Why Should I Believe in God in the First Place?

Why Should I Believe in God in the First Place?

“Why Should I Believe in God in the First Place?”

(Psalm 139)

Series: Life’s Biggest Questions (2/6)

Rev. Todd A. Linn, PhD

First Baptist Church Henderson, KY (4-6-08) (AM)

 

  • Take God’s Word and open to Psalm 139.

 

We’re continuing our special six-week campaign called, “Why.”  It’s called “Why” because we’re answering some of life’s biggest questions.  We’re studying these questions together in both Sunday school and our worship time together.  I hope you’ve enjoyed the weekly readings from the book most of you picked up last week in Sunday school.

 

Last week we looked at the question, “Why am I here?”  This week, we’re answering the question, “Why should I believe in God in the first place?”  Well, I think Psalm 139 is one of the best passages in the Bible to show us why we should believe in God.  Let’s check it out together.  I’ll read just the first few verses to get us started.

  • Stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word.

 

1For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. O LORD, You have searched me and known me.

2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.

3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways.

4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.

5 You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.

  • Pray.

 

Introduction:

 

Why should I believe in God in the first place?  That question assumes the existence of a God in whom we must believe.  Psalm 14:1 says, “The fool has said in his heart there is no God.”  Most people believe in some kind of god.  Just who is God, anyway?  How would you describe Him?  Look at this video clip where people on the Las Vegas strip answered the question, “What is God like?”

 

**VIDEO CLIP, “What is God like?”

 

Well, we’re going to look at how God is described in Psalm 139.  And as we read about this God in the Bible, we’ll see why we should believe in Him.  Why should we believe in God?  Because first, only God is Omniscient:

 

I.  God is Omniscient (1-6)

 

1For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. O LORD, You have searched me and known me.

2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.

3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways.

4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.

5 You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.

 

Omniscience means all-knowing.  God knows everything.

1 John 3:20, “God is greater than our heart and knows all things.”

God is like when I was a teenager: You couldn’t tell me anything because I already knew it—or thought I did, anyway!

“searched” = “pierced through” like “seeing right through us” or, winnowing, sifting—as flour, dig—as in digging up dirt on someone

Known—He really knows us; from afar—though in heaven; He really knows us, we may fool some, but He knows, sees through us; knows our thoughts, our motives, our intentions.

When I was child, hiding, close eyes, no one can see me!  God does.

Sitting, etc—every movement

Knows every step.  Move, “I knew you’d do that!”  Can’t trip Him up.  Never says, “Huh?!”

Word on tongue—Matthew 6:8, “Your Father knows the things you have need of before ask.”  Delights in hearing children ask; like earthly father—keeps record, Matthew 12:36.

God hears every single one of our prayers, even when we all pray at same time!

“Hedged me behind and before.”  Your knowledge consumes me.

v. 6—overwhelmed.  3x: 6, 14, 17.

Romans 11:33, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!”

Isaiah 55:8-9; “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Isaiah 46:10, “Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’”

 

God knows our hurts.  He knows what we’re going through.  He knows what we need.  He knows what He’s doing.  He’s working-out a perfect plan.

 

Why should we believe in God?  Because only God is omniscient.  Here’s another reason we should believe in God.  Not only is God the only one who is omniscient, He is the only God who is omnipresent.

 

II.  God is Omnipresent (7-12)

 

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me;

12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

 

Omnipresence—the Lord is everywhere, simultaneously

God doesn’t have to go anywhere!

Four (4) “Ifs”

God exists beyond the grave

Comfort or curse

Christian, comfort: 2 Corinthians 5:8, “to be absent from the body, present with Lord.”

No soul sleep, purgatory

God not in Hell in the sense of dwelling, but He sees who is there, you feel eyes piercing through even there.  Don’t think, “I’ll have all my friends in hell.”

Death, Distance

If take rocket ship as far and fast as possible to furthest place, even there, He is with us.

Death, Distance, Darkness

God has night vision!

Jeremiah 23:23-24, “Am I a God near at hand,” says the LORD, “And not a God afar off?  Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the LORD; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the LORD.”

 

How encouraging to know God is with us wherever we go!  Never alone!

 

Why should we believe in God?  Because only God is omniscient and omnipresent.  Thirdly, we should believe in God because only God is omnipotent.

 

III.  God is Omnipotent (13-18)

 

13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!

18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.

 

Omnipotence: All-powerful.  But consistent with character and nature.  Cannot lie.  Cannot square a circle.

“inward parts” refers to inner organs; organs cannot evolve.

“frame” is skeleton

“skillfully wrought” pictures embroidery

“substance” refers to the unshaped mass; embryo

God “broke the mold when He made you.”

He knew you before you were even born

Creation/Evolution, G.K. Chesterton, “The evolutionist knows everything about the missing link except that it is missing.”

Our body is comprised of cells constantly dying and reproducing.  I read where 3 billion new cells are reproduced every day.  And the DNA in one single cell carries enough information to fill a thousand books of 600 pages each (Jerry Vines sermon).

He has a book that contains the exact number of days we will live

Counting God’s thoughts—more than grains of sand on the sea, how many are there of those?!

Counting blessings; falls asleep!  “When I awake, I am still with You.”  Like some of you, fall asleep, when you awake, I am still with you!

 

Because He is omnipotent He can meet all our needs…

 

Why should we believe in God?  Only God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent.  Here’s a third reason: only God is omni-excellent.

 

IV.  God is Omni-Excellent (19-24)

 

Omni-excellence: How excellent is your name O Lord.  Pure.  Holy.  Without sin.  Supreme Goodness.  The absence of evil.  This is omni-excellence.

 

19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.  20 For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain.

21 Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?

22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;

24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

 

Ray Stedman was speaking about Evangelist Mel Trotter who had said, “There are a lot of wonderful people who will be in heaven.  I know a lot of people who will be in heaven, and I wish they’d hurry up and get there!”

David abhors evil.  He hates what God hates.

Why hate the wicked?  Because “they speak against” God wickedly and “Take (His) name in vain”

When hating is good…

He ends the psalm on his knees—in prayer

He wants to be rid of any wickedness himself; just as he hates the presence of the wicked in verses 19-22, so he wants God to remove any wickedness from himself

 

Conclusion:

 

We should believe in God because only God is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, and omni-excellent.

 

Jeremiah 23:23-24, “Am I a God near at hand,” says the LORD, “And not a God afar off?  Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the LORD; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the LORD.”

 

God is so big and vast that the earth cannot contain Him.  And yet, God is so near that He can live within your heart.

 

  • Stand for prayer.