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Psalm 11:1- 7 (NKJV). 1 In the Lord I put my trust; How can you say to my soul, “ Flee as a bird to your mountain”? 2 For look! The wicked bend their bow, They make ready their arrow on the string, That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.
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Psalm 11:1-7(NKJV) 1 In the Lord I put my trust; How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain”? 2 For look! The wicked bend their bow, They make ready their arrow on the string, That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart. 3 If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?
Psalm 11:1-7(NKJV) 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, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.
Psalm 11:1-7(NKJV) 6Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind Shall be the portion of their cup. 7 For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright.
What Can The Righteous Do? Psalm 11:1-7
What Can The Righteous Do? • We have spent several weeks this summer looking at the subject of marriage • It’s no secret that marriage and the home are under attack • Satan is working hard to destroy this foundation
What Can The Righteous Do? • We have seen what the Bible says about this subject • The last couple of lessons have specifically dealt with same sex marriage • The question we may ask is what are we to do as Christians?
What Can The Righteous Do? • When it seems as though the moral fabric of this country is being ripped apart, is there any hope? • If there is hope, it must lie in our God and Father who rules from heaven • So what is our responsibility in all of this?
What Can The Righteous Do? • 1. Continue to live righteously • This may seem like stating the obvious, but this cannot be emphasized enough • The reason why is because many are turning away from the truth towards popular opinion (Rom. 12:2) • Some are caving to the social pressure(I Cor. 16:13)
What Can The Righteous Do? • 1. Continue to live righteously • “We ought to obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29) • Many are seeking to justify things in the name of love • Loving God (greatest command) means obeying Him!
What Can The Righteous Do? • 1. Continue to live righteously • Obedience is important to our God (Matt. 7:21; Heb. 5:9) • I Peter 4:1-2 • Letter from homosexual “Christian”… • They need us to stand firm on the truth; it’s the only way to save them
What Can The Righteous Do? • 2. Remember who’s in charge • At times we get discouraged because we forget that God is still in control • It’s easy to want to quit or give up because it seems that those who stand up for right are no longer the majority • Psalm 2:1-4
What Can The Righteous Do? • 2. Remember who’s in charge • God shall mock the feeble attempts of man to overthrow Him • He has not disappeared after many attempts by man to get rid of Him • We need to take comfort in the sovereignty of God (Ps. 115:3)
What Can The Righteous Do? • 3. Pray • God has given us some powerful tools at our disposal • One of those tools is prayer (Heb. 4:16) • We are told over and over that we should come to Him with our cares and burdens (Phil. 4:6; I Pet. 5:7)
What Can The Righteous Do? • 3. Pray • We need to pray for our country (all men including sinners) & those who hold political power (I Tim. 2:1-4) • We need to pray for boldness to speak God’s word (Acts 4:23-31) • Remember that prayer is powerful and it works (Lk. 18:1; Js. 5:16)
What Can The Righteous Do? • 4. Practice self-control • It’s easy to let our emotions get the best of us at times • Perhaps it’s anger or that we are so zealous for the Lord • “Do not fret (to be angry; to burn) because of evildoers…” (Ps. 37:1)
What Can The Righteous Do? • 4. Practice self-control • Paul reminds us that we are to overcome evil with good (Rom. 12:21) • We may even suffer some because of our faith; let us suffer rightly (I Pet. 2:20-23) • We should love all people and treat them with respect (Matt. 22:39; I Cor. 16:13-14)
What Can The Righteous Do? • 5. Convert the sinner • There have been many times that cities, states, countries, and nations have been wicked • If we seek change for good then we do not do so relying upon those who are not followers of Christ
What Can The Righteous Do? • 5. Convert the sinner • The only way that true change will come in our world is through the gospel of Jesus Christ • Romans 1:16 • Hebrews 4:12 • Acts 2:37; 5:33
What Can The Righteous Do? • 5. Convert the sinner • The more people we convert to Christianity the more that will stand on God’s side • That’s exactly how those in the first century did things • They sought to convert everyone, even those in power
What Can The Righteous Do? • 6. Stay focused • Although there are some battles that are just, if we are not careful they can pull our focus away from our ultimate goal • Satan can use noble causes to distract us from our journey to heaven • He can also use discouragement
What Can The Righteous Do? • 6. Stay focused • Remember that our citizenship lies in heaven, not here (Phil. 3:20) • If we are not careful, we can lose our credibility if we act like the world in defending what is right (I Pet. 2:12) • Remember God will handle those who are evil (Rom. 12:17-19)