Victory

Listening to the radio ministry of Cleveland church in Henderson North Carolina I Clearview goal is to make Christ visible in every this week. The job not show talking about the victory that's possible cross of Jesus Christ. If we lose sight of the cross. It's nothing but self-will and human effort.

There is no victory without sacrifice, there is no crown without the cross. Join us for the rest of this week's message John, thank you for everything that you guys do all the ways that you are helping and serving, by the way, you're welcome to start your engines were not going anywhere. If you want to turn on your car does not affect us so you don't have to sit in the heat of the windows and whatever make us uncomfortable with the kids. But as we were planning and praying about this weekends messages and asking it, or should we just go very simple. Just talk about encouragement or you know just don't fear or don't doubt in those kind of things and the more we talked amongst ourselves.

The team Clearview.

The more he felt like a time like this.

There are many people who are doing an excellent job in communicating hope and encouragement to others.

In fact, Nicole yesterday did a wonderful Instagram live in an lot of people like them and if you are liked and she re-shared it so I know that's going on in this wonderful so this morning I wanted get off our series a bit began a series last weekend called Hosanna a four week series leading us into the passion week and so I believe it's important for us to stay where we are because there is a powerful message.

A deep message from the word of God for us now works can have multiple meanings. Take for example the word bark bark can be the outer covering of a tree, but it can also mean the sound that a dog makes. They don't have the same meaning, but they're connected.

For example, the word express what is the word express come from.

You know the express train and all that but the word express comes from the printing press where you would put ink on the die and the typesetting and then he would express that image on the paper and then that was the newspaper.

The newspaper became the daily express. In the letter on the train that carried those newspaper became the express train so is amazing how words have different meanings, and sometimes they are derived from each other. Now I'm assuring that because there is a word Hosanna we began the series last weekend. That word Hosanna also has more than one meaning, and those meanings are connected to have come from each other last week and we learned that one of the meanings of that word Hosanna is God save us.

It was a prayer push AR on autonomies. Please now push AR means save us now.

Hosanna is God please save us now, but another meaning that develop from that word is the meaning of the word victory. Hosanna also means victory in today's message. In fact, that's the time of our message today. The second message in the series. Here's the gist of the message usually give the just so you can have follow along. Where were going in this message. Here's the summary here suggest there is no victory without sacrifice, there is no victory without sacrifice, first there is the cross and then there is the crown, but according to the word of God. First there is the cross and then there is the crown also is the crucified life that comes first, and then the victorious life. If you want victory in your life. You cannot say I want any suffering Jesus I want any any trouble just give me the victory in Jesus know God's gonna say it comes by the way of the cross this morning in our second message in the series called Hosanna were going to understand what this victory looks like turn your Bibles.

If you have the Bibles with you to Psalm 118, or if you're following the blog. My blog is is on the bulletin that was given to you, Avedon Shada, the verses are there you can just go there if you like to look at Psalm 118 starting in verse 21. If you had a Bibles ready.

Let's begin to look at Psalm 118 starting in verse 21.

I will praise you, for you have answered me and have become my salvation, my hosanna the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone to see what that means. In a few moments.

Verse 23. 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 comes those come the two verses that they cheered when they saw Jesus riding on a donkey coming into Jerusalem. Here we go.

Verse 25 save now. Hosanna, I pray all Lord, O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. Verse 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. We have blessed you from the house of the Lord. Before we look at it carefully and pray.

Are you calling on God to save you through some trial may be through what all of us are going through at this time. Do you understand that you may have to endure before there is victory at the understand that the cross comes first. We may have to suffer for a while. Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord as your Savior.

If you don't like where you are is time to go to the cross is a simple prayer that says Jesus I need you in my life. I believe that you died on the cross you died for my sins. You were buried and you rose again.

I believe that you are the son of God, and I need you to save me come into my life. Forgive me of my sins and be my king and father we pray today for those who have sincerely prayed and have come to the cross of Jesus in their hearts. God save them right now but we also pray for the rest of us got teach us what it means to live the crucified life teach us what it means that before we can have victory.

We have to find the cross to pick up our cross and follow Christ of God. We pray today work in our hearts in a special way for us in Jesus name we pray that everyone say next weekend is Palm Sunday at about you, but all my days and weeks are gone out the window.

I don't know exactly what's happening. I was going to preach Palm Sunday's message today and then someone said that's not until next week and Easter is not next week, it's two weeks away and and everything was a mess. But today I just want us to focus on the cheers of the crowd when they saw Jesus coming riding on a donkey coming down the Mount of olives headed towards the eastern gate of the temple to begin to shout and we know that shout, they shouted, hosanna, listen to Matthew 21 nine hosanna to the son of David, Blessed is he who comes in in the Lord and they were waving palm branches as they did that. Now the question is where in the world did the crowd come up with this cheer was there a cheerleading team standing then say okay guys when we see the Messiah from Galilee coming nearby on the count of three. Hosanna, that didn't the vows and tellers that happen. The question is why in the world did they pick this Psalm to start with. You may not realize, but Psalm 118 is the most quoted Psalm from the Old Testament in the New Testament. Now we don't know why this Psalm was written there is no superscription to this Psalm 118, but we do have some information about how it was used through the centuries. Basically there are two major reasons why this Psalm was used through the centuries. According to the Talbert Talbert is a collection of Jewish writings, according to the town would Psalm 118 was the Psalm that was sung at the feast of the Tabernacles. We will talk about that in a few moments. First reason why the Psalm was so popular and so often quoted in the New Testament is because it was a Psalm that was sung at the feast of the Tabernacles was secondly it also became a messianic Psalm, we will also see that in a few moments but let's go back to the first reason this Psalm was sung at the feast of the Tabernacles now what is the feast of the Tabernacles. Keep in mind that the Jewish people had many feast.

If you grew up in a good Bible believing church or have been acquainted with messianic congregations you heard of all the feast that they But three feasts in particular are known as the pilgrimage feast, which means that you cannot celebrate them just at your home, you had to go to Jerusalem for them. What were those fees. The first one is the feast of the Passover or the feast of the unleavened bread. The second feast is the feast of Pentecost by the heart fees that we don't talk much about, but was also very important. It pilgrimage feast is the feast of the Tabernacles the feast of the what is boo-boo this just like when you go to a convention or or some kind of a display there is a booth set up.

It probably had a covering. It had something like that. This was a feast of Tabernacles the feast of the boots seven days between September and October.

This feast was celebrated. God had commanded his people in Leviticus chapter 23 God had told them that at this time of the year between September October 1 seven days.

They had to go to Jerusalem and live in this. This these makeshift boots made out of listen to this. Leaves and branches they had to leave the security of their homes and their cities and go to Jerusalem, and in living this boots with their families can imagine that. Now why did God do that.

Why did he tell them to do something so strange.

Listen carefully. This was to remind them of their time or the time of their ancestors in the wilderness member for 40 years. The people of Israel wandered in the wilderness, and they lived in these booth. Sometimes we think all lived in tents is not true. They were living in these makeshift foods made out of leaves and branches that were completely vulnerable to the elements. How in the world and those people survived the survived not because of their strength.

This survived because of the Lord living in those boots for the seven days was to help them even though they may not have been the ones wandering but it was a time for them to remember how grateful they should be for where God had brought them as I read that allows talk about it in some ways, God is making us live in boots right now. I mean just in the past month. Our safety is our comforts had just been stripped away. I mean you can just do anything you want to go anywhere you want to all of a sudden all you can do this you can do that. This is not available that's not available, are good be. Listen, the could be that God is making us as individuals, as families, as the nation to live in these temporary sheds to remind us how much we should be grateful, but could it be that God has brought us to such a time of discomfort and loss of security. Could it be that God is saying now. Do you realize all that you have can be taken away just like that is because of him, and I pray that before you leave this place but she would give God glory given thanks for how much he has blessed as a man, how much he's been good to us.

Now let's go back to Psalm 118, where does it fit in all of this, you see, this was the Psalm that they would saying at the feast of the Tabernacles. This was the Psalm that would saying on that final day when they would go into the temple to misread it yet. If I was open to Psalm 118 verse one or just listen to it. Oh, give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his mercy endures forever picture the people standing from generation to generation on the last day of the feast of the tabernacle, waiting for the temple this standing over there saying a whole. Give thanks I keep in mind, I get it to understand not everybody truly got somewhere there just to have a good time ever get to see Jerusalem really need some good food. When were out there that is that a vacation so I don't think anybody was thinking all how good Lord is just like even today. Not everybody gets it solicited verse 22 let Israel now say his mercy endures forever that the house of Aaron means that all the priest say his mercy endures forever. Let those who fear the Lord now say his mercy endures forever says they're standing out here.

People are goofing off the Psalm is to remind them hey hey focus, God has been good to you.

Verse four. Let those who fear the Lord now say his mercy endures forever. I called on the Lord in distressing it goes from a plural to a singular. I called the Lord in distress. The Lord answered me and said me in a broad plate. This is not a collective Thanksgiving only individually. We need to be thanking God.you been good to me. Keep reading. The Lord is on my side. Verse six. I will not fear what can man do to me who needed to hear that today I did not. Verse 14 the Lord is my strength and song, and he has become my Hosanna my salvation, the voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the 10th of the righteous. The right hand of the Lord does valiantly. There standing outside the gates of the temple. This is going on in their thanking God for us collectively, and then individually verse 17. Listen carefully.

This one I shall not die anybody to claim that verse today in a time like this when were so afraid of constantly bombarded by news media or social media you will die… Although not a listen, here's my challenge to you claim the promise for your life for your family for your children claim that promise I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord, the Lord has chastened me severely means you're going through a tough time but he has not given me over today while is any reason that Psalm 118 was the most quoted Psalm from the Old Testament onto glad we didn't change the message is what we need to hear now looking towards the eastern gate of the temple, they would say in verse 19.

Are you ready for this open to me. The gates of righteousness will go through them and I will praise the Lord. You see, they are the gates of righteousness, that was a term for the Eastern gates not just any gate of the temple that was specifically meant for the Eastern good by the way which gate did Jesus come through when he was writing the donkey coming down Mount of olives beheaded to the eastern gate and then into the temple, by the way, that was a fulfillment of a prophecy. Ezekiel had given in Ezekiel 44 and 46 that the coming Prince would have a special access into the temple through the eastern gate. Amazing isn't it. Prophecy after prophecy was being fulfilled but is not over listen to verse 20 as their walking to the gates on this last day of the feast of the tabernacle. They said this is the gain of the Lord through which the righteous shall enter I will praise you, for you have answered me and have become my Hosanna my salvation.

Then they see the temple. Okay, so standing outside praising God walking to the gates. Here's the temple listen to verse 22 the stone confidant verse, but it's a verse that is very important in understanding who Jesus was and is the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone were there talking about.

There's so much packed in there. Verse 23 says this was the Lord's doing means we don't understand what were saying, but it's 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.

If you ask me. Did they understand what they were saying. Probably not. Jesus came, but his own did not receive him, but he became the chief cornerstone on which all of us are built using there saying these words as their walking in. Now comes the verse that the crowd used in cheering Jesus as he entered Jerusalem from the Eastern get here comes that verse, verse 25 we just read it earlier in the opening but here we go again save now Hosanna I pray Lord all Lord I pray send now prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the name of Lord we have blessed you from the house of the Lord did you get that. Did you catch that they were outside the house of the Lord. Now there inside and their blessing someone that they don't know that actually blessing the coming Messiah blessing them. Blessing him from inside the house or from the house of the Lord and what else did they do this is very important and they would waive the palm branches. Why were they waving member when Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, running the donkey. They were also doing the same thing. Why did they do that well on the last day of the feast of the Tabernacles. The seventh day, the priest would blow the top trumpets and the Levites and the people would waive the palm branches and that strange, like why would you do that, why not waive something else because waving palm branches with a sign that the harvest had come. It was time for the harvest you're getting all this so there shouting Hosanna to the king to the highest waving palm branches, a sign that harvest was now here, let me stop there for a moment. Y'all have patiently listen to all this. Best parts were missing 32nd timeout about enjoying wanted the crowd do what they did what time was it.

It was a time for the feast of the Passover member. When Jesus came in that whole week, he did some miracle he did some work in the temple and then on Thursday he kept the Passover. This was a Passover feast and nonetheless, this crowd says it is time for the tabernacle feast.

What were they doing.

You see, by the time of Jesus shouting Hosanna and waving palm branches was symbolic that the Messiah had come, they did understand that Jesus did not come to overthrow the Romans didn't understand that Jesus did not come just to remove the corrupt priest from the temple he came from something more. How do we know that and understand well. Keep reading Matthew 21 and verse 10, when he had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, who is this not listen to this. So the multitude said, this is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee summarizing all now so he did not say yeah their work lives.

Who cares that they don't because that I let him sing because Tabernacles is still coming, the feast of the harvest is still coming but unfortunately please listen the crowd didn't get it. You know what the crowd should've done this should have Reading Psalm 118, because the very next verse which is verse 27. Listen what it says God is the Lord, and he has given us light member Jesus is the light of the world. God is the Lord, and he has given us light not listen, listen or read your bulletin or all or my notes on the blog. Listen to this buying the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.

The crowd only said save now victory, the son of David is here. They should have Reading the the next verse that said, it is time to take that sacrificial lamb and tie him to the altar to the horns of the altar which means this, please listen. Don't miss this, Jesus did not come just to reign as a king. First he came to die as our Savior and didn't get remember how I began this message. There is no crown without the cross. There is no victory without sacrifice.

If we lose side of the cross. There's nothing left. There is no salvation. How does this apply to us. You guys were going through these tough days are we looking at only our comforts are we looking at only ourselves. My my comfort my security or are we seeing God, let your cross shine.

Do you have your eyes upon the cross. You want victory want to get out of this. You want to Tabernacles, but the Passover lamb has to come first.

This is what Paul said in Colossians 214. He said, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements. I was against us, which was contrary to us. He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers. He made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them in it. The only women to have triumph is when we go through the cross. The cross not only forgives us of our sins, but it takes all our tears all our shame all our struggles and puts them in the right respect. Listen, listen.

Don't miss this when we see what he went through. Who are we to complain about what were going through. In fact, Jesus stated very clearly is that whoever desires to come after me. Mark 834, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Verse 35 whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the Gospels will save there has been no better time for Christians than right now in the midst of these difficult days to pick up our cross and follow Christ. A friend of mine, the mentor of mine asked me a question recently.

He said, and he prefaced that with this. He said you know all this mess is going to end it may end in a couple weeks commanded a month is all going to end. But what would people say about you when it's over, will they say there's a person who walked the crucified life and by the way, are you giving the cross of Jesus to those around you. What better time. It is to tell people the gospel would have better but better time is to say, hey listen I don't times are tough, but God's gonna get you through this and the way he's going to get you through this through Jesus Christ.

What better time to share the gospel invite people to church as you leave this place post about this.

This is not foes of pleasing missing is not about to say.

Almost all were doing this. Look how much we're working hard. That's pails that doesn't draw people to salvation.

Only the cross, Jesus said when I be lifted up I will draw people is not about how hard Paschall works not breach of the compliments or how hard this team works there breach of the compliment. Please tell them that please tell us that would like to hear Encouraging Word's but ultimately his mother cross very simple. If you have been to the cross of Jesus. Right now, right where you are. Tell him that you're ready to pick up your cross and follow after, thank you so much for joining us for this is message only by keeping the cross of Christ current crisis in every situation. Everything you should be motivated hope Jesus Christ. For more information visit us online@clearviewvc.org and for the sermons, notes and other additional resources check on Dr. Shah's blog that I would not Shah.com