Psalm 22 Sermon Series

?THE?LAVISH?LOVE OF GOD?

March 3 ? April 21, 2019

Psalm 22 is a prophetic psalm foretelling the death, sufferings, resurrection and exaltation of our Lord Jesus Christ. This Psalm was penned by David describing his own painful sufferings hundreds of years before the coming of Jesus, and yet he foretells in detail what would occur as Jesus died on the cross in the horrid Roman crucifixion. The very words of verse 1 are the actual words of Jesus recorded by the Gospel writer Matthew in the New Testament.

Why give thought and attention to this Psalm at this time in the life of Roswell Street?

  • This is the time on the Christian calendar leading up to Easter Sunday on April 21, that Christians focus their hearts on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
  • The Cross of Jesus is central to who we are and what we do as followers of Jesus. ? Galatians 6: 14 ?the apostle Paul states the cross is to be our only ground of boasting.. for we have a Need-Meeting God who met our greatest need of rescue from sin by the provision of His Son. ? The passion of Jesus? Cross is the inspiration of our songs and our testimony to the world.
  • The Cross of Jesus reveals the four dimensions of God?s love. Paul states this in several places in the New Testament

Romans 5:8 ? ?But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!??Romans 8:31, 32 ? ?What then are we to say about these things??If God is for us, who is against us??He did not even spare His own Son?but offered Him up for us all;?how will He not also with Him grant us everything??

Ephesians 3:17?18 ? ?that the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God?s love, and to know the Messiah?s love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God.?

  • The Cross of Jesus was a source of unity for the local church ? as viewed in 1 Corinthians chapter 1. There is nothing that unifies differences among believers rooted in cultures, generations, and preferences but the cross of Jesus. He is our peace and He has reconciling power! ?Unity? is a core value of RSBC as based in Jesus? prayer of John 17:23.
  • The Cross of Jesus allows us to ?know the fellowship of His sufferings? ? Paul prayed in Philippians 3:10 ?My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,?

What does it mean to ?Know Jesus and the fellowship of His sufferings??

  • Know ? means to know by experience
  • Fellowship ? the koinonia ? the sharing of ? to be together with Him?
  • Sufferings ? the pains Jesus endured? especially on the cross?

Our identity as disciples is Jesus, who is the ?man of sorrows? ? go out to Him? suffer with Him??This Psalm 22 reveals the depths of Jesus? love in suffering; As I follow Jesus faithfully, I will identify with Him more deeply. Experiencing His suffering expands my capacity for compassion for others who are hurting.?Matthew 27:32 ? study this text through the eyes of Simon who carried Jesus? cross for him to Calvary?s hill.?Am I willing to pray this text with Jesus: ?Know the fellowship of His sufferings?? The text?also reveals the sufferings a disciple of Jesus will experience as one takes up the cross to follow Jesus daily.?Am I willing to suffer with Jesus?

Our Identity:

If the Son of God suffered, is it any less thinkable that I would not suffer as His disciple? Am I willing to suffer with Him? Enter into His sufferings?

  • betrayed, slandered, unjustly criticism, mistreated, humiliation, shame, disgrace
  • Why did Jesus do this? For our sin – Romans 5:8… our release from guilt and condemnation… our justification… propitiation
  • Have you ever felt alone in prayer? Have you ever felt like God had abandoned you? – the dark night of the soul…
  • As you go deeper with the Lord in suffering, He expands your capacity of compassion for hurting people.

THEMES OF THE TEXT & SERMON SERIES -??The Surpassing Love of God? | ?The Love of God?

?The Reckless Love of God? ? a song in which much debate has been given? very simply it is difficult to put into words the indescribable act of God?s love sending His Son to die for our sins.

THE SURPASSING DEPTHS OF HIS LOVE

  • 1 John 3:1 ? it is amazing/ startling to behold how deep and how far His love goes to reach us as fallen sinners? agape love ? there was nothing in us that motivate God to love us ? but He loved us anyway. Illus. ? Hosea?s purchase of Gomer as prostitute

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March 3, 2019: SERMON #1

?How Deep did God?s love Go for you?? ? Psalm 22:1?2 | Celebration of the Lord?s supper

  • Jesus was FORSAKEN, so that we might be FORGIVEN (2 Corinthians 5: 21) “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me??Why are You so far from my deliverance?and from my words of groaning? (Loneliness, physical suffering)?My God, I cry by day, but You do not answer,?by night, yet I have no rest. (physical fatigue)?22:1-2 Jesus is willing to go to the depth of hell for you!” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
  • Cry of Abandonment on the cross
  • Jesus was forsaken so that you may be forgiven
  • Jesus died alone to remove your aloneness & experience relationship
  • The cross changes everything, both vertical & horizontally

Note ? In the dark night of His soul when feeling forsaken by God, He reminded Himself in prayer ? acknowledging who God is (holy and Sovereign) and what God did in the past to rescue

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March 10, 2019: SERMON #2

?How High did God?s Love go for you?? ? Psalm 22:3?5

But You are holy,?enthroned on the praises of Israel.?Our fathers trusted in You;?they trusted, and You rescued them.?They cried to You and were set free;?they trusted in You and were not disgraced.?Jesus bridged the eternal separation between High holy God & low sinful man

  • Reconciliation – 2 Cor 5:18
  • Reconciliation is connected to regeneration ? 2 Cor. 5: 17

Idea ? Vs. 3 ? Connect to THE SURPASSING HEIGHTS OF HIS LOVE ? Jesus? hand reached the heights of God?s holiness to reconcile the hand of fallen man to Himself.

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March 17, 2019: SERMON #3

?God?s Love goes deeper still? to bear Your Shame? ? Psalm 22:6?13

  • Jesus was HUMILIATED, so that we might be HONORED (2 Corinthians 8:9) “But I am a worm and not a man, (Humiliated) scorned by men and despised by people. Vs 6 -Jesus endured shame to remove your shame” – Gal 3:13

Note ? Reflect in the Gospels ? while Jesus was on the cross, the leaders and people taunted ?scorn.. mocked? “Everyone who sees me mocks me;?they sneer and shake their heads:??He relies on the Lord;?let Him rescue him;?let the Lord deliver him,?since He takes pleasure in him.??Vs 7-8 Jesus was viewed as a religious disappointment to free you from religious condemnation.” – John 8:10,11

  • Reflect on Religious leaders on hurtful words to Jesus on the cross
  • Reflect on hurtful words you experienced- maybe as a child, teen, adult by spouse, parent
  • Reflect on hurtful words you have spoken- allow godly sorrow fill your heart as you realize those words were ultimately spoken by you to Jesus – Matt 25 spoke to least of these .. to Me

Note ? Throughout our Lord?s suffering, he reminded Himself of God?s faithfulness and care for him.?You took me from the womb,?making me secure while at my mother?s breast.?I was given over to You at birth;?You have been my God from my mother?s womb.

  • Jesus SUFFERED, so that we might be SAVED. ? 1 Peter 3:18
  • Jesus was ALONE, so that we might NEVER BE ALONE ? Hebrews 13:5 “Do not be far from me, because distress is near and there is no one to help.

Note ? Jesus was forsaken by His friends (disciples) ? one betrayed Him, one denied knowing Him three times. All fled from Him at His arrest. “Many bulls surround me;?strong ones of Bashan encircle me.?They open their mouths against me -?lions, mauling and roaring.

Note – this speaks of intimidation and fear placed on Jesus by the religious leaders and people. ? even the thieves hurled insults at Him.?Vs 9 – 13 – in the Garden and in the trails. Jesus suffered distress to be with you in times of distress – note the recall of Jesus of God?s goodness from childhood… good practice for you to remember in the night of your soul what He has done in the light, Jesus was surrounded by condemnation to rise as our Justifier … Romans 8 meditation of courtroom

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March 24, 2019: SERMON #4

?God?s Love goes even deeper still?. To the Cross? – Psalm 22:14 ?18

  • Jesus THIRST, so that we might be SATISFIED ? John 7:37-39 “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed; my heart is like wax, melting within me.”

Note ? This describes heart failure from which Jesus died “My strength is dried up like baked clay;?my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.?You put me into the dust of death.?For dogs have surrounded me;?a gang of evildoers has closed in on me;?they pierced my hands and my feet.?I can count all my bones;?people look and stare at me.?They divided my garments among themselves,?and they cast lots for my clothing.”

Note ? the utter humiliation that his clothes were being gambled for ??Vs 14-18

  • The Place of the Skull
  • The thirst of Jesus – to quench our eternal thirst
  • The pain of Jesus – disjointed bones
  • The heart failure of Jesus – He died with a ruptured heart for you… to heal your broken heart
    • Vs 16 – Jesus pierced with nails – hands and feet
    • Vs 17 Jesus seen as spectacle
    • Vs 18 – gambling for Jesus garments

JESUS? PRAYERS OF SUPPLICATION ? “But You, Lord, don?t be far away.?My strength, come quickly to help me.?Deliver my life from the sword,?my only life from the power of these dogs.?Save me from the mouth of the lion!

THE SURPASSING HEIGHTS OF HIS LOVE

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March 31, 2019: SERMON #5

?How high does God’s love lift you?? ? Psalm 22:21b?26

Note ? God the Father answered the Son?s Prayer on Resurrection Morning?God answers prayer with resurrection power ? Eph. 1: 19?Vs. 21b -??You have rescued me?from the horns of the wild oxen.”

RESPONSES TO THE RESURRECTION ?

  • WORSHIP – “I will proclaim Your name to my brothers; I will praise You in the congregation.?You who ?fear ?Yahweh, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor Him! All you descendants of Israel, revere Him!?For He has not despised or detested the torment of the afflicted. He did not hide His face from him but listened when he cried to Him for help.”
  • SURRENDER – “?I will give praise in the great congregation because of You; I will fulfill my vows before those who fear You.
  • ABUNDANT LIFE – “The humble will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise Him.
  • LIFE ETERNAL -? May your hearts live forever!

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April 7, 2019: SERMON #6

?The Length and Width of God?s Love? ? To every nation and to every generation.?Psalm 22:27?31

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April 14, 2019?(Palm Sunday): Sermon #7

“The surpassing length of His love ? Reaching Every Nation!?“All the ends of the earth will remember?and turn to the Lord.?All the families of the nations?will bow down before You,?for kingship belongs to the Lord;?He rules over the nations.?All who prosper on earth will eat and bow down;?all those who go down to the dust?will kneel before Him -?even the one who cannot preserve his life.”

THE SURPASSING WIDTH OF HIS LOVE ? Reaching Every Generation! “Their descendants will serve Him; the next generation will be told about the Lord.?They will come and tell a people yet to be born?about His righteousness -?what He has done.”?22:22 (Ps 40:10; Heb 2:12)

  • No single English word conveys every aspect of the word fear in this phrase. The meaning includes worshipful submission, reverential awe, and obedient respect to the covenant-keeping God of Israel.
  • Or The Lord; it is the personal name of God in Hebrew; ?Yah? is the shortened form. Yahweh is used in places where the personal name of God is discussed (Ps 68:4) or in places of His self-identification (Is 42:8).?22:23 Rv 19:5;?22:23 Ps 135:20;?22:24 Ps 69:33;?22:24 Ezk 39:29

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April 21, 2019?(Easter?Sunday): Sermon #8

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