Chaff

Psalm 1:1-4

"Not so the wicked!

  They are like chaff

  that the wind blows away."

No neutral

There is a group of people who will have stable lives:

They have disconnected, meditated, planted (vs 1-3)

There is another group:

See the difference between the person that hears this and says “how dare you call me wicked”

And the person who yes “yes I am wicked, save me”

Apart from the realization of your own wickedness you cannot be saved

There is no fakery or pretense in the Gospel

SOME PEOPLE WANT TO MINIMIZE THIS:

What about “good” people?

  at the end of the day they are rebelling against God

  why not “Do good in submission to God?”

  The heart matters, on the outside they’re “good” but on the inside they’re dead

SOME CHRUCHES WANT TO MINIMIZE THIS

Some churches groups want to minimize this because it is offensive

 - we don’t call people wicked

 - then you don’t see God as HOLY - you can’t have both

The Gospel is offensive

The cross is offensive

You can kid yourself, be deceived, or humble yourself

The Gospel isn’t “go to church and be saved” or “grow up Christian and you’re good”

  Come and die - be united with Christ in His death - and LIFE

Apart from Jesus - apart from His redemptive work - we are wicked and deserve judgment

In Christ - we are forgiven, made new, given Life, rescued from darkness

Be humble

Receive the Word of God and respond:

Jesus tells the story of what happens with the wicked in Mark 4:14-20

when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root

Scorched and withered, like chaff blown away

If you aren’t careful where you plant yourself - you end up chasing wind

Ecclesiastes 1:14, 2:11

Accomplished by man is futile - a chasing after the wind

Romans 15:18

"For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed"

Accomplished by Christ through people - fruitful

Such a different picture from Psalm 1:3

Receive this instruction, meditate on the Word, let it find root in your hearts

Do you believe the writer of Psalms? Do you believe the writer of Ecclesiastes?

Do you believe the Lord?

How can you waste your life chasing after wind?

Ask a parent - what did you do that was the most futile? Why? How did the Lord use it?

Do y’all think we waste time and miss opportunities?