Know God Personally
Psalm 19
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice[b] goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens, God has pitched a tent for the sun.
5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.
7The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey than honey from the honeycomb.
11 By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is a great reward.
12 But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
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1. INTRODUCTION
i. We don’t come to God head-first; we come to Him heart-first.
i. Matthew 11:25
The Father Revealed in the Son
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
ii. Psalm 19 tells us three ways in which God speaks to us so that we can know Him personally and assuredly.
2. THE CONVINCING WORD OF GOD IN THE HEAVENS (Psalm 19:1-6)
i. As we look up into the starry night sky and see the vast universe that God created, that alone is enough to confirm that God exists.
i. Psalm 14:1
The fool[a] says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.
ii. What do the heavens declare?
i. The glory of God
Psalm 19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
ii. The greatness of God
i. Psalm 19:1
iii. The goodness of God
Psalm 19:2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 Facts that will interest you:
i. Every day is the day the Lord has made…
ii. Ps.68:19 It is God who daily loads us with benefits.
1. Denying Everyday shared knowledge of God leaves one no excuse…Rather invites the rejection of God
See * Romans 1:19-20
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
3. THE CONVERTING WORD OF GOD IN THE HAND (Psalm 19:7-11)
i. We cannot know God through creation alone; we can know about God, but we must have the Bible to truly know the heart and mind of God.
i. The virtue of the Scriptures
i. Psalm 19:7-9
i. 2 Timothy 3:16
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
ii. The Bible is the foundational Word.-
-If it builds you, you never, break, bend or burn.
-If you build on it, you’ll never fall
iii. The Bible is the Decisive Divine GPS of God for life’s journey-till eternity calls us home
-will never lead us astray.
iv. The Bible is pure; in it is no mixture of error- It’s Character is as crystal clear as Christ Himself!
v. The Bible is incorruptible and indestructible; it abides forever.
ii. The value of the Scriptures
i. Psalm 19:10-11
ii. The Scriptures are precious.
iii. The Scriptures are protective.
iv. The Scriptures are profitable.
4. THE CONVICTING WORD OF GOD IN THE HEART (Psalm 19:12-14)
i. We see objectively that God exists. Then, we learn the truths of God from His Word. The Holy Spirit of God must then make all of this real in our hearts.
i. The convicting word of the Spirit
i. Psalm 19:12
12 But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
ii. Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
iii. John 16:8
8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:
ii. The cleansing word of the Spirit
i. Psalm 19:12
ii. 1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
iii. The control of the Spirit
Psalm 19:13
14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
i.
ii. There are two things we should always be aware of:
i. The possibility of secret faults
ii. The danger of presumptuous sins
iv. The communion of the Spirit
Psalm 19:14
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
5. CONCLUSION
i. God desires that each of us come to know Him personally.
ii. To know God is to trust Him; to trust Him is to obey Him; and to obey Him is to be blessed.
iii. Let your faith be anchored successfully.
iv. In salvation
v. In trust
vi. And obedience