INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• When you live life there comes a point in which you realize you must make a decision as to how you are going to live that life.
• As you walk the path of life you inevitably reach that proverbial fork in the road, a fork that can take you down the path of righteousness or a path of that we really unknowingly walk; the path of wickedness.
• I reached a point in which I came face to face with this fork in the road, I had to decide which path my life was going to take, the path with God leading me or the path in which I was taking the lead.
• In Psalm 1, we are given the contrast between the path of righteousness and the path of wickedness.
• WE need to be a little cautious as we look at this because many people have a misconception of what the word righteous means.
• The word does not speak of one who is “holier than thou”, or that the one in pursuit of righteousness thinks that are “better” than other people, but rather it means to be pure in heart, to be upright, which means to do the right thing.
• There is more to the meaning than just doing good deeds. In the biblical sense it deals with maintaining a standard of behavior which is in keeping with the two-way relationship between God and man.
• A righteous person is one who in thought and conduct reflects their relationship with God through Jesus Christ! God desires us to be righteous.
• Being a righteous person is a good thing in the eyes of God. Noah was called a righteous man (Genesis 6:9).
• In Genesis 18, God said He would spare the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah if just 10 righteous people existed. God desires righteousness!
• Righteousness is much more than what we do it is more of who we are deep inside, what drives us, what motivates us.
• The Pharisee’s were people who looked good on the outside but were a mess on the inside.
• By contrast when the Psalmist speaks of the path of the wicked, it is a path that simply goes in the opposite direction of God. The word in the original text denotes one who lacks morals, is condemned, guilty, and ungodly.
• It is a term at its’ worst points toward a bad person.
• The book of Psalms is a book that we should all spend time in because we get insights to the heart and character of God, we get to read about the real life struggles of those who wrote them and how God answers them.
• Psalm 1 is the preface to the rest of the book.
• Today let us examine the fork in the road together, I pray we all chose the correct path in life.
• Let’s start with verses 1-2.
• SLIDE #2
• Psalm 1:1–2 (HCSB) 1 How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path of sinners or join a group of mockers! 2 Instead, his delight is in the LORD’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. How to build character for following the righteous path.
• Your character is what makes you what you are, the distinctive qualities that make you, you. What is it that makes your character?
• Psalm 1 gives us some counsel and insight into the question.
• Our character is developed in part by the counsel we seek!
• The righteous person does not seek the advice of the wicked. Who are wicked people? The bible tells us that a person who does not walk with God is wicked.
• Sounds harsh, but when you realize that there are only two sides, God or Satan, and then you can see why this is true.
• By man’s standard not you have to be pretty rotten to be wicked, but in God’s sight all it takes is a person who does not walk with Him to be considered wicked.
• SLIDE #4
• Malachi 3:18 (HCSB) So you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.
• The word WICKED is used over 250 times in the Bible.
• When you belong to Jesus, you should seek the counsel of other Christians. I believe that mean’s in all matters possible, whether they are legal or martial.
• SLIDE #5
• 2 Corinthians 6:14 (HCSB) Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?
• In the case of seeking counsel or advice for life, why would one who is striving to life for Jesus go to those who do not want to walk with Him for counsel?
• If you read the passage carefully, you will see a progression. Take your advice from the wicked, then next thing you know you are walking the way they are.
• Taking the path of the sinners means that we are not only walking the path but we are also embracing the path, the NASB and other translations try to emphasize this by using the word to STAND in the path of sinners.
• SLIDE #6
• 1 John 1:5–7 (HCSB) Now this is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in Him. If we say, “We have fellowship with Him,” yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
• Jesus reminds us that the path of righteousness is not always easy but it is the best because of where it leads!
• SLIDE #7
• Matthew 7:13 (HCSB) “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it.
• Now we see a deeper progression because our character will be developed by the company we keep.
• Starts off with the counsel we seek, then the path we seek then we start to keep company with those who are on the same path and the cycle continues.
• We are told not to sit in the seat of scoffers
• In the Bible, a teacher would sit down and the students would stand around them. When a person takes the wicked advice and then starts on the wicked path, they will then start teaching others how to do the same.
• SLIDE #8
• 1 Corinthians 15:33 (HCSB) Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”
• Why does this happen? My opinion is that we are more interested in doing what the world does than the world is interested in doing what God wants them to do.
• How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path of sinners or join a group of mockers!
• The person who does not seek the counsel of the wicked, or walk on the path of the wicked or sit in the seat of scoffers will be happy because they will find true fulfillment in life!
• Verse 2 tells us 2 Instead, his delight is in the LORD’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.
• This verse speaks of the person who loves God’s word. That person sees the Word almost as a love letter from a person who they miss.
• For those of you who fought in wars, the desire for the word would be like the desire you would have to read a letter from home or from your wife whom you have not seen for months.
• At mail call, you would not say, “Well, I do not have time to read this”, you would drop it all and read the letter.
• This can be an area of struggle for all of us when we spend 5 minutes of less in the Word and 2 or 3 hours watching TV.
• When we delight ourselves in the Word, we will grow and our character will develop!
• Let’s look at verse 3.
• SLIDE #9
• Psalm 1:3 (HCSB) He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
• SLIDE #10
II. The benefits of staying on the righteous path.
• Verse 1 speaks of how happy one will be on the right path, verse 3 explains why!
• First it is our position.
• By the STREAMS! Always close to the life giving resources. (This was meaningful to Israel with her mostly arid conditions.)
• The tree planted by the stream is never dry and wilted, but is green, lush and lovely.
• The Christian who lives close to God will never be dry and wilted either. He will be vibrant, lively and productive.
• The droughts of life and the dry seasons never seem to affect the believer who is planted near the river.
• He is connected to an unfailing source of life and strength. Notice that the passage says that the tree was planted.
• Next is our productivity!
• We will bear fruit; we will be successful in bringing other people to Jesus when we are on the right path! We will help save souls! You will never know who all is feeding off your life! A tree that bears fruit will feed many!
• We also have permanence when traveling the right path!
• We are told our leaves will not wither!
• The successful Christian is like an evergreen. He is always surrounded by the green of life.
• The trees in the wintertime. The hardwoods and leafy trees look dead, but the evergreens stand out as islands of life in a sea of deadness.
• They are unaffected by winter or weather, but they are always the same.
• And finally we will prosper! God will bless the one who walks with Him!
• SLIDE #11
• Proverbs 3:5–6 (HCSB) Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.
• Let’s finish with verse 4-6
• SLIDE #12
• Psalm 1:4–6 (HCSB) 4 The wicked are not like this; instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not survive the judgment, and sinners will not be in the community of the righteous. 6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.
• SLIDE #13
III. The consequences of walking down the wicked path.
• Walking the wicked path may seem fun until the consequences start rolling in.
• Instead of being fruitful and useful, the wicked are like chaff which blows way in the wind.
• Chaff has no roots nor is it of any use, it is dead. When you walk the path of the wicked you are essentially good for nothing!
• Those folks the wicked were mocking; well they will not be able to stand upright during the judgment. They will be humbled one day!
• SLIDE #14
• Philippians 2:10 (HCSB) so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow — of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth —
• They will be separated at judgment from the righteous!
• And finally they are not really getting away with anything because God knows! The ways of the wicked will lead to ruin!
CONCLUSION
• God lays out a path that will make you successful in life in His eyes. We want to be right in His sight, not in the sight of man.
• God loves you and wants you to prosper, but when you leave Him out of your life, it will lead to ruin. Delight yourself in the Lord!
