Parkerville Baptist Church
This Sunday is our family service, with kids talks, activities and songs and Jason will bring a brief message – there’ll be something for everyone and kids and youth will stay in for the whole service. The Year 6s will also be graduating from KidsMin to our Youth ministry during the Passing the Baton ceremony in the service, and don’t forget the noodle van fundraiser straight after the service!
Jason says “Every godly person is a Christian, but not every Christian is godly. Therefore, it is important to build upon a solid foundation and that foundation is Christ. The Psalmist writes about the blessed person who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of mockers, but that person delights in the law of the Lord and in His law meditates day and night. Is your foundation found in Christ? Are you a godly Christian or just a Christian? Come along Sunday to hear more.”
Psalms 1:1-6 NLT
Psalms 1:1-6 AMP
How do you build on Christ who is our foundation?
• Who is this one who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly?
• Who is this one who does not stand in path of sinners?
• Who is this one who does not sit in the seat of the scoffers?
Who is this Godly person?
We might be tempted to say that every Christian is the Godly one and the non-Christian is the un-Godly. This is definitely an application from the Psalm and perhaps even the primary one.
However, I would also suggest that every Godly person is a Christian, but not every Christian is Godly.
Therefore, we can take an application from the Psalm and apply it Christians on both sides of the coin. And the Psalmist can teach us how to live a Godly life and build up on a solid foundation.
The Godly person Is the one with a solid foundation, that foundation is Christ, and we are told to build upon that foundation.
I wonder if in modern times we rightly emphasise that salvation is by Grace alone, faith alone in Christ alone. However, sometimes we do not equally emphasize the need for a Godly life.
The Psalmist gives us sound advice:
Do not walk in the counsel of the ungodly
• Some people do not take anyone’s advice.
• Some people take everyone’s advice.
• Instead, it is helpful to find the right people to seek counsel from.
• How do we know who they are?
• Look at their lives – bearing fruit – wise council – Godly people.
Do not stand in path of sinners
• If you walk in the bad advice from others, you will be standing with them in no time.
• Are you a hypocrite – Proclaiming Jesus name, but playing a different game?
Do not sit in the seat of the mockers
• This is a popular seat in our culture.
• Do not practise what we preach?
• An age of cynicism, scepticism, and mockery.
• When our actions do not align with our beliefs, we make a mockery of God.
Contrast the blessed person
Blessed be the man!
In the Hebrew it is in the plural = do you have the happies in God?
In the Greek Septuagint (3rd BC) the writers used the same word that the Gospel writers chose to use in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 5 and Luke chapter 6
Blessed are the poor in Spirit
Blessed are you who hunger
Blessed are those who mourn
(Makarios) = happy / blessed
Blessed is an outpouring of emotion.
Happy is the man who trusts in God.
Do you ever pray and feel an overwhelming sense of joy in your life for no other reason than that you know Jesus?
The blessed one focuses on the law of God.
And the one who focuses on the law of God is blessed.
The one who has a solid foundation meditates on the law of God.
The one who meditates on the law of God has a solid foundation.
The Godly
Every Godly person is a Christian, but not every Christian is Godly.
Are you Godly or ungodly. Where do you stand?
The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly
1 Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the [a]ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he [b]meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the [c]rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
