Sermon:  Choices

 

Summary:  God gives us a choice between 2 ways of life and no other.  God's way is grounded in God and his instruction, which leads to his blessing when we meditate on it and delight in it.  The other is the way of the wicked and is fleeting, leading only to death.  We should choose the way of life and delight in God and his instruction.

 

Text:  Psalm 1:1-6

 

Scripture Reading:  Prov 9:10

 

Intro:

1.  Will talk about choices.  We live in an age of options

            a.  So many options drive me up the wall

            b.  Go to the store, buy laundry detergent.   Whole aisle full of choices!

            c.  Choices in music, in homes, wardrobe, etc.

            d.  People today even say choice of an "alternative lifestyles"

2.  In the larger picture of things, we don't have that many choices

            a.  God has given us only two choices

            b.  When you go to the aisle of life, only two choices on the shelf

3.  That lead us into our text for this morning:  Psalm 1

            a.  It along with chapter 2 forms the introduction to book of Psalms

            b.  It is a wisdom Psalm

                        - Does not make a direct appeal

                        - It simply paints a picture of two options

                        - It is left for us to decide which of two options we will choose

            c.  It is either or - We will come away with one or the other

4.  What two items are on the shelf?  What do they look like?

 

I.  (v.1-3) The instruction of the Lord

            A.  The first item comes from God

            B.  Look at what the person that chooses this looks like

                        1.  He is blessed

                                    a.  Hebrew - "Oh the blessednesses of the man"

                                                - This is a beatitude

                                                - Simply highlights the blessing of the godly man

                                    b.  What does it mean to be blessed?

                                                - Hebrew: ashre, root - "go straight or "advance"

                                                - Life goes forward, it progresses well

                                                - Has the idea of contentment, peace, prosperity

                                    c.  It means a good, fulfilling, peaceful life

                        2.  He does not hang out with the wicked

                                    a.  He does not walk in the counsel of the wicked

                                                - Counsel means advice

                                                - It means he does not accept their philosophy of life

                                                - For us, it includes philosophy of celebrities

                                                - Philosophy of life not from Oprah, but God

                                    b.  They do not stand in the path of sinners

                                                - It means going along with the crowd

                                                - If you stay in their path, they will carry you along

                                                - Tremendous pressure if one is on their path

                                    c.  They do not sit in the seat of scoffers

                                                - What is a scoffer?  One who scoffs

                                                - We have all heard that sound before haven't we?

                                                - It scoff at wisdom, instruction, says "I know it all"

                        3.  His delight is in the Law of Yahweh

                                    a.  Law, Torah, in Hebrew often means "instruction"

                                                - Means it is more than just do's and don'ts

                                                - Instruction has to do with a change of character

                                                - To delight in them is to be blessed

                                    b.  He meditates day and night on God's instruction

                                                - Mediate means to ponder, contemplate, think on

                                                - Meditate is an onomatopoeia "hagah" in Hebrew

                                                            - It also means to mumble, growl, or purr

                                                            - Similar to pigeon "cooing"

                                                            - Similar to cat "purring"

                                                - It means being saturated with God's instruction

                        4.  Similar to listening to your ipod

                                    a.  Listen to a song, and it gets stuck in your head

                                    b.  Walk around singing it all day

                                    c.  (Ps 119:49-56) - v.54 - God's statues becomes our song

            C.  ILL:  What is the result?  The man becomes like a tree by the water

                        1.  What image do you have in your mind here?

                                    a.  Lush green hillside, old oak tree by the water

                                    b.  Maybe there are sheep and cows grazing

                        2.  That is not the picture of this Psalm

                                    a.  This tree is "planted" by the streams of water

                                    b.  Stream is peleg in Hebrew, and means "canal"

                                                - The stream is man made

                                                - This is not a nahar, a natural river

                                                - This is an irrigation canal

                                    c.  Image is of a place without a log of natural water

                                                - Perhaps even somewhat dry in Middle East

                                                - Have to dig and maintain a canal

                                    d. Tree has been cared for and cultivated

                                                - Watered and maintained by canal

                                                - Does not whither due to effort

                                                - Flourishes and produces fruit

                        3.  Ever been to an orchard before?

                                    a.  We used to go to orchards in Nebraska City

                                    b.  Trees not happen by accident

                                    c.  Have to be cultivated, pruned, water, maintained, etc.

            D.  You are a tree that is cultivated

                        1.  You dig the canal by delighting in the instruction of God

                        2.  As a result, you remain vibrant, healthy

                                    a.  You remain strong

                                    b.  You don't wither in the heat

                                    c.  You produce a fruit in your life

                        3.  Oh the blessedness of delighting in the law of God

                        4.  There is another choice

 

II.  (v.4-6) The way of the wicked

            A.  Verse four contrasts the "alternate" choice

                        1.  The wicked are the exact opposite of the righteous

                        2.  There is no blessing with the wicked

                        3.  Instead of "oh the blessedness" could say, "oh the cursedness"

            B.  Psalm begins with an image of the wicked.  They are like chaff

                        1.  What is chaff?

                                    a.  Think of them bringing harvest together on a windy hilltop

                                    b.  They want to get rid of the husks on the grain

                                                -  Usually have donkeys walk all over the grain

                                                -  Separates the grain from the husks, or the chaff

                                                - They would toss it all up in air

                                                - Wind carry away the lighter chaff, grain they keep

                                    c.  No one is sorry to see the chaff go

                                    d.  Chaff disappears into the wind and are forgotten

                        2.  What a contrast to the image of the cultivated tree

                                    a.  The tree is secure, full of life, fruitful

                                    b.  Chaff has no life, is thrown away

                                    c.  Image of chaff communicates unstableness, fleetingness

            C.  ILL:  You remember the song - Wise man built his house upon a rock?

                        1.  I still remember object lesson in Children's Church in Bellevue

                                    a.  One house made of brick on a rock

                                    b.  A paper sack house on confetti

                                    c.  Fan blow on each one

                        2.  What was point? 

                        3.  From Jesus, conclusion of sermon on the mount (Mt 7:24-27)

                                    a.  If you hear his "instruction" and act on them, solid

                                         foundation

                                    b.  Similar image to the tree planted by the water

            D.  The alternate choice has no future, no substance, no life

                        1.  The wicked will not stand in the judgment

                        2.  The way of the wicked will perish

 

III.  There are no other choices

            A.  We don't have a huge variety of options

                        1.  God made it very simple for us in his store. 

                        2.  There are only two choices on the shelf

            B.  Sadly, most will not choose God's instruction (Mt 7:13-14)

                        1.  Majority choose the broad way, which is chaff

                        2.  The narrow way is the way of life

                        3.  We don't want to just go along with the crowd

                        4.  Reading & reflecting on this Psalm reminds us of the good way

            C.  ILL:  How much more if we sing it?

                        1.  Issac Watts, 1674-1748, great composer of church music

                                    a.  When I survey, Alas and didmy Savior Bleed, How Shall

                                         the Young Secure Their Hearts

                                    b.  Also produced a Psalter, Psalms metered

                        2.  Would like to try and sing the first Psalm from his Psalter

                                    a.  It is written in the common meter

                                    b.  Tunes with common meter:

                                                - How Sweet how Heavenly

                                                - I'm not Ashamed to Own my Lord

                                                - All Hail the Power of Jesus Name

                                                - How Shall the Young Secure Their Hearts

                        3.  We will try one of these tunes to the Psalm

 

Concl:

1.  Which item are you walking away with today from the shelf?

            a.  One way makes you a fruitful tree in God's garden

            b.  The other makes you dead chaff that will be blown away

2.  Jesus came to give you life (inv)

3.  If you have responded to the Gospel, continue to delight in God's instruction

            a.  You will be the wise man who built his house on the rock

            b.  You will be the fruitful tree in God's garden

 

 


 

PSALM 1. (C. M.)

 

Isaac Watts

The way and end of the righteous and the wicked.

 

1 Blest is the man who shuns the place

Where sinners love to meet;

Who fears to tread their wicked ways,

And hates the scoffer's seat:

 

2 But in the statutes of the Lord

Has placed his chief delight;

By day he reads or hears the word,

And meditates by night.

 

3 [He, like a plant of gen'rous kind,

By living waters set,

Safe from the storms and blasting wind,

Enjoys a peaceful state.]

 

4 Green as the leaf, and ever fair,

Shall his profession shine

While fruits of holiness appear

Like clusters on the vine.

 

5 Not so the impious and unjust;

What vain designs they form!

Their hopes are blown away like dust,

Or chaff before the storm.

 

6 Sinners in judgment shall not stand

Amongst the sons of grace,

When Christ, the Judge, at his right hand

Appoints his saints a place.

 

7 His eye beholds the path they tread,

His heart approves it well

But crooked ways of sinners lead

Down to the gates of hell.


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Bulletin Outline:

 

Sermon:  Choices

 

Summary:  God gives us a choice between 2 ways of life and no other. God's way is grounded in God and his instruction, which leads to his blessing when we meditate on it and delight in it. The other is the way of the wicked and is fleeting, leading only to death. We should choose the way of life and delight in God and his instruction.

 

Intro:  Two choices in life, Psalm 1

 

I. (v.1-3) The instruction of the Lord

   A. Look at what the person that chooses this looks like

          1. He is blessed

          2. He does not hang out with the wicked

          3. His delight is in the Law of Yahweh

               (Ps 119:49-56) - v.54 - God's statues becomes our song

   B. What is the result?  The man becomes like a tree

           1. This tree is "planted" by the streams of water

           2. Tree has been cultivated

   C. You are a tree that is cultivated

 

II. (v.4-6) The way of the wicked

   A. Image of the wicked. They are like chaff

          1. What is chaff?

          2. What a contrast to the image of the cultivated tree

   B. Wise man built his house upon a rock (Mt 7:24-27)

   C. The alternate choice has no future, substance, life

 

III. There are no other choices

      Sadly, most will not choose God's instruction (Mt 7:13-14)

 

Concl:

Which will you choose?

 

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Small Group Questions:  Two Roads

 

Summary:  God gives us a choice between 2 ways of life and no other. God's way is grounded in God and his instruction, which leads to his blessing when we meditate on it and delight in it. The other is the way of the wicked and is fleeting, leading only to death. We should choose the way of life and delight in God and his instruction.

 

Open:

- What is a tough choice you have had to make between more than on option?  What is an easy one?

 

Explore:  (Psalm 1)

 

1. Discuss and describe what it means to be blessed and have the blessing of the Lord.

 

2. Discuss the characteristics of the one who is blessed.

 

3. In addition to the description, what metaphor or image is used for the blessed person?  What does this suggestion about the blessed person?  (What are the implications of the fact the Psalmist uses a "planted" tree?)

 

4. In what ways are the wicked different from the blessed?  What does the image used for the wicked here suggest about the wicked?

 

5. If you could choose your own metaphor for the righteous and the wicked from your own personal experience, what would you use?

 

Apply:

 

6. What does our culture say is the way(s) to blessedness?  How does that message compare with the message in this Psalm?

 

7. What do you typically "delight" in or find "joy" in?  What does this say about your desires, values, and priorities? 

 

8. What metaphor might you use to describe your spirituality?  (Car, rock, desert, mountain, Mall, Shoes, etc.)

 

9. What ongoing plan can you make to ensure you stay on God's path and not in the path of the ungodly?

 

Prayer