ThanksLIVING

November 22, 2015 (110313)

Thanksliving

Psalm 116:12-19    NOTES NOT EDITED

SIS – Showing gratitude to God requires much more than saying grace at a meal.

¹² How can I repay the Lord for all the good He has done for me? ¹³ I will take the cup of salvation and call on the name of Yahweh. ¹⁴ I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people. ¹⁵ The death of His faithful ones is valuable in the Lord’s sight. ¹⁶ Lord, I am indeed Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your female servant. You have loosened my bonds. ¹⁷ I will offer You a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of Yahweh. ¹⁸ I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people, ¹⁹ in the courts of the Lord’s house—within you, Jerusalem. ^•Hallelujah!

"repay" (shuwb).  Used over 1000 times in the OT.  Here it is in a form that describes "causation, and action."  The word, "render, or repay (NIV)" means to "cause something to return," in this case return to God.

The word is also in a form that denotes a continuous action.  In other words, "gratitude is on an on-going lifestyle."  Or as I like to say, it is "thanksLIVING."

The word is a much stronger form than the English, "repay, or give back."  The word, "repay," is a weak translation because it suggests that we can "pay God back in kind" for what He has done for us through Christ.  Of course, we have nothing God needs, and nothing that could even approach the worth of our salvation.

Giving thanks to God literally means, "turning our lives completely back to him,” -- as our Jewish friends would say, "lox, stocks, and bagels."  It is an absolutely complete surrender of our will.  Mere “lip service” will not accomplish “thanksliving”—this requires, “on-going activity of holy living.”

So, what exactly do we "turn back, or give back, to God?"  Certainly as I said, we have nothing God needs.  But, we do have some things God wants.  ThanksLIVING has several important components.

1.  ThanksLiving requires total TRUST (13)

¹³ I will take the cup of salvation

and call on the name of Yahweh.

The Book of Psalms was the "hymnbook" of Israel.  Each psalm has a specific event or situation in mind.  In this particular time the occasion is a "celebration of thanksgiving for deliverance from a major crisis."

The most representative crisis in the OT (which typifies all the crises God's people may face) was the "deliverance from bondage in Egypt."  This event is the pivotal event in the life of Israel.  Israel's bondage in Egypt typifies, or illustrates, every person's bondage to sin.  God’s deliverance from Egypt through Moses in the Exodus foreshadowed Christ’s deliverance from sin on the cross.

The most important principle uncovered in this verse is that "salvation," or deliverance from sin and trouble, involves an act of the WILL.  God provides the "cup of salvation," but it takes an act of one's will to make that salvation effective for saving one's soul.  It is not a matter of "knowing" in our head that God has provided a "cup of salvation," it is a matter of the heart, to "receive the free gift that is offered."

I could deposit a million dollars in your bank account but if you never take action by making a withdrawal you’ll live in poverty and want.

Salvation, or deliverance, from sin and strife in our lives is a matter of "trust."  The most significant gift we can give God in response to His great benefit of salvation, is our complete and childlike trust in him.

One day, a father and his young son were out in the country, climbing around in some cliffs.  Suddenly, the Dad heard a voice from above him yell, "Hey Dad! Catch me!" He turned around to see his boy joyfully jumping off a rock and hurdling straight towards him.  The little boy jumped first and then yelled.  The Dad became an instant circus act, catching his young son at the last minute. They both fell to the ground. The hurdling little boy briefly knocked the wind out of his Dad.  When Dad found his voice again he gasped in exasperation: "Son! Can you give me one good reason why you did that???" The little boy smiled from ear to ear and responded with remarkable calmness: "Sure...because you're my Dad." His whole assurance was based in the fact that his father was trustworthy. Dad had at first been a little "perturbed" at the son's impetuous actions, but the little boy's unmitigated trust brought joy to Dad's heart and a smile to Dad's face.

¹³ I will take the cup of salvation

and call on the name of Yahweh.

When we act with complete trust by willfully and enthusiastically accepting the free gift of salvation that God has provided through the death of Jesus Christ, His Son, it brings joy to God's heart.

Regardless of what circumstance we might find ourselves engaged in or assaulted by, we can jump into the arms of our Heavenly Father with complete trust, knowing He is both able and willing to catch us.

Giving God our childlike trust is one way to say, "Thank You!" for the gift of salvation.

2.  ThanksLiving requires absolute OBEDIENCE (v 14)

¹⁴ I will fulfill my vows to the Lord

in the presence of all His people.

Let me say clearly:  there is absolutely nothing you can do to deserve or earn God's "cup of salvation."  This is wholly an act of God's grace and no works nor anything of human worth can achieve it or acquire it.

However, once a person has truly received God's miracle of salvation by grace, then through faith, that person will work tirelessly and endlessly to fulfill our vows to "love, cherish, and obey" God as the Bride of Christ, the church.

There is an eternity of difference between saying "I can do nothing to earn God's love and salvation," and saying, "I need do nothing once I have received God's gift of salvation.

Paul states the matter succinctly:

^{Phil 2:12 12} So then, my dear friends,  just as you have always obeyed,  not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. ¹³ For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose.

Notice Paul's use of prepositions in these verses.  A preposition is a small word used to amplify or clarify the meaning of another word, such as the verb of a sentence.  In this passage in Philippians, Paul distinquishes "working OUT" our salvation, which is an act of human effort, from "working IN" our salvation which is wholly an act of Divine Grace.  The word play between “out” and “in” do not occur as neatly in the Greek, but the result is the same.  The word, “work out,” comes from the Greek meaning, to “bring to the ultimate conclusion.” 

The issue of "fulfilling one's vows" is simply a matter of being obedient to God's Word, which will “bring our salvation to the ultimate conclusion” God intends.  As we take in God's Word, by faith, we work OUT our faith through obedient actions.

The Apostle James adds to what Paul is saying:

^{Jam 2:18 18} But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.”  Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith from my works.  ^{d 19} You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe—and they shudder.

Both Paul and James, along with the writer of this Psalm, indicate that someone who says they "know God," but have no on-going Godly works to prove it are no better than the "demons of hell."

That ought to get our attention.

If we go back to our Psalm (116) we will note that the word, "fulfill," is in a special stem in the Hebrew that indicates, "intensity."  It is called the piel stem.  Actually, though two words can share the same root meaning, changing the stem creates a completely different word for those that speak the language.  For example, in the regular stem one might say, "I broke the vase."  By changing a few letters to make the piel stem you would say, "I smashed the vase."  The meaning is much more intense.  Add to the special stem the fact that it is in a special "tense" (imperfect) that denotes "continuous" action.  Thanking God should be an "intense, on-going" activity in our lives.

Fulfilling one's vows to God as a believer should be a matter of "intense effort." 

There is even more to "shalēm" than the intense action.  This word is in a family of words related to "peace and well-being."  Shalēm is the basis for the common Jewish greeting, shalōm, which means "to be well and prosperous."  Fulfilling one's vows through ThanksLIVING is absolutely essential to gaining well-being in life.  No amount of head knowledge will ever substitute for intense, enthusiastic, on-going steadfast obedience.

I read the most incredible story of obedience not long ago. It involved a dog.  How we admire the obedience a dog shows to its master! Archibald Rutledge wrote that one day he met a man whose dog had just been killed in a forest fire. Heartbroken, the man explained to Rutledge how it happened. Because he worked out-of-doors, he often took his dog with him. That morning, he left the animal in a clearing and gave him a command to stay and watch his lunch bucket while he went into the forest. His faithful friend understood, for that's exactly what he did. Then a fire started in the woods, and soon the blaze spread to the spot where the dog had been left. But he didn't move. He stayed right where he was, in perfect obedience to his master's word. With tearful eyes, the dog's owner said, "I always had to be careful what I told him to do, because I knew he would do it."

When we give thanks to God, one important aspect is absolute obedience

3. ThanksLiving requires continuing SACRIFICE ( 17)

¹⁷ I will offer You a sacrifice of thanksgiving

and call on the name of Yahweh.

ThanksLIVING involves complete and total trust.  ThanksLIVING involves complete and total obedience.  It only follows that ThanksLIVING involves complete and total "sacrifice."

The word "sacrifice" was packed with meaning for those to whom this Psalm was first written.  For centuries the sacrificial system had been the heartbeat of the nation.  Rivers of blood had flowed from the altars of the tabernacle, and later the temple.  The smell of blood was a pungent daily reminder to the Israelites of the penalty of sin. 

Death and blood are common themes in the Word. "The wages of sin is death.  Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. Jesus said, this is my blood shed for many for the remission of sin."

Adam and Eve could not have imagined the "bloody mess" that would result from taking one small bite from a forbidden fruit.

Unfortunately, the word, “sacrifice,” (and the idea) carries much less significance in our world today -- including in our churches.  We don't want a sacrificial religion, we want a comfortable religion. We want a Christianity without a Crucified Christ. 

Mahatma Gandhi said that six things will destroy us. Notice that all of them have to do with social and political conditions. Note also that the antidote of each of these "deadly sins" is an explicit external standard or something that is based on natural principles and laws, not on social values. Even a Hindu got this part right.  Ghandhi got the problem correct, but what erred on was the solution.

Wealth Without Work, Pleasure Without Conscience

Knowledge Without Character, Commerce (Business) Without Morality (Ethics), Science Without Humanity

Politics Without Principle

These six "deadly social sins" are evident throughout our world, and especially our nation.  But, I believe it is this last "deadly sin" that lies at the root of all other social maladies:  "Religion without Sacrifice."

Certainly, there is no Christianity without a Crucified Christ.  There is not effective churchmanship without on-going sacrifice.

Deitrich Bonhoeffer calls religion without sacrifice, "Cheap Grace."  Salvation is not free because it is cheap, it is free because Jesus Christ paid for it with His own blood.  There can be no ThanksLIVING without sacrifice.

While our sacrifice--even should we pay the ultimate price of a martyr's death--could never repay God for the sacrifice of HIS Son on the cross in our place. That being said, however, it is a great gift to God when we joyfully embrace suffering for the cause of Christ.

James says,   ^{James 1:2} Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

Paul reminds us,   ^{Rom. 8:18} “For I consider our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us.”

Paul and James both speak matter of factly about suffering in the lives of believers.  It is going to come.  You cannot have Christianity with a Crucified Christ.

Are you willing to give God the gift of joyful sacrifice?

Peter T. Forsythe was right when he said, “The first duty of every soul is to find not its freedom but its Master”.  Have you found the Master of Your Soul?

It is said that on his retreat from Greece after his great military expedition there, King Xerxes boarded a Phoenician ship along with a number of his Persian troops. But a fearful storm came up, and the captain told Xerxes there was no hope unless the ship’s load was substantially lightened. The king turned to his fellow Persians on deck and said, “It is on you that my safety depends. Now let some of you show your regard for your king.” A number of the men bowed to Xerxes and threw themselves overboard! Lightened of its load, the ship made it safely to harbor. Xerxes immediately ordered that a golden crown be given to the pilot for preserving the king’s life – then ordered the man beheaded for causing the loss of so many Persian lives!

Getting saved will cost you nothing.  Staying saved will cost you nothing.  But, “thanksLIVING,” will cost you daily in your sacrifice to God.

¹⁷ I will offer You a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

ThanksLiving means we give our complete and total trust to God.  We give God our unqualified, enthusiastic obedience.  ThanksLiving means we give God whatever sacrifice of our time, treasure, and talent may be asked of us.

4.  ThanksLiving requires our         unthrottled PRAISE! (19)

Psalm 116 (like so many psalms) ends with the simple imperative:

Hallelujah!

This English phrase translates two Hebrew words:  hallelu (hal'lu) yah!  These combine to give us one English word, "hallelujah." 

What does it mean "to give God praise?"  First and foremost what the Psalmist is depicting is something "corporate and public."  Notice verses

14:  "in the presence of all His people."

18:  "in the presence of all His people."

19a:  "in the courts of the Lord's house."

19b:  "in the midst of Jerusalem."

Praise is a gift we give God corporately and publicly.  God has many agents, but none of us are "secret agents."  We cannot truly render, or pay back to God, our praise by doing it privately.

The word, "hal'lu," goes back to an ancient Middle Eastern root mean "to be clear" (as with a sound or more often a color).  In this sense you might say "to praise means to show your true colors."

The word, "hal'lu," also means to "shine or burst forth," sort of like light and heat from an explosion.  In this sense, "praise," refers to something loud and unmistakable.

The word, "hal'lu," also can mean, "act foolishly,"  You could even expand the word without doing it injustice to mean, "act raving mad about something."

The closest way, perhaps, to understand the Hebrew idea of praise in a modern vernacular is to look at a typical NFL fan.

The paint their faces, dress in crazy costumes and cheer for their team at the top of their voices.  They travel great distances, brave inclement weather, and pay ridiculously high prices to watch a 2 hour contest.

I don't see anything wrong with being a sports fanatic.  It is good to have a favorite team to root for.  Some people go further than others, but as long as it's done in good taste, there's no harm in showing a little enthusiasm or even acting a little foolish.

So, why not be just as "fanatic" about God in church as we are sports when we are in the stadium.  Praise should be "explosive."  Praise should show our true colors as a believer.  Praise should even make us feel a little foolish from time to time, perhaps--like raising our hands in complete surrender during a song. 

ThanksLiving requires we give God praise.

I don't think there is a more appropriate holiday in our Western calendar than Thanksgiving Day.  But, we should not limit Thanksgiving to a day, but should give God thanks everyday.  We should practice THANKSLIVING:  giving God our full trust, our absolute obedience, continuing sacrifice, and unreserved praise.  That's true thanksgiving – that’s thanks LIVING!

Giving thanks to God must be more than a one-day celebration of the "god of our belly."  Thanksgiving should really "ThanksLIVING."  We should mark every day of our lives by "giving thanks to God."

The Psalmist poses the question:

"What shall I render (or repay) to the

Lord for all His benefits?"

Our answer should be:  I will give God my complete and total trust, my absolute obedience, and the continuing sacrifice of all I have and all I am. 

I will show my gratitude through THANKSLIVING.