FLEEING FROM DANGER RUNNING FOR REFUGE A. I wondered if we might have visitors today who were FLEEING from hurricane Ike. 1. If that is the case, we have some very wise people among us today. 2. To FLEE means to run away quickly; to cut & run, to fly or take flight. 3. Running for safety is one of the first things we learn to do in life. b. Trying to weather a hurricane can cause both embarrassment & distress, so it is better to FLEE from that dangerous force of nature. c. In just a moment we will talk about something else that can cause us embarrassment & distress; a danger from which it is even more important to FLEE than from a terrible storm. [I would like begin this lesson by tracing the words FLEE, FLEEING & FLED to see what we can learn from those who either ran into danger or away from it.] 4. The old saying, Discretion is the better part of valor, is something that is commonly said just before FLEEING from a fight or battle. a. And one who has discretion (by definition) knows HOW TO AVOID embarrassment & distress. I. EXAMPLES OF FLEEING FROM DANGER A. Hagar FLED from the harshness of Sarah (Gen 16) to a deserted place. B. Lot FLED from the anger of the Lord against the sins of Sodom (Gen 19) to a city called Zoar. 1
C. Jacob FLED from Esau, after steeling his birthright & blessing, (Gen 31; 35) to Laban, & many years later he FLED from Laban back to the land of promise. D. Joseph FLED from the sexual advances of Potiphar s wife (Gen 39) and went to prison for it. E. Moses FLED from the wrath of Pharaoh for killing a man (Exo 2) to the desert of Midian. F. Israel FLED from bondage in Egypt (Exo 14; 16) to the Red Sea & the wilderness of Sin. G. The Egyptian army FLED from the God of Israel (Exo 14) to the shore of the Red Sea, but died before reaching it. H. Manslayers FLED from the Avengers of blood (Num 35; Deut 4) to the cities of refuge. I. Jonah FLED from the presence of the Lord (Jonah) to the turbulent water of the Great Sea. J. Joseph & Mary FLED from the wrath of Herod (Matt 2) to Egypt, out of which God called His Son. K. Jewish Christians FLED from their persecutors (Matt 24) to the mountains near their cities. L. Apostles FLED from unwelcoming people (Matt 10) to places more receptive to the gospel. M. A disciple of Jesus will FLEE from the hireling to his master & true shepherd (Jn 10:5). N. A hireling will FLEE from the sheep to pursue his own lustful interests (Jn 10:11). O. All the disciples forsook Jesus & FLED (Matt 26:15). [In each of these cases, the individuals who FLED were in some way inconvenienced by the cause of their hardship, & some of them faced certain death if they did not escape the danger they were in. 2
Governor Perry stated that 1.5 million people could die, if they didn t FLEE from the present hurricane. II. WHY IS SIN THE GREATEST DANGER? I understand that when he gave that warning many people immediately stopped what they were doing & FLED. BUT THERE S A GREATER DANGER IN THIS WORLD THAN A HURRICANE, AND THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE STILL HAVE TIME TO FLEE FROM IT SIN IS THE GREATEST DANGER ANYONE HAS TO FACE. That s why the Apostles warn us to FLEE from sexual immorality, idolatry, love of money, youthful lusts (1 Cor 6:18; 10:14; 1 Tim 6:11; 2 Tim 2:22). [(2 Jn 9; Rom 6:23). This death is described in more illustrious terms elsewhere in the Scripture.] A. John the Baptizer The Wrath To Come (Lk 3:7-17; Rom 1:18) 1. Not the destruction of Jerusalem, but the unquenchable fire of eternal condemnation. 2. It can be averted by complete repentance. Submit to God. Resist [to stand against] the devil, & he will FLEE from you (Jas 4:7). There will be equal & opposite forces applied either to God or Satan. A man said, I don t believe in the existence of a devil. Don t you? asked the Christian. Well, you resist him for a while, & you will believe it. A godly life is characterized by its conflicts with sin. B. Jesus Hell (Mk 9:42-48) 1. The fire that shall never be quenched. 2. It can be averted by removing the causes of sin. 3
C. John the Beloved The Lake Of Fire (Rev 20:11-15; Rom 14:10; 2 Cor 5:10) b. Don t we know people who are a heart beat away from that predicament? 1. The second death. 2. The judgment day will be such a fearful event of potential danger that even the earth & heaven will FLEE away. 3. Do you have friends or family close to the storm today (hurricane Ike). 4. Even if you do not, don t we all feel a little unsettled about how it s going to turn out? 5. It made me wonder about Lazarus & the rich man (Lk 16)? a. Did the rich man ever get any relief? No, he s still there as thirsty & tormented as ever. c. Shouldn t we be unsettled every day about the danger they are in? d. It could be that we have tried to warn them, & their response was like that of Lot s sons-in-law (Gen 19:14). e. Ultimately, we all must do what Peter warned the Jews to do (Acts 2:38-41). f. But I wonder why we are not more concerned about the spiritual dangers people face than the physical ones? [Now that we have identified our greatest threat & danger, we need to be reminded that there is only One who can save us from it.] 4
III. THE GREATEST DELIVERER A. Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; Matt 1:21) 1 Thess 1:9-10 you turned to God from idols to serve the living & true God, 10 & to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. 1 Thess 5:9-10 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Rom 7:24-25 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord! Gal 1:3-5 Grace to you & peace from God the Father & our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God & Father, 5 to whom be glory forever & ever. Amen. 1. But how does He deliver? Heb 6:18-20 [Because it is impossible for God to lie, we can] have strong consolation, who have FLED for refuge [from sin] to lay hold of the hope set before us. 19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure & steadfast, & which enters the Presence behind the veil, 20 where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever FLEE As A Bird (Mary S. B. Dana) Psa 11:1, In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: Flee like a bird to your mountain. FLEE as a bird to your mountain, Thou who art weary of sin; Go to the clear flowing fountain Where you may wash & be clean. Fly for the avenger is near thee; Call & the Savior will hear thee; He on His bosom will bear thee, O thou who art weary of sin, O thou who art weary of sin. He will protect thee for ever, Wipe ev ry falling tear; He will forsake thee, O never, Sheltered so tenderly there. Haste, then, the hours are flying, Spend not the moments in sighing, Cease from your sorrow & crying; The Savior will wipe ev ry tear, The Savior will wipe ev ry tear. FLEEING is something we all must regularly do in this life; it is not cowardly but wise but in the spiritual realm we must be FLEEING toward the One who has the power to help us (Matt 10:28). Rom 5:8-9 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him (Gal 3:10, 13). Eph 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace [WHEN WE ARE BAPTIZED INTO HIS DEATH, we are raised to walk in newness of life (Rom 6:3-4).] Isa 35:8-10 A highway shall be there, & a road, & it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; It shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there, & the ransomed of the LORD shall return, & come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy & gladness, & sorrow & sighing shall FLEE away. 5