Going Back To Bethel" A Homecoming Sermon

Church, it's good to be in the house of the Lord today! Can I get an amen? On this homecoming Sunday, we gather not just to fellowship, but to remember. To remember where we came from, to remember what God has done, and to remember the sacred places where Heaven touched earth in our lives.

Today I want to talk to you about going back to Bethel. Turn with me to Genesis 35, verses 1 through 7.

The Word

The Lord said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau."

Now church, let me paint this picture for you. Jacob had been running - running from his past, running from his mistakes, running from the consequences of his deceptions. But there was a place - a place called Bethel - where God had met him in his lowest moment. Where heaven's ladder came down and touched the earth. Where God made promises that would change not just Jacob's life, but the destiny of nations.

What Bethel Means

Bethel means "House of God." But it wasn't always called Bethel. Jacob first called it Luz. It was just another place on the map until God showed up! Somebody say "God showed up!"

You see, we all have our Bethel - that sacred place where God met us. Maybe it was at your grandmother's knee when she first told you about Jesus. Maybe it was at a revival meeting where the Spirit fell like fire. Maybe it was in a hospital room where you thought you were dying, but God said "Not yet!" Maybe it was in a jail cell, in a crack house, at the bottom of your life when Jesus reached down and pulled you up!

Why We Must Go Back

But notice what God told Jacob - "Go BACK to Bethel." Not forward to somewhere new, but back to where it all started. Why? Because sometimes we need to remember!

First, we go back to remember God's faithfulness. Jacob had prospered, he had wives and children, he had flocks and herds. But he had also gotten comfortable. He had forgotten the desperation that drove him to his knees at Bethel. Sometimes prosperity makes us forget our dependence on God!

Second, we go back to get rid of foreign gods. Verse 2 says Jacob told his household, "Put away the foreign gods that are among you." Church, what foreign gods have crept into our lives? The god of materialism? The god of social media? The god of self-reliance? Sometimes we need to go back to Bethel to clean house!

Third, we go back to fulfill our vows. Jacob had made promises to God at Bethel - promises to serve Him, promises to give Him the tithe. How many promises have we made to God in our desperate moments that we've forgotten in our comfortable seasons?

The African American Bethel

Now let me bring this home to our experience. For us as African Americans, our Bethel is rich and deep. Our Bethel is the slave cabin where our ancestors found Jesus in the midnight hour. Our Bethel is the brush arbor meetings where they sang "Steal Away to Jesus" when massa wasn't listening. Our Bethel is the Underground Railroad stations where freedom was more than a dream - it was a prayer answered!

Our Bethel is the little country church where Great-grandmother shouted until the Spirit caught fire. Our Bethel is the civil rights movement where faith met injustice and wouldn't back down. Our Bethel is every place where our people called on the name of Jesus and He answered!

Coming Home to Heritage

Church, on this homecoming Sunday, we're not just gathering - we're going back to Bethel! We're remembering the prayers of the elders who paved the way. We're honoring the sacrifices of those who built this church with their blood, sweat, and tears. We're celebrating the heritage of faith that flows in our veins!

Some of y'all came back today from far-off places. You got your education, you got your career, you got your success. But something drew you back home today. That's the Spirit calling you back to Bethel! Back to your roots! Back to the foundation that made you who you are!

The Altar Experience

And when Jacob got back to Bethel, what did he do? He built an altar! He worshiped! Church, we need to build some altars today! Altars of thanksgiving for how far He's brought us! Altars of consecration for where He's taking us! Altars of remembrance so we never forget what He's done!

The Celebration

But let me tell you something else about going back to Bethel - it's not just about looking backward, it's about moving forward with power! When Jacob went back to Bethel, God renewed His promises! God changed his name from Jacob the deceiver to Israel the prince! God opened up his future!