Sermon Manuscript for Sunday, May 17

The Blessing of Living by the Word

(Psalm 1:1–3 | May 17, 2026 | UP Series)

Everyone knows that in order to understand the age we are living in, we must first understand the prevailing philosophies of that time. Today, we are said to have moved beyond modernism and postmodernism into an era called metamodernism — an age of oscillation, randomness, and contradiction. It is an era that seeks new meaning amid great complexity and confusion, one that acknowledges diversity while simultaneously refusing to be completely scattered by it.

This diversity, expressed linguistically as "diversity" in English, refers to a state in which different elements and kinds are mixed together. In Chinese characters, it is written with the characters for "many" (多), "form/style" (樣), and "nature/character" (性), conveying the idea of many shapes and kinds — emphasizing variety over mere difference. The Bible speaks of God's character as being diverse in this sense, meaning that through such diversity, He is able to extend grace to many different people in many different ways. Therefore, regardless of race, skin color, culture, or living environment — even within the same country, where each person carries their own uniqueness — God is able to pour out upon each one a grace perfectly suited to them.

This is why, whether in the Old Testament era or the New, regardless of history or time, God has been able to extend grace fitted to each moment and circumstance. God does this the way a painter mixes the color that best fits a particular surface — He provides the grace that fits me best. We must now learn to stop looking at others and instead live within the grace God gives specifically to each of us, within this rich diversity.

As we carry within us all this complex diversity, we are constantly pulling toward our own accumulated information, personal experiences, private thoughts, and preferences — trying to steer life in the direction we want. This is where what Charles Taylor called "cross-pressure" emerges. Cross-pressure can be illustrated by what is known as a cryopump — a device that traps gas by compressing it at extremely low temperatures. When the volume of gas exceeds the limit and the temperature rises beyond what the pressure can contain, the gas is released. When this happens to a person, it means too many pressures are acting simultaneously beyond what one can bear.

Under such cross-pressure, a person becomes unable to clearly articulate their own convictions or beliefs. It describes a state in which God seems clearly real, yet doubt creeps in at the same time; science is trusted, yet meaning is sought in religion. Through YouTube and various broadcast platforms, we listen to sermons we choose, watch content we prefer, and gather all manner of spiritual information. The sad reality is that, precisely because of this overwhelming accumulation, we may find ourselves unable to express any of it with clarity — and instead of finding clarity, we fall into confusion when all of it suddenly rushes out at once.

I recently read an article in the Christian Times with the headline: "Churchgoers Trust God's Involvement in Their Lives, but Doubt Is Also Growing." It summarized research from Lifeway Research, which found that churchgoers still tend to strongly trust in God's love and provision when facing difficult circumstances. However, a portion of them have begun to question whether God actually intervenes in their character and daily life — and this tendency has increased in recent years. More specifically, while churchgoers generally tended to trust in God's involvement when reflecting on their own lives and those of others, approximately one in four — 25% — acknowledged experiencing this kind of doubt.

I believe that in this monstrous age called metamodernism, Christians need the Word of God more than ever before. If I were to name just a few reasons why the Word is essential for us in this era: First, when our standards shift and our thinking grows complicated under the flood of information, we need the unchanging Word of God. We must stand on eternal, unshakable truth if we are not to be moved. Second, when we lose our sense of identity and no longer know who we are, the Word clearly tells us that we are children of God, made in His image — and that keeps us from being shaken. Third, when we don't know where to go or what to do amid an overload of information and a complex society, the Word shows us precisely where to go and what to do, through moral guidance and wisdom. Fourth, when everything is advancing so rapidly that those who cannot keep up feel perpetually left behind, excluded, and marginalized — overwhelmed by fear and anxiety — the Word gives inner peace, stability, and strength to keep going. Fifth, living in the Word brings us together. Because it centers not on the individual but on community, it offers us healthy things like forgiveness, consideration, and love. Sixth, the Word shows us a life far greater and more magnificent than our current one, and therefore calls us to live in truth and with clear purpose. Seventh, taken together, all of these things transform us completely into the people of God.

The Bible, as God's Word, provides all of these things and pours out abundant grace upon us. Among its many portions, Psalm 119 — the longest chapter in the Bible — is a passage worth meditating on deeply. In every verse, it defines and unpacks the meaning of the Word. This psalm extends to 176 verses and stands as the pinnacle of a faith confession, written in an age when it was difficult to hold fast to belief, praising the Word alone. The Word sets the standard for life, brings unexpected benefit in times of suffering, and has the power to set our direction and actions rightly so we do not fall into sin. It guides us along the good path. I encourage you this week to meditate once more on Psalm 119.

If you ask what the key verse of Psalm 119 is, most would answer with verse 105: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." This is because that verse beautifully summarizes the entire message of the psalm.

The Word is literally a lamp to the very feet on which we walk. This lamp refers to a small lantern — not one that illuminates everything around it, but a limited light that shines close by, centered on oneself. And it is a light to the path we walk. Life itself is a path, which is why the light here is broader and stronger than the lamp — it shines upon our direction and our surroundings.

The Word shows us the best direction for our lives, leads us along the best possible path, and opens the way when we are in darkness and uncertainty. A life without the Word cannot help but lose its way. If you are living within the Word right now, that Word will be clearly visible, illuminating your path — and you will have no choice but to obey it. Because you will know with certainty that that Word is life itself.

Some time ago I read a story published in Kookmin Ilbo. An old swordsman once left his sword at home and went out, only to encounter a robber. The robber, armed with a blade, demanded, "Hand over everything you have." The swordsman shouted back, "Do you know who I am?!" The robber laughed and replied mockingly, "Not sure, but I take you for someone about to give me his valuables." The swordsman declared, "I have a sword at home. I am a swordsman!" The robber sneered, "A swordsman without a sword — all talk and no blade!" — and attacked him, taking everything he had.

The Word of God is said to be a sword. But a believer who knows the Word yet fails to apply it to life is like that swordsman who left his sword at home. We must now bring the Word out before us and live within it. About those who do so, verse 1 of today's passage says they are blessed: "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers."

The fact that the Psalms begins by identifying the blessed person tells us that we are meant to become that person.

Psalm 1 contains truths that we as Christians must clearly understand and hold to. Though it is only six verses, it compares the life of the righteous — those who live within God's Word — with the life of the wicked — those who disregard it — and points us in the direction of faith. According to this passage, every life travels either the path of the righteous or the path of the wicked. The standard for which path is which is not personal opinion, behavior, or accumulated life experience — it is the Word of God. That is to say: it is when one's relationship with God is set right through the Word that one can truly live as a righteous person.

Today's passage calls such righteous people "blessed." This blessing carries a meaning quite different from the world's understanding. By worldly standards, blessing is measured in health, wealth, long life, children's success — material and external satisfaction. But by biblical standards, blessing is having a right relationship with God, the Creator of all things, and enjoying the joy, peace, and grace that flow from that relationship.

Therefore, it is a mistake to believe that being a Christian automatically leads to becoming wealthy, suddenly becoming healthy, or gaining a great reputation. That is a self-centered view. On the contrary, the biblical blessing means that when one does receive health or material provision, it is used not for one's own glory or power, but for the glory of God. Those who receive such blessings inevitably live in a way that looks different from others.

With that in mind, today's passage describes three clear characteristics of the blessed person: they do not follow the counsel of the wicked, they do not stand in the way of sinners, and they do not sit in the seat of mockers.

Of these three types of people, the wicked — in Hebrew resha'im (רְשָׁעִים) — refers to those who disregard God and live without standards, who engage in spiritually unproductive behavior, who rely on their own schemes and plans, who harm or exploit others. They represent the root of evil — those who plan and direct sin.

The sinners — in Hebrew hata'im (חטאים) — refers to those who have fallen short of God's standard. They sin habitually and have become so accustomed to a life of sin that it feels normal. They may feel a sense of guilt about their sin — unlike the wicked — but they remain in that state even knowing better.

The mockers — in Hebrew letzim (לצים) — means those who scoff, who laugh at truth, who defy it intentionally. This is seen as the final stage of the wicked and the sinner — those who not only reject God and truth but who mock and despise those who live by it. They are the worst of the three.

To follow such people, to stand with them, to sit alongside them — is to accept their life's direction and values as correct, to go along with them, and to form one's identity in that company. It means taking in the counsel of the wicked, participating in the behavior of sinners, and allowing the seat of mockers to become part of one's own life. It means becoming entirely like them — indistinguishable from them. It is difficult for a person to fall alone into corruption. Our environment and the people around us can play a decisive role. There is a Chinese saying: 近墨者黑 — "Those who handle ink will be stained black." The blessed person, precisely because they have separated from all of this, is blessed.

Why does Psalm 1 begin with such negative language? Because in order to be connected to God and His Word, separation must come first. To walk with God, you must first leave the other path. It is saying: in that condition, you cannot walk with God.

So then, who is this blessed person? Verse 2 gives us the answer: "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night." Verse 1 told us what the blessed person does not do — framed in the negative. Verse 2 tells us what they do instead.

The word "but" is a strong contrastive expression — it means: the complete opposite of what was described in verse 1. In order not to become like that, in order not to fall into that path, one must delight in the Word and meditate on it day and night. So the psalmist says that he delights in the law of the Lord — meaning he loves and cherishes God's Word and will.

This is not merely rejoicing — it is a deep, earnest longing from the heart; a delight in obeying the Word. That is why one is able to meditate on it day and night. To meditate here means to ruminate, to read and re-read, to repeat it aloud with the mouth and store it in the heart — to continue doing so until it is lived out in actual life. The phrase "day and night" indicates not a scheduled time of devotion, but a rhythm of life itself. Just as we breathe naturally, meditation on the Word should become just as natural. Otherwise, we will be stained by the world's wickedness, sin, and arrogance.

If we approach the Word casually and half-heartedly, we end up reshaping it to fit our own preferences, making the gospel something trivial. There is a story of two Christian gentlemen sitting together on a train. When lunchtime came, one of them began eating one of his two sandwiches. The other man watched with what appeared to be a hungry eye. The man with the remaining sandwich remarked, "I was recently struck deeply by one of the Lord's commandments. Do you know the verse, 'Love your neighbor as yourself'?" "What a wonderful passage," the other replied — and promptly put the remaining sandwich in his own mouth, adding, "I also know another verse of Scripture very well: 'You shall not covet what belongs to your neighbor.'" Both were quoting real verses, of course — but each had bent the Word to serve his own convenience.

As for the result of living in God's Word, verse 3 declares: "He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither — whatever he does prospers." This is the outcome that awaits the blessed person.

Every time I meditate on this passage, my heart feels spacious, refreshed, and full. Those who constantly live within the Word — God sustains their lives as something beautiful, rich, and strong, supplying them continually. This supply is not something forced or manufactured; it is a life force unaffected by any external circumstance. A tree planted by a stream cannot help but put out abundant leaves and bear much fruit — because it is always receiving living water.

Being supplied through the Word means being planted by God in the best place, the place most able to receive spiritual nourishment. And so, in the time God desires, plans, and wills, one receives spiritually full and abundant life. This spiritual vitality never runs dry — just like a tree planted by an ever-flowing stream.

We must do our utmost to live by this Word. When we do, God will bring it to pass. "Prospering" — flourishing — is not defined by our own standards or desires, but by what is accomplished within the will of God. We sometimes misunderstand this prosperity to mean that simply believing will make everything go our way — and when that doesn't happen, we quickly abandon our faith. True prosperity is what is fulfilled within what God desires and wills for us.

I will close today by reading Joshua 1:8: "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."

My prayer is that you and I would strive to be a church — and a people — who leap forward, bearing the very image that the Word reveals in us.