LANGUAGE:
Word Of God Shapes And Forms Us
(Psalm 1)
Today is my second message on the transformative power of the Word of God. In a world filled with constant change, people often seek out some kind of life transformation. Transformation is a powerful force that propels us forward and helps us achieve our goals and dreams. However, without guidance it can be overwhelming. Self-help books abound in inspiration and guidance for personal transformative growth covering a range of topics from personal development, mindfulness, resilience, mindset and more.[i] But for the follower of Christ, transformative guidance is rooted in the Bible, which gives us divine wisdom. Within the Bible’s pages are stories and teachings that demonstrate God’s ability to bring about radical transformation in our lives.[ii] The transformative power of the Bible is not merely a concept, but a reality that brings renewal, redemption, and a deeper relationship with God.
At the start of our series my emphasis was on the importance of hearing and applying God’s Word. Jesus makes that clear in Matthew 4 when He said we are not to live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.[iii] Ignoring God’s Word can lead to disastrous consequences. And so we’re told in 2 Timothy 3:15–16 (GW) 15. . . the Scriptures have the power to give ‘us’ wisdom so that ‘we’ can be saved through faith in Christ Jesus. 16’And’ Every Scripture passage is inspired by God. We need to get a grip on the fact that the Bible lays out for us in writing God’s well and intentions. So the question for us is, how often do we read His Word? How does our reading His Word compare to your reading other things?
In today’s world there is an urgency to be on guard as to what we are reading. Hebrews 2:1 exhorts us—that it is exceedingly necessary that we give attention to the Word of God. Why? Because our redemption from the power of death, the power of sin, and the power of Satan, and coming judgment depends on it.[iv]
Psalm 119, v11 the Psalmist gives us one of the keys to keeping sin at bay in our lives. Speaking to God, David writes “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.” Let me read that again for us. “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.” Think about this for a moment—the Word of God is a treasure. This verse points out to us that there is a direct relationship between my actively treasuring the Word of God and my actively sinning. Another way to say it is, to treasure the word of God in our hearts is to check-mate sin. If we want to enjoy God, we must actively treasure the word of God in our hearts. What does it mean to treasure the word of God?
Let’s bow in prayer.
Almighty God, we thank you for the gift of your eternal word. May it be a lantern to our feet, a light to our paths, and strength to our lives. Take us and use us to love and serve all people in the power of the Holy Spirit and in the name of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
In Psalm 119, v36 the Psalmist prayed, Incline my heart to Your testimonies.[v] Think about that for a moment. He asks God to make him to want to read and meditate on His word. The Word of God is a precious treasure which has been given to us. It is dynamic and living, and fulfills various spiritual functions in our lives.[vi] Let me highlight some of its characteristics and functions:
According to a 2022 Gallup poll survey only 20% of Americans now say that the Bible is the literal word of God. 29% say the Bible is a collection of "fables, legends, history and moral precepts recorded by man."[viii] God’s Word is quickly becoming an anomaly across our land, creating a growing body of spiritually malnourished people in our homes and in our churches. As a Bible Church, we believe that God has spoken clearly in the flow of history, and the Bible is His authoritative revelation for life and godliness.[ix] Unless we treasure the Word of God above all else, it’ll never really have an impact on our daily lives.
Some of you may be familiar with the baseball legend Yogi Berra. Besides being an 18 yr All-Star-Player and in 10 World Series championships,[x] he was also noted for making funny one-liners. One of them was: When you come to a fork in the road, take it. Now most of us are old enough to know that life is a constant fork in the road.[xi] Every-day we come to forks in the road that call for us to make a choice.
In Matthew 7 Jesus highlights a serious fork in the road. One path is marked by a wide gate, crammed with people, that leads to destruction. The other path, marked by a narrow gate, has few people and it’s a hard path to follow, but it leads to eternal life. (Matthew 7:13–14 (ESV))[xii] To help us visualize the crowds on these two paths, turn with me to Psalm 1. Psalm 1 is about the forks-in-the-road-choices that we face on a daily basis.
The point for us is that God says there are two ways to live: one is a life of happiness, fruitfulness, and blessedness, while the other is a life is characterized by cursedness, unhappiness, and judgment. The choice of path hinges on one’s immersion in God’s Word or not.
As we take a closer look at the psalm, whichever group one belongs to is a personal choice, and that comes from making God’s Word central to one’s life.[xiii] What I want us to do today is to help us grapple with the transforming power of God’s Word. In light of Psalm 1, Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:15–17 (GW) 15be very careful how you live. Don’t live like foolish people but live like wise people. 16Wise people make the most of their opportunities because these are evil days. 17So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord wants.
So what is the will of the Lord for us? Psalm 1 helps us clarify what the will of God is for us. As we dig into the verse 1 of Psalm 1, the catch word that comes to my mind is the word discernment. Hebrews 5:14 tells us that solid food (that would be good Bible instruction) is for the mature people, whose minds are trained by the practice to know the difference between good and evil.[xiv] So the question for us is, am I, are we a ‘good vs evil’ discerner? That is can I discern the difference between good and evil?
The opening verse of Psalm 1 tell us that discernment is a priority. V1, How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
Here’s a couple of questions for us to wrestle with:
The point for us is, do we have a grip on the deceitfulness of the heart? Jeremiah 17:9 (NASB95) tells us that “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? Know this, the depth of wickedness in each of our hearts is beyond our comprehension.[xv] In addition, Paul warns us in 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NASB95) Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” Here we are told that the kind of people we hang out with will shape our view of God and behavior in life. A. W. Tozer writes, What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.[xvi] The point I want us to get a grip on, is that how we see God directly influences how we live. Allison Richmond writes, Our very lives and character center on how we view our God. If we see Him as a weak, passive and unnecessary God, our lives will reflect this. We will not trust or rely on Him and will likely fall into sin, seeing no need for God. On the flip side, if we see God as a powerful, active and life-sustaining being, we will cling to Him and praise Him as our Savior.[xvii]
Well, let’s dig into Psalm 1.
V1, Blessed is the person who does not follow the advice of wicked people, take the path of sinners, or join the company of mockers. The Psalmist is warning us that we need to be choosy as to the crowd we hang out with. Proverbs 13:20 (NASB95) He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm.[xviii]
I think we all struggle here on a regular basis. We meet up with some people that we find fun to hang around with. They might be a little rough around the edges, but we think we can handle it. It’s like, I’ll sit here for a while, when I get tired I’ll move on. But consciously we gradually find myself enjoying the company, and soon become glued to the surroundings, and begin to imitate the company we keep.
Notice the progression:[xix]
The story of Abraham’s nephew comes to my mind as I reflect over these words. The story is found in Genesis 13:11–13 (NASB95) 11So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other. 12Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom. 13Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the LORD. Some years pass and we come to chap 19:1 (NASB95) 1Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. Lot had moved from the fertile pastures to dwelling in the seat of the scornful.
I came across an article by Leslie Vernick entitled 5 Indicators of an Evil and Wicked Heart that I found helpful when it comes to clarifying the counsel of the wicked, the path of sinners, and the seat of scoffers.[xxvii]
As move from v1, we need to keep in mind Proverbs 17:4 (ESV) 4An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue. As for the wicked, sinners, and scoffers, the Psalm ends with this summation: 4The wicked are . . . are like chaff which the wind drives away. 5Therefore they will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.
The Psalm now turns to what it means to be blessed. The one who avoids the counsel of the wicked, the path of the sinner, and the seat of the scoffer is the one who has a love affair with the Word of God. To be blessed is to find one’s delight in the law of the Lord, and in His law meditating day and night.
The point here is that when one leans into God’s Words there is a stark difference in living. Unless our lives are being nurtured and sustained by the Word of God, we’ll become like the wicked, the sinners, and the scoffers around us.
To be marked out from the wicked, the sinners, and the scoffers, one must take their delight in God’s Word. That is God’s Word occupies one's mind; for God’s word to occupy our minds, we must meditate on it 24/7, wrestling with it as to how, when, and where it should be applied. Notice the treelike characteristics of the one who delights and meditates on God’s Word:
Isaiah 28:16 (NASB95) Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed. For this to happen we must apply 2 Peter 3:18 (NASB95) that we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
This is a good place to step back and let this all sink in. As we reflect over this Psalm it is clear that the central issue is the transformative power of the Word of God. There’s a stability that can be found nowhere else. Peter tells us in 2 Peter 1:3, that the Bible contains all that one needs for life and godliness, for truth and righteousness. But truth is stumbling in the public square. Isaiah 59:14-15 spoke of a ‘coming’ day when truth would stumble in the public square,[xxxiii] and that is where we are today. In plain and simple terms, the forces of our society are now replacing the centrality and priority of the Scripture in our lives. There is a self-righteous social militancy growing on the horizon.[xxxiv] The crowd now rules.
Paul gives us an astonishing assessment of the Old Testament in Romans 15:4, everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.[xxxv]Not just part of the Old Testament, but all of it — “whatever was written in former days” — was written with the divine design to give us hope. Paul gives another astonishing assessment in 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NASB95) 16All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
We should approach the Bible asking
Let’s Prayer. Heavenly Father, thank You that Your Holy Spirit helps us to discern and understand Your Word. Give us a hunger to feed our souls every day. Remind us again, “we cannot live by bread alone but on every Word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4).We recognize that living according to Your Word gives us a firm foundation for this life and the life to come because “your word is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89). Thank you that Your Word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path so that we can walk securely. (Psalm 119:105). We ask this morning that You use Your Word to teach us, rebuke us, correct us, and train us in righteousness so that we can be like a like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, yielding fruit as needed, and we do not wither on the pressure of the culture. By it may we be adequately trained in Your righteousness. Let us embrace your words of life more than we embrace our fears, our insecurities, and the lies that have ensnared us. 24Now to You who is able to keep us from stumbling and to present us blameless before the presence of Your glory with great joy, 25the only God, our Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, for all time and now and forever more. (Jude 24–25 (ESV)). Amen.
[i] Team Newsable, Unlock Personal Growth: 7 best Self-Help books for transformation and empowerment, https://newsable.asianetnews.com/lifestyle/unlock-personal-growth-7-best-self-help-books-for-transformation-and-empowerment-msw-eai-rxbjk5
[ii] Romans 15:4 (NLT) 4Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. Romans 15:4 (ESV) 4For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
[iii] Matthew 4:4 4Jesus answered, “Scripture says, ‘A person cannot live on bread alone but on every word that God speaks.’ ” Matthew 4:4 (GW) Matthew 4:4 (The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language) 4Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: “It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God’s mouth.” Matthew 4:4 (NLT) 4But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
[iv] Hebrews 2:1Hebrews 2:1 (GW) 1For this reason we must pay closer attention to what we have heard. Then we won’t drift away ⸤from the truth⸥. John Piper, The Danger of Drifting from the Word(Hebrews 2:1-4) https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-danger-of-drifting-from-the-word. The life of this world is not a lake. It is a river. And it is flowing downward to destruction. If you do not listen earnestly to Jesus and consider him daily and fix your eyes on him hourly, then you will not stand still; you will go backward. You will float by. Drifting is a deadly thing in the Christian life. And the remedy to it, according to Hebrews 2:1, is, “Pay close attention to what you have heard.” That is, consider what God is saying in his Son Jesus. Fix your eyes on what God is saying and doing in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. This is not a hard stroke to learn so that we can swim against the stream of sin and indifference.
[v] Cf., 1 Kings 8:57–58 (NASB95) 57“May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; may He not leave us or forsake us, 58that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers.
[vi] Hebrews 4:12 (NASB95) 12For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
[vii] Psalm 119:98 (NASB95) 98Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For they are ever mine.
[viii] Frank Newport, Fewer in US Now See Bible as Literal Word of God, https://news.gallup.com/poll/394262/fewer-bible-literal-word-god.aspx
[ix] https://www.efca.org/sof/We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.
[x] Yogi Berra, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogi_Berra
[xi] Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer, The Word of God Transforms Us, (Psalm 1) https://www.moodymedia.org/sermons/changed-word/word-god-transforms-us/
[xii] Matthew 7:13–14 (NASB95) 13“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14“For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Cf., Luke 13:22–24 (NASB95) 22And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem. 23And someone said to Him, “Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?” And He said to them, 24“Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
[xiii] J. Hampton Keathley III, Psalm 1: Two Ways of Life – A Psalm of Wisdom, https://bible.org/article/psalm-1-two-ways-life-psalm-wisdom
[xiv] 1 Kings 3:9 (NASB95) 9“So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” Philippians 1:9–10 (NASB95) 9And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, 10so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; 1 Thessalonians 5:21 (NASB95) 21But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; Colossians 2:8 (NASB95) 8See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. Hosea 14:9 (NASB95) 9Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; Whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, And the righteous will walk in them, But transgressors will stumble in them.
[xv] Cf., Liza Ashley, The Death of God is Driving Cancel Culture, https://www.christianpost.com/voices/the-death-of-god-is-driving-cancel-culture.html most of us are blissfully unaware of our own intellectual blind spots, ethical lapses and character flaws while being outraged when the failures we don’t see in ourselves manifest in those around us.
[xvi] Allison Richmond, Weekly Devotional: Summer Series- A. W. Tozer on Our View of God. https://www.gcu.edu/blog/spiritual-life/weekly-devotional-summer-series-w-tozer-our-view-god
[xvii] Ibid.
[xviii] Proverbs 12:26 (NASB95) 26The righteous is a guide to his neighbor, But the way of the wicked leads them astray.
[xix] J. Hampton Keathley III, Psalm 1: Two Ways of Life – A Psalm of Wisdom, https://bible.org/article/psalm-1-two-ways-life-psalm-wisdom
[xx] Ibid.
[xxi] 2 Samuel 13:1-29, Amnon was caught in Jonadad's wicked counsel, and he died for it Beloved, irrespective of who the source is, run for your dear life when given ungodly counsel.
[xxii] Genesis 13:11–13 (NASB95) 11So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other. 12Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom. 13Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the LORD.
[xxiii] J. Hampton Keathley III, Psalm 1: Two Ways of Life – A Psalm of Wisdom, https://bible.org/article/psalm-1-two-ways-life-psalm-wisdom. It was an archery term and meant “to fall short, miss the mark.” The mark is the will and plan of God as revealed in Scripture. Sin is the transgression of the Law. It is whatever misses the will of God for man
[xxiv] Ephesians 2:1–3 (NASB95) 1And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 2 Timothy 2:26 (NASB95) 26and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
[xxv] G. Herbert Livingston, “638 חָטָא,” ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 277.The root occurs about 580 times in the Old Testament and is thus its principle word for sin. The basic meaning of the root is to miss a mark or a way.
[xxvi] Romans 1:28–32 (NASB95) 28And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
[xxvii] Leslie Vernick, 5 Indicators of an Evil and Wicked Heart, https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/5-indicators-of-an-evil-and-wicked-heart.html
[xxviii] Psalm 5:8 (NASB95)8O LORD, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes; Make Your way straight before me.; 10:7; 58:3; 109:2–5; 140:2; Proverbs 6:13–14 (NASB95) 13Who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, Who points with his fingers; 14Who with perversity in his heart continually devises evil, Who spreads strife. ; 6:18,19; 12:13; 16:20; 16:27, 28; 30:14; Job 15:35 (NASB95)35“They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity, And their mind prepares deception.”; Jeremiah 18:18; Nehemiah 6:8; Micah 2:1; Matthew 12:34,35; Acts 6:11–13; 2 Peter 3:16 (NASB95)16as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
[xxix] Psalm 50:19 (NASB95) 19“You let your mouth loose in evil And your tongue frames deceit. ; 52:2,3; 57:4; 59:7; 101:7; Proverbs 12:5 (NASB95)5The thoughts of the righteous are just, But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful. ; 26:23–26; 26:28; Job 20:12 (NASB95)12“Though evil is sweet in his mouth And he hides it under his tongue, ; Jeremiah 12:6 (NASB95)6“For even your brothers and the household of your father, Even they have dealt treacherously with you, Even they have cried aloud after you. Do not believe them, although they may say nice things to you.” ; Matthew 26:59; Acts 6:11–13; Romans 16:17,18; 2 Corinthians 11:13,14; 2 Timothy 3:2–5; 3:13; Titus 1:10,16.
[xxx] Romans 2:8 (NASB95) 8but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.; Psalms 10; 36:1–4; 50:16–22; 54:5,6; 73:6–9; Proverbs 21:24 (NASB95) 24“Proud,” “Haughty,” “Scoffer,” are his names, Who acts with insolent pride.; Jude 1:8–16).
[xxxi] Proverbs 21:10 (NASB95) 10The soul of the wicked desires evil; His neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.; 1 Peter 2:16 (NASB95) 16Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.; Jude 4 (NASB95)4For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ..
[xxxii] Romans 1:32 (NASB95) 32and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. Acts 8:1 (NASB95) 1Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Acts 22:20 (NASB95) 20‘And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.’
[xxxiii] Isaiah 59:14–15 (NASB95) 14Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands far away; For truth has stumbled in the street, And uprightness cannot enter. 15Yes, truth is lacking; And he who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey. Now the LORD saw, And it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice. 2 Timothy 4:3–4 (NASB95) 3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
[xxxiv] Liza Ashley, The Death of God is Driving Cancel Culture, https://www.christianpost.com/voices/the-death-of-god-is-driving-cancel-culture.html We are left with self-righteous militancy. You transgress one of my social values? You should be fired. You won’t assent to my position on a given topic? You should be de-platformed. You debate my sincerely held beliefs? You’ve committed violence against me.
[xxxv] CF., 1 Corinthians 10:6–11 (NASB95) 6Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. 7Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY.” 8Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. 9Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. 10Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.