And a Blessed New Year!

Scripture Reading: Acts 2:42-47

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 2:42-47

We read Acts 2:42-47 to remind us the foundation for church health. When we devote ourselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer, we will inevitably grow—spiritually and numerically. Last year, I challenged us, as a congregation, to focus on fellowship. We were to take look around and seek new connections with those in our church. We were to reconcile with whom we needed to reconcile. Jesus said His people would be known by their love for one another, and so, how did you do?

Have you reconciled with those who wronged you…or those whom you wronged?

Have you make new friends with those who sit down the aisle from you?

I hope so, but if not, don’t worry, you still have time. If you are still breathing, then you still have time to seek unity and fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

For this year, I have a new challenge, though it is very connected to the first.

How have you devoted yourself to the apostles’ teaching?

What does your Bible study routine look like? Do you have one?

Are you teachable, or have you figured it all out?

This year’s focus verse is from Psalm 1. In this passage, I believe we will discover the (not so) secret to developing a life devoted to the apostles’ teaching.

Psalm 1:1-6

Blessed is the man
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

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

He is like a tree
    planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.

The wicked are not so,
    but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalms is not typically thought to be a book of wisdom. It is a worship book. It’s literally a collection of psalms to be used in worship and poems to be read that convey transcendent truth. And yet, there is quite a bit of wisdom in this book.

As we work our way through this psalm, I would invite you to read it as you would from one of the Wisdom books. Allow its poetry to shape your mind and heart to the Truth found not on the surface, but for those who have “ears to hear and eyes to see.”

It begins with a blessing.

“Blessed” is the Hebrew word ashar. It is an old world that literally means “straight”. It has to do with being level, right, and happy. I want to take this little etymological detour because it points us to what it means to be truly blessed.

A blessed life is not one that is filled with materialism, nor is it found in a life of ease. Yes, the word includes a layer of happiness, but this happiness is not found in the stuff of life. Life itself is happy. It is a joyful life.

The blessed life is even-keeled. Storms may come. The blessed life is not one without problems, but those problems do not overwhelm the blessed life because this life is level and right.

How can we have such a life?

It begins by not walking in the counsel of the wicked. Verse 1 is a call to repentance.

A blessed life begins by turning away from sin and what prohibits blessings.

If we continue to maintain things in our life that are driving us away from God and away from living the blessed life, we can’t be surprised when the blessed life eludes us. Look again at the list in verse 1—“counsel of the wicked,” “way of sinners,” and “seat of scoffers.” The three objects are fairly synonymous, but notice the nouns used.

We are not to get our counsel and advice from wicked people. Every once in a while, some lost person will land on some good advice. But more often than not, it’s horrible advice. Do not allow yourself to be influenced by those who do not have godly intentions.

Second, we are not to walk the same way of sinners. The wages of sin is death. The way of sinners will only lead to death. If we hope to have life, and a blessed life at that, then we must find a different way.

Third, we are not to sit with scoffers. This one is a bit more difficult because we are surrounded by scoffers in our age. While we may not be able to live as the Amish do detached from the modern world (though even the Amish have difficulty with that these days), we can pay careful attention to whom we spend time with.

Again, a blessed life turns away from the things that prohibit blessings. That means, as the people of God, we do not harken to what the wicked have to say, nor find ourselves following their path, nor sit and fellowship among them.

Basil the Great was a fourth century monk who literally wrote the rulebook for monastic life and had this to say about living the blessed life.

What is truly good is principally and primarily the most blessed. And that is God. . . . For truly blessed is Goodness itself toward which all things look, which all things desire, an unchangeable nature, lordly dignity, calm existence; a happy way of life, in which there is no alteration, which no change touches; a flowing fount, abundant grace, inexhaustible treasure. But stupid and worldly people, ignorant of the nature of good itself, frequently bless things worth nothing, riches, health, renown; not one of which is in its nature good, not only because they easily change to the opposite but also because they are unable to make their possessors good. What person is just because of his possessions? What person is self-controlled because of his health? On the contrary, in fact, each of these possessions frequently becomes the servant of sin for those who use them badly. Blessed is the one, then, who possesses that which is esteemed of the greatest value, who shares in the goods that cannot be taken away. How shall we recognize that person? “He who has not walked in the council of the ungodly.”

Basil the Great, Homilies on Psalms, 10.3

In contrast, the psalmist declares the blessed person is one who meditates on the law of the Lord. We tend to blame our modern world on our inability to truly meditate on the law of the Lord. There are sports to play, jobs to do, and chores that demand our time. The kids need attention. Dinner must be made. And when is that broken thing in the house ever going to get fixed?

These are not new problems. Humanity has devised reasons to avoid meditating on the law of the Lord ever since the Fall.

That is why this psalm begins with a challenge of repentance. If our current life does not feel blessed, then we must quit living as we currently do. For decades, I have told my students, “If you want different, then you have to do different.”

A blessed life focuses its attention on God’s design for living.

I mentioned that Basil was a monk, and typically when the topic of Bible study comes up, I will hear someone ask if we are all supposed to be monks. Is that what God wants? We all should head out to the desert to read and pray all day.

No, we aren’t all supposed to be monks…though some days that does sound appealing. But we can prioritize Bible study and prayer. Today, I’d like to give you a tip on study and prayer.

Slow down.

It sounds counter-intuitive, I know, but slow and steady may do you more good than trying to read quickly or say a quick prayer in the morning. And, if you happen to be the sort that likes to read lots of books or watch lots of videos as your form of study, slow down. Look again at verse 2.

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

Psalm 1:2

The word is “meditate”—not study, not dissect, nor analyze, debate, or interpret. It is meditate.

Meditation requires time, patience, and purposeful slowness. It is no coincidence that I have taken 3 pages of writing to go over two verses. Studying the Bible’s poetry and wisdom requires us to marinate and meditate on it for extended periods. Like a good stew or gumbo, we have to let the flavors of Scripture mingle around for awhile in our minds and hearts. It is no coincidence that it has taken three pages of writing to cover two verses.

Transformation takes time. Nothing is instant in God’s Kingdom including our salvation and sanctification. We don’t start a blessed life; we grow into a blessed life.

A blessed life requires purposeful time spent in God’s presence.

And here, we find the true problem for most of us. We allow our lives to be filled with a number of things that do not bring blessing. They may not even be necessarily sinful things, but at some point we must realize they are not doing us any good.

In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul addresses the problem we face with Christian freedom. Yes, we are free as Christians to conduct our lives in a number of ways. We are not bound to the law as in the old covenant, but we must ask ourselves what we are willing to be bound to. After all, everyone will eventually bind themselves to something—best to bind ourselves to Christ. He writes,

All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.

1 Corinthians 10:23

Yes, it is true you are free to choose your path in life, so long as you don’t choose sin. But you are not free to choose the consequences. As we look forward to the new year, this would be a great time to evaluate how well your path is working.

Perhaps you are burdened and oppressed by some sin. It is time to give that to God and turn away from such things.

Perhaps, though, you are simply burdened by the “cares and desires of this world” as Jesus describes in the parable of the sower. Sometimes the Word will take root in our hearts, but the things of this world choke our ability to bear fruit. It is time to de-weed the garden and remove such things—not because they are sinful, but because they are doing you no good.

It is a tall order, I know from experience. But, if you are willing to do the hard work and prioritize the best things, look what is promised in verse 3.

You will be like a tree planted by streams of water yielding fruit in season.

Meditate on this truth for at least moment.

A tree by the water is not flashy. There’s nothing too miraculous. It is planted where it receives nourishment and grows. It yields fruit because it has what it needs and nothing gets in the way of its growth. It rests by a stream of water. The Hebrews called such water “living water” because it moved with life and nourished the body. (We are less likely to get sick from drinking moving water than stagnant water.) This tree is blessed because everything is working as it should, and it is able to bear fruit.

Jesus offered us living water, also.

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

John 7:37-39

When Jesus says “as the Scripture has said,” He doesn’t refer to one single verse, but rather a motif found throughout the Old Testament including Psalm 1.

When we surrender to Jesus, turning from our sin and trusting in His atoning work, we become the tree planted by living water. He gives us His Holy Spirit who nourishes our soul and helps us yield fruit in due season.

A blessed life does not happen without surrendering to Jesus.

Pay no worry to the wicked in this world. Their time will end shortly just like chaff in the wind. Everyone who has ever been involved with a harvest knows about chaff and dust that blows everywhere. It makes it hard to breathe sometimes, and enough dust can hurt your health. And yet, it isn’t around that long. It’ll stir up and make a commotion, but soon enough it blows away never to be thought of again.

The wicked are the same way. They may stir up a commotion. They may even do some harm to our health. But in light of eternity, their time is short.

Dear Christian, this year, spend your time in what will last. Put your effort in living blessed and bearing fruit. It is time to stop wasting time with those that will blow away soon enough.

As you begin this year, devote yourself to the apostles’ teaching by studying your Bible diligently and slowly. Allow the truth of Scripture to marinate in your mind and heart praying the Lord’s Spirit guides your study and gives you understanding.

How you choose to study isn’t as important as that you study. This site offers several reading plans. Pick the one that suits you. But whatever you choose, I would encourage you to read slowly. Meditate on each verse and allow the Lord to speak to you during this time. It is not enough to know what Scripture says if you do not allow it to enter and mold your heart.