Sermon Tone Analysis

LIVING THE BLESSED LIFE

1 Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example], Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of [b]scoffers (ridiculers).

1 Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example], Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of [b]scoffers (ridiculers).

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And on His law [His precepts and teachings] he [habitually] meditates day and night.

3 And he will be like a tree firmly planted [and fed] by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season; Its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers [and comes to maturity].

INTRODUCTION:

1. says, “Blessed is the man…”

This can also refer to a woman.

The word “blessed” is a plural word…and the phrase literally reads, “Oh the blessings,” or you could say, “the happiness.”

NOTE: Contrary to the lies of Satan & what many in the world think...living for God doesn’t mean that you settle for living a bland & boring life.

In fact, David said in..., “…in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

, “…in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

NOTE: I would suggest to you that the only way you will ever know what true happiness is, and experience real blessing, is to seek to become a “” man or woman.

2. Blessed = happy, prosperous, fortunate, enviable (Updated Amplified - favored by God)

2. Blessed = happy, prosperous, fortunate, enviable (Updated Amplified - favored by God)

3. How many of would like to be happy & prosperous?

How many of you would like to be favored by God?

How many of you want God’s best for your life?

How many of you want everything that God has for you?

NOTE: I don’t want to miss out on anything God has for me.

We can have an abundant life, filled with the blessings of God.

4. This verse describes 3 blessings for the one who will follow the instructions of verses 1 & 2.

A. Stability

The Psalm says in verse 3, “He will be like a tree planted…”

Notice that he is planted...Not flopped or dropped, not slipping or sliding, but planted.

His life isn’t marked by flakiness or flightiness.

He’s not trying to find his place or his way in life...He has been planted.

His life has stability b/c God has placed him where he is, and he is securely planted in the will of God.

NOTE: Most people live more like logs carried by the river of life, rather than trees planted beside it.

The current of life turns & tosses them all over the place.

They never seem to get still and settled.

They are never able to take root, and plant themselves into something steady.

But the person described as blessed has stability.

B. Supply

Again, verse 3 says, “He will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water…”

He’s not just planted, but he’s planted in a place where he will never go without the things he needs.

Charles Spurgeon points out that he is planted, not just by a river, but by multiple “rivers of water.”

That means that if one river fails, he will always have another.

Spurgeon goes on to say, “The rivers of pardon and the rivers of grace, the rivers of promise and the rivers of communion with Christ, are never failing sources of supply.”

NOTE: The life of the one who is blessed is never empty.

They are never dissatisfied.

They have a constant supply.

The Lord is their Shepherd; and they shall not want.

C. Success

Notice verse 3 again.

“He will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season; its leaf will not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.”

Prosper = to succeed, to advance or make progress, to thrive

NOTE: The man/woman of will succeed in the things they pursue.

They can have success in every area of life - spiritually, physically, financially, emotionally, etc.

Whatever they do, God blesses.

He will have spiritual prosperity.

His walk with the Lord will not be marked by failures, losses, and setbacks.

This person’s walk with the Lord will not be marked by failures, losses, & setbacks.

Stephen Pile is the founder of a dubious group in England known as the “Not Terribly Good Club”.

In 1979, Pile wrote a book on behalf of the club called, “The Book of Heroic Failures.”

Unfortunately, too many Christians in our day could belong to the “Not Terribly Good Club”.

There lives are average or below, and they never live up to all God has for them.

NOTE: There is nothing average or common about the man/woman in

NOTE: This is the kind of life I want to live…This is the kind of life I want you to live.

I want us to experience the very best of God.

I want us to live lives that aren’t average or common.

5.

But how do we get to this place?

You have to go back to verses 1 & 2 and follow the instructions that are given there.

6.

I believe there are 2 requirements for us to follow if we are going to live the blessed life.

One is negative & one is positive.

1) SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD (V 1)

1.

The description of the man begins with a negative statement.

2. The Bible tells us what he doesn’t do.

Verse 1 says that the blessed man “…walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.”

Dallas Willard says of this verse, “He is first characterized in terms of what he does not do, which is perhaps the most immediately obvious thing about him.”[ii]

3. The first thing we see about a man/woman who lives the blessed life is the things they excludes from their lives.

The first thing we see about a man is the things he excludes from his life.

Notice what these things are.

First of all, he

4. First of all, they...

A. Refuse the Advice of Society

Verse 1 says that a blessed man/woman, will not walk through life following the counsel of the ungodly - those who do not know and serve God.

A man/woman does not take his/her cues from the culture.

Their path is not determined by what is popular in the world.

NOTE: People of this world may have good advice, but if we’re going to succeed in life…we don’t just need good advice, we need God’s advice.

The reason many of us have had the issues & problems that we’ve had is b/c we followed the advice of the world…rather than the advice of God’s Word.

NOTE: You need to be careful who you allow to speak into your life.

B. Avoid the Activity of Sinners

Verse 1 says that a blessed man/woman does not “…stand in the way of sinners…”

The idea is that they don’t live in the same way as those who practice sin.

It’s not that they have no association with sinners...It’s that they have no participation with sinners.

He/she may live and work around sinners, but they will not live and work like sinners.

They will live differently than those who live in sin.

NOTE: God is gracious & we can’t earn His blessings…but I also believe that God expects those He blesses to live a certain way.

If we are going to live the life that I am talking about, there has to be a change in our conduct.

We can’t live like people of the world & live the abundant life.

The man excludes from his life the advice of society, the activity of sinners, and also:

C. Rejects the Attitude of Scorners

Verse 1 adds that a blessed man does not sit, “…in the seat of scoffers.”

Note that word “scornful.”

The ESV translates that word as “scoffers.”

The AMP

A scoffer is a person who mocks and ridicules the things of God.

A scoffer thinks nothing is sacred, and they fear no judgment or consequences for their actions.

The scoffer thinks Jesus is a joke, church is for children, and salvation is for sissies who need a crutch.