Honest to GodLiving the Way Everlasting

Psalm 139: 23-24

Psalm 139: 23, 24

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

A Prayer

Psalm 139: 23, 24

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

A Prayer

DO YOU DARE TO PRAY THIS DO YOU DARE TO PRAY THIS PRAYER?PRAYER?

Psalm 139

Psalm 139

1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.5 You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Psalm 139

7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,"12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

Psalm 13913 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.

Psalm 139

19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you?22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Living the Way Everlasting

1. Lying to God (v.23)a. The All-Knowing (v.1-6)b. You can run but you cannot hide (v.7-12)c. God is good all the time (v.13-18)

2. Honest to God (v.24)a. Honor God (v. 19-22)b. Honesty is the best policy

1. Lying to God

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

a. The All-Knowing (v. 1-6)(The Lord knows all about us)

1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.5 You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

a. The All-Knowing (v. 1-6)

God’s choice of David to succeed Saul (1 Samuel 16:1-13)

Eliab, Abinadab, Shammah…David

b. You can run bit you cannot hide (The Lord is always with us) (v.7-12)

7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,"12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

above the earth

below the earth

faster than light

darkness In oursoul

b. You can run bit you cannot hide

They call the wind Maria

…And now I’m lost, so gone and lostNot even God can find me…

c. God is good all the time

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

c. God is good all the timeAll the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

2. Honest to God

PS 139:24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

a. Honour God (v.17-22)

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you?22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.

Choose God or god JOS 24:14 "Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Choose God or god

•Theological idols

•Sexual idols

•Magic/ritual idols

•Political/economic idols

•Racial/national idols

•Relational idols

•Religious idols

•Philosophical idols

•Cultural idols

•Deep idols

Choose God or god

“The only way to free ourselves from the destructive influence of counterfeit gods is to turn back to the true one. The living God, who revealed himself both at Mount Sinai and on the Cross, is the only Lord who, if you find him, can truly fulfill you, and, if you fail him, can truly forgive you”

b. Honesty is the best policy PS 139:24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

b. Honesty is the best policyBarriers to Honesty to God

•Fear of abuse of privacy

•We don’t like ourselves

•We want to be someone else

•We are ashamed of ourselves

•We are wounded

•We enjoy our sins

•We are afraid of what God may ask of us

b. Honesty is the best policy

Human

Human Being

HumanDoing

HumanBeing like Christ

Living the Way Everlasting

Honesty to God

Spiritual Intimacy

Spiritual Growth

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

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Psalm 139

Living the Way Everlasting