Open your Bible with me to Psalm
139. Psalm 139. And while you're turning, let
me just say what a privilege it is to be here with y'all this
morning. I'm thankful for this congregation
and so thankful for your pastors. I know y'all are as well. Certainly
pray the Lord bless him out in California and that he might
get a few days of rest with his family. But again, so thankful
for Brother Gabe. Psalm 139, and I'll take the
title from several verses of scripture
here, but three things. The Lord knows
his people. He leads his people and he holds
his people. And these three things are found
here in this passage of scripture. Now, just a little background. Psalm 139, I'll tell you, let's
read it. Let's read it here. Oh Lord,
thou hast searched me and known me. Thou knowest my down-sitting
and mine uprising. Thou understandest my thought
afar off. Thou compassest my path and my
line down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is
not a word in my tongue, but, O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and
before, laid Thy hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful
for me. It is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall
I go from thy spirit, or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there. If I make my bed in
hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall
thy hand lead me. and thy right hand shall hold
me. If I say, surely the darkness
shall cover me, even the night shall be light about me. Yea,
the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as
the day. The darkness and the light are
both alike to thee. For thou hast possessed my reins,
thou hast covered me in my mother's womb, I'll praise thee, for I
am fearfully and wonderfully made, marvelous are thy works,
and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid
from thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought
in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance,
yet being imperfect, and in thy book all my members were written,
which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of
them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God. How
great is the sum of them. If I should count them, they're
more in number than the sand. And when I awake, still with
thee. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked,
O God. Depart from me, therefore, ye
bloody men. For they speak against thee wickedly,
and thine enemies take thy name in vain. Do not I hate them,
O Lord, that hate Thee? Am I not grieved with those that
rise up against Thee? I hate them with perfect hatred.
I count them mine enemies. Search me, O God, and know my
heart. Try me and know my thoughts,
and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me. Lead me in the way everlasting. Old writers say that this was,
David sat down and he penned this psalm after that encounter
he had with Shimei. Remember that David and his men,
they were passing through town and Shimei came out and he began
cursing and throwing rocks at the king. And one of David's
faithful men, he said, let me go over there and take off his
head. And he wasn't talking about a
haymaker. He literally wanted to take it. This man was speaking against
the king, his king. He wanted to go over and just
cut his head off. And if you put yourself in David's
position, it would have been pretty easy to say, have at it. Remember what David said? He
said, let him curse. Let him curse. It just may be
that the Lord sent him to do this, to requite. Think about
that. Let him curse. The Lord sent
him to do that. Well, after that, after that
took place, David sat down and he penned this psalm under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And he said here in verse one,
O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me. Truly God knows all things. There's nothing hidden from Him.
Peter said that. He said, Lord, thou knowest all
things. You know everything and all people. But we know this, that He knows
His people, His elect, His sheep. He knows them in a special way. He searches them. He finds them. He knows where they are. He knows
when he'll cross their path. We read in scripture, there's
some that the Lord went out and found, and there were some that
were brought to him, but regardless of the circumstances, he knows
his people, and at that time, they'll be brought to him. Like Zacchaeus of old. Zacchaeus went out there, he
was looking, he was wanting to see what all the fuss was about,
And it says, when he came to the place, remember that he climbed
up that, Zacchaeus climbed up that tree that had been there
for however long. And it said, when the Lord came
to the place, think about the precision, that place that had
been determined from before eternity. And he looked up at him and he
saw him and he said, come down, come down, Zacchaeus. Well, or
that eunuch. Remember that eunuch, he had
returned home from some kind of, or he was heading home from
some type of religious activity, and he sat there in that chariot. He was reading from Isaiah, and
he didn't have a clue what he was reading about. He was reading,
and the Lord sent Philip to go and preach the gospel. Went up
there to his chair, and he said, you understand what you're reading. Gave him a teachable spirit.
How can I? How can I accept some man should guide me? And time
and time again in the scriptures, we see this. And he knows, again,
he knows his people. He'll find them wherever, wherever
they are. Whether they're in Kingsport,
Tennessee, whether it's somewhere over in Africa, wherever they
are, God's gonna find his people and he'll call them out. He may have to send them to the
other side of the world, but wherever they're at, he'll find
them and he'll send his messenger to them. The word's gonna reach
them. Well, in John 10, 14, our Lord
said this. He said, I'm the good shepherd.
I know my sheep, and I'm known of mine. He knows his sheep. He calls
them by name. They're his. And listen, he knows
them in such a sense that they're one. We're one with him. We're
one with the Father. He knows them with a perfect,
we can't even enter into this. He knows them with a perfect
and eternal love and has before the foundation of the world.
He loves them to the point he laid down his life. He laid down
his life for the sheep, for the redemption of his sheep. And
not only does he know his sheep, That's amazing in itself. That's
a wondrous thing in itself. But his sheep know him. He's
pleased to reveal himself to his people. And he loves them. And we love him. Because he first
loved us. And his people will commit, by
his grace, all to him. Paul writing to Timothy, he said,
I'm not ashamed for I know whom I have believed. And I am persuaded
that he's able to keep that which I have committed unto him against
that day. Can we speak here as David? Oh Lord, thou hast searched me. and known me. Not everyone, not
everyone can. You know, there are those who
in a, I don't know if this is the right, in a sense, although
he knows, there are those that he does not know. Scripture's
pretty clear in that. Turn to, hold your place and
turn to Matthew chapter seven. Matthew chapter seven, look at
verse 21. It's our Lord speaking. Not everyone that saith unto
me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. But he
that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven, many will
say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
in thy name? And in thy name cast out devils,
and in thy name done many wonderful works. Verse 23. And then will I profess unto
them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work
iniquity. But Paul, writing to Timothy,
he said this. He said, the foundation of God
standeth sure, having this seal. There's some that he don't know.
There's some he said, I never knew you, but the Lord knoweth
them that are his. His people. How could he not
know? He chose them. He died for them. And scripture says they'll never
perish. And back to our text, Psalm 139. Oh Lord, thou hast searched me
and known me. Thou knowest my down-sitting
and my uprising. Thou understandest my thought
afar off. Consider the care, the care he
has for his people. David said, when I sit down,
something as simple as sitting down, when I sit down, He's there. When I rise up, he's there. He's ever with his people. He said, thou understandest my
thought afar off. That's kind of a scary thing,
to think he knows our thoughts. I can tell you right now, I am
thankful. I'm thankful you don't know my
thoughts. Aren't we thankful that folks
don't know our thoughts? I'm going to say some of the
time, but I'd say most of the time. He knows my thoughts. Nothing,
absolutely nothing is hid from Almighty God. Hebrews 4.12, the
word of God is quick. powerful, sharper than any two-edged
sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, of
the joints and marrow, and he's a discerner, a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart. Think about that. He discerns
our thoughts. You ever do something just to
be polite, but really you didn't feel that way? He knows not just our thoughts,
the intents of our heart. Christ knows the heart. Remember
when God told Samuel before he had anointed David to be king? Remember that Jesse's sons were
passing before him. And surely this one's him. Surely this one's him. And the
Lord said to Samuel, don't look on the outward countenance. Don't
look on the height of his stature. For the Lord seeth not as man
seeth. Man looks on outward appearance.
Almighty God, he looks on the heart. All things are naked and open
unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. You know, Adam
and Eve, they learned that lesson. When they sinned against God,
they tried to hide. You can't hide from God. They
tried to cover their nakedness with those fig leaf aprons. We can't hide from God. And listen,
whether we know it or not, We're sinners, and there's nothing
we can do in and of ourselves to cover that sin. David learned this when he had
committed adultery with Bathsheba. Remember that? He had Uriah murdered. He murdered Uriah. I mean, he
told his men, he said, get in the fiercest part of the battle
and have Uriah out there in the front and then just draw back
from him. All that trying to cover up his
sin. Wasn't too long after that that
the Lord sent Nathan to David, over back there in 2 Samuel.
Remember that, he told him that story. He said there was a rich
man who had exceeding herds. He had everything. And he said
there was a poor man that had this one little ewe lamb. And he said he raised that little
lamb like it was one of his own children. Aided his table, slept
in his bed. And he said there was a traveler
coming through town. And instead of that rich man
taking from the plenty he had, he went and he took that poor
man's one little ewe lamb and he slew it and he fed it to that
fella. Boy, when David heard that story, his anger was kindled. He flew into a rage. You know, when we think the problem
is with somebody else, It's pretty easy for us to get worked up
about it, isn't it? He said, as the Lord liveth,
this man should die. Well, the problem wasn't with
that man, was it? The problem is here. I'm the
sinner. Nathan said to David, thou art
the man. Thou art the man. He'd searched
him. He knew him. Nothing is hid from
Almighty God. And David said this, I've sinned
against God. But then Nathan said to David,
the Lord hath put away thy sin. Were there consequences of David's
actions? Absolutely. The sword never departed from
David's house. Evil was raised up in his house
against him. I mean, his own son Absalom sought
his life. It gave occasion for the enemies
of the Lord to blaspheme. That child born to Bathsheba
and David died. Shimei would later come and curse
him and throw rocks at him and draw attention to what he had
done. But listen, the Lord hath put away thy sin. Only, only in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Scripture declares the blood
of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin. Again, here in Psalm 139, look
at verse 23. Search me, know my heart, try
me, know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in
me. He's numbered the hairs of our
head. That's how well he knows his
people. He knows all things and yet David
says, search me and see if there be any wicked way in me. How can he do that? Because the
Lord had put away his sin. The Lord put away his sin. He
didn't hide it. It wasn't him having Uriah killed
out there on the battlefield. The Lord put away his sin. He came into the world to do
just that, to save sinners. Verse 3, the end of our text
here, Psalm 139. Thou compassest my path. and my lying down and are acquainted
with all my ways, he surrounds us. And though we lie down, we were
tired last night and we lay down and we slept. and yet the Lord ever cares for
his people. He never slumbers or sleeps. I'd seen this coming out of Don Fortner's study. He
had a quote by Andrew Jackson and it said this. Some man had
asked Andrew Jackson, how do you remain so calm in battle?
And he said, my religious belief teaches me to feel just as safe
on the battlefield as I do in my own bed. The Lord ever keeps his people. Back in 2 Kings 6, the king of
Syria had sent his armies to capture Elisha. He sent his horses
and his chariots and that great army after one man. And his servant
went out in the middle of the night, and he looked around,
and he saw this army surrounding him. And he said, what shall
we do? We're surrounded by the enemy.
What shall we do? Well, Elisha replied, don't be
afraid. That's the same thing Moses told
the children of Israel. What? Fear not. Don't be afraid. They that be with us are more
than they that be with him. King Hezekiah told the people
there in Judah, when the king of Syria came against him, he
said that he comes with an arm of the flesh, but the Lord our God will help
us and fight all of our battles. He protects and he keeps his
people. Verse four, again in our text,
there's not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knowest
it, all together. He knows the words before they
even come out of our mouth. All-knowing, all-seeing. Now,
let's read on. I want to get to verse 10. Verse 5, thou hast beset me behind
and before, thou hast laid thy hand upon me. Such knowledge
is too wonderful for me, it's high, I can't attain to it. Whither
shall I go from thy spirit, or whither shall I flee from thy
presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there. If I
make my bed in hell, the lowest parts of the earth, thou art
there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the
uttermost parts of the sea, the uttermost, he's still there. He's able to save to the uttermost. Verse 10, I want to spend just
a little more time here. Two more points here. Even there
shall thy hand Lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. Now first, he knows his people. He knows his sheep. He leads
us, and he holds his people. Think about who's speaking here,
too. This is David. David slew Goliath. David was
anointed king. Scripture says, God said this,
I found David the son of Jesse to be a man after mine own heart. And he says, David says this,
you've known me and you've led me. He took no credit. for those
things. You've led me. You've not just
shown me, you've not just told me, you've not just pointed me.
You've led me. You've led me. Lead me and hold
me. Yet as great a man as David was
in this flesh, he was a great sinner. Committed adultery with Bathsheba,
murdered Uriah, numbered Israel, But you know a great sinner requires
a great savior. Psalm 139, 10, even there shall
thy hand lead me. Look at verse 24 again of Psalm
139. David makes this request. Lead me in the way everlasting. Now, we read of many ways in
God's Word, many ways in which we're prone to go. In Psalm 146,
verse 9, there's the way of the wicked. Scripture says, the Lord
preserveth the strangers, he relieveth the fatherless and
the widow, but the way of the wicked, way of the wicked, he
turneth upside down. There's another way in scripture.
There's a way that seemeth right. This seems right. But the end
thereof are the ways of death. In Proverbs 4, verse 14, we read
about the path of the wicked, the way of evil men, that broad
way. in scripture that leads to death
and destruction. We've been here a few times to
Kingsport. We're familiar with the way. What we read here of David was
familiar with those ways. The way that seemed right. The
way of death and destruction. The way of the wicked. Bob, about 20 years ago, you
were teaching Bible school and you used that passage of Scripture,
the way of the wicked, the way of the wicked. But you didn't
stop there. The way of the wicked, aren't
we thankful for this? He turns that upside down. That
direction we would go, he turns his people. David says, lead
me in the way everlasting. The old way. The old paths. In Jeremiah 6, verse 16. Turn there with me. Jeremiah chapter 6. Jeremiah 6, verse 16. Thus saith the Lord, verse 16 again, thus saith the
Lord, stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old path,
where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest. for your souls. Now what did
the people say? They said, we'll not walk therein. By nature,
that's our reply. We'll not walk therein. But this old path, it's the way
which was from the beginning. John chapter one, verse one says,
in the beginning was the word, the word was God, the word was
with God, the word was God. Who's that talking about? It's
the Lord Jesus Christ. The old path. In the beginning
was the Word. John 14, 5, Thomas speaking to
the Lord, he said, we don't know which way thou goest, how can
we know the way? And in verse six, Jesus saith
unto him, Thomas, I am the way. I am the way, the truth and the
life, and no man cometh unto the Father but by me. Oh, that the Lord would make
David's prayer our prayer. Lead me, not in the way that
I would go, not in the way of the wicked, not in the way of
evil men, lead me in the way everlasting. Lead me in the way
of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is, who is the way. And listen,
not just the way by example, He's not just a prophet to teach
the way, although he did teach the way. Not just a guy. He himself is the way. He's the way from God to man.
All blessings, all blessings come from the Father to his people
through the Lord Jesus Christ. And he's the way from man to
God. He's our righteousness. He's
our high priest. He's our sin offering. And by
his life, he honored the law of God completely and perfectly. And by his death, he enabled
God to be both just and justifier to those that believe. Moses
prayed back there in Exodus 33, he said, he said, show me now
thy way. Same request, show me now thy
way. Why? That I might know him and
that I might find grace in his sight. Lead me in the way everlasting. Back here in our text, Psalm
139, But verse 10, even there shall
thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. He says, you've searched me,
and you've known me. You've led me, I pray, lead me
in the way everlasting. And here he says, thy right hand
shall hold me. That word hold, it means to take
possession of something. I hold it in my hand, it's mine. Abigail, she reminded David of
this. Remember that when David sought
to kill Nabal? He had treated his men kind of
roughly, and David was charging up the hill, and he was gonna
kill every one of those men. And Abigail, she said this. She said, the soul of my Lord,
the soul of my Lord David, is bound up in the bundle of life
with the Lord thy God, dear to the Lord, precious in
his sight, carefully preserved by him, just as all his chosen ones are.
Not just David, but all of his people are kept safe in his hand. under his care and keeping. Isaiah wrote this, he'll feed
his flock like a shepherd. He'll gather his lambs with his
arms and he'll carry them in his bosom. Just like you parents. I imagine as a little child,
is there any safer place to be? than in the arms of a loving
and caring parent. You'd give your life to protect
that little one. Lord Jesus Christ, he holds his
people. And we're held, we're kept, kept
by him. Thy right hand shall hold me. Turn to John chapter 10. John chapter 10. Our Lord had walked into the
temple there in Jerusalem during the Feast of Dedication, and
there were a group of Jews that came around and said, they said,
how long do thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us
plainly. Do you have John 10? Look at
verse 25. Jesus answered them. He said,
I told you, you believe not. The works that I do in my father's
name, they bear witness to me, but you believe not because you're
not my sheep. As I said unto you, my sheep
hear my voice. I know them and they follow me
and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish. Think how he holds his people
here. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Verse 29,
my father which gave them me is greater than all. He says
not only can no man pluck them out of my hand, look here. No man is able to pluck them
out of my father's hand. For I and my father Is there comfort to be found
in God's Word, knowing that we're held, we're kept by Him? Well, one last time here, look
at Psalm 139, verse 23. Search me, O God. know my heart, try me, know my
thoughts, see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me
in the way everlasting. He knows his people. He knows
his people. He leads his people. And he holds his people. They're where he is. Where he
is. Brother Cody read, I had him
read there from Luke 15. Remember at the beginning of
the service, and our Lord said this, he said, what man of you,
having a hundred sheep, if he loses one, does he not leave
the 99 and go into the wilderness and search until he finds it? He knows where they're at, doesn't
he? And he goes, and he finds them. And what's he do? He lays
it up on his shoulder. Any better place of safety, any
better place of security, he lays them up on his shoulder.
And there's no thought of them being lost, because he carries
them home. There they are in his arms. Joy shall be in heaven over one.
And what's he say when he gets home? Come and rejoice with me. This my lost sheep I've found. Well, he knows his sheep. He leads his sheep and he holds
his sheep. I pray the Lord would bless his
word to our hearts here this morning.