THE FAR COUNTRY
Luke 15:11-23
Ill. Herman and Henrietta were taking a tour of their new home that they had dreamed about, planned for, designed themselves. A home that Henrietta had paid for with her own money.
As they went from one room to another and admired the beauty of their new home, in each one of those rooms Henrietta turned to her husband and said, “Honey, I want you to know that if it wasn’t for my money we wouldn’t be here.” And Herman, didn’t say a word.
That afternoon a moving van came to the house filled with brand new furniture for everyone of those rooms in the house; furniture that Henrietta had paid for with her own money.
And as they went on another tour with the furniture all in place and they saw each room with furniture that Henrietta paid for with her money, in each one of those rooms Henrietta said, “Honey, if it weren’t for my money none of this furniture would be here.” And Herman didn’t say a word.
Then another truck came with a combination stereo/TV and computer all in one gorgeous piece of furniture. It was a piece of furniture that You Guessed It! Henrietta had paid for with her own money. And as they sat back to relax in their home, once more Henrietta said, “Honey, if it weren’t for my money this piece of furniture wouldn’t be here.” Finally Herman spoke and said, “You know, honey, if it weren’t for your money, I wouldn’t be here either.”
Why are we here this morning? We have come together to worship the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. And to learn something new from His Word. Let’s pray.
Our text this morning is found in Luke 15:11-23.
This is probably one of the most famous story that has ever been told. It is a story that came from our Master’s lips.
Thousands of sermons have been preached on this particular passage. Some preach on the fatherly love of God. Others about the son, the prodigal who ran away from home and wasted his life in the slop of the pig pen. Some preach on the older brother, who stayed at home and was jealous and envious. I have even heard pastors that spend half of their message on the terrible thing of associating with hogs.
BRETHREN, I WON’T MAKE THAT APPLICATION TODAY!!!
I want us to focus our attention on a part of the story that is most often neglected.
Not the loving Father, and not the prodigal Son, and not the older brother. I want us to look at THE FAR COUNTRY.
Jesus tells us that the boy wasn’t happy at home. Sounds like your average teenager to me!
We don’t know why the boy was unhappy. He may have been bored. Or maybe he became embittered because his father was jerking the leash and holding him back.
Or maybe it was out of the spirit of adventure that sometimes erupts in the human heart. We don’t know why but Jesus tells us that this boy was unhappy.
And he came to his father and said, “I want everything that’s mine.” And the Bible says, “The father gave it to him.” And vs 13 tells us “The young man gathered all together and he took a journey into the far country.”
I WANT US TO TALK ABOUT THE FAR COUNTRY. AND I WANT US TO ANSWER SOME BASIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FAR COUNTRY. AND I WANT US TO BEGIN TRYING TO DETERMINE WHERE THE FAR COUNTRY IS.
1. Where is the Far Country?
We think of the far country as being a land a great distance away. Out of reach of thosse of us here today. But the far country I want for us to think about today is not a great distance and it is not out of the reach of every person here today.
It is very close to us and it is in the reach of every one of us for the far country is anywhere where a person tries to live without God our Father. That is the far country.
You may have lived here in Camp Verde all your life, but if your living here without God than you are living in the Far Country.
You might be going through the same routine that you’ve been following all your life.
Examples: Going to work at the same time. Driving the same way. Doing the same job. Coming home at the same time. Going to bed at the same time.
Many people have their names on our church roles. Some perhaps are even here this morning who are living in a far country right now. Because the far country is anywhere a person tries to live without God.
2. How do you know you are in the Far Country?
Let me give you some signs this morning. You know that you are living in the Far Country if you are:
A) Spiritually depleted
There are many Christians who after their initial commitment to the Lord find themselves becoming cold and indifferent to the things of God. They’re no longer excited about studying His Word.
They’re no longer experiencing the joy of their salvation. They are no longer enjoying being in fellowship with God’s people. They become tired of church, bored with the Bible, uncertain about the future, there is no fire of faith in their life. They come to the place where they are spiritually depleted.
Now look at your life today. Is that true of you?
B) Spiritually Detached
If all you can talk about is an experience with God that you once had, a decision for the Lord you once made, a church in which you were once active, a job for God that you were once doing, all that you can talk about is the past tense of your relationship with the Lord, then you need to wake up this morning because you too are dwelling in the Far Country.
C) Spiritually Defeated
There are many Christians that are slipping through life from one defeat to another.
They are timid in their witnessing. They are uncertain about facing the challenges of life. They are hesitant when they try to carry out Christian service. They are uncertain about what they believe and why they believe it. They are pessimistic about the future of the church.
They ar inactive most of the time. They go through life without any joy, any excitement and without any enthusiasm. They are defeated... They limp from one spiritual defeat to the next.
I want to tell you today, on the authority of God’s Word, that ought not to be when you’re living in the power of the Holy Spirit.
John 1:12 says, “But as many as received him, to them gave He power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on His name.”
In the name of Jesus Christ that is not a declaration of defeat. That is a proclamation of VICTORY.
Wherever you are that God isn’t than you are in the Far Country and you’d better wake up before you end up slopping hogs! Play with fire and you’re going to get burned.
3. Why does a person go to the Far Country?
There are several reasons.
A) In search of freedom. Probably the prime motive of the young boy in this story.
“If I can just get away from my old man I can do the things I want to do. I can be free.”
A lot of people worship the god of freedom.
But let me tell you something, he who Jesus sets free is free indeed!
B) In search of hapiness. They want to be happy. They want to experience the joy that life has to offer. We feel that happiness can be found in worldly possessions. And so we turn our backs on God and leave our father’s house and we go out into the Far Country in search of that something that will make us happy. But only Jesus can bring you that happiness you seek inside.
C) They simply drifted there. They didn’t want to go. They weren’t headed there in the first place. And they don’t want to be there today.
1. Sometimes it begins when you take a vacation from church. You know those times. Work is piling up, things at work are getting behind. I need a vacation. You don’t intend to get away from God. But those two weeks become two months and then two years and before you know it you’re living in the Far Country.
2. Sometimes it occurs when we make a move. That’s a traumatic experience. You’ve got boxes everywhere. You say, “I’ve got to get settled in or I’m not going to make it.” So you take a couple of weeks and pretty soon that later becomes never and you’re living in the Far Country.
3. Sometimes it happens when we get mad. Somebody did or didn’t do something to hurt your feelings. Somebody said or didn’t say something.
You had a need and it was not met. Did you tell anybody about it?
You were hurt and no one responded. You were missing and needy and nobody called you.
And so you got mad God and mad at the church.
It might have been a deacon. It might have been a SS teacher, it might have even been me, the pastor.
There are many Christians that start out with all kinds of enthusiasm and excitement and the circumstances defeat them and they drift into the Far Country.
Maybe you are here this morning and you are saying “you’re talking about me preacher. It really hits me at home.” This story doesn’t condemn you but how do you get back.
A. Appraisal (v 17) In the slop of the pig pen, the prodigal son took a look at himself. He came to his senses and saw himself as he really was. Are things the way they ought to be in your life?
B. Attitude Change (v 18) There was a world of difference between his attitude from the time the story started (v 12) He recognized he had sinned before God in Heaven. Before God can change you must first accept who you are, a sinner and that you can’t save yourself.
The son had no way out. Sometimes you must get your face dirty in the mire to be able to look up and be rescued.
Sinner, Come Home. He welcomes you just as you are.
