INTRODUCTION
Last week we started looking at the attributes of God so that we could better know and understand God. As we get to know God, we can then better love and understand Him.
It is obvious today that many people suffer from a lack of intimate relationships. Our technological society has made it possible to live in one city, work in another, go to church in still another. This has led to a significant breakdown in community.
At the same time, we function in a highly competitive society. We tend to see people as combatants rather than companions. We constantly judge how we are measuring up and find little freedom to share our struggles and our weakness with each other for fear that they will be used against us.
Last week we looked at the fact that God and God alone is all-powerful. This week I want us to look at the fact that God is all-knowing. Put another way, God is omniscient.
I will state here that God knows everything about everything. God created everything and He understands the things that we call mysteries. If we want to learn about things such as how the universe came into being, we can look to God’s word for the answer. There is not an area in your life that God does not address is some way. God can help you with your relationships, God can help you with your finances, God can help you with parenting and the list goes on.
Today I want to sharpen our focus as we look at God’s omniscience.
Style has replaced substance as our preoccupation. We are excessively concerned about the image we project to people - because we are uncertain that there’s anything behind the facade.
I think it is important to bring God’s omniscience to a personal level because it reflects a couple of things about what God thinks about you. Number one, it shows that God cares about you as a person. Number two it shows that God wants to have an intimate relationship with you. It also tells us that we can fool people but we cannot really fool God.
Psalm 139 is compelling in its description of how close God wants to be to us. He is not satisfied to be simply the reigning king, exalted in heaven, enthroned before a sea of angels. He desires to have a personal relationship with us on the deepest level.
Let’s turn to Psalm 139:1-6 today was we take a look at God’s omniscience.
Today I want you to realize five things concerning you and God.
1. God knows your heart
2. God knows your actions
3. God knows your ways
4. God knows your thoughts
5. God knows your needs
READ PSALM 139:1-6
SERMON
I. GOD KNOWS YOUR HEART V1
This passages literally means that God has dug deep with in to know who you are and what you are about.
The word for “searched” has a primary reference to searching the earth by boring or digging, as for water or metals. See Job 28:3. Then it means to search accurately or closely.
PSALM 44:21 Would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.
1CO 4:5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.
Maybe the thought of God knowing your secrets makes you squirm in your seat a little. And maybe you’re wondering who turned up the heat in this place.
God made you and He knows what is in your heart. We can make the world think that we are very spiritual, but that really does not matter because God knows what is inside of us, He knows what motivates us.
Jesus in Matthew six deals with the religious leaders of the day putting on a show for the people so that the people would see how holy they were. Jesus went on to say that they received the reward they were seeking from man, but not from God.
God knows if we are playing games with Him. God also knows where we are struggling to grow, but are having trouble.
I will refer to King David though out this message because David is the one who penned this Psalm. Time after time David would fall, yet God knew David’s true heart enough to know that despite his faults, David loved and wanted to please God.
MAT 10:30 "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. God knows you so well that He knows how many hairs are on your head. I hope that He has to spend a long time counting mine!
Who else has such intimate knowledge about you? Who else cares enough about you to get to know you that well?
It is important for us to know that God knows what is inside of us. This will keep us from playing the church game with God. Will you give your self fully to God today.
II. GOD KNOWS YOUR ACTIONS V2
Ever seen those reality TV shows that expose what people do when they’re not being watched? Or what about the investigative reports where they will call a repairman in to fix something and catch them with a hidden camera trying to cheat the customer? Do you remember the look on the repairman’s face when he got caught trying to cheat people? What the repairman thought he was doing in secret is suddenly broadcast for the whole of the world to see.
In verse 2 David tells us that God knows when we sit down and when we rise up. God knows what we are doing.
If ever there was a person who should despair over this being caught out it’s a guy Called David. Remember David and Bathsheba. David thinks he has gotten away with something and one day Nathan the prophet comes calling with his story. Ouch!
ACT 17:28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ’For we also are His children.’
When I used to go on a few business trips for the company, I would have people tell me that what went on during the business trip stayed where we stayed. In other words, “my spouse and or girlfriend is not here and so I can do whatever I want to do.” I would stay in the motel and play video games so I would not have to lie for someone. The fact of the matter was that Robyn would more than likely not find out what I did on business trips, but I knew that God would. My devotion to my wife kept me inline, but knowing the God knows what I am doing.
What do people do when they are confronted with something they did by someone? Many times they will lie about it. “That’s my story and I am sticking to it.” When Nathan confronted David, David confessed. Why? Because he knew that God knew what he had done.
My most common and casual acts; my most necessary movements; all are noted by Him. The "you" there is emphatic -- marking the difference between God and all others. You and you alone the God in the entire universe knows all that can be known about me.
In Hogan’s Market in Girard, Ohio, shoppers are reminded of this by a sign that says; "Don’t steal; God will see you; and Hogan might." But, again David’s reminder is not to produce fear but comfort. He sees my every movement; this indicates that He’s interested in me.
III. GOD KNOWS YOUR WAYS V3
God knows where I am going, He knows what direction I am heading for in life.
JOB 31:4 "Does He not see my ways And number all my steps?
JOB 34:21 "For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, And He sees all his steps.
PRO 5:21 For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord, And He watches all his paths.
God cares about what you do with your life. God knows if the path you are on is going to hurt or benefit you. Sometimes we receive wake-up calls from God when we are going the wrong direction. It is up to us to heed the warning and change our direction.
In Proverbs 3:5-6 we are told, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.”
IV. GOD KNOWS YOUR THOUGHTS V2,4
Look at the end of verse 2 and at verse 4. God knows your thoughts so well that He can finish the sentence for you. God knows what we are thinking.
How many times have you hidden your true thoughts from someone? You cannot do that with God, He knows what you are really thinking.
PRO 23:7 For as he thinks within himself, so he is. We are what we think, God knows what we think. The battle with Satan is a battle for the mind, the thought life.
We have to try to take all of our thoughts captive to God. Listen to this passage in 2 Corinthians 10:5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
HEB 4:13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
We need to know that God knows what we are thinking because it will help keep us honest. What if everyone around you knew what you really thought? Does that impact you?
Jesus in Matthew 5:28 tells us that if we look at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her. We need to fill our minds with things that are going to build us up.
PHI 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Music, television, movies, anything that we put in our mind has an effect on us. Once those pictures are in the mind, it is hard to get rid of them, even years after the fact.
One thing that might help is if you can picture Jesus being with you wherever you go. If you can picture Him reading what you are reading, listening to what you are listening to and watching what you are watching, it will help you to clean up your thought life.
The reality is that God sees and hears what you do.
V. GOD KNOWS YOUR NEEDS V5,6
Verse five starts hitting a bit into next weeks sermon, but it tells us that God surrounds us from all directions. It tells us that God has laid His hand on us.
We cannot escape God.
Let’s look at a passage that if you do not know, you need to. Matthew 6:26-33
The key verse is verse 33. If you will truly seek God and His kingdom, God will see that your NEEDS are taken care of.
Why didn’t David run from God when he had troubles? David knew that he could find forgiveness from God.
God knows the sins of the past, He wants to blot them out wit the blood of Jesus. God knows what the future holds; there will be no deceiving God. GAL 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
In verse six David shows us how overwhelmed he was with the thought that God knows us this well.
God made you and He knows what makes you tick He knows what you need. Don’t run from God, run to Him. He desires a relationship with you, He desires to bless you with all heaven has to offer.
CONCLUSION
When we start to understand how deeply God knows us, it will help us to know that God is serious about us.
It is so easy to play the religion game with people, but God knows where we are.
God wants to be an active part of your life; will you let Him?
David realized that although he didn’t know himself; God knew him and it’s only when we know God -- when we become intimate with God -- that we can even begin to have some understanding our ourselves and regain intimacy with one another.
Thus he prays, in the final verses: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way." (Ps 139:23-24)
Have you committed your life: past, present, and future -- to this God who knows you? He can blot out your past sins, He can give you power and strength to deal with present difficulties, He can lead you into the future, accompanied by a peace of heart and mind that passes comprehension.
