God is All-Knowing

God is All-Knowing

Text: Psalm 139:1-4 (KJV)

1 O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

Series Introduction:

* We, as a congregation, are currently in a series of sermons that are a study the attributes of God.

* An attribute is a characteristic, or a personal trait, that is consistently present in a person.

* For this series of sermons, an attribute of God, is a characteristic or a personality trait that is always present in God.

* In the Bible, God reveals his personal attributes to us so that we might understand Him, and know what He is really like.

* Unlike the attributes of men and women, God’s attributes and personality never change.

* As we look at God’s attributes, or His character, in this series of sermons, it is my hope that you will fall in love with God with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul.

* And that is what is behind true worship- worship in sincerity and truth.

* As your pastor, I believe that the ultimate goal of all preaching, and all ministry in the church for that matter, is to encourage people to love God.

* If our relationship with God never moves past facts and figures about God, to a personal relationship, and fellowship with God, our lives as Christians we will become bitter and joyless, and the Christian life will lose its purpose altogether.

* Our true purpose in life is to glorify God. This is why we were created. “This is the secret of life.”

* Do you just know about God, or do you have a personal relationship with Him this morning?

* Loving God should be the only motive behind everything we do at church.

* Any ministry that goes on in the church, must flow out of our love for God.

* Until you and I move past just knowing about God, to actually loving God in an intimate way, we cannot worship God sincerely, and with our whole heart.

* We can only worship someone we love.

* We must learn what God’s personality is like in order to fall in love with God.

* We learn to love God by knowing what His personality is like.

* This is why I am leading you in this study the of “Attributes” of God.

* Three Sundays ago, we looked at the Goodness of God, two Sundays ago we looked at the faithfulness of God, last Sunday we took a look at the “omnipresence” of God. And Now this Sunday we will take a look at the “omniscience” of God, or the “all-knowing” attribute of God’s personality.

* Turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 139. We will take our text in this entire chapter this morning, but for simplicity, we will only ready verses 7-10:

Text: Psalm 139:1-4 (KJV)

Introduction:

I. God knows all our Prayers.

II. God knows all our suffering.

III. God’s knows how to fellowship with us.

IV. God’s knows all of our sins.

Introduction:

* Beginning in the Garden of Eden, God made it clear that He knows everything about those created in His image.

* This can be a comfort—He knows and understands our pain

*This also can be a cause for concern—He knows all our sins.

* Theologians have a word for this all-knowing-ness- omniscience.

* We all as humans go through life longing for a relationship with someone who knows them completely.

* Everyone would like to know that there is at least one person to whom they could reveal anything without the fear of being judged or rejected.

* People live their whole lives without being able to talk about their deepest fears, longings, hurts, or dreams.

* Relationships with our loved ones and friends on this earth should have the kind of intimacy that we long for, but most of the time they don’t.

* That doesn’t mean there is no one who knows you completely. We forget that God knows everything about us and extends an invitation to us to be His friend and to have an intimate relationship with Him.

* In our text this morning we learn these facts about the all-knowing God:

Text: Psalm 139:1-4 (KJV)

1 O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

Verse 1: A summary statement—God knows us.

Verse 2: He knows all our activities, all the routines of our life, and our thoughts (cf. Ezekiel 11:5).

Ezekiel 11:5 (KJV) 5 And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.

Verse 3: God knows our directions, our ways, our habits.

Verse 4: He knows every word we speak.

* Further down in our text we read just how intimate God is with us.

Psalm 139:7-18 (KJV)

7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. 13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

• 1 John 3:20 God knows everything.

• Acts 15:18 God knows everything He has done and created.

• Job 37:16 God’s knowledge is perfect, lacking nothing.

• Isaiah 46:9–10 God knows everything from eternity past to eternity future.

• Psalm 33:13–15 Nothing escapes God’s vision from His vantage point in heaven.

• Psalm 147:4 God knows all the stars by name.

• Matthew 10:29–30 God knows the condition of every sparrow and knows the number of hairs on our head.

• Job 38–41 God knows every detail about the natural world.

* Think of what God’s knowledge is like compared to ours:

- Because He knows all things perfectly, He doesn’t know one person better than another. God doesn’t have favorites.

- He doesn’t learn or discover; His knowledge is complete at all times.

- God is never surprised or amazed; He doesn’t wonder about anything since He knows everything.

- God’s knowledge never fades or grows dim or retreats into the recesses of His memory or subconscious.

- He knows every possible item of knowledge concerning everything that has ever existed or will exist in the future.

- God doesn’t have to count anything (the grains of sand on the seashore, the stars in the sky, the flowers in a given field)—all knowledge in the universe is ever-present in His mind.

* Everything I just stated about God’s knowledge is the opposite of how it is with u

* Our knowledge is imperfect and limited, His is perfect and complete.

* In fact, not only does God know everything that is actual, He even knows everything possible.

Matthew 11:21-22 (KJV)

21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.

* God knows everything that has happened and everything that might have happened.

* We cannot even comprehend that kind of knowledge, of course. But that’s the whole point: God is God and we’re not.

* No wonder David wrote in Psalm 139:6, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.”

Psalm 139:6 (KJV)

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

Isaiah 55:8-9 (KJV)

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

* I would like to share with you just 4 of the many ways that God’s omniscience impacts four areas of our spiritual life:

I. God knows all our Prayers.

Matthew 6:5-8 (KJV)

5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

* We do not pray to inform God—He already knows what we need before we ask Him.

* We pray in order to fellowship with Him and He informs us about His will.

* We, not God, are changed by our prayers.

* Even when we pray about our daily needs, Jesus says, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” (Matthew 6:32).

Matthew 6:31-34 (KJV)

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

* You might say “well, If God knows what we are going to ask already, then why pray at all?” * We pray out of obedience. God has commanded us to pray. * Sometimes we think we know what we need, but our heavenly Father knows what we really need.

* Sometimes He changes our heart about what we’re asking for while we’re praying.

* He can tell us what we need instead of us having to tell Him what we need.

* Prayer brings us into submission to the will of God.

* As we pray, the Spirit of God is at work in us to conform our wills to the will of God.

* Most Christians will readily admit they are glad God has not answered all their prayers. He knows what we need better than we do.

* It’s great just to sit down and say to God, “Here’s what I’m thinking and feeling.

* Tell the Lord, about the things that you’re dealing with in your life.

* Listen to how David prays:

Psalm 31:7-16 (KJV)

7 I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities; 8 And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room.

9 Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly. 10 For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.

11 I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me. 12 I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.

13 For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.

14 But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God. 15 My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.

16 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies’ sake.

* Bring all your thoughts and preferences and desires and lay them before God. He will help you sort them out and choose wisely.

* He will guide you and not let you make foolish mistakes because you willingly submit you will to His will.

* We should be so thankful that God knows everything about our life.

I. God knows all our Prayers.

II. God knows all our suffering.

II. God knows all our suffering.

* We long the most for someone to talk to when we are suffering.

* Sometimes, our pain is so profound that we don’t know how to express it even to a person who is close to us.

* The blessing of knowing an all-knowing God is two-fold:

- He is willing to hear us when we cry.

- He knows our heart-cry even when we can’t find words to express it.

* God has observed us as we have gone through the experience, so He knows the source of our pain.

* He can read our hearts and minds to know just how we feel in spite of our inability to put it into words.

* Psalm 31:7 says, “I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, for You have considered my trouble; you have known my soul in adversities.”

* And Psalm 142:3 says, “When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path.”

* Psalm 142:3 says, “When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path.”

* God knows what we experience. He knows every minute of our pain and suffering.

* God knows how it happened, and how long it’s going to last, and how intense it is.

* God knows every emotion that’s associated with our suffering. * Not only does God know about your suffering, but God can identify with your suffering because He suffered too:

Hebrews 4:13-16 (KJV) Two reasons for comfort:

1) God knows about our suffering.

13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight:but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

2) God knows what you are feeling because He has felt this same feelings Himself.

15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

* When you’re going through difficult times, sometimes all you can do is look up and say, “Father, you know.”

I. God knows all our Prayers.

II. God knows all our suffering.

III. God’s knows how to fellowship with us.

III. God’s knows how to fellowship with us.

* The Bible says that God knows those who are His (2 Timothy 2:19)

John 10:26-27 (KJV)

26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

* Psalms 1:6 Says “For He knoweth the way of the righteous”

* God’s All-knowing nature has greatly affects our daily walk with Him or “fellowship with Him.”

* God is the best, perfect, friend all of us have ever longed for.

* You say “yea yea, I know I’ve heard all my life that if I have Jesus in my heart, I am never alone.” But wait! Don’t take this for granted! Think about what KIND of friend Jesus is!

- He never takes things the wrong way or misunderstands what we say or do.

- There’s nothing He can discover about us which would make Him love us any less.

- God is not waiting to catch us saying something wrong,

- God never changes His “will” based on our behavior.

Illustration:

* Did you hear about the wealthy grandfather who purchased a new, hi-tech hearing aid?

* After using it a couple of weeks, he stopped back by the store where he had purchased it and told the manager he could not only hear normal conversations, but things being said in the next room as well.

* “Your family and relatives must be delighted at how well you can hear now,” the proprietor said.

* “Oh, I haven’t told them yet,” the grandfather said.

* “I’ve just been sitting around listening. And I’ve changed my will four times this week already!”

* God already knows us and loves us perfectly in spite of what He knows.

* No bad report from a tale-bearer or news of our failures or indiscretions will take God by surprise.

* We spend our lives longing for transparency and intimacy … longing for someone with whom we can share our thoughts and dreams … someone who will understand us.

*. We want someone who will accept our good thoughts and our bad, someone in whose presence we would have no fear at all.

- We say to ourselves, “I would spend every moment I could with such a person if I could only find him.

- We say to ourselves, “I would live in the safety of that person’s understanding and acceptance.”

- We think to ourselves, “ I would tell that person everything I’m afraid to tell everyone else.”

* You can see where I am going with this, can’t you?

* Because of God’s attributes, we have such a “personal friend” in God!

* He is the best friend you will ever have!

* He already knows all the things within us that we are aching to talk to someone about.

* God is the partner you have been longing for!

* Strive to revel in this relationship with Him! * This is what God created man for in the beginning when God walked with Adam in Eve in the cool of the day in the Garden.

* The soul that communes with God in close and intimate relationship is the happiest state that a man can be in.

* This is the secret to happiness!

* Remember this: though He sees all of my error and failure and sin, He sees it through the lens of His grace that declares me positionally and eternally holy in His sight.

* God is the only one who can see us as we are in the flesh and as we are in Christ at the same time. * God is the only one who will love you unconditionally as you walk with Him day after day. He is the only one qualified to do so.

I. God knows all our Prayers.

II. God knows all our suffering.

III. God’s knows how to fellowship with us.

IV. God’s knows all of our sins.

IV. God knows all of our sins.

* To be faithful to the Word of God we have to talk about the all-kowing nature of God and sin.

* There is nothing hidden from Him in all of creation, and it is to Him that all men will give an accounting.

Psalm 44:21 (KJV)

21 Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

Psalm 69:5 (KJV)

5 O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.

Hebrews 4:13 (KJV)

13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

* There are no secret thoughts or secret plans or secret longings or secret fears. There are no secrets from God, period.

* Every thought that flashes through our mind is visible to the eye of God.

* If we have committed secret sins or secret crimes, God knows every detail of them.

* None of our excuses will hold water before Him because He knows the pure facts about every situation.

* We have not gotten away with anything that we think we have done.

* How would you feel if, some Sunday morning, every thought that crossed your mind for the last seven days were revealed in foot-high letters on a large screen in the front of your church?

* Children used to commit acts of disobedience behind the backs of their parents.

* Doesn’t it bother you when you see children do wrong and commit acts of defiance in right in front of their parents?

* We cringe in shame and sorrow for both parent and child when we see brazen acts of disobedience take place.

* Do we not act just as brazenly when we sin in plain view of our heavenly Father?

* Every Christian will stand before Jesus Christ to acknowledge that which God has always know all our lives.

* Our character will be revealed when we are judged (not our reputation).

* According to the Bible, our rewards in Christ will be determined by what God sees:

1 Corinthians 3:7-15 (KJV)

11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (This is speaking of our life and how we live it.)

12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; (This is the works that we do in life.)

13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, (This is judgment day for the Christian- The Bema sea of Christ) because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. (God will put your works to the test- to test your true motives.)

14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. (All of the evil works will be destroyed- burned up in the fire of God’s judgment.) 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (For the works of your live that were up to God’s standards, you will loose the rewards that you otherwise would have been given by Christ.)

Conclusion:

1). God is the best friend you will ever have. God longs to live in fellowship with you.

Are you living in fellowship with God, or are you like Peter, and following afar off?

2). God knows about all your sin. He gives you the opportunity to confess your sin to Him so He will not have to judge you to bring you to repentance.

Will you come clean with God toady and receive is mercy and forgiveness, or will you continue on, pretending to hide your sin from God?

Don’t wait until God has to bring a judgment into your life. Confess your sin and restore your fellowship with God this morning.

1 Corinthians 11:30-32 (KJV)

30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Outline Summary

Text: Psalm 139:1-4 (KJV)

Introduction:

I. God knows all our Prayers.

II. God knows all our suffering.

III. God’s knows how to fellowship with us.

IV. God’s knows all of our sins.

Conclusion:

1). God is the best friend you will ever have. God longs to live in fellowship with you.

Are you living in fellowship with God, or are you like Peter, and following afar off?

2). God knows about all your sin. He gives you the opportunity to confess your sin to Him so He will not have to judge you to bring you to repentance.

Will you come clean with God toady and receive is mercy and forgiveness, or will you continue on, pretending to hide your sin from God?

Don’t wait until God has to bring a judgment into your life. Confess your sin and restore your fellowship with God this morning.

Series Introduction: “The God that Created you”

1. The God Who Created You Is a Just God.

2. The God Who Created You Is A Holy God.

3. The God Who Created You Is A Faithful God.

4. The God Who Created You Is An Eternal God.

5. The God Who Created You Is A Changeless God.

6. The God Who Created You Is A Powerful God.

7. The God Who Created You Is A Good God.

8. The God Who Created You Is An All-Knowing God.

9. The God Who Created You Is A Sovereign God.

10. The God Who Created You Is An Ever-Present God.

11. The God Who Created You is a Loving God.

12. The God Who Created You Name.