Sermon Manuscript021107
Sermon Worksheet & Manuscript
Robert L. Hutcherson, Jr.
Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church
Sermon Preparation/Delivery
Psalm 1
“Are You Happy?”
The Rev. Karla J. Cooper, Pastor
February 11, 2007
Sermon Worksheet & Manuscript
AUTHOR
1. Who wrote (or is credited with writing) the text?
That the principal contributor to the collection, the main author of the Book of Psalms, is David, though denied by some moderns, is the general conclusion in which criticism has rested, and is likely to rest. The historical books of the Old Testament assign to David more than one of the psalms contained in the collection. Seventy-three of them are assigned to him by their titles. The psalmody of the temple generally is said to be his. The Book of Psalms was known in Maccabean times as "the Book of David. David is cited as the author of the sixteenth and the hundred and tenth psalms by the writer of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:25, 34). Internal evidence points to him strongly as the writer of several others. The extravagant opinion that he wrote the whole book could never have been broached if he had not written a considerable portion of it. With respect to what psalms are to be regarded as his, there is naturally considerable doubt. Whatever value may be assigned to the "titles," they cannot be regarded as absolutely settling the question. Still, where their authority is backed up by internal evidence, it seems well worthy of acceptance. On this ground, the sober and moderate school of critics, including such writers as Ewald, Delitzsch, Perowne, and even Cheyne, agree in admitting a considerable portion of the Psalter to be Davidic. The psalms claiming to be Davidical are found chiefly in the first, second, and fifth books - thirty-seven in the first, eighteen in the second, and fifteen in the fifth. In the third and fourth books there are only three psalms (Ps 88., 101., and 103.) which claim to be his.
The next most important contributor would seem to be Asaph. Asaph was one of the heads of David's choir at Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 6:39; 15:17, 19; 16:5), and is coupled in one place with David (2 Chronicles 29:30) as having furnished the words which were sung in the temple service in Hezekiah's time. Twelve psalms are assigned to him by their titles - one in Book II (Psalm 1), and eleven in Book III (Psalm 1-3-83). It is doubted, however, whether the real personal Asaph can have been the author of all these, and suggested that in some instances the sect or family of Asaph is intended.
On the whole, the collection may be said to have proceeded from at least six individuals - David, Asaph, Solomon, Moses, Heman, and Ethan - while three others - Jeremiah, Haggai, and Zechariah may not improbably have had a hand in it. How many Korahite Levites are included under the title, "sons of Korah," it is impossible to say; and the number of the anonymous authors is also uncertain.
2. From what perspective does the author write?
The usual Hebrew title of the work is Tehillim, or Sepher Tehillim; literally, "Praises," or "Book of Praises" - a title which expresses well the general character of the pieces whereof the book is composed, but which cannot be said to be universally applicable to them. Another Hebrew title, and one which has crept into the text itself, is Tephilloth, "Prayers," which is given at the close of the second section of the work (Psalm 72:20), as a general designation of the pieces contained in the first and second sections. The same word appears, in the singular, as the special heading of the seventeenth, eighty-sixth, ninetieth, hundred and second, and hundred and forty-second psalms. But, like Tehillim, this term is only applicable, in strictness, to a certain number of the compositions which the work contains. Conjointly, however, the two terms, which come to us with the greatest amount of authority, are fairly descriptive of the general character of the work, which is at once highly devotional and specially intended to set forth the praises of God.
It is manifest, on the face of it, that the work is a collection. A number of separate poems, the production of different persons, and belonging to different periods, have been brought together, either by a single editor, or perhaps by several distinct editors, and have been united into a volume, which has been accepted by the Jewish, and, later on, by the Christian, Church, as one of the "books" of Holy Scripture. The poems seem originally to have been, for the most part, quite separate and distinct; each is a whole in itself; and most of them appear to have been composed for a special object, and on a special occasion. Occasionally, but very seldom, one psalm seems linked on to another; and in a few instances there are groups of psalms intentionally attached together, as the group from Ps 73. to 83., ascribed to Asaph, and, again, the "Hallelujah" group - from Ps 146., to 150. But generally no connection is apparent, and the sequence seems, so to speak, accidental.
Our own title of the work - "Psalms," "The Psalms," "The Book of Psalms "2 - has come to us, through the Vulgate, from the Septuagint. Yalo, meant, in the Alexandrian Greek, "a poem to be sung to a stringed instrument;" and as the poems of the Psalter were thus sung in the Jewish worship, the name Yalmoi appeared appropriate. It is not, however, a translation of either Tehillim or Tephilloth, and it has the disadvantage of dropping altogether the spiritual character of the compositions. As, however, it was applied to them, certainly by St. Luke (Luke 20:42; Acts 1:20) and St. Paul (Acts 13:33), and possibly by our Lord (Luke 24:44), we may rest content with the appellation. It is, at any rate, one which is equally applicable to all the pieces whereof the "book" is composed.
TEXT
"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! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 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. The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish." (Psalms 1:1-6 NASBR)
BODY
Were you happy in this past year? Are you happy now? If so, why? If not, why not?
Of course, both your answer and my answer depends on how we define happiness. What does it take to make you happy? What do you need? You adults in the congregation, is happiness a big raise in pay, a full freezer, a large bank account, a home on the coast? Boys and girls, how do you define happiness: a PlayStation 3 game, a new baseball glove, a new bike, a straight A on a test? Young people and single adults, what do you need for happiness: a flashy sports car or pickup truck, a friend of the opposite sex, a winning basketball or volley-ball season? Again I ask, what does it take to make you happy; what do you need?
This evening, the psalmist tells us the stuff of true happiness. "Blessed," he says, "is the man who ..." Or, another way of saying the same thing: "Happy is the man who ..."
Today we are called upon to look back on the past year. In view of Psalm 1, can you say that you were happy in this past year? Are you happy now? Can you say that you were happy, not as the world defines it, but as the psalmist defines it?
What is the way of blessedness? What is the way to happiness? The psalmist first tells us what the blessed or happy person does not do:
This entire chapter could be entitled, "How to live a blessed life." This Hebrew word, blessed, is used as an interjection. An interjection is an exclamatory word that is used to express strong feelings. The word could be translated-How blessed! It is clear that the writer of this 1st Psalm knew by way of personal experience the very blessedness he wrote of. Therefore it is a fitting beginning to this great work of wisdom. This blessed condition, describes the true state of the one who fulfills what the Psalmist says in this chapter. It is important to realize that we cannot say that blessings are strictly categorized as those things related to material prosperity or of so earthly achievement, etc. We cannot regulate blessing(s) as something that is always separate from what we are and of what we seek for as if to say that if I don't have such and such, I am not truly blessed of God. In the Hebrew, the wicked are those who actively seek evil. Theirs is a life filled with immorality like deceit, adultery, lies, cursing, anger, and drunkenness. The Hebrew word translated as sinners could be better translated as "criminals" – those who commit crimes like theft, rape, and murder. The Hebrew word for mockers has in mind those who make fun of religion, who laugh at people when they pray, who have no use for God and His worship. For the genuine worshiper of God, he or she, is already blessed. We are blessed because of our relationship to God, no matter what the circumstances are and it is also true that if a person is NOT walking according to the will of God, then it is very fair to say that no matter what achievements or earthly prosperity one may have, he is NOT blessed at all.
The word, blessed, also means HAPPY. This word, unlike the English word happy, depends on the circumstances of one's life for happiness to exist. The Psalmist declares one to be TRULY happy because of one's standing with God and one's obedience to the word of God.
This is one reason why so many modern day professed worshippers of God are so unhappy. They constantly try to find their happiness in things and others rather than in God and in His Word. It is very interesting that the blessed state of the worshipper of God is described according to the things that he does NOT do, and that right from the start of the book. Three negatives are clearly pointed out in this Psalm and it is as applicable today as it was when the Psalmist wrote it.
“How blessed is the man that walketh not in the council of the ungodly.” Walketh speaks of one's lifestyle. The verb indicates that whoever this person is, he is blessed if he is not walking as a habit of life in the council of the ungodly. What is the council of the ungodly. The happy or blessed person is someone who delights in the law of the Lord. The law is not to be understood as only the Ten Commandments; nor is the law just those rules and regulations given by God to control all aspects of Israelite society and religion. Rather, the law refers to God's Word in its entirety; in other words, to the Bible. The happy or blessed man is he who delights in God's Word. He does not look at the Word as something that must be read, but as something that he wants to read. He takes pleasure in the Word. He desires to read the Word. The Word of God is a joy to him. This person is happy when he can spend time with the Word of the Lord. The happy or blessed person not only delights in the Word but he also meditates upon it day and night. To meditate on Scripture is not just to read your Bible and put it away. Rather, you study your Bible, search through it, and memorize texts. Were you blessed, were you happy, during this past year? Did you delight in and meditate upon Scripture? Were you and are you part of one of our many Bible study groups?
Next comes the one who sits in the seat of the scornful. First comes the danger of listening to the ungodly, then talking the side of the sinner, then sitting in the company of, or ASSEMBLY with the scornful, the mockers of God. What characterizes the behavior of the scornful is that they boast of their own accomplishments without glorifying God.
Contrasted against the LIFESTYLE of the evildoer, is the DELIGHT of the blessed man or woman. Delight is translated-longing, good pleasure, that in which one takes delight in. And what is that delight? It is the law of the Lord, it is the word of God, it is the holy scriptures. One of the main reasons why people make decisions totally out of character of the worshipper of God is because their delight towards God's word has been set aside for the wisdom of the world. One of the reasons why we as worshippers of God should delight in the word of God is because of the superiority of God's word to all of worldly wisdom. This verse also shows me that one who is notorious for occasional glances in scripture has not the desire nor the proper attitude for meditation, nor reception from God. One must have his or her DELIGHT in the word of God for it to speak CLEARLY to him or her. If the word is treated like a stranger, then it will treat you the same way. If you are so bogged down with this life, to the point that you believe that you need direction from everyone else than God, then why should you expect to hear from Him, since you show Him less respect that you would one who hates Him? What will be the evidence that a man or woman truly delights in the word of God?
First, MEDITATION. What does it mean to meditate? It means to devise, muse, to ponder. As I said before, the one who meditates is a thinker, NOT a feeler. The one who meditates is one who ponders long and deep to understand truth, but not for intellectual reasonings alone, but because God's rule of life brings him delight. The verb indicates that this meditation is ONGOING. The process of meditation is not complete to the one who delights in the instruction of God. You can NEVER learn enough, apply enough, study enough, listen enough, teach enough, preach enough, or meditate enough to the point where you have arrived at the place where there is no more necessity to continue.
Second, true delight is seen in the QUANTITY OF TIME SPENT WITH THE WORD OF GOD. The fact is seen right in this verse that QUANTITY of time is important to the one who delights in God's rule of life.
A proper delight and meditation of God's truth will produce steadfastness and fruitfulness. Look at verse 3. The lover of God's truth will be as stable as a tree, firmly planted by the canal of water, being nourished continually, and that produces spiritual fruit, time after time after time, whose leaves or foliage, shall not wither and fall, or fade, and whatever he doeth shall make prosperous, bring to success. The tree is the worshipper, the water is the word of God which brings nourishment through the roots throughout the entire tree, producing fruit, which are the fruits of righteousness, which fruit will be prosperous and a blessing to all that partake.
The ungodly as mentioned in verse 4 are nothing like the blessed man. The ungodly man is the wicked man (hostile to God) and guilty of sin (against God and man). The ungodly are NOT fruitful, they are NOT nourished, nor are they stable against the trials and storms of life. They are like chaff-tumbleweed, the empty residue of wheat, totally useless and void of life. Worthless and as stable as wind that drives them.
The judgment spoken of in verse 5 by the Psalmist refers to the judgment of the just, not for salvation, that was already done on thee cross, but the judgment of believers for their works. The ungodly will have nothing to do with the reward of the righteous. There is no righteous works of the ungodly to judge, so they will not stand in this judgment, nor, because they are sinners, will they be in the eternal gathering of the righteous.
The LORD has absolute knowledge of the path and manner of life of the righteous. This brings great confidence to me and to every believer in this life that God knows His own and He knows the walk and lifestyle of His own. The path of the wicked will be exterminated. God will destroy all those who refused to receive His love for salvation.
Unfortunately, not all Christians are happy people. As a matter of fact, there are many unhappy Christians. Some walk around with frowns and long and gloomy faces. Some have real struggles and trials. Some are weighed down by heavy burdens. These are real problems that we have to deal with. We can't just brush them away and put plastic smiles on our faces. But yet, as Christians, we know the secret of true happiness, of true blessedness: a living relationship with the Lord Jesus.
Our relationship with Jesus doesn't make our problems disappear. But it does make our problems manageable. I think here of the words of the psalmist in verse 6: "For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous." That word "watch" means "to know, to care, to love, to own and identify with." The Lord watches over us. He never leaves us or forsakes us. He is with us every step of the way, holding us up, encouraging us, standing by us. Where, then, is happiness? What does it take to make you happy? What do you need? Only one thing: Jesus Christ and a living relationship with Him. So, let me ask you again: were you happy in this past year? Was and is yours a living relationship with Jesus? There are two ways, two paths, two styles, two walks of life: a life with Christ and a life without Christ, a life rooted on the Word become flesh and a life without that Word.
The psalmist tells us that a life without Christ brings only everlasting punishment, only a life with Christ brings happiness, true happiness. A prominent citizen in town was dying. As he lay in his lovely home, the best doctors surrounding him, he whispered, with a note of despair, "I'm leaving home, I'm leaving home."Across town there lay dying a solitary figure in bare surroundings. Her modest home contained only the most threadbare of life's essentials. In her eye was a gleam. Before she died she was heard to say, "I'm going home, I'm going home."
The person who looks for happiness in Christ will find it. The person who looks for happiness in this world will lose it.
So I ask you again: were you happy in this past year? Was and is yours a living relationship with Jesus?
Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight
O Lord, our strength and our Redeemer
Let us pray…
CHILDREN’S LESSON
Order of Worship
Sunday February 11st, 2007
11:00 A.M.
Opening Hymn……………………………” Holy, Holy, Holy”, Hymn 25
Doxology………………………………………………..All
Call to Worship……………………………….Bro. Robert Hutcherson
Hymn…………………………………… “To God Be the Glory”, Hymn 21
Prayer…………………………………………..Bro. Robert Hutcherson
Prayer Response………………………………….Give Us This Day”
Scripture Reading……………………………..Bro. Robert Hutcherson
Decalogue………………………………………Bro. Robert Hutcherson
Gloria Patri………………………………………….Congregation
Sermon…………………………………………Bro. Robert Hutcherson
Invitation to Christian Discipleship……”There’s a Sweet, Sweet Spirit”, Hymn 196
Altar Call/Offertory………………………………………All
Offertory Response……………………………”All Things Come Of Thee”
Affirmation of Faith…………………………………Congregation
Benediction……………………………………..Bro. Robert Hutcherson