A Psalm of Thanksgiving

1:05His heart completely stopped. He stopped breathing. He lost consciousness. He started turning blue. I first got word of this tragedy from Darren Carlson, President of Training Leaders International, that evening. He told me that Hutz. Was in a critical coronary unit at McNeil Hospital in Chicago. He was on life support. For those of you in the medical community, he'd been placed in a medically induced coma so that he could endure the cold ice packs that were placed on him to drop his body temperature to 93 degrees to prevent brain swelling.

1:54The cardiologist inserted two stents to open up blocked arteries. The prognosis was dire. Experts say that less than 5% of those who suffer a complete cardiac arrest outside of a hospital will survive, and only 1% will regain full medical and physical function. His wife and daughter, who had been with him side by side at the airport, were told if he recovered, it would be a long recovery and he would suffer significant cognitive defects. Three days later, Hutz made a full recovery and left the hospital. At 1:35 p.m. on Sunday, June 23rd, 2019, Hutz, his family, the Medical staff and the good Samaritans who saved his life gathered to celebrate Hutz's miraculous recovery.

3:10His wife and daughter were able to thank the staff, the doctors, and the good Samaritans. Hutz preached from Luke 10:25 through 37 on the parable of the Good Samaritan. The event allowed Hutz to publicly thank God and the people God used to save his life. What is the enemy, the greatest enemy of thankfulness? The greatest enemy of thankfulness is not a complaining spirit. We understand a complaining spirit does contribute to a lack of thankfulness. The greatest enemy of thankfulness, brothers and sisters, is forgetfulness.

4:08We simply forget to count our blessings. How many of you are thankful that you have food in your refrigerator? How many of you are thankful that you have a job? How many of you are thankful for your parents, your spouses, your siblings who are With you today. How many of you are thankful for this church, for faithful elders who proclaim faithfully the Word of God? How many of you are thankful for that? How many of you are forgetful? There are some that even go around with somewhat of a thankful attitude, but they will not list what they're thankful for. And worse, there are some of us who are simply thankful for the wrong things.

5:09This morning, we're going to study Psalm 136. Psalm 136 reminds us of the object of our thankfulness, the one to whom we are to be thankful, and the reasons for our thankfulness. That is, Psalm 136 deals with our forgetfulness and refocuses our attention on the God of all grace and on his steadfast love. Before we unpack the psalm, what I'd like to do is to provide you with three brief background facts. First, Psalm 136 is a psalm of thanksgiving.

6:01It is known by the Jews as the Great Hallane, or in English, the Great Psalm of Hallelujah. In the Old Testament, the psalm was sung at feasts like the Passover and in important events. For example, it was sung when the Ark was brought to Jerusalem by David in 1 Corinthians 16. It was sung at the inauguration of Solomon's temple in 2 Corinthians 5. It was sung at the dedication of Jehoshaphat's campaign in 2 Chronicles 20. And it will be sung in Christ's new temple as prophesied by Jeremiah in chapter 33.

6:57Second, Psalm 136 is antiphonal. And you might say, what in the world is an antiphonal psalm? In an antiphonal psalm, each verse features an assertion. Give thanks to the God of gods. And it's followed by what response? For his love has no end. There are 26 assertions in this psalm. Followed by the same response, for his love has no end. And as you read the psalm, what you really should do is picture the priest making an assertion about God in the temple, and the great crowd in the temple responding, for his love has no end.

7:51That's what an antiphonal psalm is. That's why it was designed that way. Third, you will notice that I've highlighted the work of Gelano. We'll leave it here, but let me just comment on that. He rendered the exact Hebrew words of the chorus in Psalm 136 into six English syllables, for his love has no end. And that's because the phrase in the ESV, when we translate it into English, has ten syllables, for his steadfast love endures forever. In Hebrew, it was in six syllables, and in English, it's in ten.

8:31So, as kind of noted by Lig and Duncan, Gelano's translation is a little more rapid, a little more punchy, and a little less like singing the 12 days of Christmas. We'll stay with the English version for the rest of the sermon. So, with that background behind us, let us unpack this psalm. Psalm 136 again makes 26 assertions about God, who He is. Is what he has done, what he is doing, and what he will do. The central point of the sermon this morning is the steadfast love of God can be seen in his attributes and in creation, providence, and redemption. Let me repeat that.

9:23The steadfast love of God can be seen in his attributes and in his creation, redemption, and providence. We will borrow from David Strain's outline this morning that takes these 26 assertions and groups them into four separate demonstrations of God's steadfast love. We're going to look at the basis of his love, which are his attributes. We're going to look at the theater of his love, which is God's creation. We're going to look at the display of his love, which is redemption. And we're going to look at the persistence of his love, which is his providence.

10:12So let us first look at the basis of his steadfast love. And that basis is found in his attributes. Look at verses 1, 2, 3, and 26. In these four verses, The author says, give thanks. It should be noted that the Hebrew word, give thanks, has a really strong meaning. It's just not a casual, oh, just give thanks. But in Hebrew, it carries the weight of acknowledgement, of confession, of praise loudly. So, in essence, the Psalm begins and ends with a call to acknowledge publicly God for who He is. So, the question becomes in this Psalm: what are we to acknowledge? What attributes amongst the large set of attributes He possesses are called out? Look at verse 1.

11:22We are to acknowledge that God is good. In essence, the attribute of the goodness of God. When we say God is good, we are not saying he is pure. That's holiness. We are not saying that he is merciful. That's mercy. What we are saying is that he is perfect. The goodness of God is his perfect inclination to deal well. And bountifully with his creatures. According to Stephen Sharnock in his masterful work, The Existence and Attributes of God, God's goodness is manifested in creation, in redemption, and in Providence.

12:22Isn't it very interesting that this Psalm shows his goodness and his steadfast love being manifested in creation, in redemption, and in providence? Verse 1 tells us, We too are to acknowledge that God is good. Look at verse 2. We are to acknowledge that God is the God of gods. That is, he is the one and only true God. There is none other like him. All of the other gods, Buddha, idols, Allah, Hindu gods, are not the God.

13:16And when we exchange the truth of God for a lie and worship the creature rather than the Creator, Romans 1 tells us that God places us under His condemnation. Judgment because He is the only God. We are to acknowledge that God is the God of gods. Look at verse 3. We are to acknowledge that God is the Lord of Lords. He reigns, He rules, He is sovereign. And because He is in sovereign control and does all things according to the counsel of His own will, we are to acknowledge that He is the Lord of Lords.

14:16Finally, look at verse 26. We are to acknowledge that He is the God of heaven, He reigns, He is enthroned above this earth, He is infinite, He is eternal, He's unchangeable in His being. We are to acknowledge that He is the God of heaven. Before we move on to the second demonstration of His steadfast love, it should be noted that when we give thanks to God, it must be rooted in our confession. And acknowledgement of Him. What do I mean? In other words, our praise, our worship, our thanks is to be rooted in what we know, believe, and confess about God.

15:24God's attributes are the first demonstration of His steadfast love. Let us now consider the theater of His steadfast love, which is God's creation. Scientism sees the origin of the cosmos, the origin of the universe, as an accidental product of an impersonal universe subject to blind chance and random forces. It exists in a sphere of energy devoid of promise, plan, purpose, or fulfillment. The scriptures tell a different story. We read in Romans 1, verses 18 through 20, which should be up.

16:19For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Who, by their unrighteousness, suppress the truth. What's that truth? For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. This passage tells us: creation is not an accident, creation is not purposeless, and God is revealed in the things He has made. Thus, human beings looking at creation are left inexcusable in their rejection of Him and would justly face condemnation. Let us go back to Psalm 136.

17:40In Psalm 136, verses 4 through 9, we learn that when the people of God look at the beauty of the world, we should see the greatness of God. We should see His steadfast love. Look again at your text, verse 4. We see that he does great wonders. And then in verses 5 through 9, we have a list or an itemization of those wonders. Who by understanding made the heavens? Verse 5. Who spread out the earth above the waters? Verse 6.

18:31Who made the great lights? Verse 7. Who made the sun to rule over the day? Verse 8. And who made the moon and stars to rule over the night? Verse 9. We are being told that God's steadfast love can be seen in His handiwork, in His craftsmanship, in His attention to detail, and in the wisdom of His creation. Brothers and sisters, if God is so concerned with what He has created, how much more will He show love for those who are His people?

19:22God's attributes are the basis of His steadfast love. God's creation is the thing. Theater of his steadfast love. Let us look now at verses 10 through 22, where we will see the display of his steadfast love, which is actually redemption. And here we are pointed to the Old Testament redemptive story. In verses 10 through 16, the Exodus story is summarized, which is, of course, God's deliverance of his people from slavery and bondage in Egypt. But in verses 17 through 22, we have the conquest of the land recounted.

20:17So, Psalm 136 recounts God setting the Jews free from slavery, 10 through 16, and bringing them into an inheritance of their own, verses 17 through 22. Exodus and conquest, saving us from slavery, giving us a home, and of course, triumphing over our enemies. I think it is fair for us to look for the New Testament parallels to this redemptive story. First, we can look at Romans 6:17 and 18, where it Points to us being free from slavery to sin. Paul writes, but thanks be to God that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

21:28Second, we can look at the New Testament parallel of the work of the Exodus. Here in Psalm 136, they celebrate the Exodus as we know it, the parting of the Red Seas, the drowning of the Egyptians. In the New Testament, we celebrate and are reminded of the New Covenant Exodus, which we will do this very morning. What am I talking about? In Psalm 136, they remember the great event of redemption, which was the Exodus, and they celebrated that at Passover. We celebrate our great Exodus every week when we celebrate the Lord's Supper.

22:19Third, God striking down the kings that opposed Israel reminds us that the foes of God's people. Will always fail. They have always, and they always will. Paul wrote to the believers in Rome who were being persecuted by Nero: If God is for you, who can be against you? I think this is very important for us to remember as we might be entering a new stage here in the West, which may begin to parallel the pre-Constantinian era when Christians were persecuted subtly and or overtly. And brothers and sisters, if we are, if God be for us, who can be against us?

23:21God's attributes are the basis of his steadfast love. God's theater, creation is the theater of his steadfast love. God's redemption is the display of his steadfast love. And finally, let's look at verses 23 through 25, where we will see the persistence of his steadfast love, which is, of course, God's providence. God simply cares for us. Look at verse 23. He who remembered us in our lowest state. As you look back over this year, can you trace out the many ways in which God remembered you in your lowest state, in your weakness, in your frailties?

24:19Do you remember how He walked with you and sustains you when you plunged into dark valleys? Has He not been faithful to you day after day after day? He remembers us in our lowest state. Why? Because His steadfast love endures forever. Look at verse 24. He rescued us from our foes. We are daily locked into a spiritual battle, and yet in it all, God gives us victory. Yes, sometimes it's three steps forward and then two backwards.

25:10And our struggle with our foes is difficult. Yet He delivers us from our enemies, spiritual and physical, because His steadfast love endures forever. Look at verse 25. And He feeds. And sustains us. There are many in this world who have no idea where their meal is coming tomorrow. He feeds and sustains us. God tells us: don't be anxious about your life, what you eat, what you drink. Is not life more than food? Matthew 6:25. And yet, for all of us in this room, in His providence, He provides everything that we need every single day.

26:07Aren't we thankful? Because His steadfast love endures forever. So, if you didn't grasp it, the central point of the sermon this morning was that the steadfast love of God can be seen in His attributes and in creation and in redemption and in Providence. It's very clear. There are 26 different things we could do to thank Him today for His steadfast love. So, what am I going to do to close out? Let me give you three practical applications that we can draw from this. First, what have you that you have not received? What have you that you have not received?

26:59How thankful are you? You. As you look back over the past year, how often have your days been punctuated with gratitude and expressions of thankfulness? Have you remembered when He answered your prayers? Do you remember when He heard you when you cried out? Is your heart marked and characterized by gratitude, or is it of forgetfulness? Everything you have, from the clothes on your back, to the roof over your head, to the food in your belly, to the love of your family, to the grace of Him saving you for eternity, is a gift of God.

27:54What have you that you have not received? Second, we are to sing and speak of the steadfast love of God. While this may be a somewhat debatable point, I'm going to go ahead and boldly state it. We cannot do anything more important in life to the glory of God or the salvation of people than when we often Speak and sing of the steadfast love of God. What do I mean? When we are in the midst of trial and tribulation, that is when our voice is the loudest.

28:49Have you lost a spouse, a parent, a sibling, or a child? Speak and sing of the steadfast love of God. Have you lost a job? Has a friend moved away? Have you lost the ability to pursue a hobby? Have you lost health and vitality? All of us old have. Speak and sing of the steadfast love of God. And then, third, brothers and sisters, we are to embrace the steadfast love of God because we simply don't. The repeated refrain, 26 times for his steadfast love endures forever, actually is accentuating God's covenant love for us. It's the ground of our blessings, it's the ground of our hopes. The Hebrew word, kesed, or loving. Kindness speaks to God's loyal love, his steadfast love, his covenant love. The repetition of that phrase, for his steadfast love endures forever, is designed to convince you that everything God has done, is doing, he has done, is doing, and will do for you. We, of course, remember Romans 8:28, which reminds us that he makes all things work together for good, good to grow us in Christ-likeness, good for you because you love him and are called according to his purpose. But it also reminds us of the classic expression of covenant love in the New Testament. And I, of course, speak of Romans 8, 35 through 39, which is behind me. Who shall separate us from the love of God?

31:00Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written, for your sake we are being killed all day long. We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loves us. Us, for I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else all in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

32:01That is what the Psalm means when it says, talk about the steadfast love of God that endures forever and embrace it. With each passing minute that his heart stopped at 1:35 p.m. on June 23, 2018, Hutz's chance of survival dropped by roughly 10%. After five minutes, brain damage was likely. After 10 minutes, he would either die or suffer severe brain damage. But fortunately, four medically trained passengers, two EMTs, two nurses were at the right place at the right time to save Hutz's life.

33:01Children, listen to this. It was 10-year-old Michaela Yarbrough who first saw Hutz collapse. Praise God for children noticing things. She alerted her father, being the smart girl she is, Rick Yarbrough, a retired Air Force EMT. Rick was immediately joined by Army trained nurse Dan Blessini, who just happened to be in the airport four hours early to return to his flight to Texas. Because he's one of those that arrives five minutes before the door closes. Yarborough secured Hutz's neck while Blissini began chest compressions and yelled, get the defibrillator. The external defibrillator, the AED, arrived at the same time that EMT Erica Van Hook from Ohio, notice, Colorado, Texas, Ohio, and Erica's sister-in-law, Bridget Tyler, from Kentucky, joined the men.

34:14Ms. Van Hook helped Mr. Blissini with chest compressions, used the AED to restart his stopped heart, performed mouth-to-mouth breathing while Ms. Tyler helped Yarborough keep Hutz's neck and head. Properly positioned. Their efforts were immediately rewarded. Hutz's color improved from blue to pale to pink. And by the time the official EMTs arrived, Hutz had a faint pulse. He was then transferred to McNeil Hospital, which I told you early in the sermon. Why did I tell you this story?

34:58It is to highlight how God brought four good Samaritans from four different states with incredible training to this moment to save Hutz, whose heart had stopped and he had stopped breathing. We know, and the Hertzberg family knows, that God is the author of this rescue. Thus, every Sunday morning, since that event, at 1:35 in the afternoon, I should say Sunday afternoon, at 1:35, the Hertzberg family pauses to thank God for the moment when four strangers came together to save his life. Brothers and sisters, may we have a similar spirit of thankfulness, thanking God for everything that He has given us. Given to us. Everything that you possess at this moment. Ignoring what you lack because what you have is great and quit having a spirit of forgetfulness. Let's pray.

36:28O Lord our God, we confess to you that indeed the greatest enemy of our thankfulness has been our forgetfulness. So much of what we have enjoyed, we have credited to our own efforts and our own energies. We have sometimes felt entitled. We have sometimes taken things for granted. Today, we come in repentance of our forgetfulness. We ask for your forgiveness. We acknowledge that all that we have, that all that we have received, is from your loving hand.

37:27We thank you for the loved ones. Around us, we thank you for the memory of those who we loved, who have gone ahead of us. We thank you for your kindnesses, your faithfulness, your mercies, which are new every morning. And we praise you supremely for the cross, the empty tomb, and Christ who is seated on your throne. He alone is able to save all who come to God by Him. He alone is a full and perfect Redeemer.

38:19We ask this morning, as we enjoy the many gifts of your steadfast love, that you would help us to transpose that for these earthly comforts to see also the heavenly gifts of salvation, redemption that you've given us. We express our praise and thankfulness for your redemptive love in Jesus Christ. For we ask this in His precious name, Amen. Thank you for listening to the sermon audio from New Life Baptist. Church in College Station, Texas. For more information or to support our ministry, visit us online at newlifecs.net.