Well… I just wanna welcome everyone here to Embrace…
at all… 6 of our campuses…
I still can’t believe it… 6 campuses.
My name is Adam…
I’m one of the pastors here…
and as always… we are so pumped… that all of you… are with us today…
We’re just so excited… that you are here.
This is one of my favorite times of the year here at Embrace…
There’s just an excitement that fills the air.
And it doesn’t hurt… that it’s football season either…
But this Fall… is seriously packed with awesomeness.
Today we’re starting a new 3 week series…
And then on Oct 9th… we have Nick Hall joining us…
Last month… I talked about a guy originally from Fargo…
who gathered a half million people… to pray
in Washington DC.
Well… Nick is that guy… and he’s going to be with us.
In October… I’ll be doing a series called Waves…
a series that I’m pumped about.
And then on the 16th of October…
Jason Roy… from the band… Building 429…
will be leading worship at our St Croix Campus…
and I might be slightly jealous.
and I also might be “sick” that day…
and unable to preach.
No but seriously…
we also have a couple of cool things in the works right now.
some surprises that we’ll share about…
over the next couple of months.
Basically… between now and Christmas…
every single week… is going to be powerful.
and you will not wanna miss it!
every single week… is a chance to invite someone
And if Embrace is our home…
I can’t encourage us enough….
to make weekly worship a priority.
And not just for ourselves… but for others…
But once again though…
we are so glad that you are here… with us.
Now… jumping into things for today…
I just wanna start by talking about something…
that is kinda awkward… to talk about…
and it’s something that most of us do… daily.
And yet… it’s also something that we don’t like to admit…
and we try and hide that we do it…
because it’s just so weird…
but if we’re being honest…
most of us… are guilty as charged.
And what I’m talking about... is clearly…
Facebook Stalking right?
I mean… except for the 2% of us…
that don’t have access to the information super highway…
we are all… Facebook stalkers…
can I get an Amen?
We are just guilty of things… like looking at someone’s pictures…
and we know what the inside…
of someone’s house looks like…
even though we’ve never been there.
Guilty of knowing way too much about our friend’s life…
that we haven’t seen since first grade.
Guilty… of just knowing way… too much…
about people we barely know.
And by the way… it’s even worse…
It’s even worse… if you don’t have a Facebook account yourself…
because you’re “above Facebook”… or something
but you use your spouse’s facebook…
to stalk people… from there.
It’s even worse…
And there’s a special place for you.
And by the way… yes, if you’re an Instagram stalker…
it’s the same thing.
And just in general though…
Facebook stalking… is really really strange…
but it’s just… plain creepy…
when someone else… Facebook stalks you.
Like when someone…
asks about your date the other night…
and did you enjoy... your chips and salsa at Chevy’s
when they weren’t with you.
It’s like… how did you even know I was on a date?
And when someone starts sharing… stories…
about you… from college…
when you didn’t know them… until after college
It’s just kinda creepy…
And when someone finds out that you’re gonna have a baby…
before you find out…
that you’re having a baby…
It’s just kinda awkward.
And also… if you don’t know this… a very clear sign of knowing…
that someone else is Facebook stalking you…
is when a person randomly likes a picture that you posted… back in 2009
but again… it’s just crazy…
how much you can know… about someone…
and about someone else’s life.
that you just… shouldn’t know.
And on that note… I give all of you permission…
to edit your privacy settings… on Facebook… right now.
No but seriously though…
speaking of stalkers… in the Bible…
and did you like that transition?
we went from Facebook stalking… to the Bible.
In the Bible…
one of my favorite books… is the book of psalms…
Like I just truly love the psalms…
Why? because they’re just so raw and they’re so real…
and for the most part…
they’re just easier to connect with.
But specifically… one of my absolute favorite psalms... is psalm 139
Which you should have been given as you came in today…
But psalm 139… is a psalm from David.
the same David who killed Goliath…
the same David… who would end up…
becoming a king.
And so this psalm is from David…
but really this psalm… is a prayer of his.
It’s a prayer from David… to God…
and it’s filled with words…
describing… who our God is.
Again it’s this prayer… and throughout it…
it’s just describing…
all these crazy wild… things about God.
And starting in verse 1…
Here’s just a part of what it says…
It says:
O Lord, you have searched me… and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise…
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down
you are familiar with all my ways.
And before a word is on my tongue…
O LORD… you know it completely.
Now… I don’t wanna call God a stalker…
but this is more than borderline crazy… right?
Like if this was anyone other than God…
we’d be calling the cops…
I mean… David is saying… that God pretty much knows…
and He sees… everything about us…
which includes… even the little things…
that we maybe don’t want God to see…
Like God knows and sees…
when we use the bathroom
and we don’t wash our hands…
Is it I Lord?
And God knows… how many times we wear our pants…
before washing them.
And God knows… that sometimes you… I don’t…
but he knows that you…
sometimes bite... your toe nails…
Okay I’ll stop… but just to share it again… David’s like…
O Lord, you have searched me…
you’ve examined my heart… and you know me.
And you know when I sit and when I rise…
like you know everything I do…
and you know my thoughts from afar.
and you know when I go out… and when I lay down…
and Lord… you are familiar… with who I am…
and all of my ways…
Like before I even speak…
you know… exactly what I am going to say.
And I don’t know about you… but wow right?
Again… these are just crazy verses…
And David’s basically saying…
Lord… you know me… you know me…
and you know every part of… who I am.
And now… today…
there is so much we could say from these few verses.
there’s so much we could talk about…
as I read through these verses… over and over again this week.
I was just in awe of God… and who He is…
and what this means for us…
but for today… I just wanna highlight… a few things.
And the first thing is this…
the simple truth that:
God knows us… and this is a good thing.
God knows us… and this is good.
I mean… reading through the verses… just now…
We maybe joked around about it being creepy… but it’s not.
God sees every part of us…
and every part of our lives…
and this is good.
Like David’s rejoicing over this truth…
and He’s in awe of God… because of it.
But with this… one of the things that I often hear from people…
is if God only knew what I’ve done…
He wouldn’t want anything to do with me.
and if God only knew…
if He knew… the person that I really am…
He wouldn’t love me.
and I’ve heard this so many times before...
And these same feelings…
are often what keep us from coming to church…
and these same feelings often keep us from praying…
and reading the Bible…
and talking with God.
And these same feelings…
even when it’s with something small that we’ve done…
are often why we distance ourselves from God.
Because I just don’t want Him to see it… right?
I just don’t want Him to know…
because if does… He’ll think less of me.
we’re like Adam & Eve hiding in the garden.
And in this moment… I tell people…
that the truth is…
is that He’s actually… already seen it all…
and He knows everything.
And yet... He’s still crazy about us.
He’s seen it all…
and He knows that the person that we really are…
not just the person that we show up as on Sundays
when we put on a nice face…
He sees who we really are…
and yet… He still wants… to know us.
Again… God knows us… and this is a good thing.
God knows everything about us…
and this is good.
And just to be clear… this would be a bad thing…
if our God… was an angry uptight God.
And this would be a bad thing… horrible actually…
if He was a God…
that was just waiting for us to make a mistake…
so He could grill us.
And some of us view God this way…
Don’t we?
I mean for some of us…
this is all we’ve ever heard.
When the truth is… our God is good…
and He’s slow to anger…
And His love… it has no end.
And with His grace…
I’ve heard that it’s amazing.
You see… with God… we’re fully known…
but we’re also fully loved.
Once again…
our God… He knows us… and this is a good thing.
And so that’s the first thing to highlight…
And then the second thing… is the truth….
that God knows you… and He knows me… personally.
Again… He knows you… and He knows me… personally.
I mean… our God…
the God found in the Bible… Jesus…
He is not a far off… distant God…
And He’s not an abstract thing… or a machine.
And He didn’t create the universe… and then leave.
Instead… He’s a God… who knows us… personally…
And just to be clear…
this means… that God doesn’t just know things about us.
Like He doesn’t just know information…
where we live…
And what we do for a job.
And our height… and our weight.
And who our favorite football team is
and Go Bengals…
And Lord… please help us…
to beat the evil Steelers today.
Again though… God doesn’t just know things about us…
Instead He knows us personally…
Like our God knows the desires of our heart…
And He knows what we’re scared of…
and what we dream about…
And He knows what we find joy in…
And He knows our personality…
He knows the intangible things…
that make you you… and me me…
And He doesn’t just kinda sorta know us…
Like a random friend of ours does.
And He doesn’t just know us…
Even like our parents do…
Or our best friend
or even our spouse does.
Instead… God… He knows us… better than we even know ourselves.
And that’s what David is trying to say.
He’s like… Oh Lord… you know me.
And you know everything… like everything…
about me. You know when I sit and when I rise…
and you know my thoughts…
my very thoughts from afar.
And you are familiar… with all of my ways…
Like before I even speak… Lord…
you know… what I’m thinking.
And so again… first off…
God knows us… and that’s a good thing…
And then secondly…
God knows you… and He knows me… personally.
And then the last thing I wanna highlight today…
is the simple truth…
that our heart… that it longs to be known by God.
our heart… it longs to be known by Him.
I mean… just in general…
we just have this longing… to be known by others… don’t we?
Emotionally… and even physically…
we just have this desire…
inside of us… to be known.
For our heart… the depth of who we are…
to be known by someone else.
And it’s just something that we crave…
And we often… go searching to fill this desire… in others…
And speaking of Facebook earlier…
it’s part of the reason…
that some people will bare their souls online.
Because… we just wanna be known.
And it’s part of the reason that we wanna be successful… and recognized
Because we just wanna be known…
And it’s a part of what makes something… like sex…
so amazing…
Can I get an Amen?
But it’s also why it… can be so destructive…
just being known… on that level…
And often you’ll run into a person…
who will start sharing…their deep dark secrets…
within 2 minutes of meeting them…
and it’s just so clear…
that they’re just longing to be known… by someone.
by anyone.
And even in healthy sense… as human beings…
we just have a desire to be understood…
And it’s kinda cool… but when David says…
O Lord, you know me…
It can also translate as… Lord, you understand me.
It’s like…he’s saying: O Lord, you get me.
I don’t have to explain myself…
You hear me.
But again… as human beings…
we just long to be noticed and known by others…
and we so badly want someone else…
to want... to know us.
to want us.
But hear this… what our hearts are truly after…
And what our hearts are actually looking for…
is to be known… by God.
What we’re actually craving for…
is to be known by Him.
And that’s why in our psalm…
David is crying out…
And that’s what David is in awe of…
Again… He says…
O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.
And You know when I sit and when I rise…
You are familiar with all my ways.
And before a word is on my tongue you
O LORD, know it completely.
And then listen to verse 6…
he says… and such knowledge is too wonderful... for me…
such knowledge… is too great for me to understand!
Basically Lord… knowing that you know me… so fully
It’s too wonderful…
that I can’t fathom it.
Knowing that you know me… like you do…
It’s so great… that I can’t comprehend it.
Once more… our heart…
it longs to be known by God.
Now closing things up today…
this week… as I looked at these verses…
And I kept reading through them…
the one question… that continued to rise up in my soul... was:
Lord… okay… so you know me…
but how well do I know you?
You know me… and you want to know me…
But how well… and how much…
do I want to know you?
And for myself… the very first time…
that I had ever heard… that God knew me…
and that I could possibly… know Him…
was as a sophomore in high school.
And I grew up in the church my whole life…
and rarely missed…
but I had just never heard… that God knew me…
and that I could know Him…
I mean… all that I thought mattered… was going to church…
and getting confirmed…
and that was it…
And God was just some far off thing…
that you tried to keep happy or something.
but you didn’t interact… with Him.
I mean… what? You can’t do that.
But when I heard… that God knew me…
And that He loved me…
And that He wanted me… to know Him…
I just couldn’t… believe it…
It’s like the creator of all things…
wants to know me?
He does?
And the One who set the stars in their place?
I can know Him…
I can?
I mean… I felt… exactly what David put into words…
When he said…
such knowledge… is too wonderful...
and it’s too great…
for me… to understand.
And from that moment on…
I just wanted to know more… about God…
And I personally… wanted to know Him… myself.
Like you didn’t have to convince me… to pray and to talk with God.
Because… I just did.
And even though I didn’t understand much of it…
You didn’t have to convince me to open up my Bible… and read it.
Because I wanted to.
And with church each week…
I was in high school…
and so there was also… youth group on Wednesday.
And I no longer had… to go to church…
instead I couldn’t wait to go…
Like I never wanted to miss.
And I just wanted to know God… and be with Him…
as much as I possibly could.
And you could say… in a good sense…
It was almost… like I was stalking God.
And I just wanted to know Him… more and more.
And as followers of Jesus…
this should be… the story of our lives…
this should be our heart beat….
Not just for a month or 2…
when we first start following Jesus… and we’re excited…
but for the remainder…
of our time… here on earth.
just this desire… to know God… more and more.
to know every part of Him…
to know every aspect of who He is…
to know everything about Him…
basically… that we would stalk Him.
And just being honest… I can tell you… that there will be days…
when the desire will be there…
and you’ll just feel… like there’s a fire in your soul for God.
like you just can’t get enough.
And there will be other times… days… maybe even months…
where you won’t have any feelings… at all
and you’ll maybe question God…
and whatever else.
And it’s in those moments…
where you’ll have to choose… to pursue Him.
where you’ll have to decide… to be faithful to Him...
even though the feelings aren’t there.
But once again… our question… Lord… you know us… and you know me…
but how well… do we know you?
And now… today… I just wanna say…
that if we’re here… and we’ve never heard…
that God knows us… and that we can know Him.
And it’s possible that we’ve done the church thing our whole life…
but we just never knew…
Or maybe we’ve been curious about God…
but have never had a relationship with Jesus.
Or we’ve just been on the fence… with things.
My simple challenge…
would be… to simply say… and pray…
Jesus, today I want to know you.
God, I’m new to this…
but today I want to know who you are.
And Jesus, I want a relationship with you.
and Lord, I want to know you…
like you know me.
Again… this is such a simple challenge…
but something powerful happens…
when we say this to God.
And we make it known to Him.
And so there’s that…
and on the flip side…
for those of us who have maybe been following Jesus for years.
Or maybe we were excited about God…
and our relationship with Him in the past…
but just with life… and our schedules… and other things…
our love and desire for Him…
has grown cold…
And maybe we’re just going through the motions… in our walk with Jesus.
Or we’ve even stopped doing that.
If that’s us… my challenge would be…
to simply ask God to light a fire in us again…
You see… there’s power in prayer… and just asking God
to ignite our passion for Him…
that our hearts… would long to know Him…
more than ever before.
That we would just have a hunger for God…
and knowing more about who He is.
Just declaring… Lord, today… would you stir my heart… for you.
Would you breathe new life in me…
would you give me a longing to just be with you…
to be close to you.
Jesus, today… I long to know you…
the same way… that you know me.
Let’s pray.
