Message Summary
This Sunday is the first message of the series “Knowing, Growing, and Sowing.” This refers to the lifestyle that all Christians should seek to cultivate. It emphasizes the necessity of the word of God, the progressive nature of sanctification, and the fruit of Christian growth through pouring one’s life into the lives of others for the growth of the gospel. This lesson seeks to introduce each element with accompanying Scripture for discussion and reflection.
KNOW
1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.1
How do we display the “love of God?”
What does it mean to “keep his commandments?” What might this look like?
John characterizes God’s commandments as “not burdensome.” Do you feel this way about God’s commandments? If not why?
Is there a reason (or several reasons) why his commandments are not burdensome (cf. Matt 11:28–30)? Does this reality give you confidence to obey his commandments?
Luke 11:27–28 As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
As great as Mary was in her obedience to bear and raise Jesus, Jesus says certain people are even more blessed than she is. What characterizes those who God blesses?
Knowing and obeying God’s is linked to God’s blessing throughout Scripture. Read these other passages and discuss what sort of blessing is associated with knowing and doing God’s word: Psalm 1:1–6 and James 1:19–27.
GROW
1 John 2:4–5 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.
What two kinds of people are compared in vv. 4–5?
Why is the liar said not to “know him?” What is necessary to “know him?”
Perfected in v. 5 doesn’t mean lack of sin, but made complete or maturity. How is God’s love “perfected” in those who know him?
SOW
Matthew 22:34–40 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
According to Jesus, what is the great commandment? Do you know where this is found in the OT? Deut 6:5
To what extent does Jesus say we are to love God? Note the repetition of “all.”
In light of this, what place is Jesus to have in the believer’s life?
What commandment is like the great commandment?
What connection is Jesus trying to make between loving God and loving others? Is one necessary or dependent upon the other? Our love for God extending to our relationships with others is also found in the Ten Commandments. Read together Exodus 20:1–17. How are Matt 22:37–40 related to Exod 20:1–17? See figure below:
Love God before all others (Matt 22:37) Love others (Matt 22:39)
Exodus 20:1–11 Exodus 20:12–17
Commandments 1–4 Commandments 5–10
Application
This week’s application is easy: read, reflect, and do.
Read and Reflect on Psalm 1 and 119. These two psalms reflect on the place of Scripture in the life of the believer. In both the writer is said to “delight” in God’s word. Can you say that you delight in his word, or do you find it difficult or a chore? Read and reread these psalms. You may find it helpful to pray the psalms asking the Lord to help you delight in his world, and to give you a hunger and desire to know and do his word.
Pastor A encouraged the congregation to ask the Lord for opportunities to do simple acts of kindness in the name of Jesus (see Mark 9:41). Pray and look for opportunities this week. Don’t wonder if you’re supposed to do something. If you’re impressed to bless someone, do it.
Further Study
Christians need to understand and obey God’s word. This will require you to read things that may stretch you. Here are a few things to get you started:
Read “Two Ways to Live,” a reflection on Psalm 1. See page 3–5.
Knowing God by J. I. Packer. This is something of a modern Christian classic on the doctrine of God. Written for the person in the pew.
Two Ways to Live (Psalm 1)
1Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. 2But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.2 3He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 4Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (NIV)
The world is full of people who seek to live their own way. If you were to ask someone, ‘How many ways are there to live?’ you would probably here of several. Cultural relativism, which dominates the West, teaches that there are many different ways of understanding how the world works and how we live within it. The rightness or wrongness of one’s perspective is of little concern. Our community determines what is right and wrong.
However, this is not the case in Scripture. Psalm 1 reveals that there are really only two ways to live: godly or ungodly. This two-path theme is found elsewhere in Scripture. Psalm 37, a rather lengthy psalm of David, describes the way of the godly and the wicked, “The days of the blameless are known to the Lord, and their inheritance will endure forever…But the wicked will perish” (Ps 37:18–20). Or take Adam and Eve. They were given the choice to eat of any tree in the garden and to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil “for when you eat of it you will surely die” (Gen 2:15–17). In the NT, Jesus teaches that there really are only two ways to live. Take the wise and foolish builder (Matt 7:24–27). The wise (or godly) man who builds his house on the rock and perseveres is likened to one who hears Jesus’ teaching and does it, while the foolish (or ungodly) man who builds his house on the sand and perishes is like one who hears Jesus’ word but does not do them. It is this theme, this understanding of the way the world really is that the psalmist wants the reader to understand right from the onset of the Psalter. He does this by describing and contrasting the godly and the ungodly.
1. The Way of the Godly (vv. 1–3)
The godly is described by first stating what he is not like, then what his passion is, and finally what he is like by way of a metaphor. First, what the godly is not like. This person “does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.” This is someone who takes advise from those who are ungodly. Further, he does not “stand in the way of sinners.” This Hebrew idiom is similar to our “stand in someone’s shoes.” This is someone who moves from only listening to doing. Finally, he does not “sit in the seat of mockers.” This is someone who derides or ridicules the way the godly live. They poke fun at the things of God.
Next, the psalmist describes what he is passionate about: the law of the Lord. The word of God is his passion and “delight,” so much so that he “meditates” on it “day and night.” When he wakes up he thinks about the Lord. When he goes to bed he is thinking about him. And this is not some sort of drudgery, but his delight. He enjoys reading the Bible and thinking God’s thoughts after him. He wants to study Scripture to understand what it says, because in it he finds the words of life and the God who grants life.
Thirdly, he is likened to a “tree planted by streams of water.” That the tree is planted suggests a planter. He is transplanted to a place where he will thrive and be fruitful. He “yields…fruit in season.” His life is not one that takes and is self-absorbed, but one that gives so that others might be blessed. This is what gives him joy. This person also perseveres, his “leaf does not wither.” The Lord sustains him and keeps him.
This same person prospers in “whatever he does.” The psalmist leaves this broad to include anything that is done for the Lord. Notice again verse 2, “his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” The prosperous person is one who first and foremost reads and meditates on the word of God. Here’s what a king of Israel’s first act was to be, “When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel” (Deut 17:18–20). This mirrors what we find in Ps 1:1–3.
2. The Way of the Ungodly (vv. 4–5)
However, the way of the ungodly is not so. Rather than being planted firmly, the wicked are “like chaff that the wind blows away.” Neither do they produce anything of any value. Chaff is the part of wheat that is removed during threshing. Farmers only want the kernel, which falls to the ground, while the chaff is blown away by the wind. It is worthless. In the end, the life of the wicked does not produce anything that is of lasting value (cf. 6).
Because of this the wicked “will not stand in the judgment nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.” The “judgment” here could refer to that which takes place in this world or the final judgment that happens on the last day (cf. Matt 25:31–46; Rev 20:11–15). In either case, God will judge the ungodly and they will be found wanting. They have no place “in the assembly of the righteous.”
3. Summary of the Two Ways (v. 6)
The psalmist concludes with a final contrast between the two ways to live. The Lord “watches over the way of the righteous.” The term for “watches over” is translated “knows” (Hebrew, yada‘) in some versions (ESV). The idea is not that the Lord is unaware of the wicked. He certainly is since he is the one who does and will judge his ways (v. 5b). The emphasis is on the result of the knowing or watching over. The way of the wicked will not stand, it “will perish.” There is no lasting value. There is no chance such a one will enter into the joy of the Lord. However, the righteous the Lord sees. He affirms his work and his dedication to the will and way of God. He will stand among the assembly of the righteous and will be preserved unto glory.
Application 1
The godly person finds out what is best, what really matters, what the will of the Lord is by reading God’s word and thinking his thoughts after him. If you have difficulty being motivated to read the Scriptures, ask the Lord to give you a genuine desire for his word. Plan to read and meditate on his word. Without a plan we will at best sporadically read the word. Don’t be afraid of studying and learning. Read books, which stretch you and cause you to think more deeply about our great God. Maybe something like J. I. Packer’s Knowing God, which is something of a modern Christian classic.
Application 2
Prepare for difficult seasons. While the ungodly are blown away in the wind, the righteous are firmly planted and able to withstand difficult times. This is not meant to minimize our struggles and hurts, but to encourage us to know that if we are rooted in God’s word and rely on him, he will enable us to stand in hard times. He will give us a peace and joy that doesn’t make sense to this world. This does not negate prosperity, for true prosperity is to be known by God and to know him.
