Sermon Central
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This Is The Day: Rejoice!
Contributed by John Gaston on Aug 3, 2016 (message contributor)
Summary: To rejoice is a choice. People with far less are happier than we are. Why? Because they focus on enjoying today and don't fret about tomorrow. Jesus said to do that! We need to be grateful for what we have.
THIS IS THE DAY: REJOICE!
Ps. 118:24
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: THE SOUR INTERVIEW
1. Some people have a knack for picking things. Hannah went to a citrus Farm and asked Henry, the manager, if there are any jobs available at the farm.
2. He told her that the only job available was for a part-time lemon picker. Hannah says the job would suit her well.
3. After Henry has asked her some questions about her education and previous jobs, he told her, "You’re really far too qualified for such a lowly position."
4. "But I would still like the job," said Hannah. "I would be very good at it." Henry asked, "Do you have any experience in picking lemons?"
5. "Well, actually, I do," replies Hannah. "I’ve been divorced three times."
6. That statement betrays a negative view of life that we need to beat. God wants us to be positive; people of hope and good expectation. That’s our direction tonight.
B. TEXT
“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” Ps. 118:24.
C. THESIS
1. We’re going to Look at what is this “Day,” the reasons we should rejoice, and that happiness is a state of mind.
2. The title of this message is, “This is the Day: Rejoice!”
I. THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE
A. THIS SPECIFIC DAY
1. Is this referring to a 24 hour period? Yes! Every day is a gift from God; a special creation. Each day is unique: in its sunrise & sunset, its temperature & its rain. It’s another day to live, breathe, and enjoy the wonders of God’s world.
2. Today, we can forget about the troubles of yesterday; they’re gone. God says, “Forget what happened in the past….I am going to do something new” Isa. 43:18-19, GW. Put yesterday behind you. You can’t change it.
3. We get a fresh new day today to start over with. Was yesterday a failure? Today can be a victory! God’s grace is new every morning. His provision was renewed this morning. “The Lord's mercies….are new every morning” Lam. 3:22-23. We have a new cup of blessing to drink today.
4. Also, we shouldn’t worry about tomorrow. The Lord Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” Mt. 6:34.
B. A DAY AS A PERIOD OF TIME
1. Isaiah tells us (49:8) “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (Paul quotes in 2 Cor. 6:2).
Bible expositors refer to the period between the Law and the Judgment as the “Day of Grace.”
2. The Lord Jesus said, “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work” John 9:4. He referred figuratively to Day as the period in which redemptive activity can still take place.
3. So, praise God, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it!” Next David said to “Rejoice in it!”
II. REASONS TO REJOICE THIS DAY
There are a multitude of things we ought to praise God for every day. What are some of those things? Let’s look at what David or the other psalm writers thanked God for.
A. THINGS DAVID/OTHERS PRAISED GOD FOR
Psalm 13:6 Praise…he has been good to me.
Psalm 16:7 Praise the Lord, who counsels me
Psalm 18:3 Praise…I have been saved from my enemies.
Psalm 26:7 Praise…telling of all your wonderful deeds.
Psalm 28:6 Praise…for he has heard my cry for mercy.
Psalm 31:21Praise…he showed me the wonders of his love
Psalm 59:17 Praise…my God on whom I can rely
Psalm 63:6 Praise…satisfied as with the richest of foods
Psalm 66:20 Praise...He has not rejected my prayer
Psalm 68:19 Praise…who daily bears our burdens
Psalm 103:2-3 Praise…forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases
Psalm 117:2 Praise…the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever
Psalm 139:14 Praise…I am fearfully and wonderfully made
Psalm 144:1 Praise…trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle
Psalm 150:2 Praise him for his acts of power
Paul summed it up when preaching to the Athenians in Acts 17:25, God “gives to everyone life and breath and everything else.”
B. IF THERE’S NOT MUCH TO REJOICE OVER?
1. Maybe right now we don’t like our situation; we think God has dealt us a hard, sad, difficult life.
2. We must trust that God knows what He’s doing. He didn’t make a mistake. He’s going to take our troubles and turn them into blessings!
3. When God finished creating, He looked over His work, and said that it was “Good.” Life is filled with good thing, if we look for them.
