“Today ” 11-14-21

Overview

Giving Thanks for Today

"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" Psalm 118:24 is often read as a general affirmation that God holds every one of our days. That is true—God is sovereign over every blink of the eye and beat of the heart—but the verse itself points to something more specific. Read in context, the psalm has a particular day in view.

The clue is in the verses immediately before it: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes" Psalm 118:22-23. Scripture interprets Scripture here. Jesus applies these words to Himself during Holy Week Mark 12:10-11. Peter declares, "This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone" Acts 4:11. Paul writes that the household of God is "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone" Ephesians 2:19-20. Architecturally, the cornerstone is the first stone laid, and every other stone is set in reference to it. Christ is that stone, and His resurrection is the laying of it—for "if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins" 1 Corinthians 15:17.

The day Psalm 118 calls us to rejoice in, then, is Easter day. Isaac Watts captured this in his hymn based on the psalm: "Today He rose and left the dead, and Satan's empire fell." Easter is the day God laid the cornerstone, the day the sacrifice for sin was accepted, the day death was overcome. It is the day that gives shape and meaning to all our other days.

This is also why we can give thanks not only for good things but in every circumstance: "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Every today—joyful or hard—can be seen through the lens of Easter. Because the cornerstone has been laid, because our sin has been paid for and the tomb stands empty, today is never without reason for thanksgiving. God holds our eternity, and He holds this day. Rejoice and be glad in it.

Transcript

Would you open your Bible's please with me this morning to Psalm 118. 2s

An easy way of course to find the book of Psalms is simply to go to the very center of 7s

Scripture open it up. 12s

You're going to land on one of them. 13s

If you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture, you're going to find Psalm 118 on page 15s

529 in the Old Testament. 21s

Psalm 118. 23s

40 days, 40 days. 27s

That's a common biblical number, isn't it? 31s

40 days until Christmas Eve, 40 days. 35s

Now did that strike a little bit of fear perhaps in terms of your preparations? 42s

It did so when I was preparing the sermon this week and did the counting certainly, 47s

40 days. 53s

Christmas Eve. 56s

Wonderful, wonderful worship, glorious, glorious hymns and just to give you a little glimpse, 58s

the processional hymn that has been chosen for Christmas Eve is joy to the world. 65s

Joy to the world. 73s

That hymn, the text was written by a man by the name of Isaac Watts. 75s

He's known as the Father of English hymnity. 82s

Watts wrote 600 hymns, 600 hymns. 87s

And Watts, he was a smart guy, amazing command of language. 96s

At the age of four, he knew Latin. 103s

At the age of nine, he knew Greek. 108s

At the age of ten, he knew French. 113s

And at the age of 13, he knew Hebrew. 117s

Amazing. 124s

Amazing. 125s

He was a teacher. 127s

He was a pastor. 128s

But he also struggled with health issues throughout his life. 130s

And one weekend, he went to visit some friends. 135s

He stayed longer than a weekend. 139s

In fact, he stayed for 36 years with his friends. 142s

He preached on occasion when he was able because of his health. 147s

But it was there in staying with his friends for those 36 years 153s

that he wrote the majority of his hymns. 158s

He wrote not only Joy to the World, but also one of those 600 hymns 164s

was the hymn that we just sang. 170s

This is the day that the Lord has made. 174s

It's a glorious hymn. 181s

And one of the aspects of why it is so glorious is because it gets at the question. 184s

Just what day are we rejoicing in? 191s

What day are we rejoicing in? 197s

We continue today in our sermon series, Total Thanks, 200s

embracing Thanksgiving every day. 204s

We studied last week about giving thanks for our yesterdays. 208s

Even those difficult yesterdays, not for the event of what made it difficult, 212s

but how God can use those events to manifest his grace, his care, 220s

how God can pick up the pieces of our shattered lives? 228s

Well, today we shift the lens to giving thanks for our todays. 233s

Look with me, please. 241s

At Psalm 118, verse 24, 243s

this is the day that the Lord has made, 248s

let us rejoice and be glad in it. 250s

Now oftentimes, that verse is understood as giving thanks for today 256s

and each and every day, multiple days. 261s

God is sovereign and God is in control. 266s

God is we've studied holds every blink of the eye and beat of the heart. 268s

God is master over all things. 274s

Indeed, in and of itself, that is a true and biblical statement, right? 278s

That we are to rejoice each and every day for God holds all of our days. 282s

And his grace is continually, continually, manifested to us. 288s

But when you look at the context of that verse in Psalm 118, 294s

it's not talking about all our days. 302s

In Psalm 118, verse 24, 307s

it's talking about a particular day, a particular day. 311s

As we look and we study, let's look at the context. 320s

Right before verse 24, this is the day that the Lord has made, 325s

let us rejoice and be glad in it. 329s

We read verse 22, the stone that the builders rejected 331s

has become the chief cornerstone. 336s

This is the Lord's doing. 341s

It is marvelous in our eyes. 343s

Well, let's do some slew thing. 355s

Shall we? 358s

Let's let scripture interpret scripture. 359s

Because how does Jesus use Psalm 118? 361s

Over in Mark, the 12th chapter, beginning with verse 11, 366s

the context here is its holy word. 373s

In fact, it's Tuesday of Holy Week. 376s

It's been the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, 380s

the cross is but just a few days away. 383s

Jesus is teaching. 387s

And Jesus says, verse 10, 390s

have you not read this scripture? 393s

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 396s

This was the Lord's doing and it is amazing in our eyes. 402s

Well, that's Psalm 118, isn't it? 411s

That's verse 22 and 23. 413s

Jesus is using then the prophetic nature of Psalm 118. 417s

And he's talking about a particular day, a particular day. 423s

Then in that context, let's go deeper. 432s

To help us to understand this section of scripture, 441s

let me paint a little picture for you. 445s

When I started seminary, I showed up in Minneapolis in late August. 448s

It was a hot day, hot and humid. 454s

I grew up in California. 459s

I had never experienced a winter, much less of Minnesota winter. 462s

So I went to downtown Minneapolis, went to the then dateons downtown, walked in, 469s

told the nice gentleman, I said, I've lived from the majority of my life in California. 479s

I've never experienced a winter. 483s

I want to get ready for it. 486s

What do I need? 488s

He was incredibly helpful, but I could tell right after I said that sentence, 491s

when I looked in his eyes, I could tell he was getting commissioned on this sale. 495s

Well, I left Dayton's and I was set. 501s

If it's snowed in August in Minneapolis, 506s

I was ready for it tomorrow. 508s

From boots to hat, I was ready to go. 511s

Leaving Dayton's. 519s

There was a plaque. 522s

And the plaque referenced the history of the site of that department store. 525s

Turns out that the original site was used by the Westminster Presbyterian Church 534s

that burned to the ground in 1865. 541s

The congregation decided to move to a different location. 545s

Sometimes cornerstones, their memorabilia. 553s

They'll give you a history of the building or a history of the site. 557s

But traditionally, architecturally, the cornerstone, 567s

the cornerstone is that stone that's laid first. 575s

And every other stone is laid in reference to it. 581s

Look again, please. 594s

At verse 22. 596s

The stone that the builders rejected 600s

has become the chief cornerstone. 604s

Okay, more slew thing. 613s

Acts 4, Peter says, 616s

This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, 620s

the builders, it has become the cornerstone. 625s

Paul writes in Ephesians 2, 629s

You are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God. 632s

Built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 638s

Scripture reveals that Jesus is the cornerstone. 650s

And every other stone is laid in reference to him. 655s

Look at verse 23. 663s

This is the Lord's doing. 665s

It is marvelous in our eyes. 667s

The this is the fact of the actions of the Lord Jesus Christ, 672s

the plan of salvation. 678s

God's grace shown through the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. 680s

God's grace shown through the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. 685s

The context of 118, the stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. 692s

Jesus, verse 23, 698s

This is the Lord's doing. 700s

It is marvelous in our eyes. 702s

The plan of salvation. 705s

Then you come to 24, right? 707s

This is the day that the Lord has made. 711s

Let us rejoice and be glad in it. 714s

So what particular day is being referenced? 718s

What particular day? 728s

When Isaac Watts was seven years old, he wrote an anacrostic poem. 735s

Now anacrostic poem is that where you take a word or a name and use the first letter and that becomes the first letter in the word of the verse or the sentence that you're going to give. 746s

So at age seven, he decided to write anacrostic poem using his own name. 761s

And this is what he wrote. 769s

I am a vile polluted lump of earth. 772s

S. So I've continued ever since my birth. 778s

A. Although Jehovah grace does daily give me a. 782s

As sure this monster Satan will deceive me. 790s

C. Come therefore Lord from Satan's claws relieve me. 795s

Then he went on to his last name. 803s

W. Wash me, invite blood, o Christ. 805s

A. And grace divine impart. 810s

T. Then the search and try the corners of my heart. 815s

T. That I and all things may be fit to do. 820s

S. Service to thee. And thy praise to. 825s

The name of Jesus Christ. 830s

Seven years old. What do you write to it? 834s

But what's what often do? 839s

Is he would take normal language, normal conversation during the day and he would rhyme it? 842s

Reportedly, this got himself into trouble one day. 852s

As his father had had enough of that on a continual diet of it and turned to him and 856s

scolded him for that. Two which, watts responded with this. 864s

O father, do some pity take. 872s

And I will know more verses make. 875s

I'm sure that went over well. 880s

And this one with this incredible command of language writes the him before today's sermon. 885s

Verse 1, this is the day the Lord has made. 901s

He calls the hours his own. 912s

Let heaven rejoice, let earth be glad and praise surround the throne. 917s

And then verse 2, 925s

Today he rose and left the dead and Satan's empire fell. 928s

Today he rose and left the dead and Satan's empire fell. 941s

Yesterday the day that God laid the cornerstone with the resurrection of Christ. 953s

Easter day. 966s

The laying of the cornerstone. 970s

Because what does Paul write in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, 974s

he writes, if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 978s

Easter day. 989s

Now, back to verse 24. 991s

This is the day that the Lord has made. 997s

Let us rejoice and be glad in it. 1002s

The context is a particular day here. 1010s

And what's the particular day? 1017s

Easter day. 1023s

We studied last week that verse that says, we are to give thanks for all things. 1029s

And we saw in that text that the context there. 1038s

The context is the gifts of God. 1045s

The context is worship. 1048s

There's a preposition change in another verse. 1054s

It gets at something else. 1056s

It was the lesson for today. 1057s

First, the salonians. 1059s

This is the verse five. 1060s

There it says, not give thanks for all things, but it says, give thanks in all circumstances. 1062s

For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1071s

In all of the Thanksgiving, the giving of thanks in all of our days, we can give thanks in all of the circumstances. 1076s

Because of the day that we rejoice in. 1093s

The day where the cornerstone was laid with the resurrection of Christ. 1100s

All of our sin paid for by the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. 1108s

The wrath of God laid upon his son. 1112s

And God accepting the sacrifice. 1118s

Jesus coming out of the tomb, death overcome the validation that the sacrifice for sin had been accepted. 1124s

That day, Easter day. 1132s

Easter, you see, is the day then that we can see all of our todays. 1137s

All of our circumstances. 1145s

We can see it all through the lenses of Easter. 1147s

That day that forms them our days. 1153s

For God's holds not only our eternity, but he also holds today. 1160s

This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it Easter. 1176s

It forms today. 1184s

Give thanks. 1193s