Summary
The sermon, titled "The God who searches," focuses on Psalm 139, which reveals God’s complete knowledge of every aspect of human life. The pastor emphasizes that God’s omniscience is not about judgment or threat but about intimate, loving awareness. He contrasts the misconception of the "all-seeing eye" (a symbol often associated with cults, secret societies, or cultural emblems) with the true character of God as portrayed in Scripture. The message explores how God knows our thoughts, actions, and even the details of our pre-birth creation, using personal stories and theological insights to illustrate this. The pastor highlights that God’s presence is constant, both in moments of goodness and in sin, and calls believers to surrender every part of their lives to Him. He concludes with a reflection on the prayer in Psalm 139:23–24, encouraging a life of continuous surrender and trust in God’s sovereignty.
Sermon transcription
Okay once again welcome. And today is the last Sunday. Oh next Sunday is September already. Time time is so fast. Soon it will be anniversary and soon it will be Christmas and New Year also. Okay. As we all know for this month of August we have a series on the character of God. Okay. His attributes as we call it. And we heard from Pastor Angel second Sunday. I think he spoke about the God who is powerful. Okay that’s God’s omnipotence. And again on the third Sunday he preached again about the God who is here. It’s God’s omniscience. Then last Sunday we heard from Pastor Rihard about the God who does not only seize everything but whose eyes are set upon us. 24/7 what’s watching our every move. And now I want us to hold on that thought. As we continue to look into God’s perfect character today in this beautiful Psalm of David Psalms 139. And today’s message is entitled The God Who Searches. Let us read our text. And then praying. You have searched me Lord and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise. You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down. You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you Lord know it completely. You hem me in behind and before and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
Father we pray that you will bless the this message, Lord, that it will touch our hearts, Lord, and remind us, Lord, of who you are, Lord, and what you are doing and how you have how you are Lord taking care of us, Lord, all all day all all day long. And today, Lord, we pray that you will help us understand this message, Lord, the holy through the Holy Spirit, Lord, that the message will not only add listen to our into our mind, Lord, but it could also be transformative, Lord. It will also transform us, Lord, and even grow in our faith in Jesus name. Amen.
Okay I want us to start by a question. I would like to ask a personal question actually. Don’t get offended. Is there a secret in your life that you haven’t told anybody or have you ever hidden information about yourself from others? We have all this in common. Of course, there’s a lot of things that we don’t tell others about ourselves. Maybe we are afraid of what they will think or do when you know when they know all these things about us. And you know these are big things and even small things bad things even shameful things that we did in the past of things that I don’t need to enumerate here because we know them deep down but sometimes we pretend that it doesn’t exist. In short we keep our life filtered. Yeah. So, you know, you can filter your photos in the internet, but we can also filter our lives, you know, and on what we want others to see us. But here in the text that we have just read, David was meditating upon the fact that God can search him and see his innermost being. He was writing all these intricacies of his relationship with a God who knows him completely personally and intimately. In fact, the whole of Psalms 139 shows the perfect knowledge of God, the omniscience of God. I was telling Pastor Angel, you know, they have shared already most of the characters of God and I said here in Psalms 139, I will just sum them up, you know, all their older sermons in the past in the past Sundays.
Now last Sunday when Pastor Rihard shared to us about a God whose eyes are set upon us 24/7 I said to myself that is scary you know especially when we add one Psalms 139 that not only that he can see us in the outside but also he can see us from the inside. Yes. Okay. And indeed this thought brings mixed feelings to many people and even to believers as well. Now have you seen this picture the eye there are you are you familiar with that is called the all-seeing eye or the eye of providence. And many people uses it. It is a symbol that is being used by Freemason. If you know Freemason, the masonry and it is also used by since Manalo had been a member of the Mason the Igleslia ni Christo founder. He also brought this logo in his emblem in a church’s emblem. You can also see the all-seeing eye in their logo. And if you have a $1 bill, you can also see that symbol in the $1 bill. And maybe the forefathers of America also had been a member of the Freemason. I don’t know. But they have been using this. And there’s even another counterpart of this they called the evil eye. If you know this that are being used by some other countries, but these are emblems that are being used by the cult actually and the origin of this is the eye of Horus which is actually an Egyptian god. Okay. And but the eye of providence, the all-seeing eye is a belief of a supernatural being that is meticulously watching over us all of us and then punishing those who do evil. This is actually the belief in the olden times. That is why if their bads their I mean their crops fail or bad things happen to them, they think that they are being punished by their gods. For doing something something evil. Now at least Santa Claus only watches our children and he knows of been bad or good and he don’t bring gifts to the naughty ones. But this belief about the all-seeing all-seeing eye is actually a misconception of the true character of God. Obviously they do not know the God that David worshiped.
In verses one and two of our text it says there you have searched me Lord and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise, you perceive my thoughts from afar. Here David is not only talking about the reality of God’s all knowingness that God knows absolutely everything but that God sees and knows us knows him intimately personally even his thoughts and intentions and to David this is a comforting thought. This is what we can see in the psalms and all other psalms of David. This is it is comforting him to know that his god is watching over him. Knowing that a loving personal God watches over us all the time can indeed be a comforting thought a reassuring presence who gives constant care protection guidance especially during difficult times. To me it would be the most powerful influence in the world when you live your life you know and then you understand that God watches your every move then you’re going to ask yourself would I really want to do this or not you know this is like would influence your actions knowing that you are that God is watching you you begin to reconsider as the difficult question is this the wisest best thing to do in this circumstance. So it becomes like a guiding a guiding principle a guiding thought no that even it that it affects your actions. In verse three and four, David continues, you discern my going out and my lying down. You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you Lord know it completely. It is not just that God is everywhere. He is everywhere with you. This is a thought that we need to understand. And he wants to be a part of every compartment in your life that you have created. You know that we have compartmentalized our life even if we do not realize this our life in the school is different our friends in the home in the church so we in our sports in our hobbies it’s like confirm that God only touches us like in Sundays you know worship time and God is there but all on the other compartments God is no, we’re nowhere. It’s not part of anything that we do. But God wants to be involved in everything that we do. Not just like an observer just watching over us, but he actually wants to be part of everything that we do. Like a partner of if you so saw Joseph and we don’t want him to be uh sometimes we don’t want God to be a part of something that we do. There are there are things that we don’t we do not want to surrender to God. You know we say that Lord this is this part is private to me you know I can surrender everything to you but but this this part is mine you know but uh doesn’t work that way he wants us he knows us by the way you know that you know he knows every thought that we have every intention that we have the desires the plans that we want to do you know he knows everything so why not surrender everything to him because he really wants to be a part of it. Now do you think that God is not with you in the moment of your sin? Of course he is. As I have said, he knows everything and he is with you all the time. He’s always present. He knows the worst thing you have ever done up to date and he knows the worst thing you will do in the future and everything else in between.
Now we don’t think that God loves the imperfect version of ourselves. We don’t sometimes we don’t realize that he really knows us more than we know ourselves. You know even the unconscious thoughts in the back of our minds God can see that and he knows he knows it and but even in that thought you know even in that thought that you want to keep some things from the Lord or when you do things that you do not realize that God is looking at you God is there okay God is there and you need to really understand is there’s there isn’t a single moment in your life that God isn’t present. Okay? Both good and bad, wise and unwise, he is there. Uh when you are proud of do those do shameful things, God is there. And that should make us aware of this question. I I think I think I put it there. It says where I go, God goes. So where should I go? Okay, you understand the question? Where I go, God goes. So where should I go? Okay, like if you are if you are somebody uh you’re little kid for example, so would you want to go to some place that would endanger him? Uh, it affects your knowing who is with you now would affect your your actions you know even the direction that you are going if you know that the Lord is going to be with you will you go to a place that that does not please God you know who have been into vice I’ve been to some all sort of vice in the past you know Uh, but if you are actually you are actually aware who is with you at that time who is seeing all you are you are doing would you want to do these things again? Where I goes. So where should I go? What I do God sees. So what should I do before I speak? God knows what I should say or what I should hold back. And the fact that God knows every move you make should affect what you do. The fact that God knows every word you’ll say that should affect the way you speak. And also there isn’t a single place that you can hide from God. I think God that was made clear to us by Pastor Riard last Sunday. That he is uh with us anywhere. He is actually um goes through times and space. He’s not limited by times and space. He can be everywhere and not only everywhere but he can all always be with you. Okay. All the all the time. And uh there’s so there’s no there’s no running from it, you know, because he is with you on all the all those things that you have done in the past and you’re still doing when you were in high school when you were in college what you did that time. God knows all of that. You know, uh, he will be he is with you in your date nights, your alone nights. And there’s not one single second God has missed out. Not a moment he misplaced you or couldn’t find you. He sees he’s always looking at you everywhere. And there is no again you cannot run away from it. And there’s only embracing it and living in it. And the psalmist goes on to say in verses five and six, you hem me in behind and before and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
There’s a hedge of protection that David speaks about that puts into place the idea that nothing could come to you unless it first pass through God’s permission you know like he is guarding you all around and nothing can harm you nothing can attack you or or go through this perimeter that he is guarding and that is the meaning of him behind and before and there’s like like what happened to Job I I was remembering Job in this in this thought that the enemy asked to hinder Job and God allowed it for a reason to strengthen your faith in the Lord. That’s why we could always claim Romans 8:28. This is a very beautiful verse that we need to memorize. Uh it tells us that all things work together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. But sometimes things go bad and we ask why people are asking why they have cancer, why why they are sick, why they fall. Sometimes you know what they fall on there are times hard times that they need to go through. Sometimes they were asking why their kids are away from the Lord. Why? Why? Why? But uh listen brothers and sisters, nothing has slipped by him. God knows all these things you know. And sometimes the only answer is to say exactly what David said. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. So I am going to let God control the events. I am going to control the reactions. You know, God is controlling everything that is happening. But you can control how you react when all these things happen. And uh you need to remain steadfast and faithful in times of uncertainty. Why? Because David says in the following uh verses in verses 7 to 12, he said "Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I make my bed in hell, you are there. If I rise in the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me. Your hand will hold me fast. If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light will become night around me.' Even the darkness will not be dark to you. The night will shine like the day. For darkness is a light to you."
Now we’ve heard this before and I will say it again. There is nowhere you can hide that God isn’t around. And even in times of darkness, hardships, fear, anxiety, embracing that God is always with you illuminates the darkness so much that it is like walking in the light. It gives a imagery of you know when the Israelites were walking in the wilderness. Uh you know the story when they were in the wilderness for 40 years at night they were guarded by a fire at the back because there are enemies pursuing them. In the day it’s a cloud a light a light in the front because it is directing them where they are going and this is like you could picture out what the Lord is doing in Asra right now and that should bring us comfort that God is always close and is present. Again, this is not intimidating that God is always looking at us. It is a comfort knowing that he is always with us and no even the things that are inside us that other people cannot see but the Lord knows what you’re thinking your desires you know your anxieties your you know the pressure that you’re having inside God knows all of this and he intervenes and he is always there to help us through all these things. Now, isn’t this awesome? You know that the God of the universe who created everything knows everything and is everywhere and is completely spotlessly pure and holy knows you and me. This is an awesome thing you know to understand this that he is near to us and cares for us that the god who created each of us knows everything about us the good and the bad and here’s the good thing that even though he knows us intimately he loves us anyway. Even yeah he was there when you were doing all those foolish things he cares for you still and he will be close and ever present. This is awesome. Yeah. Uh and now now we will end this message with a prayer in verses 23 and 24. Where are where am I? No, not me. Yeah. The next part is God the psalmist was telling us about the creator God. Uh we were in verse 7 to 12. Yeah. In verses 13 and 15 he was talking about how he marvels at God’s intricate creation of him. You know, you maybe know the part of how God how God created us in his own image. But there’s been confusions out there over the sanctity of life before you are born in the US. Uh they are fighting for this. Actually they think that they are it is their right to abort their their their child who is still in the womb. The liberals think that abortion is the right of women that the fetuses inside your womb is just a clump of cells and not deserving of life. And God would say otherwise. Now, if you ever thought you were a mistake, let me tell you, you were not. If you ever thought God didn’t shape you, he did. If you ever think life only begins after birth, I want to remind you of this next verses that David says in verse 13 and 15. For you created my innermost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. I know that fall well. 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, the moment of conception is God when God formed you inside the womb of your mother, your DNA okay is already formed even as a fetus which is in every cell of your body. Now it would it won’t attempt to explain what it is. I do not understand what is happening inside the womb. But I can only go back to verse six again. Such wonderful you know such knowledge is too wonderful for me to lofty for me to obtain. God exactly knew exactly what you would look like. What do you how do you look? Have you seen your face in the mirror lately? But God knows how you would look like and he actually formed you inside of your mother’s womb that you are special to him. Okay. Uh well there’s an ultrasound right now that you can see a hazy vision of the child inside the inside the womb. But you know God already knew exactly what you would look like. Even your eye color, he knows uh what color of your eye your height. Yeah, and he knew it in the hidden or secret place in your mother’s womb. Okay. Now it tells us that God sees life beginning at conception not not uh not first on not first breath of the baby. When he started you are starting conceiving the baby. God sees you already and yeah he he he he knew already what you will look like and yeah he you have already life before you were born. God ordained your days. Yeah. He has already appointed your steps and yesterday your past isn’t a surprise to God. Today you know what you what happening to you in your life today he knows it and it’s not a surprise and even tomorrow what will happen tomorrow in your life he won’t be surprised at all but how do we respond to this by worshiping the sovereignty holiness and oneness of God now see how David writes in verses seventeen and eighteen this is last the last part we. You would say "How precious you are to me are your thoughts. How vast is the sum of them. Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you."
Knowing how much God cares for us. Not just the filtered us, you know, but the unfiltered, not just the good part, but he wants to make you new. Knowing that God sees all about us and everything we have done should bring us closer and more aruck. That God would be mindful of us. That God would be mindful of me. Who am I that God thinks about me? You know, how should I how should it bring you and me comfort that God is close and ever present. Okay, let's now go to the prayer at the end that David uh wrote and ended with this prayer in verses 23 and 24. And let's meditate on this for a while. It says, "Search me, God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." David knows that God has searched him and knows him but that but it is for his own sake that he is asking asking God now to search him because he is aware that God knows him more than he knows himself and he wanted God to search if there is anything that God can make clear. Sometimes we have things inside us that even us would not be aware of you know even this stressful thing sometimes could really affect affect us our emotions sometimes is out of our control but God can actually expose them can reveal this out you know and remind us about all these things and he wants to make this all things clear and this is all true also true to us not only for David in David’s time also for us today perhaps there are things we keep hidden inside and now we can surrender it to him actions to change thoughts to submit for God to search our hearts to test us and show us our anxious thoughts to reveal anything in our life that offends him and to lead us in the way everlasting. That is uh what the prayer is all about. Okay. So now our take out is that we can pray this prayer. It says search me, test me and lead me. This must be uh you know our prayers always for God to search us to test us and to lead us. Amen. Let us pray. Father indeed your ways are beyond our understanding. Such knowledge is too wonderful, too lofty for us to attain. But let it remind us, Lord, that there is no safer place to put our trust than on the God who serves us and knows us. Loving us, Lord, for who we are. Thank you for your continued presence in our life. Lord, it comforts us to know that you will never leave us nor forsake us, that you will be with us always in all our our circumstance. We bless you and praise you and glory be yours forever. Amen. And Lord, we thank you that as that we can respond right now, Lord, by giving our tithes and offering and we pray for blessings, Lord, for those who are giving and we pray that you will prosper everything that they will do and for the rest of us, Lord, that we will be able to to also to share what you have blessed us, Lord, in our lives. We thank you uh for this uh money that we are uh collecting that it will be used Lord for the expansion of your kingdom and to move forward Lord to the work that you are uh making us do, Lord, in Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Take-aways
- God’s omniscience means He knows every thought, intention, and action in our lives—including the things we keep hidden or perceive as private. This intimacy with God is neither intrusive nor judgmental but rather a call to trust in His sovereign love and guidance.
- The symbol of the "all-seeing eye," often associated with secret societies or cultural emblems, is a distorted image of God’s presence. The true God of Scripture is not a distant overseer but a loving, ever-present Creator who cares for our entire being.
- God is not only everywhere but also actively involved in every part of our lives. He is not merely an observer, but a partner in our journey, guarding us and guiding our steps even in the most challenging circumstances.
- The sanctity of life is rooted in God’s role as the Creator. From the moment of conception, our lives are precious to Him, and His knowledge of us began even before our first breath.
- The prayer in Psalm 139:23–24 ("Search me, Lord, and know my heart...") invites believers to surrender every part of themselves to God. It challenges us to confront our hidden struggles and ask for His transformative work in our lives.
Food for thought:
- How does the truth that God knows *everything* about you—morally, physically, and emotionally—affect the way you make decisions or live your daily life? Do you feel motivated to act with integrity, or do you question whether God’s presence could ever be a comfort rather than a burden?
- Is there a part of your life you consider private or beyond God’s concern? If so, what might happen if you surrendered that to Him completely, knowing that He already sees it?
- How can the understanding of God’s sovereignty over all things, including challenges like illness or relationship struggles, bring peace and purpose to your own difficult moments?
- What does it mean to be "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14)? How might this truth reshape your perspective when you feel defeated by your imperfections or failures?
- Why do you think the idea of God as an ever-present, all-knowing Creator can be intimidating to some, even when it is meant to be a source of security? How can we shift from fear to reverence in our approach to Him?