Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
10/1/00 pm
Lessons Learned In The Far Country
Reading – Luke 15.11-24
Luke 15 is evangelism in evangelo...the gospel within the gospel. It is a down-to-earth story that happens every day. Good, honest, Christian people become lost, go astray:
- Some like sheep
- Some like the coin
- Some like the prodigal
- Some like the elder brother
You see, we are the principle characters in these three parables. This is our story. Prodigals are everywhere. Each one of us here tonight have played the part of this prodigal sometime in our life. We all have prodigals in our family, we have prodigals in this church. The Bible is filled with prodigals.
Cain was a prodigal; Abraham was a prodigal as was Lot, Jacob, Moses, Peter and Paul. The gospel is for prodigals. God is calling prodigals home. Jesus came to save prodigals. God's grace is for prodigals.
“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now I am found,
Was blind but now I see.”
“Amazing Grace” is a prodigal song.
You see, we are either saved and safe at home in the Father's house, or we are lost...a prodigal astray in the far country of sin. There are no other options.. there exists no in-the-between state. Saved... Or... Lost ? Which is it with you? If you are lost, if you are astray, let this sermon, this service, this invitation song be the time you come home.
Again, I want us to apply the lesson in two ways:
#1 - If we know one who is lost or astray, let's see if there is something here that will help us understand them and help us bring them home.
#2 - Let's apply it to ourselves so that perhaps we can avoid our own trip into the far country.
What can we learn from our text tonight?
FIRST, SIN, ALL SIN, HAS ITS BEGINNING IN THE HEART.
Most prodigals are prodigals at heart before they are prodigals in the far country. What kind of person are we when we are alone? What kind of person would we be if we were in a far country where no one knew us. I can tell you. I have the answer. What do we do, how do we behave in the privacy of our own thoughts?
The sins of this young prodigal started long before he left home. We sin in thought before we sin in action. We dream, we think, we plan, scheme, fantasize and then we act. The Bible tells us this is true, Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust... His own evil desires and enticed. Sin has its beginning in the heart... in thought.
- Jesus said, He that thinks evil...has evil in his heart against his brother; he that looks on a woman to lust after her has already sinned; out of the heart comes the issues of life.
- Solomon tells us, As we think in our heart so are we... So are we!
We can keep ourselves and others from sinning by containing our thoughts and thinking on things that are good. Listen to Paul from Philippians 4.8, Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
The bottom line is this--if we want to stay out of sin's far country--if we want to stay safe and saved at home in the Father's house--Stop sin in the heart... Mind... Thoughts.
SECONDLY, SIN STARTS WITH A SELFISH, GIVE-ME, ATTITUDE.
Look at Luke 15.12, The younger one said to his father, `Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. Selfishness is the basis for all our sins. All prodigals are materialistic at heart. Money... Things are the root of evil. God didn't create us for things. He didn't create us to see how much of this world's goods we could accumulate. He created us for relationships...for living together in the Father's house.
- It is said of Napoleon that he never saw a throne he didn't want to sit on.
- Alexander the Great cried because there were no more worlds for him to conquer.
- John Paul Getty was once asked, When is enough...enough? He said, Never... Never.
- James, John and their mother were give-me people: give my sons a place on your right and left in your kingdom.
Do our prayers indicate that we too are give-me people?
This prodigal's selfishness was displayed in another way also. This prodigal wanted:
- A life without restraints
- A life without discipline
- A life without authority
- A life without his Father's rules
Does this sound like anybody you and I know? Like ourselves? We can save ourselves and others by learning to control our selfishness.
LESSON #3 - SIN IS ALWAYS IN A HURRY.
Note Verse 13... Not many days hence - not long after that. I believe a man with sin on his mind is always in a hurry - Satan will see to that.
Don't you think this father knew where this boy was going and what he was going to do? I wonder how many brokenhearted fathers have watched their sons pack for the far country? More important, I wonder how many times God has watched his son Randall pack for the far country?
Satan knows that he always has the advantage if he can get us:
- Away from home...
- Away from the church...
- Away from family
And get us into the far country... And do so quickly.
You see, I am good when I am with you. You exert a tremendous pressure on me to behave myself. I want you, my parents, my children and grandchildren to see me as good. I don't want you to see my sin. As long as I stay close to you and family, I have a better chance, a much better chance, of not going astray.
Sin is always easier in the far country.. .Satan knows that, and he is always in a hurry to get us there. Returning prodigals and keeping from becoming a prodigal means we must stay at home. Don't be in a hurry to get to the far country.
LESSON #4 - SIN IS A WASTE OF LIFE.
This prodigal wasted his substance in riotous living. The NIV says, he squandered his wealth.
To make any kind of application here we must determine what is our substance... What is our wealth? What has the Father given us? Time: 168 hours this week. If we slept 8 hours a night, and I know some of you don't or you wouldn't be asleep now, we still have 112 hours left. If this was the final week of our lives, would we change how we spent this 112 hours? I think we all must admit we do some squandering of our time... Right?
Well, how about our talent, our energy, our money? Most of us here tonight don't have just a lot of life left. God help us not to waste any more of it. We can keep ourselves safe and saved if we will keep busy in the Father's vineyard... In the kingdom. Elders, those under your care that are kept busy will stay out of the far country.
LESSON #5 - SIN IS A VIOLATION OF CONSCIENCE.
This young man violated his religious convictions. How do we know that? He is a Jew living in a Gentile pig pen. Folk, this is a violation of conscience. Today, tonight, right now, Satan is asking you to compromise your convictions, to love the world, to NOT do what you know to be right and to act like others act, to be worldly. Romans 12.1 says don't do it.
- Don't conform to this world.
- Don't let the world squeeze you into its mold.
- Don't violate your convictions.
Do what is right.
Question!! Who or what determines how we act? Are we motivated by internal convictions or external circumstances? Are we motivated by God's word or the ways of the world? Are we motivated by our Father or by our enemy, Satan?
Listen to I John 3.15 for our answer - Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If a man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Then verse 17 gives us the reason, For the world passes away but he that lives by the will of the Father lives and abides forever.
LESSON #6 - SIN CAN BE FORGIVEN.
I don't know what all this prodigal did in the far country... I don't have to. Neither do you. I don't know all your ugly sins. I don't even know all of mine. But this I do know this, the blood of Jesus covers them all. Come now, let us reason together says the Father. Though our sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red as crimson, they shall be white.
The prophet said, It is your sin that separated you from God. God has always wanted to be close to us. He created mankind and placed him in a garden so he could be close. But Satan and sin intervened.
- To Enoch being close to God meant walking and talking with Him. Are you walking and talking with God? Amos said Two cannot walk together unless they agree. Folk, walking with God means we agree with Him.
- To Abraham being close to God meant obedience, leaving the farm, family, friends and in faith going where God lead him. Are we willing to be close to Him?
- To Jacob, being close to God meant leaving his cheating life of sin, taking on a new nature, a new name, a new life. Are we willing to crucify the old man of sin, leave the far country, take on a new name, His name, Christian?
- To many, living close to God meant carrying Jesus in their bodies and not being ashamed of it. Paul said, When you look at me, it is no longer me you see, but Jesus living in me. Paul carried the mark of Jesus in his body from: being whipped and beaten with rods, being in prison, ship wrecked, etc. etc. Living close to God means that we are not ashamed of his Son. It means letting others see Him in us.
- To the New Testament Christian, being close to God means having His spirit in us. Repent and be baptized and you will receive the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Spirit. Folk, that means having the Spirit of God in us.
- Living close to God means one day we will see Him face to face. He will welcome us into the mansion in heaven promised and prepared for us.
Question!! Are you living safe and saved in the Father's house tonight or are you lost, astray in the far country? Come home tonight. God is calling the prodigal to come home. Answer Him now, come to Jesus.
