The Kingdom: Money Matters (Matthew 13:44-46)

I remember going on a treasure hunt with my grandfather.

Finding treasure is exciting.

You can find it accidently.

You can hunt for it.

Either way, you know that you have found something valuable.

What treasure will FBC Jayton seek to find this year?

I believe that we are called to seek the Kingdom of Heaven.

The kingdom needs to increase in our minds and this world needs to disappear.

How do we make this world disappear? We must seek God and put everything we have on the table for God to see and put everything we have on the table for God to see.

This is when the church will take off.

“One more revival—only one more—is needed, the revival of Christian Stewardship, the consecration of the money power to God. When that revival comes, the kingdom of God will come in a day.” - Horace Bushnell.

Steward - Someone entrusted with another’s wealth or property and charged with managing it in the owners best interest.

In order to grow spiritually, we have to be open to talking and thinking about we use our money.

Why?

Money reveals our heart. It displays everything about what we believe in God.

We must put our money in its proper place if we want to seek the kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 13:44–46 NASB95

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

In this story to the disciples, Jesus creates a simple picture of the kingdom of God.

We are introduced to two characters.

1. The man who found treasure accidently. (v. 44)

Kingdom, basileia (162 times)

Hidden, krypto = hide; conceal

Found, eurisko (Eurika)

It was not uncommon in unsettled and half-civilized countries.

Valuables were often hidden in a jar buried in the dirt. The man is probably a day labourer just walking.

Not the point of this story.

He discovered the treasure with great joy but kept the info to himself, and sold everything to buy the field.

The more treasure a person had, the more care was required to keep it safe.

Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus.

He found God in the most unexpected way.

This is the story for many. They found God without looking for Him and He revealed salvation.

Like Paul, there is a choice.

Sell everything to own the treasure.

Continue living life the same.

Paul’s choice was found in

Philippians 3:7–8 NASB95

7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

Everything the world offered Paul became a loss for the sake of Jesus.

2. The man who found the treasure on purpose. (v. 45-46)

Verses 45-46 tell a story of a man unlike the man who found the treasure by accident. He found the treasure of the pearl because it was his business to find it.

Seeking - zeteo, desire; seek; look for

This man found the pearl of his lifetime. It was everything he had been looking for.

His prudent calculation brought him to extravagant action.

He sold all that he had and bought that one pearl.

Martin Luther

Romans 4:19–5:1 NASB95

19 Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. 22 Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness. 23 Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, 24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification. 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Martin sought the scriptures and found his pearl. “Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ.”

This is the story of many people. They looked for God and found Him.

Like Martin, there is a choice:

Sell everything and own the treasure.

Continue living life the same.

Martin Luther launched an assault against the Roman Catholic Church and began what we call the Reformation.

What’s the point of all this?

It’s time for people to sober up about where their treasure is.

Revelation 3:18 NASB95

18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

3. The treasure of the kingdom requires all of our wages.

The point of both stories in is not that the man purchased a place in the kingdom of heaven, but rather that entering the kingdom is worth giving up everything.

The treasure that they had surpassed the worth of everything that they had.

Both stories showed:

The joy a disciple has in finding the kingdom of heaven through a relationship with Jesus Christ and

His willingness to give up everything for this.

It’s wrong to describe this ‘giving up’ as ‘sacrifice’, the man sold from self interest, in order to buy something far greater.

Here lies the crossroad for people.

We all have to decide what is more valuable to us.

Teenager that won’t give up the relationship for Jesus.

Before we get onto the teen, let’s look at the current reality in our country.

Marriages are failing.

90% of people who get divorced name $ in the top 3 reasons of why they parted.

Divorce rates have gone down in the last 10 years because less people are choosing marriage as an option.

Debt is at an all time high.

Average debt for:

Credit - $6,929

Auto - $28,033

Student - $ 47,671

In March 2017, when other sources of revolving consumer debt was included, Americans owed $1.027 Trillion in credit card debt.

Church giving is low

Tithers make up 10-25% of normal church congregations.

Christians are giving 2.5% of their income; during the great depression, it was 3.3%.

When surveyed, 17% of Americans state that they regularly tithe.

For families making $75k +, 1% gave at least 10%.

The average giving by adults who attend US Protestant churches is about $17 a week.

The point I’m making is this:

Many people have accepted Jesus superficially and not fully.

Our culture and the way it tells us to hand our $ money is wrong. We’ve got to find a new way.

It all starts with sorting out what we value.

How do we feel about our debt?

Do you feel owned by anything?

Is Satan using $ to enslave you?

We often: (If we are in debt)

Compare our debt to others who are worse off.

Close our eyes and act like it’s not there.

Freak out.

Don’t live generously

Or (If we have $)

Look down on people

Don’t live generously

Hide behind our wages. Claim them above all.

Matthew 6:19–21 NASB95

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Money matters to God. He cares what we do with it.

He wants us to manage it wisely.

Be generous with it.

Honor Him.

Revelation 3:18 NASB95

18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

What are you willing to sell for the Kingdom of Heaven?

Our finances aren’t meant for the world, but for His kingdom.