Go Back!

CAPTAIN ALISTAIR VENTER

INTRODUCTION:

In one of The Salvation Army musicals there is a lovely song that is called "I’ll not turn back". In this song it talks about the fact that if crosses come, if it should cost us dearly to be a servant of Jesus; if darkness falls around the path of duty, if tears should fall, if I am called to suffer… all these pretty rough things that happen to Christians – the songs says "I’ll not turn back, whatever it may cost". Perhaps the writer of this song had in mind that verse found in Luke 9:62 that says: "No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

But this morning I want to point out to you that there are times when we have to "go back" and set things right in our spiritual lives. Matthew 5:23,24 has this to say: "So if you are standing before the altar in the Temple, offering a sacrifice to God, and suddenly remember that a friend has something against you, leave your sacrifice there beside the altar, and go and apologise and be reconciled to him, and then come and offer your sacrifice to God."

We are kind of offering the sacrifice of worship to God today by our very presence in his house – and I don’t know if we can really do it honestly if there are things that are in our past that have not been sorted out. Sometimes we need to go back to that place where things went wrong, before we can move forward. I want to cite three instances in the word of God where people had to go back before they could move forward.

The first person we look at this morning is:

1. JACOB:

To me, Jacob was pretty much of a wimp as a brother. He was kind of Mommy’s special little boy, who wanted him to have things before his brother Esau. We know the deception that took place with Mommy’s help in order that Jacob could receive the birth rite, the blessing from his father. I went to Genesis 27:28 to see what the blessing was that Isaac bestowed on his son. Here we have it: "May God give you of heaven’s dew and earth’s richness – an abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed, and those who bless you be blessed."

After receiving this blessing, we know that Jacob had to flee for his life, and eventually found himself with his uncle Laban. During the years that he spent there – working 14 years in order to get 2 wives, we know that part of the blessing that Isaac had bestowed on Jacob happened. Jacob became a very wealthy man, with many servants, many animals, and I guess he had gained some respect from people around him. But all these things did not give Jacob what he wanted in life. There was a sense in which he knew that he was headed in the wrong direction. We read in Genesis 30:25 "After Rachael gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban: "Send me back on my way to my own homeland. Give me my wives and children, for whom I have served you, and I will be on my way…" Jacob’s presence with Laban had brought much wealth and blessing to that family, but Jacob realised that he had to go back to that place where he first went wrong. There was a long story before poor old Jacob was free of his father-in-law, but then came the crises where he had to face his brother, Esau, and be reconciled to him. I kind of think that Jacob really was frightened to go back and face the music. He made every preparation in order to make the meeting with his brother a favourable one. But in a sense, there was only one who could prepare him inwardly for what was in store.

You know, there often comes a time of crises in people’s lives before they make that decision to be obedient to God, and go back to where they left him. For Jacob, that crises came the night before he was to meet his brother. Listen again to what the Scripture says: "Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said; "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob replied; "I will not let you go unless you bless me." The man asked him, "What is your name?" "Jacob" he answered. Then the man said: "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome".

Jacob wrestled with a real man or with God, I am not sure – but for many of us, the struggle is just as real. We kind of wrestle in our minds as to what it is that God wants us to do. Do we actually go back and put things right, or do we carry on in the wrong way that we have chosen. Although Jacob had sent his wives, servants, children and possessions across the river – he still had a choice as to whether he was going to follow or not. That crises, that battle that he fought was really tough – he got hurt in the process – but he went on to meet his brother, and later to receive all the wonderful blessings that God wanted to bestow on him when he was back within God’s will.

This morning could be the time of crises for you – today might be the day that you wrestle with God about what you should do with your life. If you are on the wrong track, if you feel that there are those who have something against you – go back and sort it out. Go back to the last place where you knew and experienced the presence of God.

The second person who needed to go back was:

2. MOSES:

Moses was another one who had fled in order to face the consequences of his deeds. You will recall that Moses had killed one of the Egyptians who had been flogging one of his people. And for 40 years, this man Moses, whose life had been saved by God, who had received an amazing upbringing in the Pharoahs palace – roamed around as shepherd. I couldn’t imagine that that life was a very good one for Moses – and yet, he felt he could not go back. He had had all the teaching of the Jewish people, and yet for 40 years, that was kind of out of his mind.

But for Moses, there also came that crises. It was at the burning bush when he was out tending the sheep for his father-in-law. We know that story so well don’t we, of how God said to Moses: "I am sending you to Pharoah to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt". Notice that there was kind of a wrestling match here again between God and Moses.

Moses said: "Who am I that I should go to Pharoah?

"What will I tell them, who shall I say sent me?

"What if they don’t believe me?

"Lord, I have never been eloquent. I am slow of speech

and tongue"

"Please Lord, send someone else…"

The crises before he went back to Egypt was major. The battle was on, as it were. But we read that Moses went to his father-in-law and said: "Let me go back to my people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive.."

It was when Moses took that step of faith, and went back, that the most amazing 40 years of life followed. Although Moses’ life with the children of Israel was anything but easy – he was in the centre of God’s will. He was able to do what God required of him.

The third person who needed to go back was:

3. THE PRODIGAL SON:

Here was a young man who had everything going for him. The security of a wealthy family and home. There were servants, there was more than he would ever want in life – but he chose to leave it all, and discover life for himself. This is perhaps such a classic example of so many of us who have chosen to step out of the father’s protection and love, and try to make it alone. It is not only young people that I am talking about here – from the youngest to the oldest of us here, we are prone to want to do things our way, and not God’s.

For a time, this young man had a ball. Life treated him well – he had friends, money, women and song. He lived life to the full, and knew such happiness… or so it appeared on the outside. But the world and satan have got this way of giving us the time of our lives, and when he is finished with us, he kind of throws us on the rubbish heap. That is what happened to this poor young man.

He had to face the crises. The place was in the pig pen with the pigs. A Jewish boy, knowing that pigs were unclean animals – he sunk had sunk lower than low. He was stripped of everything he ever had. Then he started to wrestle with himself and God. "How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death. I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you, I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men". It would have taken guts for this boy to admit that his decision to leave in the first place was wrong. It would have been a major attack on his pride to be willing to go back into his father’s home and work side by side with the servants. You can imagine how he would have wrestled with God and this decision to go back.

Yes, he went back – back to the place where he should never have departed from. It was there that he received the father’s blessing again, it was there that he received what the world had not been able to give him, it was there that all his needs were supplied. But he had to overcome the battle before he could know the blessing.

My prayer this morning is that you will win the battle – that you will go back to that place where God wants you to be. The choice is yours – God wants your obedience.