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again reminder that this Wednesday there will be a missionary from China he's a tentmaker he does no relation to our church it's it's through Garrett PAP that the the connection has come to us so we'll send send out an email as well as a maybe a link to the to the to the mission to the mission website so you can you can look it up yourself some people are asking me questions about about who this missionary is we don't really know much about him other than he comes from from a from a reformed mission organization called benissa boney submissions and you can look that look that up and he's a missionary attend maker in in China so that is that's all the announcements that we have if you could turn in your Bibles please to begin worship this evening we'll turn to psalm 32 psalm 32 there's a psalm of david a contemplation blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit when I kept silent my bones were rolled through my groaning all the day long for day and night your hand was heavy upon me my vitality was turned into the drought of summer sail up I acknowledge my sin to you and my iniquity I have not hidden I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and you forgave the iniquity of my sin Sayla for this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to you in a time when in a time when you may be found surely in a flood of Great Waters they shall not come near him you are my hiding place you shall preserve me from trouble you shall surround me with songs of deliverance Sayla I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go I will guide you with my I do not be like the horse or like the mule which have no understanding which must be harnessed with bit and bridle else they will not come near you many sorrows shall be to the wicked but he who trusts in the Lord mercy shall surround him be glad in the Lord and rejoice you righteous and shout for joy all you upright in heart well that's what we have an opportunity right now and that is a shout for joy or hopefully not shout but sing for joy of of that glorious Savior the Lord Jesus Christ I'll ask you to turn your hymn books please to hymn number 326 326 in Alaska Stan [Music] [Music] what side go to God in prayer and ask his blessing be upon our meeting time here tonight let's pray our gracious and our loving Heavenly Father it's again with with with gratitude father that we come into your house a second time on the Lord's Day to bring our worship bring our praises before you for you Lord our most worthy of all praise and all worship and we praise you that you have been pleased to give to us this church this local church but you've also blessed this this whole earth with the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ and Christ has promised to to lead that church as to establish that church and how we praise you father that the Lord Jesus Christ is that bridegroom and that we are the precious bride of the Lord Jesus Christ and so Lord as we come this day we we do we do desire to lift our praises and lift your adoration heavenward we praise you for the fact that you have saved us from our sins and father we we stand here before you this night with with with certainly with songs to sing hearts that are full of thanks giving us for that that grace that that's set upon us and caused us to look to the Lord Jesus Christ to believe and be saved how we praise you for our precious Savior the Lord Jesus Christ and we pray Lord that as as we sing of Christ as we speak of Christ as we lift up the Lord Jesus Christ here in this place this night that you would be well pleased to to bless our time together we thank you Lord for that forgiveness of sins that that we afraid that we are cleansed daily in we thank you for that freshest for that newness of the Lord Jesus Christ and we pray Lord that as we as we come together this evening to hear from you we pray Lord that you would be pleased to edify us according to your word cause us to - to - to take in your word cause your word to do have its effect in each one of our lives that we would leave this place desirous to live holy lives that are set apart for for you we pray Lord for any and all who may be unsafe than our midst here this evening the Lord the Spirit would do that that inner work in each one of us to sanctify as well as to save and we do praise you Father for the fact that you are a God who is about saving saving sinners and we praise you that you that you continue to save we pray the Lord you'd be pleased to to to cause your spirit to to be with us here this evening be with pastor Pastor Mike because he brings the word here this this evening we pray load that she would bless him up hold him give to him strength give to him clarity of thought and and we and clarity of communication of your will of your word and we pray Lord that that we would hear that word that we would seek to obey the things that we we hear in it Lord we just again pray for those who are on well amongst us we pray your blessing upon upon each and every one of them Lord you know their needs you know their their their particular ailments we pray Lord that you would be pleased to bless each and every one with with a sense of your presence with with renewed health and strength for for each and every day we we recognize father's who are kind God you were a good God you give to us bountifully out of out of in a physical way as well as an asset in a in a spiritual way so we just thank you Lord for your bounty just in every way we praise you we we we desire to to lift up your name and and and sing praises to our great and holy God this night so Lord we do pray that you hear our praises and hear our prayers and desires for your glory this is in this place this night and it's in Jesus precious name we pray amen well please turn with me in your in your in your Trinity Psalter to Psalm 1 excuse me psalm 118 and I have here that we're we're singing verses 17 to 29 so psalm 118 and we'll will begin at 17 it will go to 29 so I ask you to please stand [Music] and turn with me in your Bibles to the old testament reading as we've gotten as far as hey guy hi guy chapter chapter to that guy chapter two so it's the case you're not sure it's the third last book in the Old Testament so Haggai chapter two will read in its entirety in the seventh month on the 21st of the month the word the Lord came by haggai the prophet saying speak now to zerubbabel the son of shealtiel son of josedech the high priest and to the remnant of the people saying who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory and how do you see it now in comparison with it is it is this not in your eyes as nothing yet now be strong zerubabbel says the Lord and be strong Joshua son of jehoiada the high priest and be strong all you people of the land says the Lord and work for I am with you says the Lord of hosts according to the word that I covenant it with you when you came out of Egypt so my spirit remains among you do not fear for thus says the Lord of hosts once more it is a little while I will shake heaven and earth the sea and the dry land and I will shake all the nations and they shall come to the desire of all nations and I will fill this temple with glory says the Lord of Hosts the silvers mine the gold is mine says the Lord of Hosts the glory of this battle of this latter temple shall be greater than the former says the Lord of hosts and in this place I will give peace says the Lord of hosts on the 24th day of the ninth month in the second year of Darius the word of the Lord came by haggai the prophet saying thus says the Lord of Hosts now asks the ask the priests concerning the law saying if one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and with the edge he touches bread or stew wine or oil or any food will it become holy then the priests answered and said no and Haggai said if one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of those will it be unclean so the priest answered and said it shall be unclean then Haggai answered and said so is this people and so is this nation before me says the Lord and so is every work of their hands and what they offer there is and what they offer there is unclean and now carefully consider from this day forward from before the stud before stone was laid upon stone in the temple of the Lord since those days when one came to a heap of twenty ef-s there were about ten when one came to the wine VAT to draw out fifty baths from the press there were about twenty I strike I struck you with a blight and mildew and hail in all the labors of your hands yet you did not turn to me says the Lord consider now from this day forward from the 24th day of the ninth month from the day that the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid consider it is the seed still in the barn as yet the vine the fig tree the pomegranate and the olive tree have not yielded fruit but from this day I will bless you and again the word of the Lord came to Haggai on the 24th day of the month saying speak to the rouble governor of judah i will shake heaven and earth i will overthrow the throne kingdoms I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms I will overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them the horses and their riders shall come down every one by the sword of his brother in that day says the Lord of Hosts I will take you as a rouble my servant the son of shield Shakeel says the Lord and will make you like a signet ring for I have chosen you says the Lord of Hosts amen well let's pray our gracious and our loving Heavenly Father it's again with with gratitude father we come before a holy God who has not left us to ourselves you've not left us without the very words and the mind of God himself in these in these scriptures we thank you Lord for these for these 66 books that we can that we can read and and prosper much from how we pray Lord your blessing to be upon the preaching time now is we come before your pretty coming to your presence we come before you father seeking blessing from you we seek father and desire that you would make this time a holy time that you would set us apart set our set our brother apart pastor Kirkpatrick may he come with boldness and from and with unction from on high to make clear the Word of God the Father it might be a word from you to us this night we thank you that you have not left us to our own devices but you've given to us the Word of God to to make the mind of God very clear and so we pray that your blessing might be upon him that you give to him that spirit and give to us the spirit of the Living God what we pray for ourselves father we pray for pastor Butler and Sri we pray for the for pastor Vincent in in Vernon as they meet together now as well how we pray Lord that you would be pleased to to to come down and and cause your spirit to come upon these men and cause them to speak boldly the word of God's make clear the the things of God the word of God and we do pray Lord that that you would that your spirit might take the Word of God and it might find its mark in each one of our hearts this night that's in Jesus precious name we pray amen well please turn with me in your hymn books to the last hymn of the of the evening before we hear the preaching and it's a hymn number 173 in the larger hymn book 173 in Washington Stan [Music] be seated call upon us Mike to come bring us the word oh good evening that's a blessing to be with you once again this night you can turn with me in your Bibles to psalm 118 the first series we did in the evening at SRI was psalms of the messiah so we're looking at messianic text tonight in psalm 118 psalm 118 begin reading out verse 1 o give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his mercy endures forever that Israel now say his mercy endures forever that the house of Aaron now say his mercy endures forever but those who feared the Lord now say his mercy endures forever I called on the Lord in distress the Lord answered me and sent me in a broad place the Lord is on my side I will not fear what can man do to me the Lord is for me among those who help me therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in Princes all nations surrounded me but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them they surrounded me yes they surrounded me but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them they surrounded me like bees but they were quenched like a fire of thorns for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them you push me violently that I might fall but the Lord helped me the Lord is my strength and song and he has become my salvation the voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous the right hand of the Lord does valiantly the right hand of the Lord is exalted the right hand of the Lord is valiantly I shall not die but live and declare the works the Lord the Lord has chastened me severely but he has not given me over to death open to me the gates of righteousness and I will go through them and I will praise the Lord this is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous shall enter and I will praise you for you have answered me and have become my salvation the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief Cornerstone this was the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes this is the day the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it save now I pray O Lord O Lord I pray send now prosperity blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord we have blessed you from the house of the Lord God is the Lord and He has given us light bind the sacrifice with cords the horns of the altar you are my god and I will praise you you are my God and I will exalt you Oh thanks the Lord for he is good for his mercy endures forever amen let us pray o Great God again we are thankful that we can come before you and the only reason that we can come before you tonight is because of your mercy towards us and we know God that is an enduring mercy it is an everlasting mercy is a mercy that we do not deserve you've called great sinners out of Darkness to believe on Christ and Christ came in the world to save sinners we do not deserve this great grace and this kindness and mercy yet we see it throughout your word O God we see your mercy even in the event of the exodus saving Israel bringing them out of bondage but even more so in the salvation of your people but O God we know that you're not just a merciful God but a faithful God and we do ask that you would be with us tonight for you promised to be with your people you've promised to never leave us nor forsake us so we ask o God that you would open the heavens and come down you dwell with us in a special way this night O Lord as we gather together for praise and worship as we gather together to hear your word we pray that you would be with us by your spirit o God we know o God we have so many things to give you praise for but especially for what Christ has done for us so God help us to be mindful of the Lord Jesus help us to be mindful of your grace sometimes we are forgetful of these things we're forgetful of your mercy but help us to be reminded of these things tonight and help us to press on and praise and trust in you a God who is with us what can man do to us so god we pray that you'd be with us now in the name of Christ amen well just a couple introductory things before we dive into psalm 118 when we look at the Psalter sometimes we might think it's just a ragtag bunch of Psalms to put together but in reality there's a bit of a structure and a bit of an order and a bit of a progression we see in them the first songs we typically see there's a lot of laments in them there's a lot of people crying out where is my god and as we come to spoke number three we're in this crisis situation is God faithful to the promises he made to David and book three ends with Psalm 89 as the psalmist cries out God why have you not kept your promises but then we come to books four and five and certainly there are still some laments in books four and five who we come to Psalms of praise sums of Thanksgiving they've come over the hump and now they praise God for God has delivered them in their de-stresses so we're really in book five of the Psalter and this is where we see the Kings celebration of God's salvation the Messiah has triumphed and we see this especially in Psalm 110 so what can Israel do but they must praise their God and one of the ways in which Israel praises their God is they praise him for their deliverance what's interesting a subgenre or subsection we see in the Psalter is what is called the egyptian Hallel don't freak out that I used some Hebrew there because we sing that all the time hallelu yeah basically it is the Egyptian praise recalling the Exodus and we see that in Psalms 113 - psalm 118 and Psalm 114 is that exodus psalm and then Psalm 1 8 118 is that climax this praise for what God has done in the Exodus now it probably wasn't just sung during the Passover probably other times as well but it was especially sung during the Passover theologians think that Jesus in Matthew 26:30 when they sing this hymn before they go to the Mount of Olives what is it that they sing probably psalm 118 as they recall God's goodness and mercy in the Passover as it's going crisis going forward to be the one who delivers his people so it is a psalm of thanksgiving and typically what do you do at festivals you thank God for what he has done and this is what they would do at Passover there's no author given no historical setting probably could have been sung by kings by the people returning from exile as a reminder of God's mercy we don't need to read into too much of the historical underserved historical setting there but certainly the exodus is in mind and really in psalm 118 the psalmist as a representative of the people gives thanks to God for his enduring mercy towards his people especially in the Exodus and we'll look at this under three headings tonight first of all God's enduring mercy in verses 1 through 4 secondly God's enduring faithfulness in five through 18 and lastly God's enduring praise in verses 19 through 29 so God's mercy God's faithfulness and God's praise let's first look at God's enduring mercy in verses 1 to 4 and notice we get this call to worship they would have sung this in the temple I'll give thanks to the Lord for he is good his mercy endures forever and this is the right response to our God when he is merciful to us sometimes were forgetful of that sometimes we don't praise our God but especially in big events like the exodus like the Passover like returning from exile they would have sung this give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his mercy endures forever and the focus of this psalm is really on Yahweh on what he has done Yahweh the term their board in capital letters is used over 20 times in this song and it should recall for us Exodus 3 in Exodus 34 when God appears to Moses and says I am Who I am or in Exodus 34 when he says I am the Lord God gracious and merciful slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love he wants to remind us as the song of the psalmist wants remind us of God's covenant faithfulness to do what he said he would do and so give thanks to the Lord for he is good now we could probably just stop right there pack it in and start seeing the doxology right for God is good god is holy other than you and I and he's the only good in this universe any sort of good that we see on this planet is because of the Lord God Almighty when he would subscribes and when the psalmist describes him as good it's describing a perfection of God something about him that you and I do not have unless it's from God Almighty and so he says for he is good he is a good and good a good lord and not only that when in his being and his essence and who he is but we see his goodness in his works as well give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his mercy endures forever and even this language sure of his mercy enduring forever it says that four times in verses one through four verses one two three and four it says his mercy endures forever this is that covenant love Hesed perhaps you've heard that term before God's faithfulness to do what he says he would do but not just to do what he said he would do but his motive behind it his love for them it's a perfect everlasting love a love that you and I do not possess we grow in love and decrease in love we love our spouse until they do something kind of mean then we love them just a little bit less because of that or we do something too damn at them and they love us just a little bit less for that but God's love remains the same it does not grow it does not decrease he is ever let it's an everlasting love that does not change and so we see his mercy and we see his mercy in the Exodus he brings his people out of slavery out of bondage not because they are good but because God is good he brings them out of that difficult time a difficult distress with enemies surrounding them and he brings them to freedom he brings them out of that slavery this morning we talked about bondage and slavery and what that looked like if there's ever an example of a people that want to go back into bondage it was the people of Israel they're taken out of Egypt and they're in the leather there they're wandering and then they say you know what we like the food better in Egypt let's go back but God is still merciful and God is still gracious and God still is loving and kind towards them but God does not change but our experience of God changes does that make sense you see God doesn't change in his being but when we know and learn or learn something more about our God when we experience him that's when things seem to quote unquote change our experience of him does but he never changes and especially we see this with Christ coming right when Christ come as that one who does what Israel could not the true Israel as that one who led the true Exodus that his people who were in bondage to sin might be saved we experience God in a different way but that doesn't mean God changes God remains the same and so then the psalmist after he gives his opening called the worship and refrain he then goes on to say let Israel now say His mercy endures forever but the house of Aaron now say his mercy endures forever those who fear the Lord now say as mercy endures forever basically showing who should be praising God and it's the entire people of Israel when he says Israel now say let the priesthood now say and let anyone who fears the Lord and mainly non-israelites let them praise the Lord and let them praise him say his mercy endures forever basically all Israel should praise God and there are many reasons they should but again there's an order there's a sea even sometimes a flow even in the Psalter even with other songs because in psalm 115 there's a similar parallel going on verse 9 o Israel trust in the Lord for he is their help and their shield a house of Aaron trust in the Lord he is their help and their shield you who feared the Lord trust in the Lord he is their help and their shield the Lord has been mindful of us he will bless us he will bless the house of Israel he will bless the house of Aaron and he will bless those who feared the Lord both small and great God has delivered let Israel now say his mercy endures forever and are there many instances we see God's mercy in our own lives brethren what is mercy it's something that is undeserved basically everything you have everything you're in your life is a merciful gift from God every temporal blessing every sort of good thing that happens the clothing on your backs the cars that you drive the homes that you live in the food that you eat is a gift from God you do not deserve those things but God is merciful to give you those things but how much more the spiritual things where we see God's mercy wretched terrible awful people saved by Jesus not because we loved him but because He loves us it's not anything that we would do as Paul says in Romans 9 he didn't look down the corridors of time and see what they would do and choose Jacob and Esau but he chose them that God's purpose of election might be true and what's interesting is when you actually read the Jacob and Esau account they're terrible people aren't they you look at Rebekah and Isaac and Jacob and Esau in that section in Genesis 27 they're all just terrible Isaac wants to thwart the plan of God Rebekah dupes a blind guy Jacob wants to take the blessings from Esau Esau's a giant oath who doesn't care about the future blessings he just wants to think with his gullet you see it's only a bits you see there we see as that's the backdrop for Romans 9 it's God's goodness and mercy that he saves sinners in Christ Jesus give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his mercy endures forever so that's God's enduring mercy let's then look secondly at God's enduring faithfulness in verses 5 through 18 we see three ways in which the psalmist recalls God's goodness and the ways in which God has delivered him verse 5 he says I called on the Lord in distress and the Lord answered me and sent me in a broad place notice it switches from plural to singular perhaps the king as a representative of the people cries out about times in which he was in distress and other people can sing this with him as well the Lord delivered him from his distress and brings him and sets him on a broad place sets him on a strong foundation there are times in the Psalter in which the psalmist cries out how long O Lord answer me in my prayers you see the psalmist in psalm 118 is on the other side of the trial that he's going through and he can look back and say God was with me but there was a time in the Psalter in which the psalmist cries out and he's in the midst of his trial and he doesn't know where God is even in Psalm 69 he cries out oh god I am sinking I'm in the miry clay what shall I do I will call on the Lord he answered me and sets me on a broad place verse 6 the Lord is on my side what can man do to me or I will not fear what can man do to me the Lord is for me among those who help me therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in Princes the Lord is with his people and David said cry are praised the same thing in Psalm 56 verse 11 basically the same thing he says in God I have put my trust I will not be afraid what can man do to me and what's interesting when he prays that's when he's actually going through difficulty it's during the time when the Philistines captured David and Gath but he still cries out what can man do to me so in the midst of his trial in the midst of your trial what can man do to you and after you go through that trial what can man do to you for we do not put our trust in cup man or put our confidence in princes but it is better to trust in the Lord and it repeats it twice to drill it into our minds to make sure we understand that God was with me in my distress I can look back with joy know that he was with me what shall man do to me so God delivers him from his distress but also God delivers him from surrounding nation or from the nation's in verses 10 through 14 notice there's this big battle all nations surrounded me but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them they surrounded me yes they surrounded me there was nowhere else to go perhaps we could recall the exodus at this time when the people came up out of Egypt wear it wear it when they're at the Red Sea there was nowhere else to go Pharaoh was coming one way and the sea was on the other side there was nowhere else to go they were surrounded what can man do to me all the nations surrounding me but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them God is with his people they saw even though they surround me like bees that swarm of bees you can't get out of or the the the swarm of bees you can't get out and he says they were quenched like a fire of thorns regardless of the toil Yahweh's name is more powerful regardless of the difficulty you are going through Yahweh's name is more powerful regardless of the trial that you are enduring right now Christ's name is more powerful for God is with his people what shall man do to me in the name of the Lord I will destroy them then he says in verse 13 you pushed me violently that I might fall but the Lord helped me the Lord is my strength and my song he has become my salvation the Lord is his strength and his power he leans upon him and this is also an exodus allusion in Exodus 15 right after the Red Sea and they're saved from Pharaoh in the Red Sea with the parting of the Red Sea in the song of Moses Moses sings in verse two of Exodus 15 the Lord is my strength and song and he has become my salvation he is my god and I will praise him so god's delivered the psalmist from his distress he's delivered the psalmist from the nation's but he also delivers the psalmist from death in verses 15 through 18 the voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous those who've been saved sing with joy shout for joy for God has done valiantly his and is exalted he has done valiantly and again Exodus 15 six recalls God's right hand of power to save the people out of his or out of Egypt God's might God's power he stretches out valiantly to save them it was not their doing but God's goodness so it's a recollection of that and so even in the midst of that certain death as they rejoice in God's might what specifically is in view I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord brethren death still is going to happen to us but we don't have to fear death do we what shall we say even I shall not die but I shall live and declare the works of the Lord in the face of death what can man do to me you and I don't have to fear death even though the outer man decays the inner man is renewed day by day should death come we will be with the Lord Jesus Christ forever and ever this was Luther's motto in life I shall not die but I shall live and I shall recount the deeds of the Lord isn't that true for us shouldn't that be true for us if we're in Christ Jesus though we die we will be with Christ sing his praises forever and ever recounting his goodness and not our fake goodness because there is no goodness except from God so he says I will deny will declare these things but then verse 18 the Lord has chastened me severely but he has not given me over to death basically God still chases his people God still disciplines his people but that doesn't mean will be given over to death we will be with God forever and ever so brethren we see God's enduring faithfulness we must trust in our God because he is a faithful God you know what's interesting we are forgetful people aren't we God does many merciful and kind things to us yet sometimes we are forgetful to praise him for those things perhaps in our distress 'as we pray a little bit more to God don't we sometimes why is it that the case we pray to God in those de-stresses yeah then sometimes God lot of the times God answers those prayers and we don't praise Him or thank him for those things right b/c you want to know why our God is a good God even when we don't thank him he still answers our prayers and even when we don't pray the prayers we should pray to our God asking for aid in those difficult times he still answers those prayers because he's a good and gracious and faithful and merciful God that we do not deserve to be in covenant with or in communion with so God is a faithful God that we can lean upon him even when we're in the difficult times but even we past go past them and God has delivered us from them we must remember our God always so that's God's enduring faithfulness let's then look thirdly and finally at God's enduring praise and verses 19 through 29 so we kind of have this progression there's this called the began the service give thanks to the Lord and there's this recollection of why they need to give thanks to the Lord and then we come to the ox come to the celebration in the temple verse 19 open to me the gates of righteousness and I will go through them and I will praise the Lord this is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous shall enter he's basically banging on the gate saying let me in I want to worship my god that's usually not us is it typically it's like oh we have to come back for the 5 o'clock service it's during dinner time our kids need a nap that guy preaches sometimes for a little bit longer than we would like sometimes don't worry about that he's a fantastic preacher isn't any preaches for a long time we should just pay attention to pinch our faces and be awake for what he's saying you see the people here the psalmist says let me in I want to sing praises to my Lord God Almighty I want to shout for joy about my God salvation for me open to me Oh gates and let me in open to me ancient doors that I might come in and give thanks to my Lord for I will praise you O God for you have answered me and you have become my salvation he doesn't want to be held back from praising his God for his God's goodness towards him and even so as we continue on in verse 22 in verses 23 and 24 we see God's goodness and mercy and that he chooses a special people the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief Cornerstone this was the Lord's doing it is marvelous in our eyes this is the day the Lord has made we will rejoice and be glad in it now there's a lot of layers and we do interpretation right this is clearly a messianic reference and we'll talk about that in just a moment when we think about the original context and its reference to the Exodus the Hebrews were kind of that stone and pebble you threw away but God brings them and chooses them and makes them that special stone by which she would build his foundation and it was through the one who was born of a woman born under the law that he would read redeem his people through the through that law this Christ who came so even here he's talking about God's goodness choosing this cornerstone the the structure the the best stone in the temple for security God has done this not us it is blessed it is marvelous and the Lord has made this day of salvation and we will rejoice and be glad in it and then in verse 25 to 29 he ends with this prayer to God save now I pray O Lord O Lord I pray send now prosperity you see it's not just in the bad times that we pray to God I hope that's clear we pray to God in the good times as well what can spur us on in those times of prosperity is that we remember God's goodness to us in this prosperity he says the Lord thank you for giving me and saving me save now I pray continue on send now this prosperity for blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord then Cameron says the Lord would continue to the prayer is the Lord would continue to do his wonderful in their midst so that they will prosper there are times when we don't see God's visible nest sometimes in our own lives and we pray to God how long O Lord but what we see God's visible nough sin our lives what should we do God continue in showing us yourself to us it's using those times of prosperity so to speak we kind of step back a little bit and then we go through a cycle of difficulty and then we pray again like just pray all the time the assumption is that you will pray to your God in the good times in the bag giving him thanks for his goodness towards you and asking that he would continue in that and his goodness towards you as well so he says he's praying it's good times right now in Israel Lord continue to do this and in verse 26 blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord perhaps there's a festival procession going on as they're praising God at the festival here's this one who comes in the name of the Lord and we have blessed you from the house of the Lord God is the Lord and He has given us lights buying the sacrifice with cords the horn of the altar basically that's perhaps a reference to the Aaronic blessing in number 624 may the God Lord bless you and keep you his face shine upon you and we see that God has done that towards them so they give Him worship and praise and honor at the altar you are my god and I will praise you you are my God and I will exalt you I'll give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his mercy endures forever now this is a messianic text and there are several places in which this Psalm is quoted in the scriptures you can turn with me to Matthew 21 [Music] we see the reference the Lord Jesus in his first coming and especially at that triumphal entry when he's riding in on that donkey people are laying down the branches and their club their clothes on the road for the Messiah who comes and then in verse 9 then the multitudes who went before and those who fall cried out saying Hosanna to the son of David blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord hosanna in the highest so they're praising God when he comes into the temple or excuse me when he comes in and they're giving him praise and recognizing that he is the son of David and then what happens is Jesus cleanses the temple and then in verse 14 the blind and the lame came to him in the temple and He healed them but the chief priests have a bit of a bee in their bonnet in verse 15 but when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did and the children crying out in the temple and saying Hosanna to the son of David they were indignant and said to him do you hear what these are saying they're mad that they're quoting psalm 118 towards him and then Jesus quotes Psalm 8 yes have you never read out of the mouths of babes and nursing infants you have perfected praise the chief priests rejects the Lord Jesus Christ but as he's coming in there's a recognition by the people that he is the one who comes in the name of the Lord we see the second place in which psalm 118 will see his quoted is also in Matthew 21 several verses later in Matthew 21 42 this is also in some of the parallel accounts as well we'll just look at Matthew this is the parable of the wicked vine dressers and the wicked tenants there was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it he dug a winepress in it and built a tower Elysa divine dressers and went into a far country now when vintage time came drew near he sent his servants to the vine dressers that he might receive its fruit the vine dressers took his servants beat one killed another he does it again several times and then finally he sends his son they will respect my son but that's not the case when the vine dresser saw the son they said among themselves this is the heir come let us kill him and seize inheritance so they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him then Jesus asked the question to these the pepper sees when the owner of the vineyard comes what will he do to those vine dressers they said to them he will destroy those wicked men miserably and Lisa's vineyard to other vine dressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons and Jesus said to them have you never read in the scriptures the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief Cornerstone this was the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes therefore I say to you the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation the bearing the fruits of it and whoever falls on this stone will be broken but on whomever it falls it will grind him to powder Christ is that chief Cornerstone in whom the psalmist is speaking about he is that messianic king who has come yet the Pharisees don't see it the Pharisees don't recognize it they who were part of ethnic Israel don't see that Christ as the Messiah who is to come and he is rejected for this and thus it will bring it he will bring about subsequent judgment when he falls upon them and grinds them to powder it is the Lord's doing that he might bring salvation so we see it's quoted in his triumphal entry it's quoted and in the rejection of the Lord Jesus or and his rejection by these vitae by these Pharisees but it's also quoted in Acts chapter 4 verse 11 Isaiah 28 and psalm 118 have a similar saying and it is close together and will draw up on that in just a moment but Peter similar Peter similar thing as Jesus pronounces judgment so too does Peter pronounced judgment upon the Sanhedrin when he speaks of Jesus the Christ whom you crucified whom God raised from the dead by him this man stands here before you whole verse 11 of Acts for this is the stone which was rejected by you builders which has become the chief Cornerstone doors our salvation any other for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved there's one salvation and it is this cornerstone and you have rejected him and he says that to the Sanhedrin there so we see Christ's coming Christ's rejection we also see the salm used with Christ as the foundation of his people so a first Peter 2 verse 7 it's quoted a lot isn't it 1st Peter 2 verse 7 when he talks about the people of God being a chosen stone and a chosen people he talks about the Oh he as the chosen people he uses this idea of a stone verse for coming to him as to a living stone rejected by men but chosen by God and precious you also as living stones are being built up a spiritual house a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ therefore it is also contained in the scripture this is Isaiah 28 behold I lay in Zion a chief Cornerstone elect precious and he who believes on him will by no means be put to shame therefore to you who believe he is precious but to those who are disobedient the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief Cornerstone again those who reject Jesus Christ reject the cornerstone and the way of salvation so Christ is the foundation even in Ephesians 2:20 it's the foundation by which the church is built upon but it's not just Christ's first coming in Christ as price rejection in Christ as the foundation of his people but it's also Christ's second coming as well Matthew 23:39 back to Matthew this is right after the woes in which Jesus pronounces on the scribes and Pharisees and then he gives this lamento jerusalem jerusalem the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her how often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings but you were not willing see your house is left to you desolate for I say to you you shall see me no more until you say blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord so clearly psalmist how the New Testament writers draw and you psalm 118 to point to Jesus as the Messiah if you reject him you'll be ground into a powder but if you believe on him you'll marvel and wonder at the second coming when he comes again he has come he's lived he's died he rose again and he's been raised and ascends and sits at the right hand of God the Father but he will come again to judge the living and the dead and we look forward to that day when he comes that second time for blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord and the Lord Jesus shall come again and if you don't believe on him at that time or before you die you shall receive judgment but if you believe on him on this Messianic King you shall have everlasting life and in experience enduring mercy faithfulness and praise to the God of heaven and earth give thanks to the Lord for he is good his mercy endures forever let's pray Oh Lord God Almighty we give you thanks for your goodness we give you praise for your mercy and we give you honor for your grace we know O God that we do not deserve the things that we receive and we do not receive the things that we deserve this is because of your goodness that you are God who is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love or thankful O God that we have your scriptures that teach us concerning you that teach us concerning your goodness that teaches concerning the Lord Jesus that Messianic King the one prophesied of old the one foretold in your scriptures especially in your Psalm we're thankful O God that he is the cornerstone we know that he is rejected by men but you have raised him up and O God we know that we must reject the things of men as well but believe on this cornerstone you know God made these things for those who believe to give us strength may we give you thanks always for your mercy and your goodness towards us for your your gracious and merciful God and O God if there any here tonight who do not know you we pray that you would cause them to come to saving knowledge convict them of their sin they might believe on Jesus we're thankful O God for the mercies that are found in him and in him alone we give you praise and honor for your gospel of free and sovereign grace we pray O God that your spirit would be with us now we pray in the name of Christ amen we'll close with the brief time of meditation when the piano is finished you're dismissed you