WEBVTT 00:00:40.309 --> 00:00:41.750 Good morning, church. 00:00:41.990 --> 00:00:47.030 Our scripture this morning will come from Psalm 136, beginning with verse 1. 00:00:47.350 --> 00:00:53.429 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. 00:00:53.670 --> 00:00:58.950 Give thanks to the God of gods for his steadfast love endures forever. 00:00:59.189 --> 00:01:04.390 Give thanks to the Lord of Lords for His steadfast love endures forever. 00:01:04.709 --> 00:01:10.629 To him alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever. 00:01:11.030 --> 00:01:17.909 To him who by understanding made the heavens for his steadfast love endures forever. 00:01:18.150 --> 00:01:24.789 To him who spread out the earth above the waters for steadfast love endures forever. 00:01:27.189 --> 00:01:32.629 To him who made the great light for his steadfast love endures forever. 00:01:33.109 --> 00:01:38.710 The sun to rule over the day for his steadfast love endures forever. 00:01:39.030 --> 00:01:45.109 The moon and stars to rule over the night for steadfast love endures forever. 00:01:45.430 --> 00:01:51.270 To him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt with steadfast love endures forever. 00:01:51.750 --> 00:01:57.270 And brought Israel out from among them with steadfast love endures forever. 00:01:57.909 --> 00:02:03.990 With a strong hand and an outstretched arm for steadfast love, endures forever. 00:02:04.310 --> 00:02:10.150 To him who divided the Red Sea in two with steadfast love endures forever. 00:02:10.469 --> 00:02:16.150 And made Israel pass through the midst of it with steadfast love and does forever. 00:02:16.789 --> 00:02:23.750 But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea for his steadfast love and doeth forever. 00:02:23.990 --> 00:02:41.509 To him who led his people through the wilderness with steadfast love and who struck down great kings with steadfast love, endureth forever, and killed mighty kings for his steadfast love, endureth forever. 00:02:42.069 --> 00:02:47.270 Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever. 00:02:47.430 --> 00:02:52.870 And Og, king of Hashan, for his steadfast love endures forever. 00:02:53.189 --> 00:02:58.550 And gave their land as a heritage for his steadfast love endures forever. 00:02:58.870 --> 00:03:05.189 A heritage to Israel, his servant, for his steadfast love endures forever. 00:03:06.789 --> 00:03:12.390 It is he who remembered us in our lost estate for his steadfast love and doors. 00:03:13.909 --> 00:03:19.270 And rescued us from our foes for his steadfast love endure spirit. 00:03:19.990 --> 00:03:24.550 He who gives food to all flesh for his steadfast love and do us. 00:03:25.830 --> 00:03:30.469 Give thanks to the God of heaven for his steadfast love and do us. 00:04:06.069 --> 00:04:09.510 So grateful you've called us into your kingdom. 00:04:10.310 --> 00:04:15.990 Father, we're so grateful for your faithfulness, your your unchanging heart and ways. 00:04:37.829 --> 00:04:47.750 We just pray an anointing over him that uh he delivers your word to us today and that we are listening and that we're learning what you have for us today. 00:04:48.469 --> 00:04:50.709 We ask all we ask all this in Jesus' name. 00:04:50.789 --> 00:04:51.269 Amen. 00:04:51.509 --> 00:04:52.149 Amen. 00:04:52.629 --> 00:04:54.310 Thank you, brothers. 00:04:57.269 --> 00:04:59.029 Good morning, and welcome to Heartland. 00:04:59.109 --> 00:04:59.909 My name is Robert. 00:04:59.989 --> 00:05:01.669 I'm one of the pastors here. 00:05:01.829 --> 00:05:07.509 Um, before we dive into the text, I feel like I'm sleepwalking a little bit this morning. 00:05:07.589 --> 00:05:18.149 So let me just tell you that I had the um blessing of attending camp with your students this last week, and it was such a privilege. 00:05:18.310 --> 00:05:25.589 And just parents, I want you to know your students are an absolute treasure to my soul. 00:05:25.989 --> 00:05:33.829 Just want you to know how much they mean to me and how much I care about them and how much of a blessing it is just to spend the the week with them. 00:05:33.909 --> 00:05:44.709 I was thinking this week, all throughout the week, you know, we you go to camps and you go to retreats and you do all these things in in student ministry, and there's all these things that people refer to as camp highs and this, that, and the other. 00:05:44.789 --> 00:06:02.469 And as I watch your students, one of the things that really stuck out to me throughout the week, as I even as I've gotten back and have thought about it, is the reality that they got to experience as it relates to the one-anotherness of the church over the course of the last six days as they did life together. 00:06:02.629 --> 00:06:07.029 And I this is gonna sound really hilarious, but adults will know what I mean. 00:06:07.109 --> 00:06:12.629 Like you see two students, and you're like, man, there's no chance that they're gonna get along this week. 00:06:12.789 --> 00:06:15.189 There's zero chance that they're getting along this week. 00:06:15.269 --> 00:06:18.629 And then by the end of the week, they're they're besties, right? 00:06:18.709 --> 00:06:23.109 And they're hanging out and they're exuding togetherness that we see in scripture. 00:06:23.189 --> 00:06:41.349 So I I wanna I want to say something to parents, and uh I don't know why the Lord has prompted me in this, but parents, you need to know and understand that the the spiritual maturity that I observed in your students this week is a direct reflection of your intentionality to care and love and disciple your students. 00:06:41.429 --> 00:07:01.669 So I don't know what parent of a student walked in discouraged this morning, but you should be encouraged by the spiritual maturity of your student because that is a direct reflection of the intentional effort you were making to disciple them, on top of the leaders that that we have here that are so faithful to serve them, and and Luke, who is so faithful to serve them as well. 00:07:01.829 --> 00:07:05.029 So uh just know that your students are cared for deeply. 00:07:05.109 --> 00:07:08.149 Um, I could I could talk all day about that, but I'm not going to. 00:07:08.229 --> 00:07:09.750 But just so you guys are aware, too. 00:07:09.829 --> 00:07:11.589 I'm I'm leaving today to go to convention. 00:07:11.669 --> 00:07:12.949 I'll be out through Wednesday. 00:07:13.029 --> 00:07:17.029 I'll be available via phone, but I will be slower to respond than normal. 00:07:17.189 --> 00:07:20.149 So if you need something in an emergent situation, feel free. 00:07:20.229 --> 00:07:24.709 You can reach out to me, but also feel free to reach out to the other elders as well, as always. 00:07:24.949 --> 00:07:26.789 And here we are in this psalm. 00:07:27.029 --> 00:07:34.149 And I don't know about you, but that statement to me, his steadfast love endures forever, can be an over overwhelming one. 00:07:34.709 --> 00:07:39.509 I love how one commentator summarized the psalm that we just read together. 00:07:39.750 --> 00:07:49.029 He said, This God's mighty acts of creation and salvation reveal his enduring and faithful love for his people. 00:07:49.509 --> 00:07:55.349 That is a great summary statement for the words that we just read from the psalmist in Psalms 136. 00:07:55.429 --> 00:07:58.069 This is a powerful passage. 00:07:58.549 --> 00:08:11.349 You know, I discovered this week that every single verse, as you guys just discovered when we read it, in these 26 verses, is the statement, his steadfast love endures forever. 00:08:11.429 --> 00:08:22.949 And something else I also discovered this week is that every single verse in this passage of scripture is either quoted or quotes another passage of scripture. 00:08:23.109 --> 00:08:29.269 It is either quoted in another passage of scripture or it itself quotes another passage of scripture. 00:08:29.429 --> 00:08:35.429 And if you're sitting there and you're thinking, how can it be that significant if it's that repetitive? 00:08:35.590 --> 00:08:35.909 Right? 00:08:36.070 --> 00:08:39.590 Most things in our lives that are repetitive, they become redundant. 00:08:39.830 --> 00:08:42.230 They almost lose emphasis. 00:08:42.389 --> 00:08:57.110 I will I want to start by saying, if that is you this morning, I would encourage you to buckle up and I pray that the Spirit takes you on quite a journey this morning as we look at the specifics of what is being communicated in this passage by the psalmist. 00:08:57.509 --> 00:09:12.070 Every time an attribute of God or an example of God's faithfulness is mentioned by the psalmist in today's sermon text, it is proclaimed with purpose, for his steadfast love endures forever. 00:09:12.230 --> 00:09:15.350 We see proclamations in the passage of God's goodness. 00:09:15.590 --> 00:09:18.629 We see him proclaimed as the God of gods in verse two. 00:09:18.870 --> 00:09:21.750 We see him proclaimed as the Lord of Lords in verse three. 00:09:21.909 --> 00:09:28.149 We see reminders of his faithfulness over the course of the next 20 verses that follow verse three. 00:09:28.949 --> 00:09:30.709 Faithfulness through the generations. 00:09:30.870 --> 00:09:33.429 We sang about that a moment ago as well. 00:09:33.590 --> 00:09:39.829 And as we begin, I want to pose a question for you to consider as we look at the text and dive into the text together this morning. 00:09:39.909 --> 00:09:46.789 And that is this what is keeping you from proclaiming this very same phrase or praise? 00:09:46.949 --> 00:09:50.549 His steadfast love endures forever. 00:09:50.949 --> 00:09:55.269 As we make our way through the text, the structure is going to become overwhelmingly clear. 00:09:55.350 --> 00:09:57.669 We have attributes and then praise. 00:09:57.829 --> 00:10:05.750 We have faithfulness and then praise over and over and over and over and over again, 26 times. 00:10:05.829 --> 00:10:09.990 So as we dive in, let's first look at the attributes of God, leads us to praise him. 00:10:10.149 --> 00:10:15.429 We're secondly going to look at the faithfulness of God, uh sustains our praise of him or leads us to praise him. 00:10:15.590 --> 00:10:22.069 And to conclude, we will look at the statement that is repeated oh so many times, and that is this steadfast love endures forever. 00:10:22.149 --> 00:10:25.269 So let's look at attributes of God lead us to praise him. 00:10:25.590 --> 00:10:29.189 As I mentioned, verse one communicates the goodness of God. 00:10:29.429 --> 00:10:32.389 Verse two and three point to his sovereignty, right? 00:10:32.470 --> 00:10:37.590 He is the God of gods in verse two, he is the Lord of lords in verse three. 00:10:37.909 --> 00:10:41.590 We have so many reasons to praise him. 00:10:42.230 --> 00:10:46.629 He is God, he is holy, he is eternal, he is king. 00:10:46.709 --> 00:10:48.629 And that's just to name a few. 00:10:48.789 --> 00:10:50.789 However, I want to make this statement. 00:10:50.949 --> 00:10:58.470 If we had no other reason to praise God other than his goodness, that would be enough. 00:11:02.069 --> 00:11:11.509 That statement is not made to enclose God in some box or to denounce the all-encompassing realities of who he is. 00:11:11.669 --> 00:11:15.590 Rather, it was made to accentuate his goodness. 00:11:16.309 --> 00:11:21.829 His goodness is enough to spark praise because he is enough. 00:11:24.789 --> 00:11:29.590 We have to be careful not to think of goodness in our terms, right? 00:11:29.669 --> 00:11:37.590 We think about goodness, and I think about like uh the grandma sitting at the family reunion watching all the kids play and saying thing. 00:11:37.750 --> 00:11:39.189 Man, oh bless his heart. 00:11:39.269 --> 00:11:41.189 He is such a good boy. 00:11:41.990 --> 00:11:47.110 But the reality is that we know from scripture the the bad news is no, he's not. 00:11:47.829 --> 00:11:49.110 No, he's not. 00:11:49.669 --> 00:11:52.789 Scripture says no one is good, no, not one. 00:11:53.350 --> 00:11:57.990 God is good because he created all things, God is good because his glory is infinite. 00:11:58.149 --> 00:12:05.350 God is good because of Jesus Christ, the God man, Christ the Son, was the sinless, spotless Lamb. 00:12:06.309 --> 00:12:09.350 God is good because his joy is eternal. 00:12:10.629 --> 00:12:13.429 There's so many reasons that God is good. 00:12:15.029 --> 00:12:26.149 I discovered in my study this week, if you look at the word here used for good, the Hebrew word, it's used over seven hundred times in the Old Testament. 00:12:26.389 --> 00:12:29.269 Not seven, not seventy, seven hundred. 00:12:29.509 --> 00:12:39.590 So we have to resist the temptation to miss or to overlook that the old testament, just like the new testament, is a testimony to good the goodness of God. 00:12:40.389 --> 00:12:44.789 And with that, we're gonna go on a quick journey and we're gonna look at three specific things. 00:12:45.029 --> 00:12:47.590 The first one, Deuteronomy 10.17. 00:12:47.669 --> 00:12:50.389 You don't have to flip there, but I would encourage you to write this passage down. 00:12:50.709 --> 00:12:52.069 Deuteronomy 10.17. 00:12:52.230 --> 00:13:04.709 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. 00:13:05.750 --> 00:13:10.470 You know, there's debates on the exact date that Deuteronomy was written, right? 00:13:10.549 --> 00:13:14.549 Some people say it was 700 BC, others say it was 600 BC. 00:13:14.629 --> 00:13:21.269 So let's just take the the conservative route here and say that it was written in 600 BC. 00:13:23.590 --> 00:13:34.069 2600 years ago, it was proclaimed that he is the Lord of lords and the God of gods, that he is good. 00:13:35.189 --> 00:13:44.309 It was also prophesied, as we know throughout the Old Testament, that the God man, Jesus Christ, God the Son, would take on flesh, and guess what? 00:13:44.549 --> 00:13:45.750 He did just that. 00:13:45.990 --> 00:13:59.429 Again, secondly, another passage, don't turn there, but I would encourage you to write down 1 Timothy 6 15, which he will display at the proper time, he who is the blessed and only sovereign, the king of kings and the lord of lords. 00:13:59.590 --> 00:14:01.350 This is Paul, he's writing to Timothy. 00:14:01.429 --> 00:14:04.949 Timothy at the time was ministering to the church in Ephesus. 00:14:05.189 --> 00:14:09.429 Jesus at this time, he had come to earth, he had lived a perfect life, and he had gone. 00:14:09.669 --> 00:14:14.069 He had conquered sin, he had conquered death, and he had conquered the grave. 00:14:15.110 --> 00:14:17.829 And they awaited his return. 00:14:18.069 --> 00:14:21.029 Third, Revelation 19, 16. 00:14:21.429 --> 00:14:29.269 On his robe and on his thigh, he has a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 00:14:30.549 --> 00:14:33.110 At this moment, Jesus has yet to come back. 00:14:33.750 --> 00:14:38.789 At this moment, we do not know the day, time, or hour of his return. 00:14:39.110 --> 00:14:45.590 But one thing that you can walk out of these doors and tank to the bake this afternoon is that Jesus will return. 00:14:48.069 --> 00:15:01.110 If you've been searching for God's goodness, if you question God's goodness, if you're not able to comprehend God's goodness or understand it or explain it, look no further. 00:15:02.389 --> 00:15:04.389 Stop where you are right now, right? 00:15:04.549 --> 00:15:07.590 I'm missing my kids right now, so I'm gonna say a word that reminds me of them. 00:15:07.829 --> 00:15:12.389 In the seat that you're sitting in with your Bulali in the chair, stop where you are. 00:15:13.269 --> 00:15:16.149 Psalms 136.1 says, God is good. 00:15:16.309 --> 00:15:21.590 And 2600 years ago, it was proclaimed in Deuteronomy that God is good. 00:15:22.549 --> 00:15:27.509 Then 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ showed up on the scene. 00:15:27.750 --> 00:15:37.269 He showed his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, he conquered the grave, he conquered sin, and he ascended to the right hand of the Father. 00:15:37.509 --> 00:15:41.669 And at a date not yet known, Jesus will return. 00:15:41.829 --> 00:15:53.669 He will usher in a new kingdom, we'll get rid of these broken down bodies that are sleep-deprived and disease-riddled and broken and beaten, and we will be given a new body. 00:15:55.990 --> 00:16:05.189 Augustine in his exposition of verse one put points out the goodness spoken of here is have it has far more depth than the statement, he is good. 00:16:05.429 --> 00:16:07.269 There is far more depth here. 00:16:07.429 --> 00:16:13.029 The Hebrew word can be expounded to say something like, He is good and is the most excellent. 00:16:18.230 --> 00:16:30.389 One of the things my wife helps me with is when I wear something new that I've never worn together before, is I have to ask her if it looks okay, right? 00:16:30.549 --> 00:16:37.189 If it looks good, one and if it looks good together to ensure one, it looks good and it that it matches. 00:16:37.350 --> 00:16:39.829 And there are times that I am so excited. 00:16:39.909 --> 00:16:46.470 I've picked out something new and it matches, and I walk out and I ask her this question does this look good? 00:16:47.509 --> 00:16:50.470 And she looks at me and she says, Yeah, it looks fine. 00:16:50.709 --> 00:16:54.789 And I turn around and I walk right back into my closet. 00:16:57.269 --> 00:16:59.350 It doesn't look fine. 00:16:59.590 --> 00:17:02.309 There is a difference between, yeah, he is good. 00:17:03.669 --> 00:17:08.069 And he is good, he is oh so sweet, he is my king. 00:17:08.870 --> 00:17:10.870 There is a difference in the two. 00:17:11.590 --> 00:17:14.789 And the second is what we see in verse one. 00:17:15.750 --> 00:17:21.110 And it leads us right into a conversation around his sovereignty in verse two and three. 00:17:21.269 --> 00:17:27.110 I want to connect something for you here that we can draw both out of this text and out of the scope of scripture. 00:17:27.269 --> 00:17:31.990 If God isn't sovereign, then there would be limits to his goodness. 00:17:34.789 --> 00:17:39.590 And limited goodness is no goodness at all. 00:17:40.390 --> 00:17:57.350 The statements God of God and Lord of Lords, both here in this passage in Psalms 82 and in John 10, and all throughout scripture, is one of the most difficult statements in all of God's word to understand and to decipher. 00:17:57.830 --> 00:18:04.630 And there are differences of opinion on the exact interpretation of what exactly is God of God's and Lord of Lords. 00:18:04.710 --> 00:18:13.990 But understand this the difference of opinion has nothing to do with big G God and has everything to do with lower G God. 00:18:16.230 --> 00:18:17.110 Because guess what? 00:18:17.269 --> 00:18:21.430 Lowercase gods are nothing in comparison to our God. 00:18:21.509 --> 00:18:23.030 So let's briefly look at this. 00:18:23.190 --> 00:18:28.630 I'm gonna flip to John 1031 quickly, and I'm gonna read for you this. 00:18:28.790 --> 00:18:35.910 1031 through 39 says this the Jews picked up stones again to stone him, talking about stoning Jesus. 00:18:36.070 --> 00:18:43.269 Jesus answered them, I have shown you many good works from the Father, from which of them are you going to stone me? 00:18:43.509 --> 00:18:53.030 The Jews answered him, It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God. 00:18:54.070 --> 00:18:59.190 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, You are gods? 00:18:59.350 --> 00:19:11.110 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came, and scripture cannot be broken, do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, you are blaspheming because I said I am the Son of God? 00:19:11.350 --> 00:19:14.550 If I am not doing the works of my father, then do not believe me. 00:19:14.790 --> 00:19:24.150 But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father. 00:19:24.390 --> 00:19:28.070 Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. 00:19:28.310 --> 00:19:34.390 Jesus had been called a blasphemer because he had declared himself the Son of God. 00:19:34.790 --> 00:19:38.870 Let's just say the Jews had an issue with that. 00:19:39.830 --> 00:19:44.870 And what we see happen there is Psalms 82 starts being quoted, right? 00:19:45.030 --> 00:19:53.590 The the Jews make reference to that in their accusation, and Jesus responds to that accusation by quoting Psalms 82. 00:19:53.910 --> 00:20:11.430 The very passage that the Jews are attempting to use to call him a blasphemer is the very passage that Jesus quotes in his rebuttal as to say, quit worrying about the phrase, quit worrying about the word I'm using to refer to myself as, and start worrying about who I am and who you are. 00:20:12.870 --> 00:20:25.350 Psalms 82 says this I said, this is six verse six and seven, you are gods, lowercase, sons of the most high, all of you, nevertheless, like men, you shall die and fall like any prince. 00:20:27.030 --> 00:20:31.190 I know it's complicated, but I bring all that up to make the following statement. 00:20:31.350 --> 00:20:41.750 Yes, man was referred to as lowercase g gods before you say, Whoa, whoa, whoa, quick, don't don't jump to calling me a blasphemer. 00:20:41.910 --> 00:20:43.990 Listen to a second, listen for a second. 00:20:44.230 --> 00:20:57.190 The reference here to lowercase G gods and even Jesus' interaction in John 10 with the Jewish folks and his rebuttal tells us two vitally important things. 00:20:57.430 --> 00:21:04.070 The first one is this man was referred to as a lowercase G God because the word of the Lord was upon them. 00:21:05.110 --> 00:21:10.150 It was more like sons of God or children of God, children of God. 00:21:10.550 --> 00:21:24.470 And two, and this is the one I don't want you to miss any goodness that exists within man is because it was bestowed upon him by the only holy, righteous God. 00:21:25.110 --> 00:21:31.509 Any goodness that is within you, we see things in God's word like, man, my works are filthy rags. 00:21:32.070 --> 00:21:39.830 Any goodness that is within you is because it was bestowed upon you by a holy and righteous and sovereign God. 00:21:40.070 --> 00:21:47.990 I want to be clear this morning that what I am communicating or what this text is communicating, that God alone is God. 00:21:50.870 --> 00:22:02.710 We can draw the application from these first few verses that nothing that we try to put in the seat of God can actually sustain being God, including ourselves. 00:22:04.950 --> 00:22:08.790 I believe there's some sarcasm with the psalmist in Psalm 82. 00:22:08.950 --> 00:22:12.230 You may be gods, but guess what? 00:22:12.790 --> 00:22:15.509 You like every other man, you're gonna die. 00:22:17.590 --> 00:22:27.670 Only he is good, only he is sovereign, only he is righteous, he is the king of kings, he is the God of gods, he is the Lord of lords, he is unmatched. 00:22:29.430 --> 00:22:39.670 Which is why the chorus of the heavens will proclaim forever holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. 00:22:42.870 --> 00:22:48.470 We see attributes of God in verse one, two, and three point us to praise him. 00:22:49.030 --> 00:22:52.950 Next, we see the faithfulness of God leads us to praise him as well. 00:22:53.110 --> 00:22:56.150 You notice the transition that takes place in verse four. 00:22:56.630 --> 00:22:59.990 Verse one, two, and three really was all about who God is. 00:23:01.190 --> 00:23:03.990 The psalmist calling for thanksgiving in response to who he is. 00:23:04.150 --> 00:23:06.550 He is good, he is God, he is Lord, he is sovereign. 00:23:06.790 --> 00:23:09.590 Verse four shifts to don't forget all he's done. 00:23:10.150 --> 00:23:10.950 This is who he is. 00:23:11.030 --> 00:23:12.870 Now don't forget all he's done. 00:23:13.030 --> 00:23:21.990 As Michael Maine mentioned, most scholars believe that this psalm would have been used as a call and response song amongst the Israelites in their liturgy. 00:23:22.150 --> 00:23:27.350 Now it would have been different for the people in the Hebrew language for a couple of reasons. 00:23:27.509 --> 00:23:30.070 Let me let me point out one of you that I found fascinating. 00:23:30.150 --> 00:23:37.350 In the English version of the statement that we read over and over and over again, for a stepfast love endures forever. 00:23:37.509 --> 00:23:44.870 If my English is right, I didn't get an English major to check me, but if my English is right, there are 10 syllables in that statement. 00:23:45.110 --> 00:23:46.870 In the Hebrew, there are six. 00:23:47.030 --> 00:23:48.550 So that's a difference of four syllables. 00:23:48.790 --> 00:23:54.550 You multiply that across 26 times that it's repeated, you have 104 less syllables in the Hebrew. 00:23:54.630 --> 00:24:00.150 So it's different in that regard, which is a funny one and a silly one, and we we see that and it's it's cool and all. 00:24:00.230 --> 00:24:04.950 But I want you to take note of the difference in the contextual realities for a second. 00:24:05.269 --> 00:24:09.350 In verses four through nine, we see that he is a creator God. 00:24:09.509 --> 00:24:12.070 We see that he is faithful to do great wonders. 00:24:12.230 --> 00:24:14.150 We see that he made the heavens and the earth. 00:24:14.230 --> 00:24:19.030 In one of the verses, we see that he created the sun and the lights, and he created the moon and the stars. 00:24:19.269 --> 00:24:21.030 Fairly simple for us thus far. 00:24:21.190 --> 00:24:22.470 Pretty easy for us to comprehend. 00:24:22.550 --> 00:24:22.790 Why? 00:24:22.870 --> 00:24:23.830 Because it's palpable. 00:24:23.990 --> 00:24:29.990 We see the moon, we see the stars, we see the sun, we see the earth, we see the things that he created. 00:24:30.230 --> 00:24:36.470 However, verse 10 is where it can be different contextually for us versus the people who were originally singing this. 00:24:36.630 --> 00:24:41.509 For us, it can easily become words on the page, something that happened 2,000 plus years ago. 00:24:41.590 --> 00:24:51.190 But for the people reading and seeing the psalm, everything in the passage from verse 10 on would have been contextually significant in their lives and in the lives of their people. 00:24:51.509 --> 00:24:51.990 Why? 00:24:52.150 --> 00:24:58.550 They would have been singing about the realities of what took place in the life of the Israelites, in their people. 00:24:58.710 --> 00:25:03.269 Verse 10 reminds them that they were protected in Egypt. 00:25:03.430 --> 00:25:05.110 The firstborn was protected. 00:25:05.269 --> 00:25:08.710 Verse 11 reminds them that they were brought out of Egypt. 00:25:09.269 --> 00:25:14.070 Verse 12 through 14 reminds them they were able to pass through the Red Sea, right? 00:25:14.470 --> 00:25:17.269 The Red Sea parted as if that was not amazing enough. 00:25:17.350 --> 00:25:20.230 They got all the way through it, as if that was not amazing enough. 00:25:20.310 --> 00:25:22.710 Guess what happened to the Egyptians when they tried to pass? 00:25:22.950 --> 00:25:23.590 Crash. 00:25:25.190 --> 00:25:27.750 Verse 15, they didn't make it. 00:25:27.830 --> 00:25:29.110 The Egyptians didn't make it. 00:25:29.269 --> 00:25:30.230 They didn't make it across. 00:25:30.310 --> 00:25:31.750 They chased them, they couldn't get there. 00:25:31.910 --> 00:25:42.310 Verse 16 reminds them that they were in the wilderness, but the entire time that they were in the wilderness, God's sovereign hand was in control and he eventually led them out of it. 00:25:43.750 --> 00:25:52.790 Verse 17 through 22 is a reminder that God struck down king after king, great kings, mighty kings, so that they would get their land as an inheritance. 00:25:53.110 --> 00:25:57.670 Verse 23 and 24 reminds them that they were rescued from their foes. 00:25:57.830 --> 00:26:01.430 Verse 25 reminds them that the Lord provided. 00:26:23.110 --> 00:26:25.430 How palpable is that for them? 00:26:25.590 --> 00:26:36.150 And each one of those things that I just rattled off from verse 10 through verse 25 is evidence of this: God's sustaining grace upon their life. 00:26:39.030 --> 00:26:47.830 Israelites, if you want to know a little bit about the story of the Israelites in the Old Testament, I can summarize it for you in just three or four sentences. 00:26:50.790 --> 00:26:52.230 God redeemed them. 00:26:53.670 --> 00:26:54.710 Here's where it gets good. 00:26:54.870 --> 00:26:56.870 The Israelites screwed up everything. 00:26:57.509 --> 00:26:58.710 God redeemed them. 00:26:59.910 --> 00:27:00.470 Wait a second. 00:27:00.630 --> 00:27:02.630 Israelites screwed up everything again. 00:27:02.950 --> 00:27:04.470 God redeemed them. 00:27:04.950 --> 00:27:06.230 Pure grace. 00:27:07.110 --> 00:27:08.870 Pure grace. 00:27:09.750 --> 00:27:16.710 You know, sometimes I wonder if the screenwriters from Groundhog Day got the idea from the story of the nation of Israel. 00:27:18.950 --> 00:27:22.150 You know where else they might get an idea for a movie like that? 00:27:22.630 --> 00:27:23.910 Your life. 00:27:24.310 --> 00:27:25.590 And my life. 00:27:27.430 --> 00:27:43.269 You see, on this side of the cross, if you are a follower of Jesus, you have been made sons and daughters of the one true King through the blessed redemption made possible by the living, living, risen, and reigning Son of God. 00:27:44.870 --> 00:27:53.350 And we too, each day, we wake up and we spit in his face with our sin and with our disobedience. 00:27:53.910 --> 00:27:57.590 Time and time and time again. 00:27:58.630 --> 00:28:09.430 However, because the eternal security provided by the blood of Jesus for the redeemed sinner, we have the blessed opportunity in the same way that the Israelites we see happen in the Old Testament. 00:28:09.509 --> 00:28:17.030 We have the blessed opportunity to experience the unmerited grace from the moment of our salvation into eternity. 00:28:18.790 --> 00:28:20.150 Pure grace. 00:28:21.110 --> 00:28:24.310 Pure unmerited grace. 00:28:25.350 --> 00:28:32.550 And in the Psalm we see the phrase, for his steadfast love endures forever. 00:28:35.350 --> 00:28:39.110 For his steadfast love endures forever. 00:28:40.470 --> 00:28:43.430 For his steadfast love endures forever. 00:28:44.230 --> 00:28:46.790 For his steadfast love endures forever. 00:28:46.950 --> 00:28:50.390 For his steadfast love endures forever. 00:28:50.630 --> 00:28:54.710 For his steadfast love endures forever. 00:28:54.870 --> 00:28:57.990 For his steadfast love endures forever. 00:28:58.310 --> 00:29:02.550 For his steadfast love endures forever. 00:29:05.430 --> 00:29:07.670 For his steadfast love endures forever. 00:29:07.830 --> 00:29:09.910 That's ten times you guys get the point. 00:29:10.550 --> 00:29:12.950 Twenty-six times it is proclaimed. 00:29:13.990 --> 00:29:16.550 And twenty-six times it is true. 00:29:18.710 --> 00:29:22.070 God's love for his people isn't limited. 00:29:22.630 --> 00:29:26.950 It's not limited, it is limitless, and it will endure forever. 00:29:27.030 --> 00:29:30.230 It will never cease, it will never end, it will never falter. 00:29:30.390 --> 00:29:34.390 Even when you falter, it will not falter. 00:29:35.670 --> 00:29:41.269 I want to point out two things for you to bring this into more of a reality for us. 00:29:41.430 --> 00:29:43.430 First is the cross. 00:29:43.830 --> 00:29:44.150 Right? 00:29:44.230 --> 00:29:49.830 The cross, more than anything else, is evidence of God's sustaining grace on our lives. 00:29:50.070 --> 00:29:57.430 Even for those of you in the room who have never responded to the prompt of this prompting the spirit to put your faith in Christ, you're not a follower of Jesus. 00:29:57.590 --> 00:30:02.710 The cross for you represents God's sustaining grace in your life. 00:30:02.950 --> 00:30:04.150 And here's why. 00:30:04.390 --> 00:30:17.350 Even if you continue every single day to wake up and turn your back on a holy God, by pure grace is the only reason that the cross is made available to you by Jesus Christ, the spotless Lamb. 00:30:17.590 --> 00:30:22.470 The only reason that you even have a chance to respond is pure grace. 00:30:23.269 --> 00:30:24.550 Pure grace. 00:30:24.790 --> 00:30:29.990 You did nothing to deserve it, and neither did I, and neither did anybody else. 00:30:30.710 --> 00:30:45.990 And secondly, every single believer in the room could make a list of things that they have endured in this life that apart from the reality of his steadfast love, you would have not made it through. 00:30:46.630 --> 00:30:54.390 Health diagnosis, broken relationships, job loss, financial difficulties. 00:30:54.630 --> 00:30:58.310 And some of you may be where you're sitting right now, you may be thinking, well, you're right. 00:30:58.390 --> 00:30:59.509 I have that list. 00:31:01.190 --> 00:31:03.269 But I have yet to make it through. 00:31:03.430 --> 00:31:05.269 I haven't made it through yet. 00:31:05.350 --> 00:31:06.870 I am still struggling. 00:31:07.030 --> 00:31:09.590 If that is you, let me encourage you to do something. 00:31:09.670 --> 00:31:12.630 And this is the very reason I wanted to point to do these two things. 00:31:12.790 --> 00:31:16.230 I want to encourage you to combine the two for a second. 00:31:16.470 --> 00:31:21.350 Combine the cross and combine your list of misery that I just spoke about. 00:31:21.670 --> 00:31:27.830 It is because of the cross that we can sing a new song to the Lord in our sufferings. 00:31:29.350 --> 00:31:33.509 It is because the cross that we can sing, God, I had a poor health diagnosis. 00:31:33.670 --> 00:31:38.150 It is getting worse, and I'm going to pass from this life soon. 00:31:38.390 --> 00:31:42.790 His steadfast love endures forever. 00:31:44.150 --> 00:31:47.750 God, a relationship that I cherish was broken. 00:31:47.910 --> 00:31:51.110 I have done everything I can to restore it. 00:31:51.190 --> 00:31:51.990 I have repented. 00:31:52.150 --> 00:31:57.990 I have done all the things that scripture calls me to do, yet it has not been restored. 00:31:58.230 --> 00:32:01.990 His steadfast love endures forever. 00:32:02.550 --> 00:32:06.470 God, I lost my job and have yet to find another. 00:32:14.310 --> 00:32:19.190 For his steadfast love endures forever. 00:32:19.910 --> 00:32:25.750 I have lost every dime I have and every person that I care about. 00:32:25.990 --> 00:32:29.590 His steadfast love endures forever. 00:32:30.550 --> 00:32:45.350 You see, because of his faithfulness that was proven on the cross, when we face the most intense suffering that we can even begin to imagine, we have the blessed opportunity to proclaim his steadfast love endures forever. 00:32:45.670 --> 00:32:48.790 Which brings us to the final verse in verse 26. 00:32:49.670 --> 00:32:53.750 I love how Michael Wilcock speaks of this psalm. 00:32:53.910 --> 00:33:06.070 He says, This from the beginning of creation to the climax of redemption, from the first making of the heavens to the final inheritance of the saints, all is to be seen against the background of the love of God. 00:33:06.550 --> 00:33:14.550 That love is both indestructible because it's covenant love and boundless because it endures forever. 00:33:14.790 --> 00:33:25.990 As you look around at all he has made, and you follow through all that he has done over the course of history at every point in the psalm, it is saying, Covenant love did this. 00:33:27.269 --> 00:33:33.670 And we are reminded in verse 26 that God is the God of heaven. 00:33:33.990 --> 00:33:36.230 He is good most certainly. 00:33:36.550 --> 00:33:38.950 He is faithful most certainly. 00:33:39.110 --> 00:33:41.190 He is sovereign most certainly. 00:33:41.350 --> 00:33:46.230 He is the creator most certainly, and he is the God of heaven. 00:33:46.550 --> 00:33:49.830 I want you to do something for a second with me in your mind. 00:33:49.910 --> 00:33:52.230 Let's say you went on a world tour, right? 00:33:52.390 --> 00:33:55.110 You left here and you come back in five years. 00:33:55.269 --> 00:34:00.390 And in those five years, you visited every single country in the world. 00:34:00.630 --> 00:34:05.910 You spoke, or at least tried to speak, to every single language that existed in the world. 00:34:06.070 --> 00:34:12.469 You visited every climate, you visited every tribe, you visited every nation, you saw every animal, you swam in every sea. 00:34:13.509 --> 00:34:15.670 You swam in every body of water for that matter. 00:34:15.750 --> 00:34:17.269 Let's add lakes in there. 00:34:17.590 --> 00:34:25.590 Every single molecule of every single thing that you touched, that you smelled, that you heard, that you saw is his. 00:35:30.150 --> 00:35:43.269 And you will either experience the reality of his steadfast love endures forever in redemption, or in that moment you will experience the reality of his steadfast love, endures forever in condemnation. 00:35:43.510 --> 00:35:44.630 One of the two. 00:36:43.349 --> 00:36:49.190 Some of you here in this room may be sitting and saying, Man, this is all well and good. 00:36:49.349 --> 00:36:51.670 Like his mercy or his love endures forever. 00:36:51.750 --> 00:36:52.710 I see that in this passage. 00:36:52.789 --> 00:36:56.309 I even sang that worship song in the 2000s with everybody else. 00:36:57.590 --> 00:37:00.950 But I don't deserve his love. 00:37:09.269 --> 00:37:15.670 I've lived long enough that that some of us, and I'm one of these people, we're just predisposed to be discouraged. 00:37:16.309 --> 00:37:17.510 It's a reality. 00:37:17.750 --> 00:37:20.230 And it's not a it's not a fun reality. 00:37:23.829 --> 00:37:30.230 God's love and mercy floods your life even when you don't deserve it. 00:37:31.269 --> 00:37:32.950 Even when you don't deserve it. 00:37:33.910 --> 00:37:36.309 God's love and mercy will flood your life. 00:37:36.470 --> 00:37:39.590 You see, our salvation has nothing to do with what we have done. 00:37:39.750 --> 00:37:42.230 It has everything to do with what he has done. 00:37:45.430 --> 00:37:48.070 So we prepare to respond in in a moment. 00:37:49.190 --> 00:37:58.710 Believers, you will be able, when we participate in the Lord's Supper together, you will be able to declare his steadfast love endures forever. 00:37:59.349 --> 00:38:01.430 As we take the elements. 00:38:03.030 --> 00:38:16.230 What better way for a follower of Jesus to respond than the breaking of bread and a reminder of the pure unmerited grace that we have received because of the broken body and because of the shed blood? 00:38:16.950 --> 00:38:26.950 This morning, if you need prayer, if you feel the spirit prompting you in some way, I would encourage you this morning to not let that just subside and walk out of this room. 00:38:27.110 --> 00:38:28.950 Find someone, the person next to you. 00:38:29.349 --> 00:38:31.349 There'll be a song after we participate in communion. 00:38:31.670 --> 00:38:32.630 Come up here and pray. 00:38:32.789 --> 00:38:33.829 I'll be up here after. 00:38:33.910 --> 00:38:49.190 As we alluded to last week at the conclusion of the service, the pastors, the elders will be hanging out by the door to be able to greet you and care for you and pray for you and do all the things that we desire and that you might desire as well as we seek to minister you to you well. 00:38:49.750 --> 00:39:04.869 But brothers and sisters, today we we are we are in the psalm in large part because I firmly believe that we as followers of Jesus, we need to be encouraged by the truth that his steadfast love endures forever. 00:39:05.430 --> 00:39:09.269 We need to be encouraged and reminded of that truth. 00:39:09.430 --> 00:39:12.470 I pray today that you are encouraged and reminded of that truth. 00:39:12.550 --> 00:39:28.470 And if you're not a follower of Jesus, I pray that you are fearful of that truth and that you respond rightly by putting your faith in the only one who will have the power when you stand before the judgment seat to declare you not guilty, and that is the blood of Jesus Christ. 00:39:28.710 --> 00:39:33.110 Let me pray for us, and then we're going to respond by participating in the Lord's Supper together. 00:39:33.430 --> 00:39:35.829 Father, we are so grateful for who you are. 00:39:35.910 --> 00:39:37.510 We're grateful for the gospel. 00:39:37.829 --> 00:39:40.869 God, we're thankful for the blood. 00:39:41.590 --> 00:39:44.150 God, we're thankful for your faithfulness. 00:39:45.910 --> 00:39:50.389 We're thankful for how great you are, as we sang a moment ago. 00:39:50.950 --> 00:39:58.389 God, I pray that we would be overwhelmed by the reality of the statement, your steadfast love endures forever. 00:39:58.550 --> 00:40:10.950 We wouldn't be callous to it because of its repetition, but we would see it as an auger that pierces our innermost being as we come to an understanding of who you are, what you've done for us, and how much you care for us. 00:40:11.510 --> 00:40:16.070 So, God, I pray that the believer in the room be encouraged by that reality, God. 00:40:16.150 --> 00:40:22.789 And I pray that the person in the room who has never put their faith in Jesus, God, that they would be prompted to respond by that reality. 00:40:23.030 --> 00:40:26.710 May it be so for the sake of your name, in Jesus' name. 00:40:26.950 --> 00:40:27.590 Amen.