Christ: The Greatest Treasure

Jesus: Our Greatest Treasure

Bible Passage: Matthew 13:44-46

Introduction

Did you know that there is a real-life treasure hunt going on in America right now? A man named Jon Collins-Black has hidden 5 chests filled with riches worth 2 million dollars across America. The chests are filled with gold bars, jewelry, and other valuable artifacts that belonged to famous people—like a diamond/sapphire brooch that Jackie Kennedy wore. He wrote a book called There’s Treasure Inside about the history of the artifacts and the stories of the people that they belonged to.

And hidden in the images and words of the book are all the clues anyone needs to find the treasure. Jon Collins-Black made a fortune in early Bitcoin investing and got the idea to invest in this treasure hunt during the pandemic after his own failed attempt to find the Forrest Fenn treasure, a treasure hidden by a famous antiquities dealer.

Even though Jon didn’t find Fenn’s treasure he enjoyed the thrill of seeking it and wanted to make that available to everyone else. By his own words all you need to find his hidden treasure is “the book, some water, and some shoes”.

Unsurprisingly, the book has become a best-seller and a lot of people are looking for it. Some are giving up their careers and life savings in pursuit of it.

God’s Word has a lot to say about what is treasure and what we treasure. Our text tonight is Matthew 13:44-46, in these parables Jesus talks about the kingdom of God and how valuable it is. Listen to God’s holy word

Matthew 13:44–46 ““The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

Big Idea: Jesus is more valuable than all other treasures.

Pray

The first truth our text shows us is…

1. There is a treasure better than all others.

The first point of our text is that there is a treasure that is worth everything else that we possess. And the main application is not that “things are bad” but that “Christ is exceedingly good.”

Both men in Jesus’ parable give up all that they have in order to obtain the treasure in the field and the pearl of great price.

And God’s Word tells us what that better treasure is—it’s the kingdom of God. Jesus wanted his hearers and us to know that belonging to God’s kingdom is worth giving up everything else that we think is valuable.

And that is true. Matthew 16:26 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”

A person can amass great riches by this worlds standards but if they don’t know Jesus and aren’t saved and don’t belong to the kingdom of God then they die incredibly poor. If you have many treasures but don’t have Jesus you have nothing.

You could have money and security, you could have the best computer set up, you could have all the Rizz—you could be the Rizzler himself—but if you don’t have Jesus you have nothing.

The poorest saint is far better off than the richest lost person. Why? Because earthly treasures are temporary—they don’t last. It’s why Jesus says in…

Matthew 6:19 ““Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,”

Jesus isn’t saying don’t have anything nice. Or don’t like the blessings that God has given you. He is saying don’t strive after these things—don’t let these things consume your energy.

The takeaway isn’t to avoid treasuring anything else, but to ensure that Christ is our greatest treasure above all else.

Is belonging to Jesus and being a part of His kingdom your highest treasure?

The second truth God teaches us in this passage is that we shouldn’t…

2. Don’t settle for lesser treasures.

The men in the parable are positive examples for what to do when we find Jesus. The man who finds the treasure in the field doesn’t go back home and look at all his stuff and say, “Well, that’s good enough.”

No, with joy the man sells all that he has and buys the field. And the pearl merchant does the same thing.

Let me encourage you to not settle for lesser treasure. What does this look like in our lives?

Again, let me remind you—it’s not about getting rid of your blessings but valuing Jesus more than all of them. So what does that practically look like?

Maybe you value social media—and that includes everything from instagram to discord with Be Real, Snapchat, and whatever other app that’s cool that I’m unaware of thrown in the middle. The whole gamut of social media.

It’s fun. It’s entertaining. But it can also really easily become a black hole of endless scrolling and brain rot. Am I wrong?

Do you spend more time on social media than you do with God? If you do that says something about what you value more. Most of us won’t go a day without social media but we’ll go several without picking up our Bibles.

Or maybe your really disciplined and you spend time in the word and you pray because you’re a Christian and you know you’re supposed to. So let me ask a different question: What’s more exciting—Youtube Shorts or Prayer?

What we get excited about says something about the value we place on those things.

Another thing you might value is acceptance from your peers. And that’s okay. It’s good to be thought well of by your peers. I want my peers to think well of me.

But have you ever found yourself doing something that you know isn’t right in order to be accepted? You spoke in a certain way to fit in. Or you laughed at a joke that you wouldn’t repeat to your parents?

When we treasure acceptance from people more than acceptance from God—we are settling for lesser treasure.

When we value anything over God we are settling for lesser treasure.

I think that part of the struggle is that we think Jesus and His Kingdom are future treasures for a future time. The things of this world seem to have more value for our lives lived in this world. We might not say it out loud but sometimes the fruit of our lives say, “Living for the kingdom is for when I’m living in the kingdom.”

If that’s where you are right now—you are not alone. I for one can tell you that I’ve believed this lie in my life. And I suspect others here could honestly say that they have too. But I want you to know that it’s a lie.

Valuing Jesus and His kingdom above all other things has great value for your life today. Which leads to our last point.

3. Value God above all else because what we treasure shapes what our heart wants.

Let’s go back to Matthew 6:19–21 ““Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

In our parable Jesus shows us what it looks like to have your treasure in the right place—the men do everything necessary to obtain the treasure that they find.

God encourages us in His Word to strive after Him—valuing Him above all else.

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

1 Peter 1:16 “since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.””

2 Timothy 4:7–8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

Do those verses depress you? Do they feel like a weight slung on your neck and shoulders?

When we value other things above God and prioritize lesser treasures over God—following God feels like a heavy weight and a burden.

The ironic thing about all the lesser treasures that we think will make us happy is that they actually deplete us and leave us hungry and thirsty. Why do you think people over and over again when the lottery, become millionaires, and are still worn out, sad, and depressed?

God is the greatest treasure we have and how does he describe himself? Does he say I am the diamond of life? I am the living stack of cash? No, he is the bread of life and the living water. He is sustenance for our weary souls.

Why is this so important? Because the strength for Godly living in the kingdom of God is only found in God himself.

Matthew 11:28–30 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.””

Do you want to desire God more? Then be in his presence more.

Prioritize your life so that God is the highest treasure. Make time for prayer. Make time for bible reading. Make time for dreaming about what it would look like to serve Him. Make time for crying out to Him about your troubles.

If you want to increase your love for someone you can’t do it by spending less time—or leftover time with them.

If you feel spiritually dry, thirsty, and hungry—the answer is exactly what Jesus says it is, “Come to Him.”

The more you do this the more your heart will crave God because what we treasure shapes what our heart wants.

Also the more we do this the more we see that living for God now has great value for our lives now—God is not just a distant future God, but He is an in the present, right now God.

Conclusion

It would be really exciting to find Jon Collins-Black’s hidden treasure. But even with all that those chests he buried hold they pale in comparison to the treasure we have in Jesus.

In Jesus God removes all the guilt of our sin—adopts us as His children—cares for us in this life—is preparing a place for us in eternity. He is the greatest treasure.

Let’s decide to recognize and believe that this evening.

Let’s pray.