The Great Escape
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15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
Continuing on our series on the end times and the third part of the message on the Olivet Discourse
Let me set the stage for today’s message:
Jesus did not call us to be comfortable in the world, He calls us out of it.
In this perspective today, let us find out out what the Lord wants His people to do in the end times.
The Lord actually gives us a...
Roadmap to Safety
The Acronym F.I.T.
F.I.T.
F - Flee
I - Isolate
T - Trust
Flee.
When you see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place, let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
Not cowardice. Staying safe can also be a duty of a Christian, especially that death will render you useless.
Here am I, kill me! When we see the events of the end times unfolding...
We want to stay alive and secure in order to continue the work of the gospel.. you have to follow security protocols so that those in the mission field stay safe.
Christians should be the smartest people in the world, and that remains true in light of the end times.
When I say smart - not the wisdom of the world, Jesus Himself said be wise as serpents.. and he said this in the context of our mission.
we are not called to be stupid.
People ask, why do we wear face masks inside the church, is it because you are afraid? Where is your faith?
Let me ask you a question: Why do you wear your seatbelt in your cars? Is it because you are afraid?
so we can safely do the work of the kingdom. We do our due diligence but nothing and no one should stop the work of the Lord.. if they tell us to totally close down.. that is a different story.
Even in the time of severe persecution, we are to be ready to die for the Lord, but we do not rush into death.. we should pray for the gospel to advance through us.
Actually Jesus said he who endures to the end will be saved.. not he who dies first will be saved. It is not a race to martyrdom..
But..
If we are arrested because of our faith, tormented, we are not to deny the Lord. To the point of death..
Difference between the wrath of man (persecution) versus the wrath of God.
Bible says we are not appointed to wrath.
2. Isolate.
Isolate ourselves from the world when the wrath of God falls on it. Again the difference between persecution (the wrath of man) and judgement (the wrath of God)
Case in point.
I mentioned that Jesus’ words in the Olivet discourse was fulfilled through a foreshadowing of future events. It was partially fulfilled in AD 70, the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans.
Image here of the destruction of Jerusalem.
To understand what it means to isolate.. let us turn to Luke’s version of the Olivet Discourse:
Luke was more specific:
20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, 22 for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. 23 Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
Jesus’ warning and advice to flee to the mountains is actually counterintuitive, which is to say, it is not something that the world in ancient times will do.
When a city is surrounded by armies in ancient times, they should find safety within the walls of the city.
According to Luke, the destruction of Jerusalem was God’s vengeance on the generation of Jews who rejected their Messiah.
Talk about the Jewish revolt, the siege, the escape of the Christians.
There were 1.1 million Jews who perished in Jerusalem (why so many?) because the Jews from all over the land gathered inside the walled city, and the rest were taken captive and scattered.
Tradition tells us that no Christian perished during the destruction of Jerusalem. Because they heeded the words of the Lord.
Pella. - NOT PAELLA, some of you may be hungry now. Talk about this..
Notice the “The Times of the Gentiles”
So isolate from the world and know the signs of the times, when we see trouble and perilous days, do not run to the world for safety. Do not turn to CNN, MSNBC, Fox News for what to do. Heed the voice of the Lord.
There is a future Great Escape which is to come in Revelation 12:1-6.
The elect who will be saved.
3. Trust.
What do we do now?
First of all, heed the words of Jesus, but trust that Jesus cares about His church.
20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
Trust that God will preserve the elect. He still has control.
Stay busy, remain unafraid.
The Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached...
I am hoping that the church will be raptured before the future Great Tribulation.
We don’t have to look far to the coming tribulation. There is a greater danger than the world is facing.
The greater danger is being swept anytime to an eternity without Jesus. There is a greater escape that needs to happen.
13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
We have to carry the same message to the world of how God can rescue them from darkness, and be brought to the Kingdom of Jesus.
This is why we do what we do.
v. 19 - Parents fear for our children.
Is your security in the world?
What exploits do you take pride in? Is it the secular accolades?
Free yourself from the entanglements of the world.
4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.
When I retired from my secular job, it is not actually moving to a comfortable retirement like the world does...
I am getting myself ready, if God calls me to be a LTM (I don’t qualify to be YTM).. Until that time,, I’ll go on FO, I am concerned about this and that.. my safety,, it is only for two weeks, thank God we have such an opportunity, God is so gracious!
Chase the higher pursuits.
Last night at the World Mission night God reminded me of the great call of the true follower of Jesus:
7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
There is a greater escape that needs to happen. Escape the wrath of God, flee to your spiritual refuge, or Pella. Tell others to do the same.