This passage not only speaks about the blessing that comes to the Godly but it also tells us about the outcome of the Ungodly.

First there is the REGRESSION of the Ungodly (Psalm 1:1). Never can we mess around with sin thinking we’ll be fine.  No, we can see the way compromise slowly erodes godliness.  The first step in the downward regression begins with…

WALKING with the wrong crowd…Blessed is the man that WALKS not in the counsel… – Psalm 1:1a. Impurity gets a foothold when we walk with others who are ungodly.  When we flirt with the impure.  The Scripture is very clear…Bad company corrupts good character – 1 Corinthians 15:33.

STANDING with the wrong crowd…or STANDS in the way of sinners…-Psalm 1:1b. It has now regressed to taking pause, fixing the gaze – not just a glance.  Now you are taking your stand.

SITTING with the wrong crowd…or SITS in the seat of mockers. - Psalm 1:1c. Now, the regression is complete.  One has settled in to a way of life.  It is not just a quick glance, not just a one time event, now it has become a habit.  Unchecked disobedience ends in habitual ungodliness and addiction.

Second there is the REBELLION of the Ungodly. It is similar to the regression in that it is a slippery slope leading to ungodliness…Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the UNGODLY… – Psalm 1:1a (KJV). The “ungodly” have cast off any fear of God and disregard his ways. 

We see this trend in our society today.  According to the recent Census Bureau married couples are not outnumbered by “unmarried” couples.  And the trend is growing.  Oprah Winfrey is all for it as she “admitted to not marrying Stedman Graham for fear of losing her identity and devoted an entire show to ‘unmarriage.” Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are professionally “unmarried” as a couple.  The ungodly are those who just disregard his ways. But the rebellion doesn’t stop there.

This included the Rebellion of the SINNERS …or stands in the way of SINNERS… – Psalm 1:1b. Sinners are those who are engaged in an open rebellion not in just disregard against the ways of God.

The Rebellion of the SCORNFUL …or sits in the seat of MOCKERS…- Psalm 1:1c. The “scornful” are those that come to hate the godly.  They scorn anything that is true or good or decent.  They hate Christians and the cause of Christ. Can you see the way ungodliness is regressing in our society and in the individual lives that make it up?

Third there comes the REJECTION of the Ungodly (Psalm 1:4-5). Everything that the godly are blessed with the ungodly are not: Not so the wicked… – Psalm 1:4a. They are not blessed, satisfied, fruitful, consistent, prospered with fullness of life.  The ungodly have dissatisfaction. Sexual ungodliness leads to Sexual Diseases.  The American Social Health Association warns:

1.     More than 19 million Americans a year or 50,000 a day contract an STD.

2.     65 million right now have an STD.  5 years from now over ½ the US will have an STD

3.     Every year 1 out of 4 15-25 year-olds contract an STD.  5 years from now, the vast MAJORITY of 15-25 year-olds will have an STD.

4.     Sexual ungodliness lead to STD’s which lead to many health issues such as infertility, cancer, AIDS and death. 

5.     Not including HIV/AIDs over $8 BILLION/year is spent on the treatment of STD’s

The Scripture says the ungodly are not blessed, happy, fulfilled …Dissatisfaction leads to disease.  There is loss in Fruitfulness… infertility.  This lifestyle even leads to monetary loss.  Each year, the United States spends 8 billion dollars combating sexually transmitted diseases (not include HIV/AIDS) …They are like the chaff that the wind blows away. – Psalm 1:4b.

Chaff is the equivalent of the husk from popcorn.  It is tasteless, hard, and worthless.  It gets caught in your throat and you just can’t get it out.  It gets wedged between your gums and your teeth and it hurts.  Ultimately, the Lord’s Word tells us…that’s the destiny of the ungodly.  On that ultimate judgment day, the Psalmist tells us…Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.- Psalm 1:5

They are going down.  Their destiny is destruction, being swept away like loose chaff in the wind.  The Psalmist states very clearly… The Lord knows the way of the righteous and he will reward and bless you …but the way of the wicked will perish. – Psalm 1:6

Lest we despair let’s take a look at the REMEDY of God’s Word…But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and on his law he meditates day and night. – Psalm 1:2.

There is some debate about making a vaccine against a sexually transmitted disease mandatory – making it law – for all 6^th grade girls.  It is the vaccine against HPV – Human Papillion Virus – a disease that 75% of those having sex outside of marriage will contract. 

The National Cancer Institute warns:  “HPV’s diagnosed with this type of cancer and nearly 4,000 will die from it. Cervical cancer strikes nearly half a million women each year worldwide, claiming a quarter of a million lives.” Even the vaccine will only prevent 70% of the cancer cases.  It is not fool proof; neither are condoms or any other kind of protection. 

The only fool-proof method is taking delight in the law of the Lord!   The only protection for a pure life, the strength that enables the pure life is delight in the Law of the Lord.  The Word clearly instructs what a Princeton University group called “The Anscombe Society” promotes — to “celebrate sex as unifying, beautiful, and joyful when shared in its proper context; that of marriage between a man and a woman.   

Which path are you on; the Godly or the Ungodly?

MONDAY MORNING MESSAGE / FRED G. CHILTON ©

I like the story of a young man who called his mother and announced excitedly that he had just met the young woman of his dreams.  What should he do?!  His mother had an idea: “Why don’t you send her flowers and on the card invite her to your place for a home-cooked meal?”  He thought this was a great strategy and arranged a date for a week later.  His mother called the day after the big date to see how things had gone.  “The evening was a disaster,” he moaned.  “Why? Didn’t she come over?” asked his mother.  “Oh, she came over, but she refused to cook…”

Dating and romance can be quite mysterious at times.  I’m not here to take the mystery out of it but to give fool-proof direction for creating yesterdays with no regret and the brightest of futures!

This Psalm, if you will accept its instruction for you can lead you to a life of purity.  If you reject its instruction, you will end up mournfully singing that old song, the most frequently recorded song in the history of popular music, written and performed by one man, not even recognized by the other members of the group as one of their own songs because they had no part in the writing or the performance and it was not released in the UK for 11 years.  You will recognize the lament of this tonic key…  

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away,

Now it looks as though they’re here to stay, oh, I believe in yesterday.

This lament need not be yours.  Let’s examine what Psalm 1 tells us about purity yesterday, today and forever.

First it tells us about the REWARD for the Godly. The first word of all the Psalms is “Blessed”. The word blessed from the Hebrew literally means:  “Happy, very happy or Oh, the happiness, many times over”. That is why the Lord calls us to live a life of uncompromised purity…because this is the kind of life that leads to pure happiness!

Secondly it tells us about the SATISFACTION of the Godly (Psalm 1:3a). The godly person is not plagued for the thirst for something more.  The Scripture gives us a perfect picture of being…like a tree planted by streams of water…- Psalm 1:3a. For that tree, it doesn’t matter if there are desperate dry times…it has the water supply.  For godly people – there will be tough times in life but the Lord satisfies even in the draught.

Third it speaks about the CONTRIBUTION of the Godly…that brings forth his fruit in his season…- Psalm 1:3b. The Lord promises that if we will be godly, he will make us fruitful – we’ll make a contribution in this ol’ world.  We’ll leave the world a better place!

Fourth is the HEALTH of the Godly…his leaf also shall not whither… – Psalm 1:3c. The Lord promises that if we will be godly, he will give us an even disposition.  Life won’t be a roller coaster of ups and downs…we’ll be consistently satisfied and successful through the good times and the bad.  Death will never come!!!

Fifth we must look at the WEALTH of the Godly…and whatever he does prospers. – Psalm 1:3d. Don’t we all want to be successful?  Don’t many people spend their whole lives looking for the way to prosper?  The answer to the question is godliness!  Matthew 6:33 says “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you as well.”  Godliness is the best position you can be in to receive such consequences, if you are concerned at all with the here after. We’re talking about the fullness of life for now and for all of eternity.

This passage not only speaks about the blessing that comes to the Godly but it also tells us about the outcome of the Ungodly. 

2. THE CHURCH IS A BODY. (This speaks of COOPERATION).
(1 Corinthians 12:12-31)

A. The Apostle Paul spoke of the body having different members or parts.
B. When all the parts of the body work together, the body will work well.
C. We become members of His body by the new birth (John 3:1-8).
D. All are born in sin (Romans 3:23).
E. Satan is our father.

For you are the children of your father the devil and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning and a hater of truth—there is not an iota of truth in him. When he lies, it is perfectly normal; for he is the father of liars? (John 8:44)

F. When accepting Christ (John 1:12), we become children of God, and part of His body.
G. We are baptized into His body (1 Corinthians 12:13).
H. When all members of the body work together, the body of Christ is powerful.
I. Lack of cooperation makes the body weak.

J. THE CHURCH IS A BUILDING. (This speaks of CONSTRUCTION).
(1 Peter 2:5-8)

A. The Church is built upon Christ (Matthew 16:18).
B. When built upon Christ we have a stable foundation.
C. This foundation cannot be destroyed by sin or Satan.
?God, in his kindness, has taught me how to be and expert builder. I have laid the foundation and Apollos has built on it. But he who build the foundation must be very careful. And no one can ever lay any other real foundation than the one we already have—Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:10-11).
D. Christ is the ROCK and all Christians are small stones making up the Church (1 Peter 2:5).
E. In Ephesians 2:20-21, Paul said the Church was built upon Christ, the Prophets and Apostles.
F. The church always needs to be improved.
G. As Christians improve themselves, the church will be STRONGER and more POWERFUL.
H. The church can be no stronger than its members.

CONCLUSION:

1. The Church is a BRIDE, this speaks of CLEANSING.
2. The Church is a BODY, this speaks of COOPERATION.
3. The Church is a BUILDING, this speaks of CONSTRUCTION.

A. You are the Church!
B. If you say, ?The church is not friendly? you are really saying, ?I am not friendly?.
C. Some church members say, ?The church is not spiritual?. What they are really saying is, ?I am not spiritual?.
D. The secret of any successful Church is, ?Every person in their place? (Judges 7:7, 21).
E. BE THE VERY BEST CHRISTIAN BY BEING FAITHFUL TO YOUR CHURCH.

MONDAY MORNING MESSAGE / FRED G. CHILTON

TEXT: Psalm 122:1 “I was glad for the suggestion of going to Jerusalem, to the Temple of the Lord.”

INTRODUCTION;

• The Church is not a building.
• The Church is not one organization, faith or denomination.
• The Church is made up with people of all churches.
• The Church is set in the world, by God Himself.
• The Church should be a place we are glad to attend, according to David in our text.

1. THE CHURCH IS A BRIDE. (This speaks of CLEANLINESS)

“And you husbands, show the same kind of love to you wives as Christ showed to the church when he died for her, to make her holy and clean, washed by baptism and God’s word; so that he could give her to himself a glorious Church without a single spot or with a single fault” (Ephesians 5:25-27).

A. The Church is made up of cleansed people.
B. The cleansing begins when we accept Christ.
“When someone becomes a Christian he becomes a brand new person inside. Hi is not the same any more. A new life has begun” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
C. This cleansing must be maintained.
“Try to stay out of all quarrels and seek to live a clean and holy life, for one who is not holy will not see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).
D. Cleansed people make a cleansed Church.
E. The Bible says we should cleanse ourselves.
“Having such a great promises as these, dear friends, lit us turn away from everything wrong, whether of body or spirit, and purify ourselves, living in the wholesome fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).
F. Daily we should resist sin.
G. If we resist Satan, he will flee (James 4:7).
H. God gives the needed power to overcome all temptation.
“But remember this — the wrong desires that come into your life aren’t anything new and different. Many others have faced exactly the same problems before you. And no temptation is irresistible. You can trust God to keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it, for he has promised this and will do what he says. HE WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO ESCAPE TEMPTATION’S POWER SO THAT YOU CAN BEAR UP PATIENTLY AGAINIST IT” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

I. Jesus said the pure in heart will see God (Matthew 5:8).

J. Live a pure and holy life then you Church will become a pure and holy Church.