​Summer in the Psalms
Psalm 23
“Living Fearless”

Living Fearless – how is that possible?  We live in a world where people live with and in fear.  It can cripple your life, steal your joy and squeeze the veritable life out of you.

What is Fear:  an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.

Do you live in fear?  Or are you fearless?  The definition of “fearless?”  You might have already guessed it – “lacking fear.”

If you struggle with fear and living fearless is an attractive concept to you – there is an antidote to fear – you can live fearless.

Psalm 23 (Amplified Bible)
The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me], I shall not want.
He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still and quiet waters.
He refreshes and restores my soul (life); He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.  Even though I walk through the [sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  You have anointed and refreshed my head with oil; My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I shall dwell forever [throughout all my days] in the house and in the presence of the Lord.

Is the Lord your shepherd?  David’s perspective of this description of God is especially important because of his background as a shepherd.  Sheep are completely dependent on their shepherd for food, direction and protection.  Sheep are helpless.  A sheep without a shepherd?? – disaster waiting to happen.  We humans without a shepherd – no exception.  Jesus observation in Matthew 9:36 – “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”  Many people think they can “shepherd” themselves or follow the Great Shepherd only when they feel like it.  There’s only one problem with that – it doesn’t work. 

When you follow Christ – who is God – you will have “everything you need.” 
​Fear of not having what you need to live?  Fear of not knowing where to go?  Fear of not being safe or protected?  Make the Lord, truly, your Shepherd.  Antidote #1!  You will be well on your way toward understanding the ramifications of the first line of an incredible hymn – “Blessed Assurance” – “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine.”

Do you fear not having what you need?  Are you content?  If not, maybe you’re not truly trusting in and/or following Christ.  When we decide to be in charge, go where we want to go and/or do what we want to do, we find ourselves weak and whiney.  When we don’t get what we want, we think God is cruel.  We constantly want more… need more… gotta have more!  Why is that?  We’re not following the Lord, our shepherd.  Very simply, God knows what we need, where we need to go and what we need to be protected from.  And He comes through every time.  But we must follow Him completely – not just on our own terms.  Legacy Church’s Mission Statement?  “To Develop Fully-Devoted Followers of Jesus Christ.” Why is that our Mission Statement?  Because it works for every human being – bar none!  He meets our needs – we are calm, we are content when we follow Him.  We find out that He is indeed our “all in all.” “He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still and quiet waters.
He refreshes and restores my soul (life); He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

What’s not to like about following Someone who does that?  Believe today that He can provide for you – totally!

Are you afraid of death? Are you afraid for your life because of what’s going on in our world? “Even though I walk through the [sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me.”
If we are following Christ – we will follow Him directly into eternity.   We need not fear.  Jesus said it and it is so – He proved He had power over death.  Let me illustrate.

Jesus’ good friend Lazarus had been sick – now he’s dead.  Jesus hadn’t been there to heal him. Mary and Martha, Lazarus’ sisters were obviously grief-stricken.  Let’s pick up the story.
John 11:17-26 - 17 When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. 18 Bethany was only a few miles[d] down the road from Jerusalem, 19 and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. 20 When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”  23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”  24 “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”  25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[e] Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

You need not fear death – why?  You’re not really going to die!  You’re just moving to a new place.  Not only do we need not fear death if we follow Christ, we have His protection as we go anywhere!  What’s the worst thing that could happen?  We die?

Death is not the final chapter!  Our life here on earth is just the introduction to eternity!
Psalm 118:5-9 - In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free.  6 The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear.  What can mere people do to me?  7 Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me.  I will look in triumph at those who hate me.  8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people.  9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.

A great perspective:  “You may be able to have courage without Jesus- but it is ridiculous to be with Jesus and not have courage.”  - Brady Boyd, Senior Pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs.

Even if you walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death – do not fear!
Are you afraid of your enemies and the enemy of your soul?  “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  You have anointed and refreshed my head with oil; My cup overflows.” In David’s time – a feast was a time of celebration.  To anoint one’s head with fragrant oil was a custom of honoring the invited guests.   While attending the feast, the host also offered supreme protection for their guests, afforded at any cost.   We are invited to the Lord’s feast – He’s the host and He is the One who prepares a continual feast for you – your earthly enemies and even more importantly, the enemy of your soul can watch, but they cannot trouble you – for you are the Lord’s guest at His feast.

Do you fear that God will somehow abandon you – or “short-change” you?  Do you fear that somehow, this plan of following the Great Shepherd while sounding wonderful, is just too “pie in the sky” or “too good to be true?”
“Surely goodness and mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I shall dwell forever [throughout all my days] in the house and in the presence of the Lord.”

Let’s focus on two words in this final verse:  “surely” and “shall”!
Surely – “without doubt”
Shall – “will have, inevitable”
 
In order to live without fear – we must understand that God is a surety. Who He is, His very nature, the things he has promised, “surely” are true – and as followers of Christ – our life will happen just the way He says it will.  And furthermore, we “shall” without a doubt, inevitably dwell forever with God in Heaven.

​Make Psalm 23 a creed to follow – trust in God, follow the Great Shepherd.
A hymn by Charles Naylor that I grew up singing as a child, sums up this message in a most wonderful way.
 
1.    I walk today in the Christian way,
Though dangers I may see;
I will not fear for the Lord is near,
And He will care for me.
Chorus
No matter what happens, He will care for me,
He will care for me, He will care for me;
And His mighty hand will enable me to stand,
No matter what happens to me.
2.    No test I face but sufficient grace
Is ready for my need;
When sorrows rise to obscure my skies,
He proves a friend indeed.
3.    He will not fail in the strongest gale
That stormy winds can blow;
And in His grace is a hiding place
Unknown to any foe.
4.    I trust in Him though disasters grim
Before me seem to be;
He calms my fears, and He dries my tears,
And faithful is to me.

Summer in the Psalms:  Psalm 15
“Supernatural Power”


Today is Father’s Day – A Father’s Day has been celebrated somewhere around the world since the Middle Ages and found it’s way to America and from the early 1900’s many attempts were made to make it a National Holiday.  In 1966 Lyndon B Johnson made a Presidential Proclamation honoring Fathers and establishing the date to do so as the third Sunday of June.  President Nixon signed the proclamation into law six years later – 1972.


​
The Psalm we will contemplate today could easily be termed: “A Father’s Standard!”
Psalm 15 - Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?  Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?  2 Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. 3 Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.  4 Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts.  5 Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent.  Such people will stand firm forever.

What qualifications for worshipping and being in the presence of God!  How are these things even possible?
As a father, I stand before you today, having fallen short in more ways than I would care to admit.  This standard set forth by David in Psalm 15 seems impossible and I want to illustrate the incredible power of God to empower one to meet this standard.  The first step is to acknowledge our sinfulness and absolute inability to atone for it. 

From the beginning of time, mankind has proven imperfection as the inevitable standard of life.

Adam & Eve had literally a perfect life.  One mistake, one misjudgment, one slip and perfection was gone forever – not just for them, but all of mankind.

Abraham, the man whom God picked to be the Father of the nation of Israel tried to “help” God fulfill His promise by having a child by another woman, also struggled with “half-truths (lies).” When concerned about his own safety he lied about his drop-dead gorgeous wife and said she was his sister.

Isaac, like his father, afraid for his life because off his drop-dead gorgeous wife, also lied and said she was his sister.

Moses, both a coward and a murderer was chosen by God to be the instrument of deliverance for the enslaved Israelites, also struggled with his temper.

Samson, the strongest man that ever lived, was exceptionally stubborn and arrogant, not to mention full of lust and sinfulness.   

Jacob, was a pathological deceiver and con artist.  His victims?  His brother and his father-in-law!

Solomon, the wisest and wealthiest man that ever lived, even though he was clearly warned by God who not to marry, was simply addicted to pleasure and amassed over 1000 potential partners for intimacy.

The Prophets, were mouthpieces for God, but struggled with self-pity, impurity, stubbornness and unfaithful spouses.

Peter, willful and stubborn, denied he even knew Christ after hanging out with Jesus for 3 years!

David, a man after God’s own heart, committed both adultery and murder during His Kingship. 

And after those incredible missteps, he has the gall to write the words found in our Psalm for today?  How is this possible?
Human beings are simply going to fall short of God’s standard and they will break His laws and they will sin.

Moses, while on the mountain in the presence of God was given two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant between God and man written by the very finger of God Himself.  Even during this incredible exchange between God and Moses, the people of Israel became impatient and created idols and began to worship them.  God told him about this travesty and told him to return quickly.  When he arrived back among the people from his time in the presence of God, he found the people of Israel, completely sidetracked by their impatience and worshiping idols. 

Moses response?  He threw the tablets of stone smashing them into powder.  God’s laws had already been broken even before the received them!  What a powerful illustration of man’s sinful nature.

Moses returns to the mountain carrying some new tablets.  God once again wrote the terms of the covenant on these stone tablets – the ten commandments.  When Moses returned, his face was radiant because He had been in God’s presence.  The new stones where place in an ark of wood, made to God’s own specifications.   Moses was given specific instructions for building the ark and for building the tabernacle in which it was to be kept.

John 1:14 tells us that the Word became flesh and dwelt, lived – literally tabernacle among us…  Every specification given in the Old Testament from the sacrifices necessary to atone for man’s sin to the construction of the temple where the Ark of the Covenant was housed, pointed us to Jesus Christ who was to become the ultimate (one and done) sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.

Psalm 15 - Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?  Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?  2 Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. 3 Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.  4 Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts.  5 Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent.  Such people will stand firm forever.

Those who lead blameless lives?  Didn’t we just read a “who’s who” list of Biblical figures who couldn’t get the blameless thing right?  Doesn’t “blamelessness” go out the window with one mistake?  How can we even enter the presence of God?

There is only one way.  When we worship the Lord, we come through the Lord Jesus Christ!  It is the power of God applied to our lives that allows us to accomplish the list given by former adulterer and murder, King David.  It is the new creation we have become that allows us to stand firm forever in continuous worship of God.  We will fail.  We will make mistakes.  But that does not disqualify us from our Sonship nor from our worthiness to worship God and stand in His holy place.

Adam & Eve the sinners with a poor sense of judgement?  Well, they became parents and one of their sons killed the other.  Imagine their grief – the land of regrets??? If only we wouldn’t have eaten the apple!  But they had another son, Seth and when he grew up he had a son named Enosh and upon that birth, man began to worship the Lord by name.

Abraham, the man who tried to help God fulfill His promise to him by circumventing God’s process, did indeed become the father of the nation of Israel and was a faithful, godly and humble man.

Isaac, the man who, like his father, lied about his wife being his sister, was submissive to God, spent time in quiet meditation, trusted in God, demonstrated great devotion to God as well as became a faithful worshipper of God.

Moses, the coward and murderer, spent time with God, received the ten commandments and led His people through incredible hardships.

Samson, the strong man who consistently exercised poor judgement with his female relationships was used by God to fulfill His purposes.

Jacob, the liar and con-artist, sought God and wrestled God.  When he finally began to trust God fully, God changed his name to Israel – God’s covenant name for His people.  The name Jacob represents independence from God and the name Israel represents dependence on God.

Solomon, wealthy, wise, but lustful Solomon left us with wisdom given to him by God, written down forever for our good in a collection we know as The Proverbs.

The Prophets, temperamental and often exhibiting a “woe is me” attitude, spoke truths about God, for God and about the life and times of one “Son of God” Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Peter, the denier, became one of the greatest leaders in the early church, preaching effective gospel messages after which many chose to become Christ followers – gave His life for the sake of the message of Jesus Christ.

David, murderer, adulterer and moper – left us the incredible book of Psalms, complete with our text for today.  Forgiven by God and used by God.

You my friends can worship in the Holy Place and stand in the presence of God because you have been made new.  As we’ve seen in the lives of Biblical figures, mistakes and sins do not disqualify you.  Instead it qualifies you to be the recipient of God’s Grace through the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Today, let us stand on the promise of God that He will make all things new.

Revelation 21:1-7 (NLT) – “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them] 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”  5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” 6 And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.”

​So, Child of God – come and worship Christ the Lord!
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Summer in the Psalms:  Psalm 8
“God Knows Me?”
 
Psalm 8 (NIV): Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!  You have set your glory in the heavens.  2 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?  5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.  6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet:  7 all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, 8 the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.  9 Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
 
God, the Creator of the Universe, Knows Me!!! 
 
Who is the center of your universe?  Is it God?  Or is it yourself?  Let’s contemplate that for a minute.
 
Revelation 3:19-21 - 19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.  21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.

Open the door – what door???  where is the door???

It’s the door of the heart!  What?

How Big Is God – Stuart Hamblen
Though man may strive to go beyond the reach of space
To crawl beyond the distant shim'ring stars
This world's a room so small within my Master's house
The open sky's but a portion of His yard
 
How big is God? How big and wide His vast domain
To try and tell, these lips can only start
He's big enough to rule His mighty universe
Yet small enough to live within my heart
 
God is big enough to rule the mighty universe but small enough to live within my heart!
What do we mean when we say; “the heart?”  The heart is really combination of everything we are.  The dictionary has many references to what the “heart” is!

Getting past the definition as it relates to the organ that pumps blood, we find the heart as “the center of the total personality, especially with reference to intuition, feeling or emotion.

The heart is the center of emotion and all these other things combined, the head is the center of the intellect.  The heart has the capacity feeling the gamut of emotions from sympathy to affection.  The heart is the origin of spirit and courage and from it comes enthusiasm.  The heart is the core – the center of a person’s very being.

To further understand the impact of God in our heart, let’s look at some popular idioms about the heart.

• After one’s own heart – in keeping with one’s personal taste or preference
• Taking something to heart – making it reality
• Breaking someone’s heart – to cause great disappointment or sorrow
• Crossing one’s heart – to make a promise and affirm one’s integrity
• To do someone’s heart good – to give happiness or pleasure
• To eat one’s heart out – to have jealousy or longing
• From the bottom of one’s heart – with complete sincerity
• To have a heart – to be compassionate or be merciful
• To have one’s heart in the right place – to be kind or generous – having the right intentions
• To do something with heart and soul – enthusiastically, fervently
• In one’s heart of hearts – deep within one’s being
• To take heart – to gain one’s courage
• To set our heart at rest – to dismiss our anxieties
• To pour out one’s heart – to reveal one’s thoughts or private feelings.

 
And we could go on and on!  How important is the “heart” of everything?
 
In our Psalm today, we see that God fills his creation – the entire universe – and is able to fill the hearts of all who live in the universe – that is every definition, every idiom and reference to our heart!
 
And at the “heart” of this Psalm is the fact that God made humans and put them as the heart of His creation!
 
Look at this excerpt! 
 
Psalm 8:3-6 - 3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?  5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.  6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: 
 
I mean seriously?  This is God we’re talking about!  Not some philosopher or guru or famous actor or sports figure – this is God and He made us only a little lower?

A.W. Tozer - The widest thing in the universe is not space; it is the potential capacity of the human heart. Being made in the image of God, it is capable of almost unlimited extension in all directions. And one of the world’s greatest tragedies is that we allow our hearts to shrink until there is room in them for little besides ourselves.

What do you think happens when God comes into the human heart where before only sin was there?  Does God become smaller or does our heart expand? 

Has your heart shrunk to encompass only what the world sees (and has convinced you to see) as your full potential?  Are your thoughts for yourself or are you willing to expand to become all that God wants to do through you?

The brilliant scientist Sir Isaac Newton said that he could take his telescope and look millions and millions of miles into space. Then he added, “But when I lay it aside, go into my room, shut the door, and get down on my knees in earnest prayer, I see more of Heaven and feel closer to the Lord than if I were assisted by all the telescopes on earth.”

This past week, I asked one our youth, Sarah Navarro – this question… “When God views people how big would you says he views us as being?”  Sarah’s answer, “pretty big – we’re his creation after all – and He would view us as bigger than any other of His creation…  in fact, definitely big – we are after all, His prized possession.”

Wow!  What great perspective from a very insightful 16-year old young lady. 

Do you view yourself as His prized possession?
James 1:17-18 – “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow] 18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.”

The enemy of our souls wants to destroy your identity…. to try to diminish your existence….  Do not let Him lie to you – don’t even entertain what’s just simply not true!

Let’s give you some ammunition to combat the world’s attempt to “steal” your heart!
1.      When it comes to God – don’t put Him in a box – don’t deny His “bigness!”
2.      It’s us that puts limitations on God and what He can do in us – God can be only as big as your intellect can understand Him to be.
3.     Our intellect processes the content of our heart or our emotions – then we decide how to think and what to do.  It is important that we give both our heart and our mind to God!

Let me unpack this just a bit more using some definitions:
a.      Each human being possesses Mental Intelligence or IQ (Intelligence Quotient).  It’s the ability to think and reason, in terms of logic and language.
b.     Each person also possesses Emotional Intelligence (EQ).  This is your ability to recognize emotions of both yourself and others.
c.      We also posses a Spiritual Intelligence (SQ).  This is the ability to connect to a being that is higher than we are.  Believers in the Trinity know this as God the Father, God the Son & God the Holy Spirit – the Godhead!

The world wants to define for us what is best for us, i.e. what constitutes success, why we need recognition and validation and how we should act, think and believe to best become “all that we can be.”

There is one simply problem with allowing the world to determine what all that is for us.  The world is ruled by a leader who was and will eventually be a total loser!

Rev. 12:7-12  - 7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they [a]did not prevail, nor was a place found for [b]them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.  10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

Evaluation:  The enemy – the devil – wants you to use your IQ and your EQ to affect your SQ!  When we follow the world’s definition about what’s important, we follow a loser – one who did not and cannot win.
So, what’s going on with your heart?  Let’s remember the words of A.W. Tozer again!

A.W. Tozer - The widest thing in the universe is not space; it is the potential capacity of the human heart. Being made in the image of God, it is capable of almost unlimited extension in all directions. And one of the world’s greatest tragedies is that we allow our hearts to shrink until there is room in them for little besides ourselves.

The world wants you to believe it’s all about you and your health and your wealth.  And our Mind and Heart becomes filled with anything that will diminish the power of God in you.

Does God see you differently than you see you?  Ask yourself these questions:
1.      Is my heart expanding as I grow in your knowledge of God and my personal relationship with Him?
2.     Am I allowing the world’s definition of what success is to possess me to where I can’t see myself as God’s creation and be content with that?
3.     Can I see myself as the heart of God’s creation and then can I submit my will to God so I can be used mightily by Him?
4.     Do I realize that if I live only for the world and its definitions of success that the one I’m following has already been defeated?

Let’s go back to the statement from Sarah Navarro’s answer to the question “When God views people how big would you say he views us as being?” “We are actually pretty big – we’re his creation after all – and He would view us as bigger than any other of His creation…  in fact, big – we are after all, His prized possession.”

Are you acting like you’re God’s prized possession or are looking elsewhere to be something else?
God wants to do something incredible through you!  He wants to do His handiwork through you!
 Ephesians 2:10 - “we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

​Go forth, Child of God, His creation made only a little lower than the angels – crowned with His incredible honor and glory!  Go forth, Child of God, you are His!
​

Summer in the Psalms:  Psalm 1 
“Origin of Joy”
 

This sermon marks the first in a stream of messages with their origins in the Psalms.  The incredible word pictures painted by the writers of the Psalms will serve as a backdrop for 6 of the sermons I’ll be preaching this summer.

Today the universally popular Social Media Phenomena Facebook has taken our world by storm.  How popular is it?  Gordon Donnelly, an SEO (Search Engine Optimization specialist) and Content Marketer provides us with some actual statistics about Facebook.

• As of 1 year ago, Facebook hit the 2-billion user mark in the World.  That’s 22% of the World’s population using Facebook.
• In the United States alone, 79% of all Americans use Facebook, 53% of them using it several times a day – average being 8 times a day.
• 8.5 million people were marked as safe through Safety Check after the April 2015 earthquake in Nepal.  770,000 people used Facebook to donate over $17 million in one week following the April 2015 earthquake in Nepal. Facebook itself donated $2 million.

Facebook!  What an influence!  Friends – are they really your friends?  Or are they simply people of influence in your lives?  One of the most interesting statistics that Mr. Donnelly shares is:  The average Facebook user has 155 friends but would only trust 4 of them in a crisis.

Psalm 1 (NLT):  Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.  But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.  They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season.  Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.  But not the wicked!  They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.  They will be condemned at the time of judgment.  Sinners will have no place among the godly.  For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

Psalm 1 has much to say about a human being’s “Origin of Joy!” 
Obviously, in the very first verse, we have the formula!  I love what Eugene Peterson does to modernize the language!

Psalm 1 (The Message)
How well God must like you--
-      you don’t hang out at Sin Saloon
-      you don’t slink along Dead-End Road,
-      you don’t go to Smart-Mouth College.
Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night.
You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month,
Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.
You’re not at all like the wicked, who are mere windblown dust--
Without defense in court, unfit company for innocent people.
God charts the road you take.  The road they take is Skid Row.

Psalm 1 gives solid instruction regarding how we should live and think.  And long before Facebook and other Social Media influencers, the words in Psalm 1 gives important contrasts affecting our life and spiritual formation.
 
Psalm 1 also does something else very effectively.  They contrast the single biggest obstacle toward living a godly life – other human beings!  Other people can have significant influences on your behavior, your thought processes, your belief system, your self-esteem and even your whole life.  In fact many things that affect your “Joy” quotient are related to whom you associate with.  Such as Facebook.  Let me illustrate:
 
According to the Pew Research Center, There are nearly 4.5 billion likes generated daily on Facebook, with half of all users liking at least one post every day.  And as most people who ever posted a photo on Facebook can attest, getting likes feels good while being ignored by all your online friends can be potentially depressing. 
 
Now a new study sheds more light on how all these likes make us feel, finding that those with a sense of purpose are less likely to be affected. 

"We found that having a sense of purpose allowed people to navigate virtual feedback with more rigidity and persistence. With a sense of purpose, they're not so malleable to the number of likes they receive," explained Cornell University professor Anthony Burrow, the study's co-author. "Purposeful people noticed the positive feedback, but did not rely on it to feel good about themselves."
What is a "sense of purpose"? To Burrow and his team, it was people who agreed with such statements as "To me, all the things I do are worth-while" and "I have lots of reasons for living." Basically, goal-oriented people with internal motivation.
Professor Professor Burrow elaborated:  "Otherwise, on days when you receive few likes, you'll feel worse. Your self-esteem would be contingent on what other people say and think. Over time that's not healthy, that's not adaptive. You want to show up with rigidity: 'I know who I am and I feel good about that.'"

This study and these conclusions actually come in line with what we know about living for God.  Again, let me re-state the importance of these wise words from Psalm 1.  Where is your “Origin of Joy?”

Let’s look at how God’s Word sets us up to be individuals who can weather the influence of those who don’t care about our spiritual well-being.

It begins with our foundation.   Where are you grounded?  Is the foundation of your life where you can build without worry or fear of anyone else’s approval?  Is the foundation of your life set where you find joy by definitions not understood or comprehended by the world?
I Corinthians 3:11-15 - For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. 12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

So, build your life on the foundation of Jesus Christ.

What does that look like?
1.     Accept Christ’s gift of salvation.
2.     Build your life on principles from God’s Word.  We must remember that we alone have the power to choose where we go, what we do, and what we choose to think about.  The Bible tells us to have joy at all times, but it is clear that following the ways of the world will not produce that kind of joy.
3.     Be very wise in your associations with others.  We are in the world – we cannot take ourselves out of it.  The world is all about selfishness and greed.  We must bring the Light of Christ to the world.  When you hang out with those who do not live in the Light of Christ, what happens to you?  Let’s unpack possible scenarios.
a.     You bring light to everyplace you go, everything you do and who you hang out with - no matter what.
Romans 12:2a – “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God              transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”
b.     You know Christ, but occasionally your light is dimmed by where you go, what you do and who you hang out with.  You think you’re not being affected but you are.  You are fooled by the enemy who says – how can you be the Light to others if you don’t hang out with those who don’t know Christ?  You know Christ hung out with sinners all the time, shouldn’t you?  (Remember – Christ was never “influenced,” but was always the “influencer.”
c.     You know Christ, you know you should walk in His light, but you simply want the perceived joy you get from going places you shouldn’t go, doing things you shouldn’t do, and hanging out with people that don’t have any interest in walking in the light, but only in what makes them happy.  Actually if we were honest with ourselves, we are attracted to the fun that seems to exist in abundance where the things of Christ are absent, maybe even sin is there… and we don’t want to walk away.  We simply want to find our Origin of Joy by the world’s standards.  We are then accepted, and we fit in.

​Once you are honest with yourself and determine where you are:
1.     Make a decision to stand with God.  Don’t hang out at “Sin Saloon,” don’t walk along “Dead-End Road,” don’t allow yourself to be an enrollee of “Smart-Mouth College!”
2.     Determine your Origin of Joy will be walking with God and learning to live by His Word, not determined by how many “likes” you get on Facebook or whether you are “in” with the cool crowd that seem to have all the fun.
Why should I be concerned about my Origin of Joy?  Here is Jesus Himself with some action steps for you!

Matthew 6:19-33 - 19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.  22 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!  24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.  25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?  28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?  31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 
This is the plain truth from Psalm 1:  For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
 
Let the Origin of Joy be from a heart that has been cleansed by God and constantly renewed by His Spirit that lives within you.  And… Always be ready to share with others your “Origin of Joy!”
 
I Peter 3:8-17 - 8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. 10 For the Scriptures say,  “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. 11 Turn away from evil and do good.  Search for peace, and work to maintain it.  12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers.  But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.” 13 Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. 15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way.[c] Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.
 17 Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!