Psalm 1 | Am I Blessed?

1 Blessed is the man That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; And in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That bringeth forth his fruit in his season; His leaf also shall not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so: But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

INTRO

Today, we begin a new series: “Jesus & Me in the Psalms.”

The Psalms are full of variety:

Devotional

Pentiotential

Imprecatory

Ascent

Hallelujah

Historical

Acrostic

Messianic

In this series, we will primarily focus on Messianic and Devotional Psalms.

We see Jesus.

Luke 24:44 KJV

And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

Crucified Savior Ps 22

Shepherd Ps 23

Sacrifice Ps 40

High Priest Ps 110

Stone Ps 118

Coming King Ps 2

We see me & you.

Sobbing & singing

Pout, doubt, & shout

Review the past & preview the future

The soul of man exposed

Confessions of sin & confessions of faith

The Psalms are songs & poems collected for the Jews to use in corporate worship and personal devotions.

Psalm 1 & Psalm 2 are natural beginnings.

Order

Ps 1 opens with :obedient service & Ps 150 closes with call to praise

Psalm 1 opens & Psalm 2 closes with being blessed

Declarations, not prayers

Theme of godly vs ungodly

Righteous man (1) vs Righteous King (2)

Point to two ways, like Jesus in the narrow gate vs the broad, crowded way in Mt 7:13-14

Matthew 7:13–14 KJV

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Psalm 1 will lead us to ask the question:

Am I Blessed?

Psalm 1 compares the blessed one with the judged one

Righteous vs unrighteous

Godly vs Ungodly

Saved vs Unsaved

PROP

As we look at this comparison, it will become clear that we should want to be a blessed one rather than a judged one.

I want to be blessed!

TRANS

As we compare the two, we will find:

(As Wiersbe put it) The blessed one is separated, saturated, and situated.

The judged one is dead, disconnected, and destined.

The outcome of the blessed one is happy, planted, prosperous, and secure.

The Blessed One

Separated, vs 1

Avoids the downward progression:

Walk/counsel/ungodly

Stand/way/sinner

Sit/seat/scornful

Saturated, vs 2

Delight & meditate

Meditate=digest & speak aloud

Read Scripture aloud

Situated, vs 3

Transplanted by irrigation canals

Like a vine from Egypt to Canaan Ps 80

NT--Drinking of the Holy Spirit

Deepen roots of understanding, conviction, & experience

Jeremiah 17:7–8 KJV

7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

That’s the blessed one.

Now, let’s look at the:

The Judged One

Dead, vs 4

But without life, eternal fruit, or blessed seed

Disconnected, vs 4

Free & liberated!

But wandering

Destined, vs 5-6

To judgement

The Blessed Outcome

Blessed, vs 1

Planted, vs 3

Prosperous, vs 3

Secure, vs 6

CONCLUSION

10,000 Sermon Illustrations Genuine Happiness?

I have now reigned above 50 years in victory or peace, beloved by my subjects, dreaded by my enemies, and respected by my allies. Riches and honors, power and pleasure, have waited on my call, nor does any earthly blessing appear to have been wanting to my felicity. In this situation I have diligently numbered the days of pure and genuine happiness which have fallen to my lot: they amount to 14! O man, place not thy confidence in this present world!

Abdalrahman, in The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empir

Which are you?

In the middle…half dead?

Judged?

Blessed?

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