For Thou didst form my inward parts, Thou didst weave me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Thy works, and my soul knows if very well.” (Psalm 139:13-14)Does your soul know very well the sacredness of your life and every person’s life? Do you worship God today for the miracle of life? This Sunday marks what many churches, including Glenloch, recognize as “Sanctity of Life” Sunday. Our church supports such ministries as the local Pregancy Resource Center with money and volunteers so that the truth and grace of Jesus may be shared with those who are facing/or have faced, a crisis pregnancy. So for our text and message this week, we will expound Psalm 139 which is rooted in the holy character of God and how His divine personhood determines/defines the sanctity of all life. The psalm is ultimately a celebration of who God is – and how this knowledge of a personal, infinite God affects our perspective on every aspect of life. To be pro-life includes, but extends beyond, the ballot box, abortion clinics, and pregnancy resource centers. It is to know and share the love of the God of life in the midst of a culture of selfishness and death – and to be salt and light, expressing the sacredness of every moment, every place and every person.

I praise God this morning for the miracle of a safe landing by a USAir pilot, Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger, just yesterday, who guided an incredible life-saving landing into the Hudson River in New York, only moments after both engines were disabled. All 155 passengers came through the landing in the Hudson, out of the cold, icy waters, safe and alive. We rejoice that the pilot was so prepared and skilled in responding to such a potentially fatal situation. He was literally facing “life and death” choices. “Sully” Sullenberger had this compulsion and instinct that defended and protected life, and with the hand of God upon them the passengers are now telling the story of the life saving ‘Miracle on the Hudson’ efforts of one human skillfully seeking to preserve the lives of many other humans, nearly all of whom the pilot had no personal knowledge or relationship. It didn’t matter – there were people, human beings, aboard, and he was trained, called, and courageous enough to respond in a life saving way. This morning, many of the souls aboard that flight know well how precious each moment can be in preserving life. Can you image yourself as a passenger hearing these words, “Brace yourself for impact, we are going down?” What would be your response with your life and many other lives “on the line?” This pilot was the right person, in the right place, at the right time. As the captain of the plane, Sully twice walked the length of the ship to make sure everyone was rescued and that he was the last one to leave the plane. . . . May we who bear the name and witness of Christ respond to every moment, place and person, from the womb through the “graying years”, seeking to defend, love, edify and save every soul God has created. Psalm 139 teaches that God is omniscient (all knowing), therefore every moment is sacred. God is omnipresent (all present), therefore every place is sacred. God is omnipotent (all powerful), therefore every person is sacred. Each person is “fearfully and wonderfully made” in His image. Love them, rescue them, defend them, serve them, as Jesus does, from the womb to the grave. “To the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.” (Matthew 25:40) “Warning every man, teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ.” (Colossians 1:27-28)

“The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:9-10)

“I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

The majority of us have no ear for anything but ourselves. We cannot hear a thing God says. To be brought into the zone of the call of God is to be profoundly altered.” (Oswald Chambers)

This week’s message: The Sanctity of Life

Psalm 139

1. God is omniscient (all knowing) – every moment is sacred. (v.1-6)
a. Notice: God is intimately acquainted with all our ways, even knowing our thoughts and words before we speak. He encloses us behind and before.
b. Consider: Why should this truth about result in our reverence and humility before God?c. Related Scripture: Mark 7:20-23; Romans 11:33-36; Colossians 3:23

2. God is omnipresent (all present) – every place is sacred (v.7-12)
a. Notice: God is everywhere; we cannot escape His presence.
b. Consider: What happens if someone attempts to “run from God” ? How does the psalmist respond to this truth?
c. Related Scripture: Genesis 28:16-17; Isaiah 6:3; Acts 17:24-28; Hebrews 13:5

3. God is omnipotent (all powerful) – every person is sacred. (v.13-16)
a. Notice: The psalmist is amazed at God’s wonderful, amazing creation. God weaved him in his mother’s womb, and saw his unformed substance.
b. Consider: Are you amazed at God’s personal creation and forming of your life? How does this change how we view other people, as created in His image?
c. Related Scripture: Genesis 1:26; Jeremiah 1:5; Matthew 5:21-26; 25:40; Ephesians 2:10

What must our response to the revelation of God’s character Repentance, transparency, and a desire to walk in the everlasting way, which is the way of Jesus Christ. Jesus was the perfect person, at the perfect place, at the perfect time to redeem us from the fall and curse of sin. Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there is any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.”