Lost Stuff Sermon
I didn’t sleep well the other night. I woke up about 1 AM and was worried about a missing check. I paid bills at work on Wednesday. On Thursday I distributed the checks. On Friday, I was asked if I had cut a check for one of the musicians. I had, and thought I had given it to the department secretary.
On my way home from work the secretary called to ask me where the check was – she didn’t have it. I didn’t have it. It had been a long week and I was on my way home. He’d have to wait.
When I got home on Friday, I sat down to pay my own bills. As I was balance my checkbook, I remembered that I had lent someone some money, and now I needed it back to pay a bill. But that person was not in the position to pay me back yet. We’re all familiar with the verse that says, “you reap what you sow”. Now I was the one who would have to wait. Boy that was a quick harvest!
So first thing Saturday morning I drove to work to find the missing check. It takes about 45 minutes to get to work. On the way I stopped for coffee. I had her put a couple ice cubes in it so I could drink it on the way. Then I placed it in the cup holder. About a mile or so down the road I picked up the cup and a steady stream of coffee ran out the bottom of the cup – all over me and the front seat. By the time I got to work, there was a nice little pool of coffee in the cut holder. I dumped the cup and made a mental note to get some paper towels to sop up the mess on my way out of the building.
It took me about 40 minutes to find the check. It had been stapled to the paperwork for another bill. I was so relieved to find that check. I praised God again and again, and told everyone that I had found the missing check. I had the receptionist call the department secretary and had her call the musician.
When I got back to my car and cleaned up the coffee pool, I discovered that there was a pair of earrings in the cup holder. When I put the cup down, I had punctured the bottom with the earring post. For the second time, in 24 hours I had reaped a bad harvest because something was put where it didn’t belong.
It got me to thinking about lost stuff. I have been looking for 2 items in my house for the past 2 weeks. One was a quilt that I had started over a year ago, and the second was a book I wrote in seminary. I still haven’t found either. I must have put them in a really good place to keep them safe. After 25 years of marriage and moving 3 times, you accumulate a lot of junk. So I’ve been cleaning out closets, and going through boxes in the basement and throwing out lots of junk. I’ve also found some things I thought were lost for good.
This morning I want to take a look at 2 parables with the same meaning. In each of them we will see people searching for hidden treasure. Spending time and resources to uncover that which was hidden.
Turn to Matt 13
We know that the Kingdom of Heaven is the term that Matthew uses for the Kingdom of God. We also know that the Kingdom refers not only to the place where a king resides but also to his authority, his rule and his way of doing things. In this parable, Jesus is talking to the Jews about everyone who will be a part of God’s Kingdom.
44 “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.
Jesus first addresses the Jews. They are the treasure. God made covenant with Abraham and to fulfill that covenant sent his son who paid the ultimate price to save them from the power of sin and death.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
Jesus now addresses the gentiles, those outside the Abrahamic covenant. John 3:16 refers them “who-so-ever would believe”. Jesus says, everyone has value, and that He came for all, and gave all, so that all could be saved. But we know that not everyone would accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore.
Picture a huge net the kind you would use to drag a lake. When you pull it in, it contains all sorts of stuff. This is the contemporary church. Remember we’re describing the Kingdom so everyone in the Kingdom must be a believer.
It doesn’t matter what religion you practice as long as it is salvation in Jesus you profess.
48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away.
We don’t like to admit this, but not everyone who professes to be a Christian has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. There is a difference between ritual and relationship. Is Jesus Lord of your life or did you accept salvation as fire insurance? Everyone will be judged. Everyone will have their fruit tested.
49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
In this verse Jesus was specifically talking about the end time gathering, after the battle of Armageddon. We’re not going to go any further down that road. But I do want to look at the next couple lines.
51 “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.
To understand means that you take responsibility for what you have learned.
51 “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.
“Yes,” they replied.
52 He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
Here Jesus is talking directly to you. You who have come to Sunday School, You who come to service each Sunday, You who attend revival, You study at home. You are responsible for what you have learned.
I’ve said it before; you will hear me say it again. The Bible is nothing more that ink on paper, unless you take what you have learned and apply it to your life.
But Jesus is saying more. You who have been instructed about the Kingdom of Heaven, you who have learned what God’s will is – here it is, You are commissioned to live it and then teach it to others. And notice He says new treasures as well as old.
I spoke last week about Biblical Doctrine being the antidote for reckless faith. Truth is truth.
Ø God the Father did create the Heavens and the earth.
Ø Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
Ø He was fully God and fully Human when he came to earth.
Ø He did die on the cross.
Ø He rose from the dead.
Ø He is in Heaven, seated at the right hand of God right now.
Ø The Holy Spirit is a person.
Truth does not change. If you hear someone preach a new revelation that contradicts truth, do not allow that into your spirit. Because ultimately, you will be judged on what you did with the truth.
Don’t worry; I’m not going to re-preach last week’s message. I just want to encourage you to continue to meditate on the word of God, to remind yourself of the truth. Never take the word for granted. Continue to study and prove the word because one day someone will ask what you believe. It could be a neighbor, or a co-worker, or a family member, or just someone you meet at the grocery store.
Don’t neglect to water that word seed planted in your spirit. Most of us have been Christians a number of years. We’ve memorized verses and then forgotten them.
Just as 2 Tim 4:2 admonishes us:
“be prepared in season and out of season”; [to]correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.