April 20, 2025 • 25 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Many of you are at this crossroad of past or promise.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
You got to choose one.
Speaker 3 (00:06):
Jonathan Evans challenges us to let go of what's behind
and reach for what's ahead.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
You cannot have a strong grasp of your past and
also have a fingerprint on the promise.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
This is the alternative broadcast featuring the timeless Biblical teachings
from the archives of doctor Tony Evans. The past can
shape us, teach us, and even strengthen us, but if
we're not careful, they can also hold us back from
God's promises. Today, Pastor Jonathan Evans challenges us to make
a crucial decision. Will we stay stuck in our past
(00:40):
or will we step into God's promise for our future.
Let's join him as he begins.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
In Genesis nineteen, verse seventeen, it says this, when they
had brought them outside, one said, escape for your life.
Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere
in the valley.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
This is going to be a word for somebody in here,
because the angels that were sent said escape for your life,
do not look back, don't stay anywhere in that valley.
But get to the mountaintop, or you will be swept away.
(01:30):
Now I'm going to read another verse so that y'all
know where we're at, what story we're in. In nineteen
Genesis nineteen twenty six, but his wife from behind him
looked back and she became a pillar of salt.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Now you know where we are today. We have a crossroad,
and the crossroad.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Is going to be between your past and your promise.
It's gonna be a decision you're gonna have to make
because many people are pressing on the break of their
past while driving to the promise.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
And you won't get there.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
You can't have the promises of God stuck in the
past of the moral. And we all have to understand
that there were some angels that were sent to Lot
because his present needed to become his past immediately. And
when they came in, you see the verse seventeen says
escape for your life. Exclamation point. They said, escape for
(02:35):
your life. You gotta get out of there, You gotta
move around, and you gotta do it now.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Don't stay anywhere in that.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Valley, but get to the mountain or you will be
swept away. Time is running out before something out of
your control happens, and you get caught up in what
God is going to do. Because God moves on his time,
not your time. You're fortunate enough that he sends warning.
(03:09):
Genesis eighteen seventeen, the Bible says, the Lord said, shall
I hide.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
From Abraham what I am about to do?
Speaker 1 (03:21):
In other words, God was gonna judge the place, but
he put a righteous person on notice before he does it.
And when he put the righteous person on notice, Abraham
begin to pray for Sodom and Gamorra And Genesis eighteen
twenty three, he says, Abraham came near and said, will
(03:42):
you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Come on, God,
don't sweep away the righteous with the wicked. Abraham said,
what if I can find fifty righteous, will you spare
Sodom and Gamoor.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
God said, yeah, do it. Go ahead, try try.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
I already know why I'm gonna judge him, but if
you want to take a shot.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Take a shot.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Abraham came back and said, I can't find fifty. What
if I can find forty?
Speaker 2 (04:14):
God said, go ahead, eh, take a shot.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Abraham came back and said, okay, I can do find forty.
What about thirty, messed up on thirty. Couldn't find thirty.
He said, what about twenty? He said, what about ten?
Nobody saved in Sodomingamore. This is.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
He couldn't find ten.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
So God came and destroyed Sodom Ingamore because of the
absence of righteous people. But even though he destroyed Sodom
Ingamore because of the absence of righteous people, he still
sent a message to Lot. Two Peter four to seven
says Lot was a righteo man, so God came through
(05:03):
for the righteous prior to the judgment.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Now I need you to.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Understand that there is a connection between God putting Abraham
on notice and Abraham praying and the message that Lot
and his family received. Remember Genesis eighteen twenty three says
Abraham came near and said, will you indeed.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Sweep away the righteous with the wicked? When the angels
came and gave the message.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
If you look in nineteen fifteen Genesis nineteen fifteen, it
says when morning dawn, the angels urge Lot, saying up,
take your wife and your two daughters who were there,
or you will be swept away verse seventeen. When they
had brought them outside and said escape for your life.
Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere
(05:51):
in the valley. Escape to the mountain, or you will
be swept away. In Abraham's prayer, he said, will you
sweet away the righteous with the wicked. The angels came
in and said, escape for your life, or you're gonna
be swept away. In other words, the author's letting you
know that there was a connection between Abraham's prayer and
(06:13):
the message that was received from Abraham's prayer. In other words,
there was an utterance in the word connectivity, in the
word a spoken word that came to them to let
them know that not only is somebody praying for you,
but God is trying to get your attention, and you
need to.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Use that utterance to move around.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Because anytime the bible's repeating itself, it's trying to get
the receiver's attention.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
And today you're gonna hear escape for your life. The
Bible's trying to get your attention.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
There is an utterance that you already have been hearing
since you came in here, and now you're.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Hearing it again.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
It's because God is trying to get you to move
around and notice. For those of you who are worried
about somebody else, it's because God was gracious enough to
put you notice. He was gracious enough to say, I'm
about to do something over here, so I need you
to get on your knees. This is why you cannot
(07:12):
stop praying for the way we're child. This is why
you cannot stop praying for that person who got in
a relationship you know is not good. This is why
you cannot stop praying for that struggling marriage. Because God
uses the prayers of the righteous to accomplish much, and
He will take your message and put it right into
(07:34):
their heart and give them an utterance over and over
again to try to get them to move prior to
that judgment in that situation.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
So I need both parties to understand.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
The prayer warriors who feel it, don't you stop praying,
and those who are receiving it take it seriously because
time is not We have to understand God is making
a connection for them and making a connection for you
to pray or move, Move and pray either way, we're
on the same team. To make sure that we don't
(08:07):
get caught up and swept away. We've got to understand
what He's saying here, and I'll say it again, because
today is.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
A repeat day. Escape for your life. And when you.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Do, don't look back. Don't you stay anywhere in that valley.
Escape to the mountain, or you will be swept away.
This is God trying to rapture you. Okay, if you
(08:43):
understand the rapture in the macro sense. Okay, First, Thessalonians
four seventeen says we will.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Be caught up. We out of here. We're getting out
of here.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
First, Thessalonians five nine says that the saints have not
been designated.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
For the judgment.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
In other words, by the time Jesus opens them scrolls
up on the world, the saints would have been out
of here. Revelations three ten reiterates that sentiment and says
the people of God will not withstand the time of testing. So,
in the macro sense, with the rapture, prior to Jesus
moving into Revelation and opening up the scrolls on the world,
(09:24):
He's gonna take his saints out before judgment comes in.
Now you see this in the Bible in the natural sense,
because right here he's trying to rapture lot in his
family prior to judgment.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Coming in.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
If you look at Noah's story, he put the righteous
family on the ark, got them out, and then.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
The flood came in.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
If you look at Rahab's story, she believed in the
true God, put that red scarlet out there in Joshua
chapter two, and the wall came tumbling down because judgment
had to happen.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
But her piece of wall was still standing.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Because he raptured her prior to the judgment.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
So these are illustrations.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Of the future rapture that we will inherit as the
saints of God, that he will pull us out prior
to the judgment. What he does in a macro sense
he does in your individual life, and a micro sense
that he's trying to rapture you prior to taking that
situation out because it is not a part of his
(10:28):
kingdom plan.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
He's trying to get you out of there.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
The difference is the rapture in the future is unconditional,
meaning if you say he taking.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
You about of here. The rapture in the micro here
and now.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Is a partnership where he gives you the word and
then watches to see what you're going to do.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
So what happens when we hesitate in the face of
God's command. Jonathan will continue to explore that thought when
he returns in just a moment. First, though, I wanted
to let you know about a valuable package of resources
that'll show you how to face hardship with strength and hope,
confident that God will use your trials for his glory.
(11:21):
It's a sermon series from Pastor Jonathan Evans called Survivor.
If you're facing struggles in life that seem unbeatable, this
series will help you see those struggles from God's point
of view, empowering you to overcome and endure as you
grow in your faith and draw closer to the Lord.
Because this is such an important teaching, we want to
(11:42):
give you all ten messages from the audio series as
our gift when you make a financial contribution to keep
the Ministry of the Alternative coming your way, and for
a limited time, we have an added bonus. It's a popular,
concise devotional book meant to be read daily that explores
the core thingames of doctor Tony evans legacy work on
(12:02):
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devotional book is called Life under God, and we're including
it right now with every request for Jonathan's Survivor audio collection.
You can get both of these resources when you visit
Tonyevans dot org or give one of our friendly resource
team members a call at one eight hundred eight hundred
(12:24):
thirty two twenty two. They're happy to help you again.
That's one eight hundred eight hundred three two two two,
or online at Tonyevans dot org. We'll get back to
today's message from Jonathan right after this.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
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Speaker 5 (12:44):
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Speaker 4 (12:46):
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Speaker 5 (12:54):
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Speaker 4 (13:00):
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Speaker 5 (13:07):
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Speaker 4 (13:14):
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Speaker 5 (13:19):
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Speaker 4 (13:27):
Discover faith strengthening truths from Genesis, and explore more courses
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Speaker 1 (13:40):
In verse fifteen, when morning dawn, the angels urge lots, saying, up,
take your wife and your two daughters who are here,
or you will be swept away in the punishment of
the city.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Verse sixteen. But he hesitated, so the men seeze his
hand and the hand of his wife, in the hands
of his two daughters. And for the compassion of the
Lord was upon them, and they brought them out and
put them outside.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Here's a picture of those who were sent from God
doing the work. It wasn't a lot in them who
were doing the work. It was the ones who were
sent from God that did the work. Jesus is sent
from God. It's by his work you're delivered, not by
your work. He snatched you out of there. You can't
(14:33):
claim that you didn't hesitate. You were hesitant You can't
claim that you.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Weren't in sin. You were in sin.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
It's the work of Jesus Christ that brought you out
in your hesitation. But once you come out and you're saved,
there's something called sanctification. That's why the Bible says, work
out your salvation.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
And fear and trembling. So you can be.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Saved out of Sodom and Gamore and still not experience
the promise you were saved for. Just look at the
first generation of the people of Israel. You have a
promised land. They was sitting there the whole life talking
about getting back to Egypt Exodus fourteen twenty five, and
said it'd be better for us to just go back.
So they're walking forward looking backwards. Did they get into
(15:22):
the promise? No, He gave it to the next generation
because they were so busy looking backwards walking forward that
they weren't worthy of the promise. So you can be
saved from Egypt, save from Gamore, save for Heaven, and
still not experience the promises of God in your life.
Right now, you got to choose one, and many of
you are at this crossroad of past or promise. You
(15:47):
cannot have a strong grasp of your past and also
have a fingerprint on the promise.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
You can use it, but you don't let it use you.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
The hard part is not getting someone out of sodom ingamore.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
That's not the hard part. Angels brought them out. The
hard part. The reason why there's a hesitation.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Is getting sodom and gamour out of them. It's getting
that trauma out of you. Some people find their home
in hurt and they can't get it out even though
(16:41):
they've been brought out. It is for freedom that you
have been set free, therefore never again returned to the
yoke of slavery, which means there's a yoke of slavery
you can return to even though you've been set free.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
That's what it means. You cannot look back.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Because Lot's wife looking back was not her just curious
about the judgment. She wouldn't look back like I wonder
how bad it's gonna be. That's not why she looked back.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
She looked back because she was still coveting what she
left her.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Looking back is a picture of an about face on
the promise. I wish I was still there, I'd be
better off there. Let me go back and claim some
of those things that I built there, I'd rather be there.
The truth of the matter is is that some people
are so salty about their past that they'll never become
(17:50):
seasoned in their promise. Because salt in this way not
preserving any thing. It's good for nothing but to be
trodden underfoot. It's not usable for what God is trying
to accomplish. Then I thought to myself, dog, Jesus is
(18:15):
kind of rough salt me. Why'd you choose salt? So
I sat on that question for several hours. Then I
thought about the location of Sodomingamoor. It's right next to
the dead Sea.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
And the dead sea is the dead sea because it's
so salty.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
It's so salty fish can't live in it, and it's
so salty plants can't grow in it. There's no growth,
no life. So if you're going to look back, then
that's what you'll become. No growth, no life, no growth,
no life in your marriage, no growth, no life in
your situation, no growth, no life in your destiny, no growth,
(18:57):
no life and your promise. Where I'm growing, there's a
land flowing with milk and honey.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
It's growth in life. Where I'm going.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Entering the valley is the second hard part, escaping first,
because when you get into the valley, that is the
stripping process to make sure you're light enough for the
climb ahead.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
So if you don't walk through.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Being consistent in God's word, in your accountability, in your counseling,
in your therapy, and what God is leading you to
need to go forward, and what God is calling you,
trust me your flesh. Like Paul Roman seven, what I do,
I don't want to do, and I can't do what
I want to do. You say, but Jonathan, I need
(19:51):
something to focus on. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the
author and perfector of your fai, who for the joy
set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, seated
at the right hand of the Father. Once again, He's
not asking you to do anything that he himself has
(20:11):
not already done. You want to talk about trauma. From
the day he was born, they were trying to kill him.
He got betrayed by somebody close to him in his
own hometown. They tried to throw him off a cliff.
The Pharisee tried to stone them people that he created, crucifying, and.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
Then he hit the valley.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Luke twenty two forty two says he was in the
garden of Getsemite, determining whether he was going to turn
back or not, like I'm Jesus, I ain't got to
do this.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
If there's any other way, let this cup pass from me,
but not in my will. Your will be done.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
And for this reason God highly exalted him and gave
him a name above.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Every name, so that at that name, every need will bow,
every tongue will confess to the glory of the Father.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
It was his choice, in the hardest moment to go
forward and what God was calling.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Him to do.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
In Genesis nineteen twenty eight, it says, and he talking
about Abraham looked down towards Sodom and Gomore and toward
all the land of the valley, and he saw and behold,
the smoke of the land ascended like the smoke of
a furnace.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
So why was Abraham able to look? But Lot's wife wasn't.
I looked at that. I said, that's not fair. He's fine,
and he's looking at the judgment. She's not fine. She's
looking at the judgment symbol. Abraham was looking from the mountain.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
She looked in the valley, you see when you get
to the mountain, that's a different type of look. When
you get to the mountain, you're just saying, if it
had not been for the Lord on my side, where
would I be. I'm so glad I'm not over there.
I'm so glad I'm not in that mess. I'm so
(22:14):
glad God brought me out. I'm so glad I didn't
go with them. I'm so glad I'm no longer their friends.
I'm so glad I didn't walk with them. I'm so
glad I didn't take that route. When you're able to
look from the mountain, you have a spiritual clarity that
you don't have in the valley. So you're able to say,
I do not regard myself as haven't taken hold of
it yet.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
But one thing I do.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
Leaving what's behind, I press on towards the mark and
the goal of the upward call in Christ Jesus.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
That's what God is calling us to do.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
You can have your past or your promise, but you
cannot have them both.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
Pastor Jonathan Evans will come back in just a moment
with a closing word of encouragement for anyone struggling to
let go of their past before he does. Though, I
want to remind you about that special double offer I
mentioned earlier. Doctor Tony Evans daily devotional book called Life
under God plus the Ten Lessons Survivor Sermon series from
(23:11):
Jonathan Evans available for download as well as on either
CD or USB stick. The book and audio collection are
both yours, along with our thanks for your donation to
the Alternative Ministry. Make the arrangements today at one eight hundred,
eight hundred thirty two twenty two before time runs out
on this exclusive deal, or visit our website at Tonyevans
(23:34):
dot org and look for the details on this special
offer right on the homepage again, that's one eight hundred
eight hundred three two two two, or online at Tonyevans
dot org. Many of us search for validation in places
where it simply can't be found, which leads to a
critical question. Are we laboring for the approval of others?
(23:58):
Or are we living out of the love acceptance God
has already given us? Join us tomorrow as Jonathan addresses
this powerful issue right now. Though he's back with these
closing words.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
I know many of you are in the hesitant place
you spent so much time. You've experienced that trauma for
eighteen nineteen twenty years of your life. But the God
who saves you for heaven also saves you for earth.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Walk with him.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
It's a daily grind and the daily journey to not
let yesterday determine your decisions today.
Many of you are at this crossroad of past or promise.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
You got to choose one.
Speaker 3 (00:06):
Jonathan Evans challenges us to let go of what's behind
and reach for what's ahead.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
You cannot have a strong grasp of your past and
also have a fingerprint on the promise.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
This is the alternative broadcast featuring the timeless Biblical teachings
from the archives of doctor Tony Evans. The past can
shape us, teach us, and even strengthen us, but if
we're not careful, they can also hold us back from
God's promises. Today, Pastor Jonathan Evans challenges us to make
a crucial decision. Will we stay stuck in our past
(00:40):
or will we step into God's promise for our future.
Let's join him as he begins.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
In Genesis nineteen, verse seventeen, it says this, when they
had brought them outside, one said, escape for your life.
Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere
in the valley.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
This is going to be a word for somebody in here,
because the angels that were sent said escape for your life,
do not look back, don't stay anywhere in that valley.
But get to the mountaintop, or you will be swept away.
(01:30):
Now I'm going to read another verse so that y'all
know where we're at, what story we're in. In nineteen
Genesis nineteen twenty six, but his wife from behind him
looked back and she became a pillar of salt.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Now you know where we are today. We have a crossroad,
and the crossroad.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Is going to be between your past and your promise.
It's gonna be a decision you're gonna have to make
because many people are pressing on the break of their
past while driving to the promise.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
And you won't get there.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
You can't have the promises of God stuck in the
past of the moral. And we all have to understand
that there were some angels that were sent to Lot
because his present needed to become his past immediately. And
when they came in, you see the verse seventeen says
escape for your life. Exclamation point. They said, escape for
(02:35):
your life. You gotta get out of there, You gotta
move around, and you gotta do it now.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Don't stay anywhere in that.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Valley, but get to the mountain or you will be
swept away. Time is running out before something out of
your control happens, and you get caught up in what
God is going to do. Because God moves on his time,
not your time. You're fortunate enough that he sends warning.
(03:09):
Genesis eighteen seventeen, the Bible says, the Lord said, shall
I hide.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
From Abraham what I am about to do?
Speaker 1 (03:21):
In other words, God was gonna judge the place, but
he put a righteous person on notice before he does it.
And when he put the righteous person on notice, Abraham
begin to pray for Sodom and Gamorra And Genesis eighteen
twenty three, he says, Abraham came near and said, will
(03:42):
you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Come on, God,
don't sweep away the righteous with the wicked. Abraham said,
what if I can find fifty righteous, will you spare
Sodom and Gamoor.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
God said, yeah, do it. Go ahead, try try.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
I already know why I'm gonna judge him, but if
you want to take a shot.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Take a shot.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Abraham came back and said, I can't find fifty. What
if I can find forty?
Speaker 2 (04:14):
God said, go ahead, eh, take a shot.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Abraham came back and said, okay, I can do find forty.
What about thirty, messed up on thirty. Couldn't find thirty.
He said, what about twenty? He said, what about ten?
Nobody saved in Sodomingamore. This is.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
He couldn't find ten.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
So God came and destroyed Sodom Ingamore because of the
absence of righteous people. But even though he destroyed Sodom
Ingamore because of the absence of righteous people, he still
sent a message to Lot. Two Peter four to seven
says Lot was a righteo man, so God came through
(05:03):
for the righteous prior to the judgment.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Now I need you to.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Understand that there is a connection between God putting Abraham
on notice and Abraham praying and the message that Lot
and his family received. Remember Genesis eighteen twenty three says
Abraham came near and said, will you indeed.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Sweep away the righteous with the wicked? When the angels
came and gave the message.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
If you look in nineteen fifteen Genesis nineteen fifteen, it
says when morning dawn, the angels urge Lot, saying up,
take your wife and your two daughters who were there,
or you will be swept away verse seventeen. When they
had brought them outside and said escape for your life.
Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere
(05:51):
in the valley. Escape to the mountain, or you will
be swept away. In Abraham's prayer, he said, will you
sweet away the righteous with the wicked. The angels came
in and said, escape for your life, or you're gonna
be swept away. In other words, the author's letting you
know that there was a connection between Abraham's prayer and
(06:13):
the message that was received from Abraham's prayer. In other words,
there was an utterance in the word connectivity, in the
word a spoken word that came to them to let
them know that not only is somebody praying for you,
but God is trying to get your attention, and you
need to.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Use that utterance to move around.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Because anytime the bible's repeating itself, it's trying to get
the receiver's attention.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
And today you're gonna hear escape for your life. The
Bible's trying to get your attention.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
There is an utterance that you already have been hearing
since you came in here, and now you're.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Hearing it again.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
It's because God is trying to get you to move
around and notice. For those of you who are worried
about somebody else, it's because God was gracious enough to
put you notice. He was gracious enough to say, I'm
about to do something over here, so I need you
to get on your knees. This is why you cannot
(07:12):
stop praying for the way we're child. This is why
you cannot stop praying for that person who got in
a relationship you know is not good. This is why
you cannot stop praying for that struggling marriage. Because God
uses the prayers of the righteous to accomplish much, and
He will take your message and put it right into
(07:34):
their heart and give them an utterance over and over
again to try to get them to move prior to
that judgment in that situation.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
So I need both parties to understand.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
The prayer warriors who feel it, don't you stop praying,
and those who are receiving it take it seriously because
time is not We have to understand God is making
a connection for them and making a connection for you
to pray or move, Move and pray either way, we're
on the same team. To make sure that we don't
(08:07):
get caught up and swept away. We've got to understand
what He's saying here, and I'll say it again, because
today is.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
A repeat day. Escape for your life. And when you.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Do, don't look back. Don't you stay anywhere in that valley.
Escape to the mountain, or you will be swept away.
This is God trying to rapture you. Okay, if you
(08:43):
understand the rapture in the macro sense. Okay, First, Thessalonians
four seventeen says we will.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Be caught up. We out of here. We're getting out
of here.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
First, Thessalonians five nine says that the saints have not
been designated.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
For the judgment.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
In other words, by the time Jesus opens them scrolls
up on the world, the saints would have been out
of here. Revelations three ten reiterates that sentiment and says
the people of God will not withstand the time of testing. So,
in the macro sense, with the rapture, prior to Jesus
moving into Revelation and opening up the scrolls on the world,
(09:24):
He's gonna take his saints out before judgment comes in.
Now you see this in the Bible in the natural sense,
because right here he's trying to rapture lot in his
family prior to judgment.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Coming in.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
If you look at Noah's story, he put the righteous
family on the ark, got them out, and then.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
The flood came in.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
If you look at Rahab's story, she believed in the
true God, put that red scarlet out there in Joshua
chapter two, and the wall came tumbling down because judgment
had to happen.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
But her piece of wall was still standing.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Because he raptured her prior to the judgment.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
So these are illustrations.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Of the future rapture that we will inherit as the
saints of God, that he will pull us out prior
to the judgment. What he does in a macro sense
he does in your individual life, and a micro sense
that he's trying to rapture you prior to taking that
situation out because it is not a part of his
(10:28):
kingdom plan.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
He's trying to get you out of there.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
The difference is the rapture in the future is unconditional,
meaning if you say he taking.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
You about of here. The rapture in the micro here
and now.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Is a partnership where he gives you the word and
then watches to see what you're going to do.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
So what happens when we hesitate in the face of
God's command. Jonathan will continue to explore that thought when
he returns in just a moment. First, though, I wanted
to let you know about a valuable package of resources
that'll show you how to face hardship with strength and hope,
confident that God will use your trials for his glory.
(11:21):
It's a sermon series from Pastor Jonathan Evans called Survivor.
If you're facing struggles in life that seem unbeatable, this
series will help you see those struggles from God's point
of view, empowering you to overcome and endure as you
grow in your faith and draw closer to the Lord.
Because this is such an important teaching, we want to
(11:42):
give you all ten messages from the audio series as
our gift when you make a financial contribution to keep
the Ministry of the Alternative coming your way, and for
a limited time, we have an added bonus. It's a popular,
concise devotional book meant to be read daily that explores
the core thingames of doctor Tony evans legacy work on
(12:02):
the Kingdom Agenda. This three hundred and sixty five dat
devotional book is called Life under God, and we're including
it right now with every request for Jonathan's Survivor audio collection.
You can get both of these resources when you visit
Tonyevans dot org or give one of our friendly resource
team members a call at one eight hundred eight hundred
(12:24):
thirty two twenty two. They're happy to help you again.
That's one eight hundred eight hundred three two two two,
or online at Tonyevans dot org. We'll get back to
today's message from Jonathan right after this.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
What if you could unlock the mysteries of life, the
universe and everything in between.
Speaker 5 (12:44):
Genesis one to eleven is the foundation for everything.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
The Tony Evans Training Center presents a transformative course from
special guest lecture Ken Hamm, founder CEO of answers in Genesis.
Speaker 5 (12:54):
If you want to understand anything about the universe and
anything about life in this earth, we have to jump
in to God's way.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
This course dives deep into the origins of life, the
harmony of science and scripture, and how to build a
solid biblical worldview.
Speaker 5 (13:07):
Do science conflict with the Bible? No, not at all.
Observational science confirms the Bible, O and O and OV Again.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
Equip yourself to face today's toughest cultural challenges with clarity
and confidence.
Speaker 5 (13:19):
If we're going to deal with issues in our culture,
we need to start from our foundation first of all,
to understand what we should believe.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
Discover faith strengthening truths from Genesis, and explore more courses
to deepen your understanding of God's word at Tony Evans'
training dot Org. Explore the Kingdom anytime anywhere.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
In verse fifteen, when morning dawn, the angels urge lots, saying, up,
take your wife and your two daughters who are here,
or you will be swept away in the punishment of
the city.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Verse sixteen. But he hesitated, so the men seeze his
hand and the hand of his wife, in the hands
of his two daughters. And for the compassion of the
Lord was upon them, and they brought them out and
put them outside.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Here's a picture of those who were sent from God
doing the work. It wasn't a lot in them who
were doing the work. It was the ones who were
sent from God that did the work. Jesus is sent
from God. It's by his work you're delivered, not by
your work. He snatched you out of there. You can't
(14:33):
claim that you didn't hesitate. You were hesitant You can't
claim that you.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Weren't in sin. You were in sin.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
It's the work of Jesus Christ that brought you out
in your hesitation. But once you come out and you're saved,
there's something called sanctification. That's why the Bible says, work
out your salvation.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
And fear and trembling. So you can be.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Saved out of Sodom and Gamore and still not experience
the promise you were saved for. Just look at the
first generation of the people of Israel. You have a
promised land. They was sitting there the whole life talking
about getting back to Egypt Exodus fourteen twenty five, and
said it'd be better for us to just go back.
So they're walking forward looking backwards. Did they get into
(15:22):
the promise? No, He gave it to the next generation
because they were so busy looking backwards walking forward that
they weren't worthy of the promise. So you can be
saved from Egypt, save from Gamore, save for Heaven, and
still not experience the promises of God in your life.
Right now, you got to choose one, and many of
you are at this crossroad of past or promise. You
(15:47):
cannot have a strong grasp of your past and also
have a fingerprint on the promise.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
You can use it, but you don't let it use you.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
The hard part is not getting someone out of sodom ingamore.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
That's not the hard part. Angels brought them out. The
hard part. The reason why there's a hesitation.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Is getting sodom and gamour out of them. It's getting
that trauma out of you. Some people find their home
in hurt and they can't get it out even though
(16:41):
they've been brought out. It is for freedom that you
have been set free, therefore never again returned to the
yoke of slavery, which means there's a yoke of slavery
you can return to even though you've been set free.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
That's what it means. You cannot look back.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Because Lot's wife looking back was not her just curious
about the judgment. She wouldn't look back like I wonder
how bad it's gonna be. That's not why she looked back.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
She looked back because she was still coveting what she
left her.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Looking back is a picture of an about face on
the promise. I wish I was still there, I'd be
better off there. Let me go back and claim some
of those things that I built there, I'd rather be there.
The truth of the matter is is that some people
are so salty about their past that they'll never become
(17:50):
seasoned in their promise. Because salt in this way not
preserving any thing. It's good for nothing but to be
trodden underfoot. It's not usable for what God is trying
to accomplish. Then I thought to myself, dog, Jesus is
(18:15):
kind of rough salt me. Why'd you choose salt? So
I sat on that question for several hours. Then I
thought about the location of Sodomingamoor. It's right next to
the dead Sea.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
And the dead sea is the dead sea because it's
so salty.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
It's so salty fish can't live in it, and it's
so salty plants can't grow in it. There's no growth,
no life. So if you're going to look back, then
that's what you'll become. No growth, no life, no growth,
no life in your marriage, no growth, no life in
your situation, no growth, no life in your destiny, no growth,
(18:57):
no life and your promise. Where I'm growing, there's a
land flowing with milk and honey.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
It's growth in life. Where I'm going.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Entering the valley is the second hard part, escaping first,
because when you get into the valley, that is the
stripping process to make sure you're light enough for the
climb ahead.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
So if you don't walk through.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Being consistent in God's word, in your accountability, in your counseling,
in your therapy, and what God is leading you to
need to go forward, and what God is calling you,
trust me your flesh. Like Paul Roman seven, what I do,
I don't want to do, and I can't do what
I want to do. You say, but Jonathan, I need
(19:51):
something to focus on. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the
author and perfector of your fai, who for the joy
set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, seated
at the right hand of the Father. Once again, He's
not asking you to do anything that he himself has
(20:11):
not already done. You want to talk about trauma. From
the day he was born, they were trying to kill him.
He got betrayed by somebody close to him in his
own hometown. They tried to throw him off a cliff.
The Pharisee tried to stone them people that he created, crucifying, and.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
Then he hit the valley.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Luke twenty two forty two says he was in the
garden of Getsemite, determining whether he was going to turn
back or not, like I'm Jesus, I ain't got to
do this.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
If there's any other way, let this cup pass from me,
but not in my will. Your will be done.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
And for this reason God highly exalted him and gave
him a name above.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Every name, so that at that name, every need will bow,
every tongue will confess to the glory of the Father.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
It was his choice, in the hardest moment to go
forward and what God was calling.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Him to do.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
In Genesis nineteen twenty eight, it says, and he talking
about Abraham looked down towards Sodom and Gomore and toward
all the land of the valley, and he saw and behold,
the smoke of the land ascended like the smoke of
a furnace.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
So why was Abraham able to look? But Lot's wife wasn't.
I looked at that. I said, that's not fair. He's fine,
and he's looking at the judgment. She's not fine. She's
looking at the judgment symbol. Abraham was looking from the mountain.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
She looked in the valley, you see when you get
to the mountain, that's a different type of look. When
you get to the mountain, you're just saying, if it
had not been for the Lord on my side, where
would I be. I'm so glad I'm not over there.
I'm so glad I'm not in that mess. I'm so
(22:14):
glad God brought me out. I'm so glad I didn't
go with them. I'm so glad I'm no longer their friends.
I'm so glad I didn't walk with them. I'm so
glad I didn't take that route. When you're able to
look from the mountain, you have a spiritual clarity that
you don't have in the valley. So you're able to say,
I do not regard myself as haven't taken hold of
it yet.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
But one thing I do.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
Leaving what's behind, I press on towards the mark and
the goal of the upward call in Christ Jesus.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
That's what God is calling us to do.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
You can have your past or your promise, but you
cannot have them both.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
Pastor Jonathan Evans will come back in just a moment
with a closing word of encouragement for anyone struggling to
let go of their past before he does. Though, I
want to remind you about that special double offer I
mentioned earlier. Doctor Tony Evans daily devotional book called Life
under God plus the Ten Lessons Survivor Sermon series from
(23:11):
Jonathan Evans available for download as well as on either
CD or USB stick. The book and audio collection are
both yours, along with our thanks for your donation to
the Alternative Ministry. Make the arrangements today at one eight hundred,
eight hundred thirty two twenty two before time runs out
on this exclusive deal, or visit our website at Tonyevans
(23:34):
dot org and look for the details on this special
offer right on the homepage again, that's one eight hundred
eight hundred three two two two, or online at Tonyevans
dot org. Many of us search for validation in places
where it simply can't be found, which leads to a
critical question. Are we laboring for the approval of others?
(23:58):
Or are we living out of the love acceptance God
has already given us? Join us tomorrow as Jonathan addresses
this powerful issue right now. Though he's back with these
closing words.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
I know many of you are in the hesitant place
you spent so much time. You've experienced that trauma for
eighteen nineteen twenty years of your life. But the God
who saves you for heaven also saves you for earth.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Walk with him.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
It's a daily grind and the daily journey to not
let yesterday determine your decisions today.
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