Sermon Tone Analysis
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Psalms 139
*Search Me Oh God*
Special kids with some special needs but fearfully and wonderfully made.
Our world might use words like ‘tragic’, ‘mistake’, but we would say ‘on purpose for a purpose’.
But of course, that’s not just true of them.
It’s true of every single one of us.
That’s what we want to talk about this morning.
If you have a Bible, I’d invite you to turn with us to Psalm 139.
Psalm 139 is arguably the most intimate psalm, the most intimate passage of Scripture in the entire Bible.
It’s really a remarkable piece of work because it brings together some of the biggest themes of God—His omniscience, His omnipresence, God is all-knowing; He’s everywhere present.
But it brings it down into what is perhaps the most intimate passage of Scripture in the entire Bible.
* O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
(Psalm 139:1; ~*NASB) *
It’s important to remind ourselves that the word ‘known’ doesn’t mean ‘you know about me’ – it’s not a term of information or intellect.
In both the Hebrew Old Testament and the Greek New Testament, the word ‘know’ is a term of intimacy.
In both languages, it is the term that is used to describe sexual intimacy between a husband and wife.
So, “God, You know me in a very real and intimate way.”
* You know when I sit down and when I rise up.
(v.
2a) *
The psalmist is just thinking about the most ordinary, everyday stuff of life.
I would suggest to you, you don’t even know over the course of a day when you rise up and when you sit down.
You just don’t even think about that stuff.
You do it hundreds of times a day, but God knows.
God knows the most ordinary, everyday stuff of your life.
* You understand my thought from afar.
(v.
2b) *
It means, “God, You understand what I’m thinking even before I’m thinking it.”
* *
* You scrutinize my path and my lying down, (v.
3a) *
That word ‘scrutinize’ can be a little misleading.
Basically what it means is, “God, You go ahead of me, and You make sure that my pathway is safe.
And before I lie down, You make sure it’s a safe place to lie down.”
* And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O LORD, You know it all*.
[Before I even say something, God knows what I’m going to say.]
You have enclosed me behind and before, [“*You go before me; You come after me.”] and laid Your hand upon me*.
[That would be a poetic way of saying, “God, You have blessed me.”] *Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it.
*(vs.
3b-6)
The conclusion of the psalmist after that opening paragraph is, “God, this is so remarkable.
I can’t even comprehend it.
I can’t even wrap my mind around it.
How is it possible that You could know every moment of every day of my life?”
Now this would be remarkable if God just chose one person out of the billions of people on this earth to know at this level of intimacy.
But this isn’t talking about God knowing one person.
This is God knowing every person—billions and billions of people—at this level of intimacy.
It’s what we call the omniscience of God.
God knows all.
But at a level we really cannot even comprehend.
I found myself as I meditated on this Psalm this week coming to the same conclusion as the psalmist.
“God, I can’t even wrap my mind around this.
I can’t even comprehend that You would know me at this level.”
Remarkable.
I believe accountability is important.
I want to make sure you don’t misunderstand what I say today.
I think accountability is important.
I think it’s good that we have people that we are accountable to.
I think it’s good that we have accountability groups.
I think we see through church history that bad things happen when people aren’t accountable.
So you’re hearing that aren’t you?
I think accountability is important.
But…I think one of the reasons we become so dependent upon human accountability to walk uprightly is because we do not fully understand what the psalm just said.
And when our level of accountability is merely on a human level, we are at great risk.
What happens when that accountability group is not there?
What happens when I’m with a group who has different values?
What happens when I’m all alone?
I think we all understand that who I am when nobody sees me is who I am.
But I must remember in that moment, I am accountable.
I am accountable to the One who’s opinion matters most.
And I’m accountable to God.
Because of my role as a pastor, I am in a position of spiritual authority.
And that makes some people rather uncomfortable.
Whenever I’m talking to people who are not believers, I avoid the question like the plague: “What do you do for a living?”
Because it always brings the reciprocal, “What do you do?” and at that point the party’s over.
A couple of years ago, Patti and I were at a restaurant waiting to get a table and it was a crowded waiting area.
And we bumped into a classmate of mine from high school – from Lincoln High – and we had played football together.
So we began to reminisce and tell stories and actually were having a wonderful time together.
Over the course of that twenty minutes, I’m guessing probably three times he asked me what I do for a living.
And I very cleverly avoided the question.
But eventually, he pinned me down and wanted to know.
I said, “Well, I’m a pastor.”
You’d have thought I told him his house was on fire.
You could see it in his face.
The color went out of it.
They’re both standing there holding beers; they’re looking at one another; they’re looking at the beer; they’re looking at me.
And I’m not exaggerating, within thirty seconds, they came up with a reason to excuse themselves and went to the other side of the waiting area.
Well let’s just take that concept of spiritual authority and go with that a little bit.
Let’s imagine that I was to spend an entire week at your side as your pastor – every moment of every day.
I’m going to hear every word you say.
I’m going to see everything that you watch on a television.
I’m going to see every movie you go to.
I’m going to see what you look at on your computer.
I’m going to see how you treat your spouse.
I’m going to see how you treat your children.
I’m going to see how you children treat your parents.
Every moment of every day, I’m there.
Would anything change?
I think the reality is, “Yes.”
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