Sermon

Dealing With Life's Hardships and Uncertainties (Part 3)

September 16, 2017 Pickens First Baptist Church

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It's been a stressful week, hasn't it?
Think of all that has taken place since we were here last Sunday morning.
The winds of Tropical Storm Irma caused a lot of hardship and uncertainty for millions
of people, didn't it?
Throughout the Southeast and including here in Pickens County.
I want you to think, the power outages that many people experience, some of those created
life-threatening situations.
Some of them, of course, were just minor inconveniences.
The wind damage, that's still a source of stress for people who actually have some
damage to their homes.
And they don't know if insurance is going to cover it or not.
And what causes even more anxiety is some people know it's not going to cover because they didn't
have it.
Think with me just a moment.
Since this time last week, a lot of new hardships and uncertainties have cropped up among us.
And they just are added to the kind of things that we normally struggle with.
There's things going on in homes right here that's hard.
That's caused some uncertainty.
There's things with people's health.
Things that are job-related.
Every one of us, every one of us at times experiences stressful situations that tempt us to be anxious,
to lose sleep, to not be able to eat.
Some people even develop ulcers.
There's always something, either in our life or on the horizon, that can tempt us to worry.
But as God's people, what we've been looking at, there is a better way to deal with life's hardships and uncertainties than worry.
I want to be clear, and I've tried to every week, there's no way to avoid it.
There is no way to make life just easy and smooth.
You know, if you think about it for a moment, at every age,
when you're growing up, when you're a teenager, when you're a young adult, middle age,
think about there were situations in your life that you think,
if I can just get through this, life will be easier.
If I can just get through the next month or this year,
I know things are going to level out and smooth out and life will be easier.
And maybe you do get over that hump,
but it's not long until there's something else.
Something else that gets your attention that maybe causes you to fear.
To be worried.
That's life.
I don't want to be pessimistic, but some people would even say,
life's hard, then you die.
There's a lot of truth to that, isn't there?
But that's not all the truth.
Life can be hard, and we will die.
But there are some positive, helpful ways
that we can deal with the hardships and the uncertainties,
because God has told us in His Word what those ways are.
We've looked at some already.
Two weeks ago, from Philippians 4,
Paul wrote that we need to replace worry with prayer.
Last week, we looked at Matthew chapter 6

Matthew 6 chapter mention
and saw where Jesus said we need to replace worry with two things.
First, live with the right priorities, He told us.
In Matthew 6, 33, Jesus says,
Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
Let's sort of translate that.
What Jesus was telling us is,
we need to seek to have and develop a relationship with God
as our first priority in all of life.
And as we walk with God in life,
living in fellowship with Him,
we need to seek to know and do His will.
More than anything else,
we need to be concerned about a lot of things.
We need to be involved in people's lives.
We need to work.
We need to do a lot of things.
But Jesus was saying,
Seek first the rule of God over our lives.
God's way.
God's will.
As our Heavenly Father,
Jesus was trying to say,
He can be trusted.
You see,
God is our Heavenly Father,
and He takes care of everything in creation.
He takes care of birds.
He takes care of the flowers
and all these kind of things.
And if God can take care of all those things,
we who are created in His image,
we,
that God sent His Son into the world
to die for,
God's going to take care of us.
And then Jesus told us to live one day at a time.
Don't worry about tomorrow.
Learn to trust God
to provide what we need
and when we need it.
Well, today I want us to begin looking at Psalm 139.
Psalm 139 is going to help us
understand why
we should trust God
and depend upon Him.
Psalm 139
is really the strongest declaration
found in the Bible.
Let me rephrase that.
Psalm 139 is one of
the strongest statements
in all the Bible
on God's greatness.
What God knows.
What God can do.
It was written by King David.
He had such a relationship with God
that he is described in two places in Scripture
as a man after God's own heart.
He wasn't perfect.
He was flawed.
But he had a heart for God.
God even said that about him.
So David is writing Psalm 139
from the perspective of someone
who had a real relationship with God.
He knew God.
He loved God.
There were times he asked God a lot of questions.
A lot of times he complained.
But in this Psalm,
David is making much
of who God is,
what he knows,
what he does.
Look at a quick summary of this.
God knows everything.
We're going to look at that this morning
in verses 1 through 6.
God is everywhere,
verses 7 through 12.
God can do anything,
verses 13 through 18.
And God will deal with everyone,
verses 19 through 24.
We're not going to spend four weeks on this,
but this is one way to outline it.
But I want you to understand
as we go into this,
and as you'll see as you read it,
David is not trying to just give us
factual information about God.
He's just not trying to tell us more
about who God is
in abstract terms.
David is being very personal.
He's not just talking about
how God knows everything.
He's describing how God knows him.
How God is near to him.
How God made him specifically.
So as we read through this psalm
and go through it today
and next week for sure,
I want you to make it personal for you.
I want you to thank the God
who created everything that exists.
He knows me personally.
He knows everything about me,
the good and the bad,
the public and the private.
And get this,
God knows all this about us.
But he still loves us.
He still cares about us.
And what David is trying to help us to do
is find comfort
in the fact that God knows us.
That he's everywhere present with us.
That he made us.
So let's look at the first part today,
verses 1 through 6.
Read with me Psalm 139.
O Lord,
O Lord,
O Lord,
you have searched me
and known me.
You know when I sit down
and when I rise up.
You discern my thoughts
from afar.
You search out my path
and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord,
you know it altogether.
You hem me in
behind and before
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.
It is high.
I cannot attain it.
He's telling us here about God's knowledge.
David is amazed.
Amazed.
Not just that God knows everything,
but that God knows everything
about Him personally.
I want you to look at a statement
that Danny Aiken,
he's the president
of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
He's writing about Psalm 139
and I like the way he describes
how God knows everything.
Look at it.
With spiritual x-ray vision,
God peers into your soul
and sees you for who you really are.
No detail escapes His watching eyes.
God is never surprised
or caught off guard.
He never says,
wow, I didn't see that coming.
God knows us.
And if you look through those verses
we just read,
there is some form of the word no
in four of the six verses.
I want you to look with me
at some of the specific things
that God knows about us.
You think,
these are some of the things
that God knows about me right now.
First,
God knows what's in our mind and heart.
God knows what we think
and how we feel right now.
Look at verse one.
Oh Lord,
you have searched me
and known me.
The second part of verse two.
You discern my thoughts
from afar.
Every one of us in this room,
we have some thoughts
and some feelings
that we keep inside us.
And we keep it,
you know,
buried deeply
inside of us
at all times.
You think about it.
We don't want anyone to know
every thought,
every desire
that we have
over the course of a day
or a week.
if there was some magical way
that right now
we announce
in the next five minutes
and we call the name,
your thoughts
and your desires
of the past 48 hours
are going to be put on that screen,
I bet you'd leave.
I would
and I can't believe
anybody would not be honest enough
to not leave.
But you know,
we don't have to put it
on the screen
for God to know.
God knows
what goes through our mind,
what we think.
He knows what we desire.
He knows the kind of feelings
that we have
and even this.
God knows the good
and the bad
and He knows
what we do
with the thoughts
and with the desires.
I know most of us
are thinking negatively
when it comes to thoughts
so let's put it this way.
A lot of times
you can't help
the thoughts
that come into your mind.
Sometimes you can
because of what you feed on.
What we read
and expose ourselves to
and just dwell upon
that will influence
the kind of thoughts
that we have.
But sometimes
the most faithful person,
the most godly person
who just tries to focus on
that which is good
and positive
and so forth
sometimes still have
a bad thought.
Here's the thing.
What do you do
with those thoughts?
God knows
not just the thoughts
that we have
but He knows
what we do with them.
He knows
if we play them out.
He knows
if we fantasize.
He knows
what we desire,
what we wish
would happen
even though
we may never
even come close
to doing it.
God knows
what we do
with our thoughts
whether we develop them,
let them run wild
or God knows
when we try to
shut them down,
not dwell on them,
dismiss them,
replace them
with something else.
David is thinking,
he's writing,
talking about
his great God
and he makes
this statement
that God knows
what's going on
within our minds,
within our hearts,
what we think,
what we feel.
Then he goes on,
God knows what we do.
Look at the first part
of verse 2.
You know when I sit down
and when I rise up.
He's talking about
doing anything.
When we're active,
when we're passive.
Verse 3.
You search out
my path
and my lying down
and are acquainted
with all my ways.
God knows
what we do
every day.
God knows
our daily routine.
He knows
the interruptions
to our routine,
the unusual things.
God knows
what we do.
God knows
why we do it.
God knows
our conduct
and our motives.
It's all clear
to God.
So just think.
God knows you.
He knows what you think.
He knows what you feel.
He knows what you do.
And look at the next thing.
God knows
the words we speak.
Verse 4.
Even before a word
is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord,
you know it all together.
We can live
with someone
and we can get
to know them
so well
that things happen
and we know
what you think.
How many of you,
with your,
just say with your spouse,
how many of you,
you know a lot of times
what your spouse
is thinking
before they even tell you?
Raise your hand.
We have that.
We have that knowledge.
We have that ability
to read people.
But sometimes
we're wrong.
Sometimes
we think
they're thinking
one thing
and it's
just the opposite.
Well, God,
He truly knows,
He perfectly knows
what we say
and what
we're going to say
in the next few minutes.
Think about this.
God hears
every conversation
that we have
every single day.
God hears
every conversation
and God
detects
the tone
of our voice,
the way
that we talk
to people
as well as
the words
we say to people.
God even knows
what we say,
what we're going
to say
better than
we do.
Have you ever
surprised yourself
by some of the things
you said
before you thought?
We all do sometimes.
That is a great fear
that I have
that I will say
the awful thing.
Brian's over there
laughing
because he's heard me
say things
I ought not say.
Don't shake your head
because you do
the same thing.
We all do.
Sometimes we'll
pop off
with an angry
response
to someone
and we didn't
really mean to say it.
We thought it.
It's true.
But if we
had just thought
I sure
wouldn't have said that.
I wouldn't have said it
like that.
And then sometimes
we'll blurt out
a foolish
statement
that embarrasses us.
We'll say something
and then we'll think
no
I look like an idiot.
Makes you
you know
you wish you could
just disappear.
Sometimes we say
things like that
and we surprise
ourselves.
Sometimes we say
things and we
surprise people.
But we never
say anything
and surprise God.
God's never
surprised
he knows
what we're
going to do
before we do it.
He knows
what we're
going to say
before it ever
comes out.
And the point
the psalmist
is making here
is that's
how well
God knows
us.
Now
when you think
about how
and what
God knows
about you
how does
that make
you feel?
I mean
what the psalmist
is saying here
this is just
true about God.
this is who
he is.
I mean
because he's
God he's
got to know
these things.
But the
psalmist is
trying to help
us make
this personal.
God knows
all this stuff
about me.
What do you
think?
Does it
comfort you?
or does it
convict you?
It's obvious
that sometimes
we are
convicted
because
we think
and feel
and say
and do
things
that are just
plain wrong
sinful
selfish
mean
spirited
angry.
so
all of
us
as we
read
through
this
we
think
about
some
of
the
things
going
on
in
us
and
God
knows
it
very
very
well
perfectly
we're
convicted
but that's
good
it's
good
for us
to know
that God
knows
everything
about us
that nothing
is hidden
from him
ever
because
that can
help us
to guard
our thoughts
be on
alert
for what
we dwell
on
think
about
desire
that can
help us
more carefully
choose
our words
learn to
think
before we
speak
learn to
think
before we
act
I want us
to think
about this
if God
has convicted
you about
something
as we've
gotten to
this point
in this
message
be honest
with him
just to
admit
yes Lord
own up
to the
thoughts
to the
desires
to the
words
to the
tone
own up
to what
you've
done
you can't
play games
with God
you can
deceive
some
people
you can
hide
some
things
from
some
people
but we
cannot
deceive
or hide
from God
ever
go to
God
in prayer
a prayer
of confession
agree with him
about this
confess your
sin
make no
excuses
humble
yourself
turn
turn from
that sin
change
your mind
repent
and seek
God's
forgiveness
that's the
only way
to deal
with the
guilt
the conviction
if you have it
right now
over something
you have thought
or done
or said
or something
like this
and the good
news for us
this morning
is God
will forgive
us
if we'll go
to him
genuinely
broken
over our
sin
not because
we've gotten
caught
but because
we know
it grieves
him
and if we're
Christians
he's our
heavenly father
and the last
thing in the
world we want
to do
is grieve
our
loving
heavenly father
seek his
forgiveness
you know the
verse of
scripture from
John
1 John

1 John 1:9
chapter 1
verses 9
is something
that all of us
ought to
memorize
we ought to
just know
if we confess
our sins
he is faithful
and just
to forgive us
of our sins
and to cleanse
us from all
unrighteousness
we are sinful
people
we are selfish
self-centered
people
we too often
seek our way
instead of God's
way
we need his
forgiveness
but until we
confess our sin
we're not going
to experience
that forgiveness
so I want you
to hear that
right now
as a Christian
you can be
right with God
you can be
forgiven
you can be set
free from that
guilt
if you'll come
to him
sincerely
doing what you
see on the
screen there
David
the writer of
our psalm
here
he understood
the importance
of confession
of being right
with God
when he was
convicted of
his sin
and he makes
that known
in Psalm 51
that's the
great psalm
of confession
repentance
in the Bible
I want you to
look at part
of it with me
the first two
verses are on
the screen
David
when he
sinned
terribly
and most of
you know
about his
committing
adultery
with Bathsheba
he tried to
cover it up
and wound up
having her
husband killed
at first
he just
tried to
cover it up
ignore it
finally
God
got through
to him
through a
prophet
named
Nathan
and when
Nathan
confronted him
the way
that he did
David
was
broken
humbled
and this
is his
cry of
confession
read it
with me
have mercy
on me
oh God
according to
your steadfast
love
according to
your abundant
mercy
blot out
my transgressions
wash me
thoroughly
from my
iniquity
and cleanse
me
from my
sin
David
understood
he didn't
deserve God's
forgiveness
that's why he
went to God
and said
have mercy
on me
that's why he
talked about
God's steadfast
love
God's
abundant
mercy
David
understood
that God
sees it all
God knows
it all
and some of
the things
God sees
some of
the things
God knows
it should
break us
it should
humble us
we should
be convicted
of that sin
but not
just wallow
in our guilt
not try to
just pretend
it doesn't
exist
but go to
God
recognize
he is your
father
if you're
a Christian
who loves
you
he desires
to show
you mercy
he desires
to give you
what you
do not
deserve
and the
reason he
can do
that is
because
Jesus
paid the
penalty
for our
sins
when he
died on
the cross
Jesus
lived that
perfect
life
for us
and when
we trust
him
all that's
credited
to us
that's why
God
can show
us
mercy
not give
us what
we deserve
but we've
got to
go to
him
in
confession
and in
repentance
I want you
to look at
what else
he said
in Psalm

Psalms 51:10–12
51
verses
10
through
12
David
was not
just
concerned
about
unloading
the
burden
of guilt
he wasn't
just concerned
about
trying to
make himself
feel better
David
was concerned
about his
relationship
with God
when he
realized his
sin
he cried
out for
mercy
and forgiveness
he wanted
to be
restored
to a
right
relationship
with God
as these
verses
show
creating
me a
clean
heart
of God
and
renew
a
right
spirit
within
me
cast
me
not
away
from
your
presence
and
take
not
your
Holy
Spirit
from
me
restore
to me
the
joy
of
your
salvation
and
uphold
me
with a
willing
spirit
if we
are
children
of God
when we
sin
when we
know
there's
something
between
us
and
God
certainly
we want
to be
forgiven
we want
the weight
of guilt
to be
removed
but more
than anything
else we
should want
as children
of God
to be
restored
to good
fellowship
with him
to come
back close
to him
to have
a renewed
spirit
to be
back in
his
presence
to have
the joy
of our
salvation
restored
do you
have that
kind of
relationship
with God
that you
know what
it means
to be
right with
him
to be
close
with him
to enjoy
your
salvation
to have
a clean
heart
to have
real
fellowship
with him
that's
what God's
goal is
for us
and if we
will seek
that
if we will
seek him
through Christ
we can
know that
and when
something
happens
that hinders
blows up
that fellowship
through confession
and repentance
we can come
back and be
restored
but our
knowledge of
what God
knows about
us should
not just
be
convicting
it should
be comforting
you may say
well that's
just strange
think about
what all God
knows that
comforts us
well that is
really the
point of
this song
that's what
you see in
verse 6
the next
one
look at
it
such
knowledge
is too
wonderful
for me
it is high
I cannot
attain it
David says
knowing all
this about
what God
knows it
just blows
my mind
in a good
way
the thought
of God
knowing
everything
including
everything
about him
was a
comfort
to David
here's one
reason why
it should
comfort us
God knows
everything
about us
but he
still loves
us
God knows
all that
we've been
thinking
desiring
saying
and doing
this past
week
we're still
alive
God's being
patient
God's being
merciful
because as
our heavenly
father
he loves
us
and he
works in
us
shaping us
and molding
us
through the
hard times
through the
uncertain
times
making us
more and
more like
his son
that's
God's
goal
David
wants us
to understand
how well
God knows
us
because he
wants to
encourage us
David
wants to
encourage us
that God
knows us
better than
we know
ourselves
he knows
what we can
and can't
take
in terms of
hardship
and uncertainty
he knows
what amount
of suffering
will help
us
to develop
Christ like
character
which is
his goal
for us
you know
the doubts
the uncertainties
the fears
hardships of life
God is working
in yours
to make you
what he wants
you to be
as his child
in your home
for your spouse
God's working
in all these
sufferings of life
to make us
what we need
to be
to be the
parent
he wants us
to be
to our
children
or to be
the child
he wants you
to be
to your
parent
God's doing
all this
in our lives
through the
hardships
the uncertainties
he's always
with us
he works
through the
sufferings
he works
through the
hardships
to perfect
our character
to make us
more like
Jesus
he knows
exactly
what
is needed
for us
to do
that
God knows
what we
need
and when
we need
it
because
he is
God
he knows
everything
about us
now the
question
that we need
to answer
before we
go is
this
will you
trust
God
knowing
this
about
him
will you
trust
him
as your
heavenly
father
enough
to do
what you
know
he wants
you to
do
instead
of worry
do you
trust God
enough
to pray
to talk
to him
about
your
difficulties
instead
of worry
you know
what we saw
two weeks
ago
if we'll
pray
instead
of worry
and really
trust God
he will
so work
in our
midst
not
necessarily
to change
anything
but to
give us
a sense
of peace
rightness
with him
he's
with us
in the
midst
of our
anything
but peaceful
situation
instead of
worrying
will you
make
knowing
God
loving
him
and obeying
him
the first
priority
of your
life
and if
you live
in fellowship
like him
if you'll
live in
fellowship
like that
with him
he'll
see to
it
that your
needs
are met
because as
Jesus said
he's your
heavenly father
he loves you
more than
anyone
he knows
what you
need
he's able
to meet
that need
and finally
will you
seek to
live life
one day
at a time
instead of
worry
God will
not only
provide
what you
need
but when
you
need
it
and he
knows
when that
is
God
can do
this
God
can
replace
our
worry
with
better
things
because
he knows
us
and he
loves
us
and it's
his
desire
to
comfort
us
with
his
presence
with
his
awareness
with
his
involvement
in our
lives
find
comfort
in what
all that
God
knows
about
you
and draw
close to
him
now
let's
pray
together
dear
God
help us
to see
now
how we
should
respond
to you
and what
you know
about us
which is
everything
father for
those who
truly need
to
confess
repent
of sin
help
them do
that right
now
this
moment
and
experience
your
forgiveness
father
if there
are people
in this
room
who are
not
christians
make it
clear to
them
that their
greatest
need
is to
trust
jesus
christ
as their
savior
and lord
now
help them
to call upon
jesus
for salvation
as they
turn from
their sin
their
selfishness
their
self-centeredness
father
father help
us
as your
children
to find
comfort
in your
presence
and what
all you
know about
us
because
you're our
heavenly father
you love
us
you are
for us
and in
an attitude
of prayer
you just
do what
god
tells you
to do
talk to
him
listen
to him
obey
him
if you'd
like me
to pray
with you
i'll be
here at
the front
and be
happy to
do that
during
these
next
few
minutes
you