Text: Psalm 118
Topic: The greatness of God's love

Introduction:
• Chesed is a Hebrew word that denotes stooping to bestow an act of mercy.

The mercy of God is an active mercy.
• Chesed signifies the kindness of God.
• Chesed signifies the constancy of God.
• Chesed signifies the covenant fidelity of God.
• God's mercy is available when we enter into a covenant relationship with him through his Son.

The mercy of God never ends.
• The Israelites return from exile to build a new temple from the ruins of the old temple.
• Some of the people are discouraged because they believe nothing good can be reconstructed from the rubble.
• Some of the people are discouraged because the Persian government is withholding permission to rebuild.
• The Psalmist is thankful because God's mercy endures even in their present circumstances.

Thanksgiving is the proper response to God's mercy.
• The Psalmist praises God with the same song their ancestors sang after their deliverance from the Egyptians.
• The new temple would be even greater than the old one, because Jesus would walk into it.
• We throw our praises to God because he has sent Jesus to walk into our lives.