Sermon

Psalm Ch139v1-24

July 21, 2024 Carrigaline Baptist Church - Sermons

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Psalm 139 is on page 628.
You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise.
You perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down.
You are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue, you, Lord, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there.
If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me.
Your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, surely the darkness will hide me, and the light become night around me,
even the darkness will not be dark to you.
The night will shine like the day.
For darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being.
You knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Your works are wonderful.
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God.
How vast is the sum of them.
Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake, I am still with you.
If only you, God, would slay the wicked.
Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty.
They speak of you with evil intent.
Your adversaries misuse your name.
Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,
and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
I have nothing but hatred for them.
I count them my enemies.
Search me, God, and know my heart.
Test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me to the way everlasting.
Thanks very much, Sarah.
So let's keep our Bibles there.
Today, we were hoping John Daunt was going to come and speak.
John hasn't been able to make it.
He's unwell and passes on his apologies.
So that means you've got me again today.
And I thought we would stick with Psalm 139.
So we'll see how we get on this morning.
Let's pray.
Let's pray.
Father, the words that we have just read
are perhaps familiar to us.
So we pray that they may become fresh to us,
light new,
giving us life,
giving us nourishment,
helping us to see
that we are loved, cared,
and treasured by you.
Help us by your Holy Spirit, we pray,
that you would speak to us through your word this morning.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, the title I've given this psalm today
is Our Personal God.
So I'll give you the headings.
I haven't got a PowerPoint.
So if you're taking notes,
I'll give them as we go along.
So Our Personal God.
I don't know if you know
that the population of the world right now
is 8.1 billion people and counting.
So already today,
there's about 200,000 people
being born around the world.
That's a lot of people, isn't it?
8.1 billion.
And with so many people
and so big a population,
we can almost feel lost
in the midst of all of that.
Insignificant.
Who am I
in the mass
of all these people?
We can maybe feel a little bit like Wally.
You know Wally?
Wears Wally with his little red and white hat
where you have to search the page
for the one Wally
amidst hundreds of others
that look like him.
And we can maybe feel like that
in this population
and this world.
We're just another person.
A number
in this ever-increasing population.
And in the midst of it all,
we can ask,
does anybody care about me?
Does anybody think about me?
Well, Psalm 139 teaches us
about a God
who is deeply personal.
And he does think about us.
And he cares about us deeply.
The psalm breaks up into four sections,
six verses at a time.
So we're going to look at
four parts to this psalm.
First,
God is intimately knowledgeable about me.
God is intimately knowledgeable about me.
Look at verse one.
You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
God knows us.
And he knows us
in all kinds of different ways.
He knows what we are doing.
Look at verse two.
You know when I sit
and when I rise,
when I go out to work,
or when I go out to college
and when I return.
Verse three,
you discern my going out
and my lying down
when I get up
and when I go to bed.
God knows
what we are doing.
God knows
what we are thinking.
Do you see verse two again?
You know when I sit
and when I rise.
You perceive my thoughts
from afar.
Who knows your thoughts
right now?
God.
In fact,
it's even telling us that
before our thoughts
became a thought,
God knew about it.
Isn't that extraordinary?
He knows what we're thinking.
And he knows,
verse four,
what we're going to say.
Before a word is on my tongue,
you, Lord,
know it completely.
He doesn't just hear our words.
He doesn't just know
about our words.
He knows what we're going to say
even before we get them out.
He knows every detail
about our lives.
As it says in verse three,
you are familiar
with all our ways.
I mean,
we think we know ourselves
pretty well,
but no,
God knows us better.
He knows our past.
He knows our present.
He knows our future.
But more than that,
God doesn't just know
about us
in an informational
kind of way
as if God had an exam
to take
and he wanted to,
you know,
how much does God know
about you?
He'd get 100% every time.
No, it's more than that.
He knows us relationally.
Look at verse five.
You hem me in
behind and before
and you lay your hand upon me.
I'm not much of a stitcher.
I do stitch the odd thing
every now and again,
but you know that term
to hem something in
behind and in front
or what does it say,
behind and before.
It's like God has put you
in a pocket of care.
And his hand
is upon you.
God is intimately
bound up with your life.
He's not some distant,
impersonal,
all-knowing being
that just is somewhere
out there.
No, he knows you
intimately
and relationally.
Now what do you do
with a God
like that?
Well, it can be a bit
troubling, can't it,
to think that God
knows all about me.
That God knows
my thoughts
and what I'm thinking,
what I'm saying
and what I'm doing.
Nobody else might know,
but God sees
and knows it all.
That can be pretty scary,
can't it?
But this isn't meant
to leave us in fear.
Look at verse 6.
Such knowledge
is too wonderful
for me,
too lofty
for me to attain.
It's meant to lead us
not in fear,
but in worship,
in amazement
and wonder
at how big
and awesome
and great God is
that he knows
about me.
and that he knows
me relationally.
For those
who are Christians,
we can say,
I know this God
and he knows me.
So first,
God is intimately
knowledgeable
about me.
Second,
God is continually
present with me.
He is continually
present with me.
Look at verse 7.
He poses the question,
where can I go
from your spirit?
Where can I flee
from your presence?
Is there any
possible place
on this earth
that I could go
and God is not
with me?
Well,
look at the answers.
He is with us
in the depths.
Look at verse 8.
If I go up
to the heavens,
you are there.
If I make my bed
in the depths,
you are there.
Not just the depths
in terms of the
struggling hard times,
but it's referring
to the grave itself.
That God is
with me
as I pass
from life
into death.
He's with me.
He's with me
in the distant places
that I might travel.
Verse 9.
If I rise
on the wings
of the dawn,
if I settle
on the far side
of the sea,
even there,
your hand
will guide me.
Your right hand
will hold me fast.
It doesn't matter
where we go
or how far away
we may go.
He has us
in the grip
of His hand.
Not just the depths,
not just distant places,
but He is with us
in the darkness.
Verse 11.
If I say,
surely the darkness
will hide me
and the light
become night
around me.
You know those times
of utter distress?
when life
is so overwhelming
and things
become dark
and we're
despairing?
And even
the best of times,
even the good times
as we look at them,
become dark.
We can be
in those places
sometimes.
But even there,
verse 12,
even the darkness
will not be dark
to you,
for the night
will shine
like the day,
for darkness
is as light
to you.
Even in our
darkest depths,
even in our
distant places
we may go,
God is with you.
North,
south,
east,
and west.
Outside,
inside,
there is no place,
there is no
circumstance,
there is no
experience
that we will
go through
in this life
and God
will not
be there.
365 days
of the year,
24-7,
moment by
moment,
the God
who knows
all about you
is with you.
That means
there is nothing
that can happen
or nothing
that we can do
that will
ever be able
to remove
us
from God's
presence.
God will
never ever
turn around
and say to you,
because you
did this
or because of
this,
I am not
going to be
with you.
You will
never hear
that from
God.
Now,
what do you
do with a
big God
like that?
Well,
it should
leave us
astounded
that God
would bother
with an
insignificant
me.
The God
who creates
all things,
who rules
all things,
who knows
all things,
is with me
in every
detail.
He's with you
in your depths,
in the distant
places,
and in the
darkest of
days.
So,
God knows
you.
God is
present with
you.
And third,
God is
wonderfully
creator
of me.
He is
wonderfully
creator
of me.
He gives
the reason
for why
God knows
all about
us,
and the
reason why
God is
present with
us.
It's
because,
look at
verse 13,
for you
created
my inmost
being,
because you
made me.
That's why
God knows
all about
me.
That's why
God is
present with
me,
because he's
the one
who put
me here.
Aren't
these verses
wonderful?
He created
us physically,
verse 13.
You created
my inmost
being.
You knit
me together
in my
mother's
womb.
Verse 15,
my frame
was not
hidden
from you,
when I
was made
in the
secret
place,
when I
was woven
together in
the depths
of the
earth.
When we
were not
even a
thought,
God knew
about us.
Yes,
it took a
mother and
a father.
Yes,
it took an
egg and a
sperm.
But it's
God who
made you.
He made
you who
you are.
And he
formed us
wonderfully.
He not
only created
us physically,
he formed
us wonderfully,
verse 14.
I praise you
because I am
fearfully and
wonderfully made.
Your works,
and we are
part of God's
works,
your works are
wonderful.
I know
that full
well.
Do you
know you're
wonderful?
You're a
wonderful person
because God
formed you
and shaped
you and
gave you the
gifts and
the skills
that you
have and
made you
the kind
of person
that you
are with
your
personality
and your
quirky
ways and
the unique
person that
you are.
He formed
you.
But he
did more
than that.
He ordained
every one of
your days,
verse 16.
Your eyes
saw my
unformed
body.
All the
days ordained
for me
were written
in your book
before one
of them
came to
be.
everything
about your
life from
beginning to
end is
all ordained
and all
known by
God.
Such a
different message
isn't it to
what society
tells us.
It tells us
and teaches us
that we're
nothing more
than a
collection of
cells.
That we've
come from
nowhere and
we're headed
nowhere.
we're just
in a
series of
random
chances.
We just
all happen
to be
here.
And our
job is to
stumble along
in this
crazy world
and try
and make
the best
of things.
But no,
we're so
much more
than just
a random
set of
cells.
God made
me and
designed
me and
shaped
me.
You're
not a
mistake.
Your life
is not a
chance or
an accident
or some
kind of
regret.
God
ordained
your
birthday
and he
has set
your
death
day.
And he
holds it
all in
his hands
from beginning
to end.
All is
under his
good and
sovereign
control.
What do
we do
with such
a big
awesome
God as
this?
Well,
look at
verse 17.
How precious
to me
or how
amazing
to me
are your
thoughts,
God.
How vast
the sum
of them.
Do you
realize and
do you
know that
God
thinks about
you?
It isn't
just us
who just
wonder
and ponder
and think
about God.
No,
God
thinks
about
you.
God
is
concerned
for you
for every
detail of
your life.
And God
has you
here and
he made
you because
he loves
you.
You are
alive today
because he
has purposes
for you in
this time
and in
this
generation.
When you
lie awake
at night
and you
can't
sleep,
just think
and wonder,
does anybody
care about
me?
Well,
the God
who made
you and
the God
who formed
you so
wonderfully,
the God
who ordained
every one
of your
days,
thinks
about you
and is
concerned
for you
because he
loves you.
So God
knows you.
God is
present with
you.
God is
creator of
you.
And then
fourth,
God is
passionately
jealous for
you.
He's
passionately
jealous for
you.
Look at
verse 19.
If only
you,
God,
would slay
the wicked.
Verse 22.
I have
nothing but
hatred for
them.
I count
them my
enemies.
Well,
it's not
what we
expect,
is it,
as we
read through
this psalm.
Where did
these verses
come out
of?
The rest
of the
psalm is
so encouraging
and so
helpful that
God knows
me.
He's present
with me.
He made
me.
But slaying
the wicked,
hating our
enemies,
what's all
that about?
It seems
like David
got as far
as 1 to
18 one
night and
went to bed
and got up
very cranky
the next
day.
Somebody
upset
him.
We're
very
comfortable,
aren't we,
with verses
1 to
18?
We're quite
happy to
read it.
It's the
kind of
thing we
might ask
a non-Christian
friend to
read and
say,
this will
encourage you.
But by the
way,
don't read
verses 19
to the
end.
We kind
of get a
bit embarrassed
about them.
Maybe we
should leave
them out.
Well,
before we
do leave
them out,
I think
there is
something that
teaches us
here.
It seems
that David,
who is the
author of
the psalm,
has a
whole bunch
of enemies
that are
causing him
trouble.
In fact,
they are
wanting his
life.
Verse 19,
away from
me, you
who are
bloodthirsty.
So in
the midst
of his
trial,
in the
midst of
his
depths,
in the
midst of
his
darkness,
he cries
out to
God,
God,
if you
are so
big and
so great,
if you
know all
about me,
and if
you are
present with
me,
and if
you
wonderfully
created me,
then why
don't you
do something
about it?
If only
you,
God,
would slay
the wicked.
If only
you would
deal with
the problem.
after all,
they're
God's
enemies
too,
aren't
they?
Look at
verse 20,
they speak
of you
with evil
intent.
Your
adversaries
misuse
your name.
Do I
not hate
those who
hate you,
Lord,
and abhor
those who
are in
rebellion
against you?
You see,
the wicked,
those who
are intent
are doing
evil,
are not
just enemies
of David
and causing
him trouble,
they are
ultimately
an act
against
God.
And maybe
as we
read this
psalm and
we think
about our
own
situation,
we think,
well,
God knows
about the
Christians who
are living
in Ukraine
and Russia.
He's present
with them.
He made
them.
Why doesn't
he do
something about
it?
Well,
the war in
Palestine and
Israel and
all those
innocent people
being killed
every day,
God knows.
Why doesn't
he deal
with it?
All the
other mindless
things that
go on in
this world
and the
evil and
the violence
and the
extortion
and trafficking
and if
only you,
God,
would slay
the wicked.
Maybe you
have enemies.
Maybe there's
things you're
struggling
with and
you're also
crying out
to God
today and
asking,
you know
me,
you're
present with
me,
you created
me,
surely you're
big and
powerful enough
to do
something about
it.
Well,
God is not
immune to
all that is
going on.
He does
see,
he does
know,
and he
will judge.
The Bible
is very clear
about that.
But our
job is not
to take
vengeance.
Our job
is not to
play God.
Instead,
look how he
responds,
verse 23.
Search me,
God,
and know
my heart.
Test me
and know
my anxious
thoughts.
see if
there is
any offensive
way in
me,
and lead
me in
the way
everlasting.
Yes,
God is
concerned with
all that is
going on in
the world,
but God is
concerned for
you,
for your
heart.
God will
take care of
the big things
of this world,
we can be
sure of that,
but he's
concerned for
your heart
today.
The God
who knows
us,
who is
present with
us,
who created
us,
longs,
verse 24,
that we
would walk
in his
way,
in the
way of
everlasting.
You see,
God is
passionately
jealous for
us.
He does
know us.
He saw us
from the
beginning of
time.
He saw us
as we
entered into
this world,
and he
knows our
need.
He knows
our mess
and our
brokenness,
and God
sent Jesus
to be with
us.
God who
created the
universe was
formed inside
the mother
of Mary,
became one
of us,
to be present
amongst us
in the mess
and the
brokenness of
this world.
world.
His life
was ordained
that he
would come.
It was all
planned by
God before
the world
ever existed,
that he
would come
as a person
into the
mess and
the brokenness
of this
world.
And he
came to
die for
us,
to take
our blame,
to take
our sin,
to take
the judgment
that we
deserve.
he faced
a greater
enemy,
the enemy
of death
and sin,
and he
was victorious
over them
all as he
rose again
from the
grave.
And he
comes to
us afresh
today,
and he
says,
I am
passionately
jealous for
you.
I died
for you.
I loved
you.
Follow
me in
the way
everlasting.
everlasting.
We may
only be a
number to
some.
We may
only be
one person
in 8.1
billion people.
But you
are precious
to God.
You are
loved by
him.
He knows
you.
He's with
you.
He made
you.
And he
jealously
longs for
you.
Let's pray.
Father,
we
confess,
I admit,
that we
have only
scratched the
surface of
your awesomeness
and your
greatness.
So would
you please
take these
few thoughts
that we
have looked
up together
and impress
them upon
our hearts
today,
that we
may go
worshipping
you in
wonder and
praise of
an almighty
God,
to know
that you
long for
us,
and that we
would walk
in your
paths and
your way.
Help us
now, we
ask.
In Jesus'
name.
Amen.
We're
going to
sing together
as we
finish.
What love
could remember,
no wrongs
we have
done,
omniscient,
all-knowing,
he counts
not their
sum.
Let's
stand together
as we
remind
ourselves
of the
awesomeness
of God
and worship
him.
Thank you.