26 Feb, 2017 God is always speaking to us Psalm 19

Introduction:
Friends, if you were living in London a few years ago you would have probably seen this advertisement
on the sides of buses. It said this: God probably doesnt exist- now stop worrying & enjoy your life. Now
friends, statements like these are very attractive to many people in our modern world. After all, this
advertisement is not saying that God does not exist- & so all the Christians & the Muslims & the Jews can
relax. And at the same time, the advertisement does not say that There is a God who made you & owns
you- & so the all the atheists can relax too & not get upset. And so this advertisement is the perfect
compromise because both sides can be reasonably happy. And really, these are the words of the
person who says they are an agnostic. You see, an agnostic says Well, I think God does not exist...but on
the other hand maybe there is a God- I just dont know- Im just not sure. But more importantly friends
an agnostic also says, you cannot know if God exists. You see, an agnostic says There is no way of
knowing God. They say There is no real, reliable knowledge of God that is available to us humans. And
so their wonderful conclusion about life & meaning & happiness is to just do what you feel like doing
how convenient! But friends, if you carefully think about it- this is not how we actually live our lives each
day. I mean, we humans are not agnostic about the things that are important to us in life. For example, if
you are at the airport & someone asks you what time does your plane leave?, you will never say oh,
Im an agnostic-you know, I dont know what time my plane leaves & its impossible for me to know what
time my plane leaves-& so it doesnt matter. I mean, if you did that, what would happen to you? you
would never catch the plane. You see, when things are really important to you you are never agnostic.
because when things are really important you always want reliable knowledge that we can trust so we
can make the best decisions in life. I mean, when the lights dont work in my house, I ring an electrician
because he has knowledge about electricity, & when my toilet is blocked I ring a plumber because he
has knowledge of pipes, & when Im sick I go to the doctor because he has knowledge about the
human body & can make me better. Friends, the truth is you cannot live life without knowledge. And
really, I think this advertisement is just another way of avoiding any personal responsibility about the most
important thing in life-which is knowing the LORD God! Now, the wonderful truth here in Psalm 19 is that
the LORD God does want us to know him. You see, God does not want you & I to be agnostic about
him. God does not want you to be unsure & uncertain, or confused about him. And so the Lord God
reaches down to us & reveals himself to us & he gives us clear knowledge of himself - so we can know
him personally. And here in this beautiful song called Psalm 19, king David says God is always revealing
himself to us in 3 main ways.
1. The Lord God reveals himself to us through the universe he has made.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they
continue to speak; night after night they reveal knowledge.3 They speak without a word, no sound is heard
from them. 4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world

Friends, king David says you can actually know what God is like by looking at this world that He made.
Now, its true that we cant know everything about God by looking at the world we live in, but we can
certainly learn some very important things about God. And really, we often learn things about people by
looking at the things they have made. Let me give you an example. This is a famous painting called Still
life-moving fast- a very interesting name, isnt it? Now, how would you describe this
painting?...interesting? strange? a bit weird? Well yes it is. And youve just described the
artist who created this painting. You see, the artist is a Spanish painter called Mr
Salvadore Dali & he was a very strange person-& we learnt all this from looking at his
painting. Friends, it is the same when we look at this world that God has made, because
when we open our eyes to His creation then we can begin to understand what God is
like. And friends, as you look at those wonderful pictures taken from the Hubble
telescope what do we learn about this God who made the universe? Well, I think we learn that the LORD
God is BIG, that God is creative & very imaginative. We learn that God is intellectually brilliant, that He is
wise, that God likes variety, & that He is a great designer. And here in Psalm 19 King David says this
universe is always declaring these magnificent characteristics of God which we call his glory. You see,
the sky & the stars, the mountains & the animals, & even us humans - all of creation, together, is shouting
about the glory of God. Its teaching us that God is good, that God & wise, that God is powerful & full of
goodness & that He is love. And just like nothing can escape the heat of the sun on a hot summers day
as it moves across the sky over Sydney - so too we cannot escape this knowledge about God that is
there for everyone of to see, every single day. Unless of course, we close our eyes & stop looking. And of
course, that is what many people do today, isnt it? They close their hearts to God & then they find it very
easy to close their eyes to His glory & goodness that surrounds them each day. And yet friends, you may
be thinking we still need more knowledge of God so we can to know God - as he really is. Well, king
David says, no problem because God also speaks to us through his law- through his words.

2. The Lord God reveals himself to us through his law (his words)

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The laws of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the
simple. 8 The commandments of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are
radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring for ever. The laws of the Lord are
strong, & all of them are fair 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold11 By them your
servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Friends, king David says the second way that the LORD God gives us clear, reliable knowledge of himself
is through his law-through his words. Really, its just like when we humans use words to reveal our character
by speaking to each other. Now, the important thing to remember here is that Gods words to us are not
just theories or ideas, or just pretty words that sound nice (like poetry), but which make no difference to
the way you live your life. No!...David says, Gods law is true because it changes your life - if you obey
them. For example, think about the 10 commandments. You know, God gave his people in the Old
Testament 10 great laws for living as his people in this world & here they are: I am the LORD your God
who rescued you from slavery in Egypt. (1) You must have no other gods except for me, (2) you must not
make for yourself an idol & you must not bow down & serve them, (3) You must not misuse the name of
the LORD, (4) Remember to celebrate the Sabbath. Six days you shall do all your work but on the 7th day
you shall rest, (5) Do not murder (6) Honour your father & mother, (7) You must not commit adultery, (8)
You must not steal, (9) You must not lie, (10) You must not want what belongs to your neighbour-neither
his wife, his house-or his Toyota Camry. Now friends, let me ask you a serious question. What would
happen to & our society & our world if everyone today simply followed these laws from God? Well, the
world would be changed completely, wouldnt it? I mean, we wouldnt need jails, we wouldnt need
any police, people would come to church because they wouldnt be working & studying on Sundays,
you could leave your front door unlocked & not worry, you could trust people because they would tell
you the truth, & people would be content with what they had & so advertising just wouldnt work.
Friends, our world would be a peaceful & wonderful place. The world would be changed by people
simply obeying the 10 commandments. But you see friends, that is what real knowledge does - it
changes life! Friends, king David is absolutely right. The law of the LORD is perfect, Gods words & Gods
ways are right. They work, they change life & make it better, they make you wise, & bring you joy - if we
obey them. Friends, Gods words are not just information that just fills our heads. Gods laws are
information that can be tested & lived out, &found to be true & good & valuable for our lives. And so, as
we obey Gods words we learn that God is good. And friends, that is the most important knowledge we
need for our lives, isnt it? I mean, our world desperately needs knowledge about life that actually works.
And God in his goodness, gives us this knowledge freely because He is good. Friends, our homework this
month is to memorize the 10 commandments (in Exodus chapter 20) & then I want us to test this
knowledge from God - in your life, by doing these things. Now, we probably cant do them all. And I
know we wont do them perfectly, & we certainly cant do it without Gods help. BUT friends, lets try, lets
ask God for his help & then we will see that it is true, & then we will see that God is good.
Now, friends, if youre still not sure we can really know God personally, then dont worry because king
David says there is one more way that God gives us clear knowledge of himself.

3. The Lord God reveals himself to us through his son, Jesus Christ.

12But who can see all their own errors? Cleanse me from my hidden faults.13 Keep your servant also from
deliberate sins; may they not control me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great sin.

Friends, the last way that God shows himself to us is in a very personal & individual way. You see, the
LORD God is the God who washes us clean from our own, personal sins. n other words, God forgives us
for all the wrong & unloving things we do, & He forgives us for not doing all the good things that He made
us to do. And friends, the truth is sins control people. I mean, peoples own selfish ways keep them locked
in ways of thinking & feeling & behaving that hurt them & that hurt the people around them. And into this
dark world, God reveals himself. Into this dark world where hatred & envy & depression & emptiness
control people, God shows himself by sending his son Jesus into this world, & Jesus generously offers us
forgiveness & a new life with God- a life of friendship & wisdom, of love & peace - a life where we can
know God just like a son knows his father. Now friends, only you can choose to experience God in this
way, in your life. I mean, no one can make you, only you can open your own heart & accept God into
your life, & listen to him who reveals himself in this world, through his word, & through his son, Jesus.
Conclusion:
Now friends, I would like to finish by showing you another bus advertisement-this time from Spain. If you
cant read it-thats okay because its in Spanish-so let me translate. In Spanish the advertisement says
Dios si existe-disfruta de la vida en Cristo! Now, in English the sign says this: God exists, so enjoy your life
with Jesus Christ. Friends, this is clear & reliable knowledge you can live your life by. God is real, & he
reveals himself to us through (1) the world around us, (2) through his good law (his words) & now he shows
himself (3) through his son Jesus. So friends, go & enjoy a life with Jesus Christ. Lets pray.