“far”

 

1.   One of the great words in our English language is “far.”

2.   While taking a vacation we might use this word and use it often.

3.   We might inquire as to how far it is to the next rest stop or gas station.

4.   When a child is involved with some activity he or she might be told to only go so far.

5.   We use the word “far” in the workplace and in our homes.

6.   We sometimes ask how far something must be measured, how far to discipline, or how far to take an idea.

 

AS I BEGAN TO CONSIDER ALL THE WAYS THAT WE USE THE LITTLE WORD “FAR” I TURNED TO THE BIBLE TO SEE HOW SCRIPTURE USES THIS SMALL BUT MIGHTY TERM.

 

a)     What I found was more than 30 New Testament verses where “far” is used.

b)     Many of these texts have a point or two of personal application.

c)     The first time I find the English word “far” in the New Testament (ASV) is Mt. 15:8.

 

2)     Jesus spoke to some people about their hearts and said these hearts were “far” from God.

3)     There can be times when being far away from someone (i.e. distant) is a good thing.     

a)     When dealing with a relationship, “far away” is usually not desirable.

b)     A soldier who is “far away” fighting in a war will probably have a lonesome spouse.

c)     If a spouse says, “I feel far apart from you,” he or she is expressing some negative feelings.

d)     When a company says “we are far apart in negotiations,” they are saying there are many disagreements.

 

4)     God says that in our life we can have a heart that is “far” from Him.

5)     Jesus came right out and told people we can be distant and isolated from God.

6)     Just as we can be alienated from a friend, parent or family member, such can also be the case with God.

7)     This is not God’s will, but this is a definite possibility.

8)     Most might readily recognize this to be the case with someone who is not saved.

9)     If we look at the person who has no interest in God or religion we might say, “he/she is far from God.”

10) That statement may be exactly right.

11) In Mt. 15 Jesus was addressing religious people.

12) The Lord said that even a person who has faith in the living God can be far from God.

13) Whether we have embraced the gospel or not, Mt. 15:8 presents us with a challenge.

a)     We ought to look at our life and ask a simple but important question.

b)     Do we find ourselves far from God, near to God, or somewhere in-between?

c)     If we are far from God, that is a problem that needs immediate attention and correction.

d)     Being far from God has been a common plague upon humanity.

e)     Long before Jesus came into the world being far from God was a problem.

f)      In verse 7 of Mt. 15 we find that Jesus was quoting from Isaiah.

g)     What the prophet said had application in his day as well as the Lord’s time.  This information still applies.

h)     We may want to be far away from certain things, but God is not on that list.

 

14) “Far” occurs again in Mk. 8:3.

a)     The beginning of the thought for this text is Mk. 8:1.

b)     Mark says “in those days there was again a great multitude.”

c)     This crowd continued with the Lord 3 days (verse 2) and had nothing to eat.

d)     These people came, listened to the Lord, and they were quite a ways from home – verse 3 – READ.

 

15) People came from “far away” to hear the Lord.

a)     Several years ago I used to visit with a man who had a variety of medical problems.

b)     This man could walk, but it was a slow and difficult process.

c)     One of the important things in this man’s life was the ability to get to worship each time God’s people assembled.

d)     For several years this Christian depended upon various members to pick him up 3 times a week.

e)     One day this brother noticed that a house next to the church building had been put up for sale.

f)      This man bought that house.

g)     He didn’t buy it because he liked the color, the neighborhood, or the potential increase in value.

h)     He bought it so he could be close (next door) to the place where God’s people met.

i)      I do not know all the ins and outs of this man’s financial situation, but I suspect that the house cost him.

j)      This man wanted to be with the people of God and worship so he paid a price.

 

16) In the 8^th chapter of Mark there were people who also paid a cost.

17) People had to go “far” to hear the Lord; they were away 3 days and they did not have sufficient food with them.

18) Today we live in a culture where we do not always like to have things “cost us.”

19) We like items that are free or at least convenient.

a)     This mentality has affected the area of religion.

b)     There are people who will worship at a particular place because it is close to their home.

c)     It takes less gas and time to go down the street instead of across town or drive to another town.

d)     The word “far” in Mk. 8 leaves us with a practical point as we seek to serve God.

e)     When we commit to becoming a Christian, our service is not a matter of distance.

f)      No distance is too far to serve the living God.  No cost is too high.

g)     Before cars came along there were a lot of people who hitched horses to wagons.

h)     Getting to services took a good while—perhaps most of the day was consumed.

i)      We have automobiles and other forms of transportation that greatly speed up the process.

j)      If distance has ever been a justified reason for not assembling, that reason has long since passed.

k)     How sad it will be for someone to stand before the Lord on the Day of Judgment and say: 

l)      “Lord, it was just too far to go.  Serving you just cost too much money.”

m)   I do not know that we can really put heaven on a map (i.e. give it a location).

n)     Heaven to earth would seem to be a pretty good distance.

o)     Jesus came from heaven to earth for us; will we not make a shorter trip for Him?

p)     If we want to look at things from dollars and cents, how much do we spent on God?

q)     Is it  a dollar week?  Ten, 20, 50, 100, 200…how much do we spend in a year?

r)      Take that amount, put it as it were on a scale, and then see Jesus’ contribution on the other side.

 

20) A little later in Mark’s gospel (12:34) we find “far” being used again.

a)     Jesus said there was a man who was not “far” from the Kingdom of God.    

b)     There are lots of people who are still in this very type of situation.

c)     Being in the Kingdom of God and “not being far” from the kingdom are two very different things.

d)     A person who is close to the kingdom may think he or she is already there.

e)     As we deal with people, what Jesus said may be the right way to offer spiritual instruction.

f)      When a person believes in the gospel of Christ, they are on the road to salvation.

g)     A willingness to repent and acknowledge Christ as the savior will get them up against heaven’s door.

 

21) A lot of people get right next to salvation (they are not far from it), and then they go no further.

22) Jesus said in Mk. 16:16 that baptism is required.

23) Peter on the day of Pentecost commanded baptism for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).

24) Peter said (1 Pet. 3:20-21) that “baptism now saves us.”

25) Paul said baptism “puts us into Christ” (Gal. 3:27).

26) Jesus said we must be born of the spirit (teaching) and “water” (baptism, Jn. 3:3, 5).

27) For a time many of us may have been close to the Kingdom of God. 

28) We finally realized that being close is not enough so we entered the kingdom by being obedient.

29) Perhaps some here are still close to the kingdom, right at the edge.

30) We are on the border and only just a step away from entering into Christ’s spiritual body the church.

31) Today we hope that if this describes you, you will take that final step.

32) If you are at the brink, think very carefully about the importance of completing your obedience.

33) A person may be close to the kingdom for another reason.

34) It is possible for an individual to leave the faith and want to come back.

35) They come right to the door of God for forgiveness, but they seem to stop at the last moment.

36) The devil is the one who wants us to stop.  God wants us to move forward and complete the process.

37) If we are close to the kingdom, it is time to do whatever is lacking and come into the kingdom.

 

38) Our English word “far” is found a little later in the Bible, Eph. 2:13.

a)     When Paul wrote to these Christians he said there was a time when they had been far away from God.

b)     Saying this once might seem to be enough.  Paul said this more than once in this chapter 

c)     After making this statement in verse 13 he brought it up again four verses later (verse 17).

d)     Why would the apostle so stress that these people had been far away from God?

 

39) Some previous information in Eph. 2 helps us understand.

40) Eph. 2:1 – READ.

a)     Trespasses and sins are violations of God’s will.  Sin is breaking the law—divine law.

b)     Paul said sin will make a person “dead.”

c)     This death is clearly not literal because Paul wrote to people who were still alive.

d)     Death in Eph. 2 has a “spiritual” sense to it.

e)     Sin will create a great distance between man and God.

f)      Someone might wonder what the Ephesians did – of what were they guilty?

g)     Let’s look at the second verse – READ.

h)     “Walking according to the course of this world” caused people to be far away from God.

 

41) Our society does a lot of things, and there are always new trends.

42) Each generation wants to create its own mark and make its own impression.

43) When we see what the world is doing we need pause and reflect for a while.

44) “This is what everyone else is doing, but is this consistent with Christianity?”

45) This is the new trend, but does it line up with what we find in the Bible?

46) “Would Jesus approve of this activity or idea?”

47) “If I met the Lord would He want to participate in what I am doing?”

48) “What if my parents knew what I was doing—would they approve?”

49) In verse 3 we are told about the “lust of the flesh” and the “desires of the flesh.”

50) The people at Ephesus had been involved with these things—all the ways of the world.

a)     In Eph. 4:19 we find some specific sins mentioned.

b)     There is “lasciviousness.”  Other sins such as immorality, impurity, and even greed are listed.

c)     All these actions, according to God, are immoral.

d)     The world just writes this type of stuff to “fun,” “everyone does it,” and “comedy.”

e)     God has a different description for it:  filth that will take people far from Him.

 

51) In Eph. 5:3 there is a reference to fornication (all sexual sin) and “all uncleanness.”

52) Not one sin has God’s stamp of approval.

53) Paul reminded the Ephesians that sin took them far, far away from God.

54) Even coarse jokes and obscene stories are listed in Eph. 5:3.

55) Does God care about these items?  The word says they are find but God says they are not fine.

56) This is just one of the ways that people can and will find themselves far from God.

57) The three letter word far helps us have a right relationship with God.

58) When we apply the information we find joined with this word, we may agree with Paul in Phil. 1:23.

59) The apostle said to go and live with Christ is “far” better.

a)     When we lose a person we love it hurts.  For some the pain lasts a lifetime.

b)     When the person who passes on is a Christian, they are in a “far” better state.         

c)     They receive what we could never give them in this life.

d)     They experience what they themselves could not obtain during their earthly life.

e)     When a saved person enters into eternity, they have found the ultimate gift, hope, and life.

f)      Rather than be far from God, we want that eternal home that is “far” superior.

 

60) As we assemble here today, which path have we chosen?

61) The far better life or the far worse life?