“How To Receive God’s Blessings” – I
Psalm 1
INTRODUCTION: Tonight, we will begin a new series on “How To Receive God’s Blessings”. Last Sunday we took a look at “Blessings And Curses” from Deuteronomy Chapter 27. I want to expand on the “blessings” part. There are numerous references in the Scriptures on how to be BLESSED by God. In the weeks ahead, we will isolate several passages on “How To Receive God’s Blessings”.
Everybody WANTS to be BLESSED by God … AMEN? No one wants to be CURSED by God. Open your Bibles to Psalm 1, where King David begins his psalms with a “blessing”.
“Blessed” – Some versions of the Bible substitute the word “happy” for the word “blessed” (Moffatt, Norlie). I prefer the word “blessed”, because it demonstrates what we need to receive the “blessings” of God. Of course, the man/woman who is “blessed” by God, will be “happier” than the person NOT BLESSED by God … AMEN? BUT … for so many people, “happiness” depends on what “happens” to you. The person who is truly “blessed” by God, will find joy, peace, and contentment IN SPITE OF the circumstances.
David gives us a description of a “blessed” person … AND … how to “be blessed” by God. Let’s see “How To Receive God’s Blessings”.
I. WHAT THE BLESSED CHRISTIAN DOESN’T DO – 1:1
BLESSINGS result not only from what you DO … BUT … also from what you DON’T DO. Growing up, I found out that I was “blessed” by my father NOT JUST by doing the RIGHT things … BUT … also by NOT DOING the WRONG things.
Here’s a story about a woman who didn’t do the RIGHT things:
STORY: Mr. & Mrs. Smith had just come back from their honeymoon, and Mr. Smith calls his new bride from work to tell her that he’s bringing 4 of his co-workers, and their wives, home for supper. The new bride is a bit apprehensive, and tells him that she had only planned a meal for the 2 of them. Mr. Smith tells her to go out and get some Chinese food, and double the recipe for the cake she was planning on baking.
Several hours later, the new Mrs. Smith calls her husband at the office, and she’s in tears. She explains that she tried to double the cake recipe, but she can’t. “What’s the matter?”, Mr. Smith asks. “Well, the recipe calls for 2 eggs.” “So, double the recipe … use 4 eggs … don’t you have them?” “Yes,” she explains, “but that’s not the problem.” “Then, what’s the problem?”, Mr. Smith asks. Through her sobs, she explains, “The recipe says that the cake must be baked at 350 degrees, and I have checked the oven, and it won’t go up to 700 degrees!“
You aren’t “blessed” by doing the WRONG thing!
NOTICE the REGRESSION of POSITION in this verse … “walk” … “stand” … “sit”.
NOTICE the REGRESSION of PEOPLE in this verse … “ungodly” … “sinners” … “scornful”.
“ungodly” – lost, but moral.
“sinners” – open rebellion against God.
“scornful” – hardened sinners.
To receive God’s “blessings”, you DON’T:
1.- Walk In The Counsel Of The Ungodly.
“ungodly” = lost but moral. To be “blessed” by God, you don’t listen to ungodly counsel … you keep out of their way. When you walk with them, talk with them, become a part of their group … you will seek their advice, and eventually, do what they do.
As Christians, we have a HIGHER walk. Romans 8:1 – “walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” 2 Cor. 5:7 – “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”
WHERE are the UNGODLY walking? Away from God. When we walk with them, we are ALSO walking away from God. You won’t find God’s “blessings” there!
You have to be careful of your walk.
STORY – Barbara Walters did a story on gender roles in Kuwait several years before the Gulf War. She noted then that women customarily walked about 10 feet behind their husbands. She returned to Kuwait recently and observed that the men now walked several yards behind their wives. Ms. Walters approached one of the women and said, “This is marvelous. Can you tell the free world just what enabled women here to achieve this reversal of roles … why men now walk several yards behind their wives?” The Kuwaiti woman replied, “Land mines!”.
We need to be careful about our walk … by NOT seeking counsel from the ungodly. We have a HIGHER Counselor. Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. [6] In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Someone once said, “Choose your friends wisely. You become what they are.” The Bible tells us in 2 Cor. 6:14 – “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:”
NOW … let’s look at the next step downward. IF we walk with the ungodly, we will miss God’s “blessings” … THEN we will begin to …
2.- Stand In The Way Of Sinners.
“sinners” are those in open rebellion against God. This verse doesn’t mean that we will stand in OPPOSITION to their way … BUT … that we will STAND WITH THEM in the way they are going. We are to avoid DOING what they DO.
How many bad things have you done, because you were with the wrong crowd? Things you wouldn’t have done, if you weren’t “standing with them”? When do you laugh at dirty jokes? When you’re with the wrong crowd. When do you think wrong thoughts? When you’re with the wrong crowd. When do you say wrong things? When you’re with the wrong crowd. If you’re living for Christ, you won’t feel at home with them. If you DO feel comfortable with them … you’d better examine your salvation.
Their sinfulness will rub off on you … RATHER THAN … our Godliness rubbing off on them. NOW, I’m not proposing ISOLATION. What he’s talking about here is NOT STANDING with them in their lifestyle of sin. If you join in with their lifestyle, you will miss God’s BLESSINGS by going down deeper …
3.- Sit In The Seat Of The Scornful.
“scornful” = hardened sinners. You’ve taken their advice. You’ve joined them in fellowship with their lifestyle. NOW, you’re being just like them.
Ever seen a “blessed” Agnostic … Atheist … member of N.O.W.? The Christian can’t be “blessed” by God if he/she is in opposition to God and to His program.
The BLESSED Christian life isn’t just GIVING UP this or that.
II. WHAT THE BLESSED CHRISTIAN IS …
1.- Joyful – 1:2a – “delight”
We are the happiest when we’re in God’s will … AMEN? Was the Prodigal Son happy when he was in the pig pen? What did he have to GIVE UP to come home and be in fellowship with his father? Pigs, slop, rags, hunger, poverty. He found “delight” and blessings when he came home to live in peace with his father.
You will be “blessed” by God, when you get into His Word. Look at the miserable Christians today. They live in broken homes … have ruined lives … their life is a mess. WHY? Because their living outside God’s will …. Not living like the Bible tells them to live. Show me 1 person, 1 family, that’s living according to the Bible … obeying it and delighting in it … who’s not “blessed” by God! You will never find “delight” and God’s “blessings” by living outside the Word of God.
This doesn’t mean just to APPRECIATE the Bible … CARRY it … OR … even READ it through. It means one who studies it and applies it to their lives … who listens to what God is telling them through His Word.
WHAT THE BLESSED CHRISTIAN IS …
2.- Thoughtful – 1:2b – “meditate”
COMPARE this with the person in 1:1 who looks to the ungodly for counsel. Look what the counsel of the UNGODLY brings.
STORY – Bennie was talking to his friend about his grandpa. “My grandpa knew the exact day of the year that he was going to die. He was right, too! Not only that, but he knew what time of the day he would die, and he was right about that, too.” His friend was impressed. “Wow, that’s incredible. How did he know all of that?” Bennie explained, “A judge told him!”
“meditate” – a picture of a cow chewing cud. A cow has several compartments in its stomach. He will eat grass in the morning, store it, and bring it back up in the heat of the day to “meditate” on it again. Kind of like an “acid reflux” for cows!
To “meditate” means ‘to bring back to remembrance’ that which we have heard or learned. James 1:23-25 – all turn.
We are to take the Bible seriously … allow it to shape our lives … and APPLY it. You don’t have to be INTELLECTUAL to do this. You just have to be sensitive to the teaching of the Holy Spirit.
WHAT THE BLESSED CHRISTIAN IS …
3.- Established – 1:3a
If you are Born-Again, you have had the seed of the Holy Spirit PLANTED within you … AND … you have been PLANTED on this earth. You aren’t to die of drought. You haven’t been planted in the wilderness to grow wild. You have been planted so that your roots will grow deep into God’s love, power and grace.
God takes His tree (Christians), and PLANTS them where He wants them. He planted you into a particular family. He planted you into your community of friends. He planted you into this Church. We need to be CONTENT where God has planted us … UNTIL … He plants us somewhere else.
“rivers of life” – Look what we have access to. Psalm 104:16 – all turn. NOW, David isn’t saying that we are all a bunch of SAPS! He is saying that our strength is found in the Lord. A tree without sap is a dead tree. Our ROOTS ought to run deep in Christ … SO … we won’t be blown over when the storms of life come (and they will!). We need to be ESTABLISHED in the things of God, and in fellowship with Him.
WHAT THE BLESSED CHRISTIAN IS …
4.- Fruitful – 1:3b
Your tree (your life) is to bear “fruit”. NOTICE the picture painted here … “tree” … “roots” … “fruit”. What do you do to a tree to make it produce fruit? You fertilize it, water it, give it sunshine, prune it, graft it, spray it, cultivate around it. If you just let the tree go, you will have little or no fruit.
Why don’t we have much “fruit” in our lives? BECAUSE … we just sit by, and let come what may. We let he weeds begin to grow in our lives … the bugs come and eat our fruit … we become diseased. We don’t take the proper care to be fruit-producing Christians.
“in his season” – There is a “fruit-bearing” season … not 12 months of the year. We need to be preparing the tree of our lives so that God can bear fruit when He is ready.
o It’s up to ME to be PREPARED for fruit-bearing.
o It’s up to GOD to produce the fruit.
We should always be ready, when God has fruit to produce in us. 2 Tim. 4:2 – “be instant in season, out of season;” God determines the “season” of fruit-bearing. He just wants us to be ready, living and serving in His will. 1 Cor. 3:6 – “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.”
WHAT THE BLESSED CHRISTIAN IS …
5.- Beautiful – 1:3c – “his leaf also shall not wither”
A withered leaf isn’t beautiful … it’s a sign of dryness. The “leaf” is our outward testimony. You can’t see the “root” … BUT … you can tell by the “leaf” if the tree is healthy. If the OUTWARD leaf is green and fresh, it’s an indication that the roots are deep, and the inward life of the plant is pure.
If the plant is dry, there’s nothing wrong with the “rivers of water”. The PROBLEM is … the roots are going elsewhere for nourishment. Where should the roots be going for nourishment? See 1:2
WHAT THE BLESSED CHRISTIAN IS …
6.- Successful – 1:3d – “prosper:
Everyone wants to be “successful” … AMEN? NOW, God doesn’t always promise MATERIAL prosperity. BUT … He does promise us that we can me PROSPEROUS Christians. “Success” doesn’t always mean fame & fortune. What does “success” mean to God? It means living your life in accordance to His will … whatever that is, as given in His Word.
Sometimes HIS will isn’t always OUR will.
STORY – A police officer in a small town stopped a motorist who was speeding down Main Street. “But officer … “ the man began, “I can explain.” “Just be quiet,” snapped the officer. “I’m going to let you cool your heels in jail until the Chief gets back.” “But, officer, I just wanted to say …” “And I said to keep quiet! You’re going to jail!” A few hours later the officer looked in on his prisoner and said, “Lucky for you that the Chief is at his daughter’s wedding. He’ll be in a good mood when he gets back.” “Don’t count on it,” answered the fellow in the cell. “I’m the groom!”
Joshua 1:8 – ribbon.
III. THE CONTRAST – 1:4-6
1:4 – “chaff” – It has no root … dead … useless … fruitless … valueless … undesirable. It’s in complete contrast to the “tree” in 1:3.
What did Jesus think about the “chaff”? Matthew 3:12 – “Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” It’s fit to be burned … useless. The LOST will burn in eternal torment.
1:5 – The LOST won’t STAND in the judgment … they will FALL. They would be out of place in Heaven … like a fish living in a tree. RIGHT NOW … the LOST might be living in the “congregation of the righteous” … i.e. they might call themselves “Christians” and come to Church. BUT … Satan may have slipped them a counterfeit salvation … looks real. BUT … they will be judged and not be able to stand with the righteous in the congregation in Heaven. Hebrews 10:31 – “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
1:6 – God knows the difference between the wheat and the tares. The Shepherd knows which sheep are His.
o The “way of the righteous” is the STRAIGHT AND NARROW that leads to life.
o The “way of the ungodly” is the WIDE, EASY WAY that many follow to destruction.
CONCLUSION:
2 men … 2 ways … 2 destinies.
o “righteous” – made righteous by Christ … imputed righteousness … the Holy Spirit indwelling.
o “ungodly” – only 1 nature … sinful … chaff .. will be judged in eternal fire.
Psalm 1 shows us how to be “blessed” by God.
o Be careful where and how you walk.
o Delight in the Word of God.
o Bring forth fruit by putting your roots deep and living in God’s will.
Don’t miss out on God’s “blessings”. He has so many for you!
STAND - PRAYER
OUTLINE FOR HANDOUT:
“How To Receive God’s Blessings” – I
Psalm 1
INTRODUCTION: Everybody wants to be blessed by God.
I. WHAT THE BLESSED CHRISTIAN DOESN’T DO – 1:1
- The regression of POSITION – “walk” … “stand” … “sit”.
- The regression of PEOPLE – “ungodly” … “sinners” … “scornful”.
1.- Walk In The Counsel Of The Ungodly
- “ungodly” = lost but moral … listening to their counsel.
- We have a higher walk – Romans 8:1, 2 Cor. 5:7
- We have a higher Counselor – Proverbs 3:5-6, 2 Cor. 6:14
2.- Stand In The Way Of Sinners
- “sinners” = those in open rebellion against God.
- When you listen to their advice, you’ll likely DO what they do.
- NOT talking about ISOLATION … “salt” and “light”.
3.- Sit In The Seat Of The Scornful
- “scornful” = hardened sinners … becoming like them … in opposition to God and His program.
II. WHAT THE BLESSED CHRISTIAN IS – 1:2-3
1.- Joyful – 1:2a – “delight”
- You won’t find “delight” by living outside God’s Word.
2.- Thoughtful – 1:2b – “meditate”
- ‘to bring back to remembrance’ – James 1:23-25
3.- Established – 1:3a – “tree planted”
- The seed of God is planted in you … God has planted you.
- You have access to the “rivers of life” – Psalm 104:16
4.- Fruitful – 1:3b – “bringeth forth its fruit”
- Prepare your life so God can produce fruit in you.
- Be ready – 2 Timothy 4:2, 1 Corinthians 3:6
5.- Beautiful – 1:3c – “leaf also shall not wither”
- The outward leaf indicated the health of the tree.
6.- Successful – 1:3d – “prosper”
- “success” doesn’t always mean fame & fortune.
- “success” means living for the glory of God – Joshua 1:8
III. THE CONTRAST – 1:4-6
- 1:4 – The “chaff” is useless – Matthew 3:12
- 1:5 – The lost will FALL in the judgment – Hebrews 10:31
- 1:6 – God knows the wheat from the tares.
CONCLUSION: 2 men … 2 ways … 2 destinies.
