THE ESCAPE P. L. O. T.
Luke 21:34-36
34 "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."
NKJV
Luke 21:34-36
34 "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."
NIV
Luke 21:36
36 "But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."
NASU
Luke 21:36
36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
KJV
Luke 21:36
36 But watch ye at every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
ASV
Luke 21:36
36 "But keep on the alert at all times, praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."
NAS
Luke 21:36
36 Keep a constant watch. And pray that if possible you may arrive in my presence without having to experience these horrors."
TLB
ESCAPE
" TO FLEE OUT OF A PLACE "
PLOT
" A PLAN OR DESIGN "
Rev 3:10-11
10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.
NKJV
GOD HAS A PLAN, A PURPOSE, A PLOT FOR THE WHOLE WORLD - FOR HEAVEN, FOR HELL, & FOR YOU... HIS PLAN WILL NOT FAIL!
THERE IS A GREAT DAY OF JUDGMENT COMING AND THERE IS A WAY OF ESCAPE FROM IT...
Jesus revealed his "ESCAPE PLOT" strategy...
PRAY ALWAYS
... pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.
What things is Jesus talking about?
- Deception
- Many will come & appear to be
like Christ but will lead
multitudes astray...
- Wars, rumors of wars
- Nations fighting one another
- Earthquakes
- Famines
- Pestilences ( plagues, epidemics, terrible
diseases )
- Fearful sights
- Great signs from heaven
- Persecution
Matt 26:41
Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
NKJV
Mark 13:
33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.
NKJV
Luke 18:
1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,
NKJV
1 Thess 5:
17 pray without ceasing,
NKJV
The Word of God is full of accounts describing the power of prayer in various situations. The power of prayer has overcome enemies, conquered death, brought healing, and defeated demons.
God, through prayer, opens eyes, changes hearts, heals wounds, and grants wisdom. The power of prayer should never be underestimated because it draws on the glory and might of the all-powerful God of the universe!
Daniel 4:35 proclaims, "All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: ’What have you done?
LEAVE THE OLD LIFE BEHIND
( abandon & renounce it )
... lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing,
drunkenness, and cares of this life...
( heart + mind & heart )
( weighed down = burdened, heavy pressed, oppressed )
- Carousing
( drunkenness, party spirit, loose
living ( prodigal son )
Rom 13:
13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
NKJV
Gal 5:
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
NKJV
1 Peter 4:
3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles--when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.
NKJV
- Cares of this life
( distractions, to divide your
loyalties, anxieties )
- everything concerning present
living...
Eph 4:
22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
NKJV
Eph 5:
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.
NKJV
OBSERVE THE NATURAL & SPIRITUAL REALMS ( dominions )
( to watch, study, examine, perceive, discern, notice )
- Watch out for the spiritual condition of your own
life...
- Watch out for what is happening in the World...
Matt 24:
42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.
NKJV
Matt 25:
13 "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
NKJV
Mark 13:
35 Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming--in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning-- 36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"
NKJV
1 Cor 16:
13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done with love.
NKJV
1 Thess 5:
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 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. 11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.
NKJV
Rev 3:
Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.
NKJV
TRUST IN THE LORD
( faith, hope, conviction, confidence, expectation
dependence )
1 Tim 4:
10 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.
NKJV
Perhaps the greatest example in the New Testament that characterizes the spirit we seek is found in the Apostle Paul, whose valuable letters to the churches give us a glimpse into his heart. Paul is not drifting. He is not resting in amazing happiness. He is willing to die fighting: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day -- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:7-8)
He tells Timothy, "Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:3). He writes to the Corinthian church:
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)
From prison he writes these passionate and inspiring words to the Philippian church:
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12-14)
Paul is not fearful. Paul is not terrified of hell. Nor is Paul working to gain righteousness. He lives in Christ’s righteousness. He is not striving to gain salvation. He has assurance of forgiveness of sins and adoption as a son.
But Paul is striving -- like Jesus our Lord tells all his disciples to do -- to watch and pray, to avoid all the dulling and tempting experiences of our lives, that we might be faithful to Him.
Paul is striving to be faithful. Jesus calls us to be faithful -- to the very end, the glorious time when we shall suddenly stand before him, and, hopefully, see his smile of joy, feel his hand of encouragement, and listen to those wonderful words, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord."
