Genesis 14: Fire Snatchers

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It's his word that transforms. You will find more and see more than I can ever articulate. Welcome to chapter by chapter. And today's chapter is Genesis 14. There's an elite group of men and women firefighters they call hot shots. These firefighters go into a literal hell, the hottest part of the fire to stop its advance and then do rescue. There are only 100 hot shots in the country. I heard a hot shot story recently. They said we were carving a burned out barrier to stop the flames before they reached town. The fire was moving so fast. It was 200 yards away now and the noise was building. Burning embers flew through the air, lighting up spot fires ahead of the firewall. I began to hear a particular sound, the sound of a freight train and out of controlled wildfire that is bearing down on you makes a sound like a freight train or really 100 freight trains. It's a burst of sound ripping in your ears. Hot shots believe that once you hear that sound, you're nearly out of time. If the wildfire caught Chris and me, we'd either be dead or suffer 100% of body burns. There were no other options. Chris was shouting but now his voice was sucked in by the howling of the fire. Our brothers were somewhere through the wall of brush but no one could hear us. I saw daylight ahead and the dark flat shape of asphalt out of nowhere Chris jerked me free of the brush. The air was clean, we sucked it in greedily. I felt pure joy surging through my gut. We got out of it alive. I want to talk to you about a new kind of hot shot. Really spiritual hot shots. These are the people, the Christians, that jerk people from the flames of hell so they can feel joy again and feel freedom and eternal life. The name of this elite teen are in the small book of Jude in the New Testament. Here is their training and here is their name. This is Jude 23-23. But you beloved building yourselves up on your most holy faith praying in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life and having mercy on some who are doubting and saving others, snatching them out of the fire. Jude's name for people who rescue the spiritually lost is fire snatchers. What fires is Jude speaking of? What firestorms are we running into and pulling people out of? Solomon answers the fire question in Proverbs. He uses the fire and sin with sleeping with another person's spouse, adultery. He is calling sin that fire. Listen to Proverbs 626. For a prostitute will bring you to poverty, but sleeping with another man's wife will cost you your life. Can a man scoop a flame into his lap and not have his clothes catch on fire? Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet? So it is with the man who sleeps with another man's wife. Jude gave me the name of the elite fighters. They're called fire snatchers. Solomon gave me the name of the fire. It's sin. And Abraham gave me the tools and the story. And that's the story of lot. I learned about fire snatching from Abraham. Abraham had a get into the heat of the battle to rescue as an effulot. Why is lot in trouble? Because of his choices. Lot chose to live in Sodom and Gomorrah. So lot moves to Sodom. And less than a year Sodom is under attack. Five kings came against the city. And this is what happens. This is Genesis 14. And the king of Sodom and Gomorrah fled. And they fell into them. But those who survived fled to the hill country. Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, all their food supply and departed. But they also took lot. Abrams nephew and his possessions and departed for he was living in Sodom. Sodom was a fire hazard. It was flammable and would be set on fire in the years to come. It has been less than a year since Lot chose this place and he has taken captive. He took fire into his lap. And like Solomon said, he got burned. When Abraham heard his family member was taken captive, he went into action. He was going to try to get him out of this mess. Listen to Genesis 14, verse 14. When Abraham heard that his relative had been taken captive, he let out his trained men born in the house, 318, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. He divided his forces against them by night. He and his servants and defeated them and pursued them as far as Hobom, which is the north of Damascus. He brought back all the goods and also brought back his relative lot with his possessions and also the women and the people. William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, whose whole life was spent pulling people from the fire. Listen to his words. He said, put your ear down to the Bible. And hear him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burden, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. There are some powerful principles that Abraham teaches us about fire snatching. How to get those out of the flames of hell and on their way to heaven. Here are some principles of fire snatching. Number one, get all the help you need. Abraham did not go alone, but he got 318 men to go on this mission to rescue a lot. That's what it says when he let out 318 to go after him. See, there are times when you are dealing with those caught in the fire, those caught in Sodom that you can't go alone. You need help. Get people believing, praying, witnessing, sharing a testimony. 318 after this one family member. Number two, don't just get anyone, get the train. That's what it says that Abraham let out his train men. Some sin is so deep, seated, we need not just people, but the trained. I'm so thankful for places like Teen Challenge and Victory Outreach. I'm so thankful for the men and women that lead centers around the world and around the country to help with those that have been in the fires of addiction. They're trained in prayer, they're trained in fasting, they're trained in deliverance. When it comes to the trained fighters for people's freedom, it is a long battle, and there is a lot at stake. Number three, you can be trained, but we must know about your birth. You have to carry two birth certificates to be a fire snatcher. Not only the day that you are born, but the day that you're born again. Verse 14 says, "When Abraham heard that his relative had been taken captive, he let out his train men. Those born in the house, born in the house," it says. It doesn't have to be this house, but it better be God's house. Be very careful about using people that may know Freud, but not Lucifer, just because you've been trained in counseling and psychology. Does it mean you know how to do fire snatching? They won't think the fire is a fire, but a symptom. I want people born in the house, born from above, and born again. Oh, we do need doctors, but we need miracles. We do need counselors, but we need miracles. We need people who are born again, who believe in God. Number four, pursue. Don't wait to be asked for help. If you notice, lot never ask for help. Abraham heard about it and moved into action. The longer you wait out the fire, the more it can consume them. It moves like that freight train. Make the phone call, send the text, and talk to them. Every fight, number five, is a night fight. The Bible says he divided his forces against them by night. Hell is strong, but God is stronger. You are fighting hell's control, and that's why every fight for a soul, it's a night fight. There's darkness involved. Leslie B. Flynn told a story that illustrates this truth. A Norfolk boy was living with his grandmother when their house caught fire. The grandmother trying to get upstairs to rescue the boy, perished in the flames. The boy's cries for help were finally answered by a man who climbed an iron drain pipe and came back down with the boy hanging tightly to his neck. Several weeks later, a public hearing was held to determine who would receive custody of that child, a farmer, a teacher, and the town's wealthiest citizen all gave the reasons they felt they should be chosen to give that boy a home. But as they talk, the lad's eyes remained focused on the floor. Then, a stranger walked to the front, slowly took his hands from his pockets, revealing severe scars on them. As the crowd gasped, the boy cried out in recognition. This was the man who had saved his life. His hands had been burned when he climbed that hot pipe. With a leap, the boy threw his arms around the man's neck and held on for dear life. The other men silently walked away, leaving the boy and his rescue were alone. Those marred and burnt hands had settled the issue. The marred hands settled the issue. There are many voices that are calling for our attention. Among them is the one whose nail pierced hands remind us that he has rescued us from the fire of sin and its deadly consequences, to him belongs our love and devotion. Thank you for joining chapter by chapter. Every chapter from the greatest book, the Bible, the Word of God. We'll see you tomorrow.