Psalm 1

Psalm 1 William H. Banegas

November 19, 2008

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. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Psa 1:1-6

Introduction:

Has anyone ever told you to be careful about choosing your friends?  Bad friends usually turn us into bad people.  As one apple that is spoiled will spoil a bunch of apples, so one bad person amongst a group can spoil the bunch also.  Today we're going to talk about 2 people.  One person receives good based upon his right relationship with God.  The other receives punishment based upon his ill-treatment of God. (Thesis)

Thesis: One in a right relationship with God enjoys God’s prospering while the wicked will receive destruction for their actions.

The Blessed man avoids unnecessary contact with the influence of the wicked.

He avoids walking while the ungodly are trying to give their faulty advice.

He avoids tarrying about when the sinners are present.

He avoids sitting down and fellowshipping with arrogant people who talk down to others.

Scorn-NOUN:1a. Contempt or disdain felt toward a person or object considered despicable or unworthy. b. The expression of such an attitude in behavior or speech; derision. 2. One spoken of or treated with contempt. VERB:Inflected forms: scorned, scorn·ing, scorns TRANSITIVE VERB:1. To consider or treat as contemptible or unworthy. 2. To reject or refuse with derision. See synonyms at despise.

The Blessed man cultivates a consistent relationship with God’s Word that makes him prosperous.

He delights.

He meditates.

He prospers; he is successful.

Like a tree w/abundant resources necessary for providing good fruit.

His prospering is the result of God's doing.

His prosperity is defined as escaping the judgment reserved for the wicked.

The ungodly receive judgment for their actions.

They have no defense for their case in God’s courtroom.

They will be separated away from the righteous.  (The husks that surround the seeds of cereal grains are called chaff throughout the Bible. The Hebrew word is translated "winnowed."-http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/3664/chaff.html)

The Lord knows the end of our actions and the end for the wicked is destruction.

Conclusion:

We have presented for us 2 people with 2 very different lives.  Those who follow after the way of the wicked and their actions will receive punishment because their actions are offensive toward God.  Those who follow after the way of the blessed man enjoy having a right relationship with God because they have followed what God's Word says to do.  We all have a choice and in order to please God there is only 1 right choice.  May we make the right one to the glory of God.