Our great God, we have prayed this morning, sung this morning that you are indeed an awesome God. And Father, we do thank you for that. Because you are a God that is not incompetent or impotent in any way, shape or form, you are a God who is worthy of us taking refuge in. And Father, I thank you. for the hope that I have that it is you that can use the foolishness of preaching to proclaim your word for your glory. And so I pray that you would help my stammering lips. I pray, Father, that you would open the eyes and the ears of these dear people here today I pray, Father, that in our lives that you would tear down that which needs to be torn down, that you would build up that which needs to be built up. Father, I pray that for Christ's sake, that you would bless this time that we have together. May the Spirit of Christ be present among us this hour. In Jesus' name, amen. The question that I would like to present to you today is a very simple question. The question is, is God your refuge? Now, it's a simple question and probably many of us would maybe answer yes easily. The problem is that in reality, it's a difficult question. It's much like asking somebody, do you love? Do you love your husband? Do you love your wife? It's easy to say, oh, yes, I do. But saying it and doing it are two separate things, aren't they? In Psalm chapter 16, and that's going to be our main text today. So if you would like to turn in your Bibles to Psalm chapter 16. David beautifully here outlines for us the characteristics of the one who has made God his refuge. David here, I believe, in Psalm chapter 16, verses 1 through 11, is providing for us a crucial and a revealing test for the one who would say, is God really my refuge? Well, let's look at what David says in verse 1 of chapter 16 in the book of Psalms. David says in Psalm 16, verse one, preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in you. What does he mean by preserve? Well, he means to watch over, right? To guard, to protect. In fact, the word to preserve has the connotation of to hoard. I mean, the picture is of a like a hermit or a miser taking that which is precious to him and kind of hoarding it away from everything else. And so David asks God to watch over him. hoard him, protect him as that which is precious. Clearly, I believe that this is from David, a request for preservation in all of life's walks. I don't think there would be one compartment in David's life in which he would not want the preservation of God. You know, it's interesting because as we look at this verse, David says, preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in you. It's a very simple request, isn't it? A very simple request. Yet behind this request, we have what I'm calling inspired reasoning. You know, a lot of times we don't think about using reasoning with God, do we? I mean, that's just not our place. But, you know, if it is biblical and you find it oftentimes throughout the Psalms, if it is biblical, we can use reasoning with God. David does here. He says, preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in you. Or another way to say it would be, God, I take refuge in you. So therefore, please preserve me. Unfortunately, the the New King James Version in chapter 16, verse one, translates the phrase, translates the phrase, I take refuge in you as for I trust in you. Now, clearly, the idea of trust plays a part of refuge, doesn't it? But if you take away the word refuge, I think it really takes away a lot of the beauty and the fullness of the chapter. Now, what is a refuge? We don't use that word a lot in our Western society. The dictionary defines it as a shelter, as a protection from danger or trouble, a place of shelter or a place of safety. Anything to which one has recourse for aid, relief, or escape. Pretty basic, isn't it? But what does it mean in the text of Scripture when it talks about a refuge? I think, biblically speaking, the word refuge can be summed up like this. A refuge is where we run to when we are scared. A refuge is wherever we go for comfort when we are disappointed. It's wherever we go for direction when we are perplexed. A refuge is to whomever we cry to when we are sorrowful. It's where we go for relief when we are pressed. It's where we go for healing when we are sick. It's where we go for strength when we are tempted. Now, we mentioned earlier that saying that God is our refuge might be easier than actually living it. And why is that? Well, pinch yourself. It's because you are human. Because we are human, when we are faced with distresses, when we are faced with trials or anything that just makes us want to run for shelter, what do we inevitably do as humans? We run to something. But the question is, who do we run to? Is it God? Is it Christ? You see, there are many forms of refuge in this world. Did you know that drugs are a form of refuge? Alcohol is a form of refuge. Why do people want to get stoned? Why do they want to get drunk? Because they are running from something. They want to get away from it. It could be sports. It could be pornography. It could be movies. It could be shopping. You know, we have the shopping, the compulsive shopping disorder now. Why would somebody want to go out and rack up a credit card, just buy a bunch of things that are new? Well, because they're down. They're feeling pressed. They want to get away. They want to escape. So they go to the mall. All of these things are possible refuges. The problem is, is that they are all wanting, aren't they? They are all lacking. They are insufficient. They are like a straw house in a tornado. But that's the human heart, isn't it? That's what you and I are faced with. We want to run when we feel like we need shelter, when we feel pressed. We want to run to something that pampers or strokes the flesh to hide us from the storms of life rather than running to Christ. So then what does it mean then to make God our refuge, practically speaking, in the Christian life? Well, thankfully, I believe in Psalm chapter 16, David outlines for us six characteristics of the one who has made God his refuge. Six characteristics of the one who has made God his refuge. Number one, who is he who has made God his refuge? Number one, he who has an acute awareness of sin and God's holiness. Look at verse 2 of chapter 16. David said, I said to the Lord, you are my Lord. I have no good besides you. David didn't say, I'm a pretty good guy and God, you just make me better. No, he says, I have no good apart from you. I'll tell you what, folks, there is nothing more antithetical. There is nothing more opposite to making God your refuge than an exalted view of yourself. David said, I have no good besides you. You know, the seemingly harmless attitude that permeates our society of, you know, I'm really not that bad. That has absolutely no place in the kingdom of heaven. Our brother Howard mentioned in, I think, a Wednesday night message a few months ago that when you come to Christ, you don't come as one that is in not need of righteousness. You come bruised, don't you? You come beat up. You come sick. You see, there's no place for self-sufficiency in the kingdom of heaven. Christ himself made this very clear in his earthly ministry, that he came to save the sick. He came to save the sinner. He came to save the poor in heart, not the righteous or the righteous self-righteous. I think this is this is summed up for us in an incredible way in the parable of the rich young ruler. And I would like for us to turn there, if you would, to your Bibles, to Mark chapter 10. In Mark, chapter 10, verse 17, we have the I'm sorry, it's not a parable. In Mark, chapter 10, verse 17, we have the actual account of a young, rich ruler coming to Christ. And he asked the question, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus responds in verse 19, he says, you know, the commandments don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and mother, basically be perfect. And in verse 20, the rich young ruler says, teacher, all of these I have done for my youth up looking at him. Verse 21, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, one thing you lack, go and sell all you possess and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven and come follow me. But at these words, the man was the young man was saddened and he went his way now. From this passage of scripture, I think it's clear that Christ is not making a doctrine about possessions, is he? Because if we take what he says about selling all of our possessions, probably none of us here would have any clothes on if we took it to the nth degree. He said, give away all your possessions. So he's not making a doctrine about possessions. Rather, he is using that command to the rich young ruler to expose the heart condition of that young man. You see, instead of saying what the rich young ruler said in verse 20, he said, teacher, I have kept all these things instead of saying that at that point after he heard what was required, which was basically 100 percent righteousness. It's at that point. The rich young ruler should have said, Oh, Lord, Lord, I'm in trouble. Jesus saved me, but he did not. Well, it's interesting here that if you want to find something that Christ does say about money in this passage, if you look on a few verses down, Christ says what? That if you are rich, you are going to have a real big difficulty in seeing your spiritual bankruptcy. So believer, non-believer as well, when you feel the weight of your sin, don't suppress it. Don't conjure up in your mind all the good works you supposedly done in the past. When you feel the weight of your sin, people run to Christ for refuge, not to yourself, not to past works. Why? Because there is nothing more opposite to making God your refuge. than an exalted view of yourself. Who is he who has made God his refuge? The one who has an acute awareness of his sin and the holiness and righteousness of God. Secondly, our second characteristic of the man who has made God his refuge. Who is he who has made God his refuge? He who delights in the people of God. He who delights in the people of God. Look at verse three. As for the saints who are in the earth, they are the majestic ones or the godly ones in whom is all my delight. You see, David loved the people of God. He delighted in them greatly. He esteemed them very highly. In fact, in Psalm chapter 15, one over, he said something very similar when he said, ask the question, who may abide in your holy hill, O Lord? And the answer was he who despises a reprobate, but who honors elevates, delights in those who fear the Lord. You see, David had an affinity for, he had a kinship with, he had a love for the people of God. I'll tell you, one of the most amazing passages of Scripture, I believe, that talks about the benefits and the results of loving the brethren is found in the book of 1 John chapter 3. And if you would, I would like for you to turn there to the book of 1 John towards the end of the New Testament. In 1 John 3, verses 18 and following, the Apostle John gives us three benefits to loving the brethren. Let's read, starting with verse 18. Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth and will assure our hearts before Him in whatever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God. And whatever we ask, we receive from Him because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. Now, what is the commandments? This is His commandments, that we believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as He commanded us. The One who keeps His commandments, abides in Him, and He in Him. We know by this, that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given to us. What are the three benefits? What are the three results of loving the brethren? Number one, found in verse 19 of 1 John chapter 3, assurance of salvation. Isn't that wonderful? That if you love the brethren, that is going to point back to saving faith. Secondly, verse 22, it's answered prayer. Do you realize that your love for the brethren or lack thereof affects your prayer life? Amazing, isn't it? And then lastly, in the last verse that we read there in first John chapter three, love is a testimony that the Holy Spirit empowers you. So love for the brethren we see is a protective canopy, so to speak. It's an umbrella of protection for the believer. Now, I probably don't need to spend a lot of time persuading you here that the chief outlet or the chief avenue in which we show love to one another is where? It's the church, isn't it? It's the house of God. Note what Hebrews 10, 24 and 25 says. It says this, And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another and so much more as you see the day of approaching. It is in the house of God. It is in the church with other saints in which will be our chief avenue in which we will love the saints. I wanted to show you also a separate text that looks into what King David himself says about the importance of being in the house of God. From Psalm chapter 16, turn a little bit over to the right to Psalm chapter 27. Psalm chapter 27, verses four and five. Look what David says in verse four. One thing I have asked from the Lord that I shall seek. that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord. Isn't that a wonderful prayer? Is that your prayer? I think what David had in mind here, you know, he's king, but I think in David's mind, he's like, you know, if I ever stop being king and become a shepherd or become a teacher or do this, no matter what I do, one thing I know is that I want to be in the house of God all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord. You know, this was my prayer after our business meeting last Wednesday night. After, you know, you hear about all that God has done and the hopes of all that God is doing, you know, you just I just walked away with it with the sense that, you know, it doesn't matter what I do, if I do this or if I do that, Lord, just as long as I can stay in the house of God. Now, here's the kicker. Look at verse five of chapter twenty seven. For in the day of trouble, he will conceal me in his tabernacle. In the secret place of his tent, he will hide me. He will lift me up on a rock. You see, David understood something. He understood the protection that the house of the Lord provides for his saints. Why is it that people who live outside the church walls, one of the first places they go when they need refuge is where? The church. Now we want to go to church. Things are bad. Now we go to church. David says, uh-uh, it doesn't work like that. David said, look specifically what says for in the day of trouble, you will conceal me in the tabernacle. David understood that when you are in the house of God, that is where you receive the protection. God has designed it for that. Folks, it's about being a sheepfold. We are a sheepfold. If you become a renegade sheep, If you become a maverick sheep and live outside the church walls, so to speak, there are dangers, there are pitfalls and there are wolves. So King David himself, I think, understood the importance of being in the house of God and loving the brethren. So who is he who has made God his refuge? The one who loves the brethren. Well, this leads us to our third point. Our third characteristic of the one who has made God his refuge, who is he who has made God his refuge? Answer number three, he who has a zealous hatred for idolatry, look at verse four. The sorrows of those who have bartered for another God or hastened after another God will be multiplied. David says, I shall not pour out a drink offering of blood. I won't even take their names upon my lips, David says. David says here that there is nothing but sorrow for those who pursue false gods. David says, I don't want anything to do with idol worship. He vows not to even make the slightest offering to him. And he vows not to even take to take their name on his lips. And it almost seems like David here is almost being a little bit rash, isn't he? I mean, come on, David, take their name upon your lips. And you might say, well, yeah, what does this have to do with me, really? I mean, I'm not tempted to bow down to an idol. I mean, we don't worship idols here. I think if you did a very cursory study even of the Old Testament into the idolatries of the nation of Israel and some of the worship practices of the nation surrounding the nation of Israel, you would find something that that kind of worship inevitably, inevitably involved some kind of sexual immorality. And it is very interesting because when you look at Paul in the New Testament, When the Apostle Paul oftentimes speaks of idolatry, he equates it with sexual immorality. Look at Colossians chapter three, verses five and six. I'm going to read that. You don't have to turn if you don't want to. But in Colossians chapter three, verse five and six, it says this. Therefore, consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and greed, which amount to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience. If you look at these words, immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, that's basically encompassing every kind of sexuality that there is the idea of greed, meaning in this context, the wanting more and more of that which is forbidden. And so Paul says, look, We as believers must consider, must reckon ourselves that we can't even do that kind of stuff. We are dead to that. You see, David and Paul, I think, understood something here. They understood that even small, seemingly harmless doses of sexual immorality can lead to huge and disastrous results for a believer and ultimately the church. I don't have to remind you that we lived in a Sin, sexually soaked society. It is everywhere. And by God's grace, it's a wonder all of us aren't just way out in left field. So let us, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us be zealous and vigilant to have not a trace of sexual immorality named among us. We need to fight hard to keep it out of our minds. We need to fight hard to keep it away from our eyes, to keep it absent from our speech, and to keep it removed from our homes. Because really, what is the issue here? What's the issue here? It's kind of what we said about in the introduction, isn't it? Sexual immorality can easily become a form of refuge for a human being. Because in a human being, there is such a tendency for us to run to fleshly and to physical pleasures when we need refuge. And you see, sexual immorality is because it is so rampant. It is so easy for any one of us to fall into that, because when we as humans need refuge, we go to that which pleases the flesh typically. Who is he? who has made God his refuge. He who has a zealous hatred for idolatry. He who has a zealous denial and abstinence from sexual immorality. Well, number four, the fourth characteristic of the man who would make God his refuge. Who is he who has made God his refuge? The answer, number four, the one who knows and understands That when you have Christ, you have everything. The one who constantly preaches to himself that when you have Christ, you have everything. Look what David says in verses 5 and 6 of Psalm chapter 16. The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup. You maintain my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places. Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me. David says the Lord is the portion of my inheritance. Now, that's amazing. Coming from the king of Israel, who could essentially have anything that he wanted in his kingdom. And yet he says the Lord is what I get. And it wasn't, the Lord's what I get. No, it's the Lord is what I get. And then he then refers it to my cup. You know, the terminology of my cup back then would often refer to your lot in life or the things that you would have to go through in life, so to speak, what you would go through, what you would have to do in life. And David says, God, Christ, you are what I get in my life. And to boot then, David says, at the end of verse five, he says, you support my lot. The inheritance and the cup that David speaks about is protected by God himself. He says, you support what I get. You know, in our Western society, there is no such thing as a secure inheritance, is there whatsoever? And I was teasing the first service today that my brother is constantly telling me that he and my parents are secretly trying to oust me from the will, so that I get a pocket watch or whatever and he gets everything else. So it's either that or an inheritance tax, a deadbeat brother or sister, they come out of the woodwork, potential of probate, not to mention what? Our own mortality, right? Our own mortality makes any inheritance that you could possibly get any possession you could possibly get on this earth as unsecure. But David says that in Christ and with Christ as my cup and as my portion and as my inheritance, David says, I've got everything signed, sealed and delivered. Now, I think that we'd be missing something. If we simply said these two verses are talking just about an earthly inheritance, this is not just about an earthly inheritance, is it? It's about our mindset. It's about our attitude as a Christian, about life in general, isn't it? Let me ask you. Let me ask you this question. We stated that the characteristic of the one who has made God his refuge understands that when you have Christ, you have everything. So if that is true, then what then is the protective umbrella or what is the canopy of safety that this mindset provides for us? Well, I think the answer is this protection and safety from disappointment. What did Christ himself say? He says, he who comes to me will not be disappointed. In fact, look what David says about his inheritance in verse six. David says the lines have fallen to me in pleasant places. My heritage is beautiful to me, he says. Folks, there is no disappointment here in David's voice. In fact, He gives us imagery. He likens his inheritance that he has in Christ to a piece of ground, a beautiful piece of ground that is that is properly marked. That's got the the ponds and the streams and the wildflowers and the lush grass and the cattle grazing in it. And he looks at it. He says, this is great. This is what I have. This is mine. This is permanent. This is very beautiful to me. You see, David knew that with God and with Christ, you cannot be disappointed. And that's why he can say at the end of verse 11, in your presence is fullness of joy. At your right hand, there is pleasures forevermore. Believer, let me ask you this question. Do you find yourself digging your heels into this sod, into this earth? I can tell you this for certain, that it will disappoint every time. The greatest dream that you could have will in some shape or form Whether it's a job, or a marriage, or a relationship, or a car, or land, whatever, the greatest dream that you can have fulfilled on this earth will leave you disappointed. Run to Christ. Preach to yourself all that you have in Christ. He will not disappoint. And don't ever forget that understanding this is going to protect you from needless disappointment in this life. Don't put a lot of stock into this earth, I think is what David is saying. Who is he who has made God his refuge? He who knows and understands that when you have Christ, you have everything. Characteristic number five of the man who has made God his refuge. Who is he who has made God his refuge? Number five. He who cherishes the instruction and the counsel in the Word of God. Look at verse seven and eight. David says, I will bless the Lord who has counseled me. Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. I have set the Lord continually before me because he is at my right hand. I will not be shaken. I believe clearly in verse seven. David has, I believe, meditation in mind here, right? And David understands that it is through meditating upon the Word of God that Yahweh, the Almighty God, instructs us. And then David rejoices and he blesses the Lord. Why? Because David realizes that the instruction that he is getting from the Word is coming from the mouth of God Himself. Folks, I believe firmly that David understood and believed in the sufficiency of the Word of God for all things in your life. I do not believe that there is a compartment in your life in which the Word of God is not sufficient. The Apostle Peter says that the Word of God can save your souls. And I'm here to tell you today that if the Word of God can save your soul, it is sufficient for you in every aspect of your life. David then says boldly and with confidence, look again at verse eight. He says, I have set the Lord continually before me because he's at my right hand. I will not be shaken. David understood the importance of having God in every compartment of his life. You see, when the instruction from the mouth of Yahweh himself goes before David in every walk of his life, David realizes something. David understands that he is resting on a very solid rock. He is in a very capable refuge. You know, our Lord in Matthew chapter seven, after he completed the Sermon of the Mound, what did he say? The one who hears these sayings of mine and obeys them is what? going to be likened to a wise man who builds his house on the rock, and when the winds blow and the storms of life come, that house will stand. And I believe that these verses of Psalm chapter 16, in verse 7 and 8, clearly echo those words of Christ in Matthew 7. So, who is He who has made God His refuge? He who cherishes and obeys the instruction and the counsel from the Word of God. This leads us to our sixth and last characteristic of the one who has made God his refuge. So who is he who has made God his refuge? Number six, the one who, like Christ, embraces the hope of the resurrection. Look at verses nine through 11. David says, therefore, my heart is glad and my glory rejoices. My flesh also will dwell securely for you will not abandon my soul to shield. Neither will you allow your holy one to undergo decay for you will make known to me the path of life in your presence is fullness of joy in your right hand. There are pleasures forever. And there's two particulars that I want to bring out of these verses. Number one, clearly, I believe to some degree David here is speaking of his own personal hope of his resurrection. I mean, he says in verse 10, you will not abandon my soul to shield to the grave. David understood that he was going to die and that he would be buried. But David also understood and believed that he would rise again. I believe that David was also speaking of the eternal joy that awaited him in the presence of God in verse 11. But the second particular is this. If we go to the New Testament, both Peter and Paul in the book of Acts specifically state that David here in Psalm chapter 16 is looking ahead and applying these verses not necessarily just to David himself, but more fully and more specifically to the son of David, Jesus Christ. If you would turn into your Bibles to one of the very beautiful passage of Scripture in Acts, chapter two, in Acts, chapter two, verses 24 through 31 is where we're going to be. It really kind of offers us an inspired commentary of some chapter 16. And it's not often that you get an inspired commentary. But this is it in Acts, chapter two. Remember, the apostle Peter in the context is preaching to the men of Israel, reminding them that they are the ones that is killed. have killed the Messiah, but that it was all in the timing of God, that God was in complete control of everything. And so Peter picks up in verse 24 and he says this, But God raised him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for him to be held in its power. For David says of him, I saw the Lord always in my presence, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken. Sound familiar? Therefore, my heart was glad, my tongue exalted. Moreover, my flesh will live in hope because you will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor allow your holy one to undergo decay. You have made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of gladness with your presence. And then Peter picks up again in verse twenty nine and he says, Brethren, I may confidently say to you, regarding the patriarch David, that he both died and he was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. In verse 30 he says, and so, because he was a prophet, get this, he knew that God had sworn to him with a promise to seat one of his descendants on the throne. Verse 31, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of Christ. that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay. This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are witnesses." What do we see in this beautiful passage of Scripture? That, folks, Christ Himself embraced the cross with confidence. Why? Because He, the Son of God, took refuge in God the Father. Now that might be a little bit foreign to us. We don't think of God the Son, who is God, taking refuge or needing refuge in anything. But God the Son took refuge in God the Father and He knew and He believed and He took refuge in the fact that the Father would not allow Him to remain in the grave. He faced the cross with confidence. I think the application here just screams out to us. Christ is our forerunner. He is our example. He is our hope. He is our guarantee. He is our surety that since he was raised and he enjoys constant eternal fellowship with the Father, so also will we. I think David understood that as well. So what is the protective canopy here? What is the safety here? Well, it's this. It's hope, isn't it? It's hope. We live in a hopeless world. But we have hope. We have the guarantee. We have the surety of living someday with God the Father and with God the Son forever in complete and utter happiness. We have the guarantee that our bodies will be raised from the dead someday. Who is he who has made God his refuge? The one who, like Christ himself, embraces the hope of the resurrection and can echo the words of Paul in 2 Timothy 1, chapter 1, verse 12, which says, For I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able. to keep that which I have committed until that day. Let's pray. Father, what a profound passage of Scripture. What a great hope that you have given to us. What a forerunner we have in Christ. What a hope that we have of eternal bliss with you someday. What a hope that our our bodies that will someday decay in the grave will be raised again with newness of life like yours. Father, there is no way that we have exhausted the concepts of each of these six characteristics, probably each of these six characteristics could be a sermon or two on themselves. But I pray that you would use this precious chapter in the book of Psalms to help us as believers, and as sheep, and as fellow brothers and sisters, to go back here and ask ourselves the question, am I making God my refuge? Is He really my refuge? For Father, You are a worthy, You are a capable refuge, and worthy of our worship, and worthy of us running to You. I thank You that you will never disappoint. Though sometimes you may put us in the wilderness, I thank you that you never disappoint. In Christ's name we pray.