Jump Start # 1448

Acts 14:21 “After they had preached the Gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch”

  Our verse today finds the apostle Paul traveling through the region of Galatia. On his preaching trip he went to places the Gospel had never been preached before. He preached, made disciples and established congregations. As he journeyed back, Paul often revisited brethren to help them. The context of our passage identifies five things Paul did on his return through those areas:

1. He strengthened the souls of the disciples (22)

2. He encouraged them to continue in the faith (22)

3. He appointed elders (23)

4. He prayed with them (23)

5. He commended them to the Lord (23)

The work of developing and helping brethren is as important as teaching the lost. It does little good to convert someone if he does not stay with it. The little start needs to strengthened, encourage and made to grow.

But of interest to me is that expression in our verse today, “they returned…”  Going back. Going back can be hard. We understand that expression. Some have returned to college after years of being away from it. They return at a more mature stage of their life. College is different for the person in his 40’s than it is for the twenty-year old. Studies are more serious for the person who returns. The wild partying doesn’t appeal to the person who returns. He’s after that degree and he’s focused.

Returning to the neighborhood you grew up in brings a trip down memory lane. But it also shows that things change.

This week, I have returned to a congregation I preached at several years ago. I spent a decade with this group. Great memories. Great friendships. Walking into that building on Sunday brought a flood of memories. I spent tons of hours in that place. The audience has changed. Some faces were missing. Some have passed away and some have moved on. There were many new faces, which is a great sign of growth and teaching. My the memories. My youngest two used to come down with me to the building and they’d play hide in seek while I’d work. I enjoyed the work there. It helped me more than I think I helped them.

Going back is a Biblical concept. Often going back is hard. It’s not returning to old neighborhoods or revisiting congregations you once were a part of, going back is a principle or repentance and restoration.

Consider that prodigal, out in the far country, broke, empty and hopeless. He didn’t have many options. But one that made the most sense was to go back home. Go home as a failure. Go home with nothing but shame. Go home and beg for the mercy of his father. That’s our story. It’s not easy returning to God after we have left Him, shamed Him and neglected Him. Some have too much pride to go back. So they stay with the pigs. They make the best of it. They might even blame others for their failures. Some do not believe that they would ever be accepted back, so they stay with the pigs. Some fear what others would say, so they stay with the pigs. Some even die with the pigs. They leave and never return.

For that prodigal, as it is for us, we can’t think nor worry about what others might say. We can’t fear walking back into that church building after being away for years. We can’t fear the stares, the whispers, the “what is he doing here,” comments. The prodigal didn’t return because of his brother. His brother didn’t want him. He returned to his father. His focus was upon the father. That drove him to overcome his fears, worries and reasons to stay away. He got up and came to his father. He returned.

It is important for a congregation to send that message and to express that thought in the way it treats others. Some stay away, even wanting to return, but fear how they will be received. A God who forgives wants a church that also forgives. Pointing fingers, critical attitudes, and judgmental ways only lock the door and keep others from returning.

Another aspect of returning, also a part of repentance, is to return to the people that we have hurt and apologize. That’s hard. There are millions of reasons why we tell ourselves that we shouldn’t do it, but there is one compelling reason that overcomes all of those and that is it’s the right thing to do. It’s what God wants us to do. So we said some things that we shouldn’t have. It got back and someone was hurt by that. Return to them and apologize. Say those difficult words, “I was wrong. I am sorry.” No excuses. No making light of what you did. Your words ought to match your heart. You ought to feel bad, because it was bad. Return and make it right.

Repentance comes with two powerful emotions. First, is the realization that you have sinned. That brings guilt. Second, is the fear of having to return and make things right. We don’t see those things when we sin. We don’t see the ugly side of sin. We don’t see the damage, the hurt and the pain caused by sin. Returning isn’t easy. Returning as God wants you to is the first step in restoring relationships.

It’s not easy getting along with one another. This fellowship stuff and unity concepts can strain us and pull us. We can have bruised feelings. We tend to bump into one another. Some seem to be content to stick with the old methods of doing things. Others want to try new things. That usually causes some problems. Sometimes younger disciples and older disciples are a bit suspicious of each other. We have different backgrounds. We have different stories. We have different concerns. Put all of this in a big pot, stir it up and you have what is found in most congregations today. How in the world can we get along?

The answer has always been Jesus. We put the Lord before all things. We think, act and behave as the Lord would want us to. We understand that when we have hurt others, we need to return and we need to do what is right.

Returning is important part of our walk with the Lord. Is it time for you to return?

Roger