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Parker, Samuel

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Introduction

-If you are a true Christian, Jesus your Lord desires that your life reflect both your faith in Him and His life in you. …Both your faith in Christ and the evidence of the life of Christ in you witness to the Grace and Love of God to those around you. …It is through the Church that God is shown to the world, and the Church is made up of each one of you who are born again. …So God calls you to live with Christian character and attitudes and qualities. …In the verses before us we have three of these Christian qualities. …They are joy, gentleness, and peace.

The book of Philippians is filled with exhortations by the apostle Paul to the saints at Philippi about having a good attitude. In chapter one he talks about his own attitude of desiring to magnify Christ whether by life or death, and in chapter twp he encourages the brethren to have the mind or the attitude in them that was in Christ. Listen now to what he tells them in Philippians 4:4-9: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” In this text, the apostle gives some specific advice on how to maintain an attitude well pleasing to God.

Have you ever wanted a do-over… a restart. My wife has recently picked up crocheting. It’s the first time she’s ever done it seriously, and it takes a lot of practice. She had to restart a headband a dozen times before she got it just right. Or perhaps you have said something really stupid and just wished you could have a do over? Well, it’s the new year. A time for new beginnings. Lots of people have been resolving to do something over. I go to Colaw fitness and the past week has been insanely busy… it’ll clear out soon I imagine… Or perhaps you needed a do over for something a little more serious. My biological grandfather Paul died of alcohol poisoning after years of abusing my grandma… at the end of his life he wanted a do over… but it was too late. See, when we want a do over, it means that our happiness has been taken away. We tried something to make us happy… but it didn’t work out… so we want something new! Today, I want to show you from the Bible, very simply just verse by verse how you can experience deep, meaningful, true, lasting, happiness in your life. Let’s pray.

-All three of these Christian qualities are an expression of faith and trust in God. …Joy, gentleness and peace are not natural qualities but qualities that result from trust in a Sovereign and Loving God. …Joy, gentleness and peace are the fruit that a person reaps when they are willing to put the direction, protection, and outcome of their lives fully into the hands of an all powerful, all knowing, all loving, ever present and on the job, Father. …These Christian qualities are not rooted in the soil of positive thinking and self-effort but in the supernatural work of God in the heart and in the mind. …These Christian qualities do require determined and repetitive choices and actions on our part. …These Christian qualities require obedience to God’s commands, they require giving our lives back into God’s control over and over again as we try and take control back from God, they require prayer and thanksgiving, they require concentration of the mind on certain things and excluding other things. …The formation of these Christian qualities in our life requires hard work on our part but that work is toward a deeper trust in God. …Our trust in God grows as we understand Who God is and what His purposes are. …That is why we need to know God through reading His Word and through prayer.

Joy He says that we need to have an attitude of joy. “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (v. 4). Sometimes we use the words joy and happiness pretty much as synonyms, but there are times when it is important to make a distinction. Happiness in primarily an outward emotional reaction to pleasant circumstances, but joy is a deep, inner characteristic that continues to exist even in unpleasant circumstances and in fact serves to sustain us through those bad times. That's why Jesus could say, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12). In fact, we often define the word translated “blessed” as meaning happy or fortunate.

1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2but his delight is in the law of the LORD ,and on his law he meditates day and night.3He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.4The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;6for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Exposition

-This morning we only have time to have a brief look at how God can replace anxiety with peace through prayer and thanksgiving.

We all experience trials, difficulties, and problems in life that make us unhappy, and there is nothing wrong with feeling unhappy in such situations. But as Christians, we can still rejoice even when we are sad. Remember, Paul said, “Rejoice…always.” But how is that possible? We can rejoice always “in the Lord.” Paul helps us understand what this means in Romans 12:12 when he says, “Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.” No matter what happens to us in this life, Christians can rejoice in their hope. Did not Jesus say, “For great is your reward in heaven”? Children of God can get through whatever tribulations we face because we have hope. Charles Wesley put it this way: Rejoice in glorious hope! Our Lord the Judge shall come, And take His servants up to their eternal home. Lift up your heart, lift up your voice, Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Okay, let’s ponder and reflect on what this means. “Blessed is the man…” Blessed seems like a pretty key word from the very beginning. It’s somewhat of an unfortunate translation. If you’re not a Christian, you may think, “What does blessed mean? That sounds like a really Christian word, but I’m not sure what it means.” What it really means is happy.

Open your Bible’s please to

-Anxiety is increasing even among God’s people. …God wants His children to live in the peace of God and not in anxiety. …Anxiety is a confession of unbelief. …Anxiety is a loud admission that we are not trusting in God but that we are trusting in our own resources. …Anxiety is sin.

Gentleness Paul also says that we need to have an attitude of gentleness. “Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand” (v. 5). The King James Version uses the word “moderation.” The New King James footnote gives the alternate translations of “graciousness or forbearance.” McKnight says that the word "means meekness under provocation, readiness to forgive injuries, equity in the management of business, candor in judging of the characters and actions of others, sweetness of disposition, and the entire government of the passions." A form of the same word is used in Titus 3:2, “to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men” where it is translated “gentle.”

Now, at this point you’ll hear Christians say, “Actually, the world has happiness, but we have joy.” That sounds like happiness is some flighty, fleeting emotion and joy is some deep reality devoid of feeling. The problem is that just doesn’t square with the Bible. The Bible actually uses both joy and happiness, oftentimes interchangeably. Both are emotional; both are deep and wide-ranging.

1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. 4 The wicked are not so but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

-Anxiety is over concern with present and future circumstances. …We can worry over our finances, our future, our health, our children, our jobs, and many other things, but God says we are not to worry over anything.

Basically, we should treat others as we expect others to treat us. We want people to be nice to us, so we should be nice to them. However, there is another reason that Paul gives. “The Lord is at hand.” He does not say coming of the Lord is at hand, but the Lord Himself is at hand, that is, He is near, both to mark how we behave and to assist us in doing what is right. “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account… Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:13-16). Since nothing is hidden from His sight, we should come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us be gentle and forbearing.

So this Psalm is a description of a happy person. Part of the way we know that is because when it gives the description of this person in verse two, it uses the word “delight.” So there’s a delight here. There’s a happiness here. So next to “blessed,” in the margin of your Bible or in your notes, write out “full, lasting happiness.” That’s what this Psalm is talking about—full and lasting happiness. That’s why I said at the very beginning of our time together that I want to show you how you can experience deep, true, full, lasting happiness in your life. My assumption is that every person here desires that kind of happiness.

-The Greek text says “nothing you be anxious about”. …As the first word in the sentence nothing is emphasized. …As Christians there is nothing that we are to be anxious about, we are not be anxious about anything. …Let me say a couple of things here.

Prayer Then, Paul says that we need to have an attitude of prayer. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (v. 6). First, he tells us, "Be anxious for nothing." Anxiety or worry, which has apparently always been a difficulty for mankind but seems to be a special problem in our time of uncertainty, is a symptom of a lack of trust in God. In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus Himself warns us not to worry about such things as food, clothing, tomorrow. But how do we keep from being anxious or worrisome? Paul tells us instead that in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, we should let our requests be made known to God. Prayer is God's antidote to worry. Over and over again, the Bible promises Christians that God will hear and answer our prayers (James 5:13-18). “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Therefore, we can be assured that prayer will make a difference. Why? Because prayer is the supreme manifestation of trust in God. Joseph M. Scriven reminds us that because we have a friend in Jesus: "O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Everything to the Lord in prayer.”

There are all kinds of ways the world says we can get that. If you think about the sentence, “Blessed is the man, the woman, who...,” the world would finish that sentence in all kinds of different ways. Let’s think about some of the ways the world would finish that sentence. “Blessed is the one who is looking forward to college.” I know seniors are trying to think through where you’re going to school. So to get in a certain college would make you happy.

Now, at this point you’ll hear Christians say, “Actually, the world has happiness, but we have joy.” Happiness isn’t going to get you through the throes of 2020. That sounds like happiness is some flighty, fleeting emotion and joy is some deep reality, a state if you will, devoid of feeling. The problem is that just doesn’t square with the Bible. The Bible actually uses both joy and happiness, oftentimes interchangeably. Both are emotional; both are deep and wide-ranging.

1) When Paul says not to be anxious about anything he is thinking about real circumstances that we could be anxious about. …So often we are anxious about circumstances that do not even exist. …We imagine scenarios of what could happen and then we worry about them. …We let our imagination run wild with speculation and then we worry about what we have fabricated in our minds. …We are not to be anxious about our real circumstances and we are certainly not to imagine circumstances to worry about.

Peace Paul next says that we need to have an attitude of peace. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (v. 7). The result of casting all our cares on God in prayer is that His peace will guard or sustain our hearts and minds. While the Bible definitely teaches that we should strive to be at peace with others, the kind of peace that Paul's talking about is peace with God, the kind of peace that Jesus came to bring mankind. “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation….And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near” (Ephesians 2:11-18). He made peace between Jew and Gentile because He made it possible for both to be at peace with God.

For others, maybe it’s being in a certain relationship. “If I have this girlfriend or this boyfriend, this husband or this wife, that would make me happy.” Maybe it’s marriage. You think you’ll be happy in marriage. Or maybe you’ll be happy if you have kids. Maybe you’ll be happy if you have a certain job. Or maybe you’ll be happy if you have a certain amount of money or if you are comfortable in this life. Maybe it’s retirement. We could keep going on and on. The world might say, “Blessed is the one who has this.” Oftentimes we even would say around the church, “Yes, all those things are what blessing is about.” But is that where God says happiness is found?

So, this Psalm is a description of a happy person. Part of the way we know that is because when it gives the description of this person in verse two, it uses the word “delight.” There’s a happiness here. So next to “blessed,” in the margin of your Bible or in your notes, write out “full, lasting happiness.” That’s what this Psalm is talking about—full and lasting happiness. That’s why I said at the very beginning of our time together that I want to show you how you can experience deep, true, full, lasting happiness in your life. My assumption is that every person here desires that kind of happiness.

2) I want to acknowledge that certain people have temperaments that lean toward anxiety and fear. …Some people are anxious because of traumatic experiences in childhood, or because of drug use (paranoia), or traumatic incidents that have happened to them (post traumatic stress disorder). …God can enable those with anxious temperaments to live in peace and courage by faith (Timothy). …God can bring His peace and healing to those who have undergone trauma, but in this verse Paul is speaking of anxiety over real circumstances in our daily life.

Therefore, by submitting ourselves to God and trusting implicitly in Him, we can have the kind of peace that Paul describes in Colossians 3:15. “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you are called in one body, and be thankful.” So, either we can let anxiety and worry rule our hearts, or we can let the peace of God rule in our hearts. The people of this world are eagerly seeking peace, but they can never find it apart from Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

Because God made us and knows us better than we know ourselves, and He’s saying, “Blessed is the one who...,” I think we want to listen to what He says. As this sentence unfolds, we see first something the happy person does not do. It doesn’t start positive; it actually starts negative. It states what the happy person does not do. It’s not until we get to verse two that we see the word “but” to draw a contrast. So we’re about to see two different types of people. In fact, if you look, there are two other times that word “but” is used to draw a contrast—one down in verse four and then at the end in verse six. So clearly this Psalm is giving us two pictures and we’re going to come back to this at various points.

There are all kinds of ways the world says we can get that. If you think about the sentence, “Blessed is the man, the woman, the human who...,” the world would finish that sentence in all kinds of different ways. Let’s think about some of the ways the world would finish that sentence. “Blessed is the one who is looking forward to a new good job.” I know people are always moving around for the opportunity at something better for themselves and their families. Maybe that’s you. I know we are about to be right there.

3) To not be anxious does not mean to not be concerned, or to not take circumstances seriously, or to not work hard to solve difficult circumstances. …To not be anxious is to take all of our circumstances to God and to let God’s peace overrule our anxiety.

Meditation Again, Paul says that we need to have an attitude of meditation. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (v. 8). While Christians would oppose the mindless type of transcendental meditation found in Eastern religion, there is a kind of meditation that God wants. “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; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2). We do not sit around and say "ohm," but we do think about what God's word says in every choice we have to make and every situation we face. “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97).

We’ve got two pictures here of someone who is happy and someone who is not; someone who has full, lasting happiness and someone who doesn’t. The whole Psalm starts with the person who doesn’t. “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.”

For others, maybe it’s being in a certain relationship and righting something that has been wrong or fixing your health. Or maybe you’ll be happy if you have kids. Maybe you’ll be happy if you have a certain job. Or maybe you’ll be happy if you have a certain amount of money or if you are comfortable in this life. Maybe it’s retirement. We could keep going on and on. The world might say, “Blessed is the one who has this… or does this… or is this… or is involved in.” Oftentimes we even would say around the church, “Yes, all those things are what blessing is about.” But is that where God says true lasting happiness is found?

-Nothing is to make us anxious if we are Christians who are trusting in God. …What we are to do is to take every circumstance that causes us worry and anxiety and we are to take them to God in prayer and petition. …The way to be anxious about nothing is to be prayerful in everything. …Through prayer we transfer our circumstances into the hands of God and make a commitment to trust God in those circumstances and not to worry about the outcome.

We are all going to think about something or other; to please God, we need to put away all thoughts that are in opposition to God's word. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Rather, we ought to spend our time thinking about things which are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report according to the standard of God's law. That is why we need to be careful about what we read, watch on television, hear in music, see in movies, etc. Do these things help us meditate on the law of the Lord or do they cause thoughts that are not in harmony with God's ways?

D Look at the three verbs there: walks, stands, sits. When you think about those verbs and ponder them, they seem like a progression, don’t they? Okay, you’re walking in a certain direction and listening to the counsel of the wicked as you walk, the counsel of a world set against God’s Word. Then you stop and stand in the company of sinners— those who are disobeying God’s Word. Then finally you sit in the seat of those who are scoffing at those who obey God’s Word. So you’re not only participating in godlessness, now you’re sneering at those who obey God. Do you see the progression here? It’s like a trap. It’s like the loss of happiness begins subtly with walking in and listening to the counsel of the wicked, then standing in the company of sinners and finally sitting, which is the point at which you are now scoffing at those who obey God.

Because God made us and knows us better than we know ourselves, and He’s saying, “Blessed is the one who...,” I think we want to listen to what He says. As this sentence unfolds, we see first something the happy person does not do. It doesn’t start positive; it actually starts negatively. It states what a happy person does not do. It’s not until we get to verse two that we see the word “but” to draw a contrast. So, we’re about to see two different types of people. In fact, if you look, there are two other times that word “but” is used to draw a contrast—one down in verse four and then at the end in verse six. So clearly this Psalm is giving us two pictures here.

–Prayer is a general word for addressing God and expresses how we are to approach God with reverence and devotion. …Petition is making a specific request to God in prayer. …We are to come to God and make the circumstances we are anxious over and our anxiety known to Him.

Obedience Finally, Paul says that we need an attitude of obedience. “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you” (v. 9). Basically, obedience is doing God's will. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). One way in which we discern God's will is by what we learn, receive, hear, and see from inspired men like Paul as recorded in the scriptures.

Don’t miss where it all starts. It all starts with the counsel of the wicked. It’s the counsel you turn your ear toward. In other words, what you turn your ear toward, the messages you surround yourself with, will affect the direction of your life. It will either lead to happiness, or it won’t. Think about it. Why didn’t the psalmist just say, “Don’t be wicked, don’t sin and don’t scoff”? Why did he draw our attention to the wicked, the other sinners, and those who scoff? The picture is of the presence of influence. The unhappy man listens to the counsel of the wicked, then flowing from that he’s led to stop and have a seat among them. He listens to the counsel of the wicked, he is shaped by the counsel of the wicked, he’s affected by and surrounds himself with the counsel of the wicked.

Someone who is happy and someone who is not; someone who has full, lasting happiness and someone who doesn’t. The whole Psalm starts with the person who doesn’t. “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.”

-To prayer and petition we are to add thanksgiving. …Thanksgiving in this verse means more than adding a “Praise the Lord” to our petition. …Here thanksgiving certifies that a transfer of strength and resources has taken place from you to God and God to you. …By giving thanks you are saying that you have chosen to rely on God’s strength and wisdom in your circumstances and not on your own strength and resources. …Thanksgiving is signing that contract that puts God in charge of your circumstances and leaves you free to no longer be anxious. …The implication here is that because God is now in charge of the circumstances and all the resources of heaven are working in the circumstances that anxiety is no longer required and will not be practiced.

However, true obedience is not just following these men as such, but rather following what they reveal to us from Christ. Paul said, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11.1). In fact, he also wrote, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma” (Ephesians 5:1-2). Hence, our obedience is ultimately to Jesus Christ alone. “Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:8-9). When we obey Christ, we know that we are doing the will of the Father in heaven.

The key here is who you listen to and what messages you surround yourself with. That will be critical to happiness in your life. Let me say that again. Who you listen to and the messages you surround yourself with will be critical to happiness in your life. If you want happiness, it’s not found in listening to the counsel of the wicked. How do we know this is the point? Look at the next verse.

Look at the three verbs there: walks stands, sits. When you think about those verbs and ponder them, they seem like a progression, don’t they? Okay, you’re walking in a certain direction and listening to the counsel of the wicked as you walk, the counsel of a world set against God’s Word. Then you stop and stand in the company of sinners— those who are disobeying God’s Word. Then finally you sit in the seat of those who are scoffing at those who obey God’s Word. So you’re not only participating in godlessness, now you’re sneering at those who obey God. Do you see the progression here? It’s like a trap. It’s like the loss of happiness begins subtly with walking in and listening to the counsel of the wicked, then standing in the company of sinners and finally sitting, which is the point at which you are now scoffing at those who obey God. (STAR WARS EXAMPLE…. ANAKIN TURNS SUBTLY BY LISTENING TO COUNSEL)

-Thanksgiving is your commitment of faith in God and trust in God that He will work to provide and protect in your circumstances.

Conclusion If we shall rejoice in the Lord always, let our gentleness be known to all men, be characterized by prayer rather than by anxiety, have the peace of God ruling our hearts, meditate on the law of the Lord, and do God's will in all things, then we shall have an attitude well pleasing to God. Of course, as Christians, we sometimes fail in one or more of these areas and are guilty of sin. However, God is gracious to offer forgiveness as we repent, confess, and pray; and also He offers help to do better. Remember what we read in Hebrews 4:16. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” And in everything, let us strive to be obedient to Christ, knowing that He is “the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.”

We might expect the second verse to parallel the first one, saying something like, “Blessed is the one who walks in the counsel of the righteous, or stands in the way of the obedient, or sits in the seat of the worshipful.” But instead we only have one description: “His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

Don’t miss where it all starts. It all starts with the counsel of the wicked. It’s the counsel you turn your ear toward. In other words, what you turn your ear toward this year, the messages you surround yourself with will affect the direction of your life. It will either lead to happiness, or it won’t. Think about it. Why didn’t the psalmist just say, “Don’t be wicked, don’t sin and don’t scoff”? Why did he draw our attention to the wicked, the other sinners, and those who scoff? The picture is of the presence of influence. The unhappy man listens to the counsel of the wicked, then flowing from that he’s led to stop and have a seat among them. He listens to the counsel of the wicked, he is shaped by the counsel of the wicked, he’s affected by and surrounds himself with the counsel of the wicked.

-Thanksgiving is also acknowledging that you will accept the outcome of your circumstances. …By thanksgiving you are saying that however the circumstances turn out, be they joyful or filled with grief, be they according to your will or not, you are trusting in the Goodness and Mercy of God in those circumstances and you will not be anxious over the outcome.

So why is there just one thing? Out of all the things verse two could have said about the happy, blessed life, why is this the description? Think about what we just saw. What you listen to and what messages you surround yourself with is critical to the direction of your life, how your life is led and where your life leads to. The key, according to God, to blessing and full, lasting happiness in your life is listening to and surrounding yourself with meditating on God’s Word—the law of the Lord—and finding delight in it. That is the key.

Sadly, football season is almost over… one of my favorite moments in football is when theres 2 seconds left in the game and the kicker ahs to come on and make the game-winning field goal. Some of those stadiums are as loud as a rocket launcher… but to make the kick, that kicker has to tune them out and focus only on the teaching of his coach and trainers inside of him. He has to visualize it going well. This is why the other team tries to ice him by taking a time out. They want him to listen to the hostile crowd…

-If we have made our request known to God and have received His resources, and transferred our dependence to God, and acknowledged our willingness to leave outcomes in God’s Good hands, then the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. …Guard is a military term which describes a detachment of soldiers protecting a city from attack. …So God’s peace guards our hearts and minds from anxiety.

So to keep that contrast going, you’ve got the counsel of the wicked that might affect you or you have the law of the Lord that might affect you. That’s the contrast. One of those influences will lead one way; the other influence will lead another way. If you think about it, it’s like two competing sources of pleasure. Either you will find your delight in the counsel of the wicked (the world) or you will find your delight in the counsel of the law of God. The one who is happy will find his or her pleasure and delight in the law of the Lord, such that you will find yourself meditating on it day and night, all the time, in a way that leads you away from the counsel of the wicked and toward the law of God.

-This is not peace with God which it the result of our sins being paid for and our reconciliation with God and no longer being under the wrath of God, but the experience of God’s peace in our hearts and in our minds. …God’s peace in our present circumstances goes beyond logical behavior and rational understanding in our circumstances. …Where worry and anxiety and fretting should be our behavior there is the enveloping peace of God. …Where you know you should be falling apart, and overreacting, and feeling stressed out, under the circumstances there is an unexplainable peace.

When that is a reality in your life, verse three says you will be “like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” We see three pictures of happiness here. The first one is that he is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields fruit. Happiness is being fruitful. Think about it this way. You’ve got two trees. You’ve got a barren tree that is dead and a tree that is alive and bearing fruit. If those are your two options, which one do you want to be? Which one do you want to depict your life?

-If you are anxious about something and you take it to God in prayer and the calm peace of God does not fill your heart and mind then you are still determined to work out those circumstances in your own strength and have not transferred that circumstance into God’s hands. …Once you finally trust God in your circumstances then God’s peace will fill your hearts and minds. …Keep on praying and struggling with giving up the control of your circumstances and the outcome you desires to God and then the peace of God will fill your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. …Like Jesus, who struggled in great stress with the will of God in the Garden of Gethsemane until he could say, “not my will by yours be done” and then got up filled with the peace of God, so we must come to a place where God’s peace overshadows us and takes our anxiety away.

The whole picture here is God saying, “I want you to be full of life, not just for yourself, but in a way that is nourishing to others around you.” Don’t you want a life that’s refreshing, nourishing and encouraging to the people around you? Don’t you want to be fruitful as opposed to being dried up and dead? So the first picture is one of being fruitful.

So why is there just one thing? Out of all the things verse two could have said about the happy, blessed life, why is this the description? Seems a little lacking at first. Think about what we just saw. What you listen to and what messages you surround yourself with is critical to the direction of your life, how your life is led and where your life leads to. The key, according to God, to blessing and full, lasting happiness in your life is listening to and surrounding yourself with meditating on God’s Word—the law of the Lord—and finding delight in it. That is the key.

-With God’s peace guarding your heart and mind you may feel guilty because you are so calm under the circumstances. …Accept the gift of the peace of God and thank God for it and do not feel guilty for it. …Others who do not understand the peace of God may accuse you of not caring in the circumstances because you are not filled with stressful anxiety and worry as they are. …Be willing to let the circumstances work out under the hand of God.

The next picture is that the tree’s leaf does not wither. Let’s call that durable. It stays green. This is why we know this happiness is not just a flighty and fleeting emotion. This is a deep, enduring, full and lasting reality amidst changing winds, blowing storms and falling temperature. You say, “How is it possible for a leaf not to wither? How is it possible to have enduring happiness in a changing world with all kinds of changing circumstances?” The answer is that your source of happiness is in what lasts forever. Look at : “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” If you meditate on the Word of God, you will find a source of enduring happiness.

So to keep that contrast going, you’ve got the counsel of the wicked that might affect you or you have the law of the Lord that might affect you. That’s the contrast. One of those influences will lead one way; the other influence will lead another way. The one who is happy will find his or her pleasure and delight in the law of the Lord, such that you will find yourself meditating on it day and night, all the time, in a way that leads you away from the counsel of the wicked and toward the law of God.

-The important factor in changing anxiety to peace is faith. …Through prayer we approach God, and through petition we present to God our anxiety and the circumstances causing that anxiety. …Through thanksgiving we look to God’s strength and wisdom, and we relinquish our own strength and choices in our circumstances. …Through thanksgiving we allow God to work out our circumstances according to His will and pleasure. …God replaces our anxiety with His peace that guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

A happy man or woman is fruitful, durable, and then, “In all that he does, he prospers.” In other words, he’s successful. Fruitful, durable and successful. Here’s another word that the world and God define in different ways. When we hear the word “prosperity,” many of us think the way the world thinks, in all the ways we mentioned earlier. Getting into the right school, having the right spouse, perfect kids, job, money, comfort, retirement—prosperity.

-One last thought. …We may have to give our anxiety over our circumstances to God over and over again until we learn to live more naturally in the peace of God. …James MacDonald can be very descriptive in his preaching. …He says that so often he has taken his anxieties and put them in a bag and brought them to the foot of the cross and laid them there at the feet of Jesus only to find them within a short time back in his pocket. …It is hard for us to trust God and just rest in God’s peace. …We want to take control of the circumstances, we want to worry and be anxious over our circumstances, as if by being anxious we are doing something to solve the situation. …So often we give our anxiety and circumstances to God and then take them right back again. …We need to keep going back to God, back to prayer and petition and thanksgiving, back over and over again and give all of our anxiety to God, until we are able to leave all our anxiety and all of our circumstances in the hand of God and rest in faith in the peace of God.

But is that how God defines success? That’s what leads us to the last part of this Psalm, where the contrast comes up again. “The wicked are not so…” (verse four). So here we’ve got the contrast. We’re about to read the opposite of fruitful, the opposite of durable and the opposite of successful. The wicked are not those things. What are the wicked like? “The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.” Chaff is a like a light straw that the farmer tosses up and blows away. The good stuff, which is heavier falls to the ground. The wicked are not durable. Those who reject God’s Word, who don’t delight in His Word but listen to and live according to the world, don’t have a lasting happiness. Their happiness is fleeting. It comes and goes; just like chaff, it’s blown away.

The whole picture here is God saying, “I want you to be so full of life, not just for yourself, but in a way that is nourishing to others around you and consistently so.” Don’t you want a life that’s refreshing, nourishing and encouraging to the people around you? Don’t you want to be fruitful as opposed to being dried up and dead?

-As we come to the Lord’s Table this morning may we discover afresh that we can trust God to care for us in all of our circumstances and may we exchange our anxiety for the peace of God

This then leads to verse five where things go to a whole other level. “Therefore...” Whenever we see the word “therefore,” we know what’s about to come is based on everything that’s just been said. So now we know we’re coming to the conclusion of this Psalm, seeing where it’s all headed—the climax. We know everything we’re about to read is based on everything we’ve just seen. “Therefore,” in light of what we’ve just seen, “the wicked will not stand in the judgment...”

Here’s the picture. Not only are they like chaff that the wind drives away, the wicked will not stand in the judgment. So ultimately all the things those in the world have sought for and looked to for their happiness—all these things we talked about at the top—will ultimately prove in the end to be futile and empty. They won’t help them stand in the judgment. “The wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.”

Now we’re talking about a day of judgment that’s coming. On that day, we see two groups of people. One group is the wicked and sinners. “The wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous…” So here’s the group. “…For the Lord knows the way of the righteous.” We have the wicked sinners, those who have listened to and gone after things of this world, and here we have the righteous, those who have looked to God and meditated on His Word.

But is that how God defines success? That’s what leads us to the last part of this Psalm, where the contrast comes up again. “The wicked are not so…” (verse four). So here we’ve got the contrast. We’re about to read the opposite of fruitful, the opposite of durable and the opposite of successful. What are the wicked like? “The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.” Chaff is a like a light straw that the farmer tosses up and blows away. The good stuff, which is heavier falls to the ground. The wicked are not durable. Those who reject God’s Word, who don’t delight in His Word but listen to and live according to the world, don’t have a lasting happiness. Their happiness is fleeting. It comes and goes; just like chaff, it’s blown away.

Now we have these two groups and here’s how they are distinguished. “For the Lord knows the way of the righteous.” As soon as we read “knows,” we realize he also knows about the way of the wicked. It’s not like the Lord is ignorant about the way of the wicked; He just made it clear that He knows how wickedness works. So the picture here is more than just knowing about the righteous; this is knowing with approval and commendation. The Lord recognizes the righteous who have delighted in His law, who have meditated on His law day and night.

This then leads to verse five where things go to a whole other level. “Therefore...” Whenever we see the word “therefore,” we know what’s about to come is based on everything that’s just been said. So now we know we’re concluding this Psalm, seeing where it’s all headed—the climax. “Therefore,” in light of what we’ve just seen, “the wicked will not stand in the judgment...”

Another way to put this is that the Lord knows those who know Him, know His Word and have delighted in His law. They will stand, “but the way of the wicked will...” —here’s how the whole Psalm ends—“…perish.” They will end in destruction. Maybe to keep the contrast going from the first word to the last word, let’s call this “everlasting hopelessness.” Not happiness, not full and lasting happiness, but everlasting hopelessness.

So that’s the contrast between these two realities. Don’t miss the point. You have two types of people according to this Psalm. What that means is in this room right now there are two types of people. Which one are you? There is a type of person who is not listening to the truth of God’s Word, but is listening to the counsel of the world, is walking in that counsel, is standing in the way of that counsel and living according to that counsel. Maybe this person is even sitting in the seat of scoffers, to the point that he is scoffing at those who would obey God’s Word, who would trust in God’s Word as the foundation of their lives.

Now we’re talking about a day of judgment that’s coming. On that day, we see two groups of people. We have the wicked sinners, those who have listened to and gone after things of this world, and here we have the righteous, those who have looked to God and meditated on His Word.

Wherever you are on that progression, the reality is you are like chaff that the wind drives away. Fleeting happiness comes and goes, but in the end—when it ultimately matters— the Bible is saying you will not stand in the judgment. Your life will one day lead to perishing. That’s one type of person here.

Now we have these two groups and here’s how they are distinguished. “For the Lord knows the way of the righteous.” As soon as we read “knows,” we realize he also knows about the way of the wicked. Some translations say the Lord watches. It’s not like the Lord is ignorant about the way of the wicked; He just made it clear that He knows how wickedness works. So the picture here is more than just knowing about the righteous; this is knowing with approval and commendation. The Lord recognizes the righteous who have delighted in His law, who have meditated on His law, day and night.

Then there’s another type of person whose delight is in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. Here you find happiness. That’s your source of joy. And because of this, you are fruitful and have a happiness that is durable. You are ultimately successful. You say, “What do you mean, successful?” You will stand in the day of judgment, for the Lord knows your way.

So my question is, which type of person are you? If you’re not “the righteous”, you are “the sinner.” There’s not a third type here. And if that’s the case for you today, I want to invite you to become ”righteous” which is the invitation that God has brought you here to receive today. By faith, you can become “righteous.”

Then for all who would say, “Okay, I’m in the righteous group,” I’m calling you to do MAPS with God’s Word—to do this with a Psalm a day for the next 40 days. Then every Sunday when we gather together, we’ll open God’s Word and meditate on it. Don’t miss the importance of this. Don’t let gathering around God’s Word be an option in your life. When you delight in God’s Word, you desire to gather together around His Word, with His people, listening to what He is saying. Make that a non-negotiable in your life—day and night on your own, week by week as a church. As we do this, we will experience, based on the promises of God’s Word, full and lasting happiness and fruitful, durable successful lives according to God’s design.

Let me ask you to bow your heads and close your eyes. I want to ask you that question again about “the righteous” and “the sinner.” We just read in about these two groups of people. The righteous are not those who are perfect. The righteous are those who have entered into relationship with God through Jesus, who have been forgiven of their sin and restored to relationship with Him; those who now find themselves with desires for Him and His Word.

So my question is, which type of person are you? If you’re not “the righteous”, you are “the sinner.” There’s not a third type here. When you meditate on this question, how do you honestly answer?... Then when you answer, I think there are two ways we can respond to this text today depending on your answer.

So I ask is that you? Can you honestly say that is you? If you were to die today and appear before God, would you be able to stand? Will He welcome you in? If the answer to that question is not a resounding yes in your heart, then I want to invite you to pray to God right now. Just say to Him, right where you’re sitting, “Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I’m walking in a way that is contrary to Your Word. I’m not delighting in Your Word. I am turning from Your Word. But today I am trusting that Jesus died on a cross for my sins. Today I am placing my faith in Him as my Savior and my Lord. I want to live in the way of the righteous. I want to walk with You. I want to delight in You and in Your Word, today, tomorrow and for all eternity.” If you just prayed that to God, then I want to invite you to do something. With every head bowed and every eye closed, if you just said to God, “Yes, I want to experience full and lasting happiness in God through Jesus today,” I invite you to raise your hand right where you are. Praise God! Let me close in prayer. God, I praise You for people You have brought today to find true and lasting happiness through faith in Jesus. I pray that You would give them courage to confess that publicly today, along with others who have not been baptized yet. God, I pray for each of us, that You would make us like this one who delights in Your law and meditates on it day and night. May that be true of our lives. And because that’s true in our lives, may we experience full, lasting, durable happiness; enduring happiness that is ultimately better than prosperity in this world because it is a right relationship with You. May it be so today and even more so in these first 40 days of the year, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Conclusion

If in your heart you know you are covered by the blood of Jesus and you do not walk in step with the wicked, rather you can stand in the congregation of the righteous on judgement day then our proper response to this psalm is meditation on God’s word. That is how you begin anew and become transformed this year. That is how you find happiness. says that we should get rid of all moral filth and humbly accept the word planted in us which can save us. Studies have shown it takes at least 14 days to make a habit. So I encourage you, for the next 14 days at least read your Bible for 5 minutes a day. That’s it. Just start with 5 minutes and you can go up from there if you want to. Just be consistent. If you don’t know what to read you can go to YouVersion.com and there are hundreds of plans. Or I normally tell people to start in the gospel of promise you, if you stay consistent, the Word will transform you. You will notice, and others will notice, and God will be glorified.

Now… if you know that you are not the blessed person… if you are not the righteous one, but the sinner… if you were one time on the right path but now you’ve strayed so far and you just want to feel like you can breathe again… and you just want a do over… a new beginning… then I have good news for you. It’s a bit of a mystery. Here’s the news. All the people who stand with the righteous are sinners too… they have all broken the law and are guilty of sin and left in dishonor, shame, and fear… yet the God-Man Jesus came to earth… the Word became flesh… and he died on the cross to take your sin and more than that… so often we just stop there when we tell the gospel story. Jesus took your sin and GAVE US his righteousness if we choose to accept it… So now those who can stand in the assembly of righteous only stand because of the blood of Jesus Christ. Sure they may still sin… but they know… with a durable lasting happiness that when God sees them he sees only righteousness… any guilt they feel is a conviction of the spirit to honor Jesus but any shame they feel… feelings of inadequacy or worthlessness is a lie from the enemy because they are righteous.