Flourishing in Faith: The Strength of the Righteous
Summary
### Summary
Good morning, church. Before diving into today's message, let's take a moment to reflect on Psalm 92, particularly verses 12 through the end of the chapter. This passage speaks about the righteous flourishing like a palm tree. Despite the storms and challenges we face, the righteous, like palm trees, stand firm and produce sweet fruit. This week has been particularly tough for our congregation. We've lost loved ones, and some of our members are dealing with severe health issues. Let's keep them in our prayers and support them in any way we can.
Now, let's delve into the attributes of a palm tree. Palm trees are unique in that they grow from the inside out, unlike most trees that grow from the outside in. This internal growth allows them to withstand severe external damage and still stand tall. The righteous are likened to palm trees because they draw their strength from within, from their relationship with God. As palm trees age, they produce sweeter and more abundant fruit. Similarly, as we grow in our faith, our lives should produce sweeter and more abundant spiritual fruit.
The Bible is our source of light and guidance. It corrects our errors, enlightens our minds, and shows us the path of righteousness. Unfortunately, many people today avoid reading the Bible, considering it old-fashioned. But the Word of God is timeless and essential for our spiritual growth. It reveals our shortcomings and brings us face-to-face with God's righteous demands. Ignoring the Bible is like walking in darkness, and we must strive to walk in the light of God's Word.
John the Apostle, often referred to as John the mender, spent his ministry calling people back to the fundamentals of faith. In today's world, we face spiritual weakness and a lack of dynamic power in the church. We need to return to the basics of our faith, just as John did. The greatest threat to the church is not external persecution but the subtle compromises that creep in. We must be vigilant and steadfast in our faith, avoiding any departure from the truth of God.
Walking against the light is dangerous. When the Word of God instructs us, we must obey. If we choose to walk in darkness, we sever our fellowship with God. The greatest source of spiritual energy is Jesus, the Son of God, who is light. If we find ourselves spiritually weak, it's often because we are not walking in the light. The Word of God is the staff of life for every believer. It may be tedious at times, but it is essential for our spiritual well-being.
We must also avoid comparing ourselves to others. The only true measure of our spiritual health is how we compare to Jesus and the Word of God. Our culture today is filled with superficial standards, but we must rise above them and live by the light of God's Word. The righteous flourish like palm trees, standing firm in the storms of life and producing sweet fruit as they grow older. Let's strive to be like palm trees, drawing our strength from within and standing firm in our faith.
### Key Takeaways
1. The Righteous Flourish Like Palm Trees: Just as palm trees withstand storms and produce sweeter fruit as they age, the righteous draw their strength from within and grow spiritually resilient over time. This internal fortitude allows them to stand firm in the face of life's challenges, producing spiritual fruit that benefits those around them. [24:26]
2. The Bible as Our Source of Light: The Word of God is essential for our spiritual growth. It corrects our errors, enlightens our minds, and shows us the path of righteousness. Ignoring the Bible is like walking in darkness, and we must strive to walk in the light of God's Word to maintain our fellowship with Him. [42:53]
3. Returning to the Fundamentals: John the Apostle, known as John the mender, called people back to the basics of faith. In today's world, we face spiritual weakness and a lack of dynamic power in the church. We must return to the fundamentals of our faith, avoiding subtle compromises and staying true to the Word of God. [34:50]
4. The Danger of Walking Against the Light: Disobeying the Word of God and walking in darkness severs our fellowship with Him. Jesus, the Son of God, is our greatest source of spiritual energy. If we find ourselves spiritually weak, it's often because we are not walking in the light. The Word of God is the staff of life for every believer. [39:54]
5. Avoiding Superficial Comparisons: We must not compare ourselves to others but measure our spiritual health by how we compare to Jesus and the Word of God. Our culture is filled with superficial standards, but we must rise above them and live by the light of God's Word. The righteous flourish like palm trees, standing firm in the storms of life and producing sweet fruit as they grow older. [45:41]
### Youtube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[19:57] - Prayers for the Congregation
[24:26] - The Righteous Flourish Like Palm Trees
[31:05] - Introduction to 1 John
[34:50] - John the Mender
[39:54] - Walking Against the Light
[45:41] - Avoiding Superficial Comparisons
[48:06] - The Danger of Being a Phony
[49:24] - Walking in the Light
[50:26] - Prayer for the Congregation
[52:21] - Call to Commitment
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. Psalm 92:12-15: "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, 'The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.'"
2. 1 John 1:4-7: "We write this to make our joy complete. This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."
### Observation Questions
1. What are the characteristics of the righteous as described in Psalm 92:12-15?
2. According to 1 John 1:4-7, what is the relationship between walking in the light and fellowship with God and others?
3. In the sermon, what analogy is used to describe the growth and resilience of the righteous? ([24:26])
4. What does the pastor say about the internal strength of palm trees and how does it relate to the spiritual life of believers? ([26:34])
### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the imagery of a palm tree in Psalm 92 help us understand the nature of spiritual growth and resilience?
2. What does it mean to "walk in the light" according to 1 John 1:4-7, and how does this impact our daily lives and relationships? ([32:09])
3. The sermon mentions that the greatest threat to the church is not external persecution but subtle compromises. How can we identify and avoid these compromises in our own faith journey? ([35:45])
4. How does comparing ourselves to Jesus and the Word of God, rather than to others, help us maintain spiritual health? ([45:41])
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a recent challenge or storm in your life. How can you draw strength from within, like a palm tree, to stand firm and produce spiritual fruit? ([24:26])
2. How can you make reading the Bible a more consistent and enlightening part of your daily routine, especially when it feels tedious or old-fashioned? ([42:18])
3. In what ways can you return to the fundamentals of your faith, as John the Apostle encouraged, to strengthen your spiritual life and avoid subtle compromises? ([34:50])
4. Are there areas in your life where you are "walking against the light"? What steps can you take to align yourself more closely with God's Word and walk in the light? ([39:54])
5. Think of a time when you compared yourself to others. How did it affect your spiritual health? What practical steps can you take to focus on comparing yourself to Jesus and the Word of God instead? ([45:41])
6. Identify one specific way you can support a fellow church member who is going through a tough time, drawing from the sermon’s emphasis on community and prayer. ([19:57])
7. How can you ensure that your spiritual life is not just about maintaining an image but about genuine growth and authenticity? ([48:06])
Devotional
Day 1: Flourishing Like Palm Trees
The righteous are likened to palm trees, which stand firm and produce sweet fruit despite life's storms. Palm trees grow from the inside out, drawing strength from within. Similarly, the righteous draw their strength from their relationship with God. As palm trees age, they produce sweeter and more abundant fruit. In the same way, as we grow in our faith, our lives should produce sweeter and more abundant spiritual fruit. This internal fortitude allows us to stand firm in the face of life's challenges, producing spiritual fruit that benefits those around us. [24:26]
Psalm 92:12-14 (ESV): "The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green."
Reflection: In what ways can you draw strength from your relationship with God to stand firm in the face of your current challenges?
Day 2: The Bible as Our Source of Light
The Word of God is essential for our spiritual growth. It corrects our errors, enlightens our minds, and shows us the path of righteousness. Ignoring the Bible is like walking in darkness, and we must strive to walk in the light of God's Word to maintain our fellowship with Him. The Bible reveals our shortcomings and brings us face-to-face with God's righteous demands. Walking in the light of God's Word ensures that we are on the right path and in close communion with Him. [42:53]
Psalm 119:105 (ESV): "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
Reflection: How can you incorporate more time in God's Word into your daily routine to ensure you are walking in His light?
Day 3: Returning to the Fundamentals
John the Apostle, known as John the mender, called people back to the basics of faith. In today's world, we face spiritual weakness and a lack of dynamic power in the church. We must return to the fundamentals of our faith, avoiding subtle compromises and staying true to the Word of God. The greatest threat to the church is not external persecution but the subtle compromises that creep in. By focusing on the basics of our faith, we can strengthen our spiritual foundation and avoid these pitfalls. [34:50]
1 John 2:24 (ESV): "Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father."
Reflection: What are some fundamental aspects of your faith that you need to revisit and strengthen in your daily walk with God?
Day 4: The Danger of Walking Against the Light
Disobeying the Word of God and walking in darkness severs our fellowship with Him. Jesus, the Son of God, is our greatest source of spiritual energy. If we find ourselves spiritually weak, it's often because we are not walking in the light. The Word of God is the staff of life for every believer. Walking against the light is dangerous, and we must strive to obey God's Word to maintain our spiritual vitality and connection with Him. [39:54]
1 John 1:6-7 (ESV): "If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."
Reflection: Are there areas in your life where you are walking in darkness? How can you bring those areas into the light of God's Word?
Day 5: Avoiding Superficial Comparisons
We must not compare ourselves to others but measure our spiritual health by how we compare to Jesus and the Word of God. Our culture is filled with superficial standards, but we must rise above them and live by the light of God's Word. The righteous flourish like palm trees, standing firm in the storms of life and producing sweet fruit as they grow older. By focusing on our relationship with God and His standards, we can avoid the pitfalls of superficial comparisons and grow in our faith. [45:41]
2 Corinthians 10:12 (ESV): "Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding."
Reflection: In what ways have you been comparing yourself to others? How can you shift your focus to measuring your spiritual health by God's standards instead?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "The Bible says the word is light and the word of God brings light upon my life. It corrects the error in my thinking. It straightens out the errors in my walking. It instructs me as to what true righteousness is, what true enlightenment ought to be. It saves me from the foolish, shabby definition of morality which has afflicted our society and even today's church. That's with a little c. It's about time we get back to reading God's word and get a fresh glimpse of that old fashioned morality. Thank God for it." [42:53]
2. "If we pretend righteousness and conceal unrighteousness, we pay a penalty that we bring upon ourselves. It doesn't do any good to avoid the light. Are you trying to avoid it? Don't. Walk in the light. Follow the light. Walk in the light that He sheds on your path. Walk in the fellowship of God and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us of every sin. Walk in His light. Walk with God. You have a light problem? Come to the Son. Jesus is our light. Claim Him right now. And His light will light up your life." [48:48]
3. "Don't go any further! Because if you go any further, you're going to walk against God's light in a very dangerous way. If we say we have fellowship with God and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." [37:16]
4. "The greatest source of energy in our universe is the sun. The greatest source of energy in the spiritual realm is the son. The son of God who is light. In him is no darkness at all. Yet we have to frankly admit that on occasion that something is wrong with our spiritual energy. Spiritually speaking, we should be strong and we find ourselves weak. We should have moral character, strength and dependability and we find ourselves soft and vacillating and filled with compromise." [41:13]
5. "The righteous flourish like a palm tree. In spite of the storms of life, in spite of the things happening around us and to us, those winds blow and the storm rages, You live within and provide whatever we need and produce fruit that is sweet for those around us to receive. Thank You for the light. Lord, how we need brighter in our congregation, in our communities, in our families, in the world in which we live." [50:26]
### Quotes for Members
1. "Another way we avoid the light is by comparison. Gee, I look pretty good compared to so and so. And we always pick the worst example around to compare ourselves to. That's a terrible way to look good. We walk against the light when we compare ourselves to anyone except Jesus. How do I compare to Jesus? How do I compare to the Word? How do I compare to the way my conscience is working as God's Holy Spirit speaks to my life? Like right now. The only light authorized by the Word that can measure us and tell us how we are doing is the light of God's Word and the light of Jesus' life. We are not to measure ourselves by others or by the prevailing standards of our society. Our culture today is dead wrong." [45:41]
2. "It's about time we get back to reading God's word and get a fresh glimpse of that old fashioned morality. Thank God for it. Folks say, I don't like to read the Bible. It's too old fashioned. It's too square. I'd rather read some of these new modern authors who sort of make everybody feel good. Written by Dr. Feelgood and Sister Bless Your Heart. Folks, get back to the written word of God. Written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and it brings light and reveals our shortcomings. It shows us our sin. It brings us face to face with the righteous demands of God and it shows us where to get the power to live by those righteous demands of God which are given for our own sake. For our own good." [43:31]
3. "John's ministry is that of John, John the mender. John, are you a mender? John the mender. And you can foresee his ministry in when Jesus first came to him, because what was he doing? He was mending nets. John the mender. John spent all of his ministry, it seems like, calling people back to the fundamentals, getting things fixed. In this hour, we are in the midst of a time of spiritual weakness and a lack of dynamic power in the church. We need John the mender to call us back to the fundamentals on which our faith is founded. John is experienced. He's the right man to call us back to the fundamentals, because John's tenure in the ministry, every kind of persecution that could be imagined, was being hurled at the church. And John was a personal target of it. John was one who knew how to live in difficult days, but John also knew that the greatest threat to the church was not the emperor of his day, but the greatest danger to the church in his generation was the subtle compromises that continued to creep into the church. Those slow, and gentle, departures from the truth of God. Those gentle turnings and leanings away from dynamic, centered, Christian concepts. John waved the red flag, and he said, Halt! Stop!" [34:50]
4. "The righteous flourish like a palm tree. A palm tree? Yes. I want you to think for just a few moments about a palm tree. Some of the attributes associated with the palm tree. I learned that palm trees not only produce coconuts, but there is a palm tree that produces dates. Not boy-girl dates. Kind of dates that some people eat. And a palm tree date as it ages produces more and more fruit. Until sometimes a palm tree date tree produces as much as 300 pounds of dates in one year. Now think of that physical attribute. Okay? Palm tree coconut that we associate with palm trees, most of us, coconuts. A palm tree as it ages and develops and lives through the storms of life can actually produce coconuts that weigh 60 pounds a piece. Something else about a palm tree, those dates, that coconut. The older a palm tree gets, the sweeter the fruit. The righteous flourish like a palm tree." [24:26]
5. "The righteous flourish like a palm tree. See how much fruit I'm now producing, and how sweet it is for my wife. The righteous flourish like a palm tree. Ok, a palm tree grows in a lot of different ways than from a what we consider a regular tree. The palm tree grows from the outside, from the inside out. Most trees around here the light is is right under the bark, like on the outside. So if you hit that bark enough and all around that tree, you can actually kill that tree. It will die, ultimately, from being damaged, because that's where the life is. But that's not the way for a palm tree. The life of a palm tree works from the inside out. So it can take a lot of beatings still keep right on standing and producing. The righteous are supposed to be like a palm tree." [26:34]
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