! Guess what? He backslid.
Illus: Lot stood in the midst of Sodom and Gomorrah, and it cost him his reputation and his wife.
When we stand with evil, we are going to be corrupted.
Notice, he said they should not stand “in the way of sinners...” The word translated “sinners” is from the Hebrew word “hattayim” which means: “Those who miss the mark.”
As Christians, we want to find the HAPPINESS THAT GOD HAS FOR US. We should be friendly to the ungodly, but we cannot “hang out” with them. Why? Because they are not in agreement with what this Bible teaches.
God’s Word asks the rhetorical question, in Amos 3:3, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” The answer is ….NO!
Jesus gave us the example of being a friend to sinners. However, He did not “hang out” with them.
Illus: Jesus was a friend to the woman at the well. The Jews had no dealings with the Samaritan people. Most Jews would go out of their way to go around Samaria because they so despised the Jews. In fact, if even the shadow of a person known to be a Samaritan happened to fall across their food, they would refuse to eat it because they considered it to be unclean.
Jesus not only deliberately entered Samaria, He stopped at the city well. This was a popular spot. Samaritans got their water there. While He was there, along came a Samaritan woman. Jesus befriended her by asking her for a drink of water. That was quite a shock to her and to others that saw Him talk to her.
Jesus was a friend to sinners. He did not refuse to be around them, but HE DID NOT HANG OUT WITH SINNERS!
• He did not go to their dance halls
• He did not go to their night clubs
• He did not go to their gambling casinos
• He did not go to their anti-Bible concerts
• He did not go with them to watch their X-rated movies
A study of Christ’s life will show you that most of His life He STATIONED HIMSELF WITH BELIEVERS!
Many Christians can’t figure out why they do not have the HAPPINESS that the scripture speaks about. They do not realize that their deliberate choice to “hang out” with sinners is contrary to God’s Word, and is robbing them of the happiness God has for them
God’s Word says:
• In 2 Cor. 6:17, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord...”
• In 2 Cor. 6:14, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”
These scriptures clearly teach that Christians are not to “hang out” with sinners.
• Preachers, Sunday school teachers, and Christian parents used to warn Christian young people of the danger of dating anyone who was not saved. Why did they warn them about this? They warned them because they knew if they “hung out” with them, they would likely fall in love with them and then major trouble would begin.
• Preachers, Sunday school teachers, and Christian parents used to warn Christian young people of the danger of “hanging out” with ungodly young people at school. Why? They knew if the young people “hung out” with them, they would soon become like them.
• Preachers, Sunday school teachers, and Christian parents used to warn Christian young people of the danger of turning their minds over to the filth of Hollywood. They warned against movies and television shows. Why? They knew if they “hung out” with those ungodly influences, they would soon set their standards of life like those ungodly people.
Today we hear very little warning about the dangers of being “unequally yoked together with unbelievers,” because it has now become accepted. But look at the price we are paying with our marriages and the lives of our children.
WE HAVE TO CONSIDER OUR STEPS, WE HAVE TO CONSIDER OUR STANDING and-
III. WE HAVE TO CONSIDER OUR SITTING
In Psa. 1:1, we read, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, NOR SITTETH IN THE SEAT OF THE SCORNFUL.”
At the stage in a person’s life when a person is SITTING with the ungodly they are completely backslidden.
The word translated “scornful” is from the Hebrew word, “laitzim,” which means: “Those who scoff, those who treat virtue and religion with contempt and scorn.”
The “SITTING” position represents a more determined grade of wickedness than the position of WALKING and STANDING. This is a Christian that is completely backslidden or soon will be. It describes a Christian that has been so corrupted by who he has been WALKING and STANDING with, that now he SITS in the midst of evil and enjoys it with the ungodly.
If we sit down with this crowd that scorns our Savior, we are going to have a hard time convincing Him that we love Him.
There are a lot of UNHAPPY CHRISTIANS, and it is because they have reached this third level. They are hanging out with people that actually scoff at the things of God.
• Notice the progression. The scripture refers first to the ungodly, then the sinner, then the scornful.
• The Christians moves from walking with the ungodly, to standing with the sinners, and finally to sitting with the scornful.
No one can accuse the author of this passage of being completely NEGATIVE. In verse one we find THREE things NOT to do if we wish to be happy. In verse two he tells us the POSITIVE thing we can do to find happiness.
Look at verse 2. We read, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”
In other words, the psalmist is saying, “DO NOT ALLOW THE LOST WORLD TO CONTROL YOU, BUT BE CONTROLLED BY GOD’S WORD.”
Instead of WALKING “in the counsel of the ungodly,” STANDING “in the way of sinners,” or SITTING “in the seat of the scornful,” we can find happiness in THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD.
Much of the Law was given to show people how they were to live. For example, much detail was given to show them:
• What to eat and what not to eat
• What to wear and what not to wear
• Who to associate with and who not to associate with
God wants us to be so consumed by the Word of God, day and night, that It is constantly on our lips and in our hearts.
Conclusion:
Illus: A woman went to hear a great preacher that she admired very much. Because of the blessing of God upon his life, she said, “I would give the whole world to have what he has.” A man nearby, who personally knew the preacher, said, “Lady, that is just what it cost him. He had to give up the whole world to receive what he has received from God.”
I. WE HAVE TO CONSIDER OUR STEPS
II. WE HAVE TO CONSIDER OUR STANDING
III. WE HAVE TO CONSIDER OUR SITTING
