March 9, 6:00 p.m.
Speaker: H.B. Charles Jr.
Topic: The Suffering of the Remnant
Passage: Psalm 11

Message Summary: 
 
Times of crisis, worry, doubt, and fear instinctively cause us to want to fly away. When we face a problem, we are quick to ask God to move it or to move us. But often, He does not answer that prayer. There’s nothing inherently wrong with relocation during times of trouble: There are times when the wise thing to do is escape to safety. But there are other times when to flee from trouble would betray the name of the Lord. Psalm 11 represents one of those times. In this time, David’s faith demanded that he hang in there.  

This is a word to the threatened sheep we serve. To the degree our people are devoted to Jesus, they will be persecuted, they will be canceled, they will be afflicted.

This passage is also a word to troubled shepherds. This psalm is a call to steadfastness, and this call comes with a blessed assurance that the one who trusts in the Lord is safe and secure in every situation.  

Psalm 11 helps us by asking the right question and giving the right answer for moments when we are tempted to “fly away” from the troubles of our lives.

The Question Faith Asks in a Crisis

Faith does not exempt you from life’s dangers, toils, and snares. Doing the Lord’s work doesn’t guarantee things will go your way. The question is where do you turn when trouble comes?  

We must not look for refuge in self-help, sinful people, or material things. God alone is our reliable refuge. We must not put our faith in the things that we can see. We walk by faith and not by sight.  

Fear runs away, faith stands tall. What kind of God do you serve? If you have faith in a little God who is threatened by arrows and bows, you’d best flee. But if you serve the Lord who reigns over heaven and earth, stand firm and trust in Him.  

The Answer Faith Gives in a Crisis

Faith turns into fear when you don’t factor God in. Focusing on what’s going on in our earthly surroundings does not solve the problem. The answer is to turn our focus onto the Lord and meditate on who He is.  

The Lord Is Sovereign—God is in control. He is transcendent, untouched by the chaos and confusion of the wicked of this world. And God does not merely reside in Heaven, He reigns from heaven. Our God is the God that spoke the world out of nothing, you cannot frighten Him.  

The Lord Is Good— God has a soul-deep hatred for wickedness. He loves what is good and hates what is evil. Because of His sovereignty, God’s goodness will stand. He will have the last word.

The Lord Is Just—We have an almighty, just God who will execute justice on our behalf. We do not need to take matters into our own hands. Rather, we entrust them into the hands of our God in prayer.

The Lord Is Righteous—The Lord is on the side of the righteous because He Himself is righteous. He is the righteous Judge who will do right. One way or another, He will have the last word.

The upright shall behold God’s face and experience His favor. The pure in heart can see Him at work in everything. There is sin and evil, and wickedness in the world, and yet the whole earth is full of His glory.  

We must view everything in this life in light of the sovereignty, holiness, and majesty of God. Look and remember who God is and what He has done for you in Jesus Christ. Look and find blessed assurance that what He has begun in you He will complete at the day of His glory, to the praise and glory of His Son.