Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Proverbs chapter 18. Proverbs 18. I was thinking while I was thumbing
through this Bible a moment ago, looking for something, I thought
to myself, it might appear as though that I'm looking for something
to preach on. And if that were the case, I
wouldn't be this calm, believe me. Proverbs chapter 18, verses 10 and 11. I ended last
Sunday, if you remember, with this verse, verse 10. I wanted
to pick up. Well here, Lord willing, we'll
pick up. Proverbs 18, verses 10 and 11. The name of the Lord
is a strong tower. The righteous runneth into it,
and is safe. The rich man's wealth is his
strong city and has a high wall in his own conceit. All men, as we've considered
before, are born with a conscience that knows that there's an afterlife. They know that there is a God. All men know that there's a God. People say, well, I'm an atheist.
No, you're not. No, you're not. All men, according
to the scriptures, is born with a conscience that knows right
from wrong. There's a law Though they have
not the law that was given by God, they have a law. They're
a law unto themselves, the scriptures say. They know that there's a
right and a wrong. And they know that there's an
afterlife. They know there's an afterlife. You know, I watch
the History Channel and I see these, like the mummies. You
know, they mummified their deities, their pharaohs and stuff. They put stuff that they liked
while they were in this world. They put stuff in there with
them, you know. Lord willing, this fall, Glenda and Rochelle
and I plan to go down to Mexico. And there's a, just right around
Halloween, they have what's called, I've mentioned this before, the
Day of the Dead. They have these little huts and
they build a little hut over a grave and they go in there
on that day and they put, you know, they prepare like the meal
that they like or they'll put like a little favorite doll or
something that that person liked while they were in this, you
know, world. And they think that their spirit is able to somehow
savor and want to give them a little bit of relief, a little joy,
a little comfort, day of the dead. Man knows. And in their minds, they've somehow
considered something about their eternal state. They've thought
about it. They've considered it. And man
by nature is able to reconcile in his mind. Somehow. Somehow. He gets it in his mind
that he's got some security. And like I said, it may either
be that he's walked down the aisle as a child, or he was baptized,
or he had some kind of a vision, or maybe he just feels as though
God is really not going to truly judge. Somehow, maybe he's not
a consuming fire. If there's really a God, they
say, and he's supposed to be a God of love, then he's not
going to put me in hell. I've tried to treat everybody
fairly. I've tried to do the right thing.
I live by the golden rule. I do unto others as I wish they'd
do to me. Some think that they're just
maybe going to go back to the dust. Maybe this is going to
be all of it. Well, Scripture refutes that. Some may think that somehow they're
going to be found in some kind of a peaceful, blissful state
because really there's no such place as hell. There can't be
a place called hell, man thinks. Not that a good God would absolutely
send people to. Scripture refutes that. reveals that there's a temporary
holding place right now. When we study the book of Revelation,
remember the people would die and they'd go to hell. There's
a time coming when hell is going to be thrown into the lake of
fire. So there's a place right now. But the reason that man is born
thinking that way is summed up in two reasons. Number one, man
does not believe that he is born a hell-deserving, God-hating
sinner. Man doesn't believe that. He's
not born believing that. And secondly, he doesn't believe
that God Almighty is going to judge sin. He believes that somehow he's
going to escape Everything's going to be okay. And all of
these things that men have stood in pulpits and faithfully preached
all these years, really those things don't carry the weight
that they've set forth, that they do according to God's Word.
They said somehow, you know what? Let me tell you, a man or woman
that doesn't know Him, what I'm saying right now really doesn't
matter to you. It really doesn't matter. I'm just biding my time. I've sat and I've listened to
Marvin preach and he's going to preach somewhere around 30-35
minutes and it's going to be over. And one day it will. But for the grace of God. Listen,
I'm going to tell you something right now. This is the most important
thing that we'd ever be doing right now. Hearing the Word of
God. hearing what God has to say about
Himself, about man, and about salvation in His Son. Here's
the truth. Now listen. Listen to me. Man needs a refuge. And he is either going to provide
one for himself, or he thinks he's going to provide one for
himself. Or Almighty God must put him
in Christ, the only refuge. Now these two verses that we'll
deal with today deal with this very subject. I've entitled this
message, and a false refuge. Now all I'm
going to ask is that you just give me a few minutes and let
me look, we'll all look together, let's look into God's Word and
let's find out what God has to say and then here's what's going
to happen. Either Almighty God will quicken
a man's heart, a woman's heart and give them a heart to believe
this Make them willing in the day of His power to cast themselves
upon Him. Or man will justify his own works. And but for the grace of God,
you're going to perish. I have been given the responsibility,
according to God's Word, to watch for your souls. And may the Lord
help me to do so today. Here's what Scripture says. Here's
what God has to say. What I have to say, apart from
what He has to say, does not matter. The only thing that's
going to endure is His Word. Here's what God has to say. The
name, verse 10, Proverbs 18, 10. The name of the Lord is a
strong tower. The righteous runneth into it. and is safe. Now let me tell you what that
just said. There's only one place of refuge.
There's only one place. And according to God's Word,
it is not in my power to produce it. It's not in your power to
produce it. God Almighty provides the haven
of rest. The Lord provides the haven.
The haven of rest is the Lord Jesus Christ. You know that.
The name of the Lord. I just want to take a few minutes
and just look at these words and let us ask ourselves, Lord,
would you speak to me? And only the Lord can. You can
hear my voice, but if God doesn't speak to you, you're not going
to hear it. You'll hear it with this ear, but not with the heart.
The name of the Lord, the word name. Now, everybody here's got
a name. And when I talk to somebody,
if I say Chuck, we all know who we're talking about. Everybody
else is excluded. We're talking about Chuck. I
know who Chuck is. Okay, so that's his name, but
that's not what this is talking about. It's not what it means. It means the word name there
means the authority, the position, and the honor. A while ago I was thumbing through
this Bible here and I knew that there was a spot in this Bible
where I'd marked the names, the names of the Lord. And I found it. Jehovah Jireh means the Lord
will provide. Now we could say the name of
the Lord. What, what? No, the name of the
Lord. The Lord said His name was I
Am. The Lord said that. But there's a character, there's
some authority associated with his name. Your name means something. Your name means something. I
have a daughter, this is the only one I can think of right
now. I have a daughter. Her name is Hannah. And you know what Hannah means?
Grace. It means grace, Hannah. And that's
her middle name too. Hannah Grace. Means grace. The name of the Lord. Jehovah-Jireh. That's his position. That's his authority. The Lord
will provide. Jehovah-Nissi. The Lord, my banner,
my covering, my protection. His banner over us is love. The name of the Lord. Jehovah
Shalom. The Lord send peace. The Lord
who is my peace. The Lord my peace before God. Jehovah Shalom. Jehovah Shema. Means the Lord is there. I love... I love that Almighty
God called me. to this position at this church
in Katy, West Virginia. You know why? Because I'm convinced
Jehovah Shema, the Lord's there. The Lord's
raised up His name. The Lord's raised up His banner.
The Lord's raised up His gospel. And the Lord's kept His people,
taught His people, called His people out. Jehovah Sidcanu,
the Lord our righteousness. So, when we say the name of the
Lord, we're talking about more than just what He's called. Devils can call His name Jehovah. But what does His name, what
does His authority, what does His honor mean to me? Has He shown grace,
mercy, and compassion to me? So the name of the Lord means
more than just setting forth what is called. It means being
found in Him. Now let me show you. Zechariah. Just almost next to the last
book, I think, next to the last book of the Old Testament. If
you find Malachi, just start flipping back toward the front,
you'll find Zechariah in second. Right there next to Malachi.
Zechariah 10, verse 10 to 12. Zechariah 10, verses 10 to 12. I will bring them again also
out of the land of Egypt. and gather them out of Assyria. And I will bring them into the
land of Gilead, and Lebanon, and place shall not be found
for them. And he shall pass through the
sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and
all the deeps of the river shall dry up, and the pride of Assyria
shall be brought down, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart
away. I will strengthen them in the
Lord, and they shall walk up and down In His name, saith the
Lord. What do you mean they'll walk
up and down in His name, in His honor? They'll walk up and down
in His authority. They'll walk up and down being
found in Him. That's what it stands. In the
name of the Lord. So here's what back in Proverbs
18, this is what the scripture says. The name, the honor, the
character of God Almighty who has shown mercy and compassion
to His people. The name of the Lord is a strong
tower being found in Him. If the Lord is there and I'm
in Him, if the Lord is my peace and I'm found in Him, if the
Lord is the banner and I'm found in Him, the name of the Lord,
the character is a strong tower. There is a strong tower. There
is a strong tower. And this strong tower is a place
of refuge. The waters of baptism is not
a strong refuge. The waters of baptism is water.
It's a precious confession of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is an outward expression of
our love and affection to Him. that we were buried. We died
with Him, buried with Him, rose with Him. It is that which our
Lord set forth that we are to do in confession. If the Lord
has saved you, and you believe this gospel, and you've trusted
the Lord Jesus Christ, and you have no confidence in your flesh,
if God has saved you, then confess Him in baptism. Because it is
His command. Not for salvation, but because
He saved you. Is it optional? No. No. Water doesn't save. God saves. Walking down an aisle doesn't
save. God saves. Eating a piece of bread and drinking
a little cup of wine doesn't save. God saves. For by grace are you saved through
faith and that not of yourself. It's the gift of God. The name
of the Lord is a strong tower. He himself is that tower that
is absolutely above all harm. We looked a moment ago, who shall
separate us from the love of Christ? Who will take us out
of the hand of God Almighty? It is in Him that we're secure.
It's in Him that we have no shame, no guilt. Nothing worthy of blame. God justified us. There's a strong tower. And here's
what Scripture says. The name of the Lord is a strong
tower. Those attributes by which Almighty
God sets forth His perfection, that he's been pleased to make
known to his people. I'm telling you, for a believer,
they hear those names. The Lord, my banner. The Lord,
my peace before God. The Lord, my righteousness. The
Lord, my salvation. And a believer speaks those words
in his heart, and they're a great comfort to him. God's favor to show mercy to
a people that He's everlastingly loved. They're set forth in His
name. The name, the honor of the Lord is a strong tower. That He would lay down His life
for His sheep, according to His good pleasure, to obey His Father
In word, in thought, in deed. I was driving over here this
morning and I was thinking of something. I was thinking about,
I had been going over my notes. I was thinking about them and
all of a sudden my mind just, I mean just somewhere else. And the thought came to me. If
the Lord judged me on that fleeting thought, it went off. And I deviated
in thought. God Almighty, apart from the
Lord Jesus Christ, would put me in hell for that thought.
How strict, how strict is God's holiness? God's holy. No deviation. No deviation. That's what I'm saying. Oh brethren,
You're trusting in yourself that you're righteous? Putting all of your hope and
your trust in you. The name of the Lord is a strong
tower. He's my life, my peace. If God be for us, who can be
against us? And here's what I know about
it. The name of the Lord is a strong tower. And the righteous, those
made so by grace in regeneration, the imputation of the robe of
Christ's righteousness before God, those that the Lord Jesus
Christ has died for, put away their guilt. The righteous, not
in themselves, everything that we've ever done is nothing but
self-righteous rags. But the righteous, They runneth
into it. Runneth. And they don't stop
running. You know that ETH. The self-righteous look to themselves. But everyone
made to see his need of the Lord Jesus Christ, they runneth. I'm a sinner. And I'm a sinner,
I know, that needs a Savior. I need one to answer for me. I need to be hidden in Him. I need to be kept in Him. I need
a covering. I need a place of absolute security. I know just enough about the
justice and the wrath of God. I've read What God has to say. I've read about what happened
when the Lord Jesus Christ was made sin at Calvary. If you want
to know something of the justice of God, look at the crucifixion. What did God the Father do when
sin was found on the cross? When sin was found on the cross. He had made Him sin. What did God the Father do when
sin was found there? I tell you what He did. He judged
it. He forsook it. He poured out
His wrath upon His only begotten Son. Made sin for His people. Now my question to you is this,
and to me, I've asked it before. What do you think he's going
to do to us? Without a mediator, would we walk away and say in
our hearts, I'm fine. I'm fine. I'll not have that
man rule over me. I'm doing just fine. I'll answer.
I'll stand before God. I'll answer for myself. I've
got everything rehearsed. Those that stood before Him in
Matthew 7 did too. The righteous runneth into it. One made willing in the day of
God's power. They see something of the beauty
and the safety and the power of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. They runneth into it. Let me tell you what you're doing
right now. You're striving. You're striving
to enter in at the straight gate. You say, well yeah, but my assurance
is in the Lord Jesus Christ. I know it is. If you know Him,
I know it is. I know it is. But you're striving right now.
You're listening to God's Word right now. and you're hearing
God's Word right now. And in your heart, you're saying
this, Lord, teach me afresh. Lord, leave me not to myself.
Don't let me be warned as Paul the Apostle said, lest it after
I preach to others. If Paul the Apostle said that,
I'm thinking to myself, Paul the Apostle said, I keep my body in subjection,
striving to enter in, lest that after I've preached to others,
that I myself should be a castaway, a reprobate, one left to himself. I'm telling you, a believer constantly
will say, pass me not, O gentle Savior. While you're calling
others, while you're calling your people, Lord, don't pass
me by. Only a believer will say that. The cause of the presence of
sin. Well, I'm saying, are you saying Marvin that there's no
assurance? Oh, no, I'm not saying that at all. Paul said, I know
whom I have believed and I'm persuaded that he's able to keep
that which I've committed to him, unto him against that day. I'm persuaded of that. And I'm
telling you, he strives in the same breath and that's safe. That's safe. He doesn't presume The name of the Lord is a strong
tower. The righteous runneth into it
and is safe. He's safe. Safe from the power of sin to
destroy. Christ was made sin and God for
His people put it away. Safe from the curse of the law.
Why? Because Christ was made a curse. bore the guilt, saved from the
avenging justice of Almighty God, saved from hell and the
second death. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them that be in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh."
What does that mean? That means not thinking that
they have established their own righteousness before God. That's
what it is to walk in the flesh. but after the Spirit, what God's
taught concerning faith in Christ alone and faith that was not
of themselves, gift of God. Verse 11, a rich man's wealth
is his strong city and has a high wall in his own conceit. Two things here in closing. A
rich man's wealth is his strong city. Either those who trust
in physical riches that are fleeting. Turn with me. Hold your place
right there. I'll be but a moment. Luke 18. I told you about this
man I knew. I have, I've told you. But it
was just such a startling statement to me. He was a doctor in Franklin. And he made this statement to
me. He went to church. But he said, I just pray, oh
I pray, that God never try me by taking away my money. I'm telling you, that just so
shocked me. I just thought, Well, you've
just exposed a whole lot more than you really wanted to. Luke 18, 18 to 27. A certain ruler asked him, saying,
Good master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And
Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? None is good save
one, that is God. Thou knowest the commandments.
Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear
false witness unto thy father. and thy mother, and he said,
all these have I kept from my youth up. And when Jesus heard
these things, he said unto him, yet lackest thou one thing, sell
all that thou hast and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt
have treasure in heaven, and come and follow me. When he heard
this, he was very sorrowful, for he was very rich. And when
Jesus saw he was very sorrowful, he said, how hardly shall they
that have riches enter into the kingdom He only had one problem according
to our Lord's word. He was covetous. According to His word, He kept
all the other commandments. The Lord says you offended one
place and you're trusting in that, then you've offended in
all of them. How hardly. Trusting in the deceitfulness
of riches. Mr. Spurgeon said this, he said,
I don't think much of a man's profession if that profession
doesn't touch his substance in giving. He said, a man that is stingy. Spurgeon said, I don't think
anything of his profession. Say what you want to say. A man
that doesn't give is a big question mark, according to the Lord's
Word. God gives. That's why we had
our men's meeting last week or so ago, whenever, a week ago
yesterday. That's what we're talking about,
giving. God's giving, man's giving. God gives. God so loved that
He gave. and especially here, those who
think that they're rich before God by their own works of self-righteousness. Think they're rich before God. Revelation 3 verse 14, the Lord
wrote, had John write a letter, some letters, seven letters to
the seven churches, which are, you remember when we studied
Revelation, these seven churches They represent the church. These seven churches represent
the church in every age. These are not dispensations or
time. People say, well, we're in the
age of the Laodiceans. No. The seven churches represent
the church in every age. Revelation chapter 3 and verse
18. Here's what the Lord said. concerning,
let's read 16. This was the letter to the church
at the Laodicea in Revelation 3, verse 15. I know thy works, that thou art
neither cold nor hot. I would thou wert cold or hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm
and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because
thou sayest, I'm rich, increased with goods, I have need of nothing. Spiritually, they're speaking
about before God. I have need of nothing, and knowest
not that thou art wretched and miserable, poor and blind and
naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold
tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment,
that thou mayest be clothed and that the shame of thy nakedness
do not appear, nor anoint thine eyes with eyesalve that thou
mayest see." Man, by nature, thinks that he's rich before
God because of himself. Matthew 7, we've read it so many
times. Lord, we prophesy, we cast out devil, we've done many
mighty works. Then will I say unto you, I never knew you. Depart from me. The rich man's
wealth, the scripture says in Proverbs 18 11, is his strong
city. Whether it's physical, whether
it's spiritual, the rich man's wealth is his strong city. And as a high wall in his own
Conceit. Last verse, Isaiah 28. Isaiah 28, 14, 15. Isaiah 28,
verses 14 and 15. Wherefore hear the word of the
Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem,
Because ye have said, we've made a covenant with death. That is, with the grave. That's
what they're talking about. We've made a covenant with the
grave. And with hell are we at agreement. When the overflowing
scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us. And here
the Lord sets forth what they're really saying. Though they don't
admit this, this is what they're saying. For we have made lies
our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves. The name of the Lord is a strong
tower, and the righteous runneth. into it. And they're safe. The rich man, he trusts in his
own riches. Lord, deliver us from trusting
in ourselves. Keep us by your grace, your power,
for your name's sake.