November 6, 2011 | Psalm 1: The Lord is My Delight

Here is Sunday's message.  So far in our series on the Psalms, we have discovered the the Lord is my Shepherd, my King, my Lord, and now, my Delight.


Audio
Notes 





For more:
GBC - Everything is Awesome But Nobody is Happy: A Late Night Sermon on Psalm 1
Sermon - October 16, 2011 | Psalm 23 - The Lord is My Shepherd: Peace in the Shepherd's Arms
Sermon - October 23, 2011 | Psalm 99 - The Lord is My King
Sermon - October 30, 2011 | Psalm 8 - The Lord is My Lord
Sermon - January 17, 2010 - Matthew 5:1-12: If Your Joyful and You Know It . . .
Sermon - Matthew 5:1-4 - The Joy of Spiritual Humility - Audio
Sermon - Matthew 5:5 - Starving? Why Wait? - Audio
Sermon - Matthew 5:6-9 - The Joy of Holiness - Audio
Sermon - Matthew 5:10-12 - The Joy of Being Hated - Audio

Everything is Awesome But Nobody is Happy: A Late Night Sermon on Psalm 1

Sunday we'll be looking at the Wisdom psalm found in Psalm 1.  The Psalm begins with How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked . . .  The word blessed carries the idea of joy and happiness and as I continue to prepare for worship Sunday, the following video keeps coming to my mind.  I know nothing of the comedian in the video (I know a little about Conan O'Brien), but even the secular world hits the nail on the head.

Everything is awesome, but nobody is happy.  So true.  This out to be a reminder of our tail-chasing ways.  We keep looking for lasting joy and happiness but few of us ever find it.  But as Psalm 1;1-2 suggests, 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! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.





For more:
Sermon - October 16, 2011 | Psalm 23 - The Lord is My Shepherd: Peace in the Shepherd's Arms  
Sermon - October 23, 2011 | Psalm 99 - The Lord is My King
Sermon - October 30, 2011 | Psalm 8 - The Lord is My Lord 
Sermon - August 2, 2009 - Psalm 23:2: Peace of Rest
Sermon - August 9, 2009 - Psalm 23:3: The Peace of Restoration (notes only)
Sermon - August 16, 2009 - Psalm 23:4: "The Peace of Comfort"
Sermon - August 23, 2009 - Psalm 23:5: The Peace of the Shepherd's Sovereignty
Sermon - August 30, 2009 - Psalm 23:6: The Peace of the Shepherd's Providence 
GBC - Weekly Recommendation - "A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23"
GBC - Weekly Recommendation: "Traveling Light"
GBC - Weekly Recommendation - "Restore My Soul" 
GBC - In More Detail: Repost of the Beatitudes
GBC - Bonhoeffer: The Meaning of Poor In Spirit and the Joy of Being Spiritual Bankrupt  

In More Detail: Repost of the Beatitudes

This morning we studied the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12). Last year we spent 4 weeks looking at this wonderful text. To review, below are the sermons from our study:

Matthew 5:1-4 - The Joy of Spiritual Humility - Audio
Matthew 5:5 - Starving? Why Wait? - Audio
Matthew 5:6-9 - The Joy of Holiness - Audio
Matthew 5:10-12 - The Joy of Being Hated - Audio

This weeks message will be posted soon.

Bonhoeffer: The Meaning of Poor In Spirit and the Joy of Being Spiritual Bankrupt

Sunday morning we will be begin by looking at the subject of joy and we will be looking at the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12). The first of 9 "blesseds" regards those who are "poor in spirit" (Matthew 5:3). While studying what Jesus meant by this, I came across the following quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his book, The Cost of Discipleship:

They are poor . . . They have no security, no possession to call their own, not even a foot of earth to call their home, no earthly society to claim their absolute allegiance. Nay more, they have no spiritual power, experience or knowledge to afford them consolation or security. For his sake they have lost all. In following him they lost even their own selves, and everything that could make them rich. Now they are poor -- so inexperienced, so stupid, that they have no other hope but him who called them. -107

I love this quote. It is a good summary of what Jesus means by "blessed are the poor in spirit." Jesus says that those who are truly happy, those who have real joy, are those who are utterly spiritually bankrupt. It is Jesus, and Jesus alone, who can turn things on their head like this. Jesus calls us to recognize that only when we realize that we are already spiritual destitute can find true joy in the gospel of Christ. And it is the poor in the spirit who will "inherit the kingdom of heaven." It is only whenever we acknowledge that we have nothing and yet gain everything that we can be truly happy and live a life of joy.