The Bible is sufficient to walk in the prosperous way

Can someone answer me a question? And I mean that literally I need someone to holler at me. Are there any escalators in Texarkana?

I asked AI this week and it could not locate one anywhere. And the reason I wanted to know if there was an escalator was because it makes a really straightforward illustration. If you’re in a particularly large building there might be two escalators side by side. One leads to the floor above you. And one leads below you. And all you have to do to get to your destination is simply step on. There’s no working, no effort, nothing. It does the work and it is enough to get you up to that next floor. You simply chose which escalator to step on.

And in our passage today, we’re going to be presented with two paths that go different directions and two ways to get on those two different paths.

Main Point – The Bible is sufficient to walk in the prosperous way

Text – Psalm 1, page 418 in pew Bibles

Prayer

This passage makes it abundantly clear to us that there are only two paths (vs. 6) - the way of the righteous or the way of the wicked. And I want that idea to sink in. Because very often we’d like to pretend there is a third path or a fourth path. The categories of “wicked” and “righteous” seem to be a bit too strongly stated. When I consider myself, I don’t like to use either of those terms. 

I’m not righteous. I’m not the hallowed saint that is the model of perfection so to consider myself as walking the path of righteousness seems arrogant. Actually wouldn’t humility itself require that we not consider ourselves as righteous? Because the moment I proudly say that I’m righteous, I’ll screw up and become a hypocrite. As it says in Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” So I don’t want to consider myself as righteous.

However, at the same time, I don’t think I would call myself wicked either. I mean, that new Wicked movie came out which kind of makes being Wicked sound cool. But in a biblical sense, I really can’t associate myself with the wicked. The Bible says some incredibly strong things about the wicked - 

Read Psalm 10: 7-8, 10-11. 

Yikes… I’m not someone who… “hides in places to murder the innocent”. So being referred to as wicked doesn’t seem to apply to me either.

The two terms of righteousness and wicked seem a bit too polarizing and binary. There’s lots of middle categories. Maybe a good word for me would be “apathetic”. I should care more about spiritual things and I don’t, but I’m not antagonistic towards them by any means. The way of the “apathetic” would be a good way for me.

Or maybe I would prefer the term, “distracted”. Because when it comes to growing spiritually, I really want to do that. I want to become more of a righteous person, but there’s just some other stuff going on that is demanding my attention right now. School keeps me super busy. My job requires long hours. I’ve got so many family members to keep track of and stay in touch with. I’m on the path of the “distracted”

There are other paths we could be on too. Maybe yours is the way of the “struggling”. You want to do what’s right. You’re putting in effort to do what’s right, but it seems that the world is against you. You have your children and they take up so much time. Some of you young parents are getting about 4 and half hours asleep each day and none of it comes at more than 2 hours at a time. Some of you have failing health that seems to always get in the way. Every time you see improvements, they are followed by another setback. You could claim that you’re on the path of the “struggling”.

And there might be any number of other paths and ways that we could characterize ourselves as being on. Yet this passage is abundantly clear. There are only two ways.

“The Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”

Illustrate - It’s like being on an elevator. There are elevators that go down and there are elevators that go up. There are no diagonal elevators. Your choice is only one of two options.

And when you read this psalm, there has to be only two ways. Because if you are able to view yourself as being unique, if you are able to give an excuse as to why you aren’t either of these, then the whole passage becomes meaningless. I assure you that every single person in this room could come up with some reason why their path is different and they are on something other than the path of the wicked or the path of the righteous.

There are only two paths. And this morning, you are on either the path of righteousness or you are on the path of the wicked. We’re going to walk through what those on these paths do, what they look like, and what their end will be. And I want you to be determining as you listen, which one of these sounds more like me.

So here we go, path #1

Path #1 – The way of the righteous

What they do 

Our passage opens with verse 1.

Read verse 1.

This describes someone on the way of the righteous and what they do NOT do. So I’m going to set this verse aside and come back to it when we talk about the way of the wicked, because if this is what the righteous are NOT doing, it’s safe to say that these things are what the wicked ARE doing. So let’s move to verse 2 for now.

Read verse 2.

Here there are two things he does - he loves God’s Law and he spends time with God’s law. That’s it. There’s nothing else he does. This is the requirement for being on the path of the righteous. This is how someone gets on the path. It’s actually abundantly easy.

Because consider what it does not say. It does not say, “He gives much money to God’s causes’ or “He travels the world sharing the gospel of Jesus”. It doesn’t say “He has a formal title in the church as a deacon, pastor, or committee member”. None of those things are requirements for being on the path of the righteous. There are simply two requirements. You delight in the law of the Lord and you meditate on it daily. 

Those on the path of righteousness, must love God’s Word and must spend time with God’s Word. I know I sound like a broken record at this point, but friends loving God’s Word and actually reading God’s Word are the only means by which you will be on the path of righteousness. There is no other gate that you can pass through. There is no other pavement that you can walk on. This is it.

“His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

Look, I can’t force you to open your Bible when you’re at home. But when we’re here in this building, when we’re gathered as a congregation, it is what we are going to do. If I come to your home to visit you, I’m going to read this book. I want this church to collectively be on the path of righteousness and so we must as a church love and meditate on God’s Word.

You’ll notice that we’ve been having a scripture reading in the middle of our singing each week. That’s because I want this church to delight in God’s Word. I want more opportunities for God’s Word to be meditated on. 

I was at a church once that had just hired a new worship minister. And in his first month, after seeing our church take a break to read scripture in the middle of services he said, “I think I’m going to drop the scripture reading because it really interrupts the flow of the morning program”. I was appalled. When you remove the word of God from the gathering of the people of God, you have removed all of the power of God. That church may have improved its programming and its ability to put on a seamless uninterrupted performance, but it was unintentionally leading people away from the path of righteousness. Because this word is the only means of being on it.

But Shane I don’t desire God’s Word. I’m not currently spending any time meditating on God’s Word. How can I do it?

 Well, you’ve already taken the first step. Keep attending church where the Bible is read and the words are preached. I promised you last week and I continue to promise that this will be what happens in this service as long as God allows me to do it. So make it a commitment to be here. Don’t consider it as optional. You cannot walk the path of the righteous without loving and spending time with God’s Word, so that means you must gather with other believers where that Word is taught and discussed. It’s a real softball, an easy way to begin.

Also, if you want to read God’s Word on your own, it’s going to take discipline and intentionality. It will not happen accidentally and it will not happen if it is not scheduled. If you walk out of here thinking vaguely I should read the Bible a bit more, you will not do it. You must develop some sort of plan. You must be willing to say, “Tomorrow during my lunch break, instead of playing Candy Crush on my phone, I’m going to spend five minutes reading the Bible.” Or perhaps you say, immediately after I take my morning shower, I’m going to sit at my table and read the Bible before driving off. Talk it over with a friend or a family member. Find someone who can ask you if you did it and hold you accountable.

If you’re interested in some resources, I would love to share some with you. 

This first book is called - Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Don Whitney. In it he describes what it looks like to build a life disciplined around God’s Word. Two of his first chapters are about how to spend time reading the Bible and he gives very practical strategies for how to integrate it into your life.

The second book is called - The Common Rule by Justine Earley. This book is smaller and this may be more appealing. It is written more for people who feel they are too busy to “add” anything to their daily routine. He makes an argument for how disciplines can give you more freedom and not add to busyness.

I’m happy to let you borrow these and if more people want copies, I’m happy to purchase them to get them into your hands. They are great.

So what will this person who loves God’s Word and is walking the path of righteousness look like?

What they look like

Read verse 3

The image is very clear. When you are someone who delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night, you become like a healthy tree. It is planted by an abundant source of water. Not a single stream, but multiple streams. I think the direct correlation is that the Word of God acts like a stream of water for this tree. It gives it life. It causes growth. Because the streams are regularly flowing, the tree has no fear of scarcity or drought. It always has a source to turn to. And a tree planted is one that has many deep, deep roots. It is firm and unafraid of storms. It is safe and secure because of its source.

What’s even more interesting is that it bears fruit. One commentator I read said that the tree doesn’t merely carry water from one place to another, but it absorbs the water and transforms it into a life sustaining fruit that can benefit others. This tree isn’t just something pretty to look at. It has fruit and others are nourished because of the health of this tree.

And lastly, the tree has leaves which do not wither. A leaf that withers is one that is unable to maintain water. It can’t withstand the scorching sun or it can’t withstand a drought or a disease or even old age. But the tree planted by these flowing streams never withers.

It’s a powerful and very visible illustration and I have to ask, does this describe what you look like? Do you look like a strong tree that can withstand storms? Do you find that you’re running out of anything that gives life to you? Are you yielding an abundance of fruit that is beneficial to others? Or do you feel like you’re withering up?

Now keep in mind what this prosperity of the tree is not. It is not prosperity meaning that all of your business ventures will succeed. It is not saying that you will die rich with lots of toys. It is not saying that every desire you have will be met. It IS saying that God will give the prosperity described here. You will endure to the end.

Those on the path of righteousness are like trees. And if you are not like a tree, consider whether or not you are planted by the source of water. Do you delight in the law of the Lord, and on his law meditate day and night? Because this is the path that leads to being like a tree.

Now, let me add an aside for some people that are struggling here. Do you remember the people I described earlier as wanting to say they are on “the path of the struggling”. Let me address you for a moment. It’s very possible that you are going through a specific season right now that makes sitting down for twenty minutes with a Bible extremely difficult. As I mentioned, it could be that you have little children that demand so much of your attention and give you no sleep. It could be that your health is in such a state that you are unable to get an opportunity to open a Bible. It’s very possible that for some other reason that though you really desire to be in God’s Word and you would count yourself as one whose “delight is in the law of the Lord”, you still cannot create a disciplined space for a classic version of “quiet time”. I don’t want to shame you. I’m not suggesting that for all people in all seasons, sitting for 30 minutes with a Bible, a notebook, a pen, and a cup of coffee every morning is the only way to be a faithful Christian.

I want to commend your desire and delight in God’s Word. And I want to encourage you to continue to fight for it. It may be that all you can do is scribble out a couple verses from the psalms and put it behind your kitchen sink so that you can read it when you’re rinsing out a baby bottle. It might be that your eyes are not well and you need to have someone read you a passage of the Bible. Whatever it is, let me assure you that this difficult season you're in, is just that, it’s a season. It will end. And if you have fought valiantly through it and maintained your delight for God’s Word, it will pay enormous dividends on the other side.

No tree grows into an enormous oak overnight. It takes patience. And it takes consistency. Even our passage encourages us that the tree will bear fruit in its season, when the time is right. Be patient. Be persistent. But find a way to stay connected to the source.

However, if none of what we’ve been discussing seems to sound like you. There is a second path you might be on. 

Path #2 – The way of the wicked

Verse 4 tells us that “the wicked are not so”. Everything that we’ve discussed about the one who is righteous, is not so with the wicked. He is the opposite of it. So to discuss the wicked, let’s go back to verse 1 as I mentioned earlier.

What they do

Read verse 1

Now as I also mentioned earlier, nobody wants to be considered someone who is wicked. When you ask a small child what they want to be when they grow up, I’ve never known one to say, “I just want to be profusely wicked. I want to grow up to become a violent criminal who leaves a path of destruction everywhere they go”

No one intends to get here. And yet we know that they do. Verse 1 helps us understand the process of joining the path of the wicked. And it is a process. You’ll notice the progression of the words. The man first walks with the wicked. When you’re walking you’re moving and you have the opportunity to quickly adjust how close you are and if you want to change directions. But next he slows down. Now he stands with sinners. He has chosen these people as his company. He wants to be near them and is standing. Any who see him will associate him with those people he has chosen to be around. The third step in the progression is damning. He sits in the seat of  scoffers. This is comfort and this is settling in. There will be no changing his mind. He has sat in their seat and is now numbered among them. Further he is described as a scoffer. The scoffer is more than someone who makes bad choices, but they are someone who mocks the righteous and scorns the path they choose. He becomes the person who is violent and fits all the descriptions of the wicked throughout the Bible.

Do you see how someone can become one of the wicked? It is not a single choice. It is a series of choices. They are not turning to the Bible for wisdom, but they are turning to any number of other places. AND THESE PLACES MAY APPEAR GOOD! It says in verse 1 that he is gathering counsel. He’s looking for wisdom on how to make decisions that would be helpful, but he’s not interested in God’s law. 

Church, who are your counselors?! Who are those who are sharing their wisdom with you that you are learning to follow? Is it a news station on tv? Is that who gives you counsel about the world? Is it a song you hear on the radio that gives you counsel about romance? Is it a book that tells you what to value in a spouse? Is it your non-Christian coworkers who share the wisdom of their own experiences? Where are you getting your counsel from? Because if it’s anywhere other than the Word of God and those who submit to the word of God, it’s likely the counsel of the wicked. Remember, there is no third path that’s neither wicked nor righteous. 

The counsel of the wicked will lead you to the path of the wicked. And if unchecked leads to sitting in the seat of scoffers.  “Psh. Christians are so close-minded. What makes them think they have all the answers?” If we are not walking on the path of righteousness, then we are walking in the counsel of the wicked.

Transition - And what will this look like?

What are they like

Read verse 4

This is in incredible contrast to the image of the tree. The image is chaff and if you’re not familiar with it, chaff is light, dry and useless. When you have a grain that you’ve harvested such as barley, oat, or wheat it grows with chaff on the outside of the kernels. It’s not edible. It’s not useful. The easiest way to get rid of the chaff is simply to let the wind blow it away. 

The wicked are described as being a thing that is the exact opposite of the tree. They are not planted firmly anywhere. They are not reliable or predictable. They are someone who doesn’t have plans or goals. They do not yield fruit. They are of no use to those around them. And unlike the tree whose leaves do not wither, these are always dry and cannot withstand any sort of calamity. 

Again, I will ask, does this sound like you? Are you dry and useless? Are you easily tossed around and upset by every wind that blows? This is chaff. And it’s all because you have sought the wrong counsel and have not grounded yourself in God’s Word.

Transition - We’ve talked about what the righteous do and what they look like. Then we’ve talked about what the wicked do and what they look like. But in the final two verses we ask the question, “What is their end?”

 

What is the end of the wicked?

Read verse 5. The wicked will not stand in judgment. they will not be among the congregation of the righteous. Now this is the part that deals directly with your salvation. And each week we’ve talked about salvation and what that means, but this verse is talking about that moment in salvation when you stand before God. And make no mistake, whether you are young or old, healthy or not, you will one day stand in the judgment. It will be determined whether or not you will enter God’s kingdom and be among the righteous. And for every person who is chaff, who has walked on the path of the wicked, who has failed to delight in and meditate on the law of the Lord, they will be separated from God forever. 

“Wait Shane, c’mon. Are you suggesting that if I don’t read my Bible, I’m going to go to hell? I’m a Christian because I said a prayer when I was 10 and now no matter what I’m supposed to be in heaven.”

The Bible tells us that it is those who believe in Jesus who are saved. It is those who place their entire life in submission to Jesus who are saved. It is not merely those who said the words “Save me” who are saved. Jesus is not a magic word. And you may claim that you have given your life to Jesus, but if you have zero interest in his Word, then he has zero interest in your words.

Illustrate - You may tell someone that you love them, but saying it doesn’t make it true. If it’s true it will be expressed through your actions. And one of the surest signs that you love someone is that you listen to them and you care about them.

The Bible gives no confidence in salvation to those who do not delight in God’s Word.

Transition - However, there are those on a different path.

What is the end of the righteous?

Verse 1. Blessed is the man.

Verse 3. In all that he does he prospers.

And in contrast to the wicked of verse 5, the righteous WILL stand in the judgment and they will join the congregation of the righteous and be in God’s presence forever.

I can’t highlight that phrase enough, “In all that he does, he prospers”. It’s right in the center of the psalm and I think its location is intentional. It is not some of the things he does that prosper. It is all of the things he does. And what brought him to this end? How did he come by this prosperity? It was two simple things. He delighted in the law of the Lord and he meditated on it day and night. He loves and keeps God’s Word. He fights for it. It is precious to him. 

Conclusion - He doesn’t start with the Bible and then move on to something that’s bigger and better. But as we’ve argued this morning it is enough. It is sufficient. If you want that solid tree-like life, this book is what you need. There aren’t secrets hidden somewhere amongst the counsel of others. The plain words are here. They’re right in front of you. This is all you need.

The Bible is sufficient to walk in the prosperous way.

“For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”

Prayer