Retirement is the aspiration of countless hardworking people. After decades in the workforce, there comes a day when it's time to live a new dream. Tragically, too many settle into a rocking chair when God has something far more exciting in mind. Today, on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindahl cites Paul, who near the end of his life was still pioneering new territory.
So what fuels such fire? In the next half hour, Chuck distills Paul's secret into four life-changing principles. And whether you're 25 or 75, God has adventures ahead. Chuck titled today's message, Preaching and Traveling with Paul. Cole.
in his ministry as a pioneer. In his leadership, in his thinking, he is a servant. His ministry is marked by serving, but he's also a pioneer. I get that from verse 20. Love this verse.
I aspired to preach the gospel not where Christ was already named.
So that I would not build on another man's foundation. Remember his comment to the Corinthians? First Corinthians three, verses four through seven, you will read the words. I planted. Apollos watered.
And God gave the increase. That planting part. That's the heart of a pioneer missionary. I remember reading about David Livingston when he applied as a missionary at the London Missionary Society. He was asked, You volunteered, but where would you like to go?
His answer, indicative of a pioneer, was, I go anywhere.
So long as it is forward. James Stalker, in a fine work on Paul, writes this of Livingston. There are many men who like to grow where they are born. To have to change into new circumstances and make acquaintances with new people is intolerable. But there are others who have a kind of vagabondism in their blood.
They are the persons intended by nature for immigrants. and pioneers. And if they take to the work of the ministry, they make the best missionaries. In modern times, no missionary has had this consecrated spirit of adventure. in the same degree as that great Scotchman.
David Livingston. When he first went to Africa, he found the missionaries clustered in the south part of the continent, just within the fringe of heathenism. They had their own little homes by then, their own little gardens, and their little families and their small congregation of now born-again natives, and they were content to stay there. Livingston moved at once away beyond the rest into the heart of heathenism. and dreams of more distant regions never ceased to haunt him till at length He began his extraordinary tramps over thousands of miles.
where no missionary had ever been. Another source said when he reached Africa, he was haunted by the smoke. of a thousand villages which he saw in the distance. Those are the words of a pioneer. A visionary.
He's moving to where no one has already built. He's moving into virgin territory. No. We've read names that are unfamiliar to us. I mean, most of you would have your.
Put your life on the line to explain where illyricum is. You do well to locate turkey, huh?
So let's turn back to my favorite part of our Bible, the maps. You knew I was going to get there, didn't you? Go all the way to the back. I'm going to watch little dust pockets pop up from around the congregation. I want you to find your map that says the missionary journeys of Paul.
Okay? My Bible had to turn sideways because the map is horizontal and it's covering. East to west. I want you to start in the far right bottom of the map where it says Jerusalem.
Okay, the maps are the part that's color. I just thought you might not be familiar with the maps. And in case you have a Bible without maps, you need another Bible, okay?
So let's start at Jerusalem at the bottom right. We're going to go up all the way to Antioch. You see Antioch up there, it's then known as Antioch of Pisidia, away up there in the northern region above Jerusalem, and then stay with Paul as he travels all the way through Galatia. And Asia Minor, that's Turkey today. And he goes all the way to Troaz.
You know, you're at Troas when the next step your feet get wet. See, Troas, right next to Troas, is the easternmost shores of the Aegean Sea.
Okay, Paul goes to Troas. It's in Troz that he gets the vision to come to Europe. The man from Macedonia says, Come over and help us.
Well, look across the Aegean, you'll see Macedonia. That's where this guy was that was in Paul's vision or dream saying, Come over to help us.
So Paul goes across the sea, he and his companions go to Neapolis, Philippi, Amphipolis, Berea, and then they work their way down to Athens. Remember when he was in Athens? He went up on Mars Hill and gave the gospel to all eggheads in Athens and told them about Jesus and they don't want to have anything to do with him. Very small group of interested people, never established a church in Athens. And then he went over to Corinth.
See Corinth? When you travel there today, you go from Athens to Corinth, you will notice that there is a long canal. That opens from the Aegean to the Adriatic.
Now, in those days, it wasn't there.
So, to get the cargo ships from the east to the west, they would literally drag them across an isthmus of land right across the Corinthian area to get them into the Adriatic. How's that for a job, huh? I drag boats across from the Aegean to the Adriatic. And that's why Corinth was such a popular city, it's a port city.
Now, stay with me here. We go from Corinth back across the southern Aegean to Ephesus. All right, you see it? Ephesus, right there on the westernmost shores of Turkey or Asia Minor, then travel south a straight shot back to Jerusalem.
Now, let me show you something. Oh, while you've got your Bible open, if you've got a Bible big enough, look under the spread of Christianity, you'll see Illyricum. Illyricum is right up on the northwestern shores of the Adriatic across from Italy. It's in the Dalmatia area.
Okay. Illyricum, that's as far. If you go from Antioch to Illyricum, you are traveling 140 to 1500 miles. without cruise control. without air conditioning.
Without any motorized vehicle. You're going on carts, on beasts, on your feet, in sandals. The most rugged kind of lifestyle this pioneer missionary lived, finding places to find something to eat, no place to lay his head, and he did this. Most of his adult life, imagine that.
So, now remember this little circle we've gone to? This is so exciting. Go back to Romans chapter 15, 19. Look at this. This is great.
In the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit, so that from Jerusalem. And roundabout as far as Illyrica. Look at that roundabout. He's literally going around. You don't look very excited.
Well, anyway, it's like a circle and an arch that goes from Jerusalem all the way up to Illyricum, and all the way back, he comes back to Jerusalem. The whole point is: I have the pleasure, I have the privilege, I have the opportunity to share the gospel with people who've never heard it before. Have you ever been in a setting like that? It is magnificent.
Some campus ministries are like this. When you speak to fraternities or sororities, you're in a setting where most of them have never once made any kind of intelligent search or study of the name of the person of Jesus. If you have ever been in a country where they don't know of Christ, you have no idea. What rank heathenism looks like. It is remarkable the difference.
the demonism, the power of the enemy, the darkness. And you come in. with a light shining through you. To share the message of the Savior. That's Paul.
May I say to all of you This is called a dream. This is called a vision. If you're always looking to keep your culture comfortable and keep your life safe from risks, you'll never know the joys. That he's talking about here. You'll never get out of your little quiet and Contented cocoon.
of the familiar. I speak to people, most of you are younger than I, and I say to you: don't stop dreaming. Don't stop being open to a vision. Don't stop listening to what God may have for you. How magnificent to meet up with people that say, let me tell you about a dream.
Let me tell you about my plans. I told him when I got to Dallas Seminary and I had come from a world of the pastorate and I looked around and I gave a simple warning. I said, if we're not careful, we'll live in the memory of what was. And every chapel we could play the way we were. As our song of the day, it's all about the great years of the past.
And I said, wait a minute, wait a minute. Let me give you a thought. Our dreams must be greater than our memories, or we become a dusty museum. That talks about theology. And sits around working over words of theological significance, arguing and debating of scholars with scholars, and forgetting there's a world.
That's never once heard the name. of Jesus and they'll die not knowing it. Keep your vision sharp. Keep your dreams alive. Don't aim too low.
Now I hear some of you.
Some of you are Made to Say now, Chuck. Get a hold of yourself. Remember. Got to be realistic about it.
So let me show you. Paul is a realist. Look at verse 22. For this reason I have all often been prevented from coming to you. Where are they?
They're in Rome. Paul says, I've tried on a number of occasions to get there and. adversaries, interruptions, and opposition. Naysayers.
Now that's realism. They'll always be around.
Someone has said that a realist is the one who Puts the brakes on the dreamer so he doesn't drive off the deep end. And that's true. You need those bean counters. You need those individuals who Who reminds you, you realize what you're asking here. You realize that's a lot.
You realize, yeah, and if you realize it too much, you'll realize yourself out of your dream. I love in Walt Disney's biography. He tells the story of when he called up Art Linkletter, asked him to come with him on a drive. Walt drove up, and Art got in, his convertible, and one California morning, they drove far away from where they lived down into the swamps of Anaheim, as Linkletter put it. We went to the swampy area.
And we pulled up, and we're both looking out of his car, and Walt is all excited. He says, Me? I'm looking at a swamp. And Art says and Walt says to me, look, look, Art. Look.
Art says I look kept looking and Waltz. Couldn't contain himself. He says, listen. There's a theme park in there. Art goes All I see is the swamp, Walt.
He said, no, no, no, no. Sunday Disney. Land. will be there. Hey.
Art goes wall. Yeah. Take a deep breath. Get a life waltz. You know, I've been with you in other ventures, but this one won't.
Please. And Walt says, I want you to go in with me halfway. Yeah. Art says. I said no.
Could you believe I said no? To Disneyland of all things. Why? Why? Why?
Because one's a dreamer. And one's scared of the risk. Walt continued to dream like that. I understand when. Disney.
The world was finished, and some of the board members stood on the bridge and. Walt was by them dead. One of them said to the other, Isn't it a shame Walt never got to see this? And the other one said, oh, he did. Long before any of us.
Could imagine. I understand it may be apocryphal, but I like the story. That if Walt had anybody on his board that voted yes, he didn't get excited about it. They all voted no.
Well, let's go on. That means it's going to be really worthwhile to go there. There are interruptions, there certainly are. But look at the optimism, verse 29. I know that when I come to you, when?
Okay. But good. Not if. But when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing. of Christ.
That sounded like a man excited and enthusiastic about his future. Does that sound like a man that's worried about the difficulties of his past? No, as a matter of fact, on his heart, verse 24, is Spain. And notice there isn't an if in front of Spain. Whenever I go to Spain.
Oh, Spain, we forgot to look. No, you probably know where Spain is, so. It's a long ways from Antioch. It's a long ways from Jerusalem. It's far beyond the Adriatic and the Aegean.
But it's on Paul's heart. Yeah. Yeah. Just as you have on your heart God-given dreams. I can tell you from personal experience that.
Dreams fuel your fire. I recently signed a contract with a publisher to do all the books of the New Testament. That's a seven-year project. Can you believe they'd signed that contract? You know what Cynthia said?
She said, when you finish that project, you can do the Old Testament. Yeah, thanks a lot. I live with a dreamer. Why not? I got guys 10, 15 years younger than I am, already retired.
Nothing wrong with retiring from your career, but they've retired from life. And they're just waiting until they die. What a horrible way to spend your later years. Step up. Dream a dream.
Trust God to do what Most people around you will scratch their head thinking, how in the world does he think that's going to happen?
Now let me give you four principles that will go with you the rest of your life, okay? You haven't written anything else down, so write this down, okay? This will help you. You're going to need it someday, trust me. Nobody ever gave it to me, so I'm going to give it to you, and you'll get it from fresh fire of my own life.
Four timeless principles. Number one, Life's greatest achievements. or accomplished through joint effort. Life's greatest achievements are accomplished through a joint effort. Don't go solo.
No covered wagon was occupied by one person. There were families. There were multiple families traveling together. There were partners. There were fellow dreamers.
Life's greatest achievements are accomplished through joint effort.
So, add to that: stay involved. Stay involved. Don't burn bridges. Stay involved. Stay available.
Here's the second. Those accomplishments are never achieved without hindrances. Those accomplishments are never achieved without hindrances. I think it was F. B.
Meyer who writes, If I'm told that a road toward my destination is rugged, every jolt along the road reminds me I'm on the right road. I used to have a little framed little motto in my study here at the church that I gave to a friend a week ago. I'd had it in there long enough to memorize it. It shows a guy coming down the Moguls. These guys that ski.
And they come down a slope, you know, like this, with all these mounds around. It says, obstacles are those frightening things we focus on when we get our eyes off the gold. Get your eyes off the obstacles. Start looking at the goals. Start looking at the goals.
With this, add the words stay determined. Stay determined. Accomplishments are never achieved without hindrances, so stay determined. Third. Hindrances are overcome by sustained hope.
Hindrances are overcome by sustained hope. If you run with people who dash your hopes and dreams, you've got a wrong crowd you're running around with. Get new friends. Friends sustain the hope of one another. That is to be followed with the words, stay focused.
Stay focused. Fourth, The essential ingredient of sustained hope. is enthusiasm. The essential ingredient of sustained hope. It fuels the fire is enthusiasm.
Ralph Waldo Emerson was correct when he said nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. By the way. Paul got to Rome. He hadn't been there yet, but he got to Rome. But you know how he got there?
The government paid his way. Nero wrote the check.
Now he wound up in chains. But how good how good is that? He's on a house arrest in Rome and there's a Roman soldier chained to him.
Well, now that you're here today, I'd like to tell you about Jesus. And the chain keeps you from leaving, so just sit there. I'm going to tell you about Christ. He led all kinds of people to Jesus right there. Plus, can I mention he wrote the prison letters: Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, Philemon, while under arrest in Rome.
How good is that? Never stop dreaming. I don't know if he ever got to Spain. But I know we got to wrong.
So my words to add to this is stay positive. Stay positive. Don't ignore reality, but focus on the positive. Focus on the positive. And by the way, if you need the ultimate example, the best thing Christ ever did looked like defeat to everybody else, and that was when he hung on the cross and died.
In his death. He opened. The way to heaven. Let's bow our heads together. If you've never trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ, this is the moment for you.
You're surrounded by those who have. That's why, to them, today is such an exciting day. That's why we love the Word of God. It fuels our fire. It builds our enthusiasm.
It keeps us going. If you've never trusted in the Savior, this is your moment. You can become one of us. One of his By receiving Christ. as your own Lord and Master.
My fellow believers, make certain there's nothing that comes between you and the Savior in your fellowship. If there has, let's Clear it up right now. Father, thank you for your great grace. For your word. Filled.
with hope. Thank you for your Son, Jesus. The sinless Sacrifice The Lamb. Who modeled for us. what that kind of life is all about.
Thank you for all his death means to all of us. We learn even in his example of dying. How to do that. We worship him.
Now we acknowledge the value of his blood. It keeps on cleansing us from sin. We're grateful for it. We worship him today. In His great name.
Amen. Paul, who wrote Romans, was very clear with his cautionary message. Don't allow comfortable patterns to lull us into spiritual hibernation. Instead, Paul says, keep dreaming God-sized dreams. Stay involved, determined, focussed, and positive.
You're listening to Insight for Living. Chuck Swindahl is in the final stages of our in-depth study through the book of Romans. Stay with us because we'll hear a personal comment from Chuck in just a moment. That's not all. Later on I'll describe a popular resource from Insight for Living.
It's a brand new twenty five day Advent devotional called Everlasting Light: A Journey from Promise to Presence. What could be more important this holiday season than sharing the joy of Christmas with friends and family? More details are coming up. Right now, let's enjoy this refreshing word on the holidays from Chuck Swindahl. Think for a moment.
When was the last time you heard an infant giggle? Seriously. Can you remember? Maybe it was a video clip you saw online. Perhaps it was one of your grandkids.
or great-grandkids. Nothing like a pudgy little one, sitting upright, hands flailing in the air, cackling until he loses his breath.
Well, it's hard to resist that sound, isn't it? The joy is infectious. I've often thought That's the kind of pure, innocent, unbridled joy the Lord offers His children. Oh, it's not about the laughter. there's something about that irrepressible joy that beautifully reflects our Lord's character.
Can't you just picture Mary and Joseph in the In those private moments, With the Christ child? This Christmas we celebrate Jesus, the innocent baby born in Bethlehem who is our everlasting light. He came to bring us joy that can't be suppressed, diminished, or stolen away. As we conclude another year of ministry together, I want you to join me in spreading God's everlasting light. And his irrepressible joy to the men.
to others around the world. When you give to insight for living, you're infusing a supernatural source of joy into someone's life. You're giving them something genuine to smile about. in the midst of their struggles. I can tell you the opportunities to do so through Insight for Living are countless.
All that stands in the way are the resources to do so. Please, as you thank God for His everlasting love this year, include Insight for Living among those you support. By giving a generous gift. You'll offer a waiting world something to smile about. Real joy that comes from knowing Jesus Christ.
Thanks so much. When you make a generous year-end gift to Insight for Living, you're entitled to request the hardbound 25-day Advent devotional I mentioned earlier called Everlasting Light. It's written by our Spanish pastor Carlos Sasueta along with Chuck Swindal, and it's an ideal gift to share with friends and family. In fact, in addition to the English version, Insight for Living is pleased to offer a Spanish version as well. To send your donation in the mail and request everlasting light, address your envelope to InsightForLiving.
Post Office Box 5000, Frisco, Texas 75034. That's Post Office Box 5000. Frisco, Texas, 75034. To speak with one of our friendly ministry reps, call us at 800-772-8888, or you can give online at insight.org/slash donate. I'm Bill Meyer, inviting you to join us when Schuxwindahl continues our study in Romans, the Christian's Constitution.
Monday on Insight for Living. The preceding message, Preaching and Traveling with Paul, was copyrighted in 2008, 2010, and 2025, and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2025 by Charles R. Swindahl, Inc. All rights are reserved worldwide. duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.
