Grow in Righteousness: Know the benefits of Righteousness
Notes
Transcript
Intro:
Intro:
The benefits of living righteous is enjoying a right relationship with the Lord. We can grow to know the Lord and grow in our knowledge of him. This requires for us to be teachable and seeking to grow in the Lord. Plants that are green show life and need water to grow. We can tell when a plant is not as health when it turns brown that it is lacking water. The water is needed for growth. We will see in our text to day how
lead into text:
lead into text:
The first Psalm along with the Second Psalm are the introduction to the the book of Psalms. The psalm book can be broken down into three books with Psalm 1 gives us the theological template for the psalms. Psalm 1 also is a known to be a Torah-Wisdom Psalm because of the teaching of fidelity to God’s law and the blessing of keeping God’s law. This them is further explored in the following psalms of this book. Let us look at the wisdom of living obedience in the Word of the Lord.
1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. 2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. 3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. 4 But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. 5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. 6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
Your Position does matter
Your Position does matter
I was there but I was not participating I was just there. The saying, “I was in the wrong place” bears true in some instances and other times this is just used as an excuse to get out of trouble when your presence in the place along with the events are later condemned.
The righteous man is known by his position.
The righteous man is known by his position.
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy”. - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Where are you walking, standing, and or sitting?
The righteous person seeks to be in the presence of what is good, just and holy.
The Righteous person does not Walk in the counsel of the wicked.
The Righteous person does not Walk in the counsel of the wicked.
Walk in the counsel of the wicked means one:
Does not follow advice of the wicked.
Knows right from wrong and chooses to do what is right.
We are to follow what is good and there fore need to check the people we hang around with.
Your friends, the crowd and the place does matter.
Where were you at the time of on the Day of?
This question is to find out were you in the wrong place at the wrong time?
Your position does matter.
Does not stand in the path of sinners
Does not stand in the path of sinners
Stand in agreement with the wrong way.
Being caught again in the wrong place with the wrong people reflects one’s judgment.
We need to be aware where we are and look for the signs.
Ignorance does not save you from your consequences.
Choosing not to know does not excuse you from being complicit. Your proximity is complicity.
You can blame others for your lack of actions but it does not excuse you not taking the right actions.
Does not sit in the seat of scoffers!
Does not sit in the seat of scoffers!
This is dwell, relax, to makes yourself comfortable with this crowd.
It can be extremely easy to be unaware of the wickedness around you when living in denial.
When we are not in agreement with what is wicked things become permissible that were otherwise condemnable.
When we lower our standards and relax our ethical accountability and make allowances for wickedness we have found a space of being comfortable with wickedness.
When we are comfortable in the wicked space red flags.
When we are comfortable in the wicked space red flags.
You are extremely irritated when you hear judgement of your crowd and actions.
You find it hard to defend and therefore deflect and blame others.
Whataboutism does not make you right but instead you indirectly acknowledge you are wrong by pointing out the other wrong from the other party.
The lack of saying sorry and seeking forgiveness is a sign you are too comfortable with your sin.
Learn these red flags and turn to Jesus
Learn these red flags and turn to Jesus
The righteous seek to know the sings of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Pursue God’s Word to lead you in the right place
Pursue God’s Word to lead you in the right place
2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.
Make a schedule to be in God’s word.
Make it a priority in your daily life to spend time in God’s Word.
We know what righteousness is from knowing God’s Word.
Psalm 19 tells us of the benefit of God’s Perfect Word:
7 The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. 9 Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. 10 They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. 11 They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.
Revives the soul.
Makes wise the simple.
The Lord’s commandments brings joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord give insight for living.
They are right and more desirable than gold and honey.
The righteous man continues to grow.
The righteous man continues to grow.
3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
The righteous are compared to a green tree.
The righteous are compared to a green tree.
Tree planted by riverbank will have great access to water.
Therefore it will thrive and grow.
The tree survives in the arid weather and has green leaves.
This tree will bear fruit in season
The growth of the tree represents righteousness.
The quality of the fruit is good.
The quantity of the fruit is good.
Being planted and strong from the water relates to be strong in the Word of the Lord and seeing the fruit of the word in your life because of your obedience to God’s word.
The blessing of following after the Lord!
The blessing of following after the Lord!
You will see the blessing in your life. compared to the judgement to the wicked. This is what the Psalmist shows us as we continue to read...
3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. 4 But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. 5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. 6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
The righteous life is compared to green (life) vs. wicked life is brown (decaying)
The righteous life is compared to green (life) vs. wicked life is brown (decaying)
The wicked are like the chaff.
The chaff is worthless and separated from the grain.
The chaff is blown away and forgotten.
The wheat on the other hand falls back down and is retained in the separation process.
Therefore this separation of the righteous from the wicked is further expressed in Psalm 1:5.
5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly.
The wicked will not stand with the righteous.
The wicked will not stand with the righteous.
Jesus teaches us this in the separation of the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:32).
Psalm teaches us how God is looking at our lives and judgment will come.
The wicked will not stand judgment and God judges all!
God knows the ways (the life of) the righteous.
The wicked will perish.
Blessing of being in right standing with God!
Blessing of being in right standing with God!
God will reward us with everlasting life and fellowship with him.
The Lord knows our hearts (our ways) and will bless us because of our confession in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, as our Lord.
We will have access to water to continue to grow in the Lord.
38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ ”
Christ is our Foundation and tells us that we will have great success in him because of our faith in Him.
Let us make the decision to continue to Grow in the Lord and and walk with him each and every day for the rest of the year.