The Reflection on Life's Hills

03/28/21 (Palm Sunday)

Dominant Thought: The steadfast love of God sustains us through life’s ups and downs.

Objectives:

I want my listeners to reflect on the steadfast love of the Lord in their life.

I want my listeners to see how Psalm 118 connects to the life of Jesus.

I want my listeners to practice one act of deliberate humiliation. See whether those affected treat you with less or more honor (Core 52, p. 92).

The town of Seneca, MO where I was raised had four large hills and the main street was in the valley between those hills and intersected by Lost Creek and Little Lost Creek. In the Spring and the fall, they both would flood. We lived on top of one of the hills, 11 Oak Ridge Drive in the Sherwood subdivision on the south side of town.

Once you get to the top of the hill, life is pretty good, but the journey to the top can sometimes be a challenge. I can remember a few winter snows that we had to park our car about a half a mile away on the street of our neighbors and walk through their back yard because our Ford Tempo even with its front wheel drive would not make it up our street.

Then, there was track practice. Every so often, coach would pick one of the four hills for us to run. I would say that these hills were a couple hundred yards in distance. Have you ever tried running up hill? It’s not very fast going. Your quadriceps burn, your lungs catch fire, and your calf muscles scream. The goal for running the hills is to train for the level ground of competition.

Psalm 118 could be viewed as one of those hill climbing songs. It talks about being pushed down and falling. It talks about entering the gates of righteousness and the horns of the altar that would have been located on the top of a mountain in Jerusalem. Psalm 118 reminds God’s people that The steadfast love of God sustains us through life’s ups and downs. Psalm 118.22 contains our core 52 memory verse for this week. It is a predictive prophecy about that Jesus fulfilled. So, as we look at the steadfast love of God through life’s ups and downs, I want to spend time in three texts: Psalm 118, Matthew 21, and Acts 4. We’ll look at how the Psalmist uses our core verse in Psalm 118, then see how our Savior uses it in Matthew 21, and finally close with how the apostles used it in Acts 4.

The Psalmist use of Psalm 118.22: Every generation must remember and remind each other of God’s ongoing love.

From start to finish, Psalm 118 wants God’s people to remember and remind one another of God’s ongoing love. Five times we read about the steadfast love of God in Psalm 118.1-3 and the final verse Psalm 118.29. The Psalmist confesses his trust in God with the words, “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Ps. 118.6).

After confessing his trust in God (Ps. 118.5-9), four times the Psalmist describes how he is surrounded in Psalm 118.10-12.

The Psalmist continues recounting the hardships of being pushed hard and falling (Psalm 118.13).

Last week, I attended the Iron Sharpens Iron conference in Decatur, IL. One of the preachers, Bryndan Loritts shared a story about his time as a church planter in Brentwood, TN. One of his leaders who was in charge of the finances, called Bryndan and said, “We need $2,800 by Friday to make payroll and rent for the building the church was using.” This call was on a Monday. Bryndan’s knees were knocking as the call finished. He hung up the phone and grabbed his Bible and went to his prayer closet. He began by pouring out his concerns and worries to the Lord. Then, he felt the Lord saying to just be quiet. So, Bryndan became quiet and listened and reflected on the words of Scripture. Then Bryndan prayed specifically, “Lord, we need $2,800 by Friday or my family may not eat and your church will be on the street.” After some time praying, He received a message from a pastor friend on the south side of Chicago. He told Bryndan, “The Lord put you on my heart. I have $300 for your church. Let me know where we need to send the money.” Bryndan thanked the Lord and then continued to pray, “Lord, we $2,500 by Friday or my family may not eat and your church will be on the street.” Before his prayer time ended, he received another message from a pastor friend in southern California. “Bryndan, the Lord has put you on my heart. I have a check for your church for $2,500. What is the address to send it?”

My friends, you cannot make that up. Psalm 118 reminds us to “give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.”

Matt Stafford from Ozark Christian College is convinced that the central verse of Psalm 118 is the key verse for the entire Psalm (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yclmwLY5sdo).

Psalm 118:14 ESV

The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.

Continuing from Psalm 118.14-21, he further describes the songs of salvation. Glad songs (Ps. 118.15), the right hand of the LORD is mighty and raised high. In Psalm 118.19, the Psalmist says, “Open to me the gates of righteousness that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.” The Psalmist again gives thanks to the Lord for hearing his prayer and saving him (Psalm 118.21).

Then, in Psalm 118.22, the song turns just a little with the words, “The stone the builders rejected.” (Cornerstone pic)

Psalm 118, resumes a prayer for help in Psalm 118.25, “Save us we pray.” In the words of the Psalmist, the prayer sounds like, “Hosanna.” It is the same words that the people cried out to Jesus as he entered into Jerusalem on that Palm Sunday (Matthew 21.9). (Palm Sunday Pic) Not only did they cry out, “Lord, save us,” but the crowd on the Triumphal parade shouted, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” The same words that we read in Psalm 118.26.

Do you remember back up to the earlier section of the Psalmist’s prayer as he was surrounded by enemies: all the nations surrounded me, surrounded on every side, surrounded like bees (Ps. 118.10-12). How did the Psalmist escape? Answer: “in the name of the Lord, I cut them off!” Now, in Matthew 21.9, we see Jesus entering Jerusalem with shouts, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Jesus is the one who will rescue the people. He is the one who can save them.

The Savior’s Use of Psalm 118.22.

Jesus entered Jerusalem on Sunday. Now, on Tuesday, Jesus enters the temple and the chief priests and elders come up to Jesus (Matt 21.23). I wonder if he felt like they had surrounded him like bees. The leaders question Jesus’ authority. He answers their question with a question of his one and then tells them some stories.

One story he tells them is recorded in Matthew 21.33-46. He tells the leaders that have surrounded and conspired to kill Jesus. In fact, the plans are already in motion.

The story goes like this. A master had a vineyard that he leased out to tenants and then he went off to another country. When the harvest came, he sent servants to the tenants to get his fruit. But the tenants, took the servants and beat one, killed another and stoned a third. These are some bad renters. The master sent other servants, more than the first time. I wonder how that group of servants felt when their names got called to go collect the fruit from these murderous tenants. The tenants killed those servants, too. Finally, he chose to send his son. The master said, “They will respect my son.” But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, “This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and have his inheritance.” They took the son out of the vineyard, and killed him.

Jesus closed the story with a question to his listeners, the chief priests and teachers who were conspiring to kill him. He asked, “When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to the tenants?”

The chief priests and the teachers answered, “He will put those wretches to a wretched death and lease out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruit.”

Jesus asked them another question,

Matthew 21:42–46 ESV

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “ ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.

Jesus got their attention. I am that son which may actually be a translation from the Jewish leaders understanding of Psalm 118.22, “The son the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”

While they understood, the parable was intended to uncover their plot to kill Jesus, they did not changes their plans. They chose to bide their time before killing Jesus.

My friend Wayne Shaw told me story about the great Scottish preacher, James S. Stewart, who may have as popular a preacher in Europe. In April 1975, James S. Stewart was one of to guests of honor for a special award for New Testament scholarship. On arriving at the banquet, he pulled up to the building. The doorkeeper didn’t recognize James Stewart and told him that those spaces were reserved for the VIP’s. What would you have done in that moment? It is your banquet, you’re the guest of honor and they tell you not to park in the spot reserved for you. James Stewart apologized and politely backed his car away and drove about a half a mile away to park his car. Then, he and his wife walked back up to the banquet (the story is told in Walking with God, p. 1).

The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. For our Core 52 action step this week, I challenge all of us: to practice one act of deliberate humiliation. See whether those affected treat you with less or more honor (Core 52, p. 92).

Every generation must remember and respond to God’s ongoing love. The master was patient and gave the tenants multiple opportunities to respond and give him his share of the fruit. Just like God’s steadfast ongoing love gives us multiple chances to respond to Him. He expects us to produce fruit. At some point, God will say, “Time’s up.” How did you respond to my offer of love.

The Apostle’s Use of Psalm 118.22 (Acts 4.1-12).

A few weeks later, Peter and John heal a lame guy at the temple of Jerusalem. Peter and John start preaching and giving credit to faith in Jesus that the man was healed. A crowd gathered and the same people whom Jesus told the story of the vineyard, heard the apostles preaching. The leaders were greatly annoyed (Acts 4.2) that Peter and John were teaching the people and proclaiming that Jesus rose from the dead. So, the leaders arrest Peter and John and put them in jail overnight. The result of this arrest? Answer: the people who heard the sermon that day believed in Jesus and 5,000 people were baptized.

The next day, Peter and John are brought before the council for questioning, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Do you remember the refrain from Psalm 118.10-12, “in the name of the Lord, I cut them off.” And, “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord (Psalm 118.26). This is a home run question for the apostles. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit speaks, “If we are being examined today concerning one good deed to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed...” (Acts 4.9).

Acts 4:10–12 ESV

let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Every generation must remember and rely on God’s ongoing love. Peter cannot say it any clearer, salvation is found in no other name under heaven. The message of Psalm 118 is that God rescued His people and will rescue them once again.

Another line that I heard from the Iron Sharpens Iron conference was, “What God orders, He pays for.” Jesus was rejected to pay the price for our salvation. How are we going to remind others of this truth? How are we going to respond with humility by producing fruit? How are we going to rely on the name of Jesus to save us?

Trust me, you don’t have go to Seneca, MO to find hills. Life is filled with plenty of ups and downs. I want to remind you to trust in the steadfast love of our Savior to see you through life’s up and downs.

Week 13 in Core 52 by Mark Moore

(These daily guides accompany the book, Core 52 by Mark Moore.)

Day 1: Read the essay.

Day 2: Memorize Psalm 118.22.

Day 3: Read Acts 3-5.

Day 4: Meditate on Isaiah 7.14; Matthew 21.33-46; Acts 4.11.

Day 5: Practice on act of deliberate humiliation. See whether those affected treat you with less or more honor.

Overachiever Challenge: Memorize Isaiah 7.14.

Bonus Read: J. Gresham Machen, The Virgin Birth of Christ.