Sermon(Ps 1:1-3) : A blessed man

The original korean text : https://blog.naver.com/stevision/50025221570

 

 

 

Sermon(Ps 1:1-3) : A blessed man

 

Scripture reading: Ps 1:1-3  

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1. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

2. but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

3. He is like a tree planted by steams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

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People who are hostile to Christianity accuse Christianity that it is a vulgar religion seeking only God's blessings. There are people also who, when someone begins to preach about the blessings, tend to scoff, saying, "A story of blessing again! Isn't it but a lip service?" Listening to a sermon, someone thinks inwardly so. Therefore I think that there are some people who feel uncomfortable about the blessings of Christianity among Christians. Usually they think that the Christian blessing is much money and good job, and recall a Christian nouveau riche, and say, "Is that the blessing?," then ignore all of Christian blessings.

 

But the God talks about 'the blessed man' at the first piece of 150 Psalms. Because the best thing people want is the blessing and the God is one who blesses them. Beloved brethren, I hope that all of you will certainly receive blessings this year! However, be blessed not with false blessings but with true blessings! Fake blessing is futile, so it surely ruins humans later. Was there a man who said to his sons and daughters at his last time, "I've really lived a happy fruitful life. Make me your model," among those who had forsaken the first good wife and taken a concubine? Sometimes a family breaks down after winning a lottery. Is that a blessing? Are you a great man if you pass the entrance exam of a prestigious university? No! Life is a marathon race, not a sprint. As a rule, we can admit that a blessing is a good job, a good spouse and good offsprings. In addition to this, if you live a life at which the God is pleased, it can be called a true blessing.

 

The text of the Bible says first about what is not blessing. It says that secular blessings against God's will are not blessings. If you seek such secular human blessings, thinking them to be real blessings, then you'll fail in your life and be forsaken by God. Scripture says that all that come from evil, sin and haughtiness are not blessings. Evil is the root, sin is the stalk, and haughtiness is the leaves and fruits. Sins and haughtiness (pride) arise from evil mind. When a wicked mind reveals itself and is brought into action, it is called a sin. He who sinned with evil thoughts and accomplished noticeable achievements through the sin tends to walk haughtily. He goes around, giving out a bad smell of haughtiness. There was a man of that kind in Korea. He seized power by a coup d'état and became a president. He expected to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. The reason, according to him, was that he wanted to transfer the power to his successor peacefully. It's a nonfiction!

 

Who is the wicked and what is the heart of the wicked? He who keeps the God away is the wicked and a heart that does not fear the God is the wicked heart. He who dislikes receiving God in heart is a evil man having evil mind because the God is the good and the light. The evil heart is, in short, ingratitude. Such a man is the typical example of ingratitude for he dislikes the God who bestowed favor on human beings. Humans grow up with all kinds of help from their parents. These days, you have to live at least for 30 years under parental tutelage in order to be independent. You've grown up with divine grace and human grace, therefore you should thank God and favor others. But the evil man, because of his nature of ingratitude, does not thank God and does harm to others. He does not recognize others' help, so he brags about his success, referring the success to his own ability. So evil is in the heart of the wicked man, and the evil gives out a stench of haughtiness.

 

A man is blessed who keeps himself away from such evil, sins and haughtiness. Then, what is the blessed person? A blessed man lives with good mind, righteous deed and humble attitude. A good mind is a gift of God. This good mind is the root, righteous deed is the stalk, and humbleness is the leaves and fruits. A good mind is grateful. So the good mind fears the God who made him, loves and honors his parents who gave birth to him and reared him, and acts righteously, thinking of God's words, ethics and morality. Thus if a man gives him a slight compliment, he will give a good answer like this: "All of this is thanks to the teachings of God in me, and of my parents and teachers." If you really know God's grace and others' favor, you cannot but do favors for others. Then what is a man who knows others' favor and nevertheless does harm to others? He is not a human being. Usually, he is thought to be an animal or to be one worse than an animal. So the more you learn and are grown, the more severely you'll be punished for your sins. Did you unwillingly swindle others for your wife and kids? Of course people say, "The throat is the Podochung (the police bureau in ancient times in Korea)," that is "You couldn't help but commit sins to live." I'm telling you definitely that the Podochung of that kind is the Podochung of the kingdom of Devil, and that you and all your family will go to hell with the Devil if you obey that throat.

 

If you love your wife and children, do not support your family with the money you've earned dishonestly. You must give only good things to beloved ones. Someone gives a poisoned apple to a hateful man that he may disappear from his sight forever. If a man eats dirty or bad things, he suffers stomachache or even dies. If you support your family with dirty money, their spirits and hearts will die, and their bodies also will grow weak. If you educate your children with the money you earned by sinning, their knowledge will be an evil knowledge that will do only evil things. Their heads will become machines producing only wicked trick. Your children who ate the poisoned apples which you gave them will be hurt in heart, and will hurt you like arrows piercing your heart. You gave your own children poisoned apples, so they requite you rightfully. Jesus said, "What man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?" Nevertheless, what are you that you should give your wife and children the most dirty things in the world? Do you conduct a business of prostitution, and send your children abroad to study? Do you speculate in real estate and extort others' money, and send your sons and daughters to college? You should be ashamed of yourself! From now on, please feed clean food to your family. Pray diligently to God to get wisdom. Work hard to make much money. And provide your wife and children with the most precious thing in the world! Honest money is precious and clean. But honest money is not so common. So if you have a husband or a father who earns money honestly, shouldn't you really thank and respect him?

 

God is that kind of person. Jesus says, "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Mt 7:11) O men of little faith! (Mt 6:30)" All that God gives us is good, and the best treasure that we need most is God's law, that is the word of God. If you live as the word teaches, you will surely be an upright man and a man of praise, and accomplish great achievements here below, and certainly get eternal life after death. Then, what about livelihood? Of course it's a basic benefit. Jesus says, "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things (including food, clothing, and shelter) shall be yours as well. (Mt 6:33)"

 

A blessed man loves and invites in his heart such God the Father good, loving, merciful and mighty. Do you want to be invited to a house which is filled with shit? Of course, no! My brethren, the God who is the fountain of blessing comes to those who have clean flesh and spirit, fear God, and have delight in cherishing the God. Where there is the God, there are the good, the truth and the beauty, and the overflowing blessing of God as well, the divine grace of the heaven and the enormous fruitfulness of the earth. If you receive the God as your important guest and your Lord, the power of the living God will be revealed through you. You will be a lump of blessing, that is a blessed man or a blessed woman.

 

Planting good trees in good places and taking good care of them makes good fruits. Even if a tree is in a desert, it never withers but bears abundant fruits every year, however hard the drought may be, if it strikes root by an oasis or a brook which never dries up. The world full of sins is like a dry desert. A blessed man commits his life to the almighty God, the Lord of his life. He trusts himself to the God who is the oasis and the clear stream. So he lives in obedience to his commandments. He lives according to his word. This man is a blessed believer. Even when those who don't know the God live like withered threes, believers trusting themselves to God live an evergreen life.

 

How can you know that you are in the God? Your are in God if you love to read the word of God, think always about how to keep the word, and have delight in the fulfillment of the word on you. Then you will never wither. And you are the blessed man like an evergreen tree by a stream. A blessed man always lives with God, seeking after the word of God, and the God also always goes with him, giving him blessing of success. In good time, or in season, God will give him a job, a spouse and a house. Sometimes, untimely blessing may cause side effects, but he who lives in God and according to his word will receive a suitable blessing at the right time. Live as the word of God commands, and you'll never suffer any side effects.

 

Look around. You'll find a man who reads the Bible every day and tries to know the will of God. He is the blessed man. But does he not have any job or any money yet? Absolutely the reverse! He is under training now. Is there anyone who lives in a hotel while being trained in the military? He is being trained now not to lose what he will receive as blessing. Don't underestimate him! He is struggling with a severe ordeal now for he is a man, a weak man who may lose the blessing he will receive later unless he is trained hard now. David said, "I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging bread. (Ps 37:25)"

 

Keep away from evil, sin and haughtiness. Do not envy those who live in sin and are proud. Do not think to join them in expectation of getting some bread of sin from them. Greet the God, the God of blessing, humbly as the Lord of your life. Read every day the Bible he gave you. Give ear attentively to the sermons that the servants of God preach. Live as they teach. Then you are the blessed man. Other worldly blessings can be Devil's baits. Don't be fooled. Follow and serve God only!

 

Chong Tack Kim

 

                          - Dongtoma Sunshine Church -