the Word of God. So please do join one of those for your own benefit and for the encouragement of
others. And one last thing, if you can help with cleaning the church, getting it ready Sunday by
Sunday, if you could get in touch with Sarah, that'd be great. We're here to worship God.
We're here together. It's good to be able to join together. I'm going to read our call to worship
from the beginning of Psalm 118 and verse 1, which is,
give thanks to the Lord for he is good. His love endures forever. So we're gathered in God's
presence to remember he is the God of unfailing love and goodness to us. Now we're going to hear
and we're going to reflect in here anyway on Psalm 1, a recording of Psalm 1, which we'll be thinking
about later on. A chance for us to reflect. If you've been here already, you'll know it's different
when we can't sing together. I was thinking this morning of our brothers and sisters in the
persecuted church who maybe only ever get to raise their voice in a whisper. So perhaps we can,
in a sense, identify with them as for a time we can't sing in our building. But if you're at home,
you can join in singing Psalm 1 and after that we'll pray.
Psalm 1 and after that we'll pray.
Lord, we'll pray.
Lord, we bow in your presence.
Lord, we bow in your presence so thankful that you are a God who speaks, that you are not a God who is silent.
We thank you that you are not a God who has hidden yourself, but rather you are a God who has revealed yourself.
And today we thank you that you are a God who has hidden yourself.
And today we thank you that you are a God who has hidden us in your word, the Bible.
That you are a God who has hidden us in your word, the Bible, the Bible, the Bible, the Bible, the Bible, and the Bible.
We discover that you are Father, we discover that you are Father, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit.
We discover that you are a God who has hidden us in your word, the Bible, and the Bible.
We discover your unchanging character, your love and your goodness, your faithfulness and your justice, your holiness and your righteousness.
Lord, we thank you that in the Bible, we discover the way of salvation.
We thank you that it reveals to us from beginning to end the story of your great love and your determination to save sinners and to bring them back into relationship and fellowship with yourself.
And we thank you for those great acts of redemption that we find throughout the Bible.
That climax in the sending of your son Jesus and his going to the cross to die in our place for our sins.
Before being raised in victory and ascended to the glory of heaven.
And we thank you for the prospect of full and final salvation when he returns to make everything new and to bring his people to be with himself.
Thank you for that great story of salvation we find in the Bible.
We thank you for that in the Bible we discover your will for our lives.
That we're not left to wonder what is right and wrong.
We're not left to wonder what is righteous and what is wicked in your eyes.
Lord, we confess that sometimes we don't listen.
Sometimes we would rather choose our own path.
We would rather make our own verdict on what is right and wrong.
Lord, we confess our sin before you, our holy God.
But we do thank you that you do reveal what kind of life is the good life, is the righteous life, is ultimately the happy life.
A life that loves you and that loves others and that responds in faith and obedience to your word.
And so we thank you that we have the Bible that we can sing and that we can read.
Whether that's here in church or whether that's at home, whether that's on a Sunday or through the week.
Lord, we thank you for everywhere in Edinburgh, everywhere in Scotland, everywhere around the world today where your word is read and preached.
Where people believe it to be the word of God and the only direction for how we should live.
We pray that as people hear the good news of Jesus that new life would be born in people's hearts.
That you would keep building up and strengthening your own people for our day-to-day lives.
Lord, we pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who don't have access to the Bible.
Perhaps persecuted believers.
Perhaps those who are part of the underground church or those who are too poor to be able to afford even a portion of the Bible for themselves.
We pray that you would enable them to store up your word in their hearts.
That they would be able to meditate on your good words day and night.
And we pray that you would provide for them.
We also pray for the work of Bible translation.
Knowing how important it is for people to hear the word of God is the word of truth and life and salvation.
We ask that you would give wisdom and perseverance to those who are trying to translate the Bible into various languages around the world.
We thank you for friends that we have who are preaching the gospel today in different places.
We thank you for friends in India, in Indonesia, in Myanmar, in South Africa, in Colombia.
Lord, we have connections all around the world as a church and personally.
Now we pray wherever your word is read and preached that it would achieve your good purpose for it.
And Lord, we pray that that would be true in our own lives and in this gathering today.
That you would open our eyes, open our hearts to receive wonderful things from your word, we pray.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Now let's hear, we'll hear God's word together in Psalm 1.
You'll find it up on the screen if you don't have access to it in your own Bible or device.
Psalm 1.
Let's hear God's word.
Blessed is the word.
So we're thinking together again about Christian spirituality.
As we find it in the book of Psalms.
How do we grow in our relationship with God?
What language do we have to speak to God?
And here we're going to consider the search for true happiness and to see how that connects with how we relate to God.
And in particular, God's word.
The question, how can we grow in our relationship with God?
It must be a near universal one.
It's a question that influences the direction of our lives.
It influences the decisions that we make.
Stephen Pinker, a psychology professor in 2018, delivered a TED talk in which he posed the question,
since we live in a staggeringly wonderful world that's never had it so good,
why is it that we're not happier?
And so he began to look at some of the reasons.
And he noted we are enjoying more freedom than ever, but that freedom begins to bring with it a level of anxiety.
Perhaps you know the paralysis of choice.
He talked about the loss of traditional religions.
As people become disconnected from faith, they become disconnected from a source of greater meaning.
There is today a greater awareness of collective responsibility, whether that's through media or social media,
and that brings increased worry.
And then he spoke about the boredom factor.
Because our lives are made more efficient by technology, we have more free time than previous generations,
we're more vulnerable to distractions and to things that would in the end steal away our happiness.
So we've never had it so good.
But still we don't seem happy or as happy as we could be as a society.
So how can I be happy is an important question.
It's not a trivial question.
And it's good news that from the beginning of the book of Psalms, that question is addressed.
Psalm 1 verse 1 is saying to us, happiness is possible.
There is someone who is blessed, who has a life of joy and who has a life of satisfaction.
So that's what we're going to think about this morning.
This psalm is going to help us to consider two types of people.
The righteous and the wicked are in view.
And what we need to appreciate, this categorization of righteous and wicked,
is how people relate to God and His Word.
So when we think about righteous and wicked, we need to think in terms of relationship,
relationship with God.
And as we look at the story of the Bible, we can see that what's true from the beginning
is that happiness and relationship to God have been interconnected.
When Adam and Eve were first created, they enjoyed a world of perfect life and perfect love
and perfect joy and peace because all was well between them and their God.
But as soon as they began to mistrust God and His Word, and as soon as they disobeyed,
that's when shame and fear and guilt and hiding came.
That happiness was lost because trust in God, relationship, fellowship was lost in that moment.
God says to us in His Word, He is the one who created us.
He is the one who loves us.
He reveals Himself as the source of life and joy for everyone.
And He says, follow my way for true happiness.
And whether we find that ultimate happiness depends on,
am I going to listen to God or not?
So as we work our way through this short psalm,
we'll see that true happiness depends on our choices.
And those choices then have an impact on how we face the seasons of life.
What do we trust in those moments?
And it's important for us when we think about happiness
to remember the conclusion of our life as well.
So the psalm does all of this to help us to see that deep and lasting happiness
comes when knowing God and knowing God in His Word is what drives our life.
So three questions to consider briefly.
First, on the topic of choices, what do I delight in?
Verse 1 and 2.
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord
and who meditates on His law day and night.
This psalm gives us, in a sense, an image of two paths to follow
and a choice that must be taken.
It's a theme that we see often in literature.
Maybe you know Robert Frost's famous poem,
The Road Not Taken.
Or we can think of Jesus' own teaching where He warns people against following
the broad road that leads to destruction,
instead to follow the narrow road that leads to life.
Well, in our psalm here, there are two different people.
One person fails or refuses to believe that God is the ultimate source of happiness.
And the choice that then is made is that they go to seek happiness in other places.
And the impact of that choice then is that this person's values and identity
are not set and determined by God.
So it's there in the language of verse 1.
This person walks in the step of the wicked in the counsel, the way of thinking,
listens to the advice of the wicked rather than listening to God.
stands in the way of sinners.
A behavior, patterns of actions that are not determined by what God says are right,
but what the culture says.
This person sits in the company of mockers.
Here is their ultimate place of belonging,
not with God's people, but those who adopt a mocking or a cynical attitude towards God.
And that's not the path to happiness the psalm is laying out for us.
Because the message of the Bible is that when we allow anything other than God to drive our lives,
we will find ourselves off track in our pursuit of happiness.
Even if it's good things that we live for,
those good gifts that God gives to us of family or work or anything like that,
they will lead us off track from true happiness,
which is to be found and founded on God alone.
Perhaps we recognize this pull off track as Christians.
Why is it that at times we lie or we cheat or we explode with anger at someone,
even as we know that those actions are wrong?
Isn't it because in that moment,
we think that we will be more happy pursuing that path than choosing obedience to God?
It seems more uncomfortable to us,
so we choose a different path.
And perhaps we can all recognize what happens when enjoying someone or enjoying something
shifts to this person or this thing is my everything.
When we've taken God out of the picture,
we're always looking for a substitute to give our life a center.
And when we do that,
ultimately everything will lead to disappointment and frustration.
Our joy will be spoiled because we're placing too much hope
on something or someone that cannot and will not last and fully satisfy.
So that path, as Samus says, does not lead to true blessing.
So what does?
Well, it's there in verse 2.
Happiness comes when we delight in the law of the Lord,
knowing God, knowing God and His word.
There is true happiness, the psalmist is saying.
What does this kind of life look like?
Well, in the first instance, we have to recognize
it's going to look counter-cultural.
This is a different set of values and behaviors.
This is a very different identity
and sense of belonging than most of the people that live around us.
Because we are taking our cues from what God says in the Bible
rather than culture and society and peer group.
But the crucial choice that is made,
the road that is taken for this person
is that they are choosing to delight in God.
God as they find Him in His word, in His law.
This person is meditating,
chewing over, reflecting on God's word,
delighting in it and speaking out that delight.
This is a pattern of personal Bible reading and meditation
that isn't based on dull duty.
It's not based on a formality where my Bible reading app tells me
I need to read a few verses so I'm going to do it
so I can get on with my day.
This is delight.
Because this happy person knows that when we read God's words,
we get to know God.
He reveals Himself to us
and so there is joy in that,
in growing that relationship.
Maybe we ask the question,
but how can anyone delight in the law, the Lord?
We need to recognize that the psalm here is talking
not just about the bits that have the laws in them,
though that's included.
This isn't just delighting in the Ten Commandments.
This is delighting in the whole word of God
as it is revealed.
So for the psalmist, everything he had from the Old Testament for us
is delighting in the old and the new.
Because what do we find in there?
We find a God who is our creator and our sustainer.
We find a God who has taken the initiative to establish covenants
and He will be faithful to keep His promises to His people.
We find God as Redeemer and Savior for sinful people
at the cost of His own Son.
We find His will and His commands.
We find ethics that give us good and right limits
so that we can enjoy life as God intended.
So we find in the word of God the key to a truly happy life
because it brings us into friendship with God.
It's the way God relates to us.
So happiness comes when we learn to meditate on
and delight in the word of God.
And when we do that, we're following the path of Jesus.
Jesus is the one truly righteous man,
the one truly blessed man who was always driven by
a desire to know His Father, to love His Father,
to obey His Father always.
that led Him ultimately to the cross.
And that place of sacrifice is what makes our happiness possible.
Jesus giving up His life,
it is the opportunity for us to truly live
as we receive forgiveness and eternal life from Him.
So that choice of what we delight in
is going to be crucial to whether we find true happiness.
Moving on from there, let's think about seasons
and ask the question of ourselves,
where are my roots?
Because we have an image here at the center of this psalm,
verse 3,
that person, that blessed person,
that person who delights in the law of the Lord
is like a tree planted by streams of water
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither,
whatever they do prospers.
Not so the wicked,
they're like chaff that the wind blows away.
So the image here is of the evergreen tree.
Its roots are planted deep
beside the source of living water.
So that while the tree experiences seasons,
heat and frost and drought and storm,
though it's not always fruitful,
there are seasons of fruit bearing.
Its leaves are always green.
There is always life
because of being rooted
and having that story
that supplies.
It's a picture of a person
who has stability and vitality,
who has prosperity
because of that relationship
with God's law
that they are enjoying.
stands in stark contrast
to the other image,
the image of the chaff.
Chaff, which is the outer husk
around a grain
that when the winnowing happens,
that the chaff just blows away.
It is weightless
and it is lifeless.
So when the wind comes,
when the storm comes,
it has no roots,
it has no weight,
so it's gone.
We need to be asking ourselves
the question,
and not just once,
but I think regularly,
what is it that my life
is rooted in?
What is it that I look to?
Who is it I look to
to give me strength?
Where do I look to for hope?
When trouble comes,
where is my source
of refuge and security?
And again,
this psalm is driving us
to see that if we want
true and lasting happiness,
then we need unshakable hope.
We need someone
who is unchanging.
And I'm sure we recognize
in the many changes
that we've seen in our world
in the last few months
that we need to find our hope
from outside of ourselves.
Ultimately,
we need to make God
our source of hope.
He is the only way
that we can truly
stand.
These different seasons
will blow into our lives.
Perhaps,
just now you are
in a period
where life is going well,
but perhaps this is a time
of anxiety
as it is for many.
Perhaps it's a time
of real trouble
as it is for many.
Those seasons
can sap our strength,
leave us looking
to someone
or something
to cling on to.
What is that
for us?
And can we be confident
that that will hold us
and keep us?
See,
according to the Bible,
true happiness
always runs deeper
than circumstances.
The message
of Christianity
is that it's possible
to have joy
joy
even in the face
of trouble
and suffering
because true happiness
is about our identity
and where we find
our belonging
and do we find that
in knowing
and being known
by our God.
The blessed life
is ours
when God
plants us,
when God
puts our roots
deep in
Him
and His
Word,
when He gives
us life
by His Son
and from His Word.
As John Calvin
said,
that the blessed person
is someone
who is watered
by divine grace.
We need that
stream
of God's grace
to sustain
our life.
Not just relying
on what God
has done for us
in the past
but having faith
that God
will continue
to be
for us
today
and tomorrow
and for
eternity
so that even
if we are in a season
of suffering
and trouble
it only causes
our roots
to draw deeper
on God
as we find Him
in His Word.
The blessed person,
the happy person
lives in
the Word of God
and lives out
the Word of God.
It's a life
that's founded
on
Jesus.
the Word
who became
flesh
and dwelt
among us.
And then as we're
thinking about
happiness in Psalm 1
the psalmist
takes us
to a conclusion
and takes us
to the question
what is my
destiny?
We began
with an image
of paths
that we can follow.
It's important
to think
in terms of
destination.
So this psalm
is inviting
reflection.
In verse 5
and 6
therefore the wicked
will not stand
in the judgment
nor sinners
in the assembly
of the righteous
for the Lord
watches over
the way of the righteous
but the way
of the wicked
leads to
destruction.
And to reflect
on the choices
that we make
and the path
that we follow
how will those choices
help me face
the different seasons
that I face
in my life?
What is my life
built on?
And those questions
matter because
our lives are
heading towards
a final destination.
A true story
from the news
last year.
An 81 year old
Italian
Luigi Ramoni
was living in
Newcastle
and decided
to set off
on a journey
to Rome
and he wanted
to see
the Pope.
So he set off
in his car
and he programmed
his sat-nav
got as far as
Dusseldorf
in Germany
and then his sat-nav
started playing up
a little bit
so he pulled in
at a service station
he asked the petrol
station attendant
to help him out
to reprogram
his sat-nav
they were only
too happy
to oblige
he got back
into his car
and numerous
hours later
in the evening
he arrived
at his destination
according to the sat-nav
and to use
his own words
as he got out
of the car
he found himself
exclaiming
Mamma Mia
where am I?
It's the best
Italian accent
I can manage
the answer was
he wasn't in Rome
the centre
of all that's beautiful
he was in
an industrial village
of Ruhm
in Germany
the petrol station
people in Dusseldorf
had missed out on E
and he'd ended up
680 miles
off course
looking to find
happiness
he found
an industrial town
we're all looking
for happiness
we need to think
in terms of
destiny
and destination
and we need to be
asking ourselves
the question
is this path
I'm following
is it going
to give me
true and lasting
and ultimately
eternal happiness
verses 5 and 6
moves our thoughts
towards God's
final judgment
and it requires
the eyes of faith
for us to think
beyond the here
and now
because you
know and I
know many people
who are living
without God
and they are
prospering
and they are
comfortable
and they have
good careers
and loving
families
and they're
happy
but will that
happiness
last
and here
this psalm
is reminding
us that
without
Jesus
without trusting
in him
as saviour
if our lives
are not rooted
in God's
word
and God's
salvation
then we will
not stand
we will face
judgment
there will be
destruction
but for the
righteous
they will stand
among God's
people
there is
an eternal
hope
and an eternal
home
and we're told
in verse 6
God will watch
over his
people
to guide
them
safely
home
so our
destiny
depends
on
our
response
to Jesus
our
relationship
with
Jesus
our
happiness
depends
on
knowing
him
Jesus
said to
his troubled
disciples
in John
chapter 14
in my
father's
house are
many
rooms
speaking of
glory
as a
place
of
homecoming
and Jesus
said I'm
going to
prepare a
place
he was
going to
die
and rise
and return
to glory
to be the
saviour
that we all
need
and then he
said I'll
come back
and I'll
take you
to be
with me
so that you
may be
where I
am
and that
according to
the bible
is
happiness
to be
with
Jesus
what path
am I
on
what path
do I
want to
be on
so this
psalm is
telling us
happiness
and deep
happiness
and eternal
happiness
is possible
but it
depends on
that choice
that we
make
who calls
the shots
in our
lives
who do I
belong to
fundamentally
the choice
that we need
to make
is to
delight
in God
to delight
in his
word
in our
lives
to love
to obey
it
because
his
laws
reflect
his
unchanging
character
to love
its message
which is
all about
saving grace
through Jesus
to make
God's word
our source
of life
and strength
which is
the key
to happiness
let's
pray
together
now
father
your word
says
as the
rain
and the
snow
come down
from heaven
and do
not return
to it
without
watering
the earth
so is
my word
that goes
out from
my mouth
that will
not return
to me
empty
but will
accomplish
what I
desire
and achieve
the purpose
for which
I sent
it
Lord we
thank you
that you
send your
word to
us
you reveal
your word
to us
so that
we might
know you
so that
we might
know how
to live
in relationship
with you
as we
have been
created
for
that we
might know
your goodness
and grace
in dealing
with the
barrier of
sin that
separates us
from
yourself
that you
have sent
Jesus
to be that
word that
speaks life
that speaks
healing
that speaks
salvation
to us
not just
in his
words but
in his
actions and
especially in
his going
to the
cross in
our place
for our
sins
Lord we
pray that
you'd help
each one of
us to
reflect on
the choices
that we
are making
the direction
that we have
chosen for
our lives
help us if
we're
Christians to
have a
living
relationship
with you
through your
word that
we'd be
those who
would be
reading and
meditating on
it that it
would be
directing our
life and our
thoughts that it
would shape our
character and
that it would
give us hope
when we find
ourselves in
those seasons of
life that are
stormy and
hard Lord we
pray for anyone
in our church
family or in
our own families
who we can think
of who are
facing real
trouble to
us now we
pray that it
would be a
time of them
leaning on
you of putting
their roots down
in your word
and to find
strength there
Lord we pray
for our
communities we
pray for our
city we pray
for a recovery
of people
reading the
Bible of
discovering who
you really are
of not being
content with
caricatures or
disregarding the
God that they
don't really know
anything about
Lord we pray
that you'd
help us as a
nation we pray
for the nations
of the world
to return to
our God our
creator our
savior as we
find you in
the Bible
pray it in
Jesus name
amen
now we are
going to
have another
hymn before we
close this one
the modern
hymn he will
hold me fast
as we think
about the
seasons of
life that we
go through the
troubles that
come the
comfort from
God's word that
Jesus says he'll
never leave us or
abandon us we
find those thoughts
here to reflect on
when I fear my faith
will fail Christ will
hold me fast when the
tempter what prevails he
will hold me fast I
could never keep my
hold through life's
fearful path for my
love is often cold he
must hold me fast he
will hold me fast he
will hold me fast for my
savior loves me so he
will hold me fast
those he saves are his
delight Christ will hold me
fast precious in his holy
side he will hold me fast he
will not let my soul be lost his
promises shall last bought by him at such a cost he will hold me fast he will hold me fast he will hold me fast
he will hold me fast for my savior loves me so he will hold me so
For my life he bled at night
Christ will hold me fast
Justice has been satisfied
He will hold me fast
Raised with him to endless life
He will hold me fast
Till our faith is turned to sight
When he comes at last
He will hold me fast
For my Savior loves me so
He will hold me fast
For my Savior loves me so
He will hold me fast
We'll close in prayer
With words from Ephesians chapter 3
Let's use these words to close our service
I pray that out of his glorious riches
God the Father may strengthen you with power
Through his Spirit in your inner being
So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith
And I pray that you being rooted and established in love
May have power
Together with all the Lord's holy people
To grasp how wide and long
And high and deep is the love of Christ
And to know this love that surpasses knowledge
That you may be filled
To the measure of all the fullness of God
Amen
astic
Amen