R1536 Going Back Again

God has an encouraging word for you and me today to the Bible-based reading of Dr. Don Wilton in a message called going back again here on this edition of The Encouraging Word.

Dr. Don is taking it straight to the book of acts chapter 15 as we study God's word together to get understanding on this concept of not only going back again. But the idea of moving forward with the perspective of what's happened behind us again. Dr. Don will explain more in just a minute. He wants to remind you were here for you 24 seven on this phone number 866-899-WORD Chinatown stored in your cell. We love to pray with you anytime, 866-899-9673 or online@twonline.org that's TE W online.org.

By the way, happy new year. Let's study God's word together Dr. Don Wilton I feel quite emotional appeal. In some ways our young people all so incredibly precious and you know we could spend the rest of our time just telling you, thanking you, parents, grandparents, church, family. They all 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. In chapter 15. I've been talking about message today going back again going back again. You know, Steve, and I'll 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.

I personally my 26 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 Bob how many times how many times have we gone back again. How many times 50 consecutive years. This church has seen all means of people into the hues and the hollers of Kentucky and countless thousands of people have come to know Christ we're talking about poor and what the Bible teaches this first time at which a group of people laden by one man by the name of Paul under the inspiration of the spirit went out and he went back again. I'm in a show you something here that's just quite amazing how God just brings this old 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 in a show you something very briefly here today as we going to pull second missionary journey and you will remember that off to his first trip, which was about 1700 miles 1400 to 1700 miles they came back to the home church in a place called Antioch in Syria on the show tune in just a minute we get a pickup because when they went back to their home church off to having been out there. They came back from Antioch Presidio. I came back from Cyprus. They came back from Lysistrata from dobby and chromium. These places in Asia and God had done a great work but they also encountered every kind of opposition and struggles that I had the hardships they telephone didn't work.

They lost cell service. They went to places where there was no Wi-Fi with the food wasn't exactly what they really enjoyed. They got exhausted when morning noon and not get a pickup in next chapter 15 in verse 36 acts chapter 15 in verse 36 the Bible says. Off to some days Paul said to Barnabas, let us return let's go back to every city where we proclaim the word of the Lord and see how they doing now Barnabas wanted to take with them John: we had encountered him before. Wonderful man. But Paul thought it best not to take with them. Someone who'd 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 would certainly so they separated from each other.

Barnabas took Mark and sailed with them away to the island of Cyprus.

Remember, Barnabas was from Cyprus denies taking John Mark back to his home country, so to speak, but cool pool chose Silas and departed, having been commanded by the church to the grace of the Lord and they went throughout Syria. Saw Alysia strengthening the church's pollster came to dobby and the list and a disciple was there, named Timothy.

We've all heard about Timothy having three pole devoted a whole letter to Timothy to them first and second Timothy Timothy's a very key person. So he was from this I want 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 Mr. and at icon import wanted Timothy to accompany so we took him circumcised, and because of the Jews who were in those places full. 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. If in fact it means you going to be able to point someone to the Lord Jesus. That's that's what what was going on here and so look at verse four and as they went their way through the cities they deliver 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 strengthening fight. The increasing 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 I came up from last year they attempted to go into by Finney about the spirit of Jesus did not allow them now how about that I can't explain this to you but we wind one institution this week and while the young people and everybody was getting ready.

It was a major prison facility and Steve was in the dealing with offices and everything and I just changed 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 pray with those who were on the bus. Can't remember how what I said but it was something like Lord I just sensing my heart that Steve is struggling with something.

Maybe there is a blockage or 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 with who we going to do whatever you tell us to. Steve came out on Tandy while I was still trying and gave me the sign and he made the decision. We're not going in that you going to say to me why I have no idea was one of our kids going to get hurt in the gonna be a riot. We leading our young people some way I 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 that once his 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 and he will show you what happened here, but the spirit of Jesus did not allow them so parsing by my seer.

They went down to Tropez and a vision appeared to Paul in the not a man from Macedonia I'm an Italian just a moment that's on the other side of the sea, a man from Macedonia was standing there urging him sign over here. The Macedonia and when Paul had seen the vision immediately resorted 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). Antioch is the home church, so we know that when I came back from the previous journey. What we call in the Bible.

The first journey first missionary journey.

They went out from a home church, they came back there to 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 going to get your batteries recharged.

Where you going to get a good meal.

It's where you going to be reminded. It's what you going to get the 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 at church. Hopper don't play hop, skip and jump from one place church to the next, you will develop no roots, nothing will go down you will become bored but not deep. You'll never belong is a deep spiritual truth. So here he is with care and he leaves here from Antioch and he takes off and he goes this long journey through's Alysia here and he ends up back in dobby. So when he gets to dobby. If you remember in the first missionary journey. Dobby was the turning point.

That's way he turned around he got that fall 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 dobby that was enough, and when he got to dobby will wanted to do.

He turned around he listened to God, then he started raising up leaders, we gonna see how that works out because he said listen everywhere I go I go to leave behind me. People are going to do the work and then he came out here to illustrate your let me just tell you about blister that was the home of the gods remembers Zeus and Hermes affect this place was so tied into God worship. I almost looked like the United States of America. They had their Mr. Bible like we have our American Idol's. They worship people and concrete and stone and buildings and windows and then to particular gods. The first one was Zeus the God of thunder, the God of lightning, the God of explosiveness and then they worship God called Hermes.

He was the God who drew the boundaries he represented old Godsey was the emissary he was like the big chief and then he went to Marconi and where he had been thrown out. So let's just hang there for a minute. So yeah they end up I go all the way back all the way back in my end up back in the home, church, and I settle down when I get to their home church offer long journey. I gather the church together what you think we doing this morning.

I wonder why the Bible says forsake not the gathering of your souls 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 God's plan. Forgive the eruption indeed is God's plan and as we discover more of God's plan for our lives, both individually and corporately, I pretty know you are not alone in this procedure to a brand-new year, and perhaps you've never thought about picking up the phone and calling to ministry and asking us to pray for you, but we'd be happy to do so.the number down 86689 or does the phone number that's 866-899-9673 or online at tewonline.org G ways to connect so that we can be a part of encouraging you that's really our calling is The Encouraging Word and that's to encourage you on the phone 866-899-9673 or online at tewonline.org G, now back 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 you got no roots when troubles come you don't have any 2 AM frame so I go back out. I gather the church together and I told him the whole story. They share the blessings. That's what they did and asked him to 15 beginning of say they shared all the stops at my let's tell you what happened in that prison. Father what you want to see what happened at camp Voyager. It was amazing. You know I that blog thing Eddie that they jump on a camp Voyager. We need to bring one hand to one of our worship services and put it right think is one of these… No I'm in a local phage of this but I said I have said to myself for years. One of these days I'm in a go and jump off. No I'm not going to jump off ominous atonement and I'm going to just let one of my raw the 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 is wonderful to participate in shared blessings is just so fantastic when you gather people around you say bad.

Can we just tell you what happened and we just share something.

Can we just tell you about someone to guide their heart to Jesus. And when they done (Antioch their home church. The third thing they did was they just began to gear up to do it again. They get up to do it again and that's why Barnabas and Paul look at each other.

In verse 36 and say 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 re-examine your salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I did that many, many years ago I grew up in a fine Christian hope made a decision for Christ at a young age, but with a beautiful wife that God had given to me in my young adult hood in the midst of academic pursuit searching mine and many a bowl game. I had to go back again. I had to go back. I had to Aust Christian Lord, am I saved do I know you make certain. Today my friend, give your heart to Jesus today say to that issue today. Maybe you need to go back again to that place where you first made that commitment like marriage. In some ways is not those of us who been married for many years, we become accustomed to one another in peps take some things for granted little habits begin to creep in it 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 is calling you to go back again. Maybe today you are at the point in your life where you know you know what God say to you all. It's been a struggle. Peps circumstances that come in your life like they do know all of us. Maybe you lost a loved one, or perhaps you lost your job they 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 saying go back again father all across our nation.

People right now on making decisions because you're speaking to them just like you spoke to your servant, pull, having gone on a long journey for you, and after a while as they get up to go back again. They claim 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 out 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 him 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 broad and there is none like him to the Lord help us today would you look at me we going to sing such a beautiful hymn of invitation to give and I'm going to Aust 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 and get alongside of you to listen to on sick questions to help you to Aust questions just to be out 2 AM friends want to 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 come running.

I present to you the church. We need to confess and bow down before him, I just love you so for you here that I've known Dr. Wilton now for over 1/4 century and the first time I heard them 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 is talking about the power of God working in him, through him, to love you love me. God is using this broadcast share with you his love. He cares for you. He is pursuing you matter what you've done, how far you've run God is ready to build a new bridge back to himself for you. Maybe for the very first time you ready to open your heart to Christ you listen to Dr. Don teacher. As he now opens his heart to you personally. Open your heart to what Dr. Don's can say next. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why did you pray this prayer with me right now. Dear God, I know that Arneson and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross today.

I repainted my sin and by faith I receive you into my phone in Jesus night, my friend.

I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting new. It's a brand-new day, a brand-new year here in the first launch of 2021, you just prayed with Dr. maybe to rededicate your life and say all right it's time for course correction.

We would love to be a part of the journey with Christ have wonderful resources for my free sources like the daily Encouraging Word Bible guide to the opportunity to grab when the leather bound devotionals that were using year in 2021 all the details are on our website@twonline.org about picking up the phone and giving us a call. Let us put these resources in hands, 866899 word is the phone number jotted down stored in yourself, 866-899-9673 and many friends, especially at the end of the year. The last few weeks have been saying we want to participate financially and prayerfully. What is that mean here's a list of the details of what it means to become an encourager mind power viewership airline greatly increase our quarterly emotional. We raised Jesus we are meeting will you join us in reaching more your monthly donation on any things around you, control you 99999 times gone for now. Let's stay connected online at tewonline.org G. Candidate 66899673