Psalm 1: True Happiness

[0:00] Well, if you could turn with me this morning to the Book of Psalms and Psalm 1. The Book of Psalms, Psalm 1.

[0:12] It's page 537 in the Pew Bible. The Book of Psalms, Psalm 1, and we'll read that psalm together.

[0:37] Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

[0:51] He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

[1:07] Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

[1:18] I want to begin this morning by asking the question, what is the key to true happiness?

[1:32] What is the key to true happiness? What is it that makes us happy? What is it that gives to us that lasting satisfaction?

[1:43] That overwhelming joy? That unending hope? That eternal security? What is the key to true happiness?

[1:53] And as you know, there are many books which have been published, and many articles that have been written on this subject. And we are constantly bombarded with messages about what makes for a good life.

[2:08] Because advertisers on the telly, they'll tell us that happiness, it comes from owning and consuming all their products. The media tells us that happiness comes with having health and wealth and fame and beauty.

[2:24] Our politicians claim that happiness and nothing else matters in life more than our economy. And for thousands of years people have looked to philosophy and to religion and to grandmotherly wisdom for all the answers in their pursuit of happiness.

[2:42] But in recent decades, this ancient wisdom has been tested by scientific research. Where scientists and science can now tell us that the answer to true happiness is all about how we approach life.

[3:01] But is it not the case that life in the mind of an atheistic scientist, it was all a result of chance. Because we're only monkeys that are here by accident and our existence has no purpose and no meaning in the world.

[3:17] Therefore the key to true happiness, they say, is only what you make of your own life. And this scientific research and the pursuit of happiness, it has been compiled and published into many different books.

[3:31] And many different authors have written all these books. In fact, there was one which was just written last March. And it was called Ten Keys to Happier Living.

[3:43] Ten Keys to Happier Living. And the book stresses that happiness is not something that is ready made. But it comes from our own actions and having a positive outlook on life.

[3:56] And it says that the ten keys to happier living are doing things for others, connecting with people, taking care of your body, noticing what's around you, keep learning, have goals to look forward to, be able to bounce back when life takes an unexpected turn.

[4:14] Take, have a positive outlook on things, be comfortable with who you are and be part of something bigger. And when you do all that, the book says, and when you apply all these theories in your life, you are guaranteed through happiness.

[4:30] But the reality is, everyone knows that there is nothing in this life that will ever provide for us through lasting happiness.

[4:41] Because everything in this life, it fades. Everything withers. Everything wastes away. And everything changes.

[4:54] Nothing is permanent. Therefore, the key to true lasting happiness in this world must come from another world.

[5:05] And that's what the psalmist says here in Psalm 1. But the psalmist, he doesn't describe through happiness using the word happiness. He calls it blessedness.

[5:16] Because the true happiness which can be experienced in this life, it can only come from God. And when something comes from God, it's a blessing.

[5:27] You are blessed. You receive blessedness. You experience blessedness. And that's what the psalmist says. That man hath perfect blessedness, who walketh not astray.

[5:41] And so the person who does not walk astray has perfect blessedness. Now, as you know, Psalm 1, it's the first psalm in the Psalter.

[5:52] It's the introductory psalm to the book of Psalms. And what an introduction it gives to us. Because Psalm 1 not only introduces to us the whole Psalter.

[6:03] It also introduces to us the two types of people who exist in this world. The two types of people who live in this world.

[6:15] Those who seek after happiness in all the wrong places. And those who seek blessedness from the one right place.

[6:25] And the psalmist presents to us these two people who are going in two different directions. And they will have two different outcomes. And he does this in only six verses.

[6:39] But in these six verses, the psalmist highlights three things. Three things I want us to see. Because he says in verses 1 and 2, he sets before us the contrast. The contrast between these two types of people.

[6:52] Then in verses 3 and 4, we're presented with the comparison. They are compared to something. And then lastly in verses 5 and 6, the psalmist gives to us the conclusion.

[7:06] The conclusion about these two types of people. So the contrast, the comparison, and the conclusion. So we look firstly at the contrast.

[7:17] The contrast between these two types of people. Look at verses 1 and 2. It says, Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked. Nor stands in the way of sinners.

[7:29] Nor sits in the seat of scoffers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord. And on his law he meditates day and night. So the opening words of this psalm.

[7:40] They set before us a contrast between these two types of people in the world. And as we said, it is between those who seek happiness from all the wrong places and in all the wrong places.

[7:55] And it's between those who seek through happiness, through blessedness, from the one right place. And the psalmist presents to us these two types of people going in two different directions.

[8:07] And it will have two different outcomes. And in order to see how different these two types of people are, the psalmist highlights the contrast between them. Because he says, one is blessed and one is cursed.

[8:22] One is blessed and one is cursed. And so the first thing the psalmist does is he presents to us the blessed man. The blessed man. He says, blessed is the man.

[8:37] Blessed is the man. Now let's just stay there for a moment. Because the blessed man or the blessed woman is someone who has received something that they don't deserve.

[8:50] In other words, they have received something because undeserved favour has been shown to them. They have been graciously given something.

[9:01] And that's what the word blessed means. You often hear people saying that they're so blessed because they have all these good things in their life which make them happy.

[9:13] But that's not what it means to be blessed. That's not what blessedness is. Because the word bless or blessed, it literally means to kneel. And so in the verses we're presenting with, with that word blessed, it's a sense of kneeling before a king in submission.

[9:35] And the image which the word is using, it's the image of a king who's standing from his throne. Like when the queen gives out all her honorees. She's standing from her throne and the servant is before her.

[9:50] The servant is before the king or the queen, the sovereign. And they have submitted themselves under the authority of the sovereignty.

[10:01] And they're kneeling before the king and their head is bowed and their arm is outstretched. And they're receiving something from the gracious hand of the king.

[10:13] And what he or she is receiving is something that they haven't earned or they haven't worked for. And it's something that they don't deserve. And yet the king is graciously giving to them what they don't deserve.

[10:27] It's all of grace. And that's what the psalmist is saying to us. He's saying that's what the blessed man or the blessed woman looks like. He or she is the person who has humbly submitted their life, their authority and their will to the king.

[10:45] It's all under the king. And because of their humility and their submission, they are being blessed by the king. They receive from the king what they don't deserve.

[10:56] They experience grace. And what the psalmist wants to make clear is that the blessed man or woman doesn't receive that perfect blessedness from the things around them.

[11:09] Their blessedness doesn't come from this world of decay and deterioration that surrounds them. But their blessedness comes from another world and from another king.

[11:23] And this is why the psalmist gives to us the contrast between the blessed man and the cursed man. Because he says the blessed man does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly.

[11:36] He does not stand in the path of sinners. And he does not sit in the seat of the scoffers. And so the contrast between them is stark.

[11:49] Because the psalmist, he uses three verbs to describe the cursed man or the cursed woman. He says that they do walk, they do sit, and they do stand.

[12:00] And he uses the three places that they go. He says they either walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Where they receive all their advice and all their guidance and all their direction from the trends and fashions and fads of society and the world around them.

[12:20] Or the cursed man or woman, they stand in the path of sinners. The path which leads away from God. And away from his word. And away from his truth.

[12:31] And away from his righteousness. To a path of temporary happiness. And enjoyment. Temporary entertainment that will always end in destruction.

[12:41] And he says the cursed man or woman. They sit in the seat of scoffers. In which they're proud of who they are. And what they are.

[12:52] And what they've achieved for themselves in their life. And they sit as those who are self-satisfied with all that they have. And they see no need for God. Or for church. Or for Christ.

[13:03] Or for salvation. Because they have everything. And the psalmist says the blessed man or woman does not do that. No, no, no he says.

[13:17] Instead the blessed man or woman makes the instruction of the Lord their delight. It is their pleasure. It is their study he says. Both day and night.

[13:29] Because they don't shape their world view according to the counsel of the ungodly. They shape their world view according to the counsel of the creator. And they live in light of his word.

[13:42] They don't walk according to the path of unrighteousness. Unrighteousness. Which is unholy and lawless. They walk in the way of righteousness. Which is befitting of the king that they have submitted to.

[13:55] And the king they serve. And the blessed man or woman. They don't sit proudly boasting of who they are and what they have achieved. No, they kneel in submission.

[14:09] And they humbly learn. Because they can see that everything they have received has been given to them by the gracious hand of the king. My friend, the blessed man or the blessed woman sees that true happiness is from another world.

[14:26] Because blessedness can only come from God. True blessedness can only come from God. But what I believe we ought to see here is that there is a deeper contrast which has been portrayed to us.

[14:46] One which goes much deeper than these two types of people who are going in two different directions. And will have two different outcomes. And I say that because it's not just two types of people who are being contrasted.

[14:58] It is actually two men who are being contrasted. And the two men being contrasted are Jesus Christ and Adam.

[15:11] Jesus Christ and Adam. Because Jesus Christ, he is the description of the blessed man. And Adam is descriptive of the cursed man.

[15:23] Where Jesus, he's not only the king, but he's also the means by which his people experience the blessedness of salvation. He is the sinless, perfect, blessed man.

[15:36] Who never walks astray. Who never stands in the path of sinners. Who never sat in the seat of scoffers. But the cursed man, Adam. He's the king of humanity.

[15:49] But he experienced the curse of the fall. By sinning against God in the very beginning. And he led all mankind. Adam led all of mankind to walk in the counsel of the ungodly.

[16:03] To stand in the way of sinners. To sit in the seat of scoffers. The first man, Adam, left us in an estate of sin and misery. But it was the last Adam, Jesus Christ.

[16:16] Who was able by our submission to him. To bring us into an estate of blessedness and salvation. And this contrast between the first man, Adam.

[16:27] And the last man, Jesus Christ. That contrast is continued throughout the whole of scripture. And that's what the apostle Paul was describing for us in Romans chapter 5.

[16:41] In which Paul began by affirming. That all those who have submitted to Jesus Christ. And made him their king and their saviour. He says they have been justified by faith.

[16:53] And they have peace with God. They've been brought into that newness of life. And Paul was saying to us that this is the great blessing.

[17:03] This is what blessedness actually is. To know Christ. To have forgiveness of sins. To have peace with God in your heart. To stand righteous in Christ.

[17:15] And to be no longer an Adam. And like the psalmist, Paul makes all these contrasts. Between the cursed man, Adam. And the blessed man, Jesus Christ.

[17:28] And throughout the chapter of Romans chapter 5. Paul reminds us that Adam brought the curse. But Christ dealt with the curse. It was Adam who fell into sin.

[17:40] But it was Christ who redeemed us from sin. It was Adam who made us slaves. But it was Christ who came to set us free. It was Adam who brought eternal death.

[17:53] But it was Christ who brought eternal life. And Paul says, As by one man's disobedience, Many were made sinners. So also by one man's obedience, Many will be made righteous.

[18:10] And this contrast between Jesus Christ and Adam. Paul talks about it in almost all of his letters. Because for Paul, There are only two types of people in this world.

[18:24] Those who are free in Christ. Experiencing the blessedness of salvation. And the forgiveness of sin. And those who are still in Adam. Under the curse.

[18:36] And still enslaved to their sin. And my friend, As you ought to be well aware by now. These two types of people Are going in two different directions.

[18:49] And they will have two different outcomes. And so the question which I must ask Is which one describes you?

[19:01] Which one describes you? Are you in Christ? Are you still in Adam? Are you in Christ? Are you still in Adam?

[19:14] But in order to make sure that we understand This contrast between being in Christ And being in Adam And what it means to be in Christ And what it means to be in Adam The psalmist then gives to us two comparisons.

[19:28] And I'd like us to consider them secondly. We've seen the contrast Between the blessed man and the cursed man. But secondly, let's consider the comparison. The comparison which is given.

[19:41] And he says in verse 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water That yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither In all that he does he prospers.

[19:54] The wicked are not so But are like chaff That the wind drives away. And so as the psalmist continues to Describe these two types of people Going in two different directions And who will have two different outcomes He describes them using two comparisons.

[20:16] And the psalmist first of all Describes the blessed man Or the blessed woman. And he describes them in comparison To a tree planted by a river.

[20:29] Now every time I read this verse Or sing it I'm always reminded of the trees That are planted along the river Ness In the city of Inverness.

[20:41] Now go there with me in your mind If you know where I am. I'm sure you've seen it before. You've walked along the banks of the river Ness Down from the city centre Right in front of the castle.

[20:52] That's where we are. I know the place well I used to walk there With a certain someone Who became my wife. But every time I walked along The banks of the river Ness I thought about this sand.

[21:06] And if you've ever walked along there You'll have noticed That there are all these large trees That are planted about 20 or 30 yards apart All the way down the bank. And since they've been planted I think A pavement was put on top of them Or beside them For everyone to walk along Down the bank And to look at the beautiful scenery.

[21:29] But if you've ever noticed The pavement Down beside the river Ness It didn't stay as flat As a flat and smooth surface For very long.

[21:40] Because as the trees grew The roots just pushed the tarmac To the side And they pushed it to the side In order to make way To get down to the river bank.

[21:53] And as a result The trees have left All these massive bulges In the pavement All the way down Towards the river. And you know It's seeing those roots That are breaking the tarmac Trying to get down To the river To where the source Of life is.

[22:12] That's what always makes me think That this is what the psalmist Is talking about The blessed man Or the blessed woman. That's He says That's what the blessed man Or the blessed woman Is like.

[22:23] They're like this Strong tree With solid roots That are grounded In Christ. And they're strong And firm In Christ. And because they're in Christ They draw all their nourishment All their strength All their vitality From the river.

[22:41] The river of life Which is the word of God. And as a tree Planted by the river The psalmist Reminds us That The tree Will bear fruit In its season.

[22:55] In its season. You know I was thinking The thing about a tree Is that there are also Many other seasons Which it has to endure. Because it will not always Enjoy the renewed Life And strength Of spring.

[23:13] The tree Will also have to go through The seasons Of The hot summers Of trial and temptation. And it will have to Endure the heat Of the sun That will try and dry out All that nourishing Water From the river of life.

[23:30] And there will also be Seasons of autumn In the experience Of the tree In the life Of the person Who is in Christ. There will be Times of autumn Where there will be change.

[23:43] Sometimes these changes Will bring colour And beauty Into the experience Of blessedness. Other times These changes Will bring loss And loneliness. Where there will be Changes in circumstance.

[23:57] Changes in life. Changes in family. Changes in health. And these changes Are often followed by The long cold nights Of winter. Where there is no growth.

[24:09] And little nourishment. And little signs Of life. And yet The beauty of it is The roots are still Beside the river.

[24:20] And the roots are still Drawing from the river. Whether it is spring Summer Autumn Or winter. The river is still Supplying all the necessary Nourishment Regardless of the season.

[24:33] But is it not true My friend That with every Passing season Of the experience Of that tree The roots of the tree Are becoming stronger. And they are going Deeper Into the river.

[24:46] They are going deeper I could put it Into the word. Because the tree Has come to know That were it not For the river of life It would wither Completely And die.

[25:00] And that is what The psalmist describes As blessedness. That just like the tree In every season Of life Which has this Continual supply Coming from the river The blessed man Or the blessed woman Has this constant supply Of that life Giving water Which can be found In no other Than Jesus Christ.

[25:21] And despite All the seasons Of life And all that They have to go through They have this Faithful supply That will never Diminish.

[25:32] It will never Run dry. It will never Change. And it will always Be there. Because they know That from the word Of God As those Who have submitted To the king's authority And as those Who have cast All their cares And all their Burdens upon the Lord They have found Shelter.

[25:52] Shelter under The shadow Of the almighty. They are those Who have peace With God They have assurance Of salvation They have stability In Christ They have the hope Of glory They have the Unshakeable promises Of his word They have the Continual presence Of his spirit And they have the Guarantee that they Will never Ever be separated From the love of Christ.

[26:15] They know That they are Blessed. They know That they are Blessed. They are blessed With every Spiritual blessing In heavenly places In Christ. They are in Christ.

[26:29] My friend The seasons In your life May change But what never Changes Is that Underneath Underneath The roots Are still Drawing From that Life giving river And the roots Are firmly Fixed Fixed In Christ.

[26:51] And whatever Is being Portrayed On the surface To those Who are looking On That's what's Not It's not Been experienced Under the surface Because under The surface There is the Blessedness Of knowing That in Christ You are sure And steadfast.

[27:09] But we have to ask Where does all This assurance And certainty Come from? How do we know That we're like The tree planted By the river? How do we know That we're drawing From the river Of life?

[27:21] How do we know That we are in Christ and not Still in Adam? My friend You know Or you should Know That you're in Christ When you have A desire To draw From the river Of life.

[27:34] You should know That you're in Christ and You have the Assurance and Certainty of Salvation When you're like The blessed man Or the blessed Woman who Desires to Meditate upon God's word Both day and Night.

[27:47] Where you Begin your Day with God's word. Instead of Reaching for Your phone To look at Facebook or To check the News or To see if Anyone else Has gotten Touched.

[28:00] We should be Those who Reach for the Bible and Put our face In the book And check up On God's Good news For our soul And see that He has a Word for us For that day.

[28:12] And it's Only when we Spend time in The word of God, the God of that Word will Confirm to Us his Great and Precious Promises.

[28:25] He will Nourish us With the Assurance of His great Salvation. And the Result of Meditating upon His word Both day and Night, we Will grow.

[28:36] We'll grow. And whether It's by daily Readings or Bible study or Private devotion, The result Will be like The tree. You will Bring forth Fruit in Its season And your Leaves shall Not wither.

[28:53] You shall Stand strong And firm Because you're Drawing from The river of Life. And that River is Key to the Nourishment and Vitality of The blessed Man or Blessed woman.

[29:07] But what About the Cursed man Or the Cursed woman? What about Those who Are still In Adam? How does The psalmist Describe them?

[29:18] Well, the psalmist He doesn't Actually say Much about Them. But what he Does say Is that Everything the Blessed man Is, the Cursed man Is not. Because he Says in Verse 4, The wicked Are not so, But are like Chaff that the Wind drives Away.

[29:37] He says Those in Adam are Described in Comparison to The chaff which Is easily Blown away. And the Place which The psalmist Now brings Us is not To the River bank But he Brings us To the Threshing Floor.

[29:53] And it's At the Threshing Floor that The psalmist Reminds us Of the way In which Wheat, The wheat Was separated From the Chaff. Where the Outer shell Of the wheat Was separated By threshing Threshing Or winnowing Where the Stocks were Cut and The grain Was crushed And then Thrown into The air.

[30:13] And when it Was thrown Into the Air the Chaff which Is so Light and Almost weightless It is Carried away By the Slightest Wind. But the Good and The useful Valuable Grain That's what Would fall Back down To the Threshing Floor.

[30:30] And I Suppose a Modern Comparison Would be Like when You mow The lawn You've Emptied The mower Of all The grass Cuttings You're Pouring It over The fencer Into the Bin.

[30:42] And as You pour It all The weightless Grass Goes everywhere. It goes Everywhere and You can't Control it. It's blown In every Direction by The wind. And so Just like The separation Of the Wheat and The chaff The psalmist Is drawing Our attention To the Separation Between Those in Christ And those Still in Adam.

[31:02] Because once The chaff Is separated From the Wheat It just Blows away. The wind Drives it To and Fro Because the Persian Like the Chaff Is without Direction From the Word of God.

[31:16] The Persian Like the Chaff Is without Constraint From the Word of God. The Persian Like the Chaff They are Without Stability From the Word of God.

[31:26] The Persian Like the Chaff Is without Meaning In their Life From the Word of God. My friend The Persian Who is Like the Chaff Isn't Firmly Rooted In Christ Because They are Still in Adam.

[31:41] And in Adam There is No Life. There is No Nourishment. There is No Growth. There is No Vitality. Because in Adam Says Paul You are Dead.

[31:52] Dead In Sin. And this Is what Paul teaches Us. As in Adam All Die But in Christ Shall all Be made Alive.

[32:06] As in Adam All Die But in Christ Shall all Be made Alive. And as we Said before For Paul And for the Psalmist There are Only two Types of People in This world.

[32:20] Only two Types. There are Only those Who are Alive in Christ Experiencing The blessedness Of salvation And the Forgiveness Of sins And those Who are Still dead In Adam Still under The curse Still enslaved To their Sin.

[32:35] And these Two types Of people He says They are Going in Two different Directions And they Will have Two different Outcomes. And again The question Which I Must ask Which one Describes You?

[32:49] Which one Describes You? My friend Are you In Christ? Like a tree Planted By the River of Life Or are You still In Adam Like the Chaff Being tossed To and Fro By the Ever Changing World That we Live in Are you In Adam Or are you In Christ?

[33:11] But just To make Sure We understand The severity Of the Contrast Between being In Christ And being In Adam And the Comparison Of the Tree planted By the river And the Chaff Being blown Away The psalmist He reaffirms His teaching In the Conclusion And so I'd Like us to Just conclude With this Conclusion We've looked At the Contrast In verses 1 and 2 The Comparison In verses 3 and 4 But Lastly And briefly The conclusion In verses 5 and 6 The Conclusion He says Therefore the Wicked will Not stand In the Judgment Nor sinners In the Congregation Of the Righteous For the Lord knows The way Of the Righteous But the Way of The Wicked Will Perish And in These Verses The Psalmist He Brings To a Conclusion His Description Of these Two Types Of People Who Are Going In two Different Directions And who Will have Two Different Outcomes And he Says that

[34:12] The Directions In which They're Heading Will Conclude In these Outcomes Where there Will be Judgment For the Wicked And there Will be Praise For the Righteous And the Psalmist Is clear About the Outcome Of these Two Types Of People Because He Says The Wicked Will not Stand In the Judgment They Will not Be Able To Present Their Case At the Bar Of God's Judgment Seat They Will be Guilty Before God And they Will be Condemned Under His Righteous Judgment Because They are Still In Adam Still Under The Curse Still In Their Sin Still Walking According To The Counsel Of The Ungodly Still Standing In The Path Of Sinners And Still Sitting In The Seat Of Scorners And They Will Because They Haven't Changed They Haven't Sought The Lord They Haven't Looked To Jesus

[35:12] They Haven't Bowed In Submission To The King They Haven't Searched For True Happiness And That Perfect Blessedness Of Salvation In Christ They Have Done Nothing With All That They Have And The Outcome Is Separation Eternal Separation They Will Not He Says Assemble In The Congregation Of The Righteous But They Will Be Separated Separated From The Congregation Of The Righteous They Will Be Excluded They Will Be Expelled From The Blessedness Of The People Of God And You Know Solomon The Wisest Man Who Ever Lived He Had A Wise Proverb That Describes The Cursed Man Who Still In Adam He Said There Is A Way Which Seems Right

[36:12] To A Man But In The End It Leads To Death There Is A Way Which Seems Right To A Man But In The End It Leads To Death And That's What Those In Adam Think They Think That Their Way Solomon Says In The End In The End That Way Leads To Death But The Way Of The Righteous The Way Of Life It's The Way Of Blessing It's The Way Of Peace It's The Way Of Forgiveness It's The Way Of Glory And My Friend We Must Never Forget That Those In Christ Those Righteous In God's Sight Those Drawing From The River Of Life They Are Blessed Not Because Of Anything They Have Achieved Or Anything That They Have Done For Themselves But It's All According To The Gracious Hand Of The King Who Loved Them And Gave Himself For Them And So As The Psalmist Concludes This Introductory

[37:13] Psalm To The Whole Psalter The Introductory Psalm On True Happiness He Once Again Sets The Contrast Between The Blessed Man And The Cursed Man Between Being Adam Between Life And Death Between Hope And Sorrow Between Salvation And Judgment Between Heaven And Between Hell And He Says In Verse 6 For The Lord Knows The Way Of The Righteous But The Way Of The Wicked Will Perish And So The Question Which The Psalmist Wants To Leave Us With Is Which One Describes You Which One Describes You And You Know Throughout His Ministry Jesus Asked The Same Question Which One Describes You Because

[38:15] Time And Time Again He Presents To Us Two Types Of People Going In Two Different Directions Who Will Have Two Different Outcomes He Presents To Us The Wise And The Foolish Builders Where One Had A Firm Foundation The Other Had A False Foundation There Was Also The Wheat The Wheat And The Tears In Which The Wheat Would Be Gathered Together Into The Barn And The Tears Were Cast Out And Burned There Were The Sheep And The Goats In Which The Sheep Of The Good Shepherd Were Gathered And Separated From The Goats And That Separation continued For All The Broad Way And The Narrow Way Which Certainly Corresponds With What The Psalmist Is Saying Here The Lord Knows The Way Of The Righteous But The Way Of The Wicked Will Perish Because Jesus Said In Matthew 7 Enter By The Narrow Gate For

[39:16] Wide Is The Gate Broad Is The Way That Leads To Destruction And Many Go In By It But Then He Says But Narrow Is The Gate Difficult Is The Way That Leads To Life And Few There Be That Find It And So My Friend We've Considered The Contrast The Comparison And The Conclusion And The Conclusion Is There Are Only Two Types Of People In This World There Are Those Who Are Alive In Christ Experiencing The Perfect Blessedness Of Salvation And The Forgiveness Of Sin And There Are Those Who Are Still In Adam Still Under The Curse Still Enslaved To Their Sin And These Two Types Of People Are Going In Two Different Directions One Is On The Narrow Way And The Other Is On The Broad Way And

[40:16] These Two Directions Have Two Different Outcomes One Will Lead To Life The Other Will Lead To Death One Will Conclude In The Perfect Blessedness Of Glory Standing Before The Throne Of The Lamb The Other Will Conclude In The Eternal Torments Of Hell Where There Is Wailing And Gnashing Of Teeth And Where The Fire Is Not Quenched Therefore If you Want To Know The Key To True Happiness You Must First Of All Answer The Question Which One Describes You May The Lord Bless These Thoughts To Us Let Us Pray O Lord Our Gracious God Help

[41:17] Us We Pray The To Seek The Narrow Path That Leads To Life Help Us Lord To Walk It And Help Us To Keep Walking It For We Know Lord That It Is A Great Path To Be On It Is The Path Of Eternal Life The Path Of Blessedness The Path Of For For The Path Of Hope The Path Of Love And Help Us Lord We Pray To Keep Walking This Path And As We Walk It To Keep Looking To Keep Looking To Jesus The Author And The Finisher Of Our Faith Oh Lord That We Would Not Even Consider Walking The Broad Road But Always Just To Seek The Narrow Way That Leads To Life Go Before Us We Pray Bless Us Is Unknown To Us But We Give Thanks That Every Day We Are Able To Open Our Eyes And To Cast Our Cares Into Thy Hand And To Know That Thou Are The One Who Knows

[42:17] What Is Before Us Cleanse Us We Pray And Do Us Good For Jesus Sake Amen We Shall conclude By Singing In That Psalm In Psalm 1 Psalm 1 That's Page 200 In The Scottish Sorter Psalm 1 We're Seeing The Whole Psalm That Man Of Perfect Blessedness Who Walketh Not Astray In Counsel Of Ungodly Men Nor Stands In Sinner's Way Nor Sitteth In The Scornish Chair But Placeth His Delight Upon God's Law And Meditates On His Law Day And Night The Whole Psalm To God's Praise That Man Hath Perfect

[43:18] Blessedness Through Walketh Of That Straight In Mathunun Death Belpraceth Nickel錢 Earth mic north The place of his delight Upon God's love And let it take On his glory day and night

[44:22] He shall be like a tree that grows Near planted by a river Which in his season yields his fruit And this he pated never And all he does shall prosper When the wicked are not so But like the earth unto the child

[45:24] Which will drive to our cross In judgment therefore shall no stand Such as the poor we are Nor in the assembly of the child Shall wicked men appear For why the way of godly men Unto the Lord is known

[46:25] Where as the wing of wicked men Shall fight the over door The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ The love of God the Father And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit Be with you all Now and forevermore Amen Amen