THE VALUE OF THE EMPTY PURSE


A. "AND WHEN HE HAD SPENT ALL, THERE ROSE A MIGHT FAMINE IN THE LAND; AND HE BEGAN TO BE IN WANT" - LUKE 15:14
  1. Here we have the story of a young man who had his fling in life:
    1. For a time he had his way; he was no longer shadowed by the home rules of his father
    2. In fact, he used distance to make sure that the influence of his homelike could no longer influence his plans
  2. But his so-called ideal isolation from the rules in his father's house misfired:
    1. Wild, immoral women, shrewd gamblers, sapped the resources he brought with him very rapidly
    2. Sin, however, had beclouded his mind, and for a time he was unaware of his deadly dangers that threatened his life
B. THIS BRINGS US TO THE TITLE OF OUR SERMON, "THE VALUE OF THE EMPTY PURSE"
  1. In time the prodigal son made some very valuable discoveries:
    1. He learned that sin never pays
    2. A famine overtook him and he began to be in want
    3. Other venturers had the same experience - Examples: Samson - Judges - Matt. 27; Saul - I Sam. 31:8-13
    4. The friendship of the gambler and the lewd woman lasted so long as the purse was not empty, but once that purse yielded no more they forsook him
  2. There arose a might famine:
    1. That little word "famine" strikes terror into the hearts of those who have passed through it
    2. This century has witnessed the deaths of an estimated 100,000,000 people because of no food
  3. There is, however, another famine awaiting the careless:
    1. A soul famine; want of hearing the word of God - Amos 8:11
    2. That happens when mercy closes
C. THE VALUE OF THE EMPTY PURSE IN PERSPECTIVE
  1. The time of want may be bitter, but it has blessings in disguise:
    1. The discovery of the prodigal of his fallen condition opened his mind to rediscover the true facts of life "for what a man soweth that shall he also reap" - Gal. 6:6-7
    2. Sin never pays, save it be misery, pain and eternal ruin
  2. The empty purse has a fourfold lesson:
    1. It shows that all blessings, temporal and spiritual are the gift of God - James 1:17
    2. That when God begins to withhold these mercies want is sure to come
    3. That the bitter experience of the empty purse brought the prodigal to his senses - "He came to himself"; sin is a dope which gives the sinner a black out - 2 Cor. 4:4; that was true of Judas - Matt. 27:1-5
    4. That the empty purse brought to mind blessings of the homelike to the prodigal - "How many hired servants of my fathers have bread enough and to spare" - Luke 15:17
    5. That is a great blessing the empty purse can bring to an awakened conscience
  3. There is still another valuable lesson in the empty purse:
    1. It helps us to discover the better side even of the greatest sinner; a recognition of the good things of the Lord; Examples: the thief on the cross - Luke 23:43-44; David is a typical examples of all who may fall into sin, yet return to the Lord - Ps. 51:73; 32:1-9
    2. God allows us at times to be in want of material blessings, not to hurt us, but to teach us a lesson
    3. When we are in want, we see our need to return to the Lord to receive help from Him
    4. Even Job went through bitter experiences to teach us the need of leaning on the Lord at all times
    5. We are reminded of the words of our Lord - "Man doeth not live by bread alone" - Matt. 4: - "Man's life consisteth not in the things he possesseth" - Luke 12:15


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