LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH
PRAYER AND BIBLE STUDY – 19 SEPTEMBER 2023
PSALM 1
The book of Psalms is a
devotional book, a prayer and a hymn book for the people of God. The New Testament has over 400 quotations
from the book of Psalms. When the church
of Jerusalem chose new apostles the Lord gave guidance through the Psalms. Psalm 16 verse 10 “For thou wilt not leave my
soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” Acts 2 verse 31 Peter quoted from the Psalms
“he seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ that his soul was
not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruptions.” Singing selective psalms was part of the
early church. Ephesians 5 verse 19
“speaking to yourself in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making
melody in your heart to the Lord.” Sadly
it is not as much a part of worship as could be. The psalms are primarily about God, creation
and his relationship to mankind. It
speaks of a tender-hearted father, a God who keeps his promises. The Psalms also speak of those who are
victorious, who have faith and doubts. In these verses we read of wickedness,
ungodliness and what their latter end will be.
I want us to consider the first 2 verses of Psalm 1.
The writer starts off with
a high note – “blessed is the man”. The
word “blessed” can be translated happy.
The psalmist is saying “happy is the man.” We all like to be happy and full of joy. We dread those moments when we are robbed of
cheerfulness and contentment. The truth
is that there will be times of sadness.
The secret to obtaining lasting happiness is found in healthy
habits. To be a blessing of God you have
to be a blessing to God. We must be
careful about the places where we walk, stand and sit because that will
determine whether we are blessed by God.
There are 3 points from these verses:
Happiness comes from
taking the right step – “blessed is the man that walketh not in the
counsel of the ungodly.” He commences
with the power of negative thinking. He
is warning his writers of a path that the child of God must not tread. This path is easy to get on but much more
difficult to get off. If a man is going
to be happy that man must avoid the path of the ungodly. Many things make it possible for happiness to
flourish. The path of the ungodly is
poisonous, counter-productive. God’s
people must take the right step and avoid the ungodly path at all cost. Negatively the righteous person refuses to
participate in the way of ungodliness. “Can
two walk together except they be agreed?” (Amos 3 verse 3) God made it clear to the Israelites he was in
the business of obedience. They must not
be contaminated by other nations. He
made it clear “you are in the world but not of the world.” A godly man is separated from the world. That was the teaching of Jesus. John 17 verse 16 “They are not of the world
even as I am not of the world.” The
believer must be aware of friendships with the world that lead to being spotted
by the world. James 1 verse 27 “Pure
religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the
fatherless and widows in their affliction and keep himself unspotted from the
world.” Happiness comes from taking the
right step.
Secondly taking the
right stand – “nor standeth in the way of sinners.” The blessed and happy man does not mingle
with ungodly men. Jesus was known as the
friend of publicans and sinners. We are
not to stand in the way of sinners. In
other words, the blessed and happy man is not to take part in the ways of the
ungodly. The godly man will do
everything not to be associated with evil men.
We are to be a separated people.
John in his first letter in chapter 2 verse 18 says “love not the world,
neither the things that are in the world.
If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Many there are, they may be professing
Christians, who stand in the way of sinners.
They do not go along with the ways of the ungodly and take part in their
practices. We are not to take part in
the sinful practices of the ungodly. We
are separated people. A man of God is
separated from this world. No
involvement in what the godly do and have no fellowship with the unfruitful
works of darkness but rather reprove them.
Does not associate with those who gather themselves in ways to support
the devil’s kingdom.
Happiness comes from
taking the right step. Happiness comes
from taking the right stand. Thirdly
happiness comes from taking the right seat – “nor sitteth in the seat of
the scornful.” The child of God does not
listen to the ungodly man, nor linger and laugh with the scornful man. The sinful have their counsel. Notice the progression in verse 1 of
wickedness - the ungodly, sinner and then the scornful. This progression as you read in many ways
represents the backsliding in all its forms.
Everything is going well when walking along until something catches our
attention. Before we know it we are
standing and then finally sitting. May
not be the intention to stand for long periods, and then sit down. There are
times the attention is so taken by what it sees and the individual stops,
stands and then sits. That is the same
way backsliding works. The inward
progression – we must avoid sin when walking, contemplating when standing,
comfortable with sin when sitting. As
the company gets worse sin will increase its hold so watch that first
step. If you follow the wrong counsel,
follow the wrong companions and finally sit with the wrong crowd. The happy, happy man will avoid the seat of
the scornful. God delights to bless
individual lives but what brings God’s blessing? What are we to do in order to be blessed by
God and enjoy real happiness? By
delighting in his word - verse 2. When
the word of God has captured our full attention we will take the right step,
right stand and right seat. The word of
God will fill us with real joy and real happiness. We cannot go wrong when we meditate on the
word of God. “Thy word is a lamp unto my
feet and a light unto my path.” The
secret success to happiness – by taking the right step, the right stand and the
right seat. From that will follow
blessing and from blessing flows true and lasting happiness.
LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST
CHURCH
PRAYER AND BIBLE STUDY – TUESDAY
26 SEPTEMBER 2023
PSALM 1
There is a symbol which represents
the life of a successful man. You have
the numbers of the bible but also the symbols of the bible. The symbol in verse 3 represents a successful
man’s life - a tree. What is it that
makes a man successful in life - “like a tree that is planted.”
Firstly, the successful
man’s passion
The word – “his delight is
in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” A man’s success is found in his passion for God’s
word. It has captured his full attention. He focuses the majority of his time on
it. It is his delight, to take the
sacred page of scriptures, read it, meditate on its laws and precepts. This is something that should be the delight
of every believer. The very thought of
taking the word of God and reading it should fill all our hearts with delight
and real joy. It should not be a drudgery
to read the word of God but a pleasure.
Captured his full attention. Verse 2 “in his law doth he mediate day and
night.” A godly and successful man
engages his mind on the truth of God. He
comes into God’s presence saying “speak Lord thy servant heareth”. This applies to us today. The principle of meditating on God’s word has
not changed. We must read it methodically
and meditatively, come with open mind, saying is there any sin to avoid, a
promise to claim, a victory to gain, any blessing to enjoy, any truth I have
never saw before? Meditating on God’s
word should be done. Meditatively and
not randomly. The successful man’s
passion will be to delight himself in God’s word, to come before it with an
open mind seeking to apply its truth to his life and heart.
Secondly the successful
man’s prominence
“Like a tree.” It is prominent. It stands out from everything around. Tall in stature. It makes other things small and insignificant. More catching to the eye than the bushes
around it. It stands out. It is very attractive but it can be possible
for a tree to lose its prominence and no longer stand up. If other bushes are allowed to grow and get
out of control it loses its prominence.
When you think of a tree’s prominence it reminds us of the Christian
life. The Christian should stand out
from everyone else in the world. We are
to be living separated lives from the ungodly.
The character, conduct and conversation should be different if our lives
are to stand out. Matthew 5 verse 16 “Let
your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify
your Father which is in heaven.” It is
possible for a believer to lose their prominence. Just like the tree which no longer stands out
because it is grown over with branches, so too the Christian life can be
crowded with other things, worldly things.
As a result it is no longer standing prominently. There will be nothing different about our
lives. A believers life is to stand out when
the world looks on. Do our lives do
that? Do people see someone who is
different? We must guard our testimony
and live a holy separated life. 1 Peter
2 verse 9 “but ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation,
a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called
you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”
Thirdly the successful man’s
perminance
Note the word “planted”. Unlike the grass which is mowed down in
successive harvests a tree is rooted deep into the ground. It has a deep hidden life no-one else
sees. Its roots goes into the
ground. You cannot see the roots for
they are hidden. The tree draws its
strength to stand when the wind blows.
If there are no deep roots the tree would eventually wither, die and
then eventually fall over. This teaches
us, like the tree that has a deep hidden life that no-one else sees, so should
every child of God. There should be a
part in the Christian’s life no-one else sees.
That is talking of the devotion to God.
Every day we should have time for prayer and private devotion. To enter into the closet and shut out the
world, to get alone with God. Through
that time we receive the strength to survive spiritually. When the storms of life howl and they will
come we will be able to stand firm because our faith is rooted and grounded in the
Lord Jesus Christ through prayer.
Neglect your devotion and prayer time with the Lord and just like the
tree that hasn’t got deep roots you will fade and fall. This is what the child of God needs more than
ever. A deep hidden life. A time set aside every day to get alone with
God, to close out the world. Matthew 6
verse 6 we are to “enter into the closet – “but thou when thou prayest, enter
into thy closet and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is
in secret.”
Fourthly the successful
man’s position
“By the rivers of water. The drought which brings brokenness and bleakness
to others does not affect this tree because he has plenty – “by the rivers of water.” He draws continually from that supply. What does water represent in the word of God? The word of God. Through meditating on the scriptures that
releases rivers of God’s spirit so that our lives are refreshed and
revitalised. What is our position
tonight? Have we put ourselves to read
and meditate on God’s word? The tree
represents a successful man in the word.
Firstly his passion – read and meditate on his word. Many of us have great passions. Are you passionate about the word of God? His prominence – he stood out from
everyone else. The Christian life should
always stand out in his conduct, his character and conversations. A deep hidden life, every believer should
have that every day, to get alone with God.
His position - an unfailing source of life which came from an unfailing
source – the word of God. “His delight
is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the
rivers of water.”
LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH
NOTES FROM TUESDAY 17 OCTOBER 2023
PSALM 1
“that bringeth forth his fruit in his season, his leaf also shall not wither, whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” verse 3
His produce –
“bringeth forth his fruit”. It is
inevitable that a tree rooted in the right position, drawing from the right
source will bring forth fruit. The
supply of fruit must be in abundance or it may not be. It depends on the year. Some years are better than others. Some years fruit is plentiful others are
scarce. A tree brings forth fruit. Whether it be in abundance or not there will be
fruit. If there is life at all there
will be fruit. A Christian life shall
bring forth fruit because every Christian whose branch abides in the vine has
the Lord Jesus Christ. John 15 verse 5
“I am the vine, ye are the branches, he that abideth in me and I in him the
same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing.” The purpose in the Christian life that bringeth
fruit is to bring glory to the Father.
Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit. The Christian life is to be lived in such a
way that they bring forth much fruit. It
is characterised by this. The ungodly
and his difference – for the ungodly produces bad fruit that dishonours God by
the things they do and the lives they live.
Not so for the child of God. Matthew
7 verse 14 “ye shall know them by their fruits.” John Blanchard said “a fruitless person is
not a failed Christian but a false one.”
Strong language. In other words
not a Christian at all. But what this psalmist in Psalm 1 meant is the tree
that produces fruit what does he do with?
Not with the purpose of only being a blessing to itself. The tree does not keep its fruit. Its branches run over the wall. The purpose
of being a blessing to others. The fruit
of the tree is a harvest for others to enjoy its benefits. When speaking of the Christian life we bear
fruit – why – so our lives can be a blessing to others. Other people should benefit from the
lifestyle we live. Someone said the
Christian should resemble a fruit tree not a Christmas tree.
Secondly his practice
– “in his season”. A tree does not
produce all year round. It goes through
different steps throughout the year – there is a time for fruit bearing, growth
and a time of rest. All these are
essential. They come and they go. There will be a time for producing, for
developing and then a time of rest. Each
of us have difference seasons. They are
all very important. It wouldn’t be very
normal if a tree was always bearing fruit or always growing and not bearing
fruit. It is a very rare thing if the
tree is always resting and doing nothing.
There must be a time for bearing, growing and a time for resting. These 3 principles can be applied easily to
the Christian life. There will be times
in the life where he bears fruit, times for growth, times for rest. Sometimes we are always earnestly looking for
the fruit and we should do that. It will
come in its season as long as we abide in the Spirit. Andrew Murray “have you even noticed the
difference in the Christian life between work and fruit. A machine can do work, only a life can bear
fruit.
His persistence. "His leaf also shall not whither." Autumn is looming, the trees are beginning to
lose their leaves but not so with this tree in Psalm 1. Its leaf will not wither. Seasons of year may change as they do but
this tree stays the same. It doesn’t
change. It is not affected by the
weather. It does not matter how hard the
storms blow it will manage to keep its leaf.
It is like the evergreen tree, it stays green and fresh despite the
changing weather. We live in a world, in
a society that is constantly changing and people are so inconsistent
lives. They are constantly changing with
no real stability in what they believe but that is not the formula for the
child of God. They should be like this
tree that is unchanging, consistent in their walk with God. We must be steady and stable, followers of
Christ even when the storms blow and they will blow. The trials of life will come but our walk
with God must be steady and consistent.
We cannot allow the storms and problems of life to drive a wedge between
us and our Saviour. We should allow them
to draw us closer to himself. Peter in
his first letter chapter 1 verse 7 said “the trial of your faith being much more
precious than gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found
unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. We are to be fresh and vibrant and growing in
the knowledge of God. We cannot allow
trouble to drive us backward. 2 Peter 3
verse 18 “but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ.”
His prosperity –
“whatsoever he doth shall prosper.” What
wonderful words. Everything that a man
seeks to do in accordance with God’s will, will prosper. His family life, his business life, his
church life, his personal life. The
successful man succeeds above and beyond his hopes. Everything that the successful man puts his
hand to will prosper in accordance with God’s word and will. When Joshua succeeded Moses God said to him
in verse 8 of chapter 1 “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy
mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe
to do according to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy
way prosperous and then thou shalt have good success.” Whatever we seek to do, the Psalmist is
saying, in accordance with God’s word and will, it will prosper above and
beyond our expectations. When it becomes
our desire to do the will of God as contained in his word, there will be
nothing to stop us from prospering.
LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT
METHODIST CHURCH
NOTES FROM TUESDAY 24
OCTOBER 2023
PSALM 1
Over these past number of
weeks we have been looking at the godly man symbolised by the Psalmist as a
tree. When you come to verse 4 there is
a dramatic change in the type of person the Psalmist is talking about. From the godly man and his life to the
godless and his fateful end. Verse 4 “the
ungodly are not so.” In other words the
godless man’s life is completely different from the godly man. He is not well planted but fruitless and
rootless, with no body or substance. In
order to describe the godless man’s life and end he uses another symbol – “chaff”. Keeping this symbol before us tonight there
are a number of truths from this scripture.
Firstly he is driven
– “which the wind driveth away”. The description
in God’s word concerning the ungodly man or woman is set out in stark contrast
with the godly man. The ungodly man is
described as “chaff which the wind driveth away.” The unsaved man cannot see and is at the
mercy of wicked powers which they have no authority over. They are being endlessly driven about by the
forces of darkness. “The ungodly are not
so but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.” There was a ship driving across the sea when
its engine failed. It was out of
control, driven by strong wind and the raging tide towards the coast with its
jagged rocks. Gripped by forces beyond
its control, driven towards disaster. So
it is with forces of darkness in the life of the ungodly. Driven.
There are Satanic forces operated by the prince of the power of the
earth that now worketh in the children of disobedience. The ungodly didn’t believe in Satan or evil
spirits. The commentator J B Philips
said “the ungodly man is not the master of his own soul or the captain of his
own destiny.” Being driven, relentless
and powerless against the forces of darkness.
As chaff is before the wind.
Dead, rootless, blown away, destined for the fire. In the Old Testament wind was used to
separate the grain from chaff. The farmer
would gather his crop into his basket then he would go out on a windy day and
throw the wheat into the air. The heavy
grain would fall back into the basket but the chaff would be carried away by
the wind. Why? Because there is no substance, no weight in
it. The chaff would remain with the
grain for a short time but soon it is separated, blown away. Revelation 20 verse 15 “whosoever was not found
written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Secondly, he is doomed
– “therefore”. So often we are told to
ask “what is it there for”. It takes you
back to what was said previously in the verses - because the ungodly are driven
away they will not stand in the judgment, nor sit in the congregation of the
righteous. That does not imply they will
escape the judgment. Everyone who dies
without Christ as Saviour will appear before the great white throne of
judgment. It means they will have no
appropriate defence. No standing on the
day of judgement. They will not have a
leg to stand on. All their pleas and
excuses will be overruled as pointless.
The sinner will be summoned to the great white throne in heaven and
earth will have passed away. Everything
familiar in this world will have passed away.
All the invested time and talents will have gone. The ungodly will have nowhere to stand and
nothing to stand on. Matthew Henry said “those
who will not hear the comfortable voice of God’s word will be made to hear his
voice of his rod.” Queen Victoria set Britain
on the road to golden rule occupying the throne for 45 years. Even though was a staunch Protestant
historians say she died sitting on her throne at 70 years of age. She famously said “all my possessions for a
moment of time.” John on the Isle of Patmos
said in Revelation 20 verse 11 “and him that sat on it from whose face the
earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them.” The ungodly will have no standing in the day
of judgment and no part in the congregation of the righteous. The sinner will be excluded from the seat of
the saved for ever. The great gulf that
has been fixed will not allow the ungodly to enter the place of the godly. All the saints shall be gathered there and
nothing but the saints. There will be a
great congregation of righteous never seen before. 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 1 “now we beseech you
by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him.” The hungry will have no association with that
gathering, they will be shut out forever.
Thirdly, he is damned
- “but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”
The Lord knows those who are us.
They are continually before his mind.
He is watching over us. He knows
the way of the righteous but also the way of the ungodly. There is the way of the cross and it leads to
heaven and home. There is the cursed way,
the broad and popular way that leads to hell, trodden by every man since
birth. “We have turned everyone to his
own way” Isaiah 53 verse 6. Praise the
Lord that changed the moment we responded and turned around on the broad road
and started for the Calvary road. We
started to look to Jesus by faith. We
became children of the Saviour. We are
numbered with the ungodly. We are no longer
driven but directed. The ungodly walk on
the broad way. They have chosen to walk
in that way and it leads to destruction.
The Lord approves and is well pleased with the way of the righteous. He is not pleased with the ways of the
ungodly. What a comfort this is to those
of us who are believers. The Lord knows our
ways. He knows our hearts. He knows our character. He knows our devotion to him. What a comfort but what a terror it is for
the ungodly. He knows their character,
their dastardly deeds and iniquities. “For
the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous but the way of the ungodly shall perish. The Psalmist begins the Psalm with the word “blessed”
meaning “happy is the man” and ends with the word “perish”. We should approve ourselves to God in every
and entreat his favour with our own hearts.
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