Thanksgiving as a Public Act

- how would you describe or rate your experiences when you trying to get help on-line?...would the statement – “Sometimes it’s just hard to get through”…in any way describe what that’s like for you?...

- airplane travel has become increasingly challenging the last couple of years…people who fly regularly can attest to that…

- and I wouldn’t want that job when bad weather moves in and interrupts hundreds and hundreds of flights resulting in thousands and thousands of passengers needing to be re-booked…or just dealing with staff shortages and everything that goes along with that segment of the transportation industry…

- but sometimes it’s just hard to get through…

- not long ago I had a series of flights with Delta…they had been purchased well in advance, paid for…but their computer kept bumping me off one of my flights and reassigning me to a later one where I couldn’t possibly make my next connection…

- so I called them…and was told it would be a wait time of several hours…so I just put them on my speaker phone in my office and went on with my day…but there was that mind-numbing music playing in the background, coupled with the occasional recordings – “your call is important to us…” – which sounded less genuine as each hour passed by…

- but finally, right at the end of the work day a human being picked up the phone…and after quite a bit of additional time, was able to get me back on my original flight…and all was well…

- until that same thing started happening every seven days…like clock-work…

- I even started asking the Delta rep to put some kind of note on the ticket…but sure enough…it was like that theme in that goofy movie Groundhog day…the alarm clock just kept going off…

- when I actually made the trip…the first leg went OK – I got to where I supposed to be and spoke at the event…when I got back to the hotel and was going to bed, sure enough…another notification about being assigned to a later flight…

- so by that time I was really tired…so the only thing I knew to do was to call them, set my phone on speaker, lay down and try to get some sleep and hope that when the voice came on, it would be different enough that it would wake me up…

- and thank the Lord, that’s what happened…

- you talk about a nightmare – trying to rest with the Delta hold music playing over and over…

- would you agree with the premise – sometimes it’s just had to get through?...

- here’s the question this morning – is that true of the Lord?...is that true of the God of heaven and earth?...

- How would you like to run His call center?...

- this morning we’re going to study a passage of Scripture that answers that question – and gives us reasons why thanksgiving ought to be a public act…Thanksgiving as a Public Act…

- with that in mind – please open your Bible to Psalm 16…page 443 of the back section of the Bible under the chair in front of you…

- This summer we’ve been working on The Heart of Thanksgiving

- it’s part of our annual theme of Growing in Gospel Gratitude…

- I realize that someone from the outside looking in might think – well, the pastors must have chosen that theme because they believe we don’t have a very thankful congregation…

- please let me just take that opportunity to say on behalf of all of our pastors that we think the exact opposite is the case…

- I think COVID proved that…we were stressed on all sorts of levels like never before…

- and we had to make decisions that we had never even contemplated…

- and do things that, looking back, I still have trouble believing…

- but even when a church member might have thought – I really don’t like that, or I really don’t agree with that…the response was on the foundation of a thankful heart…

- we will be forever grateful for that…

- Regarding Psalm 116, Bible students often comment that the material here is somewhat difficult to organize…but one of the unusual features is that the subject of death is discussed at three different times, in three different ways, from three different perspectives…

- in fact, this Psalm contains one verse about death that I bet you’ll recognize, even if you didn’t remember where it was found in the Bible because it is often used in Christian funerals…

- that doesn’t mean that the Psalm is about death – that’s not what I’m saying…but the places where that subject is mentioned helps us organize the overall flow of the verses…

- let’s read it together – Read Psalm 116:1-19

- don’t you love this Psalm, and this was intended to be read or perhaps sung in a corporate setting…where a group of people would affirm these ideas together…

- that’s why we’re calling this Thanksgiving as a Public Act…

- and with the time we have remaining, let’s look for 3 reasons to give thanks in the presence of all of God’s people

I. Give Thanks that He Hears – (vv. 1-7)

- one of the main take-aways this morning should be – praise the Lord that the God described in this delightful Psalm is far different than the experience we sometimes have with on-line help desks…

- in fact when you think about it – that may be one of the reasons the Lord allows us to experience some of this frustration…is so we have a clear and powerful contrast to what it like to come to Him for help….

- it’s very important to know that in the original text, the very first word in this Psalm is the word “love”…

A. Love will motivate you to call out to Him – vv. 1-2

- John Calvin wrote – “At the very commencement of this psalm David avows that he was attracted with the sweetness of God’s goodness, to place his hope and confidence in him alone. This abrupt mode of speaking, I have loved, is the more emphatic, intimating that he could receive joy and repose nowhere but in God. We know that our hearts will be always wandering after fruitless pleasures, and harassed with care, until God knit them to himself.” – Calvin, John, Commentary on the Book of Psalms, 360.

- you could say it this way – a thankful heart proceeds out of a loving heart…

- the more we love the Lord, the more we express thanks for Him and to Him…

- that may be why one of the 10 commandments is that we not take the Lord’s name in vain…

- or why profanity that includes the name of God is so particularly offensive…

- one of more seminal passages in the OT is the Shema - Deuteronomy 6:4–5 - Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

- or Jesus’ summary of the OT commands - Matthew 22:37–39 - And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

- that’s what the Psalmist is doing here…but not only does He do it…but he tells why he does – and by implication, why we should…Psalm 116:1–2 - I love the Lord, because He hears My voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.

- don’t you love the progression…

- He hears my voice and my supplication…

- does that remind you of something Jesus said in the NT?... John 10:27 - My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;

- if you pause for just a moment and think about that – is there anything about it that strikes you as odd?...

- wouldn’t you have expected Jesus to say – my sheep hear my voice and they know me…they recognize me…

- that’s not what it says…is it?...God knows the sound of my voice…

- now we have some people in our church family who have very recognizable voices…when they say something out loud…even if I’m not looking at them, I know who spoke…

- think about a God who recognizes your voice…which brings a sense of comfort and perhaps even a bit of trepidation…

- because with some of the things that come out of my mouth…I really wish He confused me with someone else…

- but back to the Psalm, He hears My voice and my supplications… Psalm 116:2 - …Because He has inclined His ear to me…

- Friend, can I ask you in the quietness of this moment – do you really believe this…and is it one of the reasons you love the Lord?...

- Now, let’s broaden this out to the corporate aspect of this – thanksgiving is a public act…wouldn’t we all agree – this is one of the primary reasons we come to church…because we love the Lord…and we don’t want to just pray individually from our homes and our cars and our offices by ourselves or in small groups…we want to pray in a large group on the Lord’s Day…for big concerns in our world, and for guidance as we try to serve Him together, for our brothers and sisters who are in the midst of deep waters…

- and when your neighbor sees your car pulling out of your house every Sunday…even that alone is making a statement…because thanksgiving is a public act…

- So what do we do with this?...

B. Call out to Him in troubling times – vv. 3-4

- this is the first of three ties that death is mentioned…

- Psalm 116:3–4 - The cords of death encompassed me and the terrors of Sheol came upon me; I found distress and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I beseech You, save my life!”

- now you might say – well, what was going on in the Psalmist’s life that would correspond to these statements?

- you know, we rarely know that…and that’s good because we can take the general principles and apply them to our specific situations…

- do you have any distress and sorrow in your life?...we all do…in those times do you call upon the name of the Lord?...

- now, how does this connect with our theme of Growing in Gospel Gratitude?...you may have already been thinking about an invitation Jesus made…Matthew 11:28–29 - Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

- I realize we may have people here today who would say – I really don’t have this kind of relationship with the Lord…it starts by admitting your need and placing your faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord…by acknowledging that you cannot save yourself by your own deeds and efforts…and that you need His shed blood as your only means of having your sin forgiven and His righteousness placed on your account…

- if that’s your story, you could make that decision today…and if you’d like to talk about it more…that’s why all of our pastor’s cell phone numbers are listed in the bulletin each week…

- so where does loving Him, and calling out to Him lead?...

C. Trust in His character – vv. 5-7

- by…

1. Remember who He is…

- what three attributes of God do you see in verse 5 that should make us especially want to trust Him?...

- Psalm 116:5 - Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is compassionate.

a) He is gracious – Have you ever gone to someone for help who wasn’t?

b) He is righteous - Have you ever gone to someone for help who wasn’t?

- please especially remember that one, because the opposite of that characteristic is going to come up in a very important way just a few more verses from now…

c) He is compassionate - Have you ever gone to someone for help who wasn’t?

- By the way, here’s a convicting way to think about this…when someone comes to you for help, could what occurred been said/done more graciously, righteously, and compassionately?

2. Remember what He has done

- Psalm 116:6 - The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me.

- when I was preparing this part of the message, I was on an airplane and the stewardess saw what I was doing and asked me if I was a Christian…I said yes and that I was a pastor (which was probably pretty obvious because I had a vacant seat next to me which had my Bible, notes, markers, etc)…

- but she said – I became a Christian 2 years ago – the first 52 years of my life were a complete waste – now know Jesus has made all the difference in the world…

- part of what was interesting was – she wasn’t whispering – she was giving thanks because God heard her cry…

- that’s what gets us to verse 7…

3. Counsel your heart with this truth

- Psalm 116:7 - Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

- there’s private peace because of public thanksgiving…

- reflecting on how God is willing to hear us whenever we call brings a kind of shalom/peace unavailable anywhere else…

- This might be a good time for all of us to pause and thank the Lord that He hears us…that He actually inclines His ear to us…and that He deals with us in ways that are gracious, and righteous, and compassionate…

- but it doesn’t stop there…you know how you’re talking to someone about something, and their response is…”I hear ya”?...that’s really not the point, is it?...the question is – are you going to do anything about it?

- that’s why the second section of this Psalm is so wonderful…

- it’s like a big ice cream cone…maybe you like waffle cones…or some other kind of sweet cone…but the verse 7 verses were like one of you favorite flavors of ice cream…and we’ve been licking it pretty good here the last few minutes…you know the only thing better than that?...if the guy behind the counter says – hey, can I put another scoop on there?...what other flavor do you like…that’s called “having a theologically good day…”

II. Give Thanks Because He Rescues – vv. 8-14

- See, again, hearing alone is not enough…’

A. He preserves us to walk with Him

- this is the second time the word death is mentioned…

- isn’t the progression in verse 8 amazing…you talk about a rescue…

- Psalm 116:8 - For You have rescued my soul from death, My eyes from tears, My feet from stumbling.

- the Lord doesn’t just hear our voice – He does something about it…and it often involves some kind of amazing rescue…

- that’s what the stewardess was testifying about on the plane the other way…

- and I thought later – what a great way of using your job redemptively…

- she wasn’t just passing out beverages and those little ginger cookies (although I confess, I am addicted to those…)

- there are 2 questions that flow logically out of that:

1. Do you have a rescue story?...[develop the gospel…especially because we have so many people attending these days who are new…]

2. Are you learning to tell your rescue story and looking for opportunities to do so?...

- You know, this verse sounds a lot like another of our favorite Psalms…has that been playing in the back of your mind?...

- Psalm 40:1–3 - I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord.

- is that your testimony this am?...and how does that fit into our overall theme?...

- you know, for some folks…about all they know how to do is grump about something…

- what drives that out is cultivating a heart of thanksgiving…growing in gospel gratitude…because Gid hears, and because He rescues…

- did you notice the next wonderful aspect of that process?...He does this so we can…

- Psalm 116:9 - I shall walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

- do you remember the OT saint named Enoch?...what was so noteworthy about him?... Genesis 5:24 - Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

- “To walk in the presence of God is, in my opinion, equivalent to living under his charge. And thus David expects to enjoy his safety continually. For nothing is more desirable than that God should be upon the watch for us, that our life may be surrounded by his protecting care.” – Calvin, John, Commentary on the Book of Psalms, 364.

- isn’t that what our Savior did so often while He was here on earth…He would slip off alone and He would walk with God, He would commune with His heavenly Father…which is such an incredible concept to wrap our minds around as we think about the relationship between the three members of the Trinity…

- now, the next 2 verses explain why all of this is so important, an why our thanksgiving for God hearing us should even increase…

B. Ultimate rescue can come from no other

- verses 10-11 contain a shocking affirmation…Psalm 116:10–11 - I believed when I said, “I am greatly afflicted.” I said in my alarm, “All men are liars.”

- what does that mean?...anytime we go to human beings for help, even in the best of circumstances, the interaction will be imperfect…

- please connect these concepts together in your mind…[Kari, please make a slide of the entire Psalm, with the word “righteous” in verse 5, circled and connected to the word “liars” in verse 11]

- Theologian Cornelius VanTil – There is no such thing as epistemological neutrality.

- the word epistemology means source of truth – and the point is – we all bring a history of imperfect interpretations and beliefs to any conversation or interaction and we weave that into our analysis and conclusions of what is occurring in the moment…

- that’s why Theologian Cornelius VanTil – all facts are interpreted facts.

- and what did the Psalmist say – all men are liars…and that includes who?...you…and me…

- and in our sane moments, what does that mean?...we ought to be far more humble about our opinions and interpretations…

- am I the only person who finds that incredibly convicting?...I would rally like it if the church family did not leave me up here swimming in my guilt on that point by myself…

- so what does that mean?...taking advantage of speaking to a God who hears us and even inclines His ear with perfect righteousness…makes it far likelier that we interpret whatever is happening in the moment more truthfully…

- it’s not just a matter of him rescuing…but rescuing truthfully…because man-made rescues on their own are full of lies…

- there are some very important implications to that…for sake of time, I’ll just mention 2…

1. one current emphasis in our culture is that perception equals reality….

- if you’re not reading professor Carl Trueman, I would encourage you to do so…

- when perception equals reality, then what you feel is occurring is most important, it’s the determinant of truth…

- so it no longer matters what happened…it’s your perception of what happens…

- consider the transgender debate…in the olden days, a baby was born, the doctor gave the child a good spank on its backside (or however that worked), then turned the child around, looked at the babies’ midsection and pronounced – it’s a boy, or it’s a girl…we used to post signs like that in people’s yards…or send cards with that very words…

- no one would have ever thought…well, how do you know?...have you asked the baby how he, she, it, they feel about that?...I’m not trying to be sarcastic or funny…that’s where we are…

- and the culture even justifies the mutilation of children under the guise of forcing reality to match ones feelings…

- we have lost the sense of objective truth…instead of believing that all men are liars and we must go to the God of heaven and earth to determine true righteousness…culture suggests that truth is determined by your perception, or your feelings…

- time doesn’t allow us to sketch out all of the counseling implications of all of that, but these are days where we need to be thinking very carefully about these matters…

- this why Paul warned the Ephesian elders - Acts 20:29–32 - I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

2. The second implication is – thank the Lord Jesus Christ is the way, and the truth…

- we need a Savior who doesn’t judge us imperfectly on the basis of lies or the flawed perceptions of human beings…He is the way and the truth…

- but that’s both good news and bad news, isn’t it?...

- because Jesus knows all the truth about us…all of it…past, present, and future…and that’s what He died for on the cross, anyway…

- it wasn’t – well, I tricked Him by presenting the very best version of myself and He responded by saying…well, if that’s only how bad it is…then I’ll die for you…

- He knew it all….which is why if Jesus was only the truth, you and I would be in big trouble…which is why we’re so glad to read the gospel affirmations that Jesus was, and is,

- John 1:14 - And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

- John 1:17 - For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

- all men are…liars…that’s why Psalm 116:5 has the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus mapped all over it… Psalm 116:5 - Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is compassionate.

- for a God who hears, and rescues in perfect righteousness, we should be thankful…which is how our Psalm ends:

III. Give Thanks that He Overcomes – vv. 15-19

A. His victory frees us to look at death differently

- this is the third use of the word “death” in our passage…

- as time allows, discuss some of the deaths that our church members have experienced, and how knowing that their loved one had a clear testimony made all the difference in the world—

- also encourage folks to place their faith and trust in Christ and tell their family members – this is the greatest gift you can ever give those you love…

B. Publicly thank Him for His victory

- Psalm 116:17–19 - To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and call upon the name of the Lord. I shall pay my vows to the Lord, Oh may it be in the presence of all His people, In the courts of the Lord’s house, In the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!

- this is our Stewardship Celebration written all over it…5 weeks away…develop….update folks on where we are

- we’ll have a very unique opportunity to thank a God who hears, and a God who rescues, and a God who overcomes…