How God Keeps Us From Evil
Griffith Baptist Church – 12/30/07
P.M. Service
Text: Psalm 28
Introduction
The story is told of a farmer in a Midwestern state who had a strong disdain for “religious” things. As he plowed his field on Sunday morning, he would shake his fist at the church people who passed by on their way to worship. October came and the farmer had his finest crop ever—the best in the entire county. When the harvest was complete, he placed an advertisement in the local paper which belittled the Christians for their faith in God. Near the end of his diatribe he wrote, “Faith in God must not mean much if someone like me can prosper.”
The response from the Christians in the community was quiet and polite. In the next edition of the town paper, a small ad appeared. It read simply, “God doesn’t always settle His accounts in October.”
William E. Brown in Making Sense of Your Faith
Sometimes, it looks like evil gets away with being evil. That is not really the case.
Just because the judge postpones the court date does not mean that the crime will go unnoticed and unpunished.
Someday, there is a reserved judgment for evil and it will all come to light in the court of God’s opinion.
In the meantime, God does His share of protecting us from that which seeks to destroy us; EVIL!
1. It is an eternal promise from God - Psalms 121:7 – The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul
2. Christ prayed for this - John 17:15 – I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
3. It is a product of the faithfulness of God - 2 Thessalonians 3:3 – But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
4. Christ prayed, “Deliver us from evil.” (Luke 11:4) He would not have prayed that way if we did not need His protection and deliverance from evil and its influence.
Psalm 28: Outline
1. A Hope To Be Close to God – 28:1-2
2. A Hatred To Be Associated With Evil– 28:3-5
3. A Heart To Be Trusting In the Lord – 28:6-9
Assuming you are an obedient and faithful Christian, how does God keep you from evil?
God Keeps Us From Evil By . . .
Body
1. Producing a Stable, Spiritual Environment – 1-2, 6-8
A. A firm foundation (rock) – 1
i. the immovable foundation of all our hopes and our refuge in time of trouble: (Spurgeon)
ii. Psalms 18:2 - The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tow
B. Good communication (prayer) – 2, 6
i. Access to the presence of God
ii. Unending and wanted by God
iii. Hebrews 4:16 - Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
iv. No excuses for not praying, not even sin, because we can confess that (1 John 1:9) and still enter.
C. Spiritual Power (strength) – 7-8
i. This is strength drawn from God
ii. It is a mystery and yet given to us every day
iii. Strength to:
a. Temptation
b. Sin
c. Serve
d. Give
iv. Ephesians 6:10 - Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
2. Revealing Evil So We can Be Repulsed By Its Presence – 3-5
A. Hypocrisy - 3 (they speak peace with the neighbors)
i. There are very few honest sinners
ii. They all say they will probably end up in heaven for whatever reason except Jesus Christ.
iii. Psalms 12:2 - They speak vanity every one with his neighbor: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
iv. The world is one big hypocritical circus
v. An honest person admits they are tainted and destroyed by sin
B. Cunning – 3 (mischief is in their hearts)
i. You can’t see what is in the heart unless it is revealed in the actions
ii. Did you ever see mischief in a child’s eye, you know they are up to something but you don’t know what it is? Where does that come from, as if I have to ask?
iii. Proverbs 26:23-26 - 23Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross. 24He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him; 25When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart. 26Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be showed before the whole congregation.
C. Destined for judgment – 4
i. Romans 2:6-9 - 6Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
ii. We don’t want to be anywhere near those who practice sin
iii. Christ rejecters will all face an eternal punishment (Rev. 20:11-15)
iv. This is not what we should desire for them, but it will be what will happen without Christ.
v. This is why the importance of spreading the gospel
D. Oblivious to God’s Standards – 5a
i. Read Romans 1:18-25, 28-32
ii. Evil progresses from worse to worse
iii. There comes a point where the mind and heart are so far gone that they become locked in their immorality
iv. We need to be the opposite and embrace the standards of God more and more
a. Holiness in an evil world
b. Behavior modified to reflect God’s Spirit in us
c. A witness that matches our actions and attitudes
d. Etc.
3. Providing His Spirit to Guide Us On Our Journey - 9
A. Salvation
i. Sealed by the Spirit - Ephesians 1:13 – In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
ii. Set Apart (made holy) by the Holy Spirit - 2 Thessalonians 2:13 - But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
B. Inheritance
i. Inheritance - To gain (something) as one’s right or portion.
ii. Peace
iii. Blessings
iv. Heaven
v. We are God’s inheritance and God has given us an inheritance (1st Pet. 1:4; Heb. 9:15; Col. 3:24; Col. 1:12; Eph. 1:11, 14, 18)
C. Nourishment
i. Like a great shepherd, he makes sure we are well-fed and nourished
ii. Isaiah 40:11 – He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
iii. Peter was told to feed the sheep – John 21:15-18
iv. Pastors are told to feed the flock of God – Acts 20:28 - Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. (1st Pet. 5:2)
v. Fed with the Word – Jeremiah 15:16 - Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. Psalms 19:10 - More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
D. Exaltation
i. We know that Word of God tells us to exalt (lift up) God, His name, His majesty.
ii. The request is to lift them up from where they are
iii. This can only take place when we become lowly in humility – 1 Peter 5:6 - Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: (Matt. 23:12)
Conclusion:
Now that we know that God is working hard to keep us from evil, let me ask this question.
What are you doing to keep from evil?
Are you trusting Him and looking to Him?
Are you staying close to Him?
Is He Lord of your life?
