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Planted Sermon Series
Psalm 1:1-3
I. The Discipline of the Godly – vs. 1
A. Walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly
- Walketh – to go along; to walk with
- Counsel – advice; purpose
- Ungodly – guilty of sin (against God or man)
The secret to being planted is to pick your walking companions very carefully.
Common excuse: But they like me. Do they like you, or do they like that they can influence you?
- TEST: Say no to their sinful activities and sinful counsel and see if they stay or leave you.
Supporting verses:
- Proverbs 1:10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
- Proverbs 1:15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
- Psalm 64:2 Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity…vs. 5 They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?
- Psalm 33:10 The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.
You are on the right path when those you walk with don’t expect you to go along with sin.
If your friends are surprised or offended that you don’t go along with sin, you’ve got the wrong friends.
WRITE THIS DOWN: Friends don’t let their friends sin against God and say or do nothing to stop you.
NOTE: People bound in sin come to me all the time; but it’s not to seek support for their sin.
You’re on the right path when sinners come to you for prayer.
You’re on the right path when sinners come to you to get help on how to change.
You’re on the right path when the ungodly look you up for answers and spiritual guidance.
The cost of walking in the counsel of the ungodly:
1. The pain of wrong choices – (sin always complicates life)
2. The loneliness of solitary consequences – (you’ll reap what you sow; your friends won’t)
3. The burden of involuntary support for their choices – (they’ll expect you to support their sin)
4. The heartbreak of eventual realization (one day, you’ll realize you made the wrong choice)
Notice the first word of this verse. Blessed. It means happy.
Walking in the counsel of the ungodly will never make you happy. Never. Mark it down.
It will eventually make you miserable. It will make you feel guilty, scared, anxious and afraid.
You cannot walk in the counsel of the ungodly once you’ve been exposed to the truth, and be happy.
B. Nor Standeth in the Way of Sinners
I want to work backwards, so let’s take the phrase and start at the end.
A. The Association
DEFINITION OF SINNERS: sinful, exposed to condemnation, reckoned as offenders
NOTE: Everybody is a sinner, but God differentiates between a child of God that sins, and a person that has adopted sinful activities as their normal way of life.
- Proverbs 1:10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
- Proverbs 23:17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but [be thou] in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
God does not refer to His people as sinners.
We are sinners saved by grace.
But we are called saints.
We are called kings and priests.
We are called children of the light.
We are referred to as lights, and salt, and witnesses.
We are not ever called sinners once we get saved.
To hang out with sinners is not only unwise, but it is a direct violation of Scripture.
II Corinthians 6
- 14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
- 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
- 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
- 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you,
You will never be PLANTED and productive and prosper if you STAND IN THE WAY OF SINNERS!!
B. The Atmosphere
DEFINITION OF WAY: road, journey, manner, manner, habit,
Sinners have a way of doing things.
EXAMPLE: When I travel around the world, I am fascinated by the different cultures and manners of life.
- The driving in India – no regard for traffic lights; signs; right-of-way
- The food in Myanmar – Asian food for breakfast
- The bathing in Samoa – outside under a spigot
- The weather in South Africa (wearing coats inside; doors open; wood stove…)
The sinners have a way of doing things that are simply not right.
It is not the way God designed or intended.
- Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.
- Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.
They are re-writing the rules on everything that God has already established.
Marriage; the family; clothing; music; entertainment; etc.
C. The Acceptance
DEFINITION OF STANDETH: remain, endure
To stand in the way of sinners means you are tolerant.
You can be saved, and still get to the place that you tolerate sin.
ILLUSTRATION:
- 2 Peter 2:7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
VEXED: to tire down with toil, exhaust with labour; to afflict or oppress with evils
After a while, you get to the place where it affects you less and less.
It starts to wear on you.
It starts to change you.
It starts to break down your good qualities.
It replaces the good with the bad; the right with the wrong; the godly with the ungodly.
- 1 Corinthians 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
Conclusion: This is what God said to do in these situations:
- Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
- Proverbs 1:15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:
C. Nor Sitteth in the Seat of the Scornful
1. Notice the Position – sitteth
Proverbs 9
- 12 If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.
- 13 A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.
- 14 For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,
- 15 To call passengers who go right on their ways:
- 16 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither…
She is not doing anything.
She does not know anything.
But she is “clamorous”.
CLAMOROUS: to murmur, growl, roar, cry aloud, mourn, rage, sound, make noise, tumult, be clamorous, be disquieted, be loud, be moved, be troubled, be in an uproar
Typically, being seated is a picture of inactivity.
We know that a lot of people make a living sitting, but not many did back then.
The scorner doesn’t do anything but make fun of the ones that do work.
They don’t fight temptation.
They don’t take a stand.
They don’t see the importance of doing anything for God.
They ONLY thing they do is laugh and mock those that do.
ILLUSTRATION: Nehemiah 2
- 17 Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
- 18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.
- 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?
Scorners do not sing in church. They laugh and make fun of the ones that do.
Scorners do not read their Bible and pray.
Scorners do not try to dress modest.
Scorner do not serve in their local church.
Scorners do not try to win souls.
Scorners do not work on bus routes.
Scorners do not testify and weep and go to the altar.
Scorners do not stand up for Christ.
Scorners do not do ANYTHING but sit and scorn everybody else.
2. Notice the Place – the seat
In the Bible, we find many references to “the seat”.
It is typically used as a description for a place of authority.
This is not just a scorner sitting down.
This seat is designated; reserved; described as “the seat of the scorner.”
First Mention Principle: seated
Deuteronomy 33:19
- 20 And of Gad he said, Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: he dwelleth as a lion, and teareth the arm with the crown of the head.
- 21 And he provided the first part for himself, because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated; and he came with the heads of the people, he executed the justice of the LORD, and his judgments with Israel.
The seat of the scorner is a SELF-APPOINTED AUTHORITY.
- Romans 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
They think they know what is right, but they don’t.
They make it their business to teach everyone around them what is right.
They exalt their own seat above God.
NOTE what Satan did:
- Isaiah 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
His desire was to exalt his throne, so he could SIT UPON THE MOUNT OF THE CONGREGATION.
He wanted to be heard; respected; worshipped; revered; feared; obeyed; in power.
3. Notice the Problem – scornful
SCORNFUL: to be inflated, scoff, act as a scorner, show oneself a mocker
The Bible has not one positive thing to say about the scorner.
Notice a few passages that describe God’s attitude toward this crowd:
- Proverbs 29:8 Scornful men bring a city into a snare: but wise men turn away wrath.
- Proverbs 9:7 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.
- Proverbs 9:8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
- Proverbs 13:1 A wise son heareth his father’s instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.
- Proverbs 14:6 A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.
- Proverbs 15:12 A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise.
- Proverbs 19:25 Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge.
- Proverbs 21:11 When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise: and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge.
- Proverbs 21:24 Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.
- Proverbs 22:10 Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.
- Proverbs 24:9 The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.
- Isaiah 29:20 For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:
Even Jesus Christ was not exempt from scorn.
ILLUSTRATION: Luke 8
- 49 While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue’s [house], saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.
- 50 But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.
- 51 And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.
- 52 And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.
- 53 And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
- 54 And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.
- 55 And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.
NOTE: They laughed him to scorn – KNOWING THAT SHE WAS DEAD.
They didn’t know anything.
Conclusion: I can assure you this morning; one sure way to fail in life is to sit in the seat of the scorner.
When you elevate yourself to mocking and ridiculing God, His Word, the people of God and those that try to live for Him, mark it down – YOU CANNOT AND YOU WILL NOT PROSPER.
II. The Delight of the Godly – vs. 2
- Psalms 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD…
DELIGHT: to take pleasure; longing; a high degree of pleasure or enjoyment; joy; rapture:
Delight is usually associated with things like: recess; ice cream; vacation; field trips,
Why would anybody delight in the law of the Lord?
- We don’t normally delight in laws.
- We don’t delight in the speed limit laws.
- We don’t delight in the no littering laws.
- We don’t delight in the no parking signs.
- We don’t delight in the no shop lifting laws.
Why would David the Psalmist say that the secret to being like a tree – planted – is to delight in the law of the Lord?
David realized the wealth; the riches; the blessings of the law of God.
David had an unusual appetite for the word of God.
- Psalms 119:16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.
- Psalms 119:24 Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.
- Psalms 119:35 Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.
- Psalms 119:47 And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.
- Psalms 119:70 Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law.
- Psalms 119:77 Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight.
- Psalms 119:174 I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight.
- Psalms 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
- Psalms 112:1 Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.
ILLUSTRATION: I have a multi-tool here that can do just about anything.
People delight in their cell phone because it can do so many things.
Just a few things my phone can do: calculator; radio; TV, camera, video, recorder, alarm clock, weather, GPS, dictionary, news updates, sports scores, compass, flashlight, notepad, game console, zoom conference, book collection, photo album, and so much more…
Did you know that the Word of God is the ULTIMATE MULTI-TOOL??
What is do delightful about the word of God?
There are some words that describe the law of God – the Scriptures.
Here are just a few:
A. A Mirror – imagine life without a mirror!
- James 1:23-25 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth [therein], he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
B. A Lamp
- Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
C. A Sword
- Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
D. A Fire
- Jeremiah 23:29 Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD;
E. A Hammer
- Jeremiah 23:29b …and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
F. Water
- Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
G. Milk, Meat, Bread, Honey – and the list goes on and on and on…
People that do not delight in the law of God simply do not realize all it can do.
III. The Description of the Godly – vs. 3
A. The Picture – like a tree (contrast with the chaff in verse 4)
Strong; solid, mature; able to stand alone without help.
B. The Promise – he SHALL BE – didn’t say maybe, or possibly, or better chance of…
People are looking for assurance; looking for something to believe in.
This is a promise from God.
The Devil will make promises but he’s a liar.
God cannot lie.
C. The Planting
Demonstrates a plan and purpose from God.
Planted is a deliberate act done for a specific purpose and plan.
God knows what He’s doing, but you have to LET GOD WORK.
He knows where you need to be, and where you will thrive and flourish.
He will put you by not one, but plural – rivers of water.
Multiple sources of life, a good place where you will do great.
Let God pick the rivers!!
D. The Productivity – “…bringeth forth his fruit in his season…”
God mentioned fruitfulness twice in Genesis 1 during creation.
God loves fruit!
God is glorified when we bear fruit.
If you want to show Him how much you love Him, bring forth fruit!
- John 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
E. The Perseverance – …his leaf also shall not wither…
No time of deadness, dryness, ugly testimony.
The leaves are on the outside but indicate what is happening on the inside.
F. The Prosperity – “…and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper…”
Everybody wants to prosper.
But God’s formula is in verses 1 and 2.
If you will live in Psalm 1:1 and 2, God will bless you in ways you never imagined.
You will have to leave behind some people.
You can’t walk with the ungodly; you can’t stand with the sinners; you can’t sit with the scornful.
But it is worth it!