Beth Moore - The Great Escape
Our concept does come like flying like a bird, right out of Psalm 124, and it will lead us elsewhere. Psalm 124, I'm reading to you out of the ESV tonight. "If it had not been the Lord who was on our side", anybody, "let Israel now say, 'If it had not been the Lord who was on our side when people rose up against us, they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us'".
Anybody just been the center of somebody's fury here recently? Oh, I got to know something better than that. Anybody had anybody mad at them recently? Let me put it like that. Okay then. You are in exactly the right condition for where we're going. If they weren't mad at you this week, they will be mad at you next week. So you're still in the right place. "Then they," verse 3, "would have swallowed us up alive when their anger was kindled against us; then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; then over us would have gone the raging waters. Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth". As P-R-E-Y to their teeth.
Now, what that would mean, that's odd to us because it's archaic vernacular, but for us, it would be, "Blessed be God who has not let them eat us alive". That would be the same kind of meaning there. Then it says in verses 7 and 8, "We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth". Everybody say, "Our help is in the name of the Lord". "Who made heaven and earth".
We have come here this weekend for a great escape. And we're going to get insight for our own need of escape and we're going to get some insight for some loved ones we have that desperately need an escape. So does that leave out anyone in the room? I mean, either you might need one and it might not even be from something terrible. You just really need to move on. I love how Psalm 124 begins, "If the Lord had not been on our side". I wonder if somebody knows in this house tonight that the Lord is on your side. The Lord is on your side. Listen, somebody in this place is going, "He's not on my side because you can't believe what I've been living in. And I don't know Jesus Christ from a Martian on Mars".
And I'm going to tell you, God is still on your side. Listen, God is not on the side of our opinion. It's not meaning that God is on the side of our argument. It's not meaning that God is on the side of our court case. It means that God is on the side of our souls. Your God is for you. Your God has come for you. He did not create us to be against us. He came to save us and deliver us. Not one of you in this room, the only thing God is against in this room, according to the Scriptures, is that he's against our pride. So to the degree that you have come this weekend in pride, he is in opposition to your pride. To the degree that I have come in pride this weekend, he says, "God opposes the proud but he gives grace to the humble". So when we're thinking about who he's for and who he is against, he is for every single one of us but he is in opposition to our pride.
And I'mma tell you something that I have learned the hard way. Your pride cannot win against God. You may as well give it up. Because when he opposes anything, it's really done. Anybody know what I'm talking about? It's really like it's all said and done because he's so much bigger than everything else and once he opposes it, it's really all over. So, it's this going down one way or the other. So it's a great time to just go, let it go down tonight. Because that's the only opposition you got. To the degree, you come, and then I come before him this weekend with humility. Listen, our God is nothing but for us. He's for our sins, he is for our souls. We can't leave here and go, "He's for me", and doing this and doing. No, he's not for our sins. Our God is for our souls. He's on the side of people. He loves people.
"The Great Escape is an escape so great only God could accomplish it". How many of us in this room has ever had God do something that literally no one else could have done in your life? No one, absolutely no one, absolutely no one. Then I want somebody else to get hope in this house. And listen, that wasn't the last thing he planned to do. You know, when I had that one great escape and I tell you I've been in bondage ever since. No. You don't just get one shot at it. Is anybody so glad you don't just get one shot? It's like down and then you're out. Everybody go, "I got another shot at this". Anybody? Somebody needs to know you just got another shot at it.
Okay, "And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will".
One of the earliest things we learn in theology after you get to know Christ, if we are in a biblically-based community of believers or church, is that God has a will; he has a plan for lives. God's will is accomplished through his plan. In other words, when people say God has a plan for your life, it's because he has a will. God's will for your life, the way it is accomplished is through what we would call a plan. The big eye-opener in verse 26, right here is that the devil also has a plan for your life. And I just want you to hear it. And somebody may say to me, "You know what? I really don't believe in a devil".
And you know, I'm almost going to tell you I don't believe you. Or you're telling me with the evil on this planet, the nonsensical, I mean completely irrational, where there's no way to even find a motive, just violence and death and bloodshed, things that don't make any sense, they're not for a cause. They're just evil, they're just evil. And that there is an enemy realm, a darkness, that tries to pierce through the things of earth and pervade even people with the light of God shining right on them. "God's will for our lives has a slick and deceptive counterfeit".
So originally, I wrote the point, "God's will for our lives has a dark and deceptive counterfeit," and the Lord pierced my heart and went, "Uh-uh". Even though, even though we know that everything of the enemy has to be dark, he can also masquerade as an angel of light, the Word of God says. So it does not mean that you would not necessarily be aware that you were in darkness. How you would know, is it truth or a lie, but to say that it always looks dark, that's not necessarily true. Normally, it looks dark but it can also masquerade as light, and we're going to see if we can get to the bottom of that.
You see those words, "After being captured"? Look in 26. In the Greek, it is a perfect passive participle form of the Greek word zogreo. And it means literally being captured alive. A snare is something that has a hold on us. It's a dominion sin. It's something that either keeps us held or keeps us coming back. Anybody know what I'm talking about? How many of you in this room would own up like I have that you have been in a snare? That you know the difference? A snare. I mean, I mean, when you just like... I have been held by something by tremendous bitterness and unforgiveness, by grudges. I have been held in it. I'm been held in hatred, I've been held in this area or that area that you been held, captivated by it, that it has a drawing power.
"Sin is something we do. A snare is somewhere we stay". Let me say that again. Sin is something. I mean like we sin but then a snare is a place we kind of sit on down. In fact, we feel stuck in it. And we have a love-hate relationship with or snare, don't we? Because I mean we went to it because it's comfort and all sorts of things. Feel good, a lot of it. But we have a love-hate relationship with it because we know it's got us. We know we're not mastering that. We know it. And we know in the dark of the night, it's dark, and when the darkness is dark, it is very, very, very unsettling for the believer. Zogreo, to be captured alive.
Okay, y'all, I've got to tell you the craziest thing. There is an, oh, I think it's the only other place. Yes, this verb, the verb form of it, we saw that participle just a moment ago, but it's the verb form of that, zogreo, that I was telling you about. And It is used elsewhere in the New Testament only in Luke 5:10, but many of you are familiar with it. It's when Jesus, of course, has come up where they're fixing the nets, and he's got the sons of Zebedee, and there's Peter, Simon Peter. And Jesus says to Simon the fisherman, and now I'm quoting, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men". And some of you are going, "Now, that is my life verse". Amen?
Now you have it. Go, just right that thing up. Mm-hmm. To capture alive. It's the same word zogreo there, and it means that when we are captured by the gospel, we're meant to be caught alive. We're given a life that we've never had. A life, and life more abundant. And it too means that God is after not just taking us home in that moment that we're saved. He might do that soon. He did it with the thief on the cross, but more likely, we're going to be hanging around awhile so that he can do what? So that he make you use of us. So he can make use of us. And here's where I want you to see the counterfeit. Because the gospel is to catch alive. The devil's own plan is to catch us alive. The will of God catch us alive. The will of the enemy catch us alive. It's just that they have two completely antithetical agendas of what they want to do with us once they get us alive. "I will make you catchers of men".
Okay, look at that part in 26. 2 Timothy 2:26. Look it up back now toward the top of the verse where it says, I hope you noticed this, "And they may come to their senses". Come to their senses. Y'all, this is the most interesting word. Ananepho means to become sober. It actually means to become sober again because that A-N-A on the beginning of that Greek word means again. One of the differences in a snare is that there's an intoxicating effect to it. Now, for somebody that is going, "You know what? I've never known what to call it, but I can testify to that".
I need to see somebody's hand that goes, "Oh yeah, I get that". That when you're trapped in it, that you're not even clear, necessarily of mind. Somebody can sit down with you and try to talk to you about it and you're just like all fuzzy about it like you don't even get it, like a complete denial. Anybody know what I'm talking about? Just intoxicated, not clear. Have you ever felt like you've come out of something and gone, "What in heaven's name did I just do"? Am I the only one? I need to just see you. Has anybody? Any? Like what am I doing? Like, you know, in your right mind, what in heaven's name are you caught in? Anybody? But it truly does have that effect, that the snare, that Word, that come to their senses means, that they would wake up out of that drunken stupor, out of that intoxication.
Tonight, I wrote this down in my notes, tonight we have come to sober up. Anybody? Tonight we have come to... look at one another and say, "Tonight, we've come to sober up". I mean is that crazy or what? If somebody says, "What happened tonight at a conference"? "You know what? We came to sober up. We were like a room full of drunks and we came to sober up". Because I can tell you right now that anybody that has gone into recovery for a drinking binge, that the first thing on the agenda in any recovery place I've ever seen, and I've seen some, is to sober up. The first day or days are spent sobering up because nothing happens: the addiction does not ever break if you never sober up.
So we're asking for God to set all manner of people free from whatever they are all ensnared in, when the first thing that needs to happen is, they've got to wake up. They've got to wake up. 'Cause there's no talking someone into it. God has got to wake them up, and he is perfectly capable of doing it. God has got to wake us up and he is perfectly capable of doing it.
Now, listen, I know what somebody may be thinking right now because it's what I would be thinking too. I've got this struggle in my inner man with this person that has just been so wigged out of control in sin, and then that has also known that superiority of self- righteousness. How that all came together under one bleach blonde head, I will never know but it did. I somehow could accomplish being the older brother and the younger brother in my split personality all at one time. I don't know how. I don't know how, but I was able to do it. But I'm just going to tell you that in case you're thinking, "Uh-uh, that is saying it's just the devil made me do it". Oh no, it's not. You show me an intoxicated person that normally, I mean this may be different at the frat house. Normally, it has not been poured down their throat.
James 1:14, it says, "We are lured and enticed by our desires. Then when desire grows, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full-grown, it gives birth to death". It's something then comes to destruction. So, in fishing terms, it means that the enemy baits according to the shape of our hook. We have to take complete responsibility. Because he's baiting us because our hook fits that bait. It's something inside of us has just never ever been brought to restoration and health, and he is looking us with a bait that fits the hook. Could anybody disagree with that in this room? That's like yeah, yeah. I mean we look back and we go, I still have to take responsibility. Intoxicating effect, yes, but I still have to do.
People have told me before that they had been all wrapped up in pornography, then even that, just in toxic, that it just like oh, just completely dulls the mind. But they're still the one getting on the computer, so we have to take complete responsibility. Intoxication does not erase responsibility. Still, us picking it up. Okay. "So Satan will settle for our uselessness but he prefers to put us to use". I've been used by him; you've been used by him. Because listen, he'll take uselessness but that's not what he prefers. When we could do some work for him, all the while, we belong to God. I mean that is even better because we can blow our testimonies while we're at it. So he's big into that. He is big into that.
Now, okay, stay with me here. In the same way, that God's most supreme identity is expressed in his name, the devil's chief identity is expressed in his name. That word devil in 2 Timothy 2:26, and when you see it in the New Testament and you read it along the way, it is the Greek word diabolos. Diabolos. That is the devil. It is a word that means to accuse. He has no bigger job than to accuse. It is what the word, the name devil means accuser. "We are of great use to the accuser when we assist with accusations". Accusation is emotional Adderall, isn't it? It's emotional Adderall because I tell you Adderall gets us all hyped up. Accusation gets us all hyped up and super focused. You're never in like an accusatory mood toward anybody that you are not focused upon.
Would it be fair to say? Emotional Adderall. It makes us feel right, makes us feel high. It is a Godless gotcha. Amen? Somebody may be going, "My mind went Godless. I mean I was right. I was right". Well, here is the thing, the irony is that our Godless accusations can make us as complicit with the enemy as someone who is in the trap. If we get all proud, and arrogant, and self-righteous, and accusatory, all about this person that's in a trap, we're complicit too, because we're in it too. We're just on the self-righteous side of it. Anybody just going there with me? I didn't think it was fun when I got it a week and a half ago either. I really didn't. I really didn't.
Okay. So somebody that's going like, "But I know that God told me to accuse him". Listen, John 5:45. I want you to jot down the address of John 5:45 and I'm going to show you what it says. It says this, "Do not suppose that I will accuse you before the Father". He said, "Your own law accuses you". He tells us later that the enemy accuses us, but Jesus said out of his own mouth, "Do not suppose that I will accuse you before the Father". Jesus does not accuse us. He doesn't have to. He already knows. A lot of our accusation, we don't completely know. You know, I can be a little quieter in my spirit when I really do know. I'm more accusatory when I'm still building my case. Anybody? I'm just all in it then. Because I'm just trying to prove a point. I'm trying to prove a point.
Okay, listen, we're not getting an accusation from Jesus. We are not getting that from Jesus. Confrontation is biblical. You see it demonstrated many places in Scripture, but one place where we see Jesus tell us what to do is Matthew 18:15 through 17. Well, he says go to someone, go to 'em. One of the things that I do, I'm always, like I'm trying to think when the last time was, I did not practice this. I call a godly person and ask to be held accountable. If it's a real high-pitched situation I asked the other party if I can bring somebody that loves us all, that is just godly and everybody trusts. But normally, I will make a telephone call to somebody I really trust and that's a really, really godly friend and I will say, "Listen, I got to do something that's hard and I want you, I want you to be expecting me to call you back and tell you how I behaved". Anybody getting that with me?
"I want you, I'm going to be calling you back, and if I blow my top and I say a bunch of stuff, I'm going to have to tell you". And once I get that going, you know I don't want to have to call 'em back and go, "Well, I was an idiot. I have had to do it, but I don't want to have to do. So Once I make that call and get somebody holding me accountable, I'm already in better stead". So consider, when you need to make a call. Say, "I'm 'a be calling you back at such and such time. I'm going to go talk to 'em. I'm going to be calling you back and I'm going to report to you". Does that make any sense to anybody?
All right, listen, I started to add something, that once again the Holy Spirit stopped me from. I started to list accusation as pride and confrontation as humility, but you know what? That's not always true. Have you ever had somebody come to you and they said all the right things but they were so smackin' superior to you, you could have thrown up? Anybody? Where it was exactly right. It was so biblical, they said all the right things, "I come to you in the love of the Lord". Am I telling the truth? Or we can come in our godliest wrap-up, and come as so pious and so superior, if the person we're confronting walks away from us feeling like trash, we bore the fruit of pride.
So listen, it's not about saying all the right things, because there are times when you know somebody's saying the right things to you and you're thinking, "You despise me". Send me someone to confront me that loves me because do not come to me with all your pious verbiage and your superior lip. I don't want it. Anybody? I don't want it. So don't think for a second that it's always, accusation is always proud confrontation., is always humble. That really does not stick. Okay, I love this, I love this because Pastor Jonathan Martin says this, and he just in a recent message, "Who needs meth when you could just be right"? Really, really, who needs a drug when you could just be right because being right, I mean it's a high. It's like whoa. Listen, "Accusation is the counterfeit of authentic authority". It's not real authority. It's not biblical authority. It is presuming an authority that is a counterfeit of Godly authority.
1 Peter 3:9, "Do not repay evil for evil or insult for insult. Instead, bless others because you were called to inherit a blessing". Do you know, when somebody's ugly to you, and you really do have the guts to speak well and to speak kindly, and to hit your knees in prayer for that person, and pray for God to have favor on them, and to help them and to set them free, I want you to know God is up there talking about you. He's talking about you. You speak well to others, he speaks well of you. I don't know what that does for you, but I want that. I want that. I want him to be able to talk good behind my back about me. I think you want that too.