Following Afar Off

Text:  Matthew 26:47, 55-58, 69-75    This is a familiar passage which causes us to think.

Introduction:

 “And they that had laid hold on Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.  But Peter followed Him afar off. . .”  Matthew 26:57-58

Following afar off is just as serious a danger for us as it was for Peter.  There are Christians today, once committed to Jesus Christ, who are even now following afar off.  Many New Testament passages encourage us in our efforts to reach our heavenly home.  But not all who begin the Christian race will finish.  As Matthew 7:13-14 informs us, the gates into heaven are quite narrow.  The purpose then of this lesson is to persuade you to examine your own lives to see if you, too, are following afar off.  It may make the difference as to whether you reach your heavenly destination.  That is how serious this is!  What should I look for to see if I am following afar off?

Body:

I.    A Forgotten Commitment

The Christian life, above all else, is one of complete commitment to our Lord.  The words of Jesus to his disciples as recorded in Matthew 16:24 should stir us out of our complacency and remind us of our commitment.  [Compare to the marriage vows, commitment.]  Did we truly mean it when we confessed Jesus as Lord; and all that it entails?  Or have we forgotten that we are new creatures, having put to death our old lives of sin?  (II Corinthians 5:17, Romans 6:17-18)  Brethren, have we forgotten just who we were meant to become?

II.  A Seldom Glance at the Cross

“But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:8   So many Christians have forgotten the great cost of Calvary.  (Philippians 2:8)    Christ gave up His home in heaven only to be killed in disgrace and shame on the lonely cross between two thieves.  The Romans ridiculed Him and the Jews despised Him.  His own received Him not.  He poured out His blood for all of mankind and yet so often we neglect the greatest gift ever given to man.  (Ephesians 2:8)  How many times this past week have you thought about the cross?  But not all will heed the message of the cross.  What is their end?  Just listen to II Thessalonians 1:7-9 where it describes the end of those who follow afar off. 

III.   The House of God Is Slipping from View

Jehovah said in the long ago, “Can a maiden forget her ornaments or a bride her attire?  Yet my people have forgotten me days without number.”  Jeremiah 2:32   All of us here must heed the words spoken in Hebrews 10:25-31.  If we were to call for our family meal and a member of the family is not at the table, would we not find out why?  And yet there are members who perpetually forsake the assembly, thus the Lord’s Supper; and many do not check on them.  When we miss partaking of the Lord’s Supper, we miss that spiritual participation in the death of our Lord; for Jesus is with us as we partake.  (Matthew 26:24)  We have a scared obligation to gather together with God’s people; and yet so many without harm to their conscience, lay out of the services.  Will heaven be their home?  Not according to Revelation 2:10.  Being continually absent from the House of God is a sure sign of walking afar off.

IV.   We Don’t Seem to Miss Our Brothers and Sisters

Peter, by the inspiration of God, penned these words:  “Seeing ye have purified your soul in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.”  I Peter 1:22   Example:  After missing a service, how anxious are you to get back to see your brothers and sisters?  You just can’t wait to be with them; find out how they are; weep with them; laugh with them?  I’m afraid much of our feelings toward brethren is lackluster.  Take ‘em or leave ‘em.  This is not the kind of love that Peter tells us to have here.  This love is based on the worthiness and preciousness of the person loved.  Our love should be fervent, intense, and forceful!  How long has it been?  The people here in this assembly will be those with whom you spend an eternity in heaven.  Therefore, the assembly should be a source of great joy.

V.  We Don’t Feel the Need for God Which Once We Did

The weeping prophet stood at the charred gates of Jerusalem that was destroyed by the Babylonians; crying, “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?”  Lamentations 1:12   How dear and how precious was that faith and trust which once we had in God!  Someone has said, “If God is farther away from you than He once was, just who moved?”  James tells us that if we draw near to God, He in return will draw near to us.  How many of us once had a sacred hour of prayer, a time when we shared innermost thoughts with God; but no longer do?  How many of us no longer have a set time during the day for meditation on God’s Word?  (Psalm 119:15)  Do the words of Psalm 55:16, “As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me” mean anything to us anymore?  Are our needs being met by the world?  If so, you are in grave danger and are certainly following Him afar off.

VI.   Like A Toy Once Dear, The New Has Begun to Wear Off

Are we no longer excited about our being saved, about our special relationship with God?  Is our Christian lifestyle like a coat, which was once new and precious, but now is just one of many?  Being a disciple of Jesus should feel new to us each day in that we’re proud to “show it off”, to tell people who we are and what we stand for.  Peter and John were proud to tell the Sanhedrin who Christ was and what He meant to them.  (Acts 4:13)  Christianity should never feel old to us not should we ever feel we have outgrown it.  A side thought – If a foreign power invaded US and forbade us meeting together, would we then realize how dear all of this really is?  Is this what it would take?  Maybe this is why we are following afar off?

VII.    We Begin to Take Priceless and Scared Things for Granted

Reading the precious Word of God used to be done daily and with eagerness, but now is seldom done at all.  We are not excited about the Bible. We forget the seriousness of these words.  These are the very words of God!  Listen to what they can do.   “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”  Psalm 119:11   The Bible is so readily available to us in America that often we don’t realize what a great blessing this is.  Many don’t even bring their Bible to services.  Cherish it!  Christians of yesteryear were known far and wide as People of the Book.  They knew it from cover to cover.  They allowed it to guide their entire lives.   “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”  Psalm 119:103   Are His words still sweet to us, or have they become bitter?

VIII.  We Have Totally Anchored to This Present Life and Rarely Think on the Hereafter

Today many spend their entire lives trying to find heaven here on this earth. How often we forget that when we became Christians, we gave up this world in a sense.  At that time we changed from being citizens of this world to citizens of heaven.  Read Philippians 3:20.  But many brethren are best described as was Demas.  “Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world.”    II Timothy 4:10   Our Lord tells us not to lay up treasures here on this earth, but rather in heaven.  See how much time and money you spend on recreation and entertainment.  Materialism and indifference have invaded the camp.  These are sure signs of following afar off.

Invitation:

We have mentioned many things today which are signs of following afar off, from a distance.  Any of these will cause you to be eternally lost; separated forever from God.  Does this describe your life as it now is?  If it does, I pray that you will say to the Father the words of the Prodigal Son:  “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father; I have sinned against heaven, and before thee.”  The invitation is open; and God awaits.  Please come.

Bobby Stafford     

July 14, 2013