Sermon

The Omniscience of God | March 08, 2009 | Pastor Nathan Breneman

Northside Baptist Church of Elkhart, Indiana

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  1. [SPEAKER_00]: I want to talk to you a little bit this evening about the omniscience of God, all knowing.

  2. [SPEAKER_00]: We can take a lot of security in our God.

  3. [SPEAKER_00]: He knows everything we've been going through, just a study with a teenagers.

  4. [SPEAKER_00]: in Sunday school class about Bible doctrines.

  5. [SPEAKER_00]: And we're going through theology right now.

  6. [SPEAKER_00]: And they just really need to see these kids understanding the attributes of God as we go through immutability and faith and love and all these.

  7. [SPEAKER_00]: And here we get into omniscience.

  8. [SPEAKER_00]: And it's really interesting characteristic of God because

  9. [SPEAKER_00]: It's understanding that he knows what's going to happen before we do, and he knows everything about us.

  10. [SPEAKER_00]: He's a made us.

  11. [SPEAKER_00]: And we still, we've got to have faith to be able to put ourselves in.

  12. [SPEAKER_00]: I guess what we need to understand is this.

  13. [SPEAKER_00]: If I had the teenagers one activity, you can just, if you will, I laid a bunch of eggs out on the, well, I mean, I shouldn't, is Linda in here?

  14. [SPEAKER_00]: I laid a bunch of eggs out on the platform in the White House, and I put, I did put plastic bags there.

  15. [SPEAKER_00]: So I laid these eggs out, and I blindfolded somebody.

  16. [SPEAKER_00]: one of the teenagers, and I showed them the eggs, and I said, okay, you're gonna blindfold you, and you've got to sit there.

  17. [SPEAKER_00]: You got to go through that, but you're not gonna go through it alone.

  18. [SPEAKER_00]: You're going to have to listen to somebody.

  19. [SPEAKER_00]: And you're gonna have to listen to everything they say as you go through and step.

  20. [SPEAKER_00]: And they're like, oh, I just can't do that.

  21. [SPEAKER_00]: So I gave them their partner, and it was a, you know, I tried to diversify everything.

  22. [SPEAKER_00]: I get a girl that's really conservative, and then here's this boy.

  23. [SPEAKER_00]: He's crazy, not so.

  24. [SPEAKER_00]: And he's the one having to lead her through.

  25. [SPEAKER_00]: And she doesn't even trust of anyway.

  26. [SPEAKER_00]: And so here he, here he is.

  27. [SPEAKER_00]: She's blindfolded, and he's saying, OK, now you got to step across here.

  28. [SPEAKER_00]: But here's the kicker.

  29. [SPEAKER_00]: The kicker is, everyone else was supposed to scream and holler other things to try to get them to not, not, you know, try to get them to step on the egg.

  30. [SPEAKER_00]: So above her listening to her partner, she can't see anything, and everybody's scream is saying, no, no, no, no, it's almost there.

  31. [SPEAKER_00]: It was a fun time.

  32. [SPEAKER_00]: is our attention, he wants us to follow him without question, knowing that he knows all things, and he sees all things, he just wants us to follow him.

  33. [SPEAKER_00]: And so here is this boy, and he is going through, and he's telling her where to stand, and she makes it the whole way through, she cannot believe it.

  34. [SPEAKER_00]: Let's test you out.

  35. [SPEAKER_00]: Well, obviously, who does the girl represent?

  36. [SPEAKER_00]: The what?

  37. [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, it's the Christian, the believer.

  38. [SPEAKER_00]: What does that crazy boy represent that I was telling you about?

  39. [SPEAKER_00]: What is it?

  40. [SPEAKER_00]: The Holy Spirit?

  41. [SPEAKER_00]: That's right.

  42. [SPEAKER_00]: God.

  43. [SPEAKER_00]: And so here's, here he is, and he's able to see, what about the eggs?

  44. [SPEAKER_00]: What's the eggs?

  45. [SPEAKER_00]: sin.

  46. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, absolutely.

  47. [SPEAKER_00]: What about the blindfold?

  48. [SPEAKER_00]: What's that mean?

  49. [SPEAKER_00]: What's that mean?

  50. [SPEAKER_00]: Trust, you can't see.

  51. [SPEAKER_00]: You can't, you and I cannot see the future, you and I cannot even begin to understand what will happen in six months from now.

  52. [SPEAKER_00]: Put God knows.

  53. [SPEAKER_00]: And God is always faithful and He's always just.

  54. [SPEAKER_00]: And he's loving.

  55. [SPEAKER_00]: And we've got to believe in a God that knows everything.

  56. [SPEAKER_00]: And yet it sounds simple, but it's very hard to do.

  57. [SPEAKER_00]: Stepping out, you can't see, and all you can do is trust.

  58. [SPEAKER_00]: Well, how do we know, how can we know what God wants us to do?

  59. [SPEAKER_00]: Can I ask you that?

  60. [SPEAKER_00]: Read the Word of God.

  61. [SPEAKER_00]: How wise.

  62. [SPEAKER_00]: We've got to read His word.

  63. [SPEAKER_00]: So let's look at this and let's have water prayer and we'll begin.

  64. [SPEAKER_00]: God, we thank you for the day of life.

  65. [SPEAKER_00]: Again, that you've given to us and we thank you for the opportunity to meet this evening.

  66. [SPEAKER_00]: Or I pray that we would be encouraged this evening to have faith in you knowing that you know all things.

  67. [SPEAKER_00]: All things are under your feet, God.

  68. [SPEAKER_00]: Father, I thank you for being a God that knows everything because we don't have the answers.

  69. [SPEAKER_00]: So it's in your Son's name, Jesus Christ.

  70. [SPEAKER_00]: We pray.

  71. [SPEAKER_00]: Amen.

  72. [SPEAKER_00]: I want to start reading in Hebrews chapter number four.

  73. [SPEAKER_00]: I want to begin there in chapter, verse number 11.

  74. [SPEAKER_00]: verse 11.

  75. [SPEAKER_00]: Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest.

  76. [SPEAKER_00]: Standing man, fall after the same example of unbelief, says that verse that I love so much for the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword.

  77. [SPEAKER_00]: And it pierces even to the dividing us under the soul and the spirit, and the joint in the marrow, and is the discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

  78. [SPEAKER_00]: That verse is something to cling on to.

  79. [SPEAKER_00]: God is about, he knows all things, and he knows your thoughts.

  80. [SPEAKER_00]: And you and I can align our thoughts up with God's thoughts, and have guidance in our lives.

  81. [SPEAKER_00]: God is not my will, but it's yours.

  82. [SPEAKER_00]: I want to hear from you.

  83. [SPEAKER_00]: Opening this book is the wisest thing that any of us in this room can do.

  84. [SPEAKER_00]: Because then we can align ourselves within the omniscient God, all knowing God, that knows the plans that he has for you, he knows where you're gonna be, what you're gonna be doing.

  85. [SPEAKER_00]: You've just got to allow yourself to follow His will.

  86. [SPEAKER_00]: And it says there in verse 13, neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight, but all things are naked and open onto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

  87. [SPEAKER_00]: There is no creature that is not manifest.

  88. [SPEAKER_00]: Manifest just as means it's completely uncovered.

  89. [SPEAKER_00]: It's right there, right before your eyes.

  90. [SPEAKER_00]: And all things are naked and opened into him with whom we've had to do.

  91. [SPEAKER_00]: We can take a hold of that and understand that he knows you inside and now.

  92. [SPEAKER_00]: He knows you because he's omniscient better than you know yourself.

  93. [SPEAKER_00]: He knows your thoughts better than you know your own thoughts.

  94. [SPEAKER_00]: And then it says, seeing then we have a high priest.

  95. [SPEAKER_00]: that has passed into the heavens Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession for we have not a high priest, which cannot be touched with a feeling of our infirmities, but in all points was tempted like as we are yet without sin, let us therefore come boldly under the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

  96. [SPEAKER_00]: There is an important thing that we've got to understand God is looking for us to do and it is to allow him to search us.

  97. [SPEAKER_00]: is to allow him and open ourselves up to say, God, we need you.

  98. [SPEAKER_00]: God knows everything about each and every one of us, but we have still got to open ourselves up and say, God, I want you in.

  99. [SPEAKER_00]: I want your input in my life.

  100. [SPEAKER_00]: He knows everything, nothing's hitting, hidden from him.

  101. [SPEAKER_00]: But you, because the most beautiful thing that he's given us is a free will.

  102. [SPEAKER_00]: He's able, you're able to say, I choose no, or I choose yes.

  103. [SPEAKER_00]: So with that in mind, let's turn to Psalm 139.

  104. [SPEAKER_00]: It's very familiar text all of you.

  105. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm sure, or most of you.

  106. [SPEAKER_00]: Psalm 139.

  107. [SPEAKER_00]: We're going to discuss this in a little bit later in closing as we get to the end of this about us needing to open that door.

  108. [SPEAKER_00]: But in Psalm chapter 139, I would like to, if I could just, if you would allow me to just read through this chapter.

    Psalms 139 chapter mention

  109. [SPEAKER_00]: And we're just going to just pick it apart a little bit.

  110. [SPEAKER_00]: We don't have the time to sit here, we could sit here for a long, long time.

  111. [SPEAKER_00]: But I just want it to allow God to speak to you.

  112. [SPEAKER_00]: I remember a teacher that I had in high school.

  113. [SPEAKER_00]: He said, OK, I want everybody here to read Proverbs chapter 15 or 20.

    Proverbs 15 chapter mention

  114. [SPEAKER_00]: He would just do that.

  115. [SPEAKER_00]: I want everybody in classroom to do that.

  116. [SPEAKER_00]: And as soon as we would do that, he would have us raise our hand and say, OK, what

  117. [SPEAKER_00]: And there were maybe 18 in the class, 12 to 18 people, and just about every one of us pick something different.

  118. [SPEAKER_00]: Because God speaks to you in different ways.

  119. [SPEAKER_00]: So I like doing this, just a verse by verse.

  120. [SPEAKER_00]: It says, oh Lord, verse one, thou has searched me and known me.

  121. [SPEAKER_00]: You have searched me and known me.

  122. [SPEAKER_00]: Now, I'll know as my down-sitting, in my uprising, that I'll understand my thought of far off.

  123. [SPEAKER_00]: Even before it happens, isn't it great to understand or know that God understands you?

  124. [SPEAKER_00]: I deal with sometimes with teenagers and adults, but a lot of times with teenagers, and they'll say,

  125. [SPEAKER_00]: God does.

  126. [SPEAKER_00]: I don't have to understand you.

  127. [SPEAKER_00]: I can be like man you are touched.

  128. [SPEAKER_00]: But God understands what's going on?

  129. [SPEAKER_00]: Lean on that.

  130. [SPEAKER_00]: Lean on that.

  131. [SPEAKER_00]: He knows my down-sitting.

  132. [SPEAKER_00]: To some of us that's great, you know?

  133. [SPEAKER_00]: But some of us where we

  134. [SPEAKER_00]: where we stop in the day, where we rest, or maybe isn't the place we need to be, where we finish the day out.

  135. [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe we start out wrong.

  136. [SPEAKER_00]: God knows.

  137. [SPEAKER_00]: This can also look as, you know, we're looking for encouragement.

  138. [SPEAKER_00]: This has also got, God's work and speak to us, the opposite way and say, you know what?

  139. [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe I didn't in different places that I shouldn't be at.

  140. [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe I'm making provisions for the flesh in my life.

  141. [SPEAKER_00]: His Romans tells us not to do.

  142. [SPEAKER_00]: But then it says that, number three, it says, Now, compasses my path and my lying down, and are equated with all my ways.

  143. [SPEAKER_00]: For there is not a word.

  144. [SPEAKER_00]: in my tongue, but low-o-lord, down-know-est, it all together.

  145. [SPEAKER_00]: God knows what comes out of our mouth.

  146. [SPEAKER_00]: James tells us that we got to watch our tongue, Mr. We got to watch what we say.

  147. [SPEAKER_00]: He knows what we say.

  148. [SPEAKER_00]: Nothing is hidden.

  149. [SPEAKER_00]: As we go on, verse number five, thou has beset me behind and before and laid down hand upon me.

  150. [SPEAKER_00]: Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.

  151. [SPEAKER_00]: It is high, I cannot attain to it.

  152. [SPEAKER_00]: Wither shall I go from my spirit, or wither shall I flee from my presence.

  153. [SPEAKER_00]: I just have it marked there.

  154. [SPEAKER_00]: We remember Jonah.

  155. [SPEAKER_00]: We can't get away from God, what a silly idea.

  156. [SPEAKER_00]: God calling you to do something for Him, and we try to give Him excuses.

  157. [SPEAKER_00]: Do you know, I don't care how old you are here today, God is calling you, he will call you to do something for Him.

  158. [SPEAKER_00]: He's not done with you, or you wouldn't be here.

  159. [SPEAKER_00]: I truly believe that the reason why we're here and God's given me another day is for a purpose.

  160. [SPEAKER_00]: It's for His pleasure, be able to fulfill His will.

  161. [SPEAKER_00]: And I believe that when He is done, He'll take me home.

  162. [SPEAKER_00]: And that's a piece that I have.

  163. [SPEAKER_00]: And He has a purpose for each and every one of us.

  164. [SPEAKER_00]: And we can flee like Jonah did,

  165. [SPEAKER_00]: And it isn't amazing that he just prepared this big fish.

  166. [SPEAKER_00]: And it spit him out right where he needed to go.

  167. [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, God, I'm gonna go.

  168. [SPEAKER_00]: I would probably go after that, too.

  169. [SPEAKER_00]: But if he so much more, you'd be so much more blessed if you would just do it now.

  170. [SPEAKER_00]: Do what he's do.

  171. [SPEAKER_00]: Do what he is will is for your life.

  172. [SPEAKER_00]: You know what God's calling you to be doing right now.

  173. [SPEAKER_00]: Verse eight, if I ascend up into heaven, now are there, if I make my bed and hell, behold, now are there.

  174. [SPEAKER_00]: If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall I hand, lead me, and I right hand shall hold me.

  175. [SPEAKER_00]: If I say surely, the darkness shall cover me.

  176. [SPEAKER_00]: Even the night shall be light about me.

  177. [SPEAKER_00]: I love these two verses here.

  178. [SPEAKER_00]: Yay, in verse 12, the darkness hide of not from thee.

  179. [SPEAKER_00]: But the night shineeth as day, the darkness and the light are both alike unto thee.

  180. [SPEAKER_00]: There's no darkness with God.

  181. [SPEAKER_00]: No darkness.

  182. [SPEAKER_00]: No shadow of turning.

  183. [SPEAKER_00]: We experience.

  184. [SPEAKER_00]: Verse 13, for thou has possessed my reigns, thou has covered me in my mother's womb.

  185. [SPEAKER_00]: He's made you.

  186. [SPEAKER_00]: I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

  187. [SPEAKER_00]: Marvelous are thy works and that my soul knoweth right well.

  188. [SPEAKER_00]: My substance was not here from thee.

  189. [SPEAKER_00]: When I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth, Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect, and in thy book, all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them.

  190. [SPEAKER_00]: He knew us before we were born.

  191. [SPEAKER_00]: One of the things when my wife and I, you know, this is Alianna, she's number five, and he's time we see this baby, we think.

  192. [SPEAKER_00]: God just made this baby.

  193. [SPEAKER_00]: And I think wonder what babies, I mean, I know that

  194. [SPEAKER_00]: We have a doctor in the room and wonder what, if they can think or if they've seen anything, you know, we just don't, but they're a gift from God.

  195. [SPEAKER_00]: We understand that he made them, how is this just sitting, look at them and think, man, this is just straight from the Lord, what a gift.

  196. [SPEAKER_00]: And I'll tell you what, when that little girl smiles, she smiles at me now and no, it's not gas.

  197. [SPEAKER_00]: She smiles to me, and she coos at me now, and it just melts my heart.

  198. [SPEAKER_00]: And I think, man, wanna give from God.

  199. [SPEAKER_00]: But before she was even that big, God knew her.

  200. [SPEAKER_00]: Wanna blessing.

  201. [SPEAKER_00]: And then this says this in verse number 16.

  202. [SPEAKER_00]: And this is David talking here.

  203. [SPEAKER_00]: He's the Psalm this.

  204. [SPEAKER_00]: In verse number 16, nine eyes, I'm sorry, verse 17, how precious also are thy thoughts unto me, oh God, how great is the sum of them?

  205. [SPEAKER_00]: Isn't it awesome to know that God thinks on you personally?

  206. [SPEAKER_00]: He thinks on you.

  207. [SPEAKER_00]: He looks at, and says, hmm, Ethan Drunken Miller.

  208. [SPEAKER_00]: Now there's an interesting person I made.

  209. [SPEAKER_00]: You know, and he thinks, you know, he knows your cares, twice as cast your care upon me.

  210. [SPEAKER_00]: I care for you, he knows you.

  211. [SPEAKER_00]: And he knows what your problems are before they happen.

  212. [SPEAKER_00]: He knows what you're going through right now.

  213. [SPEAKER_00]: And that peace that we have from God passes the all-understanding.

  214. [SPEAKER_00]: But then it says this in verse number 18, if I should count them, they are more than the number of the sand.

  215. [SPEAKER_00]: When I awake, I am still with thee.

  216. [SPEAKER_00]: Surely, that will slay the wicked, oh God, depart from me, therefore, ebloody men.

  217. [SPEAKER_00]: For they speak against the wickedly, nine eyelids take thy name in vain.

  218. [SPEAKER_00]: Do I not hate them?

  219. [SPEAKER_00]: Oh Lord, that hate thee.

  220. [SPEAKER_00]: And am not I greed with those that rise up against thee.

  221. [SPEAKER_00]: I hate them with a perfect hatred.

  222. [SPEAKER_00]: I count them my enemies.

  223. [SPEAKER_00]: is David just pouring out his heart to God.

  224. [SPEAKER_00]: And he's telling God, I know that you know everything.

  225. [SPEAKER_00]: Everything is in your hand.

  226. [SPEAKER_00]: You know my enemies, God.

  227. [SPEAKER_00]: My enemies, and I can't even imagine as David's talking and thinking, there's a goliath.

  228. [SPEAKER_00]: God, you won that victory.

  229. [SPEAKER_00]: I remember Saul, you took care of him.

  230. [SPEAKER_00]: I didn't have to touch him.

  231. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm sure, as he was thinking, as he was writing, thinking, man, there's my mistakes,

  232. [SPEAKER_00]: I went a long time without even confessing my sin, had a child.

  233. [SPEAKER_00]: Without even confessing my sin to you, God.

  234. [SPEAKER_00]: With what I did with Bathsheba, now who is my wife, taking another man's wife.

  235. [SPEAKER_00]: And you see, if you look at David and you see his life,

  236. [SPEAKER_00]: And I love this about God's word that these men that were moved by the Spirit of God, were men just like you and I.

  237. [SPEAKER_00]: These men were nothing extremely special.

  238. [SPEAKER_00]: They just had faith in their God.

  239. [SPEAKER_00]: They understand who God was and is.

  240. [SPEAKER_00]: Paul himself failed, in his own words, in his own mind he was a failure.

  241. [SPEAKER_00]: And we think of Paul as other than Jesus Christ, the greatest missionary that's ever walked the earth.

  242. [SPEAKER_00]: We think and we hold preachers up and evangelists up, they're just men.

  243. [SPEAKER_00]: We're just sinners saved by grace and God will use you if you allow him to.

  244. [SPEAKER_00]: And it says here, and what baffles by mind, I just remember as a young Christian reading this and they're like, here we go.

  245. [SPEAKER_00]: We're going through and David's saying, oh, I know who you are, you know, oh, my thoughts, you know, everything about me, you know, thank you, Lord.

  246. [SPEAKER_00]: You even think about me, and then he says these words, search me, oh God.

  247. [SPEAKER_00]: Does that make sense to you?

  248. [SPEAKER_00]: He just said that God already knows everything about him.

  249. [SPEAKER_00]: He just said that there's nothing everything is open to him.

  250. [SPEAKER_00]: And David says, search me, oh God.

  251. [SPEAKER_00]: Well, David, you all, God already knows your thoughts.

  252. [SPEAKER_00]: He knows everything about you, David.

  253. [SPEAKER_00]: Why would you say search me?

  254. [SPEAKER_00]: That is the relationship that we as Christians and believers, that we miss sometimes.

  255. [SPEAKER_00]: Oh yeah, God, you know this.

  256. [SPEAKER_00]: You know what I did today, sorry about that, amen.

  257. [SPEAKER_00]: Now, the invitation to God needs to be there.

  258. [SPEAKER_00]: And fighting God in and saying God,

  259. [SPEAKER_00]: and know my heart a cleansing in my life needs to take place on a daily basis.

  260. [SPEAKER_00]: Search me, oh God, and know my heart, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked

  261. [SPEAKER_00]: This is a submission to an omniscient God.

  262. [SPEAKER_00]: God is waiting for your invitation to say, I'm done, I need you, God.

  263. [SPEAKER_00]: The last world, even some that believe that there is a God or something out there will say, oh, I know that he, I know he knows everything.

  264. [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I,

  265. [SPEAKER_00]: I work with unbelievers and long enough to know, oh, you better not do that.

  266. [SPEAKER_00]: I'll get struck by lightning, because God knows everything.

  267. [SPEAKER_00]: Listen, it's invitation.

  268. [SPEAKER_00]: The personal relationship, the use saying, listen, I need God discolansing in my life.

  269. [SPEAKER_00]: I need to be guided.

  270. [SPEAKER_00]: It's a humility before our God.

  271. [SPEAKER_00]: It's you saying, I don't have it together, God, but you do.

  272. [SPEAKER_00]: Search me is that invitation, but as we go on, it says, no my heart and no my thoughts.

  273. [SPEAKER_00]: Men and women, we got to be careful of our thoughts.

  274. [SPEAKER_00]: We've got to be careful of what we allow into our minds.

  275. [SPEAKER_00]: And Almighty God knows, but you are now extending the invitation to say, I know you know God, but I, that's where, first John one nine comes in if we can confess our sin.

  276. [SPEAKER_00]: God already knows our sin, but he wants you to confess it.

  277. [SPEAKER_00]: We confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us.

  278. [SPEAKER_00]: Of our sin and cleans us from all on righteousness.

  279. [SPEAKER_00]: That's the hope that we have in God.

  280. [SPEAKER_00]: That's the peace that we can have.

  281. [SPEAKER_00]: And I don't know about you, but I don't want the Almighty God.

  282. [SPEAKER_00]: to see me as somebody that says, I know who you are, but I'm not giving you any invitations in my life.

  283. [SPEAKER_00]: I got it all together.

  284. [SPEAKER_00]: We've seen through the Word of God how that can turn out.

  285. [SPEAKER_00]: But I want you to look at 2 Corinthians 10, 3 to 6, very quickly.

  286. [SPEAKER_00]: 2 Corinthians 10, 3 to 6.

  287. [SPEAKER_00]: You're going to try to get you to call verse here before you go home.

  288. [SPEAKER_00]: St. Corinthians, 10, 3 to 6, says this.

  289. [SPEAKER_00]: Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh.

  290. [SPEAKER_00]: You see, God knows that we have a battle that rages because until we die, we will have sin that we struggle with, that we war against.

  291. [SPEAKER_00]: And it's not flush and blood like Ephesians chapter six says, you know, I could have, you know, some little, you know, this, we can get, we can get Pam up here and if she had a baseball bash, she could take care of me if I was the flash, you know?

  292. [SPEAKER_00]: Where's Dave's saying, oh, Dave's out there talking to the teenagers, but you know, we don't wrestle against flush and blood because we'll be able to sometimes take them out.

  293. [SPEAKER_00]: But we wrestle against principalities and powers, rulers of darkness.

  294. [SPEAKER_00]: That's the spiritual warfare.

  295. [SPEAKER_00]: As we go on, it says, for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they're mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity ever thought to the obedience of Christ.

  296. [SPEAKER_00]: Having a readiness to revenge all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

  297. [SPEAKER_00]: just obey, you know, a thought life, thoughts are something that we have got to keep in check in our lives.

  298. [SPEAKER_00]: And David's opening up and saying, God, my inner most thoughts, I want you to search them because I want to find out something about me.

  299. [SPEAKER_00]: Too many of us are holding too tight to things that are evil and wrong.

  300. [SPEAKER_00]: And we're not allowing God, I know that He knows, but we got to allow Him to say, you know what, take this away.

  301. [SPEAKER_00]: Some of you may be holding tight to those things.

  302. [SPEAKER_00]: And it's two, verse 24, we end.

  303. [SPEAKER_00]: And we see if there, and see if there be any wicked way in me.

  304. [SPEAKER_00]: There's a point.

  305. [SPEAKER_00]: David says, I want to know if there's evil in me, because I want to be led in the way of everlasting.

  306. [SPEAKER_00]: A lot of us want to just push it off to the side.

  307. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm a Christian, I'm saved, I'm going to heaven, I can do whatever I want.

  308. [SPEAKER_00]: We know that's not the case.

  309. [SPEAKER_00]: That's a mentality of many.

  310. [SPEAKER_00]: But in closing, I want you, as we remember this, I want you to go to first Peter chapter 3, verse 11, and we will close.

    1 Peter 3:11

  311. [SPEAKER_00]: First Peter, 3, 11.

  312. [SPEAKER_00]: We're going to read 11 to 12, first Peter, 3, 11.

  313. [SPEAKER_00]: I got a reverse ten, sorry.

  314. [SPEAKER_00]: For he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil in his lips that they speak no guy or let him a shoe evil.

  315. [SPEAKER_00]: and do good, let him speak peace and ensue it.

  316. [SPEAKER_00]: For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers.

  317. [SPEAKER_00]: But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

  318. [SPEAKER_00]: This is the difference between opening yourself up and closing yourself, keeping all those thoughts

  319. [SPEAKER_00]: And the wrong intents in your heart, walked inside.

  320. [SPEAKER_00]: This is where the believer goes wrong.

  321. [SPEAKER_00]: For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, his ears are open onto their prayers.

  322. [SPEAKER_00]: But his face is against all that do evil.

  323. [SPEAKER_00]: and David understood this.

  324. [SPEAKER_00]: How many times was David in battle?

  325. [SPEAKER_00]: He understood the importance of opening himself up to God.

  326. [SPEAKER_00]: Because God knew what was gonna happen to him.

  327. [SPEAKER_00]: And the only way he could prepare for what God had for him was to be close to him, open himself up.

  328. [SPEAKER_00]: God, I need your word, and I need you to find if there's any wicked way in me.

  329. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm studying Joshua, and Joshua, everything's going fine till they hit A.I.

  330. [SPEAKER_00]: What's this sentence just a few?

  331. [SPEAKER_00]: Let's just go, you know, you guys, this is a piece of cake.

  332. [SPEAKER_00]: Here comes the soldiers running back, everybody's being killed.

  333. [SPEAKER_00]: And he just,

  334. [SPEAKER_00]: Tears off his garments and just falls down at what is going on?

  335. [SPEAKER_00]: God, you promised me that it was going to go right.

  336. [SPEAKER_00]: Well, they're sending the camps on.

  337. [SPEAKER_00]: They went out.

  338. [SPEAKER_00]: You guess what they did?

  339. [SPEAKER_00]: Now, you shouldn't do that anymore.

  340. [SPEAKER_00]: Now, they took care of him and his whole family.

  341. [SPEAKER_00]: And God gave him victories.

  342. [SPEAKER_00]: We got to get rid of sin.

  343. [SPEAKER_00]: God has plans for us, he has purposes for each and every one of you in myself.

  344. [SPEAKER_00]: Those purposes will not be fulfilled by our omniscient God if we harbor evil in our lives.

  345. [SPEAKER_00]: The thoughts that are wrong, the intense of your heart.

  346. [SPEAKER_00]: And what we started with before is Hebrews 412, the Word of God, it discerns a thoughts and intents of your heart.

  347. [SPEAKER_00]: Number one, bar any reason you're going through problems, spiritual problems is because this is in a part of your life.

  348. [SPEAKER_00]: It is in a serious part of your life.

  349. [SPEAKER_00]: Our God, open yourself up to Him and see what He can do in your life.

  350. [SPEAKER_00]: There are many in this room that are experiencing what He can do in your life when you open yourself up.

  351. [SPEAKER_00]: Let's have a word of prayer.

  352. [SPEAKER_00]: Father, we thank you for the day.

  353. [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for the time that we could just spend in your word.

  354. [SPEAKER_00]: We thank you for

  355. [SPEAKER_00]: You're all knowing power that we're able to have confidence in you.

  356. [SPEAKER_00]: They were able to, by listening to your spirit as we are reading your word, to be able to step past those eggshells because we're listening to you.

  357. [SPEAKER_00]: And we're not going to step in this sin, we're not going to fall.

  358. [SPEAKER_00]: God, if there's anyone here that doesn't know you has their personal savior, I pray that your spirit would just help them to realize their need for you.

  359. [SPEAKER_00]: Help them not to leave here without knowing for sure they're going to heaven.

  360. [SPEAKER_00]: If Father for the Christian, this here today, this says, just strugglein', I don't.

  361. [SPEAKER_00]: It's just really difficult to trust you, God.

  362. [SPEAKER_00]: or there's sin in my life, reveal that to them, help them to go back to that verse and first John one-nine, your promise to us.

  363. [SPEAKER_00]: So, this invitation is yours, God.

  364. [SPEAKER_00]: It's in your name we pray.

  365. [SPEAKER_00]: Friends, gonna play through just a verse of invitation.

  366. [SPEAKER_00]: And if you need to come, it's a Sunday night crowd.

  367. [SPEAKER_00]: might be preaching to the choir, but if you need to come, you come.

  368. [SPEAKER_00]: If you could ever once stand, every headbound, every eye closed, sure love to pray with you, anything like that, answer some questions, anything you come.

  369. [SPEAKER_00]: Our father as we close this invitation time, or we just give this to you, Lord help us to

  370. [SPEAKER_00]: hear your word and be a doers of it this week.

  371. [SPEAKER_00]: Would you just bless us?

  372. [SPEAKER_00]: Keep everyone safe here.

  373. [SPEAKER_00]: Bring us all back.

  374. [SPEAKER_00]: This Wednesday, do we have services?

  375. [SPEAKER_00]: Father, be with our pastors.

  376. [SPEAKER_00]: He is gone.

  377. [SPEAKER_00]: We ask that you would give him safety and glory as well.

  378. [SPEAKER_00]: Or to be with Andrea, she is going to be there for a week or so.

  379. [SPEAKER_00]: Would you just give her courage to stand and

  380. [SPEAKER_00]: to just know, remember the things that maybe she's going to be tested on, but Laura, we help her to know that we're behind her, and we love her.

  381. [SPEAKER_00]: Father, for the missionaries that were supposed to be here, John and Ruth, or did I ask that they would, they would be feeling better, and she helped them to get back on their feet, so they can continue their ministry there in Pleasant Valley.

  382. [SPEAKER_00]: Father, again, we thank you for this time.

  383. [SPEAKER_00]: We ask that you would reveal any wicked way or any sin in our lives that would hinder us from fulfilling your purpose, and it's in Christ's name we pray.

  384. [SPEAKER_00]: Amen.