Remain At Your Post

There are 150 psalms.

The Psalter are the prayer book and the song book of God's people.

The time period of the Psalms is the entire Old Testament.

Moses lived and from his pen came the first five books all the way up until the end of Revelation.

So the Psalms are what Christ and the church received as a prayer book and a song book.

So now we, with all of the scripture, with the intended meaning of the Holy Spirit and all the Bible,

we get to go back and study the Psalms in that way, in that light.

Every Psalm that we're studying, I just, I feel like it's just wonderful.

I want that to be my prayer every week.

Psalm 11 certainly has done that for me as well.

Before I read this, I'll explain a couple things about it.

This is another Psalm of David.

David was the king of Israel.

He was also a musician and a poet.

There's a superscription here.

In some versions, you'll read that it's upon the shimineth.

And that's the Hebrew word.

The meaning of these old words is uncertain.

But that actually adds to the authenticity of how ancient these Psalms truly are.

The best, I guess, guess of scholars is shimineth.

It has to do with the number eight.

It could be the eighth chord on a harp, the eighth note.

But the other meaning that John Gill pointed out, I thought was very interesting, at least

worth considering, is all the scholars, even the Jewish rabbis, saw that this is a messianic

Psalm.

It's talking about a future fulfillment that David would never see with his eyes on earth.

And so in that sense, the Lord Jesus came on the day of the Lord, which is the eighth

day, the first day of the new creation.

Well, as I read Psalm 11, we read it trusting that this is God's inspired, inerrant, infallible,

clear, and sufficient word.

It's God's very own word for you, his people.

When I'm done reading, I'll say, this is the word of the Lord, and we'll respond, thanks

be to God.

Psalm 11, I'm reading from the Christian Standard Bible.

I have taken refuge in the Lord.

How can you say to me, escape to the mountains like a bird?

For look, the wicked string bows.

They put their arrows on bow strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.

When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?

Verse four.

The Lord is in his holy temple.

The Lord, his throne is in heaven.

His eyes watch.

His gaze examines everyone.

The Lord examines the righteous, but he hates the wicked and those who love violence.

Let him rain burning coals and sulfur on the wicked.

Let a scorching wind be their portion and their cup.

For the Lord is righteous.

He loves righteous deeds.

The upright will see his face.

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

You may be seated.

The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of the Lord endures forever.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Lord, we rest in you.

Lord, we rest in you.

You have not let your children be on earth as orphans.

Instead, you've given us your Holy Spirit, the comforter.

Lord, we rest in you.

Lord, we rest in you.

And though we're in this world, we are not of the world.

Lord, though we are surrounded by sin and evil, and we battle even the remaining sin in our own flesh, Lord, we trust your promise that the wicked do not win.

The wicked do not prevail in the end.

Lord, we rest in you.

You are a God who sees all and who is close, and you sustain your people.

You are the head of the church.

You build your church.

The gates of hell cannot prevail against you.

We trust these promises, Lord.

I pray that you will minister your word from Psalm 11 to strengthen this army, these soldiers, this church.

Amen.

There's much in the West that's crumbling and eroding all around us.

Freedom of speech is crumbling in the West.

In March of 2023, a Canadian pastor named Derek Reimer was arrested for a second time, this time for speaking out against drag events for kids.

Each time, the government fined him $10,000.

Freedom of speech is crumbling in the West.

How do pastors like that remain at their post where God has put them?

The acceptance by the public of God's moral law is crumbling in Colorado.

Let's be specific and let's be real.

There's been a mass exodus in recent years.

People fleeing Colorado, going to states that support values that they hold dear as a family.

And there's also been a mass influx.

So the replacement ratio is equal.

But people are pouring into Colorado specifically for lax abortion laws and aggressive gender expression laws protected in the state.

How do Christians remain here in Colorado?

You've wrestled with this.

I know you have as a family.

Within our own little body here, one of our own has had to be very clear about her values and her boundaries as a Christian at work, especially this month.

And in retaliation, her boss has assigned her Sunday mornings that shift specifically to keep her from gathering with God's people.

How do we remain?

Each one of you is a follower of Christ.

Each one of you takes up your cross daily following him.

And each one of you is not on your own.

He's put us together as a body.

Each one of us has a role to play in this body, this army of God.

Each one has a function.

Each one has a spiritual post.

During the week when you pray for anyone here that you visited with who the Lord put on your heart and burdened you to pray for them,

you are fighting at your post before the throne of heaven.

And God has a post for every single member here.

Sometimes as a family we'll gather to pray and little Alyssa will pray for one of you for something I didn't even know about.

That's her role in her post.

Each one has a place in God's army.

How do we remain together, remain as the church militant in this life,

when it feels like the bricks underneath our posts on the walls are crumbling away?

Doesn't it feel like that many times?

Well, that's the imagery we get in Psalm 11.

These wicked people are telling David, flee like a bird.

Don't stay at your post.

Flee.

Flee.

And there's King David.

You can almost picture one of those ancient walls with the towers.

And the soldiers looking out with their bows drawn to fend away the enemy.

But it's much worse.

The enemy is on the inside.

And those bricks are being pulled out.

These towers are wobbly.

How does he stay at his post?

So, beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, today I want to exhort you, remain at your post.

Remain at the post God has given you.

The first point is why it's hard to remain at your post.

It's hard to remain at your post.

Why is that?

In verse 1, we see that the wicked, they're appealing to David's soul.

It's persuasive.

It's convincing.

The soul is the personality.

It's your emotions.

And he says, why wicked people do you say to my soul, flee like a bird?

It's getting to him.

He wants to flee.

They're saying, abandon your post, David.

Take another job.

Relocate somewhere easier.

Well, isn't that exactly what the enemy wants?

He wants to scatter the troops.

He wants you and me to abandon our post and to retreat.

So, the wicked appeal to your soul.

Why else is it hard to remain at your post?

The wicked mock your faith.

In verse 1, they say, flee like a bird to your mountain.

They jeer at David's witness.

You've experienced that when the wicked instruments of Satan will take something that's right,

but they'll say it back to you in a way that mocks and makes you want to not do the right thing

just to not let them be right about it.

You've had that happen.

Flee like a bird to your mountain.

Well, that's the right thing to do as we take our refuge in the Lord.

The Psalms are full of describing the mountain of God as a place that's safe

and that the Lord surrounds his people on his mountain.

But the wicked are mocking this witness that David has told them.

David's fine saying, I am like a bird.

He puts himself very low in the Psalms.

And they're mocking that very witness he gave.

It's hard to remain at your post.

The wicked also stir up your fears.

The wicked stir up paranoia and distrust from inside.

You've seen that happen in churches, haven't you?

They say, behold, David, the wicked, verse 2,

the wicked bend the bow.

They have fitted their arrow to the string

to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart.

David, get out of here.

You don't even know how bad it is inside the kingdom.

From the shadows, from the dark.

There are trained assassins.

They've taken the arrow and put it in the string,

and their bow is bent.

And what are they aiming at?

They're aiming at the soul of God's people, the righteous.

The ones that the enemy wants to flee and abandon the post.

They're coming after you.

They're stirring up distrust, paranoia.

The fear is inside of our heart.

But it's hard to remain at your post when that's going on,

especially from the inside, isn't it?

Well, who are these people that the enemy are going after

and trying to chase them out of the kingdom?

In Psalm 11, they're called the upright in heart.

One who is holy in heart.

One who is observant of the divine commands

in practice in their actual life.

To illustrate this from the Bible,

who comes to mind when you think of one

who is upright in heart,

who's desiring to observe God's commandments in practice

within a wicked, evil kingdom?

You're probably thinking of maybe Joseph or Daniel.

Great examples to us.

And it's for that very reason

that they went after both Joseph and Daniel, wasn't it?

The wicked hate that Daniel is praying to his Lord

three times a day.

Trusting in a greater kingdom.

That makes Daniel a target to the wicked.

And one last thing that the wicked do

that makes it hard to remain at your post.

The wicked want you to be hopeless.

The wicked want you to have no hope.

In verse three, they say,

if the foundations are destroyed,

what can the righteous do?

They say, don't you see all the signs,

all the evidence around you?

There is no hope.

This kingdom is crumbling.

All the pillars are wobbly.

There's cracks in the flooring.

The base has already shifted out from under your feet.

That tower you're standing on is tipping over.

You can't stand and fight where you are anymore.

They make you feel hopeless.

It's hard to remain at your post.

What is it then that Psalm 11,

by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,

teaches believers to do in response to this reality?

Verse four is when it turns good.

Look at verse four with me.

What I see is that Psalm 11 teaches believers

to take your eyes off the wicked.

Take your eyes off the wicked.

But you can't just not look.

You have to put your eyes somewhere else.

Notice where he puts his eyes in verse four.

He puts them on the Lord by faith.

Verse four,

The Lord is in his holy temple.

The Lord's throne is in heaven.

Take your eyes off the wicked.

Put your eyes on the temple

and on the throne of the Lord in heaven by faith.

Yes, everything your physical eyes are seeing

will lead you to be hopeless,

discouraged, and to want to flee.

But instead, put those eyes by faith

on the temple and the throne of God in heaven.

Notice what the Psalms,

just limiting to this near context of the Psalms,

what the Psalms say about both the temple

and the throne of God.

First, the temple.

Psalm 5, 7.

We saw this last summer.

David says,

I will come into thy house

in the multitude of thy mercy.

When you think of the temple of the Lord,

think of a multitude,

a lavish, abundant mercy,

and go there.

And in thy fear,

I will worship toward thy holy temple.

Psalm 18, 6.

In my distress,

I called upon the Lord

and cried unto my God,

and he heard my voice

out of his temple,

and my cry came before him,

even into his ears.

If you're distressed,

if you're crying out desperate,

that prayer goes straight

to the temple of God who hears you.

Praise God

that he rules and ministers

from his holy temple.

Amen?

So he says,

the Lord is in his holy temple,

and here's what I know about that.

He also says,

the Lord's throne

is in heaven.

Verse 4.

The Lord's throne is in heaven.

Here's what the Psalms

say about the throne of the Lord.

Psalm 93, 2.

The throne of God

is established of old.

These wicked seem to have crept up

and taken over out of nowhere.

The throne of the Lord

is of old.

He is from everlasting.

Psalm 45, 6.

Thy throne, O God,

is forever and ever.

It will not go away.

His rule extends

for all generations

and for eternity.

The scepter of the kingdom of God

is right.

These wicked make everything

crooked and twisted,

but God's scepter,

what he holds up as the king,

it is straight.

Psalm 47, 8.

God reigns

over the wicked as well.

God sits upon the throne

of his holiness

and he reigns

over this kingdom,

over the wicked even.

That's the temple

and the throne of the Lord.

That's what we put our eyes on

instead of looking at the wicked.

You'll be invited

to exhort one another

with these words in a moment.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.

Look full in his wonderful face.

What happens?

The things of earth

will grow strangely dim

in the light

of his glory and grace.

Amen.

So take your eyes off the wicked

and put them on the Lord.

Number three we see in Psalm 11.

David reminds himself

of who God is.

When it's hard to remain

at your post,

remind yourself

of who God is,

his attributes.

Three attributes

are in focus

in Psalm 11.

First,

the Lord is omniscient.

The Lord is all-knowing.

Verse 4,

his eyes

see the children

of man.

Who is the children

of man?

It's every human being

that came from Adam.

Wicked and righteous alike.

God sees all.

God is all-knowing,

omniscient.

Number two,

the Lord is good.

The Lord is good.

And he exercises

his goodness

by providentially

using whatever

the wicked

intend for evil

God uses for good.

Verse 4,

his eyelids,

or another translation,

his gaze,

tests the children

of man.

And verse 5

specifically says

he tests

the righteous.

So God sees all.

And when he sees

the wickedness

happening to his people,

the righteous,

he tests them.

He uses that

to refine,

to purify,

to prepare them

for eternal glory.

With this translation

of eyelids,

think about that.

Both are true.

God's eyes

see everything,

but also his eyelids

test.

When it seems like

God's eyes

are closed

to what you are

suffering and enduring,

it seems that way.

You know he sees all,

but it seems like

all you're getting

right now

are his closed eyes,

his eyelids.

It appears to you

that he is not

looking at you

or seeing what

you're having to endure,

but he sees you.

And when it feels

that way,

it's because

he is purifying you.

He is preparing you

through the suffering

for eternal glory

and communion with him.

And the Lord,

finally,

he's not only

omniscient and good

to rule over

with providence,

but he's also holy.

The Lord is holy

and righteous.

Look at verse 5.

His soul hates

the wicked

and the one

who loves violence.

Thomas Brooks commented,

All sin strikes

at the holiness of God,

the glory of God,

the nature of God,

the being of God,

and the law of God.

All sin strikes

at the very essence

of who God is.

And therefore,

God's heart,

so to speak,

rises up against all sin

because God is holy.

God is righteous.

And God is also just.

So remind yourself

of who God is.

The next thing

in verse 6

is that David prays

for God

to display his justice.

David knows

these are true of God.

This is who God is.

But then he prays

for God to put that

on display.

Use your power.

Use your omniscience.

Respond

because you are holy

with justice, God.

This is the part

of the Psalms

that stretch us.

But we should pray as well

for God to display

his justice

when we see so much

wickedness prevailing.

In verse 6,

he says,

let God

rain coals

on the wicked.

He says,

Lord,

give the wicked

their due.

children,

coals,

if you have a fireplace

in the winter,

it's when the wood

is burned down

so it's at its hottest point.

And we've had some hail

this summer.

Can you imagine

if every one of those

little pieces of hail,

instead of being hail,

was a block of coal

at its hottest,

falling across Colorado

with the dry grass,

the wildfires

would be rampant.

That's how David

is praying for God

to display

his justice

on the wicked.

Verse 6,

may fire

and sulfur

and a scorching wind

be the portion

of their cup.

Okay,

the phrase

portion of their cup,

it's a measured

out punishment

that correspond

to what is deserved.

David's saying

their wickedness

deserves so much

punishment.

this is what needs

to go in their cup.

It needs to be

in proportion

to their wickedness.

God,

in righteous judgment,

must appoint

to the wicked

what they need

to drink

as a just retribution,

as a display

of his justice

against their evil.

And what is it

that should go

in the cup

in the portion

of the wicked

that David prays?

In verse 6,

he asked that God

would put

fire

and sulfur

in their cup.

This is an illusion

of how the Lord

rained down fire

and sulfur

from heaven

upon Sodom and Gomorrah.

And the New Testament

tells us

that the destruction

of Sodom and Gomorrah

was an illustration

and a type

of the final coming judgment

on the whole earth,

the eternal fire

of hell

and judgment.

That's what goes

into the cup

of sinners.

That's what they need

to drink.

The last image

in verse 6

is a scorching wind.

These scorching winds

could blow up

from the northern part

of Africa,

sweeping across

the Mediterranean.

They could also blow

from the east.

Do you remember

in Job,

a strong,

hot east wind

blows and kills

his little plant?

The name for this type

of scorching wind

is Sirocco.

Sirocco.

It's a hot,

dust-laden,

cyclonic wind

that goes

at the speed

of a hurricane.

Imagine this gem

here filled

with sand

and that sand

brought to a feverish

temperature.

And then imagine

the Lord moving

the air

in such a powerful

way that this

hot,

sandy wind

blasts

whatever's in front

of it.

David is praying,

Lord,

take that

destructive wind

that would burn

and wipe out

anything in front

of it.

Put it in the cup

of the wicked

and make him

drink that.

Psalm 11

teaches us

to pray for God

to display

his just rule.

And if we don't

see it in this life

with these eyes,

the Lord will bring

it one day

in glory.

Well,

as we look at

the final part

of Psalm 11,

there's a response.

David responds

to how he's feeling,

who he sees God

as,

what he needs.

So that's my

exhortation to you

is respond

in the light

of who God

is.

I want to draw

your attention

to the bookends

of this Psalm,

the first verse

and the seventh,

the last.

In verse one,

here's his response.

He just tells you

up front,

here's how I resolve

this.

In the Lord

I take refuge.

Why do you take

refuge in the Lord,

David?

Verse seven,

for the Lord

is righteous.

He loves

righteous deeds.

We've seen

how God

loves the upright

in heart,

how God is holy,

and how anyone

who is a sinner

deserves to drink

this cup

of judgment.

How can David

be so sure

that he can take

refuge in the Lord?

How can David

know that God

loves righteous deeds

and that's good news

for David?

Everybody knows

publicly David

is a sinner.

John Calvin wrote,

the just God

is the rewarder

of perfect righteousness

and the avenger

of sin.

None here

are perfectly

righteous.

All of us

deserve for our

sin to be avenged.

That description

of the cup,

the portion

of the wicked,

that's what each

one of us

deserves to drink.

Amen?

This is what

we were born

deserving

and this is what

our own sins

piling on

merit for us.

Calvin also wrote,

but in Christ

God's face

shines out

full of grace

and gentleness

to poor

unworthy

sinners

like David,

like me

and like you.

God justly

does this.

He can offer

refuge because

Jesus Christ

obeyed.

Jesus Christ

said,

Lord,

if it's your will,

take this cup

away from me

so I don't have

to drink it.

But Jesus

prayed

because of God

being gracious

towards sinners

like us,

not my will

but your will,

Father,

be done.

And our Lord

took the cup

of God's wrath

on the cross

and he drank

it down

to the very

last drip.

That's why

you and I,

we can turn

our eyes

to the hillside

of Calvary

where justice

and mercy

embraced.

There the Son

of God

gave his life

for us

and our

measureless debt

was erased.

So we can say

with David now,

in the Lord

I take refuge

for the Lord

is righteous.

He loves

righteous deeds

not mine

but Christ's

righteous deeds

that he put

on as if

they were mine.

I take refuge.

John Gill pointed out

David is not

taking refuge

in himself

in his own heart

in his own

righteousness

and strength

nor in men

the greatest of men

the princes of the earth

nor in his armies

or any outward

force.

He is taking refuge

in the Lord

who is righteous.

I take refuge.

One commentator

pointed out

the tense of the verb

this phrase

is denoting

a continued

exercise

of faith

in the Lord.

I took refuge

in the Lord

yesterday.

I take refuge

in the Lord

right now

with all of you.

This afternoon

I need to take refuge

in the Lord

again.

Tomorrow

you and I

need to take refuge

in the Lord

we continue

to take refuge

in God

trusting in who

he is.

Trusting his words

to us.

In Isaiah

the Lord Jesus

quotes this

as his own words

fulfilling his

covenant faithfulness.

And we sing this

fear not

I am with thee

oh be not dismayed

for I am thy God

and will still

give thee aid.

I'll strengthen thee

help thee

and cause thee

to stand

upheld by

my righteous

omnipotent

hand.

That's how we

respond

in the light

of who God is

we trust him

and we trust his word.

Lord.

Now the blessing

of the gospel

is not just

that our sins

have been forgiven.

That's merely

a means

to an even

greater end.

This last little bit

could have just

been short

but it became

long.

I'm just warning you

because this

really consumed

my thoughts

this week.

Look at verse 7.

The upright

shall behold

God's face.

So my final

exhortation

from Psalm 11

is look forward

to the day

when God

will fully

finally

fulfill his

promises.

Look forward

to that day.

There is more

to come.

Yes we're

forgiven now.

We take refuge

in him now

and continuously

but there's

greater glory

greater blessing

to come.

Okay so the ESV

translates this

as the upright

shall behold

his face.

The King James

has the

order switched

around.

You have to decide

which one you

think is

maybe the best

representation

of Psalm 11.

King James

has it this way.

His

God's

in the plural

countenance

beholds the upright.

Well the nice

thing is that

these are both

biblical truths.

Does the triune

God behold

the upright

and see you?

Yes.

He already said

that in this

very Psalm.

Is it also true

that the upright

shall behold

the face of God?

Yes.

Both are

biblical truths.

The wonderful

thing about

Hebrew in particular

is it's poetic

that way.

It can be taken

to represent

more than one

truth because

it's one meaning

one interpretation.

So the upright

you who now

by the work

of God

and the application

of the Holy Spirit

have grown to

love the moral

law of God

John Gill said

God looks at

you with pleasure

and he takes

delight in you

he takes care

of you

he protects

you and

defends you

and he will

at last

save you

God

sees you

Father

Son

Holy Spirit

he sees you

and sustains you

who take refuge

in him

you whom God

has freely made

upright

by grace

you shall also

behold his face

would you turn

to Psalm 17

maybe one page

over

Psalm 17

and look at

verse 15

this is such

a great verse

memorize this one

and use it

when you feel

like it's hard

to remain

at your post

Psalm 17

15 says

I shall see

your face

in righteousness

I shall be

satisfied

when I awake

with seeing

your form

there's a

satisfaction

that overwhelms

the believer

when he sees

God

and this is a

promise that

Christians

believers from

every generation

will see God

by the work

of Christ

and when you

see him

you will be

satisfied

this is called

the beatific

vision

the first part

of that little

word means

blessed

and the last

part means

to make

like the

beatitudes

are the

blessings

so beatific

means to

make blessed

or satisfied

it's a vision

of God

that will make

you incredibly

blessed

and satisfied

notice how

Jesus brings

this to the

forefront

on the

Sermon on the

Mount

Matthew 6

6

blessed are

they who

hunger and

thirst after

righteousness

for they

shall be

satisfied

God

Matthew 6

8

blessed are

the pure

in heart

for they

shall see

God

I want to

show you

three ways

according to

scripture that

we are moved

by God

from glory

unto glory

unto glory

how do we

see God

now

how will we

see God

when we

die

and how

will we

see God

one day

at the

resurrection

first

we see

God

now by

faith

in Jesus

Christ

2 Corinthians

4

4 says

believers

see by

faith

the light

of the

gospel

of the

glory

of Christ

who

is

the

image

of

God

for

God

who

said

let

light

shine

out of

darkness

has

shown

into

our

hearts

to

give

the

light

of

the

knowledge

of

God's

glory

in

the

face

of

Jesus

Christ

you

have

seen

God

in

the

face

of

Jesus

Christ

now

by

faith

John

14

9

Jesus

affirms

this

he

that

has

seen

me

has

seen

the

Father

if

you

see

Jesus

Christ

by

faith

now

you

are

seeing

God

number

two

God

promises

that

you

will

see

him

spiritually

at

your

death

when

your

body

dies

when

your

soul

is

joined

in

heaven

apart

from

your

body

your

soul

will

be

with

the

Lord

in

paradise

before

the

resurrection

of

your

body

and

even

without

your

body

being

joined

to

the

soul

at

the

resurrection

you

will

see

the

Lord

spiritually

the

teaching

of

scripture

is

affirmed

in

our

confession

chapter

31

1

your

soul

which

neither

dies

nor

sleeps

having

an

immortal

substance

shall

immediately

return

to

God

who

gave

them

the

souls

of

the

righteous

being

then

made

perfect

in

holiness

are

received

into

paradise

where

they

are

with

Christ

and

behold

the

face

of

God

in

light

and

glory

waiting

for

the

full

redemption

of

their

bodies

so

your

death

will

be

a

glorious

day

where

this

promise

will

be

even

more

gloriously

fulfilled

than it

is

now

by

faith

Puritan

John

Flavel

agreed

there

will

there

will be

a

beat

vision

at

the

moment

of

death

our

triune

God

and

the

mysteries

of

one

God

and

three

persons

they

will

be

made

known

to

you

in

a

way

that

now

your

limited

mind

can't

fathom

third

and

finally

there

will

be

a

great

resurrection

you

will

see

God

physically

one

day

at

the

resurrection

of

your

body

you

will

receive

glorified

eyes

just

as

our

Lord

Jesus

rose

from

the

dead

and

he

had

a

glorified

body

and

your

glorified

eyes

will

behold

what

revelation

says

in

many

places

and

thank

you

Jonathan

for

your

help

with

this

you

will

see

the

throne

of

God

and

of

the

Lamb

your

glorified

body

will

physically

along

with

your

soul

cause

you

to

behold

God

just

as

the

Son

of

God

keeps

his

glorified

human

body

forever

more

you

will

have

glorified

senses

and

you

will

be

able

to

in

this

resurrection

body

say

with

Job

in

chapter

19

verse

25

I

know

that

my

redeemer

lives

he

will

stand

upon

the

earth

after

my

skin

has

been

destroyed

then

I

will

see

God

in

my

flesh

whom

I

even

I

will

see

on

my

side

my

eyes

will

see

and

not

as a

stranger

my

heart

is

consumed

within

me

even

greater

glory

at

the

resurrection

the

Lord

gave

John

the

apostle

to

close

off

the

New

Testament

revelation

this

glorious

vision

in

Revelation

Revelation 22:3

22

verses

3

and

4

3

this

this

is

a

promise

for

you

who

are

in

Christ

you

will

stand

at

the

throne

of

God

and

of

the

lamb

one

day

you

will

worship

him

along

with

the

vast

multitude

from

every

people

nation

tribe

and

tongue

over

all

the

centuries

that

he

has

saved

by

faith

and

you

will

see

his

face

so beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ

receive this exhortation from Psalm 11

remain at your post

don't stop meeting together as some are in the habit of doing

pray for one another

serve one another

love one another

don't move to Texas

we need you at Reformed Heritage Church

don't abandon your ministry here

like the hymn says

ever lift thy face upon me

as I work and wait for thee

resting neath thy smile Lord Jesus

earth's dark shadows flee

it's not the Christians who need to flee

the dark shadows flee from the light of the presence of God

brightness of my Father's glory

sunshine of my Father's face

keep me ever trusting

resting

and fill me with thy grace

amen

amen

let's spend time in prayer responding to the word that we've heard

thank you very much being here

going