The Savior We Needed (Palm Sunday)

Background

Psalms 113-118 = “Egyptian Hallel”

Typically READ around PASSOVER…CELEBRATING DELIVERANCE from Egyptian slavery

Psalm 118 = CONCLUDING PSALM

Quite POSSIBLY/likely REPRESENTS the HYMN CHRIST & his DISCIPLES SANG before going to Gethsemane

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Author:

NO POSITIVE answer…WE KNOW the AUTHOR CELEBRATES a NATURAL VICTORY/deliverance @ God’s hand!

Could have been a REMEMBRANCE of the 1ST PASSOVER

Could be a KING CELEBRATING military VICTORY

Could be CELEBRATING RETURN from Babylonian EXILE

The PSALMIST is going to RECOUNT GOD’S GOODNESS and faithfulness and use this as a CALL FOR the CONGREGATION to JOIN HIM in WORSHIP as he GOES to the TEMPLE to OFFER a SACRIFICE.

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PSALM is partially REITERATED on PALM SUNDAY as JESUS ENTERED JERUSALEM...

Going to see what it TELLS US about GOD

Christ our MESSIAH

& what it means FOR US TODAY

READING ENTIRE PSALM…FOCUS: 1-4; 19-29

Read text & pray

Psalm 118:1–29 (ESV)

Intro:

(Q) HOW MANY of you here today STRUGGLE at times to FIND the LINE between a NEED and a WANT?

PASTOR’S PRAYER, the struggle of “NEEDING” a NEW COMPUTER

JUSTIFYING PURCHASES… CAR “NEEDED” $500 of WORK…YOU DIDN’T “NEED” A NEW CAR.

SELAH “NEEDING” a TUCK @ 3:30 & 4:30 A.M.. this weekend.

Or maybe your MIND SAYS, “I NEED ICE CREAM.” and your BODY SAYS, “you DEFINITELY DON’T, you WANT ice cream.”

LIKEWISE: it can GO the OTHER WAY and we IGNORE NEEDS, because they AREN’T WHAT WE WANT to do.

NEVER WANT to BRUSH TEETH

EVERYONE that DOESN’T HAVE any MONEY NEEDS to WORK, even if they don’t want to

EVERYONE NEEDS EXERCISE as a part of a healthy lifestyle, but OFTENTIMES, WE DON’T WANT TO.

SOMETIMES this HAPPENS with our RELATIONSHIP with GOD…we CONFUSE WANTS with NEEDS,

FORGETTING that HE KNOWS OUR NEEDS before we even ask!

&& DESPITE the GREY AREAS between WANTS and NEEDS, God knows where the line is!

Need:

We NEED this TEXT today,

IN GOOD TIMES & BAD TIMES, WHEN GOD ANSWERS NEEDS & NOT WANTS..OR HE MIGHT ANSWER WANTS...

HE’S WORTHY of WORSHIP REGARDLESS.

GOOD DAYS & BAD DAYS!

He is good and his steadfast love endures forever, as such, no matter what we are experiencing, we should be grateful to our eternally faithful God.

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Text:

Psalm 118:1, 19-29

Thought 1: A Call to Thanksgiving (V1)

Psalm 118:1–4 (ESV)

1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” 3 Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” 4 Let those who fear the Lord say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”

Beginning: command/CALL to PRAISE

INVITES whole CONGREGATION (Israel) to join...

THANKSGIVING = COMMON THEME

Giving thanks for two reasons:

HE is GOOD

His STEADFAST LOVE, or faithful love, ENDURES FOREVER...

PRAISE & WORSHIP…NOT CONDITIONAL. = ESTABLISHED on WHO GOD IS!!

HE = WORTHY of PRAISE

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IN ALL RELATIONSHIPS:

TIMES of THANKFULNESS for WHO THEY ARE

& WHAT THEY DO

**BRITTANY & SELAH DON’T HAVE to DO ANYTHING to MAKE me LOVE THEM...

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GOD’S NATURE is that HE’S GOOD

Not something He does…WHO HE IS...

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SECOND, thank Him because His STEADFAST LOVE ENDURES FOREVER

NT = God is love! Nature!

God’s steadfast love = hesed, COVENANT-KEEPING FAITHFUL LOVE

GOD = FAITHFUL

PROMISES

WORD

NATURE

HIS PEOPLE!!

There will NEVER BE a DAY that GOD CHANGES, & HE ABANDONS His COVENANTAL LOVE towards His people, think about this!

God’s VARIOUS COVENANTS:

Noah

Abraham

Moses

David

&&& NEW COVENANT! That’s us!!

GOD’S LOVE = STEADFAST, it’s FAITHFUL, it’s IMMOVABLE, and specifically this is displayed through God’s faithfulness to His covenant.

(V2-4)....And the PSALMIST CALLS the CONGREGATION with Him TO WORSHIP

all of ISRAEL

the HOUSE of AARON, the priests,

and also ALL those who FEAR the LORD

== ALL GOD’S PEOPLE

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FOUNDATION of PSALM: GOD IS WORTHY to be praised FOR WHO HE IS....

***ALSO SEE, FAITHFUL LOVE of LORD DISPLAYED through ACTS of GOD!

HASN’T JUST TOLD US…HE’S SHOWN US...

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Transition: VERSES 5-18..RECOUNTING DELIVERANCE

**PROVING STEADFAST LOVE to PSALMIST…DELIVERING from TRIALS!

FOR SAKE of TIME…LOOKING @ PSALMIST’S RESPONSE to DELIVERANCE…(V19)

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Thought 2: The Psalmist Enters the Temple (V19-20)

Psalm 118:19–20 (ESV)

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.

AFTER RECOUNTING GOD’S GOOD NATURE & DELIVERANCE....PSALMIST GOES to TEMPLE to WORSHIP.

REMEMBER…NECESSARY to THANK GOD for ANSWERED PRAYERS, DELIVERANCE, SALVATION, ETC.!!

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(Q)--Can’t it be so easy to neglect God when life is going good?

No troubles

Prayer list = small

Result??

Easy to not pray

Easy to skip church

Easy to let your Bible gather dust.

COMMON PROBLEM

IF WE AREN’T CAREFUL, WE CAN STRAY WHEN THINGS = GOING GOOD...

THEN TRIALS = RUN BACK to GOD...

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(V19-20) PSALMIST RESPONDS to VICTORY —GOING STRAIGHT to TEMPLE!

OPEN GATES of RIGHTEOUSNESS…those RIGHT W/ GOD MAY ENTER.

AGAIN…EMPHASIZES THANKSGIVING

GOOD TIMES are a GREAT REASON to CELEBRATE a GOOD GOD, NOT to GET LAX and ignore Him!

DON’T LEAVE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLES, CHURCH ATTENDANCE, ETC.

Transition: Now, we’re going to look at verses 21-24 and continue to see the psalmist’s response to this deliverance from God.

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Thought 3: The Psalmist’s Celebration (V21-24)

Psalm 118:21–28 (ESV)

21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. 22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23 This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

FIRST, we THANK GOD for WHO HE IS…good & steadfast love.

NOW,, THANKSGIVING = FOR WHAT GOD HAS DONE…how God has PUT His STEADFAST LOVE on DISPLAY.

Charles Spurgeon, “If God has heard us pray, we must take care that he hears us praise.”

PROPER RESPONSE to ANSWERED PRAYER

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(v22) The STONE the BUILDERS REJECTED—CORNERSTONE

ULTIMATELY = JESUS, we’ll see that later.

PSALMIST REFERRING—HIMSELF or ALL ISRAEL

REJECTED then VINDICATED

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REMEMBER, GOD CHOSE ISRAEL by GRACE, NOT by their MERIT! They weren’t special!

**LIKEWISE, OUR CALLING to SALVATION WASN’T CONDITIONAL on our OWN GOODNESS! It’s ALL OF GRACE!!

This act of grace = LORD’S DOING...MARVELOUS! WORTHY of CELEBRATION!

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(Q) How much more is this true for us who believe in Jesus Christ??

Something we should BE FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR!!!

This day, the DAY of VINDICATION, is the day the LORD HAS MADE…LET’S REJOICE IN IT!

It’s all a work of God!

Transition: Now, we’re going to look and see where the CONNECTION with PALM SUNDAY comes in most, the PSALM TURNS to a GROUP PRAYER, look at verse 25,

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Thought 4: A Cry for Continual Salvation (V25-27)

25 Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success! 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord. 27 The Lord is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar!

Again, SPEAKER CHANGES, now a GROUP PRAYER**note the plural pronouns.

The PEOPLE CRY OUT to GOD for CONTINUAL SALVATION/DELIVERANCE & SUCCESS

THEN PRIESTS PRONOUNCE BLESSING on MAN COMING in NAME of LORD...

& then the LORD’S LIGHT SHINES DOWN, almost like He’s smiling

and the MAN CONCLUDES by BRINGING a SACRIFICE bound to the ALTAR...

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The CULMINATION of the PSALM is an OFFERING of SACRIFICE for PRAISE & THANKSGIVING.

NT—there’s a COST to FOLLOWING JESUS…it’s a sacrifice.

DAVID, “WON’T OFFER WHAT COSTS ME NOTHING!”

At times, it can be HARD TO WORSHIP… & it comes forth as a SACRIFICE....LIFE = HARD & you DON’T FEEL LIKE IT...

There are times when our TIME IS STRAINED, and GIVING of our TIME = SACRIFICE

MONEY LOW…GIVING = SACRIFICE...

God has called us to a sacrificial life, and praise and thanksgiving will certainly at times cost us something.

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(v25) Connection to Palm Sunday:

“Save us, we pray” (Hebrew) ,,,,“Ho-she-ah-nah” TRANSLITERATED to Greek & English...

Mark 11:9-10 ESV And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

PSALM WAS PRESENT DURING PASSOVER WEEK…DAY of PALM SUNDAY

PEOPLE CRIED OUT in PRAISE & DESPERATE NEED for a savior...

PEOPLE for years CRIED OUT ANNUALLY in REMEMBRANCE of PASSOVER & the ESCAPE from Egyptian BONDAGE...

BASED on GOD’S STEADFAST LOVE throughout the GENERATIONS, there is a CRY that GOD will BE FAITHFUL to HIS PROMISES and HIS COVENANT at present.

**WE CAN FOLLOW THIS MODEL!!

Transition: And in light of this, the psalmist and the people of Jesus’ day, and we as well can declare verses 28 and 29, which say,

Thought 5: A Concluding Confession of Praise (V28-29).

28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. 29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

CULMINATION of psalmist’s WRITING & for us today:

We MUST ACKNOWLEDGE the LORD of HEAVEN and EARTH is OUR GOD!!

WE PRAISE HIM for HE’S GOOD && His STEADFAST LOVE ENDURES FOREVER! & He proves it to us!

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Big Idea:

We should continually be thankful to our God who saves, for He is good, and his covenant-keeping, steadfast love endures forever.

Gospel:

The cry of the psalmist,

the cry of the people on Palm Sunday,

and the cry of the Christian today...

Is that GOD WOULD CONTINUE to work BASED OFF of His PAST FAITHFULNESS..

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In JESUS’ DAY,, JEWS WANTED a NATURAL ANSWER to their SITUATION....a MILITARY MESSIAH to FREE ISRAEL FROM ROME!

JESUS COMES to JERUSALEM on PALM SUNDAY (DONKEY)…in FULFILLMENT of PROPHECY (Zechariah)

&& PEOPLE are EXPECTING the MESSIAH to RESCUE them.

They were recounting @ Passover God’s past faithfulness, the acts of God that proved his steadfast, covenant-keeping love.

**They EXPECTED the SAME THING from JESUS…PHYSICAL SALVATION from a VISIBLE ENEMY.

NOT WHAT JESUS CAME TO DO!

See, JESUS WAS the SAVIOR THEY NEEDED, rather than the Savior they wanted.

JESUS RESCUED from SIN & DEATH…SPIRITUAL ENEMIES! PROVING FAITHFULNESS of YAHWEH!

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DURING PASSOVER week, the PEOPLE ANTICIPATED a SACRIFICE of the PASSOVER LAMB, REMEMBERING GOD’S PAST ACTIONS...

Jesus became our Passover lamb.

PSALMIST WENT to the TEMPLE to sacrifice…JESUS BECAME the SACRIFICE for us.

****Some would CRY “HOSANNA” on SUNDAY, and SHOUT, “CRUCIFY HIM!” on FRIDAY…He wasn’t the Savior they wanted.

Psalm: THE STONE that the BUILDERS REJECTED BECAME the CORNERSTONE

And THIS STONE was ULTIMATELY JESUS CHRIST. && He was finally VINDICATED BY GOD @ the RESURRECTION.

ONLY NAME UNDER HEAVEN by which men are saved.

At the NAME of JESUS EVERY KNEE will BOW...

SOME PEOPLE CELEBRATED GOD’S PAST ACTIONS…BUT REJECTED HIS PRESENT ONES!

See, our GOD PROVED His COVENANT FAITHFULNESS, His STEADFAST LOVE to His creation FOR ALL TIME AT CALVARY!!

The MESSIAH BORE our SIN & SHAME…so that we could RECONCILED to God!

THIS IS THE DAY the LORD HAS MADE!

PREPARED BEFORE FOUNDATION of WORLD...

Marvelous in our eyes! LET US REJOICE & be glad in it!!

So, I want to ask you this morning, have you seen the covenant-faithfulness and steadfast love of our God that He displayed at the cross?

HAVE YOU ACCEPTED free GIFT of SALVATION?

CAN YOU SAY w/ psalmist, “THE LORD IS GOD”

YOU CAN BE SAVED TODAY by grace through faith!

& for those who know the Lord…let us rejoice in that day & thank Him for His steadfast love!

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Takeaways:

First, as BELIEVERS, we should ALWAYS be PRAISING and THANKING GOD for WHO HE IS.

HE’S ALREADY DONE ENOUGH!

We should also be THANKING GOD for WHAT HE’S DONE, EVEN IF sometimes at the PRESENT WE’RE DISAPPOINTED

GOD DOESN’T ALWAYS WORK according to OUR PLANS…yet HE’S FAITHFUL!

JESUS CHRIST is the ONE whom has been MADE the CORNERSTONE.

He’s the FULFILLMENT of THIS PSALM…the only one to whom we can look for salvation!

Application:

THANKSGIVING = must be REGULAR PART of our WORSHIP…

Likewise, psalm shows us to:

praise,

rejoice,

be glad…

based on WHO GOD IS & WHAT HE’S DONE!!

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SOMETIMES, we’re the psalmist CELEBRATING VICTORY

OTHER TIMES we’re DISAPPOINTED like 1st century Jews w/ Jesus…

GOD’S PLANS = DIFFERENT...

Challenge: DON’T LOOK to TEMPORAL THINGS ONLY...

We might get sick and not get better...

We might pray for a loved one who is sick and they end up dying.

Might be denied a myriad of natural desires & wants...

GOD IS GOOD & STEADFAST LOVE WAS ETERNALLY PROVEN @ CALVARY!!

As such, NO MATTER WHAT COMES in life, the VICTORIES, or the DISAPPOINTMENTS that we will all inevitably face,

we should KEEP OUR EYES SET on that ETERNAL FAITHFULNESS of GOD that GUARANTEED OUR SALVATION at the CROSS that we will SOMEDAY finally POSSESS IF we’ve BEEN RANSOMED by the blood of Christ

See, Jesus Christ is the Savior that we needed, even if he isn’t always the Savior that we want.

HE IS GOOD, and HE IS WORTHY of our WORSHIP this morning.

Close in prayer