The God Who Knows It All - Part B

God knows the past and the present, but He also knows the future. This is important because it's the basis of all predictive prophecy. Sometimes we go through the Bible and we go, I'm amazed. There's so many prophecies given where God, through a prophet, predicts an event that will happen a hundred, two hundred thousand years before it happens.

How is that possible? Once you understand, at least in part, agree with this attribute of God, He's omniscient. And you go, I get it. Any God that can be said to know it all must certainly then know the future. What would you do if you knew the future?

Well, you actually know someone who has that knowledge. Today on Connect with Skip High Tech, Skip reminds you about our God who knows everything and shares why you can put all your trust in Him. Then stay tuned after the message as Skip and his wife Lenya share how you can cultivate authenticity and your relationship with God to grow closer to Him. Honesty leads to a mercy for other people who are imperfect as well. You know, Spurgeon said that there's nothing that I wouldn't pour into the ears of a loving God.

So I'd pray about everything because I can't hide anything from him anyway. Be sure to stay with us after today's message to hear the full discussion. Right now, we want to tell you about a resource that will help you get a fuller picture of God's character and nature so you can draw closer to Him. Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King Jr., Winston Churchill, C.S. Lewis, all are outstanding men with amazing life stories.

But in all of history, one biography stands out above the rest. I'm excited to announce the release of my new book, The Biography of God, which gives an in-depth look at God's character and nature, diving into the theological and personal profile of our Heavenly Father. I invite you on a journey to search the scriptures to discover who God is and how sensitive He is to the human condition.

This process will both lift you up and humble you. Here's how to get your copy of my newest book, The Biography of God. Skip's new book is our thanks when you give $35 or more today to help keep this ministry on the air.

Call 800-922-1888 or give online securely at connectwithskip.com slash offer. Now, as we join Skip Heitzig for today's teaching, we're in Psalm chapter 139. We have a fear of being exposed. Most people do. It's part of human nature, which is interesting because we live in an age that is the information age. There are surveillance cameras everywhere, even here at the church. You can bug a person's room.

What you say this morning could be on YouTube this afternoon. You can be exposed quickly to the entire world. Or what do you feel like when in a restaurant you suddenly realize somebody's been staring at you from that table? You get uneasy. You have no qualms about staring at other people, but when you discover that you are being stared at, it embarrasses you because we want privacy.

We don't like that exposure. So here's David personally coming to grips with a God who searches him and knows everything about him with full examination. How do you deal with that kind of God? When you deal with the God of Hebrews 4.13, it declares, There's no creature hidden from his sight. All things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account. How do you relate to him?

Well, I'll put it to you bluntly. Don't try to pull the wool over his eyes. You can't hide anything from him, so don't try to pull a con job off on God.

Be really honest because he knows you anyway. I heard about a rich old guy who was losing his hearing, and he went to a doctor and got a hearing aid and came back two weeks later. He said, Doctor, these hearing aids are so good, I can hear conversations in the next room. The doctor said, Well, that's great.

I bet your family's really happy that you can hear. The old man smiled and said, I haven't told any of them yet. He said, You know what, Doc?

In two weeks, I've changed my will two times. He's heard it all. He knows what they're saying. That's God's knowledge stated. He knows it all. He's omniscient.

Let's get a little more in depth. In verse 2, David further personalizes it, and this is God's knowledge studied. Something I didn't point out yet, in the pronouns that he uses to speak about God, you have searched me. You know my sitting down and my rising up. You understand.

In the Hebrew grammar, it's put in the emphatic position. As if David is saying, This is an attribute nobody else has. It is unique to you.

Only you have all this knowledge. When I was a kid, I swore my mom had all this knowledge, or that God had been talking to my mom about me, because I couldn't believe how much she knew about me. I tried to hide stuff from her. She heard me whisper. She knew where I was when I thought she didn't. That's just an insightful mother.

That's different from this. David realizes God uniquely has omniscience. Notice, you know my sitting down and my rising up. God is aware of the slightest movement you make, and he's interested in the slightest movements you make. That might come as a surprise to you. On one hand, yes, you believe God knows that, but you think, Does God really care? Okay, now watch this. Look at verse 17.

Notice that. How precious also are your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand. When I awake, I'm still with you. Have you ever had somebody say to you, maybe at church this morning, Hey, good to see you. I've been thinking about you a lot lately. God would say that to you this morning. I've been thinking about you a lot. How precious are your thoughts!

There are 6.7 billion people right now living on our earth. God is aware of every one of their movements, motions, the time they get up, the time they sit down or lay down to rest, and he's interested in each one. Let's put it personally. God saw you yesterday when you were worshipping him all alone in that room or in your car. God heard those encouraging words you gave to that worker or family member.

Or, think of it this way. God saw you yell at your wife this morning. God heard what you said at the gym to that guy or gal this week.

Everything. You hide nothing from him. Proverbs 5.

The ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths. I heard about a preacher who had a CB radio. Loved this thing. Loved to listen to the truckers as they went through town. A trucker was going through town trying to get ahold of a prostitute in that town that he knew about and was unsuccessful, and the trucker said, Well, I'm sorry you couldn't hear me.

I'll see you next time I come through. The preacher got on the radio and said, She may not have heard you, but God did. There was a long silence. Finally, the truck driver said, Man, I knew this CB radio had good range, but I didn't know it was that good. As if it beamed all the way to heaven.

Doesn't need to. God was there. The preacher was right. God heard it all.

David continues here studying God's omniscience. You understand my thoughts are far off. Or better translated, God, you know what I think before I even think it.

Before those electrical and chemical signals were transmitted at the synapse of the neuron, you knew it. Ever had a weird thought come into your mind? Where'd that thought come from? God knows.

He's probably the only one that does. What this means to us is this. God knows what you really feel. Not just what you say. God knows what you really feel. God knows what you really believe about him.

What your real world view is. God knows where you stand, what your real opinions are. Now look at verse 3.

All the way through verse 5. You comprehend my path and my lying down. These are opposites in Hebrew. One is a place you walk on, other is a place you lay down. These opposites are described. You're acquainted with all my ways.

There's not a word on my tongue. But behold, oh Lord, you know it all together. You've hedged me behind and before.

Again, two opposites are described. And you have laid your hand on me. Now, the idea of this construction in verses 3 through 5 expresses completeness. And it could be translated at all times or in every moment. God's knowledge of me personally is not just every movement, not just every motive, but at all times of the day, 24-7. He doesn't take a nap. He doesn't take a vacation. He's never caught, unaware.

He knows it at all times. So, God knows the past and the present, but He also knows the future. And this is important because it's the basis of all predictive prophecy. Sometimes we go through the Bible and go, I'm amazed. There's so many prophecies given where God, through a prophet, predicts an event that will happen a hundred, two hundred thousand years before it happens. How is that possible? Once you understand, at least in part, agree with this attribute of God, He's omniscient.

And you go, I get it. Any God that can be said to know it all must certainly then know the future and can call it into existence. And because this is true, God can announce a hundred and fifty years before the man was even born that Cyrus, by name, written in Isaiah chapter 45 verses 1 through 3, will come and deliver the Jews after their Babylonian captivity.

He wasn't even born for a hundred and fifty years when that was written. That is why Daniel can predict the succession of world governing kingdoms from Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece to Rome before it ever happened. That's how Zechariah in chapter 9 can say the Messiah will enter Jerusalem on a donkey. That's why the Bible can announce there's going to be a rapture and a tribulation and a millennial kingdom and a judgment seat of Christ and judgment seat, the great white throne and the eternal state of the new heaven and new earth way before it ever happens. God knows the future simply because God controls the future. So this whole idea that God doesn't know all things is a lie. There's a teaching called open theism or finite theism that God doesn't know all things that I mentioned. Here's a verse that flies right into the face of that.

Listen to this. Ephesians 1-11. God works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.

There you have two things enmeshed. The sovereignty of God, the omniscience of God, brought together in a nutshell. God knows the future because God controls the future and everything's done accordingly. Well, I want to end by what I think is the most important part and that is verse 5 and 6. This is not God's knowledge stated or even studied but surrendered to. It's the best part. Verse 5. You have hedged me behind and before and you laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.

It is high I cannot attain it. I will tell you that there's a number of commentators and even Bible translators that look at verse 5 and they see it as sort of a nice sweet God nestling His children. They picture the idea and even translate it that here we are held by God and God is surrounding us on all sides, nicely nestled. I don't necessarily think that's the meaning.

I agree with the Bible knowledge commentary that says these first six verses describe a process David coming to grips with the God who knows everything about him and verse 5 would indicate that he admits he has trouble with this doctrine at first. As if to say, well, God, if you know everything that means I'm hedged in. I'm trapped. I'm a prisoner of fate. You're in charge.

You know the future. So I feel sort of like trapped by your sovereign omniscience. Have you ever heard that stated by people?

I have. I've heard people say, well, if Jesus said your Heavenly Father knows what you need before you ask Him, then why should we ask Him? Why should we pray about anything if God already has sovereignty and is omniscient and knows what we need before we ask Him? Why bother praying? That's a very dim view of prayer.

Prayer is a whole lot more than giving God a wish list. Imagine a parent and a child who had a relationship, something like this. They never saw each other. They never communicated except once a year the child gave Mom and Dad a Christmas list. You know, every parent loves when a child just phones home, just calls to talk, just let's have lunch, let's just hang out. How are you doing? There's a relationship there.

And so it could be that in verse 5, David is working his way through that, but rather than feeling that he's a prisoner of fate, in verse 6 and in other verses, he's a worshiper of the Father, for he says, such knowledge is too wonderful for me. I'll re-translate that. This is the NSV, the new Skip version. Ready? Wow! Wow! That's his reaction and response to what he discovers about God.

Wow! This is like fuse blowing. If I think about it too long, I'll blow a fuse. It's too high. I cannot attain it. But then look at the end. Look at verse 23. Search me, O God, and know my heart. That's a prayer. He's inviting God to know more, even though that's not possible.

Try me and know my anxieties. See if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. God, I don't get it. I can't wrap my mind around it.

I'll blow a fuse trying to figure this out, so I just surrender to it. Search me. Know me. Lead me.

Direct me. That's where we ought to leave off in our dealing with God. I'm going to tell you something. You may want to write it down. I wrote it down just to remember it in summing up this section.

This is what it leads me to. Since God's ability transcends my reality, it's best for me to bow at his immensity. Now let me break that down. God's ability is always greater than your reality. If you think you're going to go to some theological school or school of ministry or get a Ph.D. in something and walk out holding the diploma and say, I know everything there is to know about God, then you're dumber than we thought.

It is impossible. You will have to come to a point where you say, I've reached a saturation point. I've reached a limit. I don't completely get it. There's a mystery to our faith that is precious. And what do you do at that point?

You leave off. God's ability is greater than my reality, so the best thing is to bow before his immensity. God is always greater than our present knowledge of him. See, if God was small enough for your brain, he wouldn't be big enough for your needs. There's an element that makes God, God. And if you understood all there is about God, you'd be God. And this is one of those attributes that is so God about God.

He knows everything. And David says, search me, know me, test me, lead me. It ends in worship. That's where it should end with us. I want to leave you with three things this morning in summing this up.

I want you to personalize this. Since God knows everything, God knows the worst about us. Now follow me here, don't lose me. In any human relationship, or most human relationships, there is a fear that two people have in getting to know each other. The fear is that when that person really knows who I really am, they'll reject me. That's why we put on our best face, and we act so nice as to win them over. And hopefully after a period of time, that'll overshadow what they'll really find out about me when the skeleton tumbles out of the closet.

If you live your relationship like that, you'll never be free to be real. So you'll never know if you're really loved for who you are or not. That's a fear people have.

Now listen, God knows the worst about you and loves you anyway. I hope that's as liberating to you as it is to me. It's liberating. Psalm 103, God knows our frame and remembers that we're but dust. What expectations would anybody have from dust? I expect a lot out of this dirt.

This is quality dust. God knows you and He knows me, He knows the worst about us because He's all-knowing and He loves you anyway. That's number one. Number two, since God knows everything, God knows the best about us. God knows the best about us. Sometimes you do your best and it goes unnoticed. Or you do your best and you fail.

And when you fail doing your best, others may see it and they don't get the whole picture, they don't understand the motive, and they criticize you and they say this and that about you. God knows the whole truth. He knows the best about you. And Peter was content with that because he failed Jesus. And after the resurrection, remember the story of John 21? Jesus said, Peter, do you love me? Peter goes, yeah. Again, Jesus said, Peter, do you love me? Uh-huh. Third time, Peter, do you love me? Remember what he said? Lord, you know all things and you know that I love you.

That's where he left it. You know, you know my heart. You know the best of my heart. 1 John tells us, if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and he knows all things. So since God knows everything, he knows the worst about you, loves you anyway. God knows the best about you, knows what's really deep inside your heart. Here's the third and final thing.

To me, this is the best. Since God knows everything, he knows what he's going to make you into. You're not done yet. You're still in the oven.

You're still in process. God sees your imperfections, but he also sees the finished product. The Bible uses a beautiful word for this, for we are his workmanship. You're a work of art. All you see is the blob on the canvas.

The artist sees the finished work. And that's where he's taking you. This is probably seen in no better place than in Romans 8, verse 29. Now, you all know Romans 8, 28, right?

Show of hands. Romans 8, 28. Ever heard that verse, memorized that verse? God works all things together, et cetera. It's unfortunate that we have memorized that to the exclusion of the very next verse, because listen to this truth.

Verse 29 of Romans 8. For those that God foreknew, or knew about in advance, he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son. And those he predestined, he also called. And those he called, he also justified.

And those he justified, he also glorified. Now, let me tell you something. You're not yet glorified. Neither am I.

Ask my wife. But God is so sure that one day I will be glorified that he writes about it like it's a done deal. Because he knows everything, and knowing everything, he knows the worst about me, the best about me, and he knows where he's going to take me.

I love that. There's a bumper sticker. I'm going to say it and you'll finish it. It says, Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven.

That doesn't mean you put that on your car and go 90 miles an hour. But it is true. We're in process. God knows where he's taking us. That wraps up Skip Heisek's message from the series, The Biography of God. Now, here's Skip and Lenya, as they share about how you can cultivate more authenticity in your relationship with God to grow closer to him. Today we learn that God knows everything about us, even our very thoughts. But sometimes when we go to him, we try to wear a spiritual mask to cover up what's really going on inside. Skip, how can honesty and authenticity take our relationship to God to a whole other level? You know, there's that passage in Hebrews that says all things are naked and open before the eyes of the one that we must give an account to.

And I guess just knowing that, that he knows it all anyway, I think that's transforming in and of itself. That should sort of change how we relate to God leads to honesty, and that kind of honesty leads to purity. And then I would say that kind of honesty leads to a mercy for other people who are imperfect as well.

You know, Spurgeon said that there's nothing that I wouldn't pour into the ears of a loving God. So I'd pray about everything because I can't hide anything from him anyway. And I just want to say that there's a problem with a lot of us with shame. That we don't want to reveal ourselves because of shame, and it's such a lie. You know, with Adam and Eve, they were naked and ashamed.

Well, they had been naked previous to that, and they weren't ashamed. And sometimes shame gets into the mix, and then that's really what prevents us. So we just need to be so honest with God because he knows it anyway. He sees it anyway, and he loved us.

He loved us before, you know, when we were great sinners. Thanks, Skip and Lenya. Well, we hope this conversation encouraged you. And right now, we want to tell you how you can help keep these teachings you love on the air for you and encourage others by connecting them to Jesus. You can help make that happen through your gift today, which also keeps these messages you enjoy coming to you. Give a gift right now when you call 800-922-1888.

Again, that's 800-922-1888. Or visit connectwithskip.com slash donate. Connectwithskip.com slash donate. Thank you. And just a reminder, you can watch Connect with Skip Heitzig on the Hillsong Channel on Saturdays at 4.30 p.m. Mountain, or watch it on TBN on Sundays at 5.30 a.m. Eastern.

Check your local listings. Tune in tomorrow as Skip Heitzig shares about where exactly it is that you can find God. Make a connection, make a connection at the foot of the crossing. Cast all burdens on His word. Make a connection, a connection. Connect with Skip Heitzig is a presentation of Connection Communications, connecting you to God's never-changing truth in ever-changing times.