Jesus' Parables about Money (3)

The Kingdom of Heaven is like...

This morning, I’d like to start with a story for which I can’t verify as being true, but found it a little humorous. It’s called,

Where is the Money?

Years ago, the story goes, a San Diego bank hired a private investigator to track down a bank robber and retrieve stolen funds. The search led to Mexico. The investigator crossed the border and then, realizing he would need a Spanish interpreter, opened up the telephone book and hired the first interpreter listed in the Yellow Pages.

After many days, he finally captured the bandit and, through the interpreter, asked him, “Where did you hide the money?” In Spanish, the thief replied, “What money? I have no idea what you’re talking about”.

With that, the investigator drew his pistol, pointed it at the suspect, and said to the interpreter, “Tell him that if he doesn’t tell me where the money is, I will shoot him where he stands.”

Upon receiving this message, the bank robber said to the interpreter, “Senor, I have hidden the money in a coffee can, under the fourth floorboard, in the second-floor men’s room of the Palacio Hotel on Via Del in LaPaz?

“What did he say?” the investigator asked the interpreter. “Senor,” said the interpreter as he thought for a moment, “he says he is prepared to die like a man!”

Ivan R. Misner, The World’s Best Known Marketing Secrets, Bard Press, 1994, p. 41.

This morning, we’re going to look at a couple of Parables that Jesus compared the Kingdom of Heaven to...

Let’s read,

Matthew 13:44–46 NLT

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!

In these two stories, we have Jesus comparing the Kingdom of Heaven to something that was of great wealth.

The Kingdom of Heaven is like...

A treasure that a man discovered...

in a field, and

A pearl of great value...

I’m not sure if you are a treasure hunter, but there are many TV shows where a people go in search of something valuable.

History channel has or had shows about Canadian pickers/American pickers that would go in search of some antiques that were rare and of great value. They would try to secure them at a reasonable price that they could still make money.

Probably one of the longest running shows that became like Bill Murray’s Ground Hog Day was “The Curse of Oak Island.” This was on an island that was just off of the coast of Nova Scotia. There was a mystery that there was treasure that had been hidden for centuries, and was buried deep below the surface of the ground. They believed that there were booby traps to prevent explorers from being able to access the great treasure.

Jesus compared the Kingdom of Heaven to a treasure and a pearl of great value. Both of these comparisons have enough similarities that I’m just going to combine them.

What is the Kingdom of Heaven?

It’s going to take me a minute to get there, but

The Kingdom of Heaven = The Kingdom of God

Matthew uses Kingdom of Heaven as compared to the other gospels. Much of this to do with His respect for the name of God.

Romans 14:17 NIV

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,

John Piper says this, “The kingdom of heaven . . .”—I am taking that in its full, biblical context of the reign of God and Christ, triumphing over everything that stands between you and everlasting life and joy, if you will treasure it more than anything else. In other words, I think we can treat the kingdom of God here almost synonymously with salvation or with reconciliation with God through the work of Christ—because the kingdom of God is the rule of God to save us, and to save us is to bring us from destruction into the enjoyment of Christ forever.” (Desiring God Nov 20/2005)

To put it in plain English, the Kingdom of Heaven is not adding Jesus to our lives, it is giving Jesus all of our lives.

What is more valuable than experiencing a relationship with God? What is more valuable than being forgiven from our sin, and accepting Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for our sins?

What does the world promise?

The mindset of the world promises that we can have it all: fame, possessions, prestige, honour, education, wealth, success, etc.

1 John 2:15–17 NIV

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

Jesus didn’t promise that we would have it easy. He didn’t promise that we would have all of this world’s possessions. He didn’t even promise that everything would go our way. He never promised that we would be treated fairly, but He did say,

John 16:33 NIV

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

He did promise persecution. He promise that He would be with us as we walk through the storms of life.

He did promise a cross, which represents sacrifice and denying of our desires.

Mark 8:34–38 NIV

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

What are we willing to give in exchange for our soul?

Jesus gave up everything to pay for us. He suffered. He bled, and He died.

2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

It may cost you everything...

Following Jesus may cost you everything. It may cost you friendships. It may cost you opportunities that you once dreamt of. It may cost you your job, and it may cost you your life.

Jim Elliot once said,

He is no fool to give what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.

Let’s put ourselves in Paul the Apostle’s shoes.

This is what he said to the believers in Philippi.

Philippians 3:3–10 NIV

For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

When Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, everything changed. He lost his sight, but he found the treasure.

He was a leader among his people. He was zealous for his religion. He was trying to stamp out what he saw as heresy. It was going to serve him well as he got older, and yet it was all gone as he fell to the ground and met Jesus on the road to Damascus.

Has it cost you anything to follow Jesus? In the parables, the man that found the treasure and the merchant that found the pearl, sold everything they had.

Is there anything that you have held back from the Lord that you haven’t been willing to give up? Is there something that you held on to that is just too important to relinquish?

From time to time we sing,

“All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give. I will ever love and trust Him. In His presence daily live.

I surrender all! I surrender all! All to thee my blessed Savior. I surrender all!”

It can be so easy to get comfortable with this world. When I speak of the world, I’m talking about the worldly mindset: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. All these things are passing away.

It’s not always some big sin that Satan is wanting to get us trapped in, sometimes it’s just lulling us to sleep or making us think that we have everything we need in our own strength.

When Jesus spoke to the Laodicean church, He said,

Revelation 3:15–22 NLT

“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”

As we get back to our parable, you may notice the joy.

Matthew 13:44 NIV

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

Often when we see a new believer we see joy, we see excitement, and we remember the joy that we had.

This morning, I want to give you reason to have joy...

Luke 12:32 NET

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is well pleased to give you the kingdom.

It brings the Father great joy to give you the kingdom. For the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross.

Let’s sell all that we have and buy the field.

When Jesus called His disciples, they left all to follow Him. Peter, Andrew, James, and John left their boats and nets. Matthew left his life as a tax-collector. They gave all so that one day they would hear, “Well Done!”

We can’t buy our way into Heaven. It’s for both rich and poor, weak and strong. There is no race that gets a pass, but it’s only through the blood of Jesus.

He gave all and He asks us to surrender all. Often when we think of surrender, we think that we lose, but when we surrender our lives to God, we gain everything, eternal life.

As Christians we have found this treasure! We need to show others this treasure.

2 Corinthians 4:5–7 NIV

For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

Let’s pray!

Is there anyone who would like to give your life to Jesus this morning?

Sinner’s prayer: Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross for me. I believe that you are alive and at the Father’s right hand. Thank you for forgiving me of my sins.

I ask that you would come into my heart as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Maybe somebody else would like to surrender all this morning. You are a child of God but would like to surrender it all. I invite you recommit to the Lord this morning. I want to pray for you this morning.

if you would like prayer, I invite you to come up.