The Parables Series Part 3

The Parables Series Part 3

"HIDDEN TREASURE!"

Matt 13:44 "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.

Matt 13:45 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls.

Matt 13:46 When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to our series on The Parables. This is the third one and this morning we are looking at The Hidden Treasure.

The other day I was watching the history channel and they were digging in Egypt for Alexander the Great tomb. It was very interesting to see the process.

I really became interested in the hunt this tomb. It was kinda like looking for a hidden treasure.

A few years ago we were on vacation in Mexico and we were on one of the most beautiful beach that I have ever been on. And I was relaxing and playing in the sand and the water.

And I put my flip flop by the chair that I was in and when we got ready to go that were gone. Well, Lincoln had buried them in the sand. And He said Poppy you will never never find them. And He was right they are hidden treasure.

As kids, many of us look to play pirates and look for the buried treasure.

We have those treasure map and the hidden treasure mind set today and for centuries.

Some have spent their life savings to recover hidden treasures; the excitement of the search and the reward of a find have made some give up a fortune in search of buried treasures.

Ancient custom back to the time of early man has been to hide wealth; no banks existed many years ago, instead men would bury their wealth in a field or in their homes ... often when leaving to go to war, sometimes never returning!

Today there are many places in the Middle East that still have tremendous amounts of hidden treasures buried because of this ancient practice. The location of these buried treasures often died with their owners, it is not uncommon to see people digging in fields in hopes of finding some of these treasures.

Examples in Scripture of this practice of burying treasure:

Achan buried treasure in his tent floor.

Joshua 7:21 Among the plunder I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest."

Job refers to this practice.

Job 3:21 Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;

Solomon may refer to it in:

Proverbs 2:4 Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.

God speaks of it in:

Isa 45:3 And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness—secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the One who calls you by name.

Jesus used the idea in the parable of the servant who went and buried his one talent.

Matt 25:18 But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master's money.

The Kingdom of God is like a great treasure, and those who have found it and are willing to give all to receive this treasure will discover that there truly is no sacrifice in giving when they receive so much!

Matt 13:44 "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.

This was a very plain ordinary looking field. You know people often see the kingdom of God this way.

It just a plain ordinary field doesn't seem to offer much promise. People don’t see the kingdom of God as that attractive on the surface.

Nothing unusual or all that different on the surface from the world.

This is what the Bible is like to sinners, on the surface nothing great just another book.

This is what the church and Christians seem to be like to outsiders also, on the surface nothing that great.

You have to “dig” to find the real treasure! One has to look for real treasure! Non valuable stuff can be in the open and on the surface.

Valuables are hid -- You must be looked for it!

Stuff of value is deep down. Jesus is saying the Kingdom of God is like this!

In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. Matt. 13:44

The Joy for the one that discovers !

What a thrill to find hidden treasure! People will use metal detector and search through empty fields, how excited when they run across an object! Have you ever seen the treasures some of the people have found with these metal detector?

In this Parable the man had promises of a whole new life for the discoverer!

(1. In his mind he envisions a much better life.

(2. A new life of security.

(3. The promises of discovery far out way the risks of finding!

Some people spend years and a fortune looking for these buried treasures. To them the time and money are worth the effort.

New treasure -- a new future! The discovery will changes their lives!

You see, this old treasures will bring a new way of life for those who kept digging and discovered them!

The problem, many will not keep digging instead they will just settle for what they have. complacence

Jesus is talking about a man who is sold out, determined to get all, to get a hold on the Kingdom of God.

In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. Matt. 13:44

This man was saying “What I have already is nothing compared to the new treasures I've found.” In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.

Notice the attitude of sacrifice when he discovered what kind of treasure he had found!

The idea of sacrificing was done with great joy because the man knew what he was getting … something so great and wonderful that no sacrifice was too much to secure it.

He was downright joyous over the price-tag of this plot of land, for he knew what treasure it contained. This is also true with the kingdom of God.

But there’s no sacrifice in God's kingdom! Because what we receive can’t be compared to what we give!

ILLUS: A merchant was asked to contribute to a certain piece of church work. He gladly wrote a $250 check and gave it to the solicitor. At that moment, a cablegram was brought in. The merchant read it and looked troubled. "This cablegram," he said, "tells me that one of my ships has been wrecked and the cargo lost. That makes a difference in my business. I will have to write you another check."

The solicitor thought he understood and handed back the check for $250, and the merchant wrote out another and gave it to him. When the solicitor read it, he was utterly amazed; it was for $1,000. "Have you not made a mistake?" he asked. "No," said the merchant, "I have not made a mistake." Then he added, "To me, that cablegram was a message from my Father in Heaven. It reads,

'Lay not up for yourselves treasure upon earth ... but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal' (Matt 6:19-20)." – Source Unknown

No treasure hunter who ever discovered a great treasure felt bad about what he gave up to find that treasure! He didn't even count the cost!

What he paid was more than gained in the discovered treasure; we always gain more than what we give up!

(1. In finding Christ ... we may lose our “self” (Selfishness) … but

(2. We gain love and eternal life. (Eternal reward)

(3. We gain a whole new family, Christ’s family.

(4. We become a part of a new kingdom, the kingdom of God!

Matt 13:45 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls.

Matt 13:46 When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!

Here Jesus continue telling more about the Kingdom of Heaven and He starts telling about this merchant who was seeking!

Nothing of value is found by those who are not looking!

2 Ch 15:2 The LORD will stay with you as long as you stay with Him! Whenever you seek Him, you will find Him. But if you abandon Him, He will abandon you.

Isaiah 55:6 Seek the LORD while you can find Him. Call on Him now while He is near.

Matt 6:33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.

This merchant was looking for fine pearls! He was looking for something valuable.

How many people today are truly seeking something valuable, or are they willing to settle for something cheap?

You won't discover anything of value if you’re not seeking!

Illus: My wife and I will go shopping together; but I will find nothing while she finds all kinds of great values.

Why does she find things of value while I find nothing when we shop together?

She genuinely is looking for something valuable; on the other hand I hate shopping and am looking to get home!!! She is seeking; I’m just along for the ride.

Matt 7:7 "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

Matt 7:8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

Seek: To make search or inquiry; to endeavor to make discovery.To make pursuit of; to attempt to find or take.

When you seek then you a saying this is of great valve to me.

Matt 13:46 When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!

God's Kingdom is like a pearl of great value! In our parable this man show that this treasure had value far above anything he owned!

Nothing that belonged to this man even came close to the value of this pearl. Nothing compared to it! Nothing compares to the kingdom of God!

When we come across God's kingdom we often can't comprehend what we have found ... its value is so great!

It is so unfortunate that many Christians have forgotten how valuable this kingdom is … that it is worth more than anything of value they now possess!

We today, valve so many different things over the Kingdom of God, our rights, our politics, our money, our sports, our pleasure in general. We put God’s Kingdom in the bottom of the list because God’s Kingdom is something that is not worth dying for anymore.

ILLUS: A man gave several thousand dollars to help build a church. Then came the 1929 Stock Market crash. He lost everything.

Someone said, "If you had that money you gave to start the church, you would have had enough to set yourself up in business again."

He replied, "I would have lost that money, too, in the crash. As it is, it is the only money I saved.

It is now in the bank of heaven, gaining interest which will accumulate until eternity." Hundreds have come to Christ through the church he helped build. – Source Unknown

We should be willing to sacrifice everything for this kingdom and we should do it with joy!

What we get in return in this kingdom is of such greater value, we can’t even imagine an appropriate sacrifice for gaining it outside of Christ!

Matt 13:46 When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!

The key here is: He sold everything he owned and bought it.

Again there is no sacrifice to give in light of what we receive! We gain far more in the exchange!

Same is true with God's kingdom and His church.

No one in their right mind would hang on to their small wealth if they discovered a great treasure and by giving all they had could purchase something that brought them greater wealth! It is easy to sell out what is worth little to gain everything!

What if that attitude prevailed today?

ILLUS: In the second century, a Christian was brought before a pagan ruler and told to renounce his faith. "If you don't do it, I will banish you," threatened the king. The man smiled and answered, "You can't banish me from Christ, for He says, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'"

To this the king got more mad, And the King said,"Then I will take away all your property and all your possessions." Again the man smiled and said, "My treasures are all laid up on high; you cannot get them."

The king became furious and shouted, "I will kill you!" "Why," the man answered, "I have been dead forty years; I have been dead with Christ, dead to the world, and my life is hid with Christ in God, and you cannot touch it."

In desperation the king turned to his advisers and asked, "What can you do with a fanatic like that?" – Source Unknown

What if Christians today thanked God for the sacrifices they got to make in order to have the privileges of the kingdom today?

What would the kingdom of God look like today to the world if we lived like this?

What would be the appeal to Christianity if Christians today gave the impression to the world that they had great joy in sacrificing for being a Christian?

People in the world are attracted to “sold out” events … so they will be attracted to “sold out” Christians also!

In God's Kingdom we always gain more than we give away ... a great treasure awaits us in His kingdom ... a treasure that's worth more than everything we have!

The Bible is the great treasure map, hid in it is such great wealth!