Sermon Recap - Psalms: Joy
Speaker: Pastor Pierre du Plessis
Read: Psalm 1:1-6; Joshua 1:8; Romans 14:17
As humans we find ourselves in constant pursuit of joy and happiness. Though it may be different for each of us, we all have a certain belief of what or who can ultimately be the source of that desire. Those desires may change from time to time because when we acquire them, we discover that our expectations are not always met. From this we learn that everything that promises happiness is not true. To further complicate our lives, we live in a world that subtly manipulates our feelings and thoughts through technology, consumerism and other means and baits us into accepting the world’s definition and values of joy and happiness.
The Book of Psalms challenges us to examine where we put our focus and unveils where our deepest desires for joy and happiness can be found. Through them we are reminded that neither of these attributes come from the hope we put in things. No amount of money, no person and no thing can give us what our soul seeks. In Psalms one, we are prompted to turn our eyes to God who is the architect of truth, to acknowledge that His thoughts over us are good, and that He, unlike the world, has no hidden agenda. It warns us not to reject His truth, not to allow external influences to be rooted in us, and not to adopt the attitude of unbelievers.
It shows us that overflowing joy and happiness comes to one who delights himself in God and embraces His instructions. As we focus on Him as our highest priority, we will experience the unspeakable joy that only the Holy Spirit can give.
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. What resonated with you as you listened to this sermon and reviewed it?
2. On what have you focused for your happiness over the years? How would you in the past have completed the following statement: If I can just____, then I will be happy?
3. In what ways do you think you have been baited or manipulated by the world’s values and strategies for finding joy and happiness?
4. What do you think is the difference between the joy and happiness we get through the world’s values and that which we get from God?
5. Read Psalm 1:1-6, In your own words, what conditional promises do you see in these verses? What conditions do you see?
6. It was said that we are products as we are being monitored and tracked by the technology of social media and manipulated by consumerism. What does this mean to you? How does it make you feel?
7. Read Joshua 1:8. In this Scripture, Joshua is exhorted to day and night meditate on the Book of the Law. What does this mean to you?
