The River ChurchSermons

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Patrick Bicknell · Sunday, 26 July 2026 · 41:15 · 5,773 words

Listen to this message

God's intimate knowledge of every person is the heart of this message through Psalm 139. The preacher explores how God knows us completely, from our thoughts to our paths, which should bring comfort rather than fear because of Christ's sacrifice. Emphasizing that every human life is fearfully and wonderfully made, the sermon calls listeners to honest repentance. The message asks each person to humbly invite God to search their hearts, laying down any false beliefs or sins, and to trust in grace that is deeper than any failure.

What this sermon is about

Ranked by keyness against every other sermon in the corpus. Each one is a word this sermon actually said — nothing here was written by a model.

fearfully 12 wonderfully 12 abortion 8 convey 8 frightening 5 knowledge 14 poetry 5 search 11 create 16 form 11 repent 14 value 10

Topics

Prayer 3 Faith 3 Grace 2 Sin 2 The Gospel 2 Condemnation 1 Hope 1 Mission & Evangelism 1

Scripture referenced 15

Verified against the transcript. A reference the recording does not support is never listed here.

Psalms 139 0:04 Psalms 139 0:13 Psalms 139:1 0:13 Psalms 139:1 0:20 Hebrews 4:13 10:00 Romans 8:27 10:12 Hebrews 4:16 11:00 Romans 8 11:16 Jeremiah 1:5 20:50 Psalms 139 21:03 Psalms 1 21:20 Luke 22 28:49 1 John 1 34:35 Psalms 139 35:24 Psalms 139:23-24 35:24

Transcript

Every word, as spoken, with the second it was said. Each word links to its own entry in the index.

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We're continuing through our psalm series, getting to the end of it, almost here.
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We're in Psalm chapter 139, and I won't lie, I was a little bit mad this week, because
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I really think we should probably have four, five, six sermons on this one chapter, because
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it's that amazing, but we're in Psalm chapter 139, and we're starting in verse one this
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So if you have your Bibles, go ahead and open up with me there.
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You can also follow along on screen, but verse one says this, oh Lord, you have searched
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me and known me.
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I believe as we start with this verse, this is the theme for the entire chapter of Psalm
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139.
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This is what the whole chapter is about, as we're going to read just a couple sections
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of it.
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It is about God knowing us, and if there's one word, I would encourage you again, read
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through this chapter, either later today or this week, but read through and look at all
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the times the word know is said.
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Not N-O, knowledge of.
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knowing us, this beautiful reality. And he says here, and I want to start with this because I
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think if we understand verse one, it helps us grasp and understand what the whole of the chapter is.
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He says, you have searched me and known me. You see, this does not mean that God is seated up in
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his throne in heaven. He's outside of creation and time and space, and he has to do an investigation
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to figure out who we are, what we're going through, what wires us, all those different things.
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It's not what it's talking about. It's not that God's doing this Sherlock investigation.
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Any Sherlock fans out there? Come on. He's not doing that sort of investigation.
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Rather, what the psalmist is doing here is, and I read this in a commentary, I thought it was so
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great. He says, it indicates a close and most clear knowledge such as human beings gain only
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by careful searching. And so the psalmist, the only way to describe the type of knowledge God has
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of him, the writer, but of us, is the only way we can comprehend it in our head is the way we,
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knowledge. And we're going to see how deep and how intimate this knowledge of us goes. We're only
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going to hit a few points in this psalm, but I hope that you see and hear just how much God knows us,
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truly how he knows us. And I hope that you see and hear just how much God knows us, truly how he knows us.
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He knows every part of you, how he's known you since the beginning, and Lord willing, what that
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leads us to do. So let me pray, and then we'll jump into the rest of the scripture. Lord, we love you.
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Thank you for this day. Thank you for this time. And Father, I pray as we open the word that you
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would use it for your Holy Spirit. Help us to see who you are. Help us to know your truth. And if
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there be beliefs within us, if there be thoughts within us, allow the scripture to shape those
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beliefs, not the other way around.
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I ask that you would humble us today as we dive into your word. I pray that you get all the glory
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and all the honor. We lift this up in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. So after that first verse,
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we're going to continue verses two to six. And so I'm going to read the second verse, and you're
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going to read the third verse. No, don't worry. Gosh, I can see the tense is a little bit. We're
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not making it read again, all right? We're picking up again in verse two. He says this,
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You know when I sit down and when I rise up. You discern my thoughts from afar. You searched out my path and my lying down.
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And are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue. Behold, O Lord, you know it
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altogether. You hand me in behind and before. You lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too
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wonderful for me. It is high. I cannot attain it. So this first aspect, this first section that we're
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going to dive into, this knowledge of us, I believe it explains an omni of God. There's two omnis that
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we're going to see here. One is the knowledge of God. The other is the knowledge of God. The other is the
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omnis being this aspect of God's character that it describes. And I think here it's talking about
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God's omniscience. Now, if you don't know what that word means, it simply means God's all-knowing
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attribute of who he is. That because God is God, he knows everything, everywhere, everyone, all at
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once. He knows it all, right? God has the power and the ability to know everything in the universe.
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Now, as great as that power is and that attribute of God,
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these verses convey so much more than that. These verses convey so much more than God simply just
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knowing everything, but rather it is this personal declaration to us that God knows everything about
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you. Doesn't just simply know everything, which he does. He knows me. What a beautiful thought.
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But I immediately thought about, as I was preparing for this, this difference of knowledge of simply,
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knowing of someone and knowing them intimately. I thought there was no better example than how me
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and my wife first met. So if I've shared this story before, I'm sorry, but it's a great story. It makes
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me laugh every single time. So we knew of each other at a couple young adult events. We'd seen
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each other at a bonfire, a young adult retreat. And I remember this story so vividly. So we were at
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our syndicated camp auction. I used to be the youth pastor at our Waterford location. And so I
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was kind of in charge of helping greet people, right? So you set the entire event up. And as
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people walk in, you go and say hi to them, make sure they know all the information. And man, this
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beautiful lady walks on in. Now, my only play is comedy, all right? That's about all I got. You guys
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see me. I don't know how I got it. If my comedy don't work, I don't know what's going to happen.
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So she walks on up and I make a little joke, expecting, that was a pretty good one, right?
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If it was good, I would have remembered it, but I don't. But I'm feeling good about myself. I make
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the joke to her, and she literally is just like, it keeps on walking.
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And I'm like, well, Dan, that did not work. That ain't ever going to work with her. So I had to
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talk to her the rest of the night, right? So she knew who I was at that time. I had a lanyard on,
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right? My name was on the lanyard. She knew who I was, but she didn't know me. Well, then a month
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later, I was irresistible to her. So that's about, that's how that worked out. She's not here to
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defend that. So that's, I can say whatever I want. A month later, when we met at camp, we really
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started getting to know each other. We got engaged eight months later and got married. It was
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incredible. But there was a difference. At that time, she just simply knew of me. She didn't know
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my deepest fears, anxieties. She didn't know all my deepest joys. She didn't know everything that
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I've done. She didn't know what I had been through. As we got to get to know each other and
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praise the Lord into marriage, now she knows me better than anyone. She knows everything about me.
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But yet even that doesn't even scratch the surface of how much God knows you, of how much God knows
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you. The only thing we can relate it to is this spouse, or maybe just the deepest,
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friend that we have. Even if it's not blood, the deepest, closest friend you have, that's the best
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we can do to help understand this truth. But even in that, it doesn't even describe the depth and
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the intimacy to which God knows you. And the way these few verses convey that, as the Psalms are
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poetic language, right? You see, uses this type of poetry. It's meant to convey the truth as best as
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we can. And within that, God knows you. And God knows you. And God knows you. And God knows you.
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So we see within the verses, when I sit down and when I rise up, two extremes. My path, where I'm
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walking and when I'm lying down. Lord, behind and before me. So what we're seeing here in that
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language, it's the beginning and the end. It's all of us. God knows when you lie down to sleep
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and when you wake up in the morning. He knows when you're walking and when you're lying down to sleep.
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He knows when you're walking on the way in which you should go. And when you're sitting down at
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home, he knows what's behind you and he knows what's before you. He knows it all. That's the
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depth to which God knows us. Now, very easily, we could turn this sermon into a fearful sermon.
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Very easily, we can read these verses and go, he knows everything. You better watch out. Instantly,
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right? Well, God knows everything, man. Watch what you're doing. It could be this fear tactic
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we want to use.
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Now, what's rather happening here in this psalm, it's more of a positive tone. It's meant to be this
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encouraging tone, not a fearful way of God knows you, watch out, but rather, look at how intimately
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God knows you. Listen to how God knows everything about you. All together, makes you think of these
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verses in the New Testament, Hebrews 4.13, and no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are
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naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom he is.
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You must give an account. Romans 8.27, he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the
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spirit. We see this idea in the New Testament of God knowing everything. Everything's exposed before
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him, but why is that a positive thought? Because I can say to you, that's what the tone is. I can say
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to you, it should be encouraging to you, but how is that encouraging and positive for us instead
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of a frightening thought? Because instantly, what I think is, he knows me, and there's one word.
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Yikes. I know what I thought, said, and did yesterday, and I know he knows all of that. He
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knows everything I've been through, everything I've done, and knowing the sinner that I am,
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immediately, it's yikes. How could that be a positive thought? When Hebrews 4.16 helps us to
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see that. He says, let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may
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shall separate us from the love of God. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are
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in Christ Jesus. So how is this idea that God knows all of us not a frightening thought? One person,
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Christ. The only reason it's not frightening to us is because of Jesus Christ, and we were actually
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on the cornerstone, Jesus Christ. If we begin to deviate off that and move off of him, we veer into
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false gospel. So why is this not frightening? Because Jesus Christ died for us. Because you
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should be punished for all the sins that you've done. We are deserving of an eternity in hell,
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but God loved you so much that he sent his son to the world to die on the cross and to rise again.
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And please, do not just hear that as what Patrick repeats every single week. Please don't just hear
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that, oh, here's the gospel part of the sermon. He's got to put it in. It's in his notes. Please
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hear that as the encouraging thought, the foundational truth for your life, that you were
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deserving of an eternal punishment, and God knew it. You did sin against him. You were deserving of
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death, but God, but God loved you so much that he sent his son to the world to provide grace, that
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whoever puts their faith in him shall be saved. How is it not a frightening thought for you? Well,
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it depends. Have you put your faith in Jesus? Have you put your faith in Christ? Please hear from me
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this morning before we go.
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We never move past the gospel. The gospel is foundational for us, and I don't care how long
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you've been going to church for. I don't care if it's your first time in a church building this
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morning, or you've heard people say other things in the past, whatever it may be. Right now, the
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gospel is being preached. Please see Jesus lifted up for you, dying on the cross, rising again, as
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it's the only power to salvation. Put your faith in him, and now there's no longer need to fear.
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It's let us draw with confidence.
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To the throne of grace. Because for us in Christ, how beautiful is it to hear? Think about that for
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a moment. The all-powerful, the all-knowing, the creator of the universe, who spoke things into
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existence, this only God, as we said last week, knows you all together, acquainted with your ways,
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know where you can go without him, cares, knows, sees every aspect of your life. What an encouraging.
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Then continuing on, I'm going to skip on down to verse
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13 through 16. A beautiful section of scripture. Maybe you've read it before. You've heard it. It is
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so wonderful. And move into what this next knowledge of God means for us. He says,
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for you have formed my inward parts. You knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you,
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for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works. My soul knows it very well.
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My frame was not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, intricately woven,
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in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance. In your book were written
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every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
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And I believe the second omni that we kind of see here is God's omnipotence. And that is
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describing God's complete and absolute power, that he is all-powerful. And I just like the first one,
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his omniscience. This omnipotence being described here conveys so much more. It's more than just saying,
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every single human life. He is powerful to shape every single human life from the moment
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the knowledge that was described for us in the first point, those first few verses,
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as wonderful as it is to know, God knows all about you. He knows everything. You're going up and you're
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coming down, you're going out and coming, all of it. As wonderful as that is, I believe these few
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verses are the pinnacle of this psalm. That these verses are the pinnacle of the depth and the
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intimacy to which God knows you. And why it goes far beyond whatever knowledge anyone else can have
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of us in this world. When we read here, for you formed my inward parts, you knitted me together.
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made. We see the absolute care and intimacy and intentionality that our all-powerful God has in
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creating life. Now, yes, as we read these verses, it is poetic. And I've heard the arguments before
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that as we read poetry, we must not put universal truths into it. That the psalmist here wasn't
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trying to explain biological science. He was just using poetry to teach us in the way in which God
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created human life. And yes, it is true that we get metaphors in here, that we see poetry in here,
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but it's still meant to convey to us a truth of how God creates human life. Because the psalmist
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here doesn't have the medical technology that we have and have ultrasounds back then. And I don't
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think God in writing the psalm here is going to use the exact scientific terminology to which he
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makes human life. So when he says he knitted me together in my mother's womb, it's not, I mean,
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maybe it is, who knows, right? It's not like knitting a sweater or
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whatever it may be, right? It's conveying to us that God down to our smallest atom,
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our smallest cell, every strand of our DNA, every single aspect of who you are is knitted together
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by our great, powerful God. That he's not an all-powerful God that sits up in heaven,
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that made creation and said, good luck, have fun. He didn't start the ball rolling and then
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has nothing to do with it. What we read in these verses is a God who is active
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in the creating of life. We don't read of a passive agent. We don't read of a God who doesn't
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care how lives are formed so we can determine where life begins. We can determine what lives
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have value. What we read here is of a God who is all-powerful, not chalking it up to biology,
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but saying, I am the creating act of life from the moment of conception to birth, that it is done by
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God. And in verse,
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verse 15, I believe he gives us that way it happens. And I want to just re-say it to help us
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see what the poetry is describing. He says, my frame, meaning bones and the structure of your
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being, literally what makes you up, my frame was not hidden from you during those months that I was
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being made in secret. And what's the secret? Where is it at? The depths of the earth, right? No,
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it's in our mother's womb, that our frame, what makes us up, isn't hidden from God,
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while we're in the womb, but rather it is intricately woven, describes a skillful craftsman
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way a craftsman does with whatever his craft is. Your eyes saw my unformed substance, meaning that
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embryo that no one else sees. And praise the Lord, we do have the technology to see the ultrasounds,
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but God sees from the moment.
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We are in the womb. It makes us, it forms us. Makes you think of some other scriptures.
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Jeremiah 1.5, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. And before you were born,
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to Jeremiah here, but it mirrors so much of Psalm 139. And this is not just God saying,
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I knew you before time, but he says, I formed you. I formed you. I created you.
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Created you. God takes us back to the first page of the Bible, Genesis chapter one, 26 to 27.
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Then God said, let us make man in our image after our likeness and let them have dominion over the
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fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock, over all the earth and
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over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image. In the image
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He created them. Male and female, he created them. It's a little redundant. Three times,
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he created, he created. Why do you think that's there? I think we need a little bit of help
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sometimes. I know for me, that's true. Yeah, make it clear to me, all right? I'm not getting no
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clues. This Psalm and Jeremiah are an echo from the beginning of creation. They're echoing what
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God revealed to us at the beginning. There's no other creating force in the world. There's no
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God is it. He is the one who created life. And that means because God's the creator, because God
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has formed, he's the one that determines what the value of life is and where it begins and not us.
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His word is what gives us that definition. His word is what we follow to know where does life
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begin? What lives have value? It only comes from him because he's the creator who's formed all of
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us. Now, as we talk about God knowing us, these verses bring me so much joy. To know that from the
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moment of conception in the secret places, no one else is there. God knew you, formed you. These
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verses also break my heart. As I prepared for this sermon, I've asked probably more people, I probably
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should more often ask people to pray for me as I preach, but I asked more people to pray for me for
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this sermon because it has been so heavy on my heart. I usually go home to Jasmine on Fridays. I
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passed her and this week I was like, I can't do it. I don't like crying. I've cried enough this week.
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I'm not doing it. But they break my heart as I began to do simple study. 73 million babies globally
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year internationally at 50 million since 2000, over a billion babies who's had their lives taken
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from them. And you know what hurts even more? World War II, bloodiest war the world's ever seen.
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that last year. 60 to 68 percent of mainline Protestants are pro-choice. I began to weep this
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week thinking about those numbers. I began to break thinking about sometimes these women thinking
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there's no other option. Thinking the way that we have distorted the image of God and the beauty of
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that. That we've skewed where the value of life comes from. That we see so many people who are
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so many people justifying the murder of innocent lives. That we see the lie being pushed out to
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people in our culture that it's the only option. Denying God's definition of life. And what's even
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worse is that we are having pastors and churches and Christians supporting and believing this
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despicable belief. And I gotta say this. I'm sorry if this is offensive to you. But this is the truth
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of the word of God. And we need to allow it to shape our
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beliefs and not the other way around. And this is not a political issue. This is not a left or right
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issue. 73 million internationally. This is a humanity issue. This is a biblical issue. And we
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need to stand firm on this belief because so many people are increasingly justifying this murder of
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innocent lives. That should break your heart. All of them made in the image of God. And it
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should break your heart. All of them made in the image of God. And it should break your heart. All of
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them made in the image of God. And it should break your heart. All of them made in the image of God.
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And good evil. Who put darkness for light. Light for darkness. Who put bitter for sweet. Sweet for
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bitter. Woe to us if we just stand idly by. And not stand on the truth of the scriptures. To deny
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and to call out a belief that to its core is selfish, evil, and demonic. I was listening to
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someone talk this week about this. I was listening to a lot of sermons on it. And he said abortion
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is the sacrament of Satan. He goes on to say that abortion says you must
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die so that I can live. Whereas the gospel in Jesus Christ says no. I must die so that you can
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deception. He later goes on to say it is the demonic parody of holy communion. That is why it uses the
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same holy words. This is my body. Is it a coincidence that the same phrase at the center of this whole
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industry are the same words of our savior on the night of the first communion. Luke 22 19. And he
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took the bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them saying this is my
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body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Those same words are central but yet with
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the blasphemous perverted meaning. This is my body. I get to do with it what I want. Denying God's
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definition of life. Now I'm not going to get too into this. But what about this circumstance?
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Fill in blank. I'm sure we all think about it. We've heard the arguments. What about if this
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happens? First video this week I was watching it at a pro-life rally. People are spewing their
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that circumstance the life in the womb it has less value than the life of someone with married
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couples. And a guy walks up and says that happened 50 years ago to someone I knew. And if these
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words don't fit that. And we say what about this circumstance? And we say your life doesn't have
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value. See there's no distinction in these verses of who is fearfully and wonderfully made. There's
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You're fearfully and wonderfully made except if your baby's coming into a family that may be
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considered poor. You are fearfully and wonderfully made as long as the circumstances are what you
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that happens with this is now we begin to go well if they got a disability they're not fearfully
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and wonderfully made. Shame on us if we believe that. Plenty of babies that have come out and yeah
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they have some disabilities. That's okay. They have value because God says they have value.
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They are fearfully and wonderfully made. So we push this rhetoric. That's what we're saying.
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You don't have value. God is the one who determines this. He is the creator. And no this doesn't
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in those circumstances. And that's where we as the church do need to step up. We do need to care
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for people who are going through this. That's why we must not take a sideline seat to the issues
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that's happening in our country and our world. Doesn't make it easier for someone who's in high
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school and they find out they're having a baby. Had this happen to me a couple years ago if you
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remember the Prop 3 vote in Michigan to shut down Roe v. Wade I think or whatever abortion laws it
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was. And I don't post much on my social media. Basically all I use it for is just really dumb
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silly memes. And this is my turn off brain time. I want to laugh a little bit. All right. But I felt
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very passionate about this clearly. And so I posted about it. And someone I don't even know
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messaged me. And I'm like okay sweet. This is a time for I can reach them evangelize to them. And
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so we're going back and forth. And she says she she messaged me and said you're really gonna look
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at someone who's 16 17 years old and tell them they need to have their baby. What if that ruins
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their life? What if they can't go to college? I said you really don't know who I am. Do you
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know my story? I had a child when I was 17. It wasn't easy. And I was far from perfect. I'm still
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far from perfect. I did plenty of things wrong. But I'm so thankful to have him. But we cannot
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for any reason as followers of Christ deny clear teachings in the Bible. And this is where I want
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to call all of us today. If you are a follower of Christ and you read this scripture and are
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in support of abortion for any reason you need to repent. I say that as someone who has had to
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repent over this. As 10 years ago I was a scared little boy. Didn't stand on conviction. And who
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advocated for this to happen. And I've had to repent so often of that. And praise the Lord it
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didn't happen. It's one of the biggest blessings in my life is in the other room. If we have these
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beliefs we need to repent of it. And know that if you have done it before. If you have advocated for
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it before. There is forgiveness of sins. Because the grace of God is so deep. First John 1 9. If we
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just to forgive us our sins. And to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Every sin can find
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forgiveness in Jesus. Grace is here for you. And we need to repent as a nation. As the church. For
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not fighting against this blatant sin enough. And in our own lives. When we have failed to defend
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these babies. Now brings me to verses 23 to 24. In Psalm 139. Search me oh God and know my heart.
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And see if there be any grievous way in me. And lead me in the way everlasting. So truthfully as
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I wrap up this sermon. As much as I felt those verses needed to be called for repentance. Our
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belief has been skewed on this topic. I really believe what this psalm calls us to. As God knows
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all of us anyways. Is to repent in all areas of our life. To truly repent. And I believe we all
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should have a humble heart to do so. To be able to read how intimately God knows you. And to
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know that he knows you. Everything about you. There's no hiding it. There's no running from it.
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How all encompassing that thought is. That he has made us from the beginning. And to say in
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confidence. Search me oh God. Search me oh God. Find if there be any grievous way in me. And to
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repent. Whatever sin you may be getting convicted of right now. This morning I want us to take this
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call seriously. And ask God right now. Where you're at. If you need to take more time while we worship.
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There while worship's done. And everyone's leaving. And you just need space. Sit there. But ask God
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search me. And humble yourself to be brought to a place of repentance. For some of you this morning
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that may look like absolute heartbreak. As you consider the sin within your heart. As you consider
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the sins of your past. Some of you it may be finally laying down a belief you've held. Such as
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abortion. Maybe some other belief. Laying it down finally that is not biblical. And saying God transform
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me. Change me. Either way. Let us be a body of believers who are humble enough. After hearing how
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God already knows everything about who we are. To say search me oh God. And if that conviction comes
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in your heart. Don't quench it. And there's forgiveness of sins. And his grace is far deeper than any sin
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you have. His grace will take the sin in your heart. The false beliefs in your heart. The things you've
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done in your past. He'll take it and throw it as far as the east is from the west. Because Jesus Christ paid for it
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on the cross. So this morning as we wrap up. That's the call. If you need to repent of anything. If you
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need someone to talk to. I'm going to be standing up here during the last song. If you're afraid come
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up with me. I'd be happy to pray with you. If you want to go to another brother and sister in Christ
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in here right now. Go to them. Ask for prayer. Let us not be a church that will shame someone. I want
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to get up and say today I want to repent. I want to find grace today. Let us all take the masks off.
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And ask the Lord search me oh God. Find if there be any grievous way. And lead me in the way everlasting.
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Lord we love you. I thank you so much for your word. Praise you for every person in here. Every
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person in the world. Because they are fearfully and wonderfully made. Because you have given them
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value. Because they are created in your image. No matter what the world says. No matter what they
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may say about themselves. The truth is they are fearfully and wonderfully made. Father I ask for
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your Holy Spirit to convict us right now. There needs to be repentance over this belief and issue
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Help us to lay it down and say God forgive me and change me. There needs to be repentance for any
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other area of our life. Ask the Holy Spirit to convict us and to lay down that sin and to find
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grace that's never ending. Love you. Praise you. This all in the very precious name of Jesus.
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