Do You Ever Want To Run Away? (PM Lesson Outlines)
GIST: Your foundation must be refuge in Christ because temptations to run will be strong...and legitimate, and you will only be able to stand on the truth! (Man, I just noticed the gists for today were rather long ☺️.)
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 11
"1 In the LORD I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, "Flee like a bird to your mountain, 2 for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark 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 see, his eyelids test the children of man. 5 The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. 6 Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. 7 For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face."
This psalm is short and sweet--and I’m not just saying that colloquially. It’s 7 verses with a powerful message. Like I said this morning, originally, this was the sermon I planned on preaching on Sunday morning, so hopefully you have read both for good measure (see Sunday morning message to understand this joke☺️!).
Here’s the gist: Your foundation must be refuge in Christ because temptations to run will be strong...and legitimate, and you will only be able to stand on the truth!
I. Your Foundation Must Be Refuge in Christ (vs 1)
1 In the LORD I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, "Flee like a bird to your mountain,”
David begins and ends this psalm with the right perspective: his life is God’s. The psalm reads like one side of a conversation. We do not know what exactly the circumstances were that inspired this particular psalm (though there are plenty of theories), but we do know that someone is telling David to run because of everything that is happening around him, and the implications are for him to doubt God’s provision in the midst of them.
Given that, David starts by establishing his trust in the Lord. This is his foundation. It should be ours, as well. The hymnist puts it perfectly, “My hope is built on nothing less/ Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;/ I dare not trust the sweetest frame,/ But wholly lean on Jesus' name./ On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;/ All other ground is sinking sand” (Mote).
II. Because Temptations To Run Will Be Strong...And Legitimate (vs 2-3)
“2 for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart; 3 if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?"
Let me start by noting that this is not advocating a false bravado in the face of those wanting to kill you. David did flee for his life at times. We need to stand firm for Christ. That may costs our lives. Yet, this is not a call to seek martyrdom. It is, however, a reality check. Remember, these psalms have universal applications in mind. Therefore, we can be assured that we will face attacks that are deliberate, directed, and deceitful.
Deliberate- Bending the bow and fitting the arrow aren’t passive actions. These are done on purpose and with a clear purpose in mind: destruction. That destruction is aimed at breaking the very foundations we were just talking about--they will attack your faith! That’s why having the right foundation is so important. (Hold that thought; I’m coming back to it!)
Directed- They are intentional in their purpose and specific about their target: the upright in heart. They target those changed by Jesus’ blood. If you are His, you will be targeted by sin and those still enslaved to it.
Deceitful- And these attacks often won’t be upfront or obvious. They won’t come with nice warning labels. They will be in the dark when you’re not looking for them.
So, these aren’t light temptations to flee. This is serious. And guys, this is our real life! We are blessed with so much liberty in this country that sometimes we grow complacent. Many of our brothers and sisters across the world don’t share that comfort.
III. And You Will Only Be Able To Stand On The Truth (4-7)
4 The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD's throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man. 5 The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. 6 Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. 7 For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face."
After confronting the temptation, David then turns back to why he can trust in God’s protection in the first place. Yep… he remembers the truth (maybe we should start keeping track of how often that point comes up!). Let’s look at the truths he remembers in the face of these temptations--and the ones we should too!
God’s Foundation Is Unshakable- He is in His holy temple. The temple is the sign of God’s presence amongst His people. He is perfect and He is present. Nothing can change that! The world might try to break your foundations, but that is in vain if your foundation is the Lord!
God’s Authority Is Unshakable- He is on His heavenly throne. No matter how strong this world may seem, they have nothing on God’s strength. He reigns not from some earthly, limited kingdom, but from Heaven, which He created, and is over all men, which He also created!
God’s Eyes See, Discern, and Judge- He sees all of His creations. The phrase “his eyelids tests” seems to imply squinting with close examination. And in this examination, he sees and knows the heart. If you notice, the result of this examination is hating the wicked (and subsequently judging them for their sins) and testing the righteous. You would think that the comparison would present love as the opposite of hate, but that is not what is said. Why? Because when God tests us, He is demonstrating His love. He examines the wicked and sees sin. He examines the saved and sees the blood of Jesus--and calls them to walk closer by His side!
God’s People Will See His Face!- He is righteous and loves righteousness, so those made righteous by His name will see His face! I think a hymn, again, puts it best.
“O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!
- Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
- Look full in His wonderful face,
- And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
- In the light of His glory and grace.” (Lemmel)
Are you tempted to run? Look to Jesus!
TAKEAWAYS
1. Your foundation must be refuge in Christ.
“My hope is built on nothing less/ Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;/ I dare not trust the sweetest frame,/ But wholly lean on Jesus' name./ On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;/ All other ground is sinking sand” (Mote).
2. Because temptations to run will be strong...and legitimate.
We will face attacks that are deliberate, directed, and deceitful.
3. And you will only be able to stand on the truth!
God’s Foundation Is Unshakable
God’s Authority Is Unshakable
God’s Eyes See, Discern, and Judge
God’s People Will See his Face!
BONUS MATERIAL ☺️
Steven Lawson and Alistair Begg both have helpful sermons on this text. https://www.monergism.com/topics/mp3-audio-multimedia/00-old-testament-sermons-book/psalms/5-books-psalms-audio/book-1-10
Tim Keller notes that the truths (point 3) could be classified as:
Theological (vs 4), Practical (4-5)--Tests increase opportunities to evaluate what is true, and Spiritual-- Knowledge of God’s presence and face (vs 7). Only love makes you interested in gazing on someone’s face.
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