Is What You Got Worth A Lot
IS WHAT YOU GOT WORTH A LOT?
Matt 13:44-46
44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
KJV
Our topic this morning is what you got worth a lot? Is what you got worth a lot or is it not that hot?
I suggest to you today that everyone lives for a reason. There is an ultimate goal a treasure that we all search for. If we have secured it we cherish it. It we have not secured it we strive to acquire it.
If you haven’t found it is what you are searching worth it? Are you wasting your time for sometime that cannot satisfy?
13:44 . Treasures were often buried for safekeeping. The most likely circumstance envisioned here is that of a peasant who, while working the field of a wealthy landowner, found the treasure but covered it again lest the landowner claim it for himself. The peasant then invested all his own resources into that field to procure the treasure. Stories of finding lost treasures naturally circulated among the poor; Jesus uses the story line to stir his hearers to seek for a treasure far greater than any on earth.
We are not to imagine that the treasure here mentioned, and to which the Gospel salvation is likened, means a pot or chest of money hidden in the field, but rather a gold or silver mine, which he who found out could not get at, or work, without turning up the field, and for this purpose he bought it.
The POINT of the parable lies in his "earnestness," his anxiety, his care, and his actually obtaining it. The gospel is more valuable than such a treasure, Ps 19:10; Prov 3:13-15. It is hidden from most people. When a person sees it and hears it, it is his duty to sacrifice all that hinders his obtaining it, and to seek it with the earnestness with which other people seek for gold.
The parable suggest the easy accessibility of the treasure.
In a vision given me at Battle Creek, Michigan, October 25, 1861, I was shown this earth, dark and gloomy. Said the angel, "Look carefully!" Then I was shown the people upon the earth. Some were surrounded by angels of God, others were in total darkness, surrounded by evil angels. I saw an arm reached down from heaven, holding a golden scepter. On the top of the scepter was a crown, studded with diamonds. Every diamond emitted light, bright, clear, and beautiful. Inscribed upon the crown were these words: "All who win me are happy, and shall have everlasting life." {CET 161.1}
Below this crown was another scepter, and upon this also was placed a crown, in the center of which were jewels, gold, and silver, reflecting some light. The inscription upon the crown was: "Earthly treasure. Riches is power. All who win me have honor and fame." I saw a vast multitude rushing forward to obtain this crown. They were clamorous. Some in their eagerness seemed bereft of reason. They would thrust one another, crowding back those who were weaker than they, and trampling upon those who in their haste fell. Many eagerly seized hold of the treasures within the crown, and held them fast. The heads of some were as white as silver, and their faces were furrowed with care and anxiety. Their own relatives, bone of their bone, and flesh of their flesh, they regarded not; but, as appealing looks were turned to them, they held their treasures more firmly, as though fearful that in an unguarded moment they should lose a little, or be induced to divide with them. Their eager eyes would often fasten upon the earthly crown, and count and recount its treasures. {CET 161.2}
161
162
Images of want and wretchedness appeared in that multitude, and looked wishfully at the treasures there, and turned hopelessly away as the stronger overpowered and drove back the weaker. Yet they could not give it up thus, but with a multitude of deformed, sickly, and aged, they sought to press their way to the earthly crown. Some died in seeking to reach it. Others fell just in the act of taking hold of it. Many had but just laid hold of it when they fell. Dead bodies strewed the ground, yet on rushed the multitude, trampling over the fallen and dead bodies of their companions. Everyone who reached the crown possessed a share in it, and was loudly applauded by an interested company standing around it. {CET 162.1}
A large company of evil angels were very busy. Satan was in the midst of them, and all looked with the most exulting satisfaction upon the company struggling for the crown. He seemed to throw a peculiar charm upon those who eagerly sought it. {CET 162.2}
Many who sought this earthly crown were professed Christians. Some of them seemed to have a little light. They would look wishfully upon the heavenly crown, and would often seem charmed with its beauty, yet they had no true sense of its value and glory. While with one hand they were reaching forth languidly for the heavenly, with the other they reached eagerly for the earthly, determined to possess that; and in their earnest pursuit for the earthly, they lost sight of the heavenly. They were left in darkness, yet were anxiously groping about to secure the earthly crown. {CET 162.3}
8 percent of the world’s population own’s 1/3 of its wealth.
Ill. How to catch a monkey
Native hunters in the jungles of Africa have a clever
way of trapping monkeys.
They slice a coconut in two, hollow it out, and in one half of the shell cut a hole just big enough for a monkey’s hand to pass through. Then they place an orange in the other coconut half before fastening together the two halves of the coconut shell. Finally, they secure the coconut to a tree with a rope, retreat into the jungle, and wait.
Sooner or later, an unsuspecting monkey swings by, smells the delicious orange, and discovers its location inside the coconut. The monkey then slips his hand through the small hole, grasp the orange, and tries to pull it through the hole. Of course, the orange won’t come out; it’s too big for the hole. To no avail the persistent monkey continues to pull and pull, never realizing the danger he is in.
While the monkey struggles with the orange, the hunters simply stroll in and capture the monkey by throwing a net over him. As long as the monkey keeps his fist wrapped around the orange, the monkey is trapped.
It’s too bad-the poor monkey could save its own life if it would let go of the orange. It rarely occurs to a monkey, however, that it can’t have both the orange and its freedom. That delicious orange becomes a deadly trap.
The world sets traps for you that are not unlike the monkey trap. You hear constantly that if you just have enough money, enough stuff, enough power, enough prestige-then you’ll be happy. Under that illusion people spend their whole lives thinking you must have it all.
The call of Christianity is unlike that of the world. The world focus’ on what you and get out of life.
The fly lands on the flypaper and says, “My flypaper,” while the flypaper says, “My fly.
(Devil)
Luke 21:34-36
34 "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."
NKJV
What you got worth a lot? Or if you don’t have it what are you spending time looking for? Who are you hanging with trying to get it?
What you’re looking for I the one you’re looking for. What you’re searching for cause you don’t have to search no more. On your knees joy and peace and happiness. What you’re looking I’m the One you’re looking for
Matt 6:20-21
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
KJV
The stewardship of your soul determines who is first in your life. First question have you given your life to Jesus. If not what you’re looking for?
If you have is He the constant treasure you are reaching for? Is He your ultimate goal everyday?
I repeat, the stewardship of your soul determines who is first in your life. What I mean by that is what do you spend your time, talent, temple and treasure on.
Let’s take time for instance . . .
What’s your treasure today?
Material possessions
Man or woman
Jesus
If we lack basic nutrients in our diet we suffer malnutrition. The cure is simple: take vitamin tablets to insure you get the minimum level. Once the minimum is reached, however, additional tablets have little or no benefit. Unfortunately some people apply this logic: “If a little was good, a lot will be better.” This simply is not true and in some cases is dangerous. On occasion people have even lost their lives from overdoses of vitamin A.
Sadly, this is often the case with earning money. If at one point we lacked money for basic necessities, then money—when it finally came—was a blessing. But many have applied the logic “If a little was good, a lot will be better.” Many have lost their lives this way
Once a young man proposed to his girl as they sat looking over the beautiful lake. "Darling, I want you to know that I love you more than anything else in the world. I want you to marry me. I'm not wealthy. I don't have a yacht or a Rolls-Royce like Johnny Green, but I do love you with all my heart."
She thought for a minute and then replied, "I love you with all my heart, too, but tell me more about Johnny Green."
--James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988), p. 342.
Well I have Jesus but life is not working out
The reason is something or someone has taken the place of Jesus
Luke 9:23
23 Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
NKJV
Martin Luther
• I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess. - Martin Luther
Job is not in the hands of Jesus
My marriage
My schooling
My mates who I hang with not in the hands of Jesus!
In The Wounded Healer, Henri Nouwen retells a tale from ancient India: Four royal brothers decided each to master a special ability. Time went by, and the brothers met to reveal what they had learned.
"I have mastered a science," said the first, "by which I can take but a bone of some creature and create the flesh that goes with it."
"I," said the second, "know how to grow that creature's skin and hair if there is flesh on its bones."
The third said, "I am able to create its limbs if I have the flesh, the skin, and the hair."
"And I," concluded the fourth, "know how to give life to that creature if its form is complete."
Thereupon the brothers went into the jungle to find a bone so they could demonstrate their specialties. As fate would have it, the bone they found was a lion's. One added flesh to the bone, the second grew hide and hair, the third completed it with matching limbs, and the fourth gave the lion life. Shaking its mane, the ferocious beast arose and jumped on his creators. He killed them all and vanished contentedly into the jungle.
We too have the capacity to create what can devour us. Goals and dreams can consume us. Possessions and property can turn and destroy us--unless we first seek God's kingdom and righteousness, and allow him to breathe into what we make of life.
-- Nathan Castens, Chanhassen, Minnesota. Leadership, Vol. 6, no. 1.
Proirities
Focus
Plans
You
Matthew 13:45-46
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
A merchantman endeavours to trade so as to make a profit. Whether he deals in pearls or in grain, he does not hope to obtain riches by labour. He leaves that to those who eat their bread in the sweat of their face. He tries to get his by the sweat of his brain. He is dependent not so much upon labour as upon knowledge, upon skill, upon the advantage which superior acquaintance with the article which he deals in gives to him
(Drugs – Girl)
Equally evident is it that he had a fixed definite object. He had given himself to pearl-hunting, and pearl-hunting was to be the one object of his life. If you had met him, and said, "What are you seeking?" he would have answered in a moment, "I am seeking good pearls: have you any to sell me?" He would have been sure to have the answer ready to hand. But ask many a man whom you meet with, "Sir, what are you living for?" he would, perhaps, tell you what his trade or what his profession might be; but if you pressed him with the question, "What is the main object of life?" he would not like to say that he was living only to enjoy himself-seeking his own pleasure. He would hardly like to say that he was living to grasp and grab and get a fortune. He would hardly know how to answer you.
You can enjoy life
Luke 18:29-30
29 So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come everlasting life."
NKJV
We will receive tribulation but be of good cheer!
The story is told of Rose Greenhow, a Confederate spy during the Civil War, who tried to evade capture and the loss of her fortune by sewing the gold she had gained into the seams of her dress. But the ship she boarded sank, and the weight of the gold made it impossible for the life preserver to support her. She sank to the bottom with all her wealth. Dr. Pierce Harris, who told the story, pointed out that death did to her what it does to all of us, because we "cannot take it with us" when we die. But sometimes, we might add, it takes us with it!
Jesus is the pearl of Great Price
Hungry and thirsty - He is the Bread of Life and He is the living waters
Need funds - He is the pearl of Great Price
Naked He is the Sun of Righteousness - receive from me white raiment that you can be clothed
Lonely - He is the bridegroom - He said He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Dirty He’s got showers of blessings – cleanse us from all unrighteousness
You can’t rush into a decision for Jesus!
Jacob, Job, Zacc, Abraham,
Paul, Italian Centurion, The Philipian Jailor
You can rush into Jesus – don’t rush into denominations. Once you are sure it’s His church—Join!
Matt 16:18
and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
KJV
Misery loves company—Devil can’t have it and he wants to take it from you.
Is what you Got worth a lot? Or is it just fool’s gold? Is it just a orange in a coconut? A means where the enemy can keep you occupied until he’s got you in his net?
Have you found it yet or are you still searching?
Is it in his hands what you have? Cause if it’s not it’s going to rise up and bite you where it hurts.
Let it go
Proverbs 16:16 (KJV)
16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold ! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver !
[1]
John 6:35 (KJV)
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst . [2]
Luke 14:33 (KJV)
33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple . [3]
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[1] The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[2] The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[3] The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.