R1536 Going Back Again

God has an encouraging word for you and me today through the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton and a message called Going Back Again. Here on this edition of The Encouraging Word, Dr. Don is taking us straight to the book of Acts, chapter 15, and as we study God's word together, we're going to get understanding on this concept of not only going back again, but the idea of moving forward with a perspective of what's happened behind us. Again, Dr. Don will explain more in just a minute. He wants me to remind you we're here for you 24-7 on this phone number, 866-899-WORD.

Jot it down, store it in your cell. We'd love to pray with you anytime, 866-899-9673 or online at www.tewonline.org. That's www.tewonline.org. By the way, Happy New Year. Let's study God's word together.

Here's Dr. Don Wilton. You know, you feel, I feel quite emotional up here in some ways. Our young people are so incredibly precious, and you know, we could spend the rest of our time just telling you, thanking you, parents, grandparents, church family. They are a resilient, testifying, upright, fun-loving, great, healthy group of young people. I'm just telling you.

I want you to take your Bibles today with me and turn with me to the book of Acts and chapter 15. I've entitled our message today, Going Back Again. Going Back Again. You know, Steve and I often talk about this. When you think of the numbers of times over the years that we have taken young people, began with Steve some 27 years ago, 28 years ago. Personally, my 26th year to travel with our young people. We go back again, and we go back again. Camp Voyager. How many times have we done this?

Vacation Bible. How many times? How many times have we gone back again? How many times?

50 consecutive years. This church has sent armies of people into the hills and the hollows of Kentucky, and countless thousands of people have come to know Christ. We're talking about Paul and what the Bible teaches. This first time at which a group of people led by one man by the name of Paul, under the inspiration of the Spirit, went out and he went back again. I'm going to show you something here that's just quite amazing, how God just brings this all together. Even now, today, this moment in time, the relentless pursuit.

It's a word for somebody today. Don't give up. Don't stop.

Go back again. Keep at it. It's called faithfulness. God rewards faithfulness.

And I thank you for being determined, for not growing weary in well-doing. I'm going to show you something very briefly here today as we go into Paul's second missionary journey. And you'll remember that after his first trip, which was about 1700 miles, 1400 to 1700 miles, they came back to their home church in a place called Antioch in Syria.

I'm going to show it to you in just a minute. We're going to pick up because when they went back to their home church after having been out there, they came back from Antioch, Pisidia. They came back from Cyprus.

They came back from Lystra, from Derby, and Iconium, these places in Asia. And God had done a great work, but they also encountered every kind of opposition and struggles. They had their hardships. Their telephone didn't work. They lost cell service. They went to places where there was no Wi-Fi, where the food wasn't exactly what they really enjoyed. They got exhausted.

They went morning, noon, and night. We're going to pick up in Acts chapter 15 and verse 36. Acts chapter 15 and verse 36. The Bible says after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, Let us return.

Let's go back to every city where we have proclaimed the word of the Lord and see how they're doing. Now Barnabas wanted to take with him John called Mark. We had encountered him before.

Wonderful man. But Paul thought it best not to take with them. Someone who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. So they began to disagree.

A sharp disagreement. Should we take John Mark or shouldn't we? So they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark and sailed with him away to the island of Cyprus. Remember Barnabas was from Cyprus.

So now he's taking John Mark back to his home country, so to speak. But Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the church to the grace of the Lord, and they went throughout Syria, Silasia, strengthening the churches. Paul also came to Derbe and Alistra and a disciple was there named Timothy. We've all heard about Timothy, haven't we? Paul devoted a whole letter to Timothy.

Two of them. First and second Timothy. Timothy is a very key person. So he was from Lystra.

I'm going to tell you about that in a minute. And he was a believer, but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken by the brothers at Lystra and at Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany, so he took him, circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. He was willing to go all the way to identify with people so that he could share the gospel. He was willing to do whatever it took. It's an amazing story.

Even things that you don't have to do and you don't necessarily feel like doing. Do it if in fact it means you're going to be able to point someone to the Lord Jesus. That's what was going on here. And so look at verse four. And as they went their way through the cities, they delivered them for observance, decisions that had been reached by the apostles and the leaders at the council of Jerusalem, which was in chapter 15. So the churches were strengthened in faith. They increased in numbers. And so they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the work in Asia. And when they came up from Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the spirit of Jesus did not allow them.

Now, how about that? I can't explain this to you, but we went to one institution this week. And while the young people and everybody were getting ready, it was a major prison facility. And Steve was in there dealing with officers and everything, and I just sensed in my heart. I hadn't said a word to Steve, just had this, I got back on the bus, took the microphone.

I just prayed with those who were on the bus. Can't remember how or what I said, but it was something like, Lord, I just sense in my heart that Steve is struggling with something. Maybe there's a blockage, a barrier, maybe there's a reason that you're telling us not to go into this prison. I don't know, but if you open the door, if you're not close the door, we're cool. We're going to do whatever you tell us to do. Steve came out, I'm telling you, while I was still praying and gave me this sign.

And he made the decision, we're not going in there. Now, you're going to say to me, well, why? I have no idea. Was one of our kids going to get hurt in there? Is there going to be a riot? Were we leading our young people somewhere?

I don't know, am I being dramatic here? We don't know. But I promise you something, I trust Steve, who is filled with the Spirit, and I believe God by His Spirit spoke to Steve Skinner and said, not today, move on.

And we did. Now watch this folks, this is very important. You need to, I want you to get this, because God is speaking to you right now. He's speaking to you.

Speaking to all of us. Let me show you what happened here. But the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas, and a vision appeared to Paul in the night, a man from Macedonia. I'm going to tell you in just a moment, that's on the other side of the sea. A man from Macedonia was standing there urging him saying, come on over here to Macedonia. And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Now look over here with me for a minute. This is an amazing story. Because something happened here, right here in Antioch is the home church. So we know that when they came back from their previous journey, what we call in the Bible the first journey, the first missionary journey.

They went out from their home church, they came back there. It's a good thing to do. By the way, for some of you, you need to go back home.

For some of you, you need to come back home. It's where you belong. It's where you're going to get your batteries recharged. It's where you're going to get a good meal. It's where you're going to be reminded. It's where you're going to get love like you won't get anywhere else. Don't leave. Come back.

And if you do leave, come back. It's a very important spiritual thing. Don't be a church hopper. Don't play hop, skip, and jump from one place church to the next. You'll develop no roots. Nothing will go down. You'll become broad, but not deep.

You'll never belong. There's a deep spiritual truth. So here he is, look here, and he leaves here from Antioch, and he takes off, and he goes this long journey through Cilicia here, and he ends up back in Derby. So when he gets to Derby, if you remember in the first missionary journey, Derby was the turning point. That's where he turned around. He got that far on the first missionary journey. God said, that's enough. So he turned around here, and he backtracked.

That's what he did. So evidently on the first trip, God said at Derby that was enough. And when he got to Derby, well, what did he do? He turned around. He listened to God. Then he started raising up leaders.

We're going to see how that works out. Because he said, listen, everywhere I go, I've got to leave behind me people who are going to do the work. And then he came over here to Lystra.

Let me just tell you about Lystra. That was the home of the gods. Remember Zeus and Hermes? In fact, this place was so tied into God worship. It almost looked like the United States of America.

They had their Lystra idol, like we have our American idols. They worship people and concrete and stone and buildings and windows. And their two particular gods, the first one was Zeus, the god of thunder, boom, the god of lightning, the god of explosiveness. And then they worshiped the god called Hermes, who was the god who drew the boundaries. He represented all the gods. He was the emissary.

He was like the big chief. And then he went to Iconium where he had been thrown out. So let's just hang there for a minute. So here they end up, they go all the way back, all the way back, and they end up back in their home church and they settle down. When they get to their home church after a long journey, they gather the church together. What do you think we're doing this morning? I wonder why the Bible says forsake not the gathering of yourselves together.

Some of us have been on the road this week, but boy, it's good to be gathered together back home. The church was never a suggestion. It's God's plan.

Forgive the interruption. It indeed is God's plan. And as we discover more of God's plan for our lives, both individually and corporately, I pray that you know you are not alone in this procedure.

It's a brand new year. And perhaps you've never thought about picking up the phone and calling a ministry and asking us to pray for you, but we'd be happy to do so. Jot the number down. 866-899-WORD is the phone number. That's 866-899-9673 or online at tewonline.org. Ways to connect so that we can be a part of encouraging you. That's really our calling as the encouraging word, and that's to encourage you.

Call you on the phone, 866-899-9673 or online at tewonline.org. Now back to today's message with Dr. Don Wilton. And anything less will leave you with no roots. You'll never be able to hang on when the wind blows because you've got no roots.

When troubles come, you don't have any 2 a.m. friends. So they go back here, they gather the church together, and they tell them the whole story. They share the blessings. That's what they did.

In Acts, end of 15, beginning of... They shared all the stuff. They said, man, let's tell you what happened in that prison. By the way, you want to see what happened at Camp Voyager.

It was amazing. You know, that blob thing, Eddie, that they jump on at Camp Voyager? We need to bring one here into one of our worship services and put it right there because one of these days, I know I'm going to walk off the edge of this. But I have said to myself for years, one of these days, I'm going to go and jump off... No, I'm not going to jump off. I'm going to sit on it. And I'm going to just let one of my rather large friends jump off the top because I just like the thought of sailing like that. I have been doing that for years and now I'm just too old.

If I did that, every bone in my body would break. So what they did was they came back here and they shared the blessings. Isn't it wonderful to participate in shared blessings? Isn't it just so fantastic when you gather people around, you say, man, can we just tell you what happened?

Can we just share something? Can we just tell you about someone who gave their heart to Jesus? And when they'd done that here in Antioch, their home church, the third thing they did was they just began to gear up to do it again.

They geared up to do it again. And that's why Barnabas and Paul look at each other in verse 36 and say, hmm, let's go back again. Would you bow your heads with me this morning? I want to pray for you today, my friend, because somebody right now needs to go back again. Perhaps you need to go back again and reexamine your salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. I did that many, many years ago. I grew up in a fine Christian home, made a decision for Christ at a young age, but with a beautiful wife that God had given to me in my young adulthood, in the midst of academic pursuit, a searching mind, and many a ball game, I had to go back again. I had to go back. I had to ask the question, Lord, am I saved? Do I know you? Make certain today, my friend, give your heart to Jesus today.

Settle that issue today. Maybe you need to go back again to that place where you first made that commitment. It's like marriage in some ways, isn't it?

Those of us who've been married for many years, we become accustomed to one another and perhaps take some things for granted and little habits begin to creep in. It's such a good thing to go back again. Go back to that place where you first met. Go back to that proposal. Go back to that time when you were willing to travel.

Go to any length to see her, to see him. Go and renew your vows. Maybe today you need to go back again because God's calling you to go back again. Maybe today you are at the point in your life where you know. You know what God said to you.

Oh, it's been a struggle. Perhaps circumstances have come in your life like they do in all of us. Maybe you lost a loved one or perhaps you lost your job.

There's so many things that happen to us and they cause us to suddenly stop. Maybe for you it's time to start again because God's saying go back again. Father, all across our nation, people right now are making decisions because you're speaking to them just like you spoke to your servant Paul having gone on a long journey for you and after a while as they get up to go back again, there came that time when you spoke and you said it's time. For us, Lord, today it's time. It's time to go back again. It's time to stand up again.

It's time to renew our vows again. It's time to be the kind of people that God is calling us to be. It's time to pray again. It's time to give again. It's time to share our testimony again. It's time to be a witness again. It's time to love one another again. It's time to say I'm sorry again. It's time to forgive again because you're telling us to go back again. Lord, we find ourselves, all of us, needing to confess to bow down before you, for you alone are God and there is none like unto thee. Lord, help us today.

Would you look at me? We're going to sing such a beautiful hymn of invitation together. And I'm going to ask you today to come. We have so many people here available to take you by the hand, to greet you, to welcome you into the fellowship of the church, to welcome you back again, to welcome you for the first time, to pray with you, get alongside of you, to listen, to answer questions, to help you to ask questions, just to be our 2 a.m. friends. Won't you be my friend at 2 o'clock in the morning when I need you so badly and I can go back to my church family and call you at any hour of the day of night and I know that you'd come running. I present to you the church. We need to confess and bow down before him. I just love you.

That's all. Oh, I pray you hear that. I've known Dr. Wilton now for over a quarter of a century and the first time I heard him say, I love you, I thought, he doesn't know me. How could he love me? But it's not his love that he's talking about. It's talking about the power of God working in him, through him, to love you and to love me. God is using this broadcast to share with you his love. He cares for you.

He is pursuing you. No matter what you've done, how far you've run, God is ready to build a new bridge back to himself for you. Or maybe for the very first time, are you ready to open your heart to Christ?

You've listened to Dr. Don teach. I pray you, as he now opens his heart to you personally, open your heart to what Dr. Don's going to say next. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ? Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now? Dear God, I know that I'm a sinner and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross. Today, I repent of my sin and by faith, I receive you into my heart in Jesus' name. My friend, I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting news.

Wow. It's a brand new day, a brand new year here on the first launch of 2021. If you just prayed with Dr. Wilton, maybe to rededicate your life and say, all right, it's time for a course correction. We would love to be a part of the new journey with you, with Christ. We have wonderful resources from our free resources like the Daily Encouraging Word Bible Guide to the opportunity to grab one of the leather-bound devotionals that we're using here in 2021. All the details are on our website at tewonline.org or by picking up the phone and giving us a call.

Let us put these resources in your hands. 866-899. Word is the phone number jotted down, stored in your cell.

That's 866-899-9673. And many friends, especially at the end of the year, these last few weeks have been saying we want to participate financially and prayerfully with you in the Encouraging Word. What does that mean? Here's Liz with the details of what it means to become an encourager. Over the past few months, our viewership and calls to our prayer line have greatly increased. The demand for our quarterly devotional has also increased. We praise Jesus for this. We are reaching more people for Christ. Will you join us in reaching just one more? Your monthly donation of any amount will help us continue the work of the Lord.

When things around you seem out of control, you can make a difference. Call today. 866-899. Word, that's 866-899-9673. Our time's gone for now, but let's stay connected online at www.dewonline.org and at 866-899-9673.