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In this Psalm David is completely aware and in awe of God’s mighty power and presence.
1. David’s Astonishment Psalm 139:1-6 “O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.” God knows everything there is to know about us and David was astonished at that thought. God's infinite power baffles the human mind. Our mortal brains cannot comprehend or fathom the Almightiness of God. Job 11:7 says: “Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven, what canst thou do? Deeper than hell, what canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.” 2. David’s Affirmation You know what David begins to understand … there is no escaping the presence of God. Psalm 139:7-12 “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.” Unlike the devil, God is omnipresent. A person may be able to run from God, but they cannot hide from God. 3. David’s Acknowledgement In the midst of David affirming God’s almighty power, David now acknowledges God’s wonderful person. As powerful as God is, He also has precious countless thoughts towards us. Psalm 139:13-18 “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fear-fully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 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. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.” God did not create us to hate us; God loves His creation and desires His best to be fulfilled in their lives. It is amazing how some people charge God foolishly, especially when something bad happens to somebody. Tozer said “Some cannot understand why God lets man die; but I cannot understand why God lets man live, because he has forfeited all right to live, by his iniquity.” 4. David’s Assertion Psalm 139:19-22 “Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. For they speak against thee wickedly and thine enemies take thy name in vain. Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. A man of God said “If men insist on being the enemies of such a great God, they richly deserve their fate.” 5. David’s Attention David has his eyes on the Lord; he takes the time to mark out the wicked; but now David turns his attention to his own heart. Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” How important it is to practice the presence of God. Being mindful of the Lord is great and essential and being aware of wickedness around us is both sobering and wise. However to call on the Lord, to help us focus on our own deceitful hearts, is being conscious of the presence of God in our own life and that is key.
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Hebrews 12:28-29 “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: vs 29 for our God is a consuming fire.”
1. Acceptably There is a way that God desires to be served, worshipped and loved. As God’s servants under the new covenant of grace, we should seek diligently what is acceptable unto the Lord, and not take His grace for granted. Tozer once said “To great sections of the church, the art of worship has been lost entirely and in its place has come that strange and foreign thing called the ‘program’.” Some churches today are searching for what works to better serve God rather than searching the Word to see what God approves of for his service. Ephesians 5:10 “Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.” Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” 2. With Reverence Hebrews 12:28-29 “… let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear…” To serve God “with reverence” simply means to have the utmost respect towards God, to have a Holy respect. John the Baptist was a great example. Luke 3:16 “John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:” To unloose the sandal strap was the lowliest servant’s task. John the Baptist realized that he was not worthy to take off the shoes of Jesus let alone to have the privilege to wash His feet. Though John had a correct outlook he still served God by submitting to the will of the Father which also demonstrates reverence. To serve God “with reverence” is to have a humble walk with God. Notice what Micah mentions: Micah 6:8 “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” “True humility is thinking rightly of thyself, not meanly. When you have found out what you really are, you will be humble, for you are nothing to boast of. To be humble will make you safe. To be humble will make you happy. To be humble will make music in your heart when you go to bed. To be humble here will make you wake up in the likeness of your Master by and by.” (Spurgeon) Before anyone has the desire to serve God almighty they must have a humble walk with Him. Walking with God is the foundation of what we are as Christians. Our walk with God will help us serve Him acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 3. Godly fear Hebrews 12:28-29 “… let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear…” To have “godly fear” is to be super sensitive to the things of God and to His ways. To have “godly fear” means we cannot be indifferent to what God requires of us. Noah was a perfect example, the Bible states in Hebrew 11:7 “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” To have “godly fear” means to respond to God’s instructions. Conclusion There are two motivations that will help us serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear; notice the first: Hebrews 12:28, “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved…” 1. What we have secured in Christ. To be part of God’s eternal Kingdom – a promise that is fulfilled in Christ – is something to certainly look forward to. Christ is our blessed hope and our labour – in Christ and for Christ – is not in vain. 2. Who we see in Christ. Hebrews 12:29 “For our God is a consuming fire.” A man of God said “Grace gives us no license to forget God’s holiness. He is our Father, but He is also a consuming fire. In the Old Testament, God put distance between the sacred Ark of the Covenant and the rank and file of the people even when the camp was on the march. The distance has now been removed, but the burning holiness remains.” It is absolutely amazing to know that Christ is our friend, but He is also our God and God ought to be obeyed. Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore…”
There are two different kinds of meaning to the Word “Power”. The context of Scripture will help to identify the meaning of the word as well as looking at the Greek words. One refers to Ability and the other to Authority. The Gospel is the Power of God to Save sinners Matthew 28:19 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” In Mark’s Gospel we are told what to teach/preach. Mark 16:15 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Paul tells us the reason that he is not ashamed of preaching the Gospel of Christ. Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Why wasn’t Paul ashamed of the Gospel of Christ? a. Paul knew the Substance of the Gospel The Gospel is the good news. We have good news to tell the world. Christ came to seek and to save the lost. It is called the Gospel of Peace. Romans 10:15 “And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” As disciples of the Lord we must be ready to go forth teaching others how they can have peace with God. Ephesians 6:15 “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;” b. Paul knew the Source of the Gospel There are so many false and distorted gospels today that only have the power to curse people to hell. Those that preach a false gospel will one day pay for their evil. Galatians 1:6-9 “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” It is the Gospel of Christ that has the power to save sinners from hell. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” c. Paul knew the Strength of the Gospel. Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” The power is found in the Cross of Christ, for it is the blood of Christ that has the power to cleanse a sin stained soul. 1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” A person can only have victory over death and hell in Christ alone. Barnes said, “God alone is the author of this victory. He formed the plan; he executed it in the gift of his Son; and he gives it to us personally when we come to die.” 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” CH Spurgeon once “The Gospel is preached in the ears of all—it only comes with power to some. The power that is in the Gospel does not lie in the eloquence of the preacher, otherwise men would be the converters of souls. Nor does it lie in the preacher’s learning, otherwise it would consist in the wisdom of man.” 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: vs 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” It is the preacher’s responsibility to preach the Word as it is written, and it is the Holy Spirit’s business to work through the Word in people’s lives. Paul’s preaching may not have been inspiring on a human level, but on a spiritual level it had power because he stuck to preaching the powerful Word of God. |
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