If the Foundations Are Destroyed — What Can the Righteous Do?

Key Text: Psalm 11:3–7 (NASB 1995)
Supporting Texts: Genesis 6:5–7; Genesis 19; Romans 1:18–32; Matthew 7:1–6; Luke 9:54–56; 1 Corinthians 6:18–20; James 1:27

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Introduction

Reading

Psalm 11:3 (NASB 1995)
“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

The Question and the Weight

• The question sounds demoralizing: if moral foundations collapse, what can the righteous do?
• The honest answer, by human strength alone, is: nothing.
• But the psalm does not end with verse 3.
• The anchor is not culture. The anchor is not government. The anchor is not public opinion.
• The anchor is God on His throne.

Psalm 11:4 (NASB 1995)
“The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’S throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.”

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Thesis

When moral foundations collapse, the righteous do not surrender to despair or compromise with sin. We take refuge in the Lord, speak with biblical clarity, reject hypocrisy, love souls, and stay focused on the mission—because God is on His throne and He will judge righteousness and wickedness.

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I. When Foundations Collapse, Refuge Must Be in the Lord (Psalm 11:1–4)

A. The Pressure to Flee

• David describes a world where the wicked aim their arrows in darkness.
• The counsel comes: “Run. Hide. Retreat.”

Psalm 11:1–3 (NASB 1995)
1 In the LORD I take refuge; How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain”?
2 For, lo, the wicked bend the bow, They make ready their arrow upon the string To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.
3 If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?

B. The Answer Is Not Panic—It Is Perspective

• The foundations of society can collapse.
• The righteous cannot fix everything by force, anger, or fear.
• But the righteous are not abandoned.

Psalm 11:4 (NASB 1995)
“The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’S throne is in heaven...”

Application

• Do not build your peace on a culture that changes by the hour.
• Do not let outrage replace obedience.
• Refuge is not denial. Refuge is confidence in the reign of God.

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II. God Has Judged Before, and He Will Judge Again (Psalm 11:5–7)

A. God Sees and Tests

Psalm 11:5 (NASB 1995)
“The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates.”

• God is not neutral about evil.
• God does not “adjust” righteousness to fit a corrupt age.

B. God Brings Judgment on Wickedness

Psalm 11:6 (NASB 1995)
“Upon the wicked He will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup.”

• Judgment is not mythology.
• Judgment is not “old fashioned.”
• Judgment is a certainty.

C. God Rewards the Upright

Psalm 11:7 (NASB 1995)
“For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face.”

Biblical Examples of Societal Collapse

• Sodom and Gomorrah: sin became normalized; God judged it (Genesis 19).
• Noah’s day: evil became continual; God judged it (Genesis 6).

Genesis 6:5 (NASB 1995)
“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

Genesis 6:7 (NASB 1995)
“The LORD said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land...’”

Warning

• Do not mistake God’s patience for approval.
• A society can harden so long that it forgets God judges—until judgment arrives.

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III. Romans 1 Explains the Downward Spiral of a Godless Society (Romans 1:18–32)

A. The Root: Suppressing Truth and Rejecting Light

Romans 1:18 (NASB 1995)
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,”

• The collapse begins when truth is suppressed.
• People are not ignorant; they are resistant.

B. God Makes Himself Evident

Romans 1:20 (NASB 1995)
“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes... have been clearly seen... so that they are without excuse.”

• Creation provides enough light to seek God.
• Refusal to seek God is willful.

C. The Exchange: God’s Truth for a Lie

Romans 1:21–23 (NASB 1995)
21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks...
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image...

• Idolatry is not only statues.
• Idolatry is any life that puts God second.

D. The Judgment: God “Gave Them Over”

• When people reject God, God steps back and lets them have what they demand: themselves.

Romans 1:24 (NASB 1995)
“Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity...”

Romans 1:26–27 (NASB 1995)
“For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions... men with men committing indecent acts...”

E. The Fruit: A Flood of Every Other Sin

Romans 1:28–32 (NASB 1995)
“God gave them over to a depraved mind... being filled with all unrighteousness...”

• Sexual rebellion is not a “private issue.”
• It opens the door to broader moral collapse: envy, murder, deceit, malice, slander, arrogance, cruelty.
• Sin spreads when a society stops honoring God.

Pastoral Clarity

• The solution is not confusion and compromise.
• The solution is repentance and submission to God’s design.

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IV. What the Church Must Do in Dark Times

A. Speak with Biblical Words, Not Softened Labels

• Stop salving the conscience with respectable language.
• The Bible uses clear terms because souls are at stake.

Examples (as principles):

• Sin is sin.
• Lying is lying.
• Adultery is adultery.
• Fornication is fornication.
• Gossip is gossip.

B. Refuse Hypocrisy: Judge Yourself First

• It is hypocrisy to rage at one sin while entertaining another.
• Jesus condemns the spirit that loves to condemn others while excusing self.

Matthew 7:3–5 (NASB 1995)
3 “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?...
5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye...”

C. Love Souls While Hating Sin (The Spirit of Christ)

• The church must never be guilty of hating sinners.
• We must be bold about sin and tender about souls.

Luke 9:54–56 (NASB 1995)
54 When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”
55 But He turned and rebuked them...
56 “For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”

D. Stay Focused on the Mission

• There have been worse times than today:
  • Noah’s world
  • Sodom’s world
  • Rome’s world
• The mission remains:
  • preach the gospel to all
  • call sinners to repentance
  • remain unspotted from the world

James 1:27 (NASB 1995)
“Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this... to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

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Conclusion / Call to Action

• If the foundations are destroyed, the righteous do not surrender.
• We take refuge in the Lord.
• We trust God’s throne, God’s sight, and God’s judgment.
• We speak clearly, repent sincerely, reject hypocrisy, love souls, and preach Christ.

Final Charge

• Do not lose focus.
• Do not trade holiness for comfort.
• Do not trade truth for applause.
• Stand firm, stay clean, preach the gospel, and trust the Judge of all the earth.

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Invitation

• If you are not in Christ, sin condemns you no matter your status.
• The Lord calls you to salvation through obedient faith:
  • Hear the gospel
  • Believe in Christ
  • Repent of sin
  • Confess Jesus
  • Be baptized for the forgiveness of sins
• If you are a Christian and have become discouraged, repent of fear.
• If you are a Christian and have grown comfortable with sin, repent of compromise.
• The Lord is on His throne. Come to Him while there is time.

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Slide Deck (10–15 Slides)

Slide 1 — If the Foundations Are Destroyed

Main Content:

• “If the foundations are destroyed…”
• What can the righteous do?
• A hard question in a dark world
  Scripture (if applicable):
• Psalm 11:3
  Design Intent:
• Background tone: light / neutral
• Emphasis: serious
• Mood: reverent, alert

Slide 2 — Refuge, Not Retreat

Main Content:

• “In the LORD I take refuge”
• Darkness aims at the upright
• The righteous do not panic
  Scripture (if applicable):
• Psalm 11:1–2
  Design Intent:
• Background tone: warm / neutral
• Emphasis: instructive
• Mood: steady, grounded

Slide 3 — God Is Still on His Throne

Main Content:

• The LORD is in His holy temple
• His throne is in heaven
• He sees and tests
  Scripture (if applicable):
• Psalm 11:4
  Design Intent:
• Background tone: light
• Emphasis: hopeful strength
• Mood: confident, worshipful

Slide 4 — God Tests Righteous and Wicked

Main Content:

• God evaluates both sides
• God hates violence and evil
• God is not indifferent
  Scripture (if applicable):
• Psalm 11:5
  Design Intent:
• Background tone: neutral
• Emphasis: serious
• Mood: sobering, truthful

Slide 5 — Judgment Is Real

Main Content:

• God judges wickedness
• Judgment is certain
• God’s patience is not approval
  Scripture (if applicable):
• Psalm 11:6
  Design Intent:
• Background tone: neutral / light
• Emphasis: warning
• Mood: sobering, urgent

Slide 6 — The Upright Will Behold His Face

Main Content:

• The LORD loves righteousness
• The upright will see Him
• Faithfulness is not wasted
  Scripture (if applicable):
• Psalm 11:7
  Design Intent:
• Background tone: light / warm
• Emphasis: hope
• Mood: encouraging, reverent

Slide 7 — Noah and Sodom: Society Can Rot

Main Content:

• Noah: evil was continual
• Sodom: sin normalized
• God acted in judgment
  Scripture (if applicable):
• Genesis 6:5; Genesis 19 (reference)
  Design Intent:
• Background tone: neutral
• Emphasis: warning
• Mood: serious, reflective

Slide 8 — Romans 1: The Root Cause

Main Content:

• Suppressing truth
• Rejecting the light
• Refusing gratitude to God
  Scripture (if applicable):
• Romans 1:18–21
  Design Intent:
• Background tone: light
• Emphasis: explanatory
• Mood: instructive, direct

Slide 9 — The Exchange

Main Content:

• “Exchanged the truth… for a lie”
• Worshiped the creature
• Idolatry puts God second
  Scripture (if applicable):
• Romans 1:23–25
  Design Intent:
• Background tone: neutral
• Emphasis: corrective
• Mood: serious, clarifying

Slide 10 — God Gave Them Over

Main Content:

• God steps back
• Degrading passions
• Moral collapse spreads
  Scripture (if applicable):
• Romans 1:24–28
  Design Intent:
• Background tone: neutral / light
• Emphasis: warning
• Mood: sober, urgent

Slide 11 — The Fruit of Godlessness

Main Content:

• “Filled with all unrighteousness”
• Greed, envy, murder, deceit
• Approval of sin multiplies sin
  Scripture (if applicable):
• Romans 1:29–32
  Design Intent:
• Background tone: light
• Emphasis: serious diagnosis
• Mood: sobering, truthful

Slide 12 — The Church Must Speak Clearly

Main Content:

• Stop softening sin
• Use Bible words
• Souls are at stake
  Scripture (if applicable):
• Romans 1:18 (reference)
  Design Intent:
• Background tone: warm / neutral
• Emphasis: instructive
• Mood: firm, pastoral

Slide 13 — Reject Hypocrisy

Main Content:

• Judge yourself first
• Remove the log
• Then help your brother
  Scripture (if applicable):
• Matthew 7:3–5
  Design Intent:
• Background tone: light
• Emphasis: corrective
• Mood: sober, self-examining

Slide 14 — Love Souls, Don’t Burn Them

Main Content:

• Jesus rebuked the “fire from heaven” spirit
• Christ came to save
• Truth + mercy
  Scripture (if applicable):
• Luke 9:55–56
  Design Intent:
• Background tone: warm / light
• Emphasis: pastoral
• Mood: compassionate, firm

Slide 15 — Stay on Mission

Main Content:

• Preach the gospel to all
• Remain unstained by the world
• Trust God’s throne and judgment
  Scripture (if applicable):
• James 1:27; Psalm 11:4
  Design Intent:
• Background tone: light / hopeful
• Emphasis: call to action
• Mood: resolute, encouraging