Happiness comes from knowing God in his word

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.

Psalm 1 and after that we'll pray.

Psalm 1 and after that we'll pray.

Psalm 1 and after that we'll pray.

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.

Psalms 1:1

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

John 14 · chapter mention

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

He will hold me fast

For my Savior loves me so

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 fast

We'll close in prayer

With words from Ephesians chapter 3

Ephesians 3 · chapter mention

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

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

astic

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen