Now, if you have your Bibles tonight, I'd like you to turn with me, please, to Genesis. Genesis chapter 13, verse number 1. Abram went out of Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot went with him into the south. And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver and in gold. And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai, unto the place of the altar which he had made there at the first. And there Abram called on the name of the Lord. Now, as you know, I talked to you this morning about what it means to go away from God. Tonight I want to speak to you on the subject, what it means to come back to God. I think it is of no little importance to note that there is nothing for which we should be more thankful at this Thanksgiving season than that ours is a God of grace. That the blood of Jesus Christ, the compassion of our Lord, makes possible the good news of restoration for sinful men who go away from God. He had gone from God down into Egypt. But the Bible says when he came back out of Egypt, he went back up. The only way that men go away from God is to go down. The only way that a man goes when he goes back to God is to go up. All of us have our Bethels. The expression back to Bethel has rung a bell in the hearts of Christian men for centuries. Abraham had a tremendous experience when he met God. But when he backslid and went away from God, down into sin, down into the world, down into Egypt, the Bible tells us that he had the good sense to get out of that condition and to go back to the place where he had met God first. Back to where he'd had this significant experience with his Lord. Back to the place called Bethel. And so the expression back to Bethel has become synonymous with rededicating one's life, with going back to God, with re -engaging himself in that original condition where he once met the Lord and loved and served Him. And in rededication, kindling those fires anew and rekindling them to a new relationship with God. I know in my own life there have been some places of Bethel. When I was saved at False Creek 18 years ago, those hills in the Arbuckle Mountains of Davis, Oklahoma, became very, very special to me. And more than once through the years, I have gone there to the same place. And there knelt and prayed and recommitted my life to Christ as I recall the wonderful blessings of God that happened because I had started from that place where I met God. My grandfather is buried in Marietta, Oklahoma. More than once I've stopped at his grave and have knelt and have prayed. The first time I remember hearing the gospel was in a little country church in a little small town called Marietta, Oklahoma, just over the border from Gainesville where my mother and father had met as children and then later married. There in the First Baptist Church, my grandfather had become the first president of the Brotherhood of Baptist Laymen in Oklahoma about 1890 -something. There in the First Baptist Church, I heard my first gospel song. And the first song I ever remember hearing was not Jesus Loves Me or Some Little Chorus, but Are Ye Able? And I long since learned those first and only two lines of that song. Many times in my own mind, when I've heard that song, immediately it called me back to my relationship where I first met God, back to Bethel. At least three times in my life, I've driven out of my way to go by there in Marietta and kneel at grandfather's grave and just recommit my life to Christ and remember the wonderful influence He had on my life. That has become a Bethel for me. All of us have those events, those places that surround the memory of our first relationship to God and that call us back to Him. I want to suggest three or four brief things to you tonight about Abraham's going back to God. There's so many things I could say. I could say that he went back the same way, that he went back to the very same place. But let me begin by a conjecture and suggesting to you that I can imagine that Abraham wanted to go back before he went. He really wished he had never left. No man that has ever tasted of the leeks and the garlics of this world having gone away from the wonderful provision in Canaan's land, is long going to be willing to stay in sin. Now the Bible tells us that all of us sin. In fact, if we say we have no sin, we lie and the truth is not in us. The difference in a Christian and a non -Christian is not whether one stumbles and sins, for to be sure, we'll all do that. But as the nature of the pig is to stay in the mud, while a sheep will not be satisfied, though he may stumble in the mud, not be satisfied to stay there, he'll get out of it. So it is of the nature of the Christian that though we stumble in sin, we are miserable. I cannot believe that ere the Son had died in the West that night, when he had set his first footstep toward down into Egypt, where he went away from God, he was never the same again. He was never happy. And that he went, he wanted to go back before he went. Numerous things might have called him. I know that the chiding experience when Pharaoh rebuked him was the straw that broke the camel's back, and he could stand it no more. But before that, many things had built up to it. Perhaps the prayers of a faithful wife, perhaps the haunting memory of what had been. For indeed, the man that has tasted that the Lord is gracious will never again be satisfied long to stay down in Egypt. Many a long night must have come and gone. Many a star twinkling reminded him of that first altar built into the presence of God. I can imagine that he desired, that he remembered, that he ached and longed and wished and yearned and wanted to go a long time before he ever did. What a shame it is that when we remember the goodness of God, when we once have tasted of God's mercy and longed to go and want to go, that we waste so much time making up our minds to do it. Probably there are hundreds of us here tonight who have some Bethel experience in our life. We began to tithe and quit. We used to serve the Lord and stopped. We once preached, but no longer preached. We once sang in the choir, but no longer do. We once enjoyed a beautiful, unbroken relationship with God, but now it's gone. And all the haunting memory of what once was has caused all of us to remember that God is still there where we left him. And he wants us again, but we waste so much time in deciding to go. We usually know to do before we do. We usually want to go before we leave. And I am not at all without certainty tonight that there are many of you who come Sunday after Sunday after Sunday. And as the preacher preaches and the choir sings, God brings to our memory, the olden days, the wonderful relationship, the memory of what once was without which we will never be the same again until we do something to restore that relationship that once was through which God is calling us to another experience, another relationship back on higher ground, out of the gutter, down from Asia, up yonder into Canaan land. I have no doubts because I know human personality. I know myself and I know people that Abram wanted to go before he did. Now the second word is this. It is obvious to me that he did go the first time he had a serious chance. Now the Bible tells us that the Lord deals with us in many ways. I have found in my own life that the goodness of God brings me to repentance. And that oftentimes when I am the lowest and do the least, the Lord does the best and challenges me and encourages me to be my best for him. But our Lord's gospel is that of a two -edged sword. And many times as well, he uses the chastening rod. Obviously in this man's life, the goodness of God, the memories of God, while they yearned and pulled and longed for him to go back, were not sufficient. And so God had to do something drastic. And in the awful excruciating experience of embarrassment, when a lost man had to rebuke him, that was enough. It took a tragic experience to get him back to God. And when he had the serious chance, when things were such that Pharaoh said to him, you're not right. You've lied to me. I don't want you around. Get out of my country. He didn't stand around and argue. He asked which boat leaves next. He didn't let any grass grow under his feet. He made tracks out of Egypt. He could not go quickly enough. He went as soon as the opportunity was afforded. That's why we give invitations at First Baptist Church. That's why we morning and night and Wednesdays give men the opportunity to make decisions for Christ. Ah, but you need not wait even for an invitation in your home, in your seat, there where you are. God is over and over again saying to you, do something about it. Now is the time. We're always going to do better tomorrow. We're always putting off till tomorrow. The first time this man had a good chance to start to do the will of God again, he didn't waste a minute. He got up and began to do it. The third word is that he profited from his experience. I want you to look with me in verse number 13, chapter number 13, verse 1. And Abram went out of Egypt. Boy, I like that. He just went out. And I could add, and the Bible does add, that he never again went back down. Once was enough for him. Now all of us sin. We all fail. We all have our Bethels. We all have our valleys. We all have our mountaintops. We all have our depressions. But the test of a good man is that he doesn't keep making the same mistake twice. This was important in this man's life. He was never worth a dime in the work of the Lord until he had had this tragic experience. He had gotten his PhD in the University of Chastisement. He learned his lesson well. And when he came out, he never went back again. Now, in other words, when he came out, he came all the way out. Look. And Abram went out of Egypt, he and his wife, all that he had. And he went on his ways from the south even to Bethel unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning. Now, he could have, listen closely, he could have left Egypt and not gone back to Bethel. He didn't have to go back there. He could have just left where he was. There was neutral ground. There was a space between. There were other countries around. And many a man rededicates his life. And he says, I'm going to quit sinning. I'm going to leave my sins. I'm going to quit doing what I'm doing wrong. I'm going to leave the cesspools and the leeks and garlic of Egypt. I'm coming out of the world. But that's all. He didn't stop on neutral ground. He would not settle for anything but higher ground. He went all the way back. I know a young couple. I suppose I have seen them rededicate their lives sincerely, weepingly. Five, eight, ten times, about every six months. But the problem is that though they bow under God, they'll quit drinking and smoking and cussing and living like the Dickens. They always do it. But they never replace that void, that vacuum with anything but the usual spasmodic Sunday morning church attendance. And if a man is going to start praying at home with his family, if he's going to start reading the Bible, if you'll start to tithe, if you'll go to prayer meeting, if you'll be a Sunday night Christian, if you'll witness, if you'll put something in that place, he's not going to be empty and he won't always be being sucked down back into Egypt by a halfway removal of himself from his own life. You've got to get all the way back. If you just go a little way, if you stop on neutral ground and you don't just quit doing some things that are wrong and start doing some things that are right, you're soon going back into Egypt. The Bible says, listen closely, And Abram went out of Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had. I like to see men come to God with all that they have. Everything. I was in a revival in Los Angeles many years ago and there was a great colored Baptist church. More white people went than black people because they enjoyed it so much. It was called the New Greater Harvest Baptist Church. They didn't even fire up till 1030 on Sunday nights. Now some of you all complain about getting out at 9 o 'clock or 830. They didn't even start till 1030. And I mean when the head rabbi preacher came in, friend, he came in. They had people all over the services. Folks would faint and pass out. They'd carry them out. Actually, he had two registered nurses that stood down here that wiped him as he perspired. And anybody would pass out, get in a trance, they'd bring smelling salts. If you have never been to the New Greater Harvest Baptist Church, friend, you have never been to church. Oh, it was something. Well, I saw that man stand up there, and frankly, I believe he was the greatest preacher I've ever heard. You talk about oratory. You talk about homiletics. I sat there with my mouth open and wrote down every word he said as fast as I could. He started to give the invitation. What was his name? Do you remember? I don't remember. Tim something. And when he got through preaching, so help me, they stood there, and they must have sung 40 minutes of To Me. It's so wonderful. Boy, they'd sing it. That choir would go, oh, how I love Jesus. Oh, and they'd sing, and the people would sway. It was a thrill. Well, about 40 minutes, I mean 40 minutes, finally, somebody came down the aisle. Now the pastor stopped, and he looked, and he just got tickled to death. And he said, one coming in, folks. One coming in. Well, the people took up the chant. One coming in. One coming in. Oh, it was something to see. They all echoed it. One coming in. One coming in. And they stopped, and they took her in. Let's wait a minute. Sister so -and -so, what is your name? So -and -so and so -and -so. Thank you. They introduced her. And how have you come? By letter. Wonderful. We're glad you've come by letter. Sir, having been, having joined by letter tonight, we know you're going to want to join the ladies' mission organization. Aren't you, Sister so -and -so? Amen. Yes, yes, I guess I am. All right, WMU president, come down here. And here came Marge, just bouncing down the aisle. And I mean they signed her up on the spot. Now, of course, you'll want to join our Sunday school, won't you? Well, yes, I think I, I, I, that, fine, just a minute. Here came the Sunday school superintendent. They brought him right down, fell out the car. Everybody stopped, waited, quiet, quit. Organ stopped, everything waiting. They joined her up. They signed her up. Now, of course, you're going to want to be a tither. You won't want to ride this ship free of charge. You'll want to help carry the airway. You'll want to help pay the way. You'll want to tithe, won't you? Hmm. Yes, I guess I will. All right, down came the treasure. Sign her up. Sign her up, MB. They wrote her down right on there. Your pledge will be so much. Next Sunday morning we'll expect it in the offering plate. That really happened. Boy, when you join the new Greater Harvest Baptist Church, friend, you join the new Greater Harvest Baptist Church. But, you know, we have such a loose discipleship. We don't really demand anything. We don't really expect anything of our people. I think when you come from sin or when you come from another church into this church, whether you come by letter or by salvation or whatever you come, when you come, you ought to come. You ought to bring your heart and your life and your soul and your will and your intellect and your possessions and your devotion and your talent all to the feet of Jesus Christ through the body of Christ on earth, the local New Testament church. Boy, when he went, he went all the way. He didn't stop on any neutral ground halfway in between. I repeat, and he got up and went out of Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had, everything, they went all the way back to Bethel. Now, another word. Listen. Verse 4. They went to the place between Bethel and Hai, under the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first. Now, back to verse 3. And he went on his journeys from the south, even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been. It was not there anymore. The tent was not there anymore. The literal physical altar was not there anymore. The physical properties were not there anymore. But the presence of God, you see, the experience that he had remembered, and all that it meant and implied, that was there. That was there. Now, the tent wasn't there. People say to me, oh, I'm a member of so -and -so, that little old church where I was saved, back in that little old wooden church with a pot -bellied stove over in the hills of Arkansas. Mama's buried out there in the churchyard, and if I could ever go back there, I'll just go back there and rededicate my life. Well, you see, you can do the same thing right here. You need not go back to the same physical place. The building may be gone, the benches not there anymore, but the important thing is that Bethel is a condition of the heart. Bethel is an attitude. Bethel is a relationship. Bethel is not boards. It is not a tent. It is not wood. It was where he met God, and God is right where you left him, and the last thing is simply is he calling you. Have circumstances been such that our God has been speaking to your heart? You know that there was a time in your life when your relationship to Jesus Christ was different than it is now. It was rich. It was full. It was meaningful, and now it is poor and empty and meaningless. Well, you need not go back to that little old country church or to that very same spot at Mother's Knee where you were saved. Bethel is an attitude of the heart. Bethel is an experience. God is where you left him. He waits for you. He's still there. With him there is no shadow as though cast by turning, for he is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And there is nothing in this world for which men ought be more thankful at this Thanksgiving season than that the blood -sprinkled way is available. And thank God the door is still open. Bethel's there. God waits. The Savior is waiting. That's why we sing that verse. He's waiting to enter your heart. You might have broken his. You might have crushed him with anguish over a misspent life. You might have caused him to shed many a tear as you're wandering down into Egypt. But tonight, he's still there. Through the centuries, he's waited. Through the years, he's waited. He's still waiting. I'd just like to encourage you this night to come and make your Bethel right around this altar. And as God has spoken to you, if there was a time, a place, a situation, a circumstance in your life that you can really look back to and say, here's where I began to go down, away from God, to come back to him tonight, he waits with open arms to forgive you, to bless you, to restore you, to cleanse you, to receive you. But Abraham had to do the coming. He had to do the leaving. God was waiting right where he left. He had to go. And so must we. Let us pray. Our Father, we thank Thee tonight with all of our hearts that more than anything else in the world, Thou hast robbed heaven of its glorious Son, has robbed the crown of its fairest jewel, has stolen the darling from the Trinity, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word, might be made flesh, that he might live and dwell among us for one reason, to give men a way back to God. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Ten thousand hallelujahs for the blood -sprinkled way, the door open, the compassionate way of forgiveness. When men go away from God, they can go right back the same way to God. And we pray that people tonight who have strayed away from him might come to him and there find thee still waiting in Jesus' name. Our heads are bowed and eyes are closed. If you do not know... God bless you. PRISON