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What Can The Righteous Do?. Text: Ps. 11. Intro. King David had great successes in his life (I Sam. 17), but he also had failures that rocked his world ( II Sam. 11-12 ). David once asked, “If the foundations are destroyed , what can the righteous do?” (Ps. 11:3). Ps. 11:1-7
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What Can The Righteous Do? Text: Ps. 11
Intro King David had great successes in his life (I Sam. 17), but he also had failures that rocked his world (II Sam. 11-12) David once asked, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Ps. 11:3) Ps. 11:1-7 For the choir director. A Psalm of David. 1. In the LORD I take refuge; How can you say to my soul, "Flee as a bird to your mountain; 2. For, behold, the wicked bend the bow, They make ready their arrow upon the string To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart. 3. If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?" 4. The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD'S throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. 5. The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates. 6. Upon the wicked He will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup. 7. For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face. What Can The Righteous Do?
Intro • We must trust the Lord for the same reasons when the • foundations of our lives are threatened, shaken and even • Destroyed – Wed. 06/26/13: • The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), saying the federal government can no longer define marriage as just between a man and a woman, and that same-sex couples can receive the same benefits afforded to heterosexual married couples. • The U.S. Supreme Court also ruled on California's Proposition 8, a voter-passed referendum that defined marriage as between a man and a woman. So effectively, this allows same-sex marriages to resume in California. • President Obama said DOMA “was discrimination enshrined in law. It treated loving, committed gay and lesbian couples as a separate and lesser class of people. The Supreme Court has righted that wrong, and our country is better off for it.” • Earlier on May 31st, 2013: POTUS Obama declared June “Gay Pride Month.” What are the righteous to do when evil is called good and good is called evil (Is. 5:20)? Let us give answers to David's question from Ps. 11:3: “What can the righteous do?” What Can The Righteous Do?
What Can the Righteous Do? The righteous must continue to keep their faith in God: II Tim. 4:7 7. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; • God has not abdicated His rule over heaven and earth • (Mt. 28:18; Col. 1:16-17) • When evil rises up the righteous look up and rely on God (Ps. 121:1-2). • Faith can overcome temptation (Eph. 6:16) and overcome the world • (I Jn. 5:4)! • We know that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God” (Rom. 8:28). What Can The Righteous Do?
What Can the Righteous Do? The righteous must continue to pray: I Thess. 5:17 17. pray without ceasing; • When the apostles of Christ faced threats from their people's religious leaders they earnestly prayed, not to escape personal pain and injury, but for the boldness to continue to speak God's word (Acts 4:23-31). • We can pray for the courage of faith to be true to the Lord in the face of those who oppose righteousness and champion sin. (I Pet. 3:14-16) • Paul asked for prayers that he may proclaim the gospel boldly! • (Eph. 6:19-20) What Can The Righteous Do?
What Can the Righteous Do? The righteous must be careful not to be consumed by anger: Eph. 4:26 26. BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, • Ps. 37:1: “Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.” • “Fret” = chârâh (H2734): “to be hot, furious, burn, become angry, be kindled, wroth.” • We must not allow the sins of evil people turn us into raving fools! • (Eccl. 7:9: “Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools”) • The righteous are disgusted by the sins of the wicked as well as by those who condone and comfort sinners (Amos 5:15; Rom. 1:32; 12:9). • But the righteous give place to the wrath of God; they are not drawn into sin by the sins of others (Rom. 12:17-19: God can repay with vengeance better than we can!) What Can The Righteous Do?
What Can the Righteous Do? The righteous must overcome evil with good: Rom. 12:21 21. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. • I Pet. 2:20: Patiently enduring unjust suffering “finds favor with God!” • I Pet. 2:21-22: God's “favor” is given to those who follow the example of Jesus when He suffered for us. What Can The Righteous Do?
What Can the Righteous Do? The righteous must remember they are living for heaven: Phil. 3:20 20. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; • This world is not our home; our citizenship is in heaven • (Phil. 3:20; I Pet. 1:4). • Remain virtuous in mind and conduct; “Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles...” (I Pet. 2:12). • Innocent before man and God (Acts 24:16). • Christians give up their moral credibility when they think and act like the world while trying to defend what is right! (I Pet. 3:16-17; 4:15-16) What Can The Righteous Do?
What Can the Righteous Do? The righteous will exercise their rights and freedoms as citizens: I Pet. 2:16 16. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. • It is right to do so (Acts 22:25-29; 25:11: Paul exercised his rights as a Roman) • But while doing so, Christians remember to “honor the king” even while disagreeing with the ruling authorities (I Pet. 2:13-17). • Were Caesars worthy of honor from saints? • No, but in that they were appointed by God, as are “the governing authorities” (Rom. 13:1), they are because saints are to be innocent from wrong-doing (I Pet. 4:15-16). • As USA citizens we exercise our right to vote and remove the ungodly from office! What Can The Righteous Do?
What Can the Righteous Do? The righteous will obey God rather than men: Acts 5:29 29. But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. • I Pet. 2:13: God's people “submit…for the Lord's sake to every human institution.” • The exception is “we ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). • Just because law “redefines” marriage, saints do not have to accept it or teach it! What Can The Righteous Do?
Conclusion • The righteous must still call sin, sin! (Is. 5:20-21): • I Cor. 6:9-10: Homosexuals and effeminate are called “unrighteous” and is said they will not inherit the kingdom of God. • Rev. 21:8: Those who commit “immorality” will go to Hell! • Not “born” that way since one can change (6:11: “Such were some of you”). I Cor. 6:9-11 9. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10. nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. What Can The Righteous Do?
Conclusion • God Defines Marriage, Not • Man! • Marriage does predate Christianity, and we do not seek to “define” it, but to stop certain people (activists, government) from “redefining” it! Mk. 10:6 6. "But from the beginning of creation, God MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE. • God created marriage from the beginning with the • creation of man and woman: • Mt. 19:4-6: Marriage existed “from the beginning.” • Mk. 10:6-9: Jesus said marriage existed since the “beginning of creation.” God decreed who could get married, not man: Male and Female! What Can The Righteous Do?
Conclusion • Marriage is the God-sanctioned union for sexual relations • Outside of marriage is fornication! • With other than spouse is adultery! Heb. 13:4 4. Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. God defines marriage and who can be united in it, so it is not for man to “redefine” it! • Redefining it paves the way for unions such as bestiality, polygamy, polyamorous, and other sinful couples to be called “married” because they feel like 2nd class relationships! “What can the righteous do?” Trust in God, teach the gospel & the consequences for sin! What Can The Righteous Do?
“What Must I Do To Be Saved?” Hear The Gospel (Jn. 5:24; Rom. 10:17) Believe In Christ (Jn. 3:16-18; Jn. 8:24) Repent Of Sins (Lk. 13:35; Acts 2:38) Confess Christ (Mt. 10:32; Rom. 10:10) Be Baptized (Mk. 16:16; Acts 22:16) Remain Faithful (Jn. 8:31; Rev. 2:10) For The Erring Child: Repent (Acts 8:22), Confess (I Jn. 1:9), Pray (Acts 8:22)