Running Away From God

Things we cannot run away from

-- adapted from notes of J.F. Dancer

Introduction

A. We are tempted to run away from difficult or unpleasant tasks.

B. Jonah was a prophet who ran from a task that he did not want to do.

1. Jonah 1:2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me."

2. Jonah tried to go in the opposite direction toward Tarshish (Spain). v. 3

3. Actually we was trying to flee from the presence of God, v. 10.

4. God taught him a lesson by sending a storm and a great sea creature to swallow and keep him alive in the depths of the sea. When Jonah learned his lesson, 3:1-4, he determined to fulfill his obligation.

Body

I. There are some things we cannot run away from.

A. We cannot escape the eyes of the Lord.

1. God sees everything.

a. Acts 17:28 In Him we live and move and have our very being.

b. Psalm 139:7 Where can I flee from His presence?

2. Sinners hide from God, like Adam did in the Garden of Eden after his sin.

a. 1 Thessalonians 5:4-10 Sleep at night, get drunk at night, but we are of the day

-- many sins are done secretly: rape, murder, adultery, thievery, lasciviousness, fornication ...

b. Isaiah 29:15 They hide their counsel from God, and say Who shall see us?

c. Ephesians 5:11-12 The things done in secret are shameful even to speak of.

3. False Teachers hide their intentions.

a. 2 Corinthians 4:2 renounced the hidden things, "hidden arts", occultism

b. Jesus exposed the hypocrisy, hidden intentions of the Pharisees

4. God reveals all hidden things.

a. Matthew 10:26

b. 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 6, 8

c. Revelation 6.16 "Hide us from the face of him..."

B. We cannot run away from our own self.

1. Every man shall bear his own burden, Galatians 6:5

a. Some burdens have two handles and others have only one. These we bear alone.

b. Mama cannot bear the guilt of your sins nor their consequences.

c. Nobody can do your praying for you, your Bible reading for you, your good works for you, your saving of souls for you.

2. Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no one pursues them

a. Either that means they have a conscience that they cannot escape

b. Or it means they have no faith or hope in God and therefore no righteous-based courage which causes one to give himself for others or for high and lofty ideals. If you don't stand for anything, you will fall for anything.

C. We cannot run away from DEATH.

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1. Hebrews 9:27 It is appointed unto men once to die and after that the judgement.

a. The most careful man will avoid death perhaps for a long time, but eventually he too will die. Drives carefully; Takes his vitamins and a thousand prescription drugs; Avoids contentious neighbors; Does not challenge dangerous animals; Does not sky-dive; .... and still he dies!

b. Amos 5:19 Flees from a lion and runs into a bear. Runs into a house and leans on a wall and a snake bites him!

2. Psalm 90:10 The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away."

D. After death comes the judgment -- and we will all be there.

1. You say, in your heart, "Not me! I don't want to be there!" No matter, you will be there.

2. John 5:28-29 "all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation."

3. Revelation 20:1, 13 the small and great stand before the great white throne.

4. Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil."

II. Why can't we run away from these things?

A. Can't run away from God:

1. Because He is everywhere. Jeremiah 23:23, 24

a. 1 Kings 20:23, 28-30 Is the Lord in the hills or the plains? BOTH!

b. Joseph was carried far away from his family and the morals of his father. But in far away Egypt, God was still there and when Joseph was faithful to him, God was with him

2. Because He sees everything. Hebrews 4:13

a. Ananias and Sapphira, Acts 5:1-3 Lord sees all of our secret business that no one else sees!

b. The Pharisees grumbled deep within their hearts over Jesus' sayings, and even there Jesus heard them and saw them and answered! Matthew 9:4; 12:25; Luke 5:22; 6:8; 9:47; 11:17; 24:38

B. Can't run away from our conscience until or unless it is "seared"

1. Romans 2:15 Our conscience is always bearing testimony as a faithful witness to what we do whether it is good or evil. It goes with us always, until....

2. 1 Timothy 4:2 having their conscience seared with a hot iron

C. Death has always been certain since the man sinned and was driven from the Garden of Eden.

1. The only ones who shall not die are those who are alive at the coming of Jesus, 1 Corinthians 15:51-56

2. We who are alive and remain when He come shall be caught up to meet Him in the clouds. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18

D. The judgment day is as certain as the day of our death.

1. Acts 17:31

2. 2 Peter 3:8-13

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III. How should these truths affect us?

A. We should so live as to please our God.

1. Proverbs 3:5-8 Trust in His counsel, follow His instructions, fear the Lord and depart from evil ...

2. 2 Corinthians 5:7-9 Walk by faith and not by sight, which means by his Jesus teachings, Romans 10:17 because faith comes by hearing his word and faith pleases Him, Hebrews 11:6

B. We should keep our conscience clean.

1. Teach your conscience the truth so that it can be a faithful witness and help you when you step off of the path. It can be wrong, Acts 26:9 (Paul thought it was right to persecute Christians!=

2. Teach it as Paul told Timothy, 2 Timothy 3:14-17.

C. Prepare for death by taking the "sting" out of it, because it is inevitable!

1. The sting of death is sin, 1 Corinthians 15:55

2. Sin cannot condemn us if we are forgiven. If we are washed, sanctified, and justified, then we have fellowship with God and can long for the return of Jesus: Philippians 1:21-23; 2 Timothy 4:8

D. If we are prepared for death, we will be prepared for the Judgment.

1. 2 Corinthians 5:10 all we must appear before the judgment seat of Christians

2. Matthew 25:34 come ye blessed of my Father

Conclusion-- You cannot run away from these things, you must face them!