God's Intimate Knowledge, Presence, and Unconditional Love
Summary
### Summary
Today, we delved into Psalm 139, a profound passage that reveals the depth of God's knowledge, presence, and power. David, the psalmist, begins by acknowledging that God knows him intimately—every thought, action, and word. This omniscience is both awe-inspiring and comforting, as it assures us that nothing about us is hidden from God. Despite knowing our deepest flaws and sins, God loves us deeply. This love is not just a passive feeling but is demonstrated through His constant presence and guidance in our lives.
David also explores God's omnipresence, asking rhetorically where he could possibly go to escape God's Spirit. The answer is nowhere. Whether in the heights of heaven, the depths of Sheol, or the farthest reaches of the sea, God's presence is there. This omnipresence is not meant to be a source of fear but a source of comfort, knowing that God is always with us, guiding and protecting us.
Finally, David reflects on God's omnipotence, particularly in the act of creation. He marvels at how God knit him together in his mother's womb, emphasizing that God's power is not just vast but also personal. This realization leads David to a place of worship, acknowledging that God's thoughts and plans for him are precious and innumerable.
In the New Testament, the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19 beautifully illustrates this truth. Jesus knew Zacchaeus completely—his sins and his past—yet chose to dine with him, demonstrating that God's love transcends our shortcomings. This is the essence of the Gospel: God knows us completely and loves us deeply.
### Key Takeaways
1. God's Omniscience: God knows every detail about us—our thoughts, actions, and words. This complete knowledge can be intimidating, but it is also deeply comforting. Despite knowing our flaws and sins, God loves us unconditionally. This truth should lead us to a place of humility and worship. [35:43]
2. God's Omnipresence: There is no place we can go to escape God's presence. Whether in the heights of heaven or the depths of Sheol, God is there. This omnipresence assures us that we are never alone, and God's guidance and protection are always available to us. [47:22]
3. God's Omnipotence in Creation: God's power is evident in the act of creation. He knit us together in our mother's womb, demonstrating His intimate involvement in our lives from the very beginning. This realization should lead us to praise and worship Him for His incredible power and care. [56:30]
4. God's Love Despite Our Flaws: The story of Zacchaeus illustrates that God knows us completely and still loves us deeply. Jesus chose to dine with Zacchaeus, a known sinner, showing that God's love is not based on our righteousness but on His grace. This should encourage us to come to God as we are, trusting in His love and forgiveness. [01:00:44]
5. The Call to Respond: Understanding God's complete knowledge and deep love for us should lead us to a response. For those who know Jesus, it is a call to deeper gratitude and worship. For those who have not yet trusted Him, it is an invitation to accept His love and forgiveness, knowing that nothing we have done can separate us from His love. [01:01:56]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[11:30] - Opening Prayer
[35:43] - Introduction to Psalm 139
[36:53] - God Knows Us Completely
[37:30] - God's Intimate Knowledge
[38:16] - God's Love Despite Our Sins
[39:00] - God's Omniscience
[39:57] - God Knows Our Thoughts
[40:35] - God's Constant Observation
[41:20] - God's Knowledge of Our Words
[41:55] - Encircled by God
[42:43] - Healthy Fear of God
[43:30] - God's Comforting Presence
[44:25] - God's Wondrous Knowledge
[45:14] - David's Awe of God
[46:29] - Where Can I Flee?
[47:22] - God's Omnipresence
[48:20] - Up to Heaven, Down to Sheol
[49:02] - East to West
[50:34] - Jonah's Story
[52:35] - Light and Darkness
[54:37] - Adam and Eve's Shame
[56:30] - God's Power in Creation
[58:31] - God's Precious Thoughts
[59:45] - Story of Zacchaeus
[01:01:56] - Invitation to Respond
[01:03:03] - Closing Prayer
[01:05:05] - Dismissal and Benediction
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Psalm 139:1-18 - This passage is the primary text for the sermon, focusing on God's omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence.
2. Luke 19:1-10 - The story of Zacchaeus, illustrating God's love despite our flaws.
#### Observation Questions
1. According to Psalm 139, what specific aspects of David's life does God know intimately? ([36:53])
2. How does David describe God's omnipresence in Psalm 139? What are the different places he mentions? ([47:22])
3. In the story of Zacchaeus, what was Jesus' response to Zacchaeus despite knowing his past? ([01:00:44])
4. What does David mean when he says, "You knit me together in my mother's womb"? How does this reflect God's omnipotence? ([56:30])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the knowledge that God knows our thoughts and actions affect our daily lives? ([39:57])
2. What comfort can we find in the fact that there is no place we can go to escape God's presence? ([47:22])
3. How does the story of Zacchaeus illustrate the concept of God's love despite our flaws? ([01:00:44])
4. Why is it significant that David praises God for being "remarkably and wonderfully made"? How does this shape our understanding of God's involvement in our lives? ([56:30])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt comforted by the knowledge that God knows everything about you. How did this impact your relationship with Him? ([39:57])
2. Have you ever tried to "escape" God's presence in your life? What was the outcome, and how did you eventually find comfort in His omnipresence? ([47:22])
3. In what ways can you relate to Zacchaeus' story? Are there areas in your life where you feel unworthy of God's love, and how can you embrace His grace? ([01:00:44])
4. How can you cultivate a deeper sense of gratitude and worship for God's intimate involvement in your life, as David did in Psalm 139? ([56:30])
5. Think of a specific situation where you struggled with feeling unworthy of God's love. How can the truths from Psalm 139 and the story of Zacchaeus help you overcome these feelings? ([01:00:44])
6. Identify one area in your life where you need to trust more in God's omnipotence. What steps can you take this week to surrender that area to Him? ([56:30])
7. How can you use the knowledge of God's omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence to encourage someone else who may be struggling with feelings of inadequacy or fear? ([39:57])
Devotional
Day 1: God's Intimate Knowledge of Us
God's Omniscience: God knows every detail about us—our thoughts, actions, and words. This complete knowledge can be intimidating, but it is also deeply comforting. Despite knowing our flaws and sins, God loves us unconditionally. This truth should lead us to a place of humility and worship. [35:43]
Psalm 139:1-4 (ESV): "O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether."
Reflection: Think about a time when you felt misunderstood by others. How does knowing that God understands you completely change your perspective on that situation?
Day 2: The Comfort of God's Ever-Present Spirit
God's Omnipresence: There is no place we can go to escape God's presence. Whether in the heights of heaven or the depths of Sheol, God is there. This omnipresence assures us that we are never alone, and God's guidance and protection are always available to us. [47:22]
Jeremiah 23:23-24 (ESV): "Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord."
Reflection: Reflect on a moment when you felt alone or abandoned. How can you remind yourself of God's constant presence in your life during similar times?
Day 3: Marveling at God's Creative Power
God's Omnipotence in Creation: God's power is evident in the act of creation. He knit us together in our mother's womb, demonstrating His intimate involvement in our lives from the very beginning. This realization should lead us to praise and worship Him for His incredible power and care. [56:30]
Isaiah 44:24 (ESV): "Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: 'I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself.'"
Reflection: Consider the intricate details of your own life and body. How does recognizing God's hand in your creation inspire you to worship Him today?
Day 4: Embracing God's Love Despite Our Flaws
God's Love Despite Our Flaws: The story of Zacchaeus illustrates that God knows us completely and still loves us deeply. Jesus chose to dine with Zacchaeus, a known sinner, showing that God's love is not based on our righteousness but on His grace. This should encourage us to come to God as we are, trusting in His love and forgiveness. [01:00:44]
Romans 5:8 (ESV): "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Reflection: Identify a specific flaw or sin that you struggle with. How can you bring this to God today, trusting in His love and forgiveness?
Day 5: Responding to God's Deep Knowledge and Love
The Call to Respond: Understanding God's complete knowledge and deep love for us should lead us to a response. For those who know Jesus, it is a call to deeper gratitude and worship. For those who have not yet trusted Him, it is an invitation to accept His love and forgiveness, knowing that nothing we have done can separate us from His love. [01:01:56]
Ephesians 3:17-19 (ESV): "So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
Reflection: How can you express your gratitude to God today for His deep knowledge and love for you? If you haven't yet trusted Him, what is holding you back from accepting His love and forgiveness?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "God knows us completely and yet still loves us deeply. So let's look at that. Let's look at our verses. We're going to start in Psalm chapter 139. Starting in verse number 1, it says, Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know me when I sit down, when I stand up, and you understand my thoughts from far away." [36:53] (18 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Not only do you love us, but because of your great love for us, and despite all of our sinfulness, our rebellion towards you, that, God, you still sent your Son, to die in our place for the sins that we've committed and the ones we will commit. Father, it's incredible." [38:16] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "And yet, what David is overwhelmed by is the fact that God knows everything about him, but yet still loves David anyway. And you can put your name right in that sentence, that God knows everything there is to know about Justin, and he loves him anyway." [45:14] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "So Jesus, he knows us completely. He knew exactly what Zacchaeus had been doing. But still, despite the complaints, but still he loves us deeply. Look what he says in verse number 9. talking to Zacchaeus here. Today salvation has come to this house, Jesus told him, because he too is the son of Abraham. For the son of man has come to seek and save the lost." [01:00:44] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "The Bible says that God loves you in spite of all the things you may have done, the thoughts you may have had, the actions you may have taken, the words you may have spoken. That God knows all of that. That still loves you anyway. And he calls you by way of his son." [01:01:56] (18 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "But most of all, what we see here is that we see God for who he is, while at the same time, we see ourselves for who we are. And David in this psalm makes the argument that God is all-knowing, he is all-present, and he is all-powerful. And so David says, look at God in this way. You see God in these different ways. You will see God for who he is." [35:43] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "David says, there's nothing that I do, that God, you do not see. But if I travel, God, you see. That if I lay down again, God, you see. If the lights are out, God, you still see. There's nothing that goes on that God misses." [41:20] (18 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "And so David says that you encircle me, God. What he's doing is borrowing the idea of a siege, where a city would be there in the middle, and then an army would surround it on all sides so that no one comes, no one comes, no one comes, no one goes. Everything is under constant observation. And so David says that, God, you've encircled me. It's like a siege, God, you're all around me. You see all, you know all." [42:43] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "And then David, he says, you're this wondrous knowledge. It's beyond me. It's lofty. I am unable to reach it. And so David talks about this wondrous knowledge. And he lays out the comfort. He says, God, you have knowledge of my thoughts. He said, even before I'm thinking the thought, God, you already know it. He says, you have knowledge of my ways, my travels, my standing up, my laying down, my rest. That God, you are well aware of all these things." [44:25] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "And then verse 18, if I counted them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. We're talking about God's knowledge. It's so vast, it would outnumber the sand. And when I wake up, I am still with you. He says, God's watching over me even as I sleep. And nothing keeps us from him." [58:31] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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