The Good Or Not So-Good Life
On the news this past week there was a report on the most expensive neighborhoods in the United States. I don’t recall all the neighborhoods it talked about so I looked it up. Here are some of them:
3. Beverly Hills – Cal. $22.8 million
2. Snowmass – Col 23.6 million
1. Manalapan – Fla 39.7 million
Why are these houses so expensive? Three reasons: location – location – location.
Today I want to talk about your location. I don’t necessarily mean your physical location. We all know that – we are right here in _______. But where are you spiritually?
I have found that down through the years that my location is very much based on the choices I have made. I have chosen to live where I live. Perhaps you have too.
But I have found that my spiritual life is also based on the choices that I have made. Some people make poor choices and others make good choices. Psalm one is about making choices. It talks about how some people are blessed – and some people are not. It talks about the “good-life” and the “not so good-life”.
Today I want us to look at Psalm One in detail and see if we can find any clues that would help us discover the “good-life.” Let’s go ahead and look at the Psalm together:
1 “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!” 2 “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.” 3 “He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.” 4 “The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.” 5 “Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.” 6 “For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.”
Psalm 1:1-6 (NASB)
In verse one I see:
1. Things To AVOID
It begins,
“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!”
I have always been impressed how this verse uses the words: walk – stand – and sit. In my mind there seems to progression – or perhaps a digression going on here. Look where it starts. It starts with walking. Walking in itself is not bad. In fact we are instructed in the walk carefully. In Galatians we are instructed:
“Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”
Gal 5:16 (NASB)
In Ephesians it says:
“Be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise.”
Eph 5:15 (NASB)
John tells us:
“If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7 (NASB)
It is not the walking that gets us into trouble – it is the location of the walk that leads us astray.
Do you see the three locations there – in verse one? The counsel of the wicked is the first. The path of sinners is the second. The seat of scoffers is the third. All of these lead to ungodly living. If I hang out with the wicked – with sinners – with scoffers – don’t you think I will become like them? How many of you know the ending of this statement?
“Birds of a feather flock ………..(together).
Someone has said, “It is hard to soar with the eagles when you are living with a bunch of turkeys.”
Some may say, “Tom – everyone is a sinner. All have fallen short of the glory of God.” That is true – but there are those who living in open rebellion. Those who scoff – those who mock – those who poke fun anything that is godly – anything that is holy – I plead with you – don’t hang around with them. Don’t become one of them. If you are with them now – don’t become comfortable sitting there. Strive to become more holy – strive to become more godly – strive to move out of the darkness and into the light.
Verse two tells us:
2. Things To PURSUE
“But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.”
The law of the Lord – God’s precepts, God’s teachings, God’s instructions (AMP)
It is more than running after – meditates Day and Night
Let me ask you a question – what are the things you pursuing? What are the things that really give you seeking? The godly man – the blessed man – finds his delight in the things of the Lord.
Folks here is a fact: True Christian satisfaction comes about – not by just enjoying yourself – but enjoying yourself in God. This is the secret of lasting Christian joy.
The Bible says:
The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Rom 13:12
Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Eph 6:11-13 (NASB)
Let us choose what we pursue and let us choose where we stand.
How do we get closer to Jesus – by listening to God’s word – by hanging on every word he has said to us – by reading, by studying, by meditating on the word. We need to be delighting in his word – by thinking about what he has said day and night. These are the things we need to pursue.
What do you delight in? Because what you pursue - matters to God.
Verse three tells us:
“He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.”
This verse shows me that there are:
3. Things To PRODUCE
What are the things we should produce? We should be producing the Fruit of the Spirit. The Bible tells us:
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Gal 5:22-23 (NASB)
We should be producing – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. These are the fruitful Christian life.
But here is something I want you note in verse three of Psalm one. Go ahead and circle the word planted. In the Hebrew it literally says – transplanted.
“He will be like a tree firmly transplanted by streams of water….”
The blessed man – the godly man – has been transplanted into God’s garden. He now comes under God’s care. He has been transplanted by streams of living water – no longer to thirst.
There is no doubt that there will be fruit. Abundant fruit in the right season – at the right time. Because now I am under the care of God himself. He is the one watching over me.
Let’s take just a moment to look at that last phrase of verse three.
“And in whatever he does, he prospers.”
In the Hebrew the phrase can mean prosper or success – but how you consider success and how God considers success may be two different things.
You see – God is more concerned with your holiness than He is with your happiness. He is more concerned with your character than He is with your comfort.
He may just do some pruning to make you prosper. But you are now part of his orchard – and you will bear fruit.
"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5 (NASB)
Do you think you find joy apart from Him? “apart from Me you can do nothing.” Do you think you find peace apart from Him? “apart from Me you can do nothing.” Do you think you can find satisfaction apart from Him? “apart from Me you can do nothing.” Everything we need is found in Him. No wonder the Psalmist says:
Next there are:
4. Things To CAST AWAY
“The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.”
The wicked will be tossed away like chaff. But if we want to be blessed by God should be casting some things away. The Bible says:
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” Eph 4:31 (NASB)
And Jesus talks about our fallen human nature when he says:
"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man." Mar 7:21-23 (NASB)
Would it not be better for us to cast away all that garbage – evil thoughts – fornications – envy – deceit – sensuality – pride – foolishness – than to have God cast us away? That’s what the Bible says is going to happen with the wicked. They are going to be cast away – thrown into the wind – because they do not seek God.
Put all that stuff away from you.
Then pay attention to the:
5. Things Of WARNING
“Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.”
It is God who gives us all kinds of warnings in the Bible. That is because His desire it not to see anyone perish. In fact the Bible tells us:
“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.” 2 Peter 3:9-10 (NASB)
Throughout the Bible there are warnings like this. His desire is to see everyone saved. But the truth is – God will not force anyone to go to heaven unless they want to. That is why he wants to see everyone repent. He wants everyone to be with him in heaven.
Here is a fact that you may not know. Hell was not created so that people could be sent there. Did you know that? Hell was created for the Devil and his angels – not for people. When the judgment comes God will separate the sheep from the goats and those who are among the goats he will tell them: Bible says:
'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.’ Mat 25:41 (NASB)
Do you see that hell – the eternal fire – is not intended for you or for me or for anyone – it was intended for the devil and his angels. But the sad fact is – that if you do not choose heaven – if you do not choose Jesus – you are destined for hell. That is the path you are on. That is why verse six is here.
Now is the time to consider the:
6. Things To CHOOSE
“For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.”
God knows you – better than you know yourself. He knows whether you fall among the righteous or among the wicked. He knows your heart – he knows your life. He knows the mistakes you have made and he still loves you anyway. And here is an amazing fact – He wants you to live with him forever in Heaven – but he is not going to force you there. That is way God has given each and every-one of us a choice. You can choose to be on his side or you can choose to walk away.
Have you ever made a choice to be on his side? Have you ever chosen to follow him? Have you ever said, “Lord, I trust you. I put my faith in you. Forgive me – help me to walk with you.”
The Bible says:
“Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”
Isa 55:6-7 (NASB)
But the choice is yours. What will you choose?
