When I was growing up one of my favorite programs was The Twilight Zone. I have been accused of, from time to time, still living in the Twilight Zone! That’s okay.
One of my favorite episodes is “A Stop at Willoughby”. The story is about a guy named Gart Williams. Now in my best Rod Sterling imitation: “Gart Williams, 38 years old, a man in trouble. Gart Williams, ad exec, is about to enter The Twilight Zone.”
He is a guy is who not happy with his life. He is not happy with his job. His wife is a person who has high expectations for him and he’s not on the same page she’s on. The boss is very demanding and he’s not on the same page with him either.
So every evening he rides home on the train, which is about an hour’s ride, and falls asleep. And every time he falls asleep he goes to a little town called Willoughby.
For Mr. Williams Willoughby is his escape. It’s a town situated back in the 1890s. The pace is slower and when the train stops the townspeople greet him. “Mr. Williams how are you?” “Mr. Williams, glad to have you back.” “Mr. Williams, have you tried some of these tomatoes?” Everybody in Willoughby knows Mr. Williams.
Now when Mr. Williams wakes up he has to go back to the life he absolutely hates. At one point in the story he tells his wife “I want something different for my life.” So he gets backs on the train and you hear the conductor’s voice “Next stop Willoughby. Mr. Williams, are you ready to get off at Willoughby and to stay?”
The next scene is Mr. Williams getting off the train at Willoughby. As he gets off the train his clothes change, which had never happened before, and every one comes up to him offering to shake his hand.
And you see down the road that Mr. Williams had jumped off of the train and he’s dead. But he wanted his Willoughby so badly that he traded this life for Willoughby. He traded what was going on in this life for what he did not have and that he coveted.
And that’s why the title this morning is “What is your Willoughby”?
When you look at the outline,
• Willoughby was a place where “a man can slow down to a walk and live his life in full measure.”
• Willoughby was a place of refuge.
• Willoughby was a place that was absent of strife and conflict
Turn to Psalm 69. The things that Gart Williams was feeling, that made him long for Willoughby, for a place in his dreams, David could identify with that.
(1) Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.
(2) I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing. I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.
(3) I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.
Does that not describe how the character was feeling? He was feeling overwhelmed. His problems had gotten to the point that they were more than he could handle and he wanted out.
We have choices we have to make every single day and that choice is this: are we going to focus on those things that want to force us to leave or do we want to focus on those things that will allow us to stay or encourage us to stay?
And when I talk about leaving or staying, I’m talking leaving and rejecting what God’s Word says or staying and believing what God’s Word says.
The devil dominates a person with a nature like his and that’s a person who has not been born again. A person who is not born again is going to be like Mr. Williams in Willoughby.
Look in Ephesians 2. Mr. Williams felt like he had nowhere to turn. He felt like he was on a road leading to nowhere. And this is what we see here in Ephesians.
(1) And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
When you’re dead in something, you don’t get out of it. Are you with me? When you’re dead you don’t get out of it!
(2) Wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience
Now notice that all of this is in past tense. But for teaching purposes, let’s talk about this for a moment. The word “walked” means “it’s the place where you live”. So you were dead in trespasses and sins. That was the place where you lived. That’s the place where you live when you don’t have God.
The frightening thing about this word ‘walked” is you are walking a path – trespasses and sins – and there is no way off. You don’t have the power to get off that path.
And that is what Williams was feeling at “A Stop in Willoughby”. He was on a path and didn’t see any way off.
And there are those of us today – yes, we are sons and daughters of God – but there are times when we don’t see a way out. We feel sometimes that everything is coming at us at once and that we’re not going to get past them.
Satan is good at what he does. Look in 2 Corinthians 4.
When we’re dead in trespasses and sins, we’re walking on a path we cannot get off – unless we get some help. Satan does not want us to get help. Look at verse 3 and 4.
(3) But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
(4) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Once we have gotten off that path because of what Jesus did and our believing and accepting what Jesus did, Satan wants to deceive us. He wants to influence us. He wants us to think that we are still “on that path”.
Look in John 8, a verse we’re all very familiar with. It’s verse 44.
“Ye are of your father the devil (Jesus is talking to the religious leaders specifically but it applies to everyone at that time because Jesus had not gone to the cross.), and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
The devil deceives. That is what he is so good at and the only way we can inoculate ourselves from his deception is by staying plugged into God’s Word and His presence.
Mr. Williams in “A Stop at Willoughby” looked at himself as having no options. The only option that he had was to get away was by getting away in his mind. When you find yourself trying to get away from things you will find yourself walking right back to them.
Let’s talk about this for a moment.
Willoughby is what we do when pressure has grabbed us by the throat.
• Some of us sleep. We’re so stressed we don’t know what else to do other than sleep. I remember when I lost my job 10 years ago, I was so stressed out. Doris will tell you, I slept a lot.
• Drinking and drugs can be your Willoughby. They can numb your senses to the point that you are “taken away” from the things you’re facing. They can take you somewhere else and that is what Willoughby is – a longing to be somewhere other than where you are.
• Shopping can be your Willoughby. (Laughter) Your life is stressed so much that you tell yourself “I’m going to do something I enjoy” to take the place of the hurt, the problem.
• Doris and I watch Golden Girls and when the four are facing a problem, they pull out the cheesecake. They take the forks out and eat cheesecake. Eating can be your Willoughby.
• Playing video games can be your Willoughby. I put this one in because that was Barry. At the same time Barry was doing a lot of sleeping he was playing a lot of video games. I could sit there and play video games without having to think about anything. I didn’t have to think about not having a job having to get a job. Now, don’t get me wrong. I had resumes out. In between the time of getting my resume out and getting a job I played video games. I tuned life out. That’s Willoughby.
And you see, Satan wants us focused on Willoughby. We have to decide what is the Willoughby we’re going to focus on and you noticed I put in the outline “What is your Willoughby?”
When the pressure is on, what is your Willoughby? And the Willoughby ladies and gentlemen is going to be the first thing you think about – it’s going to be your default behavior. It’s going to be what you gravitate too automatically.
And if your “go to” response is not God’s Word, then # 4 applies to you automatically! You’ve been deceived into thinking “there is no answer out there for me” other than sleeping, eating, playing video games – shutting myself off from the world.
The “Parable of the Sower” fits nicely here and we’re going to look at the one in Luke 8.
(4) And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable:
(5) A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
(6) And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
(7) And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
(8) And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Jump down to verse 11.
(11) Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
(12) Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
(13) They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root (Take note of that: they have no root), which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
Let me give you a definition for “temptation” – Temptation is when you are pressured to give in, give up or get out. Mr. Williams in Willoughby – he wanted to get out. When you are pressured, what do you want to do? Do you want to give in, give up or get out? Or do you want door #4? You want to fight the good fight of faith!
Notice also that in times of temptation the person “falls away”. It means that you back off. You’re not being pushed. You’re not being dragged. You make a conscious decision to withdraw yourself. That’s when you’ve either given up, given in or gotten out.
What have you fallen away from? The Word of God. We’re told in verse 11 that “the seed is the word of God”. Why did you fall away? It had no root. That’s why you fell away.
Now look at the next verse.
(14) And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
The word “choked” means “to crowd out or strangle completely”. Let’s read verse 14 this way:
“And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and the Word of God is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of life – the word is strangled out of them by the cares and riches and pleasures of life.” Do you see that?
And we know that Satan come immediately because he does not want the Word to take root in our lives. So it must be imperative to us to make sure the Word takes root in our lives.
When the pressure hits to try to get us to give in, give up or get out, our first response has to be – must be – “thus saith the Lord”. Remember how Jesus responded to the devil’s attacks in Matthew 4? He said over and over “It is written”.
We’ve already been taught how to respond to Satan’s attacks. But there’s a difference in being “taught a lesson” and “learning a lesson”. So the question is are you doing the lesson?
Turn to Hebrews 4. When you are facing your Willoughby God says...
(14) Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
Let us hold fast what we know! Let us hold fast what we’ve been taught! Hold it! Grab it! Don’t let it go because you’re going to end up in Willoughby – the wrong one. There is a “right” Willoughby.
(15) For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
The same Willoughby’s we face, Jesus faced them too.
(16) Let us therefore (because we have a high priest who understands our situation, because we have a high priest who has walked in our shoes, because we have a high priest who modeled the behavior of how to be a conqueror when He walked in our shoes) come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Look in Hebrews 10.
God has already told us in verse 17 that He doesn’t remember our sins and iniquities anymore.
(19) Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
(20) By a new and living way, (He’s contrasting the law, which was a “dead way” with being born again – the “living way”.) which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
(21) And having an high priest over the house of God;
(22) Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
(23) Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; [This is the clause that I want you to see.] (for he is faithful that promised;)
Chapter 13 of Hebrews. Again, verses that you’re very familiar with.
(5) Let your conversation (Let your behavior, let your actions, let your attitude let your lifestyle) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Was Mr. Williams content? Oh, no! His life was in a turmoil. Content in his life was not even in the same universe.
Let me make sure you understand what I am saying. Content doesn’t mean you like the situation that you’re in. That’s not what content means. It means that I have the full assurance that the God I serve can make a way when the way looks like it’s blocked.
Do you see “I will never leave thee or forsake thee”? How many parents do we have here? Let’s say you have a child who does drugs and while you’re at work he goes into your bedroom and takes pieces of your jewelry to sell. He goes into your gun case and they see this pistol with the pearl handle grip to sell.
He gets caught. The cops come. Mom and Dad looks at him and says “He’s not my son. I don’t know him. He’s a thief.” How many of you would do that? None of you would do that and yet we think that God would do that to us.
My point is this: When scripture says I will never leave thee or forsake thee it means that there is no situation or circumstance where God will abandon you. Knowing this, would you think like a Gart Williams?
Let’s talk about what our Willoughby should be. Turn to Acts 16. Paul and Silas have been thrown into prison for, God forbid, healing people and getting them born again! They were thrown into prison by the religious leaders. Now, let’s see what their Willoughby was?
(25) And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
What was Paul and Silas’ Willoughby? It was getting into the presence of the Lord. There Willoughby was not trying to find another way of escape. There Willoughby? I’m going to run into the presence of My Father.
(26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
(27) And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
(28) But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
(29) Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
(30) And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
So let me ask you a question. What were Paul and Silas doing while they were in prison? Witnessing. Telling people about Jesus. Can’t you just hear Paul and Silas sounding like an old school Baptist preacher? “You need J-e-s-u-s!”
(31) And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
(32) And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
Now, turn to Psalm 91. From this forward, when the pressure comes to try to get you to give in, give up or get out I want Psalm 91 to be your Willoughby. I use this Psalm as a confession over Barry.
Again when the pressure comes to give in, give up or get out, I want you to read “your Willboughby” – Psalm 91. I’m going to read it with my name. When you get home, read it again, this time with your name. Okay?
(1) Barry [because he is the one] that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
(2) I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
(3) Surely he shall deliver [Barry] from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
(4) He shall cover [Barry] with his feathers, and under his wings shalt [Barry will] trust: his truth shall be [Barry’s] shield and buckler.
(5)[Barry] shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
(6) Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
(7) A thousand shall fall at [Barry’s] side, and ten thousand at [Barry’s] right hand; but it shall not come nigh [Barry].
(8) Only with [Barry’s] eyes shalt [he] behold and see the reward of the wicked.
(9) Because [Barry has] made the LORD, which is [his] refuge, even the most High, [his] habitation;
(10) There shall no evil befall [Barry], neither shall any plague come nigh [Barry’s] dwelling.
(11) For he shall give his angels charge over [Barry], to keep [Barry] in all thy ways.
(12) They shall bear [Barry] up in their hands, lest [Barry] dash [his] foot against a stone.
(13) [Barry shall] tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt [Barry] trample under feet.
(14) Because [Barry] hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set [Barry] on high, because [Barry] hath known my name.
The only way Barry is going to know God’s name, know who He is and understand why He does what He does, Barry must do verse one – dwell in the secret place where God is. Barry must set up camp in the secret place of the Most High. That’s the only way I am going to know Him.
(15) [Barry] shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with [Barry] in trouble; I will deliver [Barry], and honour [Barry].
Get your mind wrapped around that one folks. God says that when you set your love upon Him, when you seek Him, when you want to be in His presence, He’s going to deliver you and He’s going to take care of you.
(16) With long life will I satisfy [Barry], and shew [Barry] my salvation.
The “salvation” he’s talking about is not getting born again. He’s talking about the “benefits package” that you receive after you are born again.
I want you to see something. God’s plan for your life is LONG LIFE, not short, not abbreviated, not cut off. Long life. That’s God’s plan for you.
When the pressures come and the first place you run is into the presence of God – that’s a Willoughby worth having!
So I want you to make a decision today. Whatever Willoughby you had when you came to church it has now been replaced with Psalm 91. Let this be your Willoughby. Go to that secret place. That’s where the answers are. That’s where the victory is. It’s in that secret place – your Willoughby.
I’m going to close with this. It’s called the secret place of the Most High because once you go in Satan has to stop at the door. He can’t go any farther than that door. All he knows is that when you come out damage awaits him. Make sure you go into that secret place often. That’s the place you go when life is pressuring you to give in, give up or get out.
You don’t let the pressures drive you to Gart Williams’ Willoughby – the place that caused him to commit suicide. Unless you find a Willoughby like Psalm 91, I can tell you what will happen to you. You won’t necessarily commit suicide but you’re going to back away so much that Satan is going to say I have neutralize that person because he has gotten out.
Don’t let him drive you out ladies and gentlemen. If you allow him to steal the Word you will have nothing to fight with. The secret place ladies and gentlemen. That’s your sanctuary! Amen!
