GOD'S PERFECT KNOWLEDGE OF US

February 27, 2022

SERMON SERIES: INTRODUCTION TO SOME SELECTED PSALMS

Sermon # 9

GOD’S PERFECT KNOWLEDGE OF US

Psalm 139:1-18

Introduction: The greatness of God is infinitely vast. His majesty far exceeds man’s ability to comprehend Him. Consider, for example, the size of the universe He has created, the sheer dimensions of which are staggering. Scientists tell us it would take 500 billion years to journey around its perimeter, traveling at the speed of light----186,000 miles per second. The sun has a diameter of 864,000 miles and can hold over one million planets the size of the earth. The star Betelgeuse (Beetle Juice) has a diameter of 100 million miles, larger than the earth’s orbit around the sun. It takes sunlight traveling at the speed of light about 8.5 minutes to reach earth. Yet that same light would take more than four years to reach the nearest star, Alpha Centauri, some 24 trillion miles from earth.

The galaxy to which our sun belongs, the Milky Way, contains hundreds of billions of stars. And astronomers estimate that there are even billions of galaxies, perhaps equal to the number of all the grains of sand on all the beaches of the world. How immense must God be, who, as Creator, far exceeds the size of His creation.

Yet this infinite God is intimately aware of every individual on the planet. In the midst of over six billion persons on the earth, God knows each and every one perfectly. The very hairs of your head are numbered. He knows what each person will say before he says it. He is present everywhere, personally involved at even the most minute level. Having created every life, God presides over every aspect of each of these lives. Every thought, attitude, word, and deed are an open book before Him. How can a God so immense be so intimate?

Psalm 139 is a wisdom psalm, intensely personal, written by David. It reveals the awe and astonishment he felt toward God, who created the heavens and the earth. Even though God created the heavens and earth, David was aware that God Knew him and was intimately involved in the minute details of his life. This beautifully poetic song describes some of the most incomparable attributes of God----His omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, and vengeance.

David gave us some principles to live by in Psalm 139. Let’s look at these principles.

I. BE AWARE---GOD EXAMINES AND KNOWS YOU INTIMATELY v. 1-6

A. What God knows about you v. 2

1. Every movement or action

2. Every thought and motive

3. Every activity---from leaving home in the morning to lying down at night v. 3

4. Every way v. 3

5. Every word v. 4

B. God’s purpose in examining you v. 5

1. To protect you v. 5

2. To stir humility, accountability and praise God for His incomprehensible greatness v. 6

II. BE MINDFUL---YOU CANNOT ESCAPE OR HIDE FROM GOD’S PRESENCE v. 7-12

A. God is present everywhere v. 7

1. In outer space (heaven) v. 8

2. In the depths of the earth v. 8

3. In every place touched by the dawns’ rising v. 9

“If I take the wings of morning” may also be a reference to speed. (If I could fly at the speed of light)

4. In the lands across the sea v. 9

B. God’s purpose in pursuing you v. 10

1. To guide and support you v. 10

2. To protect you in the darkness and light your way v. 11

· Because darkness is not dark to God v. 12a

· Because God sees in the dark as well as in the light v. 12b

III. BE THANKFUL---GOD CREATED YOU v. 13-18

A. God set up the birth process: He wove all the intricate parts of your body together in the womb v. 13

B. God is worthy of all praise

1. Because he made you so wonderfully complex and His workmanship is amazing v. 14

2. Because God saw and watched over you in your mother’s womb v. 15

· Watched over you conception

· Watched over your body being woven together

3. Because God watched over your unformed body v. 16

4. Because God planned out your life before you were conceived v. 16

C. God’s purpose in creating you v. 17

1. Stirs you to love and praise Him

2. Stirs you to stand amazed at God’s plans, purpose and power

3. Stirs you to take joy in His presence when you awaken, your thoughts are still dominated with God. You cannot remove such towering thoughts about God from your mind v. 18

Responsive Reading; Psalm 139:1-18