1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,960 My name is Tyler and so for those of you who don't know me 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:07,480 and I help serve in the families kids ministry and just excited 3 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:10,320 and thankful and just I think it's always an honor and a 4 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:14,000 privilege and a joy every time I get to be up here. 5 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:17,760 And so it's been a little a little while, but just thankful 6 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:21,560 and that I get to share the Lord with you guys, share his word 7 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:24,920 and just share my life in him with you and just pray that 8 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:27,560 you're refreshed. But just even watching those 9 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:31,080 videos, I mean, I think just the Lord was ministering to me even 10 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:35,440 as I was sitting down, just thankful for John and the team. 11 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:39,400 Just was thinking even about like, you know, we title those 12 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:42,120 letters to the church, but just even thinking about like Paul's 13 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:46,160 letters to his church and just the places of, you know, there's 14 00:00:46,160 --> 00:00:49,400 testimonies being shared, there's encouragement being 15 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,520 given, there's things that John's sharing, that's it's 16 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:55,600 doing something deep, obviously in the team, but then we get to 17 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:57,320 receive it. And so I'm thankful for 18 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:00,400 technology that we don't have to wait till something's written 19 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:04,440 down that we get to hear from our family, but just so many 20 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:07,120 things that God is doing and that we get to be a part of. 21 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,800 And so, yeah, we've got team in Italy. 22 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:12,600 We've got Colombia leaving this week, right? 23 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:17,400 Yeah, on the 28th, Correct. Cool. 24 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:21,720 So yeah, many more people will be gone next week, but it's 25 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:22,920 good. God is doing a lot. 26 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:26,640 And then I think Italy Impact team leaves next Sunday. 27 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:32,200 Yeah, not just one guy going out, there's many more, but he's 28 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:36,440 the most excited. But yeah, God is doing so much. 29 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:39,600 And yeah, if if you have been with us over the last several 30 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:43,000 years, you know, our mission season and summer series have 31 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,880 become just a familiar part of our yearly routine here at 32 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:49,480 Antioch. And although we seek to live out 33 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:53,600 our vision of Jesus family mission each day of the year, 34 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:57,240 these two to three months, they give us a tangible opportunity 35 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:00,640 to actively live it out wherever we go, whether that isn't Italy 36 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:03,640 or Colombia or a lot of college students going back home, but a 37 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:07,640 lot of us here in Oviedo. And so just thankful for the 38 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:10,479 opportunity just to actually live this stuff out. 39 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:14,040 And this year, as John mentioned, and as Nathan and 40 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:16,800 Eric have already shared the last two weeks, we're seeking 41 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:20,440 the Lord for strength as we spend the summer in the Psalms. 42 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:25,040 And we're asking God to tender our hearts to see transformation 43 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:29,360 in our lives and our family strengthen and the gospel 44 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,560 reproduced in our city and in the nations. 45 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:37,040 And this is something God is inviting us into daily, not just 46 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:40,160 on Sunday mornings, but every single day of our lives. 47 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:43,080 And as I was thinking about what to share, like at the beginning 48 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:47,360 of this, Proverbs 423 came to mind, which says watch over your 49 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:50,920 heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of 50 00:02:50,920 --> 00:02:52,960 life. And even in the NIV, it says 51 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:56,360 everything you do flows from it, flows from your heart. 52 00:02:56,680 --> 00:02:59,400 And if you're in family ministry, if you're a guy, we 53 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:03,920 recently started a new book. It's a little one, but it's 54 00:03:03,920 --> 00:03:07,320 called How to Lead Your Family. It's by Joel Beaky and just 55 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:11,320 talks about as being a man in the home to model what it looks 56 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:15,600 like to be a prophet, priest and king as Jesus was. 57 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:20,400 And I couldn't help but just even think about in the intro 58 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:24,760 there's a story about John and James Patton and just wanted to 59 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:27,720 share it. It's John is the son, James is 60 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:29,800 the father. But John was a Scottish 61 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:32,920 missionary to the natives in the New Hebrides Islands in the 62 00:03:32,920 --> 00:03:35,720 South Pacific. He faithfully preached to the 63 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:38,800 cannibal Islanders despite receiving frequent death threat 64 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:41,520 threats. The Lord mightily used him to 65 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:44,880 convert many Islanders as well as influence other godly men to 66 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:47,280 become missionaries in the South Pacific. 67 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:51,760 Although Patton faced enormous difficulties and sorrows, he 68 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:54,000 persevered out of love for Christ. 69 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:57,280 And one way that God prepared patent for his work was through 70 00:03:57,280 --> 00:03:59,400 the example of his godly father, James. 71 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:02,920 James worked in a shop in the family home in Scotland. 72 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,320 James's children remembered his fervent prayer for them before 73 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:09,200 the throne of grace. He used a small room in the 74 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:13,080 house as a prayer closet, and his regular visits to it deeply 75 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:16,920 affected his son and his son. John later wrote after just 76 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:19,320 thinking about his father says tither. 77 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:22,280 We don't use that word anymore. Tither daily and often times a 78 00:04:22,280 --> 00:04:25,280 day. Generally after each meal we saw 79 00:04:25,280 --> 00:04:29,320 our father retire and shut the door and we children got to 80 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:34,000 understand that prayers were being poured out there for us as 81 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:37,720 of old by the high priest within the veil in the most high place. 82 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:42,240 Just so sweet and just encourage me just even thinking about 83 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:45,720 being a dad, being a father, just as I read this past week, 84 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:50,800 just to to seek the Lord diligently daily and how many 85 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:53,840 times I struggle to do that. But James's life was one of 86 00:04:53,840 --> 00:04:57,720 praise and prayer that greatly affected his family and those 87 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:00,600 who are impacted by the gospel. It started in the home, but you 88 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:05,200 saw his son impact so many. And if we want to make Kingdom 89 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:09,160 impact, then we need to bear our hearts out to the Lord and let 90 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:12,240 him strengthen us. And a great place to start 91 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:14,520 tending to your heart, to allowing the Lord to strengthen 92 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:18,600 you is the Psalms. The Psalms are sweet collections 93 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:22,680 of praises and prayers to God from his people who've 94 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:25,840 experienced everything, as you guys know, from the mountaintops 95 00:05:25,840 --> 00:05:27,760 of joy to the valleys of despair. 96 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:31,440 And the Psalms help they, they give us words for what we're 97 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:32,840 feeling or what we're going through. 98 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:36,000 Even when you can't articulate it, you can sometimes read the 99 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:40,120 Psalms and say, man, I can't even express my excitement and 100 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:42,520 joy and the Lord. And they used to read Psalms of 101 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:45,760 thankfulness and joy. And there's times when you feel 102 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:48,400 low and you're like, man, I don't know how to express my 103 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:52,760 despair or my pain or my trial or the fear that I feel. 104 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:56,480 And the Psalms give us words and they're so rich. 105 00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:59,200 We can like regularly find language for the things that 106 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:02,680 we're going through. And This is why so many of us, 107 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:06,160 we we turn to the Psalms in our times of reading and spending 108 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:10,080 time with God and we hold on to specific verses, we hold on to 109 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:13,520 specific passages and we go back to them in various seasons of 110 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:16,440 our lives. And that's even what we got to 111 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:17,960 see. Just want to honour Nathan and 112 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:21,200 Eric and just the ways, you know, bringing us in to, yes, 113 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:23,600 this is God's word, but this is how it's impacted me. 114 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:26,240 And that's what we want to share with you guys is how God's 115 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:29,560 personally impacted us through the Psalms. 116 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:32,160 And we're all in seasons. I mean, we can go around the 117 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:33,960 room. I can, I can even look out at 118 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:37,920 some of you guys that I know you're going through things and 119 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:41,600 we need the Lord's strength and he wants to speak to us. 120 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:45,280 But the constant truth, no matter what season you're in, no 121 00:06:45,280 --> 00:06:47,720 matter what you're going through, is that God's truth is 122 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:51,280 for you, His promises are for you, and that everything that 123 00:06:51,280 --> 00:06:54,560 you need is found in Him. And even as John was talking, 124 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:57,760 this is something we can read and we can know into 125 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:01,240 intellectually even, but is it something that we're actually 126 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:04,080 receiving and believing and walking out in? 127 00:07:05,840 --> 00:07:08,800 And so I was talking to John, just even catching up this past 128 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:12,000 week and talking through some different things for ministry. 129 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:14,840 And just something he shared with me was God is faithful to 130 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:17,680 provide strength when we fully surrender to Him. 131 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:22,160 And some of you may know or may not know, but it's definitely 132 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:26,000 been a season of surrender for Sarah and I and our family. 133 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:30,200 And just a couple weeks ago, our daughter Olivia, she's just over 134 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:32,480 3, like 3 1/2. She had open heart surgery. 135 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:35,960 And we've known for a very long time she's had to have it. 136 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:40,440 So it wasn't emergent, but we got it prepared us and we needed 137 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:42,800 strength. And thankfully, you know, she's 138 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:46,560 doing great at home and she's back to her usual self. 139 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:50,680 It's crazy to see just what you know, what modern medicine can 140 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:54,120 do, but ultimately what God has done in her life. 141 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:57,880 And it's just been a season where we have had to throw 142 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:00,640 ourselves at the feet of the cross and throw ourselves at God 143 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:06,000 and say, Lord, there's anxiety, there's fear at times, there is 144 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:08,880 rejoicing. There is so many different 145 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:11,760 emotions and feeling that we're going through, but we're going 146 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:14,800 to trust you. And in that place, there's been 147 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:18,800 so many just Psalms that we've meditated on and gone to. 148 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:23,600 And so one of those that I've gone to and turn too often and 149 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:26,320 just pray. That'd be a great source of 150 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:30,240 encouragement to you guys. This morning is Psalm 139. 151 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:34,240 And so I titled the message Fully known and Fully loved. 152 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:37,240 And so if you guys want to go ahead and turn there with me, 153 00:08:37,799 --> 00:08:45,280 but yeah, Psalm 139, it is one of the most beautifully written 154 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:47,640 Psalms. It's one of the most profound 155 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:52,400 meditations on God. It's also one of the most well 156 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:55,080 known. Most of us have probably read it 157 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:59,120 before I was even texting someone this week and they're 158 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:02,360 asking me, you know what I was preaching on and told them Psalm 159 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:05,120 139 and they just simply texted back my fave. 160 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:08,680 Like, like I was like, yeah, my fave too. 161 00:09:08,680 --> 00:09:12,000 A lot of other people's faves and so, but it's just sweet to 162 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:16,000 see like, man, it's it's it's familiar, but just pray that God 163 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:19,560 would speak fresh life over you this morning with it. 164 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:22,640 And it contains great truths about God. 165 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:28,160 But the words of King David are extremely personal and intimate, 166 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:30,640 which is a lot of what John was even sharing. 167 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:32,880 What we're talking about this summer. 168 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:37,600 We see that David knew to be true, or we see that what David 169 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:40,200 knew to be true about God and what he experienced in his 170 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:44,520 walking with him throughout his life was his personal intimate 171 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:47,760 relationship. And I think James Montgomery 172 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:52,160 boys sums it up pretty good. And he says Psalm 139 has both 173 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:55,520 head and heart. It is strongly theological, 174 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:59,040 dealing with such important doctrines as God's omniscience, 175 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:04,200 omnipresence, and omnipotence, but is also wonderfully personal 176 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:07,120 because it speaks of these attributes of God in ways that 177 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:09,440 impact the psalmist and ourselves. 178 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:14,720 And something that you know, I was continually going back to as 179 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:18,040 I was meditating on this is that David knew God experientially, 180 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:22,160 which meant he had walked with him closely and would open his 181 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:25,600 heart to him frequently. And that's what I want for you 182 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:27,400 guys this morning. And that's what I'm praying for 183 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:32,760 every single day, that we would know God experientially because 184 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:37,160 we've walked with Him closely every day and we opened our 185 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:41,040 heart up to him frequently. This is what God is inviting 186 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:44,040 all, all of us into, not just this morning, but every day of 187 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:48,360 our lives as we walk with him. And so if you want to, if you 188 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:51,200 guys have it open, I'm going to start read it, all of it, and 189 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:54,520 then we'll go back through each verse and I'll give some 190 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:58,720 headings. But Psalm 139 says for the choir 191 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:04,600 director, a Psalm of David. O Lord, you have searched me and 192 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:07,960 known me. You know when I sit down and 193 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:11,800 when I rise up, you understand my thought from afar. 194 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:17,000 You scrutinize my path in my lying down and are intimately 195 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:21,280 acquainted with all of my ways, even before there was a word on 196 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:23,600 my tongue. Behold, O Lord, you know it all. 197 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:28,960 You have enclosed me behind and before and laid Your hand upon 198 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:31,840 me. Such knowledge is too wonderful 199 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:32,880 for me. It is too high. 200 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:37,120 I cannot attain to it. Where can I go from your spirit, 201 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:39,640 or where can I flee from Your presence? 202 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:42,200 If I sent to heaven, you are there. 203 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:45,800 If I make my bed and she'll behold you are there. 204 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:50,160 If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part 205 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:54,440 of the sea, even there your hand will lead me, and your right 206 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:58,440 hand will lay hold of me. If I say surely the darkness 207 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,640 will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night. 208 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:06,320 Even the darkness is not dark to you, and the night is as bright 209 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:09,720 as the day. Darkness and light are alike to 210 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:13,120 you, for you formed my inward parts. 211 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:17,960 You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to you, for I 212 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:19,760 am fearfully and wonderfully made. 213 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:23,760 Wonderful are your works, and my soul knows it very well. 214 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:29,160 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in secret and 215 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:31,160 skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth. 216 00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:36,160 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance, and in your book were 217 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:39,480 all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet 218 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:43,480 there was not one of them. How precious also are your 219 00:12:43,480 --> 00:12:46,440 thoughts to me. Oh God, how vast is the sum of 220 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:49,160 them. If I should count them, they 221 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:52,640 would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with 222 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:55,200 you. Oh, that you would slay the 223 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:57,280 wicked. Oh, God, depart from me, 224 00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:01,040 therefore men of bloodshed, for they speak against you wickedly, 225 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:03,800 and your enemies take your name in vain. 226 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:06,480 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? 227 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:09,440 And do I not load those who rise up against you? 228 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:11,960 I hate them with the utmost hatred. 229 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:17,840 They have become my enemies. Search me oh God and know my 230 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:22,720 heart, try me and know my anxious thoughts and see if 231 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:26,960 there be any hurtful way in me and lead me in the everlasting 232 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:28,200 way. Amen. 233 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:30,080 It's good. It's like almost. 234 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:32,360 Sometimes we just like close it and be done. 235 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:39,520 Just so so rich and so true. Doesn't need a whole lot of 236 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:45,080 explanation, but God wants us to see just how personal he's 237 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:48,800 speaking to us this morning. And I don't know, even before 238 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:52,640 going through this, if I've actually appreciated how well 239 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:56,640 the David has organized this Psalm and how beautifully 240 00:13:56,640 --> 00:13:59,120 written it is. But just to give a little 241 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:03,240 summary of everything, it's kind of broken up into four, six 242 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:06,240 verse sections, verses one through 6. 243 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:09,560 David is writing about God's knowledge of him. 244 00:14:10,560 --> 00:14:15,600 Verses 7 through 12 speak of God's presence in his life. 245 00:14:16,680 --> 00:14:20,600 In verses 13 through 18, David acknowledges that God has made 246 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:24,920 him. And in verses 19 through 24, we 247 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:29,240 see David's prayer for holiness and righteousness, for a pure 248 00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:32,560 heart and strength as God continued to lead him. 249 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:37,640 And so we're going to basically just have 4 points, and I'll go 250 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:40,600 through each six of those sections for the morning. 251 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:46,040 The first one is you are fully known there if anybody has Apple 252 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:49,440 devices or Amazon devices at their house, Anyone, anyone. 253 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:53,240 So this is a little bit of a struggle in our household. 254 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:55,760 Sarah does not like them too much. 255 00:14:56,240 --> 00:14:59,920 And I think they're useful at times, but there's just times 256 00:14:59,920 --> 00:15:03,720 when you know, the light doesn't work or something will just come 257 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:06,680 on and Sarah will just like stop, stop listening to us. 258 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:09,720 She'll like tell headquarters, like stop listening in our 259 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:11,920 conversations. And it's actually funny. 260 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:16,280 Last night we were putting our kids to bed and one of the bulbs 261 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:18,480 I had to change out. So it wasn't, it wasn't synced, 262 00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:19,800 but like the kids don't know that. 263 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:23,280 Sarah doesn't know that. So yelling at the bulb and and 264 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:27,800 like finally turn it off and then Sarah's saying goodnight to 265 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:31,040 the kids and literally the little Alexa thing says sweet 266 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:34,240 dreams. It was, it was weird. 267 00:15:34,240 --> 00:15:36,520 I was out in the living room and all the kids and Sarah were 268 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:41,800 like, oh, stop it. But it was just just those 269 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:43,360 moments, right? You guys even know, like 270 00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:45,920 sometimes you'll just be talking with someone and then you'll get 271 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:49,880 a random app on your like a promotion on your phone and 272 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:52,400 you're like, I never have looked that up in my entire life. 273 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:57,320 Like who is listening to me? But there's just these types of 274 00:15:57,320 --> 00:16:01,680 things that they make us uneasy because we don't know who's 275 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:03,720 listening to us on the other end. 276 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:08,480 There's a lack of trust because there's no relationship in in 277 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:12,160 those scenarios. On the other hand, was thinking 278 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:15,200 of it, you know, most of us parents, we have the baby 279 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:18,880 monitors in our households. And for some reason, you know, 280 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:23,560 our kids, they grow to know that they can trust that to be seen, 281 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:26,000 to be heard, because who's on the other end? 282 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:28,480 Their mom and their dad, they know that they're loved, they 283 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:31,040 know that they're cared for and they're being watched for their 284 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:33,760 good. And if it makes you feel uneasy 285 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:37,320 that God knows your thoughts before you thank them, then you 286 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:41,440 may not know him as you should. And I think that speaks true of 287 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:45,160 if you knew him, you'd know that He has, He loves you and He 288 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:47,680 knows you, and that's why He knows your thoughts and your 289 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:52,160 actions from afar. This is the invitation, again, 290 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:55,360 as I said, just to get to know God experientially, walk with 291 00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:58,640 Him closely and open your heart up to Him frequently. 292 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:02,320 There may be something in your life that he is convicting you 293 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:05,680 of that may be pulling you away from greater intimacy with Him. 294 00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:10,040 And He loves you so much and He presses on your heart and on 295 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:13,079 your mind the places that that no one else see that He's 296 00:17:13,079 --> 00:17:14,599 actually drawing you back to Him. 297 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:18,280 If there's a trust in God's good character, if you actually know 298 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:23,280 Him as we should, which David had grown to know, then the 299 00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:26,040 truth that he understands your thoughts from afar should bring 300 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:28,880 you an immense amount of comfort and peace every day of your life 301 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:32,880 that you are known this much by our Almighty God. 302 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:39,440 In verse 3, David, should I get the other one? 303 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:41,920 There we go. You scrutinize my path and my 304 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:45,120 lying down and are intimately acquainted with all of my ways. 305 00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:49,040 And God shows his concern for us and that he gets into our lives 306 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:51,600 fully. God helps us see what is 307 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:54,640 beneficial and what is not. And that's what this word 308 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:57,640 scrutinize means it it's like a winnowing fork. 309 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:01,280 And if anybody has seen those, but you know when the you're 310 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:04,120 separating the wheat from the chaff, it gets in there and it 311 00:18:04,120 --> 00:18:05,560 throws it up and the wind blows it away. 312 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:08,840 And that's what God does in our life is he scrutinizes and he 313 00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:11,720 gets in there and he probes. He says this is not beneficial 314 00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:15,120 to you and this is beneficial to you and I'm going to show you 315 00:18:15,120 --> 00:18:18,560 and I'm going to actively get in there and, and do this work in 316 00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:22,080 your heart and in your life. He knows everything about us, 317 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:26,840 our weaknesses, our strengths, the way we respond in certain 318 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:29,080 situations before we respond to them. 319 00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:34,040 He knows our fears, what produces anxiety, what produces 320 00:18:34,040 --> 00:18:38,040 anger, if we're struggling with any sort of depression or 321 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:41,360 control. He knows us better than we know 322 00:18:41,360 --> 00:18:42,680 ourselves. Many of us. 323 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:44,720 Sometimes someone asks you how you doing? 324 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:48,280 Like I don't even know sometimes, but we need to spend 325 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:52,960 time with God because he knows Job 31 four says, does he not 326 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:56,000 see my ways and number all my steps? 327 00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,680 David says in verse 4. Even before there is a word on 328 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:03,120 my tongue, Behold, O Lord, you know it all. 329 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:05,760 I want to pause throughout my day. 330 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:08,960 I don't, I don't do it enough. But just to say behold, O Lord, 331 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:12,360 you know it all. And not just intellectually we, 332 00:19:12,360 --> 00:19:14,480 I mean, I think many of us could say I understand that. 333 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:17,080 I understand that God knows everything. 334 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:22,440 But in my heart do I actually believe and does it change the 335 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:25,720 way I live my life to say, behold, O Lord, you know it all 336 00:19:26,360 --> 00:19:28,400 and I can't. I mean, last time I said this 337 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:32,920 was probably to my kids when, you know, trying to figure out 338 00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:36,000 if they're lying or not about washing their hands or going to 339 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:40,080 the bathroom or brushing their teeth or did you actually push 340 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:41,240 her? Did he push you? 341 00:19:42,120 --> 00:19:45,200 I don't know. But what we can say and what we 342 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:47,720 say often is that the Lord always knows. 343 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:49,080 He knows the intentions of your heart. 344 00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:52,520 He knows it all. And Hebrews 413 says, and 345 00:19:52,520 --> 00:19:56,240 there's no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are 346 00:19:56,240 --> 00:20:00,080 open and laid bare to the eyes of Him whom we have to do. 347 00:20:00,120 --> 00:20:04,720 Everything is laid bare before Him because we're fully known by 348 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,840 God completely and intimately. He not only knows our words 349 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:11,720 before we say them, but He knows the conditions of our heart and 350 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:15,360 saying it. Everything we think is uncovered 351 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:18,760 before God. And there are situations in life 352 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:22,080 that causes these. Almost hidden conditions of our 353 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:25,720 heart to start bubbling out. We don't want to get caught, 354 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:28,560 that's why we lie. We don't want to look bad, so we 355 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:31,160 exaggerate. We feel insecure. 356 00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:35,000 So we either talk down about ourselves or talk down about 357 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:38,240 other people. But Luke 644 says out of the 358 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:40,400 abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. 359 00:20:41,120 --> 00:20:44,120 So just to encourage you guys, let the Lord deal with your 360 00:20:44,120 --> 00:20:46,160 heart. He already knows it. 361 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:49,960 So that your words can be edifying, building up, honoring 362 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:54,960 to Him, loving, full of grace and sweet out of a true, true 363 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:58,160 and pure heart. We need to proclaim more often 364 00:20:58,160 --> 00:21:00,000 and even make this part of your your day. 365 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:02,800 Behold, O Lord, you know it all as David said. 366 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:07,840 And verse 5, you have enclosed me behind and before and laid 367 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:11,400 your hand upon me. And some other translation says 368 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:16,400 hedge me in or hen me in, but it's just a hedge of protection 369 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:18,760 the Lord is putting around David and you. 370 00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:23,640 And farmers would sometimes plant thorny bushes or thorny 371 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:27,560 tall plants to protect their vineyards or their crops from 372 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:29,640 animals getting in. And that's what the Lord saying 373 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:32,720 is like, I'm actually protecting you, this hedge of protection 374 00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:37,160 around you. Psalm 34 seven says the Angel of 375 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:40,400 the Lord encamps around those who fear him and he rescues 376 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:43,400 them. Psalm 125 two says as the 377 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:47,240 mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people 378 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:49,080 from this time forth and forever. 379 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:52,760 Isn't that good? This understanding gave David 380 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:55,440 great daily confidence and security. 381 00:21:56,360 --> 00:21:59,800 Isaiah 4110 says do not fear for I am with you. 382 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:03,040 Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. 383 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:06,640 I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will 384 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:08,640 uphold you with my righteous right hand. 385 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:14,040 And verse 6, David's, you know, undone by just being known by 386 00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:15,840 God. And he says such knowledge is 387 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:18,000 too wonderful me for me it is too high. 388 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:20,480 I cannot attain it. That's all he can say. 389 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:24,240 The complete and intimate knowledge that God has of David 390 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:26,080 and all of his life is beyond him. 391 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:31,000 His actions, his heart, his motivations, his thoughts, his 392 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:34,920 words and all of his ways are in God's hands. 393 00:22:34,920 --> 00:22:37,480 And David can do nothing but praise God for it. 394 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:41,800 This is what we see in Romans 1133, says, Oh, the depth of the 395 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:44,360 riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. 396 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:48,760 How unsearchable are his judgments, and unfathomable His 397 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:51,280 ways. For who has known the mind of 398 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:53,200 the Lord, and who became his counsellor? 399 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:56,600 Or who has first given to him that it might be paid back to 400 00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:59,520 him again? For from him and through him and 401 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:03,360 to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. 402 00:23:03,360 --> 00:23:05,920 Amen. And this is what this is what 403 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:09,560 David's saying to him be the glory for knowing me this much. 404 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:16,440 These verses, like I said, this should cause a sense of praise 405 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:21,200 in us to pause and remind us that He has sought us out and 406 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:26,240 not left us alone. That the Lord has gone in to The 407 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:30,360 Cave into the dark places of your heart, and actually grabbed 408 00:23:30,360 --> 00:23:35,080 you and rescued you and put you at the feet of the cross, and 409 00:23:35,360 --> 00:23:37,840 you're His. And you can rejoice in that. 410 00:23:38,760 --> 00:23:41,040 And as David has taken this understanding of God's perfect 411 00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:43,880 knowledge of him and personalized it, so should we. 412 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:49,760 And sometimes I know that's even like we pause even thinking that 413 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:52,920 way when we're reading. I know sometimes I have. 414 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:56,280 But there's nothing but intimacy and personal, personal 415 00:23:56,280 --> 00:23:58,600 relationship going on in this passage. 416 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:02,400 And so we want to personalize it and we should. 417 00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:06,480 And something to bring just into your times this week is what 418 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:09,000 does it mean to you that God knows you completely and 419 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:11,680 intimately and just start writing those things down? 420 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:15,800 How would meditating on that change the way you lived and 421 00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:19,960 respond to your spouse, to your roommates, to your Co workers, 422 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:24,120 to your kids, or even the way that you fought ongoing sin in 423 00:24:24,120 --> 00:24:26,840 your life? How would knowing, knowing, and 424 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:30,400 believing that God knows you intimately in this way help you 425 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:34,360 fight those battles? So move on to verse 7. 426 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:37,560 David transitions by saying, Lord, not only do you know me 427 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:40,120 fully, but you are always with me. 428 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:43,280 So point #2 He is always with you. 429 00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:47,160 You are never alone. David says, where can I go from 430 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:49,520 your spirit or where can I flee from your presence? 431 00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:53,240 He was aware that God was always watching over him. 432 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:56,360 He understood that it was impossible for him to do 433 00:24:56,360 --> 00:24:59,040 anything, which God was not a spectator. 434 00:24:59,920 --> 00:25:01,880 And we see this in Jeremiah 2324. 435 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:04,720 Can a man hide himself in hiding places? 436 00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:07,080 So I do not see him, declares the Lord. 437 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:10,520 Do I not fill the heavens and the earth, declares the Lord. 438 00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:14,360 And many of us can attest there's been moments in our life 439 00:25:14,360 --> 00:25:18,240 where we have tried to hide. We have tried to, in a sense, 440 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:20,680 run away from God in His presence. 441 00:25:21,120 --> 00:25:25,160 We even see this in the first man, the first woman in Genesis 442 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:27,960 chapter 3. After they had sinned, they 443 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:30,080 heard the sound of the Lord walking in the garden in the 444 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:32,240 cool of the day. And the man and his wife hid 445 00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:35,960 themselves from the presence of the Lord among the trees of the 446 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:39,040 garden. And then even in in Jonah, Jonah 447 00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:42,600 one when God told him to go to Nineveh in verse 3 says, but 448 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:46,040 Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of 449 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:48,880 the Lord. There was fear, there was 450 00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:53,480 disobedience, there was shame. The list goes on and on and on. 451 00:25:53,480 --> 00:25:58,280 But what in your life actually causes you to draw away from 452 00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:03,080 God, to hide to in a sense, run away? 453 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:07,400 Try to run away, As we'll see, and I love this quote by Charles 454 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:14,360 Spurgeon says neither by patient travel nor hasty flight can we 455 00:26:14,360 --> 00:26:16,680 withdraw from the all surrounding God. 456 00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:20,400 That good. Neither by patient travel, if 457 00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:23,800 it's slow you feel that slow drift or by hasty flight. 458 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:26,640 We just want to get out of certain situations because 459 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:27,960 things start coming up in our heart. 460 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:32,560 Neither by any of those things can we withdraw from the all 461 00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:34,920 surrounding God because God loves you. 462 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:39,280 He does not allow you to hide or run away from Him. 463 00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:42,280 He is always with you and you are never alone. 464 00:26:43,360 --> 00:26:45,840 And David in verses 8-9 just talks directionally. 465 00:26:45,840 --> 00:26:49,600 He says if I send to heaven, if he goes all the way up to where 466 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:52,440 God is, you are there. If I make my bed and Sheol, 467 00:26:52,440 --> 00:26:55,200 we're just talking about the grave and talking about death 468 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:58,320 downward. He said even there, behold, you 469 00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:01,080 are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, 470 00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:06,440 just talking about when the sun rises from the east, if I dwell 471 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:10,120 in the remotest part of the sea and in Israel the Mediterranean 472 00:27:10,120 --> 00:27:12,960 Sea was to the West. He says if I go from where the 473 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:17,000 dawn rises to where this where the furthest spot I can possibly 474 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:21,520 think of, which is West far into the sea, you're with me. 475 00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:25,760 He says in verse 10. Even there your hand will lead 476 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:28,320 me and your right hand will lay hold of me. 477 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:31,240 And wasn't this the promise of Jesus at the very end? 478 00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:36,160 Matthew 28, he says, I am with you always in every direction. 479 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:39,840 Wherever you go, I am with you. God's presence is there. 480 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:45,440 Wherever David found himself shepherding sheep, king over 481 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:49,880 Israel, musician, fugitive in the wilderness or trying to 482 00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:54,440 escape a father on the run, he trusted that even there God's 483 00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:56,560 mighty hand would lead him and hold him. 484 00:27:57,320 --> 00:28:00,400 And David was praising God for his consistent presence in his 485 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:04,000 life. In Psalm 7328 says, But As for 486 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:06,280 me, the nearness of God is my good. 487 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:11,320 It is good that God is so near the one I encourage you just to 488 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:14,160 take time throughout your day to thank God for his presence and 489 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:16,640 his nearness just how near he is. 490 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:20,560 Sometimes when you just pause. That's a lot of what I mean I'm 491 00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:22,200 sharing this morning is just pause. 492 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:25,960 Take moments of your day to pause and this may be 493 00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:29,560 challenging at times when we are confronted with situations in 494 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:32,200 life in which there we have no answers. 495 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:36,920 Often we find ourselves saying, God, bring me in on what you're 496 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:39,040 doing. Why is why is this happening to 497 00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:42,000 me? Why am I at this place in my 498 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:46,080 life that I don't understand? And David expresses his heart to 499 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:50,720 God in verses 11 and 12, saying even in dark moments, even in 500 00:28:50,720 --> 00:28:57,440 trial or frustration, doubt. He says, if I say surely the 501 00:28:57,440 --> 00:29:00,640 darkness will overwhelm me and the light around me will be 502 00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:05,440 light will be night. Verse 12 even the darkness is 503 00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:08,160 not dark to you and the night is as bright as the day. 504 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:10,960 Darkness and light are alike to you. 505 00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:15,840 So how many of us has said or said thought something like 506 00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:19,640 David saying surely this darkness that I feel in this 507 00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:24,720 moment is it will overwhelm me and the light around me will be 508 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:30,200 night or at times I know our hearts can cry out just even in 509 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:32,560 love. Where, where are you God, where 510 00:29:32,560 --> 00:29:33,880 are you? I need to hear you. 511 00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:37,000 I need to know that you're near. I know I've had those fair share 512 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:39,480 moments of my in my life, whether it be driving on the 513 00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:44,000 road by myself or just moments of and seasons of weariness and 514 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:47,240 and tiredness. Just God, I need you. 515 00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:50,920 I need you to show up in my life and it may not even be sin 516 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:53,040 related. It could just be a valley season 517 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:55,800 that you're going through that we even we see David went 518 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:59,880 through many, but he says even the darkness is not dark to you 519 00:29:59,880 --> 00:30:05,160 and night is as bright as the day in first John 15 says this 520 00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:07,760 is the message that we have heard from him and announced to 521 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:10,360 you. This is this is what we all 522 00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:14,480 believe that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. 523 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:19,840 The Lord is, is present in the darkness of your despair, 524 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:23,960 hopelessness, and depression. And he has, he overcomes it. 525 00:30:24,320 --> 00:30:26,160 He's not just present, but he overcomes it. 526 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:30,280 Psalm 1828 says, for you, light my lamp, the Lord my God 527 00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:34,000 illumines my darkness. And then John 812 Then Jesus 528 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:37,000 spoke again to them saying, I am the light of the world. 529 00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:40,640 He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the 530 00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:44,200 light of life. Darkness cannot shut out 531 00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:50,760 anything and in verses 13 through 18, David praises God by 532 00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:52,680 writing. He's not only do you know me, 533 00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:58,800 not only are you with me, but God who knows all and is in all 534 00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:05,000 or with all, made you. He made you point #3 He made you 535 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:07,880 and will sustain you. You are fearfully and 536 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:09,440 wonderfully made. He made you. 537 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:12,840 He made you and sustained you. You're fearfully and wonderfully 538 00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:15,400 made. I know this is, you know, some 539 00:31:15,480 --> 00:31:19,240 of this part of the Psalm. We've read it so many times or 540 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:22,840 we've heard it so many times, but I just pray that you'd 541 00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:25,800 receive it fresh this morning. It says in verse 13 for you, 4 542 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:28,560 in my inward parts, you wove me in my mother's womb. 543 00:31:29,120 --> 00:31:31,720 And David is just talking. It's such relational language. 544 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:34,600 Again, just this forming. It's talking about being bought 545 00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:38,760 or acquired or created and possessed and just his inward 546 00:31:38,760 --> 00:31:41,000 parts. Talking about everything inside 547 00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:44,080 of him, not just his physical body, but his spiritual body as 548 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:46,720 well. His his heart, not just his 549 00:31:46,720 --> 00:31:48,480 physical heart, but just who he is. 550 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:51,720 He says you wove me, You've covered, protected, You've 551 00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:54,000 hedged me in, You weave me together. 552 00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:57,560 No one can create as God can create. 553 00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:01,280 And Isaiah 4424. Thus says the Lord, your 554 00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:04,680 Redeemer, the one who formed you from the womb. 555 00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:08,120 I am the Lord. I the Lord am the maker of all 556 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:12,280 things, stretching out the heavens by myself and spreading 557 00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:15,840 out the earth alone, and just thinking just how vast got it 558 00:32:15,840 --> 00:32:17,360 and how big he is. And this is what David has in 559 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:22,440 mind, and thinking how intricately he wove him in his 560 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:25,720 mother's womb. Verse 14 I will give thanks to 561 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:27,600 you, for I'm fearfully and wonderfully made. 562 00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:30,800 Wonderful are your works, and my soul knows it very well. 563 00:32:31,280 --> 00:32:33,800 Again, David's just. He's this fearfully, he's just 564 00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:36,280 in awe, He's astonished about what God has done. 565 00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:39,440 And this word wonderfully just means distinct. 566 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:43,680 It's distinguished and it's kind of a weird way to word a 567 00:32:43,680 --> 00:32:46,800 question. But said, have you ever been in 568 00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:49,560 awe or astonished that God created you? 569 00:32:49,640 --> 00:32:54,240 You have you ever been in awe or astonished that God created you 570 00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:57,280 you. And maybe that's something you 571 00:32:57,280 --> 00:32:59,480 never asked before or thought of, or maybe it's something that 572 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:03,560 you don't want to think about. But David is basically saying, 573 00:33:03,560 --> 00:33:08,240 God, thank you for making me me. And I was just even looking up. 574 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:10,560 And some of us have probably heard just about how every 575 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:14,560 person in the world has a unique fingerprint and even read even, 576 00:33:14,760 --> 00:33:16,960 you know, I guess I didn't think about this before, but identical 577 00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:20,200 twins, I mean, we'll have to check on like Logan and Hudson, 578 00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:23,400 but even identical twins have different fingerprints. 579 00:33:23,680 --> 00:33:29,000 And it's just amazing that God can design in such a way that 580 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:31,720 says you are, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. 581 00:33:31,720 --> 00:33:34,600 You are unique. And my fingerprint is on you 582 00:33:34,600 --> 00:33:36,880 specifically and how you were made. 583 00:33:39,080 --> 00:33:41,840 And so we, we so often look poorly at ourselves or compare 584 00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:45,520 ourselves with others. We wish our physical features or 585 00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:48,720 our giftings or characteristics were different. 586 00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:52,920 I wish I was more like this. I wish, I wish I was more like 587 00:33:52,920 --> 00:33:54,640 that. I wish I was better at this. 588 00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:57,640 All of us, every single one of us, has those thoughts. 589 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:01,720 The way we speak, the way we think, the way we act. 590 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:07,480 We so much look at ourselves and through this Psalm, God is 591 00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:11,800 calling us to have godly confidence in Him and to thank 592 00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:14,440 Him for making us distinct and distinguished. 593 00:34:14,639 --> 00:34:18,960 You are made exactly the way God intended you to be made, and we 594 00:34:18,960 --> 00:34:21,080 should praise Him for our uniqueness. 595 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:24,639 We were created according to His perfect plan and He made no 596 00:34:24,639 --> 00:34:27,040 mistakes in making us just as we are. 597 00:34:27,760 --> 00:34:31,159 He roots out our our sin nature and he cleanses us over time. 598 00:34:31,159 --> 00:34:34,239 But how are you are wired and made and the characteristics 599 00:34:34,239 --> 00:34:37,600 that you have and your physical abilities, everything God has 600 00:34:37,600 --> 00:34:39,560 made you and he had thought about it. 601 00:34:40,520 --> 00:34:43,960 David says my frame was not hidden from you when I was made 602 00:34:43,960 --> 00:34:46,280 in secret and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth. 603 00:34:46,280 --> 00:34:49,000 He's just talking about, you know, back then they didn't have 604 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:53,239 echocardiograms, X-ray, they didn't have ultrasounds, they 605 00:34:53,239 --> 00:34:56,320 didn't have 3D images that we get nowadays. 606 00:34:56,320 --> 00:34:58,680 They don't didn't have DNA testing. 607 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:03,240 But he's saying in the hidden secret places that no one sees 608 00:35:03,520 --> 00:35:08,800 until that baby comes out, You made me and you knew me. 609 00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:13,720 And he places God places value on every child from the moment 610 00:35:13,720 --> 00:35:15,680 of conception. From the moment of conception, 611 00:35:15,680 --> 00:35:20,320 he says you are mine and I made you verse 16. 612 00:35:20,320 --> 00:35:25,000 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance and in your book we're 613 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:28,360 all written the days that were ordained for me when as yet 614 00:35:28,360 --> 00:35:33,280 there was not one of them. God is creator and sustainer of 615 00:35:33,320 --> 00:35:35,360 everything. But more personally, which is 616 00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:38,000 what David's trying to communicate through this Psalm. 617 00:35:38,320 --> 00:35:40,960 God, God, you made me. You don't just you didn't just 618 00:35:40,960 --> 00:35:42,720 create everything you made, you created me. 619 00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:45,640 And you don't just sustain everything, you sustain me. 620 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:50,600 David was expressing his full trust and surrender to God that 621 00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:53,040 he made him and was leading his life. 622 00:35:54,240 --> 00:35:57,080 God made no mistakes in making David and he had guided him 623 00:35:57,080 --> 00:36:00,880 perfectly and would continue to do so, so that his own glory 624 00:36:00,880 --> 00:36:02,920 would be magnified and David would be blessed. 625 00:36:03,720 --> 00:36:06,880 And all of our limitations and ailments difficulties, we must 626 00:36:06,880 --> 00:36:12,480 trust God has a mighty plan for us and even thinking of our 627 00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:16,560 daughter Olivia and you know when we were in Gainesville, for 628 00:36:16,560 --> 00:36:18,840 those who don't know we we're going to have the surgery got 629 00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:21,520 rescheduled, come back home had to be like quarantine. 630 00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:26,040 So it was a crazy season. But just before we left 631 00:36:26,040 --> 00:36:29,320 Gainesville that first time, there was some disappointment. 632 00:36:29,360 --> 00:36:33,720 Obviously there was just we had to change a lot of things and 633 00:36:33,720 --> 00:36:35,960 thinking like the night before she's about to go through the 634 00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:37,800 surgery. We got to pick up everything, go 635 00:36:37,800 --> 00:36:39,240 back home and come back in four weeks. 636 00:36:39,240 --> 00:36:42,240 And so it was late. And Sarah and I, you know, I 637 00:36:42,240 --> 00:36:44,320 just said like, Hey, let's just get out our, our phone and let's 638 00:36:44,320 --> 00:36:46,720 start a note and just write like, you know, God's 639 00:36:46,720 --> 00:36:50,880 faithfulness over Olivia's life since we knew that, you know, 640 00:36:50,880 --> 00:36:54,360 that you were pregnant with her. And we just went like line by 641 00:36:54,360 --> 00:36:57,000 line by line by line by line, since we knew that we were 642 00:36:57,000 --> 00:36:59,440 pregnant with her. I mean, early on and just the 643 00:36:59,440 --> 00:37:03,200 things that doctors told us about her and then things we 644 00:37:03,480 --> 00:37:07,360 found out along the way and just seeing just, I mean, if you guys 645 00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:11,200 have seen her, you cannot tell anything is like wrong inside 646 00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:13,800 her body. But she's got a list of things. 647 00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:17,080 But she's got a smile on her face and and you know, I'm 648 00:37:17,080 --> 00:37:19,880 praying that, you know, as she grows up, she can say, Lord, I 649 00:37:19,880 --> 00:37:21,800 am fearfully and wonderfully made. 650 00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:25,840 And you know, we get to look at God's faithfulness in her life 651 00:37:25,840 --> 00:37:31,760 and that's that glorifying God is, is why he's made you unique. 652 00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:36,400 It's not so that you can be up here or like I can be up here 653 00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:40,760 and bring glory to ourself. And no way it it, it takes the 654 00:37:40,760 --> 00:37:42,240 glory and it puts it back on God. 655 00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:46,320 Everything that happened with Olivia, I mean, it was for God's 656 00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:48,480 glory. And we get to magnify him 657 00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:51,480 because of it. And I can't help but think of 658 00:37:51,480 --> 00:37:55,360 John 9123 when Jesus and disciples were outside the 659 00:37:55,360 --> 00:37:58,800 temple and his disciple, there was a man who was born blind. 660 00:37:59,040 --> 00:38:01,320 And Jesus, or, you know, his disciple said, was it this man's 661 00:38:01,320 --> 00:38:03,880 sin or was it his parents? And he just said, no, it was 662 00:38:03,880 --> 00:38:07,400 neither this man's sinned nor his parents, but it was so that 663 00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:09,880 the works of God might be displayed in him. 664 00:38:10,440 --> 00:38:12,040 And that's what all of us can say. 665 00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:15,160 If you feel weak, if you feel like, man, I'm not like this. 666 00:38:15,160 --> 00:38:17,600 I'm not like that. Or physically, if you're going 667 00:38:17,600 --> 00:38:20,800 through something, say God, I can praise you because I'm 668 00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:23,160 fearfully and wonderfully made. You know exactly what you're 669 00:38:23,160 --> 00:38:26,240 doing in my life, and you're going to bring your glory. 670 00:38:26,880 --> 00:38:29,680 And David says, how precious. I mean, this is our response, 671 00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:31,520 right? How precious also are your 672 00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:33,440 thoughts to me? Oh God, how vast is the sum of 673 00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:35,160 them? If I should count them, they 674 00:38:35,160 --> 00:38:37,320 would outnumber the sand when I awake. 675 00:38:37,320 --> 00:38:38,840 I'm still with you. And just thinking about the 676 00:38:38,840 --> 00:38:41,360 video where they, they took 30 minutes just to write out 677 00:38:41,360 --> 00:38:42,800 everything they were thankful for of God. 678 00:38:43,080 --> 00:38:45,160 I mean, this is saying if I should count the thing, they 679 00:38:45,160 --> 00:38:48,280 would outnumber the grains of sand on all the seashores. 680 00:38:48,600 --> 00:38:52,440 And it's an unfathomable number. We can't stop in our writing a 681 00:38:52,440 --> 00:38:56,040 remembrance of God's precious thoughts to us. 682 00:38:56,640 --> 00:38:59,440 And it's just, it's sweet and intimate what David's saying. 683 00:39:01,600 --> 00:39:06,800 So question, are the thoughts of God to you of great worth, or do 684 00:39:06,800 --> 00:39:09,280 sometimes your thoughts take precedence? 685 00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:12,600 What hinders you from meditating on them more often? 686 00:39:13,760 --> 00:39:16,600 We need to spend less time in our own thoughts and thinking 687 00:39:16,600 --> 00:39:19,880 about ourselves and more time thinking about Him and 688 00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:23,160 recounting the precious thoughts that he has of us. 689 00:39:24,160 --> 00:39:28,960 And so as we come to the final six verses, it does seem like 690 00:39:28,960 --> 00:39:31,960 there is an abrupt shift and David's focus. 691 00:39:32,240 --> 00:39:35,880 But these verses, in the form of a prayer, actually give us a 692 00:39:35,880 --> 00:39:39,520 glimpse into David's situation and why he's drawing on God's 693 00:39:39,520 --> 00:39:42,080 perfect knowledge, presence and power in his life. 694 00:39:42,880 --> 00:39:46,520 They show David's thoughts and emotions towards those who are 695 00:39:46,520 --> 00:39:49,880 continually rejecting God and deliberately practicing evil. 696 00:39:50,240 --> 00:39:54,360 And one commentator wrote the wickedness in view here has 697 00:39:54,360 --> 00:39:58,560 resisted love. And Isaiah 65, two talking about 698 00:39:58,560 --> 00:40:02,560 God's outstretched arm, He says I spread out my hands all day 699 00:40:02,560 --> 00:40:06,440 long to a rebellious people who walk in the way which is not 700 00:40:06,440 --> 00:40:08,640 good, following their own thoughts. 701 00:40:09,880 --> 00:40:13,200 And even David says in return for my love, they act as my 702 00:40:13,200 --> 00:40:17,800 accusers, but I am in prayer. Thus they have repaid me evil 703 00:40:17,800 --> 00:40:22,960 for good and hatred for my love. We see David's passionate 704 00:40:22,960 --> 00:40:25,520 loyalty. And his love for the Lord and 705 00:40:25,520 --> 00:40:29,040 how he wanted to separate himself entirely from those who 706 00:40:29,040 --> 00:40:32,840 are speaking against God. And Psalm 26 five says I hate 707 00:40:32,840 --> 00:40:35,760 the assembly of evil doers and I will not sit with the wicked. 708 00:40:36,800 --> 00:40:39,960 Psalm 31 six that I hate those who regard vain idols, but I 709 00:40:39,960 --> 00:40:44,520 trust in the Lord. And James Montgomery boy sums it 710 00:40:44,520 --> 00:40:46,800 up pretty good. He says his decisions, his 711 00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:49,800 decision was to separate from evil persons entirely. 712 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:53,600 This separation does not mean that David never had anything to 713 00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:56,360 do with sinful people. He himself was one. 714 00:40:57,000 --> 00:41:00,000 It only means that he did not want to be with those who were 715 00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:03,840 openly marked by evil or or hatching evil actions. 716 00:41:04,360 --> 00:41:07,760 So taken was he with the greatness of God that he wanted 717 00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:10,400 nothing to endanger his relationship with God. 718 00:41:10,800 --> 00:41:13,840 He, his relationship with God, his nearness, his closeness was 719 00:41:14,080 --> 00:41:17,480 everything to him and he wouldn't let nothing stand 720 00:41:18,040 --> 00:41:21,440 against it. The important thing to know is 721 00:41:21,440 --> 00:41:24,880 David, he went on the offense in his prayer life and he trusted 722 00:41:24,880 --> 00:41:29,000 the Lord to vindicate. And so we cannot remain neutral 723 00:41:29,320 --> 00:41:32,280 towards evil or sin, especially in our own hearts. 724 00:41:32,520 --> 00:41:35,040 We must bring all of our thoughts, our desires and 725 00:41:35,040 --> 00:41:38,760 motivations to the Lord in prayer, which is where we'll 726 00:41:38,760 --> 00:41:41,440 land this morning if the band wants to come up. 727 00:41:42,360 --> 00:41:45,080 And as we just go into ministry time, I know there's a lot 728 00:41:46,360 --> 00:41:48,120 there. And I'll finish with the last 729 00:41:48,120 --> 00:41:52,120 two verses, but just if anything stuck out to you, pray that you 730 00:41:52,120 --> 00:41:56,000 would again, rest, pause, even just say going to ministry time. 731 00:41:56,280 --> 00:42:00,960 Behold, O Lord, you know it all. You know, you know me, You know 732 00:42:00,960 --> 00:42:05,440 every part of me. David knew God experientially, 733 00:42:05,440 --> 00:42:08,760 which meant he had walked with him closely and would open his 734 00:42:08,760 --> 00:42:11,800 heart to him frequently with everything that David had 735 00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:14,520 already written down in mind. God, you know me fully, 736 00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:19,680 completely intimately. You're always with me, I'm never 737 00:42:19,680 --> 00:42:23,520 alone, I'm fearfully and wonderfully made and you will 738 00:42:23,520 --> 00:42:25,760 sustain me. He goes on to write. 739 00:42:26,440 --> 00:42:31,840 Search me, oh God, and know my heart, try me and know my 740 00:42:31,840 --> 00:42:35,840 anxious thoughts and see if there be any hurtful way in me 741 00:42:36,480 --> 00:42:38,680 and lead me in the everlasting way. 742 00:42:38,680 --> 00:42:42,560 Just a sweet prayer that we can pray every single day. 743 00:42:43,680 --> 00:42:47,920 David was inviting God into his heart to examine him thoroughly 744 00:42:48,360 --> 00:42:51,280 and to purify him of anything that might hinder his walk with 745 00:42:51,280 --> 00:42:53,360 God. Same, God, search me. 746 00:42:53,760 --> 00:42:55,600 You know me better than I know myself. 747 00:42:56,400 --> 00:42:59,080 You know me. You know everything about me. 748 00:42:59,080 --> 00:43:01,800 Before there's a thought in my mind, before a word leaves my 749 00:43:01,800 --> 00:43:06,360 lips, you know me. He was asking him to purify him 750 00:43:06,440 --> 00:43:08,200 of anything that might hinder his walk. 751 00:43:09,160 --> 00:43:12,480 God, is there, Is there things that I'm believing or running to 752 00:43:12,760 --> 00:43:15,600 that hinder my closeness and my intimacy with you? 753 00:43:15,600 --> 00:43:18,200 Because that is everything to me. 754 00:43:20,200 --> 00:43:22,400 So just I wanted to invite you to turn to him this morning and 755 00:43:22,400 --> 00:43:26,040 say that same prayer. God search me, know my heart. 756 00:43:27,920 --> 00:43:32,760 Ask him to help you walk closely with him to abide in 757 00:43:32,760 --> 00:43:36,520 relationship with him and lead you in the living way. 758 00:43:36,960 --> 00:43:39,880 This is the enduring way. God your way. 759 00:43:39,880 --> 00:43:43,680 It's, it's narrow, but it, it produces life. 760 00:43:43,680 --> 00:43:50,880 It brings life. So yeah, I just encourage you 761 00:43:50,880 --> 00:43:53,240 guys come to the front, turn to a neighbor. 762 00:43:54,080 --> 00:43:58,680 If there's anything, any anxious thought, any thought that is 763 00:43:58,680 --> 00:44:03,160 just it's in your mind, it's preoccupying your, you know, 764 00:44:03,160 --> 00:44:07,480 ability to even be present and worship or just to sit with him 765 00:44:08,560 --> 00:44:11,280 throughout your day. Don't just keep going throughout 766 00:44:11,280 --> 00:44:14,360 your day. Pause and spend time with God 767 00:44:14,360 --> 00:44:17,600 and turn to him. So I'll pray for us and 768 00:44:17,720 --> 00:44:19,720 encourage you guys to receive prayer this morning. 769 00:44:20,200 --> 00:44:23,160 Thank you Lord, and thank you for the Psalm. 770 00:44:23,160 --> 00:44:27,840 Thank you for just not David's life, but God, your life through 771 00:44:27,840 --> 00:44:34,200 David that we get to see how you knew him. 772 00:44:34,200 --> 00:44:39,600 God, you know us that you made us in our mother's womb. 773 00:44:40,280 --> 00:44:43,160 God, you gave us everything physically. 774 00:44:44,440 --> 00:44:48,520 God, you gave us our heart. God, you gave us, You made us, 775 00:44:48,680 --> 00:44:50,920 you created us. You weave us together. 776 00:44:52,680 --> 00:44:55,480 God, I pray that we bring our anxious thoughts to you. 777 00:44:57,040 --> 00:45:03,280 God rid our hearts of and our minds of just God wanting to to 778 00:45:03,280 --> 00:45:05,360 be someone we're not or be something that we're not. 779 00:45:05,360 --> 00:45:08,000 God, I pray that we'd rest and have godly confidence in you 780 00:45:08,360 --> 00:45:10,840 that would produce joy. It would produce a fear and an 781 00:45:10,840 --> 00:45:14,880 awe in you, God, that we would come running God into your 782 00:45:14,880 --> 00:45:16,920 throne of grace and find help in our time of need. 783 00:45:16,920 --> 00:45:20,640 Because we know that we have a a heavenly Father who cares, a 784 00:45:20,640 --> 00:45:23,920 heavenly Father who is present, a heavenly Father who is active 785 00:45:24,160 --> 00:45:26,440 and pursuing us every day of our life. 786 00:45:27,080 --> 00:45:30,120 But no matter what we're going through, where we're at, what 787 00:45:30,120 --> 00:45:33,080 we're thinking, what is our mind got, the things we're struggling 788 00:45:33,080 --> 00:45:37,480 with at home, I thank you God. You're saying I am there and I 789 00:45:37,480 --> 00:45:42,600 am with you and I am for you. Come to me, come to me, come to 790 00:45:42,600 --> 00:45:45,040 me. Give me your anxious thoughts 791 00:45:46,040 --> 00:45:49,160 and I will lead you on the everlasting way in Jesus name, 792 00:45:49,360 --> 00:45:49,680 Amen.