Good morning, everyone. What great singing, what great songs have been picked, and I presume that was you,
but fitting in so well with the psalm that we're going to be looking at this morning.
Can I encourage you to either use the Pew Bible, or if you've brought your own Bible,
or even allow you to use your iPhone, if that's checking the Bible.
And let's read those last few verses of Psalm 22 this morning,
before we delve in to see what it has to say to us.
Today, here, this morning in Edinburgh in Brunsfield.
So Psalm 22, starting from verse 27, where it says,
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations will bow down before Him.
For dominion belongs to the Lord, and He rules over the nations.
All the rich of the earth will feast and worship.
All who go down to the dust will kneel before Him.
Those who cannot keep themselves alive.
Posterity will serve Him.
Future generations will be told about the Lord.
And they will proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn,
for He has done it.
And we'll finish there in verse 31.
And may God bless His Word to us and bring it alive.
Well, as has been said already a few times, it is nearly Easter.
If you don't know how you feel about that, sometimes there can be a slight panic attack,
because you realize with all the visitors you may have,
the people you're hosting, of all the things that still need to happen.
So I'm really pleased about that little booklet that is being promoted.
I'm sorry, Graham, you didn't show them just how little and short it is.
So even if you're not a reader, go and get it.
And use it this week, particularly, to prepare your hearts for Easter itself.
And I hope this morning may help in that as well.
But as we think of Easter, we will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus,
which is the greatest victory in the whole of humankind.
And people, there have been some great victories,
maybe in your memory, in your time.
Just think of any time the Scottish rugby team beat the English.
Or Andy Murray winning Wimbledon the first time.
Very special.
Even still special when he won it the second time.
For me, the biggest victory in my memory is 1988.
Don't know what you were doing then.
Maybe for some of you, that's before your time.
But me being from the Netherlands, that's one of the few times
there was victory when the Dutch soccer team won the Euros in 1988.
Amazing.
When you look back at it, you think,
boy, was that a powerful orange shirt they were wearing.
Those orange shirts date very quickly.
And it's funny, when I think of all the stories that we share in Sunday school
and that I grew up in,
I remember most of my favorite ones are about victories, great victories,
of little David beating giant Goliath.
What about the one where Gideon was asked to go and beat the Midianites with only 300?
Or Elijah, who's on the top of this mountain,
dealing with all these priests who are claiming that Baal is truly God,
and him on his own, with God on his side.
That's this beautiful and wonderful and exciting victory.
And yet any of these people pales, compares to the earth's shattering victory,
that we will be celebrating the victory of all victories,
when death was defeated and Satan lost.
And the powerful thing is, and I'm actually quite intrigued to know that you've been
studying this psalm in detail, taking a couple of verses at a time,
but this psalm, through the inspiration of God's Holy Spirit,
anticipated this amazing victory.
Sometimes it's referred to as the fifth gospel of the crucifixion.
Isn't that amazing?
The fifth gospel account of the crucifixion,
because it gives us so much insight into what happened when Jesus died on the cross.
Can I give a, this is a slight side note,
but can I recommend reading Psalm 22 in connection with 23 and 24?
Because actually all three together answer the question, who is God?
And from Psalm 22, looking at the suffering servant,
we move to the great shepherd,
and then in Psalm 24, to the glorious king.
But even at the end of this psalm,
we already get a flavor of this victory, the victorious king,
which is what we're going to be looking at.
I also couldn't help but think of Psalm 22 as reading a little bit,
like one of the servant songs of Isaiah.
Ian already mentioned it, that the psalm starts with forsakenness,
or being despised.
And a description which is sometimes hard to comprehend,
but the person who's writing this is feeling as if his life is being poured out like water.
And there's this cry for help in verse 19 through 21.
And in the verses we get, I get the privilege, I get the easy verses,
but this is where we see the answer to this call for help in this glorious king.
And so what I would like to look at this morning is, first of all,
the identity of this victorious king.
Secondly, the accomplishment of this king.
And also thirdly then, the right response to this king.
Hopefully that is helpful.
So the identity of this victorious king, the accomplishment,
and then the right response.
So first then, the identity.
Look with me to verse 28,
where verse 28 tells us that kingship or dominion belongs to the Lord.
It may be slightly obvious,
but it tells us that the king that is being described here is the Lord.
Obvious in some ways,
but actually the word used here is very significant.
Now being from the Netherlands, English isn't my first language.
And if I'm very honest, the word Lord, I associate it with some kind of cold title.
Maybe something you see or read in a Jane Austen novel or a Charles Diggins.
Or if you've watched the recent series on the upper chambers of parliament,
I can't help it, and I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings,
but this image of kind of stuffy, wig-wearing,
you know, upper house in parliament with Etonian accents kind of picture.
But the truth is actually nearly the opposite.
Because the word used here is the word Yahweh or Jehovah.
The name that actually wasn't allowed to be spoken.
And so we don't know exactly anymore how it would have been called
and what it would have sounded like.
But if you look up in the Bible dictionary,
it will tell us that actually strictly speaking,
Yahweh is possibly the only real name of the Lord.
There's other titles like Elohim,
but Yahweh is the name that is connected with God being the God of the patriarchs,
of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.
And in contrast to this other word or term Elohim,
Yahweh is actually a proper noun.
It's the name of a person,
although the person is divine.
And as such,
the name Yahweh or Jehovah brings God near.
And we all know that names have associations, don't they?
If I mention the name Delia,
I presume you're not thinking of fishing,
but you're probably thinking of cooking,
if you've ever heard of Delia Smith.
Or if I mention Pele,
you might think of a far country with an amazing football star.
And so names of associations,
we get an image,
we think of certain things,
and the same is meant to happen when we read the word Lord,
or Jehovah,
or Yahweh.
But it gets lost a little bit,
and we can miss all that is there,
right there in front of us,
that the King is the Lord.
Because what associations come with that great name of Yahweh and Jehovah?
Well, for one,
it reminds us that our God is a personal God.
That our God is, on the one hand,
the great Creator.
From Genesis 1, verse 1,
He is the one that,
in the beginning,
spoke,
and the earth came into being,
and gave life its life.
And the creatures and the variety of,
you know,
that we're enjoying again,
now with the spring coming out,
that is the great Creator God.
And yet,
on the one hand,
being the Maker and Creator,
He's also the one that can be known,
that reveals Himself,
who speaks,
who loves,
and who comes close.
He's the God who can be known,
but also who knows us.
So rather than a cold title,
this God is a personal God.
It also ought to remind us
that this God and His name
is a reminder that God is a covenantal God.
Now, I've grown up with that word,
never fully understanding what it meant,
so I shoved it aside for a while,
thinking this is old-fashioned language.
But I've started to appreciate
all that that one term of covenant
actually means and involves.
Simply put,
it says that God is trustworthy,
but it also reminds us that He pursues.
His covenant with us and with His people
was always His initiative,
His idea.
So to think of Yahweh as
not just a personal God,
but also the covenantal God,
reminds us that He is
the God who pursues,
but also commits.
He's the one who leads us,
as well as provides for us.
That this is the God,
the Lord,
the King,
who's faithful,
generous,
patient.
I'm so glad God is patient with me.
And He's also just.
He's the one who said to His people,
You are my people.
I am the God who brought you
out of Egypt.
But it's also the name
that should conjure up
the picture and the image
of the compassionate God.
He's not just one of covenants,
but He's also one who gives,
who's generous,
who longs to transform
and does it.
Who hears,
but also comes,
as well as saves,
which is exactly what
our psalm reminds us of.
He is before us,
He is behind us,
He's above us,
and He's beside us.
He is the God who is our rock
and our refuge.
It's all there
in that one little word.
But if you just read,
Lord,
would you have got that picture?
For this is the King
of this psalm.
This is who the King is.
And all that He does,
He doesn't do begrudgingly,
but He's done it
because He cares.
And He still cares
for each one of us here,
but also each one
of the people out there.
Now, not only is this
the King of this psalm,
when we think of
the special Sunday
that it is today,
of Palm Sunday,
all these characteristics,
all these images
and pictures of God
are manifested in Jesus.
For example,
on Palm Sunday,
when already,
having seen that
on the clip,
we get a little foretaste
of the victorious ruler,
which Matthew interprets
as fulfilling the prophecy,
saying,
See,
your King has come.
So not only is it
God Creator
who is this amazing King,
but we're reminded today
that the fulfillment
is in Jesus.
So Jesus is also that King.
He is God with us.
He is God Emmanuel.
And if there's one thing
that we should take away today,
it's just simply,
Do we know that King?
And you know
how you can tell
whether you know Him
or maybe know Him
a little bit?
Just think of how you pray.
I've been challenged this week
to realize that when I pray,
I pray to the God
who Abraham also prayed to.
So when I pray,
I pray to the God
who was there
when Jericho fell.
He's the God
that was there
when Jesus gave His life
and said,
It is finished.
If that is the same God
I speak to
and come to Him
with all that I carry,
the worries and issues,
is He not able
to deal with them
just as much
now, today?
Because He's the personal God,
He's the covenantal God,
and He's the compassionate God
who cares.
But sometimes we know.
But the question is,
do we know
right here
in our heart?
Well, I hope this morning
we may leave
thinking,
Thank you, Lord,
for not only who you are,
but for reminding us
of who you are,
and will you please
help us to know
that wherever we find
ourselves today,
to seek and to know
and to experience
this King,
maybe like never before,
but this King
of all nations.
So there's the identity
of this King.
Let's move on then
to the accomplishments
of this King.
Look with me
to verse 31,
and he had already
referred to it as well,
where the psalm
has a kind of
an awkward ending,
but a most powerful ending.
Because it says simply,
and there's no exclamation mark,
so we don't know exactly
what it would have
sounded like,
but you can just imagine
if this was used
in the congregation,
that people might have
shouted this last verse
saying,
For he has done it.
The message
renders it like this.
It says,
God does what he says.
That's slightly different,
but it's a great reminder
that God is not only able,
but he's also willing,
and that he's faithful
in that what he says
he will do,
he will do.
Now, of course,
we can't just pull it away
from the context
of this psalm.
Looking at the psalm
purely as a psalm,
it's answering the plea
of verse 19 through 20,
Save me.
Save me from death.
Save me from this
God-forsakenness
that I'm experiencing,
and the King does.
The King rescues
and saves.
Isn't that a great
encouragement?
Like I said,
remembering who this God is,
that he's still
the same Jehovah,
still the same Yahweh,
that when we come to him,
we can come to him
with trust.
But we don't just trust
that he hears us,
but we may trust
that he will respond,
and that he will act,
and that he will rescue
and save us
where we are
and where we find ourselves.
And he can,
explains the psalmist,
because his are all dominion
in verse 28.
Now what does that mean,
dominion?
Again, maybe not a word
that we use in everyday language,
but it basically means
that God reigns
over all the nations
seated on his holy throne.
He is the King,
not in a symbolic matter
the way it is
in my country,
in the Netherlands,
but even here,
but very much
that he is the King
who is in control
of all the affairs
of all mankind
and of all nations.
This is God
who is sovereign,
who is all-powerful,
like I said,
who is able.
Sometimes we need
to hear that,
don't we?
Maybe we've seen God
work in our lives,
and we know,
and we've experienced God
being able to answer
our prayers,
and yet somehow
we easily forget,
and when we're in a situation,
maybe not even too dissimilar,
we worry,
and we struggle to trust
that God,
maybe willing this time,
still be able
to come through.
Maybe this psalm
reminds us that he is,
and he's not only able,
but he's also willing,
because in verse 31,
we're reminded that
he reigns with righteousness.
Other parts of the Bible
reminds us that
God is love,
God is light.
In him there's
no darkness at all.
So he doesn't just
rule with justice,
but he rules
with a righteousness
that is graceful
and loving
and compassionate.
And so we find
that the psalmist
experiences this salvation.
It becomes a reality.
Hence his conclusion,
he has done it.
Reminded me of a poem
that a friend of mine wrote.
It's the only poem
I can remember
because it's nice and short.
But this is the poem.
He said,
God is good.
Enough said.
That's the rendering
I get from this psalm.
Enough said.
He has done it.
It's a reminder,
of course,
of Jesus' own words
on the cross
where he proclaimed
to the world.
It is finished.
That's our God.
That's our King.
That was the psalmist's king,
but for us,
it's not a rescue
from a physical death,
but it's the rescue
from spiritual death,
from our God-forsakenness,
through the forgiveness
of sin.
And so we may know today
that if we cry out,
just like the psalm is,
Lord, save me,
he will,
for he has done it.
I want us to notice here
the assurance
that is captured
by these words.
Because many,
if not all of us,
can struggle at times
with that sense of assurance.
Maybe it's personally,
but it can also be
historically or culturally.
Even the psalmists
were told
forgot about God's ability
and the enemy,
you know,
they were out there
trying to deny God's ability.
I mean,
there's plenty of people
out there
who will help the enemy
just like the psalmist then.
God is not able.
But what do we do
in our lives
when the kingdom of God
feels far away,
when we maybe wrestle
with that same state of distress
that the psalmist
was experiencing?
When we're looking around
and we think,
you know,
I've got these invitations,
but nobody ever responds.
It seems the gospel
has lost so much
of its ground
and so much of its power.
We haven't seen much growth
in the church here.
What's the point?
Both this psalm
as well as Easter
remind us
that our God reigns,
that He is still in control,
hence we must
be people who trust in Him.
Not just know Him,
but to trust in Him.
Don't we sing
Because He Lives,
I Can Face,
tomorrow?
Anybody know that song?
Sorry,
I'm digging back into time.
This is the 70s,
I think, isn't it?
Slightly dated,
but a powerful truth.
And so the question today
is as a church,
but also as individuals,
will we,
anew and afresh,
trust in the Lord?
Maybe even simply
when we go with that invitation
or that booklet
and hand it to somebody
to trust in the Lord,
maybe God has been working
on that person's heart
way before you ever got to
them with the invitation.
Let's move on then
to the last and third point.
The identity of the king,
the accomplishments of the king,
but thirdly then,
what should be the right response?
Well, what you need to do here
is actually look at some of the verbs
and notice the movement.
For example,
in verse 27,
it speaks of remembering.
Sometimes I hate it
how often in the Bible
it speaks of remembering.
Do you know why?
Because it's that reminder
that we as human beings,
I think all of us,
however brainy we are,
we are incredibly forgetful.
Now, it can be anything
as innocent as birthdays,
names,
but it's the greatness of God
we so easily forget
and we need to remember.
So that's where things start
in this response to the king.
Let us just simply remember
and take time to remember.
But that needs to be followed then
by turning.
See that there in verse 27?
Remember and then
turn to the Lord.
And what does that make you think?
Remember and turn.
What's another word
we sometimes use?
Jesus used.
He came to say
that the kingdom of heaven
was at hand,
so therefore repent.
And isn't it interesting
how it slipped in
that repentance is
that thing that happens
just in between
not being a Christian
and being a Christian.
But that's it.
We've repented.
According to Scripture,
actually,
our life should be lives
of repentance,
ongoing repentance.
Just think of your own life.
If I think of my own life,
there's plenty of times
where I've repented,
but somehow
I've managed to wander off again
and I need to keep
turning back to God.
So remembering is followed
by turning.
But then what is it followed by?
It's followed by
bowing down
and kneeling.
What's that an image of?
Worship.
I don't know about you.
I'm at Bellevue.
We're not a bowing down
kind of people.
Sometimes somebody dares
to raise a hand,
but we're, you know,
Scottish
and passion comes out,
you know,
in the stadium.
But when it comes to kneeling,
that's just too vulnerable.
It's powerful.
Maybe I find it powerful
because I'm so tall.
When I kneel down,
I do have that real sense
of humility.
And even when I bow my head
and close my eyes,
I do get a stronger sense
that He is God
and I'm not.
And yet I'm allowed
to come into His presence.
But you don't have to use kneeling.
But Jesus kneeled
as you looked at
probably last week
at the Garden of Gethsemane.
He kneeled
out of humility
and submission.
And so we must be people
who do not just remember,
do not just turn,
but then worship
and bow down
and kneel.
But then the most challenging
one is this.
And this is always where,
you know,
it's great up to a point,
isn't it?
A lot of us, I think,
like to worship.
It depends on the song.
Sometimes we think,
oh, those are dreadful songs
today, weren't they?
But we're here in church
and we love to worship.
But here's the challenge.
Because what does
the whole movement
end in?
Proclamation.
I want you to notice there
that there is both
encouragement
but as well
the challenge.
The encouragement
is that there is
that promise
that the word
of God's righteousness
and his victory,
which was to be
fulfilled in Jesus,
was to go out
to the next generation
that wasn't even born yet,
to nations around the world.
And it's happening.
It's been happening.
We've got a visitor
here this morning
who's working in Brussels
and sometimes in Mexico
and he's a reminder
that God is at work
all over the world.
Wonderful.
But we're to be part
of that work.
Do we know that?
We can't just remember
and come and worship
and not go out
and proclaim.
We're part of that.
And I think
the challenge here
is threefold
if you allow me these.
First of all,
I think this whole movement
reminds us that
this is all to be
about the heart,
not the head.
We're not here
to gather
and gain information,
but it's for that information
to sink down
and for our hearts
to be transformed
and moved to worship.
That's the second one,
for it to be transformation
rather than information.
But here's the third one.
All of this
is to lead
to boundaryless,
maybe that's not good English,
but to boundaryless invitation
to share the celebration
so we can be here at church
and celebrate
the victorious king
and of what that might mean
for us personally.
But God asks us
to go out
and share it as well.
See, Psalm 22
was used as liturgy.
I don't think you,
like Belvue,
have a very strong liturgy
in that sense.
We don't have a prayer book
that we use,
but liturgy has
a really helpful element to it.
Because part of liturgy
is actually passing it on
to the next generation.
And just by repeating it,
it's not an emptiness,
but it's because we need
the repetition
for it to start
to sink down.
And so Psalm 22
was used as liturgy
as part of regular worship,
revisit it time and time again
to pass it on
to the next generation.
But not just for our own sake
and for our own worship,
but also to proclaim
these truths
to anyone who would hear,
to the rich and the poor,
to all the families
of all the nations,
transcending any boundary
of time and age
and even the physical.
The Psalm is telling us
this news should reach far.
The partition wall
has come down.
There's no Jew or Greek.
The gospel is for everyone
and anyone to hear.
And I hope next Sunday
is going to be a reflection of that.
Because what God has done
for His suffering servant
will become
and has become
a blessing
to the rich and poor,
Jew and Gentile
and people yet unborn.
the people there
is a big challenge.
I think for all of us.
The same for Bellevue.
But are we?
Are we the people
who go out
after we've worshipped
and remembered
to proclaim,
especially this Easter?
And not just to do that
out of duty,
but in confidence,
knowing the King.
As we've been singing
about the King,
but also having experienced
for ourselves
His rescue.
So let me just sum it up
and then I'll end over to Ian.
People at Easter,
we have something
extraordinary to celebrate.
Somebody in our church
said the controversial thing
that Easter is better
than Christmas
and I have to slightly agree.
I think Easter is
what it's all about.
This unique personal God
dwelt among us.
And the willing and able God
was victorious on the cross
for us over death
and over sin itself.
Psalm 22 encourages
and invites us to remember
to turn,
to bow,
and then to go out
and proclaim.
Let me pray.
Lord, Heavenly Father,
we do thank You
for Your Word.
We thank You
for how it speaks to us
in our lives today
in 2017.
Thank You for how
it encourages us
and reminds us
of the incredible richness
of Your character
and who You've always been
and always will be.
Strengthen our faith
or if we haven't
fully entrusted our heart
to You,
may we do that today.
But first and foremost,
Lord,
we also pray
that You may move
our hearts
so that we will become
those proclaimers
of this righteousness.
So that Easter
is not an inner house party,
but it's shared
and made known
to a world
who has no hope
and needs Your forgiveness
and Your grace.
Oh, Lord,
we pray,
come and fill our hearts
and meet with us
so that we will
live lives
that please and honor You
in all we do.
Amen.