Let's go to the Lord in prayer together. Father, thank you for this time. Thank you for your word. Thank you for the many wonderful songs we have already sung today that truly proclaim you are majestic and there is no one like you in all the earth, Lord. I pray for me this morning. Let none of my opinions flow out of my mouth, but let Let your words ring true. Let your words come out and only what are yours, Lord. I pray for everyone listening today, including me, your servant, yourself, that we will see you greater and grander today. And because of that, worship you and praise you more and more. In your son's name, amen. I don't believe it would surprise anyone here today if I told you that the more you do something, the better you become at doing it and understanding it. After all, I'm sure many of you have heard the phrase, practice makes perfect, a number of times before. Now, this is true for many things, like hobbies or work, or when you're learning something new. But it's also true for when you read the Bible. You see, the more you look at the Bible, read the Bible, and think about the Bible, the more you will discover. Now, this is especially true for us today as we look at this particular Psalm. The more we look at the structure found here in Psalm 8, the main emphasis of what it's trying to communicate becomes clearer and clearer. Take a look for yourselves. Can you see any patterns here? Look at the first and the last verse. You know, there's repetition here. We see that it starts and it ends with this same statement. Oh Lord, our Lord, How majestic is your name in all the earth? You know, this repetition is done on purpose. It is a literary device in Hebrew poetry called a chiasm. And when it is used in this fashion, the author is communicating that these repeating lines are the main focus of his writing. Everything that is found inside this Psalm is echoing what the first and last verse is saying. Psalm 8 is calling us to look at the majesty, the greatness, and the glory of God. This is the main theme, that God is majestic. There's no one like him. This is what we will discover The more we look, the more we read, and the more as we think about this, you know, this afternoon. But before we dive in, please notice something in this repeated phrase found in this first and last verse. Notice it says, our Lord. You know, this didn't need to be included for the sentence to make sense, but I'm sure it highlights something special. Calvary Community Church, this is our Lord. He's personal. He has revealed himself to us. He is not far above us, but he's close by. He's closer than we can even imagine. He knows us more than we even know ourselves. This concept of God's personal closeness is found throughout the Bible. And it's especially found in many of the Psalms. For the sake of example, please turn with me to Psalm 62. Psalm 62. And consider what it has to say about God's relationship to his people. It says this, starting in verse six. He alone is my rock and my salvation. My fortress, I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory. My mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us. That's an amazing truth. That's amazing for those who know the Lord and know that He's His. Because for those of us who know Him personally, what a comfort this truly is for us. Now, I say all this to enhance everything that we will see here in Psalm 8. All of it is magnified by the fact that He is our Lord. The Lord is ours. And He shows us His majesty for everyone to see. So let's discover what else this Psalm describes about God's majesty. Because like I said before, this is what all the verses will proclaim. Now, there's certainly many different ways to speak of God's greatness, His glory, His majesty. But the first way that this Psalm does it is probably not the way I would have chosen. Because the first way that God is magnified is through babies. God is magnified through babies. So let's read verse two together. It says, out of the mouths of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes. to still the enemy and the avenger. So that's a little strange. Out of everything, babies. You know, verse two says it's the newborns who still the enemy and the avenger. They defeat God's enemies. I don't know if you all know this, but infants aren't really strong and they're not really powerful. I mean, they're not even self-sufficient. and they are by nature the weakest. But despite this, babies are the means that God uses to triumph over his foes. Now, that's powerful. That's majestic. God could have chosen anybody. And so this shows us that if God can use babies, he can use anyone or anything. And if He can do this with babies, He can especially use us. The strength is not in the individual, but it is in God. And this is how God generally operates, the weak defeating the strong. This theme is found all over the Bible. You know, think about David versus Goliath. or possibly Gideon versus the Midianites, or really Israel versus basically every single nation they encounter. And even ultimately, consider Jesus, who came to earth as a baby to destroy the enemy of enemies, Satan himself. So why does God operate in this way? I believe the answer can be found in 1 Corinthians 1. Please turn with me there. 1 Corinthians 1, in verses 27 through 29. It says, starting in verse 27, But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, even the things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. So that no one will boast. Because this elevates God, not the individual. Because since babies have no power, when God uses them, they can boast nothing. It's only in God we can see who's done this. When God uses the weakest, he is most magnified. Let's move on to the next point, and that is creation. God is magnified through creation. Let's read verse three of Psalm 8. It says, when I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place. Now, compared to the last verse, this one seems obvious from the start. God's power and greatness is displayed through creation. You know, this is certainly something the author of this Psalm, David, could relate to. You know, since he was a shepherd, imagine him out with his sheep after dark, you know, with no light pollution in the sky, and probably not much to do but stay off into space. He surely saw God's majesty in creation. Because when it comes to God's majesty, this is what we expect to be the main focus. The greatness of the heavens. You know, multiple aspects of this greatness can be examined. For example, we could consider the largeness of space. We can't even begin to imagine how large the universe is. I could give you a number like 93 billion light years across, but this distance is so huge, it goes way beyond what our mind can consider. Still, this Psalm declares the seemingly infinite realm of space is contained in God's metaphorical fingers. Space is miniature when compared to God. Or on the opposite end of the spectrum, we could always consider the finely tuned intricacies of a perfectly balanced world. Did you know that most of the fundamental characteristics of our Earth and also the cosmos are so finely tuned that if just one of them was slightly different, we or even our universe wouldn't even exist. These aspects of our world have been perfectly arranged by God to keep us alive and well. And without God, nothing would have been held together. Either of these two topics, we could talk about for hours with increasing wonder. Because when you consider the universe's infinite largeness, or even its perfect balance, In light of the fact that God made it, and he made it without effort, you understand that this majestic God is truly deserving of worship. Yet, you know, with these thoughts still fresh on our mind, the psalm quickly goes in another direction. It gives us a brief description of the heavens, then it starts speaking of a different topic. And that topic is man, and that is God is magnified through mankind. Let's read verses three through seven. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You had given him dominion over the works of your hands and have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, the fish of the sea, whatever paths along the paths of the sea. So this is the bulk of the Psalm. So the question is, why is man highlighted over all the rest of creation? Well, since creation is so big and so great, man elevates God's majesty because we, when compared to all of creation, are small and weak. Consider the size of our universe again. The more you think, the smaller you discover that we are. Yet despite this, God cares for each one of us and has given mankind dominion over all creation. Let's turn to the first chapter of the Bible and read about man's creation. In Genesis chapter one, and it's found in verse 26, This is what it says here in chapter 1, verse 26. Then God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So please notice two things here in relation to our Psalm. The first is in reference to verse five of Psalm eight. You know, even though we are minuscule in the grand scheme of creation, the Bible says we are still fearfully and wonderfully made. You know, the complexities of our bodies from the many trillion of synapses in our brains to the perfectly working ecosystem of our microscopic cells, the more we know about our intricate created bodies, the more this psalm rings true when it says that God crowned us with glory and with honor. If it wasn't enough, The second thing we should notice in the Genesis passage is the declaration of dominion found in verses six through eight of our psalm today. David goes on to list what God gave mankind to have dominion over. And to sum it up in a few words, it's basically all things, all things on the earth. Now, it's tiny humans who are both cared for and rule over creation? This is a tremendous gift and one that is really undeserved. After all, shortly after this promise, mankind sinned against God and fell just a few chapters later in Genesis chapter three. They didn't believe what God had said to them. They ate the forbidden fruit, and as a result, they separated mankind from God. Now, we are left with this gap. On one hand, we have the majestic, sinless God whose fingers span the universe, and on the other, we have insignificant fallen man. How can this relationship with our maker be harmonized? How can sinful mankind come into the presence of the perfect God? Well, thankfully, God has spoken more than just Psalm 8. We have further revelation. Not only has he's given us all the Psalms, not only has he given us all the Old Testament, He's given us the New Testament. And in the New Testament, the answer is found in Jesus Christ. He is the reconciler. This is what 1 Timothy 2, verse 5 rightfully declares. For it says, for there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and man, the man, Christ Jesus. Now, I don't know if you're all aware of this, but this little psalm is actually quoted three times in the New Testament. And I would like us to take a look at all three of these passages, because there is one core idea that is true for all three references. The first is found in Matthew chapter 21. That's the text we already read this morning, but please turn with me to Matthew 21, and we'll read verses 12 through 17 together. Matthew 21, it says, starting in verse 12, and Jesus entered the temple, and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple. And he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he said to them, it is written, my house shall be called a house of prayer, but you made it a den of robbers. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out, Hosanna to the son of David. They were indignant. And they said to him, do you hear what these are saying? And Jesus said to him, yes, have you never read out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise? And leaving them, he went out to the city of Bethany and Lodger there. Now, of course, the context here is the triumphal entry, and Jesus just cleansed the temple, and the religious leaders come and kind of mock those who are worshiping Jesus as the true king. And Jesus goes on to cite verse two of talking about infants defeating God's enemies in verse 16. So, we see Jesus is worshiped as the Messiah by the children, but not the religious leaders. We would probably think it'd be the opposite. And the point Jesus is making that he will get praise regardless if it's the wisest, if it's the people who should be worshiping him. If it's not the religious leaders, it will be the children because God will be worshiped. And it's interesting because Jesus takes verse two of Psalm eight and applies it directly alluding to him. The next passage that the Psalm is quoted is 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Let's turn there together. 1 Corinthians 15, starting in verse 20. And it says, But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive, but each to his own order. Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end when he delivers the kingdom to God to the fathers after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet. the last enemy to be destroyed is death. For God has put all things in subjection under his feet. But when it says all things are put in subjection, it is plain that he has accepted to put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. So the context here, this is the great resurrection chapter. It's all about Jesus Christ. And it cites verse six, speaking of dominion, human dominion. And it quotes it here in verse 27 of what we just read. But I know this passage touches on a lot of subjects, but notice what it's saying about dominion. Since Jesus rose from the dead, he will reign as king, and he will have dominion over everything. And it takes the passage, talking about human dominion, and again, alludes it directly to Jesus Christ. The final passage is Hebrews chapter two, verses five through nine. Hebrews chapter two. And it says here, starting in verse five, For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, for which we are speaking, it has been testified somewhere. What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You have made him a lower, lower than the angels. You have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet. Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he has left nothing outside of his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him, but we see Him, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God, He might taste death for everyone. So in a context where Jesus is being labeled as greater than the angels, It cites Psalm 8 again, talking about his dominion and even his humiliation of becoming a man. And it directly says, this is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. So I hope you guys caught the core idea in these three passages. And it's all three quotes, Psalm 8, and apply it directly to Jesus. because he is the fulfillment of the many themes found here in the Psalm, because it's Jesus who restores human dominion over creation. How? Well, going back to the beginning, Adam sinned and severed man's kind relationship with God, and we have followed in his disobedience ever since. But when Jesus came to earth, He lived the perfect sinless life, the life that we couldn't. You see, it was man that severed the relationship with God, so it had to be a man to restore our relationship back. Yet, at the same time, no fallen sinful person has the capacity to live without sin. So Jesus had to be God. He was both. He was, He was, and He still is the God-man. And there is no one like Him. Jesus died in our place, and He was raised from the dead three days later. Now, repenting of our sins and placing our trust in Jesus, God welcomes us back. This is the gospel. This is the gospel which you must believe in. Please hear me. You can't put this off. Examine yourself. Do you truly believe in the Lord Jesus? If you don't, ask God, ask God right now to reveal himself to you. Because if you are sincere, God will show you and reveal you this majestic gospel. Now, I hope you all can see that in a psalm where God's majesty is on display, Christ must be present. Christ must be at the center because it is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ where God receives the most majesty and the most glory. Not more than Him exalting Himself over babies, over the weakest. More than Himself exalting over the greatness of His creation. Even more than His crowning jewel, mankind. No, it's the gospel, it's Jesus Christ Himself where God receives the most praise. Forever and always. This is the same praise we'll be singing on into eternity, after death. The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who saved us. So, please take this to heart. And if you have not received this message, please consider it again, because it has of eternal consequences. And bringing things to a close, I hope the more that we looked at this text, the more you discovered. I hope all of you have seen God's majesty to a greater degree today. And I pray that in seeing it, we will go out and recognize God's majesty all around us. Because when we truly get a glimpse of God's majestic plan, especially his working of the gospel, it will change you. And for those of us who have been changed, the only genuine response is to proclaim this message wherever we go. How can we keep this wonderful truth bottled up for ourselves? Let us model what is found in this first and last verse of here in Psalm 8. Let us proclaim the Lord's majestic name in all the earth. Let's pray together. Father, we're so thankful. We're so thankful for your word because without it, maybe we'd get glimpses, maybe we would get small tastes, but we wouldn't see your glory. We wouldn't see your majesty for what it truly is. Even now, we are insignificant enough to see your full glory, your full capacity of it, Lord. We are but humble beggars who come to your text and desire to see you. So I pray that you will show us more, not just today, but throughout this whole week, throughout the whole rest of our lives. I pray that we will see you more and more. And then by seeing you more, we will sing, we will declare, we will tell others. of your majestic name, your majestic name that is not only in this room, it's not only present for us believers, but it's everywhere. And for those who don't see it, and as you suppress it, Lord, please change their hearts. Let the whole earth see your glory for what it truly is. Amen.