Pastor: Paul D. Nolting

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Hymns: 239; 414; 416; 798

WELCOME in the name of our blessed Savior who calls us to live our lives in godliness as His righteous children!

Pre-Service meditation: Psalm 28

Pre-Service prayer:

O Lord, our dear Father in heaven, lead us to godly repentance over our sins and sincere faith in our Savior. Cause us to listen attentively to Your Word and apply it regularly in our lives. Then, O Lord, You have promised to bless us and cause us to prosper in whatever we do. May we serve You with faithfulness for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Responsive Psalm Reading: Matthew 5:3-6

P: Blessed are the poor in spirit:

C: For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

P: Blessed are those who mourn:

C: For they shall be comforted.

P: Blessed are the meek:

C: For they shall inherit the earth.

P: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness:

C: For they shall be filled.

Epistle Reading: Acts 8:26-39

SERMON:

When I attended Sleepy Eye Elementary School years ago, part of my early education was in the area of safety. We learned things that most parents taught their children, but which the school then reinforced. For instance—what do you do when you come to a street corner? You stop; you look both ways; then you proceed with caution. What do you do if your clothes should catch on fire? You stop, drop, and roll! Another was what do you do when you approach a railroad crossing? You stop, look, and listen. When I asked my eldest daughter if she had been taught that last one, she commented, "Dad, they don’t teach us much about railroads anymore!" I will accept that fact of my aging graciously, but this morning I would like to use that phrase with a different application. I would have you stop for a moment in the midst of your busy schedules. Look around you and consider the difference between believers and unbelievers in this world. Finally, listen to the word of God and what it has to say about the state of believers and the end of unbelievers! Yes, STOP! LOOK! LISTEN!

Psalm 1 has been called the introduction to the entire Book of Psalms, for it describes the blessed state of believers and prepares them for a profitable consideration of the psalms, while it warns the unbeliever of his sure and certain end. Consider then the blessed state of believers! The psalmist begins, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he mediates day and night." Notice, first of all, what a believer does not do. A believing child of God does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. In other words, he does not seek and then follow the advice of the sinful world when making his choices and then determining his pathways in life. God tells us that the wisdom of this world is unalterably opposed to the wisdom of God (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18-31). An example of this might well be individuals who determine what they will do only after consulting their daily horoscope in the newspaper. A believing child of God does not stand in the path of sinners. The Bible warns us, "Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits’" (1 Corinthians 15:33). A person cannot expect to be faithful to his God, if he places himself in situation after situation, in which he can easily be led astray. Finally, a believing child of God does not sit in the seat of the scornful. The scornful are those individuals who deny the truths of Scripture and who deride the faith of those who do. It would be unthinkable for a believer to join and become a part of any group of people opposed to the will and word of his God and thereby pit himself against God and his fellow believers. The Scriptures warn us, "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (James 4:4).

On the contrary, the Psalmist says that the believer finds his delight in the law of the LORD, and he meditates on it day and night. The phrase "law of the LORD" means more than just the Ten Commandments. It refers to the entire revelation of God, the Bible. The believer delights in reading the Bible and thinking about it, for it reveals the will and the ways of God. It provides the answers to so many questions. Who are we and where did we come from? We are not evolutionary accidents! God reveals that we are His special creations—individuals unique and gifted in our own special ways. Who is the one, true God? The Bible reveals the one, true God to be the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. What is our responsibility over against God and what is our relationship with Him? Scripture reveals that we are responsible to God, and furthermore it reveals that we have failed in that responsibility in view of our sin and justly deserve His judgment. It then reveals, however, the blessed gospel message, that "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). It assures us that, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). It promises us, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved" (Mark 16:15). These truths give us insight and understanding into the realities both of this life and our future beyond this life. They help us deal with the challenges of life and put both the tragedies and triumphs of life into proper perspective.

Given that close connection to God’s word, the Psalmist says the child of God "shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper." We have seen this July what a lack of water can do to our lawns and gardens. Friday as I drove home through lower North Mankato, I saw two teenage girls dancing on the sidewalk in the first rain of the month and waving to the cars as they drove by. Water refreshes. Water leads to fruitfulness. Jesus tells us that He is "living water," and that when we drink Him in by faith, He will become "a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (cf. John 4:10,14). My dear friends, the blessed state of believing children of God is to know and love God, and to be known and loved by God! That love leads to faith, that faith leads to hope, that hope leads to confidence as we worship and serve our blessed Savior while looking forward to the future He has planned for us! The blessedness of the believing child of God, however, does not involve only our future, but directly affects our present. Paul assures us that "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). As we meditate in God’s word, it will provide us with insight and equips us with the necessary knowledge to correct, to improve, and to enhance our relationships. It also through the work of the Spirit creates within us the new attitudes necessary to address effectively problem areas in our lives. Therefore, stop, look, and listen—consider the blessed state of believers!

Consider as well and in contrast the unfortunate end of unbelievers! The psalmist writes, "The ungodly are not so (that is, like a fruitful tree), but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous." In Old Testament times when the farmers would harvest their wheat, they would spread the stalks out on a threshing floor. They would then have oxen walk on it to break the kernels of wheat off of the stalk, after which they would pitch it up in the air so that the wind would blow the chaff away. Eventually only the wheat kernels would fill the threshing floor. The psalmist describes the unbeliever as that chaff. In our day you might say that the unbeliever is like the chaff blown out the rear of a combine.

Such a picture may not always appear to be the actual situation in real life. Unbelievers may appear to be well rooted within society—possessing great material wealth and receiving high honors among men. But remember that the Lord takes the long view of human history. He considers men not at the moment in this life, but rather their entire existence. When considered from the Lord’s point of view, the external consequences unbelievers will endure far outweigh any temporal advantages they may seem to enjoy now. There is an old expression, which is certainly true, and it ought to strike terror in the hearts of all unbelievers—"The millstone of the Lord’s justice moves incredibly slow, but grinds exceedingly fine." There is not a word that men speak or an action that is undertaken that our God does not hear and see, and for which men will have to answer. Others may forget, but not the Lord. Pharaoh enjoyed the wealth and power of Egypt for a time, but died with his charioteers in the Red Sea (cf. Exodus 14). Goliath boasted in his great strength, but a smooth, small stone flung by a shepherd boy ended his military career (cf. 1 Samuel 17). The rich man feasted sumptuously everyday during his earthly life, but prayed for the relief of a few drops of water as he suffered in hell after his death (cf. Luke 16). The fact of the matter is that the unbeliever will not stand in the Day of Judgment, but rather be condemned to hell for rejecting the salvation of God offered in Christ Jesus. The fact of the matter is that when the final trumpet sounds, all opportunity for repentance will be over. Unbelievers, no matter how hard they try at that point, will not be found among the congregation of believers to whom the Lord will then say, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34). Rather, they will hear those most dreaded words, "Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41).

My dear friends, stop, look, and listen! The blessed state of believers and the unfortunate end of unbelievers could not stand in greater contrast. As if to emphasize that point the psalmist ends this first psalm by saying, "The LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish." Our God is omniscient—He knows all; He is omnipotent—He has all power; and He is omnipresent—He is everywhere! That knowledge, power, and presence is used to preserve, protect, and bless believing children of God. That same knowledge, power, and presence will ensure that unbelievers will receive the just judgment they deserve. Stop—do not allow the busy nature of life today to hide these facts from you! Look—consider these two distinct groups of people! Listen—the Scriptures are clear presenting both the grace of our Savior God over against his believing children and the judgment of our righteous God over against those who in unbelief hate and oppose Him. May we ever remain rooted in the word of our God, blessed by His presence and power, and secure in His gracious promises. Amen.