• A few weeks ago people were shocked by the revelation of a US government program called Prism, run by the National Security Agency to intercept vast amounts of private telephone calls, facebook posts and email.
  • In the UK, there are 1.85 million video cameras recording every road and public space
  • The governments say “If you’re not doing anything wrong, what have you got to hide?”
  • Is that true? Why should we worry?
  • What if the government is overtly evil
• God reveals himself as someone who knows everything
  • An early story

• And then a few chapters later we have a story that tells of God’s exact knowledge of the future as well:
  • Abraham was old and had no children, but God foretells precisely what will happen:

• All this happened exactly
• Sometimes God seems to need knowledge:
  • Why does he test Abraham’s faith?
  • Not to find out, but to provide an opportunity for Abraham to exercise the faith that God knew he had.
• Why Sodom question?

• Again, it was to give them an opportunity to prove they are wrong
  • But if God knew what they would do?
  • Even thought God knew, they still had a real choice
• God’s knowledge of the future does not mean you don’t have a choice
  • Does God know what you are going to eat tomorrow, or talk to after the meeting?
  • Does that mean you are not free to choose?
  • There is a tension—we can’t resolve it
• We have a free choice, but afterwards we will discover that we did exactly what God knew we would
• Story of

www.founders.org/…cle2_fr.html

• One of the largest networks of churches in Toronto has this teaching!
• How would you answer her?
• The story of Joseph
  • dreams
  • obey father & visit brothers
  • work hard as a servant
  • prison
  • 2 dreams
  • elevation
  • Saviour
• Did God make a mistake choosing Saul to be king?
  • It certainly looked like it in the short term
  • the LORD “regretted” that he had made Saul king over Israel. (1 Sam 15:35)
  • Poor translation, “grieved” would be much better—we may have to do something that is “tough love” and it’s hard to do, but we don’t regret it.
  • It was a stepping stone on the pathway to David
  • Ultimately is was the best route

Judgement

• justice (last week trial was reported where it turned out a policeman had lied and the man was found innocent
  • Ironically it was the security video camera evidence that completely turned the case
• A trial with corrupt evidence is a terrifying thing if you are innocent
  • One of my childhood memories is throwing Frisbee and it hitting my brother
  • They couldn’t read my mind
• But if you are guilty, then the last thing you want is for every tiny detail to come to light
• God’s judgement will be terrifying for those whose sins have not been washed clean by Jesus

Why it’s a good thing that God knows everything

• Have you ever heard it reported “He was found guilty and asked for 15 other robberies to be taken into consideration.”
  • I used to be confused by that
  • But if he got them included in this sentence, he couldn’t be tried for them again
  • But what if he forgot something?
• When you ask God for forgiveness—what if you forget something?
  • Some religions where people have to “confess their sins” to a priest, they can be terrified they have forgotten something.
• God knows everything
  • If he has forgiven you, then every sins from the biggest to the smallest is forgiven.
• He knows you intimately
  • The number of hairs on your head (right now...)
  • Every part of the inner workings of your body
  • Not just your conscious thoughts, but your subconscious, your buried memories, your past hurts
• God does not say: Andrew, I had such high hopes for you, but you have turned out to be such a disappointment!

Have you ever known someone who loves you dearly, but doesn’t understand you at all?

• They keep trying to help, but not what you need
• What if God were like that?
• Do not be afraid! —how can you say this unless you know
  • most fear is from uncertainty. That is the hardest thing to deal with.

• David is not boasting, but inviting God to examine him
  • He knows there will be failings, but he trusts God to examine him
  • It’s not a “self-improvement program”, it’s about yielding ourselves to God and asking him to come in and change us.

• Have you ever been on a journey with someone and half way there you say
  • Do you know the way?
  • No, I thought you knew the way!
• When I was a teenager, our church would sometimes organize a walk for us all to go on
  • The guy who organized the walk was well known for getting confused about where we were, half way round, and having to get the maps out.
  • Is that the kind of leader who inspires you to follow them?

• This week, live in the light of a God who knows everything about you
• I challenge you live your life consciously open before him, as David did:
  • 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!