Sanctity of Life: Psalm 139 (Sermon)

INTRODUCTION

This is a hard message. It is hard for various reasons.

REASONS FOR DIFFICULTY

I am afraid of what you think of me or will think of me after this.

I fear how what I say reflects the church.

I don’t like hurting people. However, what I am about to say could be painful.

I don’t want to offend. But, unfortunately, this message could do that.

I don’t like conflict. You may disagree with me.

I don’t want to say something that is not biblical.

FOUNDATION

I am going to talk to three groups of people. First, I want to speak to those who disagree with me—secondly, those who are hurt. And finally, those who don’t. To those who disagree with me. What I am about to say God has laid on my heart. The church needs to address this moral issue. Typically, we let the text drive what we talk about; however, there are seasons of the year and events that we will seek to address with Scriptural answers. I have prayed, thought through, edited, and sought counsel for what I will say. However, not all of you may agree when it is all said and done. Admittedly, the topic this morning is nuanced.

I may oversimplify or say too much. But by God’s grace and strength, he has appointed this moment for you to be there and me to be here. We will tether our discussion to facts, Scripture, reason, and conviction. I am not going to hurt or offend needlessly. Instead, I want to pursue clarity, hope, and answers. If what I say bothers or confuses you, let’s talk. I am neither perfect nor have a monopoly on the truth. We cannot convince one another through brief arguments, so let’s dialogue afterward. With that in mind, I want to lay out what I see in two parts—first, the problem, and second, a solution through a deep dive into Psalm 139.

LEADERSHIP’S STANCE

That said, we will approach the topic of the sanctity of life. The church leadership and I care about life from the womb to the tomb. We love children, youth, and people of all ages and abilities. We view all of life as a gift. Our job is to steward those gifts.

FOR THE PRO-CHOICE

For those of you who have had an abortion, paid for an abortion, performed an abortion, or supported abortion, please hear me out. I am glad you are here. Though we believe abortion is the needless taking of life and sin, many supporters are not told as much. They have fallen prey to the narrative that life begins outside the womb or is less valuable if not fully developed or viable. The temptation to support abortion is natural and understandable. It can seem compassionate, just, and wise. However, as we explore the Bible, we see it differently. That does not give us moral grounds to throw stones at those we disagree with. People who are not Christians will not think or behave in Christian ways; even Christians don’t. Thus, we should not be shocked at how the world thinks and behaves.

GREATER PROBLEM

To those who hurt and don't, we serve and worship a God who forgives. He is merciful and kind. No sin, like abortion, is too heinous for God's redemptive reach. He is loving and compassionate. Abortion is a symptom of a more significant problem. The Bible is the solution manual. Yet, it is more than that. God speaks to his creation through it. From it, we see all of life's value, not from a person's utility, beauty, geography, or ability.

ISSUE

For those who feel guilt and shame when assessing culpability, there is one verse I take issue with. My struggle is not with the verse itself but with the author. Let me explain. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy chapter 1, verse 15:

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. (1 Timothy 1:15)

I think Paul was right and wrong. He oversaw the murder of Stephen. He did whatever he could to stop Christians before converting. He was a sinner and guilty. However, I don’t think he was the foremost. You may think you are in pain. I don’t think so because I am. I know my thoughts, actions, and words. I know my past. I know I don’t love God or people like I should. I know that I love his gifts more than him at times. I have failed.

On the other hand, I think Paul was right; Christ Jesus came into the world to save people like me. Jesus saved this sinner. I say that because if you have supported abortion, he can forgive you. If he can forgive this wretch, he can readily forgive you. Friends, I am simply a beggar who found some bread and wants to share this bread with you, the “bread of life,” Jesus.

THE PROBLEM

The problem is bad in our country. As many of you know, in 1973, the Supreme Court decided that not all lives are worth preserving. The monumental “Roe vs. Wade's case was overturned last year. The abortion decision went back to the states. Then in the fall, Michigan, like four other states, enshrined the right of abortion into law with language that renders it elective for “the mental health of the mother.” Such verbiage is so vague and expansive that it offers carte blanche legalization for abortion.

DRUGS

While Indiana doesn’t have that law, and all other states, have another predicament. Abortions can happen in any state right now because of the legalization 21 years ago of abortifacient drugs. Our inability to regulate intrastate commerce and shipping has made abortion something you can perform in the privacy of your home. You can order the drugs to abort a baby, and no one will know. I discovered online that I could order the drugs today for as little as $195. This is how a majority of people terminate pregnancies. Pills do 53% of abortions. The result is that in 2020 we took the lives of 930,000 babies! Let that sink in. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the combined deaths of COVID and Cancer in 2020 were only 20,000 more lives (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db427-tables.pdf#4 ). Abortion is the leading cause of death by hundreds of thousands in America every year. Why? According to the Guttmacher Institute, three-fourths of women chose an abortion because: Having a baby would dramatically change their lives, and they couldn’t afford it. When asked follow-up questions, about half of them said they weren’t married, a third of them said they had school to finish, couldn’t afford childcare or thought having a baby would interfere with work or a career. (https://www.guttmacher.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/pubs/journals/3711005.pdf ). Few were concerned about their physical health; in a life-or-death scenario, most pro-life advocates and laws make provisions for life-saving measures. Only 1.5% said they chose abortion because they were taken advantage of, to put it in PG terms. Does violence against women make violence against the baby justifiable? The danger of using this rationale is that often, abortions don’t stop the abuser or abuse. (https://www.compasscarecommunity.com/2022/07/mainstream-media-and-biden-administration-exploit-10-year-old-sex-crime-victim/ ) Abortion buries the facts in a grave, and violence survives.

To our credit, we do value life and liberty in America. We do value justice. But not all. We don’t appreciate it if life is in a womb. If a mom miscarries, it is the loss of a baby, but if a person wants to end their pregnancy, it is tissue and a woman’s right, not the baby’s.

SONOGRAM

I have six children. So, I have seen sonograms. You can see one of my kid’s profiles and hand in this one.

This picture is nearly 20 years old. The technology has only improved. I have felt the hands stretch themselves in the belly, and the feet kick, and my wife has felt more. Pregnancy is a miracle. God made women special. Regardless of what society tells us, no man can pay enough money to become pregnant. It is a gift from God.

SOLUTIONS

That said, many who ardently support abortions carry deep in their soul shame, guilt, fear, and anger. Some have seared their conscience and pushed a pro-choice platform to justify their past or comfort their souls. I don’t fault them. This is a societal problem, not a female one. Men often get out of sexual sin without apparent cost. Those who face this are scared. But is abortion the answer?

In the 50 years of legal abortion in America, we have terminated six-three million babies in a land of life, liberty, and justice for all. That is a little less than the population of Wisconsin,

Michigan,

Indiana

Illinois,

Minnesota

Ohio

And Florida . Gone. What are we to do? Brothers and sisters, what should we do?

REPENT

Do we promote a political party or politician? Is that it? Indeed, legislation has value. Do we run for office? That might help. But the problem runs more profound, as do the solutions. Abortion is a symptom of rebellion. We have rebelled. We have a distorted view of humanity, the body, and sexuality in America. We have rejected God and need to repent. There were times in the Bible when God’s people needed to repent as a community for how the nation strayed. I think this is one of those times. We need to lament and repentance. Change starts with the heart. It starts with me. It begins with you. It starts with us.

STEPS

After grieving the state of our nation. What are we to do? Well, a number of you are doing what you can. And others of us can join in and help.

You foster. Through fostering, you help break the cycle of destruction and spread the good news of Jesus in your home. Consider fostering or respite care or blessing those who do.
Some of you have adopted, and that does much the same. Consider adoption or blessing those who do.
Some of you help with “Life Plan.” That is our local pregnancy center that cares for more than just the babies but the mothers and fathers, and youth. Consider helping them.
Others of you pray. Prayer makes a difference. Consider praying.
Others of you celebrate and support women. We have a baby shower for Hadassah after church. I love that. Consider how you might help our sisters.
Finally, but not least, pursue biblical sexuality, fidelity, and purity. We need to stop objectifying bodies and idolizing sex. Let us be grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents, and students who pursue holiness with all that we are. I am all about defunding. I mean that we need a movement to defund the pornography industry. Let us not give it attention, views, clicks, likes, downloads, or money. Let us guide our young boys and girls away from predatory smut. Let us model godliness in what we think, say, and do. Let us put sexuality in its place, not in the place of God.

ACTION

Finally, we must remind ourselves that we belong to another kingdom. This one is decaying. The ethics and values of the United States are not the ethics and values of God. We must be salt and light in a foreign land, strangers and exiles. We are citizens of a heavenly kingdom. We have hope in Jesus, not our efforts. Our job now is to embrace Jesus and help others do the same.

INTRO TO PSALM 139

This morning’s passage is a song from a man who committed murder, a man who committed adultery, and a man who lost his baby because of his sexual sin. Psalm 139 invites us to join him, worshiping, praying, and following God’s lead

READING

With that said, the message we will jump into the text. I am going to have T. and M.K. read Psalm 139. Would you stand with me in honor of God’s word, please?

139 TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID.

O LORD, you have searched me and known me!

You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

you discern my thoughts from afar.

You search out my path and my lying down

and are acquainted with all my ways.

Even before a word is on my tongue,

behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.

You hem me in, behind and before,

and lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

it is high; I cannot attain it.

Where shall I go from your Spirit?

Or where shall I flee from your presence?

If I ascend to heaven, you are there!

If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

If I take the wings of the morning

and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

even there your hand shall lead me,

and your right hand shall hold me.

If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,

and the light about me be night,”

even the darkness is not dark to you;

the night is bright as the day,

for darkness is as light with you.

For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there was none of them.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!

How vast is the sum of them!

If I would count them, they are more than the sand.

I awake, and I am still with you.

Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!

O men of blood, depart from me!

They speak against you with malicious intent;

your enemies take your name in vain.

Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?

And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?

I hate them with complete hatred;

I count them my enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

And see if there be any grievous way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:1–24)

PRAYER

Let’s pray. Dear God, please help us. We live in a broken world, and we are broken people. Some of us carry loads of guilt and can’t see clearly. Open our eyes. Some of us are angry and frustrated with how life is working out. Turn our hearts heavenward to hear from you. Some of us are sad. We have so many disappointments in life. Comfort our souls. Some of us are distracted and bored. Fix our gaze on you. Help us, Lord; we need you. In Jesus’s name, amen. You may be seated.

INTRO TEXT

As a way of introduction, the Psalms comprise five books. It is an ancient hymnal with songs, prayers, and poems. The poetry is not like the rhyming or rhythm we are familiar with; instead, it is parallelism. One thought amplifies, echoes, or contrasts another. Some Psalms are acrostic, like Psalm 119, beginning each stanza with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. We have various writers and many anonymous ones. King David wrote several, and Solomon, his son, wrote a few. Moses wrote one. There are Psalms for every occasion. There are Psalms of praise, lament, prophecy, thanksgiving, and petition. They were sung on holidays, and we sing them these days. The overall theme is.

God’s King is leading God’s people into God’s presence to sing God’s praise.

They progress with ups and downs from Psalm 1 to 150 to a climax of exaltation.

PSALM 139 DETAILS

David sings his desire for God to know and lead him in this particular Psalm. We want that, right? Of course, we want that, especially with these sticky issues; we want to be known and led. To be candid, sometimes I don’t want to be known and led. I don’t want to be seen or stopped when I am stuck in sin. However, if we get into the mindset of David and understand God rightly, we can find a solution to what we need most. We can combat our resistance through an adjustment of our view of God.

VERSE 1

Look closer. What did David sing?

“O LORD, you have searched me and known me!” (Psalm 139:1).

The first verse tells us about God’s activity and ability. First, he searched and knew him.

VERSES 2 and 3

What did he know? Verses 2 and 3 answer that.

You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

you discern my thoughts from afar.

You search out my path and my lying down

and are acquainted with all my ways. (Psalm 139:2–3)

God knew David. David was not an exception.

GOD KNOWS US

God knows you. He knows when you lie down, sit down, and get down. He knows what you are thinking and what you “thunk.” You aren’t going to surprise him or pull a fast one over him. David tells God, “you search out my path.” God knew it all.

VERSE 4

Look at verse 4.

“Even before a word is on my tongue,

behold, O LORD, you know it altogether” (Psalm 139:4).

God knows what you say and are saying and what you will say. He knows the future as well as the past. He is omniscient. God is all-knowing.

VERSES 5 and 6 = KIND

What does God do with this knowledge? Is it so he can drop a hammer of justice? Is it so he can punish us? That could be our fear. Verses 5 and 6 tell us David thought otherwise. David wrote:

You hem me in, behind and before,

and lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

it is high; I cannot attain it. (Psalm 139:5–6)

Why did David think God hemming him in was wonderful? He said God hemmed him in. This hemming was not imprisonment but more like swaddling. I have six kids, and one of the joys in life is swaddling a baby and holding him or her. Do you think God loves his children more than moms and dads? You bet. David felt that kind of affection.

WHY X2

Why? Why did David have this perspective? He was acquainted with his ugly past. He blew it. If anyone deserves God’s wrath, David did. Yet he saw God’s knowledge and care as wonderful. Why? God is merciful to the repentant. If we think about it, we have all rebelled against God. He knows. The Sermon on the Mount says that if we lust, it is like committing adultery in the heart. It says if we call someone a name, it is like murder in the heart. Who here has never called someone a name? What does that make us in our hearts? God knows our thoughts and hears our words. Why would God love us? Why would an all-knowing God love and care for us? He is merciful to the repentant believer. David knew God’s disposition and was blown away by it. He said it was too wonderful. It doesn’t make sense. The world would call this affection reckless, crazy, and unbelievable.

The Bible says, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God offers kindness through Jesus’s death on our behalf, regardless of backstory. No sin is so distasteful that it is out of reach of the loving hand of God. Our job is to confess and seek mercy. His job is to save.

In verses 7 through 12, we see no running away from God. You may recall that Jonah tried. You can’t go to Mars or the Mariana Trench and get away from him; Jonah didn’t. You can’t escape him. David sang that even in a cave, where there is no light, God sees all. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. You can’t stop him.

Where shall I go from your Spirit?

Or where shall I flee from your presence?

If I ascend to heaven, you are there!

If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

If I take the wings of the morning

and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

even there your hand shall lead me,

and your right hand shall hold me.

If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,

and the light about me be night,”

even the darkness is not dark to you;

the night is bright as the day,

for darkness is as light with you. (Psalm 139:7–12)

God can’t be thwarted. His love is stronger than all opposition. In the following verses, David sang that God made him in the womb and knew him even before that.

For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:13 –16)

David knew God’s knowledge of him preceded his existence. David knew God was the creator and giver of life. His view of God was consistent with the writings of Job. Job suffered. He wished God would never have let him survive the womb. He wrote:

“Why did you bring me out from the womb?

Would that I had died before any eye had seen me” (Job 10:18).

Job, like David, viewed life beginning in his mother’s tummy by God’s power. Elizabeth, John the Baptist’s mother, agreed. When she was pregnant with John, she met Mary pregnant with Jesus. She announced that John leaped for joy at meeting him in utero. Elizabeth recognized that the baby had autonomy in the womb. In the womb, the baby was alive. Personhood began before birth.

The Bible teaches that God makes people in his image. People are genetically different from all other animals at conception. Whether you are a male or female, tall or short, round or thin, black or white, whether you have curly hair or straight or no hair, whether you have red hair or blond hair, or brown hair, whether you are blue-eyed or brown-eyed or green-eyed, everyone is made in God’s image in the womb. You are still made in his image even if you come out with a deficit. You are “Wonderful,” just as verse 14 states. You are amazing. You bear the mark of your maker. The possibilities are incredible. We love the rags to riches stories. The little person in the mother’s belly could become the next president, inventor, or cultural icon.

WORSHIP

David went on:

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!

How vast is the sum of them!

If I would count them, they are more than the sand.

I awake, and I am still with you. (Psalm 139:17–18)

GOD CARES

To think that God thinks of us and is with us. He is not too busy. He made life and continues to take notice of the smallest person. He who made the sun, moon, stars, mountains, and oceans made you and cares for you. He is with you. He is here. He cares for you even if you disagree with the Bible and me. He is calling you to himself. Listen to him.

ALLEGIANCE

Verses 19 through 22 demonstrate David’s allegiance. David wrote:

Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!

O men of blood, depart from me!

They speak against you with malicious intent;

your enemies take your name in vain.

Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?

And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?

I hate them with complete hatred;

I count them my enemies. (Psalm 139:19–22)

Even though David rebelled against God, he declared his change of heart and alignment with God against his opponents in print.

ENDING

He finished his song with an echo of his opening. Verse 23:

Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

And see if there be any grievous way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23–24)

David knew he was not perfect and had the potential to grieve God. So he humbly sought Yahweh’s help. He wanted the Lord to know him and not just that but to lead him into heaven.

GOD’S DISPOSITION

We, too, serve a merciful God who has appointed us to live, die, and have eternal awareness. Jesus is the only way to enjoy eternity. By turning from our sins and trusting in his death on the cross, we can have hope forever, no matter what shameful past we bring. I know because I am foremost in this room, not you. As a beggar to beggars, let me encourage you to ponder God’s knowledge, presence, and care. Friends, worship him, pray to him, and follow him.

LYRICS

Here are some lyrics of a modern song that I think captures the incomprehensible nature of God’s care for his people who believe.

Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me

You have been so, so good to me

Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me

You have been so, so kind to me

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine

I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah

When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me

You have been so, so good to me

When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me

But You have been so, so kind to me

There's no shadow You won't light up

Mountain You won't climb up

Coming after me

There's no wall You won't kick down

Lie You won't tear down

Coming after me - Cory Asbury

Friends, who is your God? The God of the Bible is bigger than you think. He is running after prodigals calling and drawing us to come home. So, what are we to do? How do we live in this wicked world? Let us run to God who knows and loves and runs after us and take as many with us who will join in.

PRAYER

Let’s pray.

OFFERING