Psalms 1:1....Blessed from Separation...

Psalm 16:8 “I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.”

INTRODUCTION.

Psalm 4:3 “But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The Lord will hear when I call to Him.”

Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

The idea of being set apart is a crucial concept for Christians, and the Bible has many verses that emphasize this. As believers, we are called to live distinct and holy lives, dedicated to serving God.

Scripture gives us a a reminder of the significance of obedience, trustworthiness, and purity as we follow Christ and seek to honor God with our lives.

Church sometimes we just have separate ourselves to make sure we have it right...

it’s not that we are better than anyone but as we continue to grow in Christ, we need to make sure we are truly anchored in Christ before we can truly Continue the Work that has been started.....TALK, PREACH.....

we see Christ had to get the disciples away. they were separated from families and the grew in Christ to become the disciples Jesus wanted them to be...

the didn’t completely change, Peter would still cuss and fight you, Thomas still doubted, and Judas still betrayed Him.

that was the flesh but they knew what they had to do and they did it...

We can gain strength when separated from people and things....

and with that strength we can come back to help someone

Remember, last week I reminded us to take head of what we are becoming…TALK,PREACH....

Let me give you an example....a drug addict with no rehab or counseling and support can not be put back in the middle of drug area....

there will be relapse....TALK,PREACH.....

the same for us Christians....from the pulpit to the back door…TALK,PREACH.....

New Hope, I just want us ready as we continue to grow in Christ.

Remember what Denzel Washington said....TALK.....

Too stay strong sometimes we have to separate ourselves and come back stronger through Christ...

Once again enjoy life, travel, do whatever God has for you to do but when you feel yourself giving in or getting separate and get blessed with strength...

BODY

Let’s walk....

Psalm 1:1 “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;”

what we know and understand about the book of Psalms is that it is divided into 5 parts that correspond to the first 5 books of the bible....TALK, PREACH.....(genesis=law, how to live according to God’s will, Psalms 1 helps us with being righteous)

The Psalm starts off with encouragement....Psalm 1:1 “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;”

The Teacher’s Bible Commentary The Two Life-Styles (Psalm 1)

Blessed is the man” can be translated, “Oh, the happiness of the man”

In fact, in Hebrew the word is actually a plural, which denotes either a multiplicity of blessings or an intensification of them.”TALK, PREACH.......(strength, joy, peace, fullfillment)

Gifts from God for being obedient and walking the path that He has for you...

and we all can be blessed...This blessedness is as attainable by the poor, the forgotten and the obscure,

by simply following Christ, we can be blessed...

there is a little work on our side but we don’t have to do it on our own....TALK, PREACH.....

Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament Psalm 1

The people God blesses are careful in their walk: though they are in the world, they are not of the world

So we can be blessed by simply separating ourselves at times....

separating from what....

SIN

Psalm 1:1 “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;”

Holman Concise Bible Commentary (Psalm 1)

To avoid walking, standing, and sitting with the wicked is simply to avoid participation in their way of life.

The Teacher’s Bible Commentary The Two Life-Styles (Psalm 1)

There is a progressive intensification of wickedness described in the verbs of verse 1: “walk,” “stand,” “sit.” These verbs describe a process whereby the man who only walks with the wicked at first, soon begins to “stand” with the wicked, and eventually feels at home enough to “sit” with those that scorn God. The nouns in the verse also show this progressive seriousness of sin: “ungodly” describes a man who occasionally is out of step with right conduct. “Sinner” is a man whose wicked misconduct has become habitual. “Scorners” means the hardened, arrogant man who mocks God.

The blessed man doesn't do this, but contrariwise,....does the opposite…TALK, PREACH.....

Let’s look at it...

Psalm 1:1 “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;”

First, it means the righteous man knows how to discern the counsel of the ungodly. Many fail at this point. They do not even consider if counsel is godly or ungodly. They hear advice, or theories about their problems, and they find themselves agreeing or disagreeing without considering, “Is this godly or ungodly counsel?”....TALK, PREACH.....(just can’t listen to everybody)

The righteous man knows where to find completely godly counsel:God’s word is always the best counselor, and godly counselors will always bring the truth of God’s word to help someone who wants counseling.....TALK, PREACH.....

A strong blessed person knows not to consult with the ungodly, choosing to stay away for evil is a part of growth and presenting ourselves to Christ, a changed creature....TALK, PREACH.....

Psalm 1:1 “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;”

Sinners have a path where they stand, and the righteous man knows he does not belong on that path. Path speaks of a way, a road, a direction — and the righteous man is not traveling in the same direction as sinners.TALK, PREACH.....(if they jump off a bridge..)

The righteous man is not afraid to take a less-traveled road, because he knows it leads to blessing, happiness, and eternal life.. Matthew 7:13–14 ““Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”....TALK, PREACH.....

By walking the path that God has set for us and knowing He will and has strengthing us to walk it, is showing obedience to His will and you will be blessed…TALK, PREACH...

Psalm 1:1 “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;”

When others are putting down Christians, it is easy to sit with them and criticize them. It is easy because there are many things to criticize about Christians. But it is wrong, because we are then sitting in the seat of the scornful.

this includes talking about each other....did you see what they were wearing…TALK,PREACH.....

People critize all believers by a few bad apples...

but we must remain faithful and pray those who do the opposite and for those that do the talking…TALK, PREACH.....

Conclusion..

This verse calls for a decision. this verse charts a path that can lead us away from God and away from our blessings..

It begins with listening to ungodly advice, then following the ways of sinners and it tops off by adopting and agreeing with those that do a lot of talking and no walking ...

I can’t help no one if i am on the wrong side of the road.

i am not being blessed if i am separated from God.

but once i am separated from this world, I am on the right road now and i am blessed....

and all we have to do is follow the path that God has set before us and let that marvelous light guide...

what light is this?

TALK, PREACH, CLOSE.....