Charles Lindbergh reached a point in his journey that pilots call the point of no return.

2. Charles Lindbergh reached a point in his journey that pilots call the point of no return. • This is the place where it would take more fuel to return than it would to continue on to Europe. • He was at the place that he would either succeed or run out of fuel.

3. Have you reached the point of no return in your walk with God? • You have to purpose it in your heart that regardless of how many times you fail, what others do or do not do, you are going to keep serving the Lord. • The quality of your faith is not determined by others but by your relationship with the Lord. • This is a big part of the cure of Yo-Yo Christianitus. • This is the difference between people who are rocks and those who are yo-yo’s.

4. The most respected leaders in the church may fall into sin, but I am going to keep following Jesus. • People I have great confidence in may fail me, but I will never deny nor forsake my Lord. • It’s not about anyone but you and Jesus. • If you have not yet arrived at this place in your walk with the Lord, I pray you will today. • Purpose it in your heart that—regardless of what happens—you will never deny the Lord or walk away from His people. • This is your point of no return.

5. The Apostle Peter had to come to his point of no return too. • Let’s look at how it happened to him. John 21:18-19 – “I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then He said to him, “Follow Me!"

6. In essence, Jesus told Peter that he was going to die by crucifixion many years in the future. • If you think about it, this must have been a startling revelation for Peter. • He knew that if he were to follow Jesus’ call for the rest of his life, he would die a martyr’s death by crucifixion!

7. Now, let’s bring it closer to home. • What about you? • If you knew that following Jesus’ plan for your lifewould lead toa martyr’s death, would you still follow Him? • Peter did!

8. My Point of No Return experience. • Matamoras, Mexico in 1990 • If you knew you were going to die a martyr’s death for serving Me, would you still follow Me? • How sincere and deep was my commitment? • Many give Him lip service, but this demanded more. • I could only respond with, Yes, Lord, I would! • I could feel His smile at my statement. • I want to clarify that He did not say I would die a martyr’s death. • He simply asked to see if I was willing.

9. As the One who knows what is in our hearts, I believe He already knew the answer. • Why then did He ask it? • To show me what was in my own heart. • It was a point of decision or a line of demarcation for me. • I had reached my own point of no return. • This involves a conscious decision on our part. • You have to purpose it in your heart that you are not going to forsake the Lord.

10. Many are afraid to come to this place because they don’t trust that the Lord will do what’s best. • They fear that God will ask them to go live in a grass hut in a steamy, malaria infested jungle. • Those who use that excuse do not really know the true nature of God. • He will first give you the desire as well as the gifts needed to accomplish His will for your life. • The feelings, however, usually follow the willingness to obey. • You take the first step, and God does the rest.

11. This step is really a control issue. • Who is actually in control of your life? You or God? • Let’s continue with Peter’s story: John 21:19b- Then He (Jesus) said to him (Peter), “Follow Me!" • 1st Jesus told him he would die a martyr’s death and then He says, Follow Me. • If Peter accepted that call, he knew where it would lead—a martyr’s death.

12. Jesus used these same words 3 years earlier along the same shores of Galilee in His initial call of Peter. Follow Me! (Matt. 4:19) • It was his initial call and Jesus restates it again. • In the Greek, this literally means, Keep following Me! • Regardless of what you encounter &the obstacles you have to overcome, keep following Me. • Be a rock not a yo-yo!

13. At the end of your days when you stand before the Lord, He will ask you one question. • It will not be a doctrinal question nor will it be a question concerning someone else’s life. • It will simply be: Were you obedient to My call on your life? • It will be nothing more and nothing less. • At this point in your life, how would you answer that question?

14. This is not to condemn you because Peter could not have answered it well at this point. • He changed his answer! • So can you! • This is the very point Jesus made to Peter in what He said to him next.

15. John 21:20-23– Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, ‘Lord, who is going to betray You?’) 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, ‘Lord, what about him?’ 22 Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow Me.’ 23 Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; He only said, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?’

16. This is such a human scene. • Sometimes we put the people in the Bible on a pedestal, but they were regular people like us. • Peter had been told he would die a martyr’s death. • And, he wanted to know what John’s fate was too. • Jesus, of course, could see through this. • And, said that if He wanted John to remain alive until He returns that is not important to Peter. • The only thing that is important to Peter: Are YOU obedient to Me? • You are not responsible for anyone else but for your own calling.

17. Wehave encountered many people who tell us that they love God, but they are not in church. • When we ask, Why, they usually tell us that they had been burned in a church before. • Or, that the church is full of hypocrites. • Hypocrites:People who tell me how to act, but don’t act that way themselves.

18. I’m aware that this is often just an excuse. • The real reason they are not in church is because they want to keep living a certain way. • They don’t really have a people problem with church, they have a problem with their will. • It’s a way to deflect the problem from themselves onto someone else. • But, several things have probably happened: • The Church has failed them • Gandhi’s story—the father of India’s independence • Colored people are not welcome here.

19. He never went back to church or considered Jesus again. • Imagine what a true liberator he could have been for India if he had been welcomed. • Charles Finney: Christians are the single greatest reason people accept Christ, but they are also the single greatest reason they reject Himas well. • At this point, I usually apologize on behalf of Christians. • And, remind them that the real issue is not people but Jesus.

20. They are allowing people to keep them from following God. • The issue is not people but serving and loving God. • Oh, I love God, But I don’t need to be in church to worship Him. I can worship Him while on my bass boat or walking in the woods. • But, Do they really love God? • How did Jesus say that we showour love forHim? • By keeping His commandments. John 14:15 – If you love Me, obey My commandments.

21. What command am I making reference too? Hebrews 10:25 – And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near. • If you love Him, then you will obey Him. • Why I titled this message: Back to Church; Back to God. • You can’t get away from it; the 2 go hand-in-hand. • This verse also reveals the true purpose of church. • We are to encourage one another as the Day draws near.

22. They have an incorrect view of why we go to church. • Church is not so much about what we can receive as it is what we can give. • We give God praise and give encouragement to one another. • Those who stay in church through all the bitter experiences are usually the ones who have grasped this simple truth. • But here is the beauty of this: Those who come with the attitude to give are usually the ones who go away having received the most.

23. Back to Peter: Church tradition states that, Peter was led to the place of crucifixion by his wife. • She was weeping, but Peter was rejoicing. • He even exhorted his wife to remain strong in the Lord. • And to remember the example that our Lord Jesus Christ set for us when He went to the cross. • The least I can do is to die for Him. • Was that Simon, the reed, or was this Peter, the rock? • The Rock! • He was no longer a yo-yo but a rock!

24. Peter was not the same man he was when he denied Jesus 3 times when the Lord was arrested. • Further, he was no longer aboasting, impetuous fisherman. • He had now become a steadfast and immovable rock.

25. Peter never forgot what the Lord had predicted about his death. • In his last letter he wrote these words: 2 Peter 1:14 – Because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. • Most people would have been all torn up inside knowing this day was coming. • Not Peter! • He never held back from the call, Follow Me!

26. Conclusion • There is hope for you! • No matter what you are like today or regardless of what you have done in the past, the Lord can mold you into a solid, steadfast rock. • Not only is He able, but He wants to. • If He was willing to do it for Peter, He will certainly do it for you.

27. That is how we reach the Point of No Return! • No matter what! • I am not going back! • God will guide me until I safely land on the other side. • Israel’s battle cry: Never again! • Back to church in order to get back to God.