WEBVTT 00:00:00.280 --> 00:00:04.310 Psalm 139 is where we're going to be together today as we go into the story of the Book of Psalms. 00:00:05.060 --> 00:00:06.860 And we're getting to the end of our time in Psalms together. 00:00:07.000 --> 00:00:10.100 We'll have one more next week, and then we're going to start in the book of revelation. 00:00:11.300 --> 00:00:16.620 the reason we're turning to revelation, so you're aware, is because we just got done with a study out of the book of Genesis. 00:00:17.240 --> 00:00:18.660 And so we looked at the first book of the Bible. 00:00:18.680 --> 00:00:25.780 We're going to look at the last book of the Bible, and we're going to see through how through the books of the Bible, how God tells one grand story throughout Scripture and 00:00:25.780 --> 00:00:31.180 over 1500 years, and one story of his redemption for humanity. 00:00:31.180 --> 00:00:33.250 Revelation is an incredible book. 00:00:33.340 --> 00:00:39.920 I know many of you, probably many of you, probably look at revelation and think it's like a doomsday apocalyptic worlds coming to an end. 00:00:40.120 --> 00:00:42.640 Let's hunker down because it's over, right? 00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:49.840 And you think we hold like a newspaper on one hand with Fox News and CNN in the background, and we talk about how everything's just going to pot and Jesus 00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:50.860 come back quickly. 00:00:50.860 --> 00:00:51.360 Right. 00:00:51.480 --> 00:00:52.380 That part is true. 00:00:52.380 --> 00:00:57.710 We want Jesus to come back quickly, but we're not going to do it with newspapers and news stations in the background. 00:00:57.780 --> 00:01:00.080 The book of Revelation is different than that. 00:01:00.640 --> 00:01:02.100 And I want us to see the beauty of the book. 00:01:02.180 --> 00:01:04.900 I think it's the most beautiful book in all of Scripture, honestly. 00:01:04.900 --> 00:01:10.320 And I think people have kind of ruined it in what they choose to do with it. 00:01:10.420 --> 00:01:11.560 But God's got a far better picture. 00:01:11.560 --> 00:01:12.390 So we're going to talk about that. 00:01:12.620 --> 00:01:13.730 It's just an added bonus. 00:01:13.860 --> 00:01:17.790 It's during a political season, so we get to talk about it with greater zeal okay. 00:01:18.380 --> 00:01:20.860 But now we're in Psalm Psalm 139. 00:01:20.900 --> 00:01:27.380 And this psalm is a powerful psalm in understanding who God is. 00:01:27.380 --> 00:01:29.430 You know, this is called the Omni Psalm. 00:01:30.020 --> 00:01:33.080 And some of you might ask, well, why in the world are we that's such a weird name. 00:01:33.140 --> 00:01:34.300 Why call this an Omni Psalm? 00:01:34.300 --> 00:01:35.020 What does that even mean? 00:01:35.660 --> 00:01:38.820 Well, the omnis are dealing with the attributes of God. 00:01:38.940 --> 00:01:40.050 There's the omniscience. 00:01:40.820 --> 00:01:48.280 Omni means all or um, yeah, all knowing or as omniscient is or omnipresent, 00:01:49.100 --> 00:01:49.630 which is everywhere. 00:01:50.200 --> 00:01:55.720 Omni can mean everywhere, everywhere present or omnipotent, all powerful. 00:01:55.720 --> 00:01:58.060 This is the nature of who God is. 00:01:58.060 --> 00:02:00.670 I mean, we could also refer to this rather than the Omni Psalm. 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:03.200 We could refer to this as the doctrine Psalm. 00:02:04.220 --> 00:02:11.320 And I got to be honest with you when I was thinking about sharing this morning, I didn't really want to title it either, but I think it's far more important to know 00:02:11.320 --> 00:02:13.340 how this psalm has been traditionally viewed. 00:02:13.800 --> 00:02:20.840 And the reason I didn't want to title it the doctrine Psalm or the Omni Psalm is I know how human nature tends 00:02:20.840 --> 00:02:22.680 to respond to that idea. 00:02:22.860 --> 00:02:26.780 If I said to you, everyone show up today, we're going to talk about doctrine, right? 00:02:26.780 --> 00:02:30.060 People would look at that and be like, ah, I'll see you next week, right? 00:02:30.100 --> 00:02:30.520 I don't want to. 00:02:30.740 --> 00:02:32.000 That sounds boring. 00:02:32.040 --> 00:02:32.770 I don't want to. 00:02:32.780 --> 00:02:35.920 Are we just reading from, like an encyclopedia or a phone book or something? 00:02:35.920 --> 00:02:36.640 That sounds. 00:02:36.740 --> 00:02:37.320 I don't want to. 00:02:37.620 --> 00:02:43.160 A lot of people don't like the idea of just understanding doctrine or just reading through doctrine. 00:02:43.200 --> 00:02:43.920 Some of you love it. 00:02:43.920 --> 00:02:44.930 Some of you geek out on it. 00:02:45.100 --> 00:02:48.500 Others are like, no, thank you, I don't I don't really want to dive into this. 00:02:48.500 --> 00:02:51.760 It sounds it sounds boring to us. 00:02:52.060 --> 00:02:59.300 And one of the reasons I should tell us it sounds boring is people have done a terrible job of really telling you why. 00:02:59.420 --> 00:03:01.070 Why doctrine should matter. 00:03:01.260 --> 00:03:08.360 In fact, Psalm 139 is written in a way to help you understand how doctrine is such a powerful tool 00:03:08.360 --> 00:03:09.740 in your life. 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:17.100 Because what you're going to see in Psalm 139 is that David is writing this Psalm, and he's talking about the identity of who God is, but 00:03:17.100 --> 00:03:22.970 he's helping us understand how the identity of who God is shapes who we are, and therefore how we live. 00:03:23.900 --> 00:03:31.080 And so the doctrine of God is foundational for the reason you do what you do, because everything you do as a human being is 00:03:31.080 --> 00:03:33.130 driven by some sort of belief. 00:03:34.080 --> 00:03:41.260 And if you have an incorrect understanding of who God is, you're going to have a poor understanding of who you are, and therefore the way you live your life will be contrary 00:03:41.260 --> 00:03:42.760 to the reason which God has called you. 00:03:42.800 --> 00:03:45.320 Or if you do live your life, the reason that God has called you. 00:03:45.320 --> 00:03:46.790 It's only by happenstance. 00:03:47.660 --> 00:03:50.140 You just kind of lucked into it, right? 00:03:50.180 --> 00:03:57.260 But rather what's important is that we understand who God is and therefore through that, be able to understand who 00:03:57.260 --> 00:03:59.300 we are and live that out in life. 00:03:59.800 --> 00:04:06.840 You know, some people, when they hear the word doctrine, immediately want to run away from it because in their lives they've experienced 00:04:06.840 --> 00:04:14.000 how doctrine has been used, sort of as a power move by someone else to manipulate you or force you into something you 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:15.920 may not have necessarily wanted to do. 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:23.330 And some people, there's a there's a fine line sometimes between zeal and anger. 00:04:25.060 --> 00:04:27.640 And sometimes it becomes easy, maybe sometimes a mistake. 00:04:27.680 --> 00:04:27.820 It. 00:04:27.840 --> 00:04:32.020 But there's this passion that when you know the Lord that you certainly want to have in him. 00:04:32.740 --> 00:04:35.780 But it's important to distinguish the difference between zeal and anger. 00:04:35.800 --> 00:04:37.290 And I hope you have zeal for the Lord. 00:04:37.400 --> 00:04:41.140 It's good to learn how to temper that in a healthy way in your relationships, right? 00:04:41.140 --> 00:04:46.220 Not not to hide from truth, but to help people understand it in a loving, compassionate way. 00:04:46.220 --> 00:04:51.980 God cares about what you believe, and he also cares about the way in which you believe it, right? 00:04:51.980 --> 00:04:54.530 God cares about what you know and also what you do. 00:04:55.140 --> 00:05:01.710 So it's certainly wonderful to be passionate about your walk with the Lord, and also to think about how that then shapes the way you live in this world. 00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:09.580 Anyone that comes to you with doctrine, in order to kind of stiff arm you into embracing what they believe is saying to you, they have no confidence in what they really hold to what 00:05:09.580 --> 00:05:10.460 they're telling you. 00:05:10.880 --> 00:05:13.840 And in fact, they're trying to force you in order for you to validate themselves. 00:05:14.860 --> 00:05:17.220 And that's not healthy or good, right? 00:05:17.220 --> 00:05:19.600 But that's not a reason to run away from doctrine. 00:05:20.220 --> 00:05:24.640 In fact, I think it's more of a reason to figure out what real doctrine is. 00:05:25.240 --> 00:05:32.300 So some people have gone through terrible experience with others trying to force them into something and then have used that as a, as a way 00:05:32.300 --> 00:05:33.980 of just moving away from it. 00:05:34.180 --> 00:05:35.220 Always and forever. 00:05:35.580 --> 00:05:40.620 And that is not a healthy place to be, because what you believe shapes who you are. 00:05:41.320 --> 00:05:48.560 And so just because someone has been terrible to you in the area of doctrine doesn't mean you should walk away from it, but rather that 00:05:48.560 --> 00:05:55.700 we should be mindful of people as people, that sometimes people will take beliefs and use it 00:05:55.700 --> 00:05:57.420 to abuse others. 00:05:57.460 --> 00:06:04.540 And those beliefs may not even be accurate, but it's more important to discover what is accurate so that you can help people walk truthfully in it, or at least have the 00:06:04.540 --> 00:06:06.100 opportunity to understand it. 00:06:06.200 --> 00:06:10.040 In fact, some people will say this well, why teach people doctrine? 00:06:10.040 --> 00:06:11.830 As long as you're good, that's all that matters. 00:06:12.740 --> 00:06:19.000 But I think it's helpful for us in thinking, thinking through that for a minute to give a little pushback on that idea. 00:06:20.120 --> 00:06:21.460 It doesn't matter what you believe. 00:06:21.460 --> 00:06:22.790 Just let people figure it out for themselves. 00:06:23.840 --> 00:06:25.430 And as long as you're good, that's all that matters. 00:06:25.880 --> 00:06:28.960 Look, that in of itself is a doctrine. 00:06:29.900 --> 00:06:32.280 There is something driving that thought. 00:06:32.780 --> 00:06:34.060 I mean, we do it in our in our schools. 00:06:34.460 --> 00:06:35.900 We'll say things like, well, beliefs. 00:06:35.900 --> 00:06:37.000 You know, we don't really want to teach that. 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:37.830 I just want to teach the basics. 00:06:39.100 --> 00:06:40.520 you know which I love. 00:06:40.560 --> 00:06:43.260 You know, we want to we want to learn the basics, right? 00:06:43.280 --> 00:06:47.120 But in saying that, we're also declaring a doctrine. 00:06:47.820 --> 00:06:51.800 We're showing the where we find faith or truth. 00:06:52.720 --> 00:06:54.640 the priority it should have in our lives. 00:06:55.220 --> 00:06:59.100 It is Impossible not to have a doctrine or a belief. 00:06:59.460 --> 00:07:02.900 Everything you do as a human being is driven by a belief. 00:07:03.100 --> 00:07:07.680 It's just a matter of if that belief is accurate and what's really driving it. 00:07:07.820 --> 00:07:14.900 And so when you look at a Psalm like this, what's important to know is, you know what we need to ask is, what do we need as 00:07:14.900 --> 00:07:15.300 people? 00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:17.940 So in light of all that, what is it that we need? 00:07:18.600 --> 00:07:19.120 A.w. 00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:20.220 Tozer said it like this. 00:07:20.280 --> 00:07:25.620 He said, what comes to our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:30.290 He wrote this in his book knowledge of the Holy and What he's helping us understand. 00:07:30.380 --> 00:07:32.100 This knowledge of the Holy is an incredible book. 00:07:32.180 --> 00:07:35.300 If you've never read it, it's one of the, I would say, Christian classics. 00:07:35.300 --> 00:07:36.300 It's only about a hundred pages. 00:07:36.900 --> 00:07:43.900 It's a very profound book and shaping your understanding of who God is, because we have this tendency to diminish him and elevate ourselves rather than understand the 00:07:43.900 --> 00:07:45.430 greatness of who he is. 00:07:46.220 --> 00:07:46.740 But A.W. 00:07:46.760 --> 00:07:54.200 Tozer is wanting us to understand at the very beginning of his book how essential your understanding of God is, because it shapes everything that you are as a human being, and 00:07:54.200 --> 00:07:55.780 therefore how you live. 00:07:56.840 --> 00:08:03.680 And so when we come to a topic like this one, we want to understand the importance of who God is and what that how that matters to us practically. 00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:12.730 but we also want to do it in a way that is not only honoring to God, but caring about people around us, 00:08:13.240 --> 00:08:13.380 right? 00:08:13.380 --> 00:08:15.460 Meaning, we don't want to hide away from truth. 00:08:15.960 --> 00:08:16.730 Truth is important. 00:08:17.940 --> 00:08:21.860 And also we want to give other people the opportunity to understand what truth is. 00:08:21.940 --> 00:08:28.120 Which means we're not here to force you to embrace what we believe as a church or what we say. 00:08:29.120 --> 00:08:36.470 Rather, we want to be honest in sharing what we believe, where it comes from, and give a reasonable explanation for why we believe what we believe. 00:08:36.720 --> 00:08:42.780 And let the Spirit of God work in your heart and life and for you to discover him. 00:08:42.880 --> 00:08:49.960 And we work hard as a church to try to help anyone that comes a part of Alpine Bible Church to feel 00:08:49.960 --> 00:08:52.350 the freedom to ask any question. 00:08:53.420 --> 00:08:54.420 to understand. 00:08:54.420 --> 00:09:01.180 We believe that who you are as a human being matters, and the only way you truly discover it is to know who God is. 00:09:01.780 --> 00:09:08.520 And you need the freedom to ask some questions in order to validate or solidify that truth in your life. 00:09:08.580 --> 00:09:15.840 In fact, you're going to see this in Psalm 139, that David, when he was writing this Psalm and he's vacillating throughout this Psalm in his own personal 00:09:15.840 --> 00:09:22.900 walk as he grapples with who God is and what that means to him, especially in verses 5 to 8, he's struggling with the idea of who God 00:09:22.900 --> 00:09:23.140 is. 00:09:23.200 --> 00:09:29.690 And then again, in verse 19 and 22, he struggles with the idea of who God is and what that means, and the practical outworking of his life. 00:09:30.500 --> 00:09:32.570 And that's true for all of us. 00:09:33.140 --> 00:09:38.980 We need that space to understand what truth is and then respond to it. 00:09:39.020 --> 00:09:43.110 Not because someone else is pressuring me, but because the Spirit of God is working in me. 00:09:43.640 --> 00:09:50.860 Especially if I've ever come from a background where you've been abused, spiritually speaking, where someone's tried to just lord over you and 00:09:50.860 --> 00:09:58.200 force you into what you think you know, we need that freedom to be able to ask questions and 00:09:58.200 --> 00:10:05.200 to and to learn and grow and so this Psalm is really walking us through understanding what that looks 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:05.560 like. 00:10:05.560 --> 00:10:12.370 I mean, this is the reason why many people don't like politicians, because there's what they say to you in order to get your vote. 00:10:12.540 --> 00:10:15.010 But then you think to yourself, but what do you really think? 00:10:15.220 --> 00:10:16.070 And what are you going to do? 00:10:16.820 --> 00:10:16.980 Right? 00:10:17.000 --> 00:10:24.020 No one wants to be a part of a religion that's like, I'll join this group, and then you find out a little bit later that behind the curtain, they believed all sorts of 00:10:24.020 --> 00:10:24.960 crazy things. 00:10:25.020 --> 00:10:28.300 And you're like, man, that would have been nice to know up front, right? 00:10:28.300 --> 00:10:33.180 Like the idea of doctrine helps you understand who God is. 00:10:33.660 --> 00:10:37.940 Hopefully a reasonable explanation why and then what are you going to do about it? 00:10:38.640 --> 00:10:40.720 And this is what David's doing in Psalm 139. 00:10:40.760 --> 00:10:42.260 So let me I belabor that for a while. 00:10:42.340 --> 00:10:42.720 So let me give you a point. 00:10:42.900 --> 00:10:48.420 Number one, it's important to recognize the harmonies of God. 00:10:48.560 --> 00:10:49.960 It's important to recognize the harmonies of God. 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:50.760 We already called it out. 00:10:50.760 --> 00:10:53.360 How important the foundation of who God is for you. 00:10:53.360 --> 00:10:54.920 And the practical outworking of your life. 00:10:55.140 --> 00:10:57.830 And if you want to know why the Psalm is called the Omni Psalm. 00:10:58.300 --> 00:11:05.440 If you look at the Psalm ten, it tends to be in most and most Bibles that they break this down into paragraphs, and these paragraphs 00:11:05.440 --> 00:11:07.380 are broken down according to the omnis. 00:11:07.480 --> 00:11:10.540 Verse one O Lord, you have searched me and know me. 00:11:10.780 --> 00:11:17.200 You know when I sit down and when I rise, this word known is the omniscience of God, the all knowing ability of God. 00:11:17.220 --> 00:11:19.690 In verse seven, where shall I go from your spirit? 00:11:19.700 --> 00:11:21.550 Or where shall I flee from your presence? 00:11:21.680 --> 00:11:26.270 This idea of presence is the omnipresence of God everywhere present. 00:11:26.580 --> 00:11:30.460 And then verse 13, it doesn't say power directly, but it implies it here. 00:11:30.460 --> 00:11:33.280 For you formed my inward parts. 00:11:33.280 --> 00:11:35.180 You knitted me together in my mother's womb. 00:11:35.260 --> 00:11:36.700 I am fearfully and wonderfully made. 00:11:36.700 --> 00:11:42.490 This is expressed expressing the omnipotence of God, the all power of God he possesses. 00:11:42.700 --> 00:11:43.880 He owns you. 00:11:43.880 --> 00:11:45.450 He created you for his purposes. 00:11:45.660 --> 00:11:49.100 So this is certainly showing us the omnis of who God is. 00:11:49.140 --> 00:11:56.320 And so in light of that, then the psalmist starts to navigate what does this mean for me and understanding God in 00:11:56.320 --> 00:12:03.580 this way, this all knowing, everywhere present, all powerful God that he doesn't depend 00:12:03.580 --> 00:12:04.650 on anything. 00:12:05.520 --> 00:12:12.780 He is the only thing created that is truly autonomous, that nothing in this world he is reliant upon, even you 00:12:12.780 --> 00:12:13.960 and me. 00:12:13.960 --> 00:12:21.200 And sometimes people come to church and think, the reason you got to be here is because God is up in heaven, so desperate to get your praise right. 00:12:21.240 --> 00:12:24.180 Like, and I think it's wonderful to praise the Lord because he's worthy of that. 00:12:24.300 --> 00:12:27.880 But it's not because he's sitting there on Sunday morning every week, like, okay, I showed up. 00:12:27.880 --> 00:12:31.140 I can't wait till they get to church, like, that's not that's not who God is. 00:12:31.640 --> 00:12:33.450 He is not dependent on anything. 00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:34.490 And so what does that mean? 00:12:34.560 --> 00:12:41.520 In verse two the psalmist says, when I sit down and when I rise up, you discern my thoughts from afar. 00:12:42.120 --> 00:12:48.940 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways, even before a word is on my tongue. 00:12:48.940 --> 00:12:51.790 Behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. 00:12:52.960 --> 00:12:54.140 So here's what the psalmist is saying. 00:12:54.180 --> 00:12:59.560 In light of the omniscience of God, he's saying, man, God knows everything happening in me inwardly. 00:12:59.660 --> 00:13:00.730 That's what he says in verse two. 00:13:01.280 --> 00:13:03.010 You discern my thoughts from afar. 00:13:03.780 --> 00:13:07.050 And then he says, and also God knows everything that I'm doing outwardly. 00:13:08.400 --> 00:13:12.630 So much so that God already knows the beginning from the end of my life. 00:13:13.060 --> 00:13:16.310 Like he foresees everything in front of me before I'm even there. 00:13:17.180 --> 00:13:24.270 And it's not saying God can predict the future, but rather what it's saying is when God looks at us, he doesn't look at us in sort of a linear way. 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:25.600 That's how we operate as human beings. 00:13:25.600 --> 00:13:28.240 We kind of move forward on the in time. 00:13:28.540 --> 00:13:34.460 But for God, God is beyond time and he sees the beginning and end all at once. 00:13:34.540 --> 00:13:36.400 He is he is not bound by time. 00:13:36.400 --> 00:13:38.460 He transcends time. 00:13:38.600 --> 00:13:41.660 And so the psalmist is thinking about this, that God, God knows it all. 00:13:41.660 --> 00:13:45.520 My in inside everything that's happening in me, outside. 00:13:45.520 --> 00:13:46.960 I mean, think about that today. 00:13:46.980 --> 00:13:51.840 Like if someone could see every thought that you had today. 00:13:52.800 --> 00:13:55.880 If we just would put that on the screen and not just the good ones, right? 00:13:55.880 --> 00:13:57.760 Not the ones that you get to pick, but. 00:13:57.820 --> 00:13:59.220 But also the bad ones. 00:13:59.260 --> 00:13:59.400 Right. 00:13:59.420 --> 00:14:04.620 Your anger, your lust, your frustrations, whatever. 00:14:04.620 --> 00:14:05.480 We just we just put it. 00:14:05.480 --> 00:14:07.480 Could you imagine if you were that was exposed? 00:14:08.640 --> 00:14:08.860 Right. 00:14:08.860 --> 00:14:15.880 If people could see that and what people might think about us when they know the depths of what you wrestle with in your heart, it may 00:14:15.880 --> 00:14:17.700 not come out outwardly, right. 00:14:17.760 --> 00:14:19.400 But to know it was even a thought inwardly. 00:14:20.700 --> 00:14:22.360 And God sees all of that. 00:14:23.220 --> 00:14:27.540 And when you look at a verse like this, how do you initially respond to the idea of who God is? 00:14:27.980 --> 00:14:29.390 Could you imagine if this was a human being? 00:14:30.340 --> 00:14:34.000 I know everything you think like that is creepy, isn't it? 00:14:34.040 --> 00:14:36.440 It's like, man, how could I get away from this? 00:14:36.460 --> 00:14:38.320 Like I'm okay with people. 00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:40.880 Don't know some things about me, but everything about me. 00:14:40.940 --> 00:14:42.080 My word that is. 00:14:42.120 --> 00:14:43.380 That sounds unsettling. 00:14:43.720 --> 00:14:44.210 It's a little bit. 00:14:44.660 --> 00:14:45.480 A little bit confining. 00:14:46.940 --> 00:14:47.200 Right. 00:14:47.260 --> 00:14:49.660 But this is exactly what the psalmist says. 00:14:49.720 --> 00:14:55.030 You might think in light of God this way you might look at God and be like, man, I don't know if I like this. 00:14:55.640 --> 00:14:57.420 Is that okay that I don't like this? 00:14:57.840 --> 00:14:58.800 How do I deal with this? 00:14:58.800 --> 00:15:00.360 This is a little bit a little bit frustrating. 00:15:01.040 --> 00:15:02.500 Maybe a little bit spooky to me. 00:15:02.500 --> 00:15:02.950 A little bit scary. 00:15:03.340 --> 00:15:05.340 Like how do I embrace this? 00:15:05.340 --> 00:15:08.320 Well, this is exactly where the psalmist goes. 00:15:08.680 --> 00:15:15.740 If you wonder if that's okay, the psalmist lets you know it's totally okay, because in verse 5 to 7, that's what he does. 00:15:15.800 --> 00:15:17.960 And so let me give you point number number two in your notes. 00:15:18.700 --> 00:15:22.480 It's rewarding to wrestle with the awesomeness of God. 00:15:23.700 --> 00:15:28.700 It's rewarding to wrestle with the harmonies of God. 00:15:29.320 --> 00:15:31.970 The psalmist kind of goes to this place of feeling a little suffocating. 00:15:32.680 --> 00:15:35.710 He's struggling, panicking, feeling a little trapped. 00:15:35.960 --> 00:15:42.120 And look, he says, you hem me in behind and before and lay your hand upon me. 00:15:42.120 --> 00:15:44.720 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. 00:15:44.760 --> 00:15:45.370 It is high. 00:15:45.580 --> 00:15:46.800 I cannot attain it. 00:15:46.940 --> 00:15:48.170 Where shall I go from your spirit? 00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:52.950 Or where shall I flee from your presence is like saying, man, you are everywhere. 00:15:53.420 --> 00:15:54.830 Like, give me a break. 00:15:55.140 --> 00:15:56.840 Just where is that one spot I could go? 00:15:56.840 --> 00:15:57.640 Where you're not God. 00:15:57.640 --> 00:16:01.330 Like that is a lot of spots to be in at one time, and I can't seem to find one. 00:16:01.620 --> 00:16:07.380 And he describes this as being hemmed in by the Lord and wanting to know what. 00:16:07.520 --> 00:16:08.340 What this means for him. 00:16:08.360 --> 00:16:09.700 He wants, freedom. 00:16:09.700 --> 00:16:10.370 I want to break free. 00:16:10.520 --> 00:16:11.300 I want to get out of this. 00:16:11.340 --> 00:16:13.890 God let me know that one spot I can get away from you. 00:16:14.560 --> 00:16:17.600 But he's starting to learn something about the nature of humanity. 00:16:18.500 --> 00:16:20.420 God is the only being completely autonomous. 00:16:21.680 --> 00:16:24.580 Everything else created is dependent upon something. 00:16:25.180 --> 00:16:29.530 In fact, we should say everything else created is dependent on someone. 00:16:30.520 --> 00:16:33.420 And he made us dependent on things of this world as well. 00:16:33.540 --> 00:16:37.400 I mean, you can't really go more than a few days without eating or drinking. 00:16:38.020 --> 00:16:39.960 You can only go a few seconds without breathing. 00:16:40.920 --> 00:16:48.320 We're created as dependent human beings, and it's not really freedom to just divorce 00:16:48.320 --> 00:16:50.580 ourselves from God That's not real freedom. 00:16:50.580 --> 00:16:51.440 That's anarchy. 00:16:51.440 --> 00:16:55.560 And the reason it's not freedom is because you weren't made to be separated from God. 00:16:56.380 --> 00:16:57.740 You were made for God. 00:16:58.840 --> 00:17:04.040 And so the psalmist is walking through this, trying to discover what does this mean for me? 00:17:04.040 --> 00:17:06.410 Because in this moment, it's kind of got him in a conundrum. 00:17:07.420 --> 00:17:13.680 And really, it puts all of us in a bit of a conundrum, because in one hand, we as people, we want to be known. 00:17:14.579 --> 00:17:15.359 We want to be loved. 00:17:15.540 --> 00:17:16.520 We want to know we're important. 00:17:16.640 --> 00:17:18.609 We want to live for a purpose greater than ourselves. 00:17:18.780 --> 00:17:19.920 We want those things. 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:21.359 We want to connect. 00:17:22.060 --> 00:17:23.339 We want to know we matter. 00:17:24.680 --> 00:17:24.859 Right? 00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:32.020 But then there comes a part, as you're known, that you were like, well, not everything about me, because there are some things 00:17:32.020 --> 00:17:33.260 about me that are broken. 00:17:34.280 --> 00:17:37.170 And when you know those things about me, it makes me vulnerable. 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:41.160 And when it makes me vulnerable, it's saying that you have power over me. 00:17:42.320 --> 00:17:49.440 And so when people start to see the depths of your heart and it brings this place of vulnerability, they see your flaws and they 00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:51.520 can leverage those flaws against you. 00:17:52.620 --> 00:17:55.320 And this is where the psalmist is with God. 00:17:56.580 --> 00:18:00.360 God, you know every detail about my life in your omniscience and your power. 00:18:01.880 --> 00:18:03.460 God, what are you going to do about that? 00:18:03.520 --> 00:18:05.700 Because I'm broken and you're perfect. 00:18:07.060 --> 00:18:10.260 And God, how will you leverage that? 00:18:11.360 --> 00:18:18.420 As human beings, because we're dependent, we often get to places in life where things get beyond us and we need to 00:18:18.420 --> 00:18:19.420 ask for help. 00:18:19.760 --> 00:18:22.070 We'll look for experts to help us. 00:18:22.680 --> 00:18:30.420 And if you're something as simple as maybe a little project in your home, it might be a particular area of a project in your home that you're just not accomplished 00:18:30.420 --> 00:18:30.860 in. 00:18:30.860 --> 00:18:37.940 And so you've got to call someone, call an expert, and bring them in to be able to help with that task, because, you might be good at some 00:18:37.940 --> 00:18:39.140 things, but you're not good at everything. 00:18:39.240 --> 00:18:46.500 Or maybe you've got a health battle and you need to call in an expert to help with that because, well, you're not a doctor and you 00:18:46.500 --> 00:18:49.540 need to know what's going on to get ahead of what's happening to you. 00:18:49.620 --> 00:18:52.540 Or maybe financially you need some help or different things. 00:18:52.540 --> 00:18:53.600 Your car breaks down. 00:18:53.620 --> 00:18:56.280 You call in an expert because, well, you're not an expert in everything. 00:18:56.560 --> 00:18:57.880 And so you need someone. 00:18:58.180 --> 00:19:02.400 And when you go to find an expert, depending on how important it is, you want to look at the credentials. 00:19:03.700 --> 00:19:06.180 You want to say, okay, why should I trust in you? 00:19:06.180 --> 00:19:13.420 And can I see some hands of your work to know whether or not you're worth trusting in so that when I entrust myself to you, 00:19:13.520 --> 00:19:15.560 I'm not disappointed in you. 00:19:15.560 --> 00:19:18.640 Because you are worth the trust that I extended to you. 00:19:19.620 --> 00:19:21.820 And this is what the psalmist is doing in verse six. 00:19:21.840 --> 00:19:24.720 He's saying, such knowledge is too wonderful for me. 00:19:24.840 --> 00:19:26.420 He's saying, look, I'm out of my league in this. 00:19:26.420 --> 00:19:27.560 I can't run the world. 00:19:27.560 --> 00:19:29.170 I don't know what this is all about. 00:19:30.280 --> 00:19:33.920 I'm just I'm trying to discover this as I'm working through this Psalm. 00:19:33.960 --> 00:19:37.270 And so I need to lean on an expert and God, that is who you are. 00:19:37.420 --> 00:19:39.560 But I'm trying to figure out how this works in my life. 00:19:39.940 --> 00:19:45.400 And so you see in the in these next verses that he moves on from here to sort of work this out. 00:19:45.460 --> 00:19:49.590 And you see him in these next verses begin to move from this place of. 00:19:49.620 --> 00:19:53.280 I'm a little reluctant because it makes me vulnerable, knowing your power over me. 00:19:53.380 --> 00:20:00.400 And he starts to see how God leverages that power, that omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, and what his intentions 00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:05.000 are behind it as to whether or not the psalmist should entrust his life to him. 00:20:05.920 --> 00:20:08.900 And so, point number three in your notes, let me give you this, and we'll read the next verses. 00:20:09.280 --> 00:20:14.840 It's healthy to revel in the omnipotence of God. 00:20:15.940 --> 00:20:19.200 It is healthy to revel in the omnis of God. 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:21.640 And in verse eight you see the psalmist say this. 00:20:21.640 --> 00:20:25.000 He goes, if I ascend to heaven, you're there. 00:20:25.360 --> 00:20:28.600 And if I make my bed in Sheol, which is the place of the dead, you're there. 00:20:28.680 --> 00:20:35.840 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand 00:20:35.840 --> 00:20:36.740 shall hold me. 00:20:36.780 --> 00:20:41.620 So he's saying, if before the morning sun rises, if I jump on the wings of a bird. 00:20:41.640 --> 00:20:45.540 And I'll just fly fast to get away from the sun, or if I go to the depths of the ocean. 00:20:45.540 --> 00:20:49.000 It doesn't matter You're No matter where I go, you're there. 00:20:49.000 --> 00:20:49.760 Verse 11, if I. 00:20:49.980 --> 00:20:52.620 If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me. 00:20:52.640 --> 00:20:54.960 And the light about me be night. 00:20:54.960 --> 00:20:56.640 Even the darkness is not dark to me. 00:20:56.640 --> 00:20:58.020 The night is bright as the day. 00:20:58.020 --> 00:21:00.590 For the darkness is as light with you. 00:21:00.900 --> 00:21:01.600 Verse 13. 00:21:01.600 --> 00:21:03.000 For you formed my inward parts. 00:21:03.000 --> 00:21:05.070 And you knitted me together in my mother's womb. 00:21:05.220 --> 00:21:07.530 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. 00:21:08.120 --> 00:21:09.320 Wonderful are your works. 00:21:09.320 --> 00:21:11.090 My soul knows it very well. 00:21:11.440 --> 00:21:18.080 My frame was not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 00:21:18.160 --> 00:21:20.220 Your eyes saw my unformed substance. 00:21:20.220 --> 00:21:22.760 In your book were written, every one of them. 00:21:22.920 --> 00:21:27.080 The days that were formed for me, when as yet they were there was none of them. 00:21:28.060 --> 00:21:34.980 I mean, God knows your life before you even lived it, and he's been intricately involved in the shaping of you. 00:21:35.980 --> 00:21:43.140 And this Psalm is practically helping us that through the understanding of who God is, that we start to understand 00:21:43.140 --> 00:21:50.240 who we are, and it helps us understand then how we live in this world, and God caring so 00:21:50.240 --> 00:21:57.260 intimately for our existence that he would be this involved, and God shaping us in the Psalm. 00:21:57.340 --> 00:22:03.340 And so this Psalm is starting to teach us the value of every human from conception to death. 00:22:03.340 --> 00:22:08.280 It doesn't matter your age, your race, your education, your economic background. 00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:13.350 This Psalm starts to help shape for us how we live in light of who God is. 00:22:13.660 --> 00:22:16.900 I mean, he even speaks to things like today, like abortion. 00:22:17.020 --> 00:22:21.380 You know, when the Psalm was written, abortion was not a thought they had. 00:22:21.880 --> 00:22:25.180 David had no concept of that America was going to exist. 00:22:25.180 --> 00:22:27.600 And this would become a political battle for us. 00:22:28.500 --> 00:22:35.580 But this is telling us that the importance of who you are being shaped by God from the point of conception, this is 00:22:35.580 --> 00:22:42.060 teaching us as human beings how we should navigate in this world in light of who God is. 00:22:42.060 --> 00:22:47.520 I mean, this Psalm even demonstrates for us how it starts to communicate for us. 00:22:47.520 --> 00:22:54.070 I should say how we can respond to the idea of if God is good in a broken world. 00:22:54.200 --> 00:22:57.010 And some people look at the brokenness of this world and think, how can God be good? 00:22:57.020 --> 00:22:58.100 Because this world is sinful. 00:22:59.020 --> 00:23:03.040 But you look at this Psalm and it starts to reveal the heart of God towards us and his care for us. 00:23:03.840 --> 00:23:10.940 And so as you, as we navigate the complexities of life and the brokenness of life, one conclusion that we cannot get to as God's people is that 00:23:10.940 --> 00:23:11.820 God doesn't love us. 00:23:11.820 --> 00:23:13.000 God doesn't care about us. 00:23:13.680 --> 00:23:20.760 Because what you see in this Psalm is the very idea of God leveraging the power of who he is and the 00:23:20.760 --> 00:23:22.070 beauty of who we are. 00:23:22.980 --> 00:23:23.860 God certainly cares. 00:23:23.860 --> 00:23:30.420 He shows us in our creation, and he shows us in our recreation that God became flesh and gave his life for us. 00:23:30.440 --> 00:23:33.720 There's nothing more valuable and sacred than the life of God. 00:23:33.800 --> 00:23:40.160 So when we try to figure out how there's a good God and a broken world, one conclusion we cannot make is that God is a bad God. 00:23:40.160 --> 00:23:44.290 God is an evil God, or God doesn't care about us because you see his concern. 00:23:44.560 --> 00:23:49.010 Now, certainly there's complexity to that I don't have time to get into all that today. 00:23:49.640 --> 00:23:57.360 But you see the psalmist shaping for us the idea of God, for an understanding of who we are and therefore how we 00:23:57.360 --> 00:23:58.460 live in this world. 00:23:59.040 --> 00:24:01.800 And it's all seen in whose hands you're in. 00:24:02.700 --> 00:24:07.160 You know, the value of everything in this world is really determined by whose hands you're in for. 00:24:07.400 --> 00:24:14.560 For example, this morning, if I had a basketball and I was holding it in my hand, I can tell you the value of that basketball is never more than 00:24:14.560 --> 00:24:16.820 what Walmart will sell it for, right? 00:24:16.840 --> 00:24:18.890 I will not impress you with my basketball skills. 00:24:19.100 --> 00:24:22.120 I have some and they're getting older. 00:24:22.120 --> 00:24:22.280 Okay. 00:24:22.300 --> 00:24:24.160 So not great at basketball. 00:24:24.300 --> 00:24:25.310 I'm okay at basketball. 00:24:25.780 --> 00:24:29.620 In fact, if I had a ball, I'd probably drop a little bit in value just because I have it. 00:24:29.740 --> 00:24:34.080 But you put that ball in this guy's hands, it's worth millions, right? 00:24:34.140 --> 00:24:36.220 It's all a matter of whose hands it's in. 00:24:36.440 --> 00:24:37.000 Same thing. 00:24:37.160 --> 00:24:40.730 Same thing for something like a sweater like this, you put a sweater like this in my hands. 00:24:40.840 --> 00:24:44.780 The only thing that's going to get me is my wife will be turned off by it, and it will go to goodwill, right? 00:24:44.860 --> 00:24:46.060 That's it. 00:24:46.140 --> 00:24:49.880 But you put it in this guy's hands, and it is magic, isn't it? 00:24:49.880 --> 00:24:53.020 Like everyone becomes a neighbor or a paintbrush. 00:24:53.020 --> 00:24:54.400 You put a paintbrush in my hands. 00:24:54.860 --> 00:24:55.970 No one's going to be impressed. 00:24:56.360 --> 00:25:01.560 You put a paintbrush in this hand as he says, there is no mistakes with a paintbrush. 00:25:01.620 --> 00:25:02.890 Just happy accidents. 00:25:03.300 --> 00:25:06.810 And you put those happy accidents next to happy trees and happy clouds. 00:25:07.100 --> 00:25:08.780 That's how Bob Ross does it, right? 00:25:08.820 --> 00:25:10.560 It becomes magic in his hands. 00:25:10.920 --> 00:25:15.720 But the bigger question when you look at Psalm 139 is honestly, whose hands are you in? 00:25:19.870 --> 00:25:23.020 Whose hands is your life really in? 00:25:25.060 --> 00:25:33.720 The value of who you are is determined by what you're entrusting yourself to now, practically 00:25:33.720 --> 00:25:36.840 speaking, now, theologically, it's always determined by God. 00:25:38.660 --> 00:25:45.720 I mean, God made you for a purpose, but you're not going to understand that purpose or walk in that purpose until your life is 00:25:45.720 --> 00:25:47.500 surrendered to him. 00:25:48.020 --> 00:25:55.330 And this is where the psalmist goes in the in verse 17, which let me give you the last point in your notes and read these final verses. 00:25:55.840 --> 00:25:59.520 It is healing to be resolved in the harmonies of God. 00:25:59.540 --> 00:26:03.420 It is healing to be resolved in the harmonies of God. 00:26:04.840 --> 00:26:06.930 And this is where the psalmist finally rests. 00:26:08.300 --> 00:26:10.520 He says, how precious to me are your thoughts, God? 00:26:11.540 --> 00:26:13.340 How vast is the sum of them? 00:26:14.060 --> 00:26:17.140 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. 00:26:17.320 --> 00:26:20.400 I awake, and I am still with you. 00:26:21.660 --> 00:26:29.080 Rather than fight against God, the psalmist has learned that the best place for his soul is to entrust himself to 00:26:29.080 --> 00:26:29.380 the Lord. 00:26:30.580 --> 00:26:32.920 And so you see in this Psalm, he rests in him. 00:26:33.580 --> 00:26:39.320 And here's why it's important is because we have given God in our lives every excuse to give up on us. 00:26:40.360 --> 00:26:44.580 I mean, I don't even know some of us here this morning, but I can tell you without knowing your past. 00:26:45.100 --> 00:26:45.790 That is true. 00:26:46.740 --> 00:26:50.740 All of us give God an excuse, a reason to give up on us. 00:26:51.680 --> 00:26:52.030 But he doesn't. 00:26:53.200 --> 00:26:53.780 He doesn't. 00:26:54.740 --> 00:27:02.540 Again and again his mercies are new every morning, which gives us the beautiful privilege to even know him and 00:27:02.540 --> 00:27:03.480 to walk with him. 00:27:04.220 --> 00:27:09.840 And this is where the psalmist is resolved to trust in this God. 00:27:09.980 --> 00:27:12.500 He may not know all the details of how this works. 00:27:12.500 --> 00:27:14.640 I mean, you see this struggle in verse 5 to 7. 00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:16.100 We're going to see another struggle here in the next verse. 00:27:16.520 --> 00:27:19.660 But he certainly he's saying there's a struggle, right? 00:27:20.440 --> 00:27:22.570 And when you come to Christ, you don't have it all figured out. 00:27:22.860 --> 00:27:25.980 But what you need to know is who is Jesus and whether or not he's true. 00:27:26.740 --> 00:27:30.060 And then from there, you get to walk with God to discover and figure it out. 00:27:30.820 --> 00:27:36.090 And you see the psalmist now that he's resolved, he has this zeal for who God is. 00:27:36.660 --> 00:27:43.720 And I love it when Christians get excited and they give their heart to the Lord, they get excited, passionate about God and sometimes I've learned over the years 00:27:43.720 --> 00:27:50.500 that sometimes Christians will have this misappropriated zeal, meaning they're really excited about God. 00:27:50.500 --> 00:27:57.640 They want other people to be excited about God, but they gotta learn how to communicate that excitement in a way that connects to people and not makes it off putting or pushes 00:27:57.640 --> 00:27:58.530 them away. 00:27:58.980 --> 00:28:01.380 And so there's a growing process in that. 00:28:01.460 --> 00:28:04.010 And I think in these next few Psalms, this is where David is. 00:28:04.940 --> 00:28:07.950 He's now passionate about the Lord, and he's learning. 00:28:08.140 --> 00:28:11.310 How does he demonstrate that passion in the way that he lives his life? 00:28:11.480 --> 00:28:15.860 And in verse 19 to verse 22, this is what's referred to as an imprecatory psalm. 00:28:16.920 --> 00:28:19.680 And when it comes to Imprecatory Psalms, they're very unique. 00:28:19.880 --> 00:28:24.040 The only place you really find imprecatory passages are really in the Psalms. 00:28:24.100 --> 00:28:26.720 If you look up the word, show me imprecatory passages of the Bible. 00:28:26.780 --> 00:28:31.830 You're only going to find them in the Psalms, and sometimes people have a hard time with them because of how forceful they are. 00:28:32.420 --> 00:28:38.810 And one of the reasons I think it's important to remember why they're so forceful is because as a human being, sharing where his heart is. 00:28:39.240 --> 00:28:42.820 But it's not always saying that heart is a healthy heart, right? 00:28:42.880 --> 00:28:43.250 It's not saying. 00:28:43.520 --> 00:28:50.800 And you need to emulate this, but rather it's just acknowledging David's finding his life in the Lord and not trying to learn how to apply 00:28:50.800 --> 00:28:51.300 it. 00:28:51.560 --> 00:28:56.260 Now, there's something to say about David and being, the lineage of Jesus. 00:28:56.420 --> 00:29:00.620 And when people attack him defending himself because he is the lion of Christ. 00:29:00.680 --> 00:29:00.900 From where? 00:29:01.140 --> 00:29:02.240 From where Christ will come. 00:29:02.740 --> 00:29:06.480 So there's something about understanding that when you read an imprecatory Psalm. 00:29:07.000 --> 00:29:14.040 But I will tell you in this particular verse, I think David overstates his zeal for the Lord and in fact becomes a contradiction 00:29:14.040 --> 00:29:15.220 to his own self. 00:29:15.260 --> 00:29:21.360 Because when you read verse 19, it says, oh, that you would slay the wicked, O God, O men of blood, depart from me. 00:29:21.400 --> 00:29:27.460 Look, I think for brothers and sisters in Christ being martyred around the world, the justice of God is a very comforting thing to them. 00:29:27.520 --> 00:29:31.240 So I don't think this verse is necessarily wrong to carry as believers, right? 00:29:31.240 --> 00:29:35.310 Because I think it can be comforting to know that if someone ever comes against you, God will reconcile. 00:29:35.680 --> 00:29:36.420 Wrong. 00:29:36.500 --> 00:29:37.920 But let God have vengeance. 00:29:37.920 --> 00:29:38.520 Not not me. 00:29:39.200 --> 00:29:41.820 He goes on and says, they speak against you with malicious intent. 00:29:41.860 --> 00:29:43.180 Your enemies take your name in vain. 00:29:43.560 --> 00:29:45.920 Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord? 00:29:45.920 --> 00:29:48.880 And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? 00:29:49.720 --> 00:29:54.080 And this is where I think in this passage David's zeal has gone too far. 00:29:54.200 --> 00:29:59.620 Meaning David is looking at his situation and he's he has a hate for the brokenness of this world. 00:29:59.620 --> 00:30:00.400 And I don't think that's wrong. 00:30:01.100 --> 00:30:02.460 It's okay to hate sin. 00:30:03.220 --> 00:30:07.760 But where I think David becomes a contradiction is that he turns and hates those that are opposed to God. 00:30:08.000 --> 00:30:14.020 But when you look at this, at this Psalm that was David in verse 5 to 7, I want to run away from you, God. 00:30:14.860 --> 00:30:15.100 Right. 00:30:15.180 --> 00:30:17.020 And what David gets is grace. 00:30:17.180 --> 00:30:19.450 And what transforms his life is grace. 00:30:20.280 --> 00:30:27.020 And so while I see the ambition of David to want to honor God, I think in this particular passage he overstates his ambition. 00:30:27.900 --> 00:30:29.570 There needs to come a place in our lives we recognize. 00:30:29.720 --> 00:30:32.470 Yes, there are things that are wrong, and I need to be confident in the truth that I hold. 00:30:33.460 --> 00:30:40.470 But at the same time, the book of Ephesians tells me in chapter six, verse 12, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and In 00:30:40.520 --> 00:30:42.880 spirits that there's a deeper issue. 00:30:42.880 --> 00:30:50.140 At root, it's not me attacking another human being, but there's a foundation they're holding to that is contrary to the Lord, and it's the truth that sets them free. 00:30:50.960 --> 00:30:56.980 I mean, Romans 1214 it says, bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse or Matthew. 00:30:57.340 --> 00:31:00.900 Chapter five verse 44 carries the same idea pray for your enemies. 00:31:01.800 --> 00:31:03.700 Yes, I think that's more the heart of God. 00:31:03.720 --> 00:31:04.860 That's why Jesus pursued us. 00:31:04.880 --> 00:31:06.750 We were all enemies of God, and he gave his life. 00:31:06.840 --> 00:31:13.880 And so this is why I think in verse 23, this is where David ends, because he knows he's got this zeal for the Lord now, but he 00:31:13.880 --> 00:31:14.940 needs to learn God. 00:31:15.360 --> 00:31:16.860 What does that look like in living it out? 00:31:18.480 --> 00:31:25.520 Understanding who God is and who you are in light of who he is, helps us learn to walk with 00:31:25.520 --> 00:31:27.000 God in a healthy way in this world. 00:31:27.920 --> 00:31:28.880 Oh, absolutely. 00:31:28.880 --> 00:31:30.120 Be zealous. 00:31:30.380 --> 00:31:33.700 Be passionate about what should matter in this world. 00:31:33.700 --> 00:31:35.960 Mostly more than anything. 00:31:35.980 --> 00:31:42.980 Your walk with God and in that be willing to continue to surrender yourself to God over and over again, that he 00:31:42.980 --> 00:31:45.660 would shape the beauty of who he is in you. 00:31:46.680 --> 00:31:47.650 And this is what David does. 00:31:47.800 --> 00:31:50.440 Search me, O God, and know my heart. 00:31:51.120 --> 00:31:57.710 Try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 00:31:59.560 --> 00:32:06.640 In Psalm 139, you discover who you are because of who he is, and therefore you 00:32:06.640 --> 00:32:11.240 have purpose in living because of who you are in light of who he is. 00:32:11.940 --> 00:32:19.040 Whether it's in days that are on mountaintops or days in the valley, whether you're going through moments of success or moments 00:32:19.040 --> 00:32:26.260 of struggle, you understanding who God is helps you understand who you are as you walk through any moment of your life. 00:32:26.300 --> 00:32:27.900 Which leads me to this last point. 00:32:28.060 --> 00:32:28.910 And this is where I'll end. 00:32:30.060 --> 00:32:37.240 You know, on September 11th, terrorists decided to target three particular 00:32:37.240 --> 00:32:44.280 points in America First, they wanted to target our economic stability by going after the trade 00:32:44.280 --> 00:32:44.820 centers. 00:32:45.780 --> 00:32:49.680 Then they wanted to target our national security by going after the Pentagon. 00:32:50.780 --> 00:32:56.620 And finally, they wanted to target our political power by going after either the white House or the Capitol. 00:32:56.620 --> 00:32:58.080 No one's for sure which target? 00:32:58.620 --> 00:33:02.300 The last target was because the flight never made it there. 00:33:03.520 --> 00:33:10.760 And the reason flight 93 never made it to either the Capitol or the white House was because of brave people like Todd 00:33:10.760 --> 00:33:11.180 Beamer. 00:33:12.400 --> 00:33:19.780 On that particular flight, they were able to find out what was happening in the United States, and a group of individuals 00:33:19.780 --> 00:33:22.200 on the plane decided to take over that plane. 00:33:22.720 --> 00:33:27.980 And shortly afterwards, the plane crashed in the middle of nowhere, Pennsylvania. 00:33:27.980 --> 00:33:35.040 Todd Beamer, we know in those final moments, he tried to call from the plane back to his home to tell his wife and his boys 00:33:35.040 --> 00:33:42.080 that he loved them But rather than be able to talk to 00:33:42.080 --> 00:33:46.080 them, his call was rerouted to customer service for the airline. 00:33:47.220 --> 00:33:52.320 And he told the customer service representative to communicate to his wife and children that he loved them. 00:33:53.360 --> 00:33:56.620 And he asked that representative to pray with him the Lord's Prayer. 00:33:57.780 --> 00:34:02.320 And after he prayed the Lord's Prayer, the woman that answered the phone said he heard. 00:34:02.440 --> 00:34:05.250 She heard Todd in the background say, are you ready? 00:34:05.880 --> 00:34:06.440 Let's roll. 00:34:07.900 --> 00:34:10.120 Shortly after that, the plane crashed in Pennsylvania. 00:34:11.800 --> 00:34:17.540 One of the things that I think made Todd Todd Beamer so brave that day was that Todd was a devout Christian. 00:34:17.659 --> 00:34:23.469 In fact, he went to a Christian university, and shortly after he passed, this is what his wife said. 00:34:23.580 --> 00:34:27.560 She said, what made Todd different from many others? 00:34:29.179 --> 00:34:30.219 Excuse me. 00:34:30.420 --> 00:34:38.020 What made Todd different from many other men who are merely religious was not the fact that he was willing to die for his faith The 00:34:38.020 --> 00:34:38.620 terrorists. 00:34:38.900 --> 00:34:42.880 Did that know Todd was willing to live for his faith? 00:34:43.560 --> 00:34:50.659 Todd built his life on a firm foundation so that when the storm came on September 11th, he didn't have to check the 00:34:50.659 --> 00:34:55.620 blueprints to see if everything he had built his life on was going to stand. 00:34:56.020 --> 00:34:57.500 He already knew. 00:34:59.820 --> 00:35:05.930 I know when we think about doctrine, we tend to run away from it as people, or at least some of us can. 00:35:06.300 --> 00:35:11.080 And there's sometimes reasons for that, like being abused in some sort of doctrinal system. 00:35:12.020 --> 00:35:19.040 But guys, can I tell you there is nothing more precious to the identity of who you are than understanding the purity of who God 00:35:19.040 --> 00:35:19.420 is. 00:35:19.860 --> 00:35:25.280 Because when we know who he is, we know who we are, and it guides us in this world.