TIME IS NO BARRIER

1. In Lk. 15:11 Jesus said that a certain father had two sons.

2. The youngest son in this family said that he wanted his inheritance.

3. This story is one that should be carefully studied by everyone who is a parent.

4. At the present time many children come to their parents and ask for a weekly allowance.

5. Doling out a weekly allowance makes some parents cringe.

6. Other children ask their parents to buy or help them buy a first car.

7. The young man in Lk. 15 didn’t want theses things.

8. He wanted his part of his future inheritance.

9. This was an expensive request.

10. Children who ask for a first car or a weekly allowance ask for a lot less than the son in Lk. 15.

11. According to the Lord’s story the youngest son received the money.

12. With the money in hand the young man left home. He traveled to a different country.

13. If we are familiar with this story we know that this son eventually came back.

14. What I want us to look at is the length of time this son was gone from home.

THIS INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND BY CAREFULLY EXAMINING THE TEXT.

A. Let’s start with verse 13.

B. This son “gathered all together.” He took all of his possessions.

C. Some in this assembly have children who have gotten married and moved out.

D. Though your children may have left, you may still have some of their possessions.

E. I have known of children who stored possessions at mom and dad’s house for 14-15 years.

F. This young man packed up all of his belongings. He took everything he had.

G. This implies that he planned to leave for a long time or perhaps he never planned to return.

H. The end of the 13^th verse says he journeyed into a far country.

I. In this day and time travel was slow.

J. Wherever this “far country was,” it took a long time to get there.

K. If anyone arrived in a far country and then wanted to return home the length was obviously
doubled.

L. This story describes an extended period of time.

M. In addition to the trip to and from this country, more time is described at the end of verse 13.

N. We do not know the actual amount of this boy’s inheritance.

O. We may, however, conclude that it was substantial.

P. This young man had enough money to take him far away from home.

Q. After he reached a distant land he still had “substance” left.

R. After getting to his destination he had enough money to engage in “riotous living.”

I). This is the only time the word translated “riotous” is found in the Bible.

II). Though this word is only found here it is not hard to define.

III). The Living Bible says this son “wasted all his money on parties and prostitutes.”

IV). The NIV says, he engaged in “wild living.”

V). This kind of life costs money.

2. Since this young man was able to do these things he must have had a significant sum of cash.

3. Spending this cash must have taken at least a little time.

4. All of the details in this account describe a lengthy period of time.

5. These details can easily describe at least a year; perhaps two or three years.

6. Other facts in the text tell us that we must add even more time to this story.

7. Notice the 14^th verse (stress the first part of the verse).

8. The boy spent all he had (this must have taken some time to do) and then a famine arose.

9. It seems that the famine had to become “mighty” before the son faced difficult times.

10. This describes additional time; perhaps six months or a year.

11. Let’s see what verse 15 tells us - verse 15.

12. This son had to get a job. He was out of money and the economy had taken a downturn.

13. He long did he spend looking for work?

14. Perhaps we have assumed that he woke up one day, said “I want a job,” and got hired.

15. Not everyone is hired on the day that they apply for a position.

16. This son was so desperate for a job that he slopped pigs.

17. Did this young man apply for other jobs before accepting this position?

18. How long did he care for the pigs? We don’t know.

19. It may have been a few days, a few weeks, months, or perhaps a year.

20. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE DETAILS IN THIS STORY WE FIND THAT THIS SON WAS AWAY FROM HOME FOR A LONG TIME.

A. When we realize this fact we have some information that may be applied in many ways.

B. For instance, there are Christian parents who have wayward children.

C. These children head down the wrong road and they are off course for a long time.

D. This is discouraging. This causes great concern.

E. Parents wonder what is happening in their children’s lives.

F. Parents are concerned about the choices their children are making.

G. The story in Lk. 15speaks to mothers and fathers who are in that situation.

H. The information in Lk. 15 may also be related in other ways.

I. In Romans 8 Paul said, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”

J. In verse 38 he Paul, “things present” and “things to come” will not separate us from God.

21. There is perhaps no better illustration of Rom. 8:38 than the material in Lk. 15.

A. Think of where this young son was before he left home.

B. He was in what seems to have been a good environment.

C. It was good enough that he eventually wanted to return to home.

D. The text does not indicate he ever had a compelling reason to leave home.

E. In fact, after this son got away from home and spent his inheritance the old life looked pretty good.

F. This young man looked at his past and he knew that he had made some mistakes.

G. He was able to look at the way things were going in the foreign country.

H. He could see that he had made some additional mistakes.

I. He was away from His father, family, and friends. He couldn’t call, fax, or e-mail dad.

J. He couldn’t send a telegram for help.

K. He had wasted his father’s money.

L. He did things that dad didn’t approve of.

M. Perhaps he had feelings of guilt and shame.

N. What his dad had worked for he had squandered.

O. He had taken an occupation that most people didn’t like.

P. If this young man was Jewish there was no occupation as bad as caring for pigs.

Q. When this young man looked at his situation things were not good.

22. As the young man looked at his future he realized that he could only have moderate optimism.

A. He thought he could go back home.

B. However, he wouldn’t dare ask to return as a son.

C. He understood that he might be entitled to be a household servant.

D. Verses 17-19.

23. We can look at this young son’s past, present, and future.

24. No matter which direction we look at we find love.

25. Notice verse 20.

A. This young man’s past did not separate him from his father.

B. His circumstances while in the far country did not separate him from dad’s love.

C. Neither did his future separate him from his father.

D. When this son left his father loved him.

E. He loved him enough to let him learn a hard lesson. This was “tough love.”

F. When this young man was in a far country wasting family money the father loved his son.

G. When this son came home the father still loved his son.

26. Have we ever thought about what this young man must have looked like when he came home?

A. He must have been broke.

B. He didn’t have a well paying job in that far country.

C. Travel from a distant country to his home must have left him dirty, ragged, and perhaps smelly.

D. This son must have looked rough. Dad still loved him. Dad ran to greet him.

E. In Rom. 8 Paul was exactly right.

F. Our past, the present, and our future, cannot separate us from God.

27. Even though this is true I have heard people say things like the following.

A. “I cannot come back to God because I have been away too long.”

B. “I have gone too far to be restored.”

C. “ have done too much evil” to be brought back.”

D. “I have hurt too many to return.”

E. “I have changed too much to come back to the church.”

F. “It’s impossible for me to return to God.”

G. “There are so many barriers to me returning to God.”

H. “Now is not the right time to come to God.”

I. “I need to make some things better before I come to God.”

J. “God wouldn’t want me because of where I am.”

28. ONE OF SATAN’S MOST EFFECTIVE TOOLS AGAINST CHRISTIANS AND AGAINST THE UNSAVED IS TIME.

A. Satan will try to use the past against us.

B. He will try to use the present and even the future against us.

C. In Rom. 8 Paul said that time doesn’t matter.

D. Whatever has happened in the past God loves us and He wants to save us.

E. Whatever is going on right now, God loves us and wants to save us.

F. Whatever is going on in the future God loves us and wants to save us.

G. To some the past can be like a chain that constantly pulls them back.

H. Others are stuck in the present.

I. There are also those who cannot get right with God because they fear the future.

J. The principle in Rom. 8 affirms that when it comes to God’s love time does not count.

29. The God of the Bible is not limited by the past, present, or the future.

30. Paul clearly affirmed that we cannot let time interfere with our salvation.

31. Are we allowing our self to be separated from God because of something in the past?

32. Some will lose their souls because they cannot deal with the past..

33. Are we allowing something in the present to keep us from God and salvation?

34. If present problems are keeping us from salvation they need to be addressed..

35. Are we letting a future concern keep us from what is right?

36. If we are being kept from the right road because of a past, present, or future concern, will we not deal with that today?

37. Will we not commit to dealing with the matter right now as we stand and sing?