Treasured Part 3
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Christ Our Ultimate Treasure
Christ Our Ultimate Treasure
Matthew 13:44-50
On Friday night we talked about how God treasures you.
He sees you and he values you.
And this morning we discussed the question of what do we treasure.
I believe we all want to say it is God but far to often we put other things before him.
And as we wrap up our time here today.
The main idea tonight is Gospel living requires radical action.
If you are all if for Jesus it is going to require something from you.
And to the world it will seem radical but to God it is what he is calling us to do.
Me:
When I was growing up, after school we would go to my grandparent’s house and I have so many fond memories of being there.
But on sticks out more then others— It is that my grandpa my papa would hide candy around the house.
And it is always like this special secret.
And his hiding places changed all the time.
But if you were lucky enough he would show you where his hiding place was and you would get some candy.
It was a special bond I had with my papa.
And like when he showed you the stash it was like don’t tell your brother.
But he would have other stashes that he told my brother and cousins about that were different then the one I knew about.
He would hide these valuables these bags of candy everywhere.
So when he passed away in April of 2021— I would stumble upon places where he hid his candy.
And I remember never wanting to move it but I would take a couple of pieces and leave the rest for a different time.
You see when something is valuable we tend to hide it away.
We lock it up and we keep it to our selves.
But here is the deal the Gospel of Christ is not some hidden treasure that we get to keep to our selves.
While my papa hid candy to keep it from others— this is not the way of living for believers.
We are to go and share the gospel not keeping it hidden but bringing it into the light.
But why don’t we?
Why does it seem like a big mystery or surprise to people when we tell others we are Christians?
I think it has a lot to do with we care too much about what people think of us.
We:
Why do we care so much about what others think and so little about what God thinks?
I think we want to keep parts of our lives hidden.
You know the stuff that will make others judge us or even question who we really are.
Why do you guys think we care some much about what others think?
And why do we seem to care so little about what God thinks?
People are here in the flesh and personally I think that their options matter or at least they hurt more.
And God is here but we don’t see him physically right.
We don’t hear his opinion and because of that it is easier for us to care about those who voices we hear everyday.
I’m not saying its right, I just think that is how we get to these weird places of hiding who we really are and what we believe.
We care about what others think.
And if we do something that others are not into, then we typically hide those parts of us.
And honestly I think it is because we don’t appreciate what we have.
We don’t value the Gospel as the greatest news ever.
Because if we did, I think we would be more inclined to share the Gospel.
Lets open up to Matthew 13
And what I want you to walk away this weekend with is that
God:
The Gospel is the greatest treasure on this planet.
I want you to value your relationship with Christ
And the Gospel of Jesus is the best treasure!
But this treasure while it is freely given it will require your whole heart and that may involve sacrifices.
No not the human kind but those that require giving certain things up for the Gospel.
And I know that once we start talking about giving things up for Jesus— people check-out— I am begging you to not do that.
Because you are not just giving things up for the sake of giving it up but there is joy and fulfilment that comes with following Christ.
For Joy comes from the Gospel (13:44)
“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.
Jesus is telling another parable here.
A parable is a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.
So Jesus is telling the people around him his story.
About a man who finds a treasure hidden in a field.
Then in his joy he goes and sells everything so that he can buy the field.
And this is begin compared to the kingdom of heaven.
Which sounds interesting right?
That the kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field.
And at first it sounds strange that it is being compared to this.
But as you continue to read it is not just a hidden treasure in a field but it is also the man who finds this treasure and in his joy sells everything so that he can buy the field.
The man was overjoyed when he came upon the treasure.
The man must sell everything he has first.
All of it.
So that he can afford the field.
And maybe you are thinking— why doesn’t the guy just take the treasure and run away.
While that is a very noble action— I’m kidding that is stealing.
While we don’t want to get into the legality of all of this.
Because by doing so, we can miss the point Jesus is trying to say.
His point is that there can be a treasure that is worth selling everything in order to possess it.
Could you imagine coming upon some sort of treasure in a field.
Like a bag for of money?
A chest full of jewels and gold.
And that bag was on someone else’e property, meaning that if you took it that would be stealing.
But if that treasure was worth it and you doubled or tripled what you currently had would you sell everything out of Joy to then get this treasure?
That is what Jesus is comparing here.
The kingdom of Heaven in order to receive it may cause us to surrender everything in order to receive something so much greater.
If you know that the worth of the treasure then you will be willing to give everything up for it right?
It may seem strange to a world that doesn’t know the value of the Kingdom of Heaven.
But Jesus doesn’t stop there with his parable he goes on to show that.
Immediate action comes from The Gospel (13:45-46)
“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.
We know that joy comes from the Gospel but we also know that action comes the Gospel as well.
Both stories we see the man selling everything that they have to pursue things of great value.
This merchant however is on the lookout for the best pearl.
And we can be in a place where we are searching for answering about life and purpose and it could be in those moments where we get hit in head with something unexpected still.
This man was looking for a pearl but once he discovered this one it changed everything for him.
And as it changed everything, it changed the merchant as well.
He gave up everything for the pearl.
So he could have it— so he could posses it.
He needed it!
He had to have it!
So we are beginning to get an idea about what the kingdom of Heaven is like.
We know that it brings joy and that is has value that requires action.
Before we think that God would never ask us to sell everything to follow him lets be reminded of Matthew 19:21
Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
And is God asking you to give everything up right now no.
But that isn’t the point of these two parables— it hits with that question are you willing to give it all?
Are you willing to whole heartedly sell out for Christ?
It means not caring what the world says about you.
It means being a light to your school and to your friends and family.
And it is more then just being an example.
I think we as Christians have gotten to a place where we were to in your face with God and then said we can’t do that.
So let’s just be friends and if I ever get a chance then I can tell someone the truth about Jesus.
But that has lead us to being stale and looking more like the world then like Christ.
I believe we can be a good example to those around us but if they don’t know why we act the way we do then they won’t have any reason to come to Jesus.
Are there things in your life that you need to give up in order to be all in for Christ?
Only you can answer that because only you know who or what is on the throne of your heart.
Then Jesus shifts slightly.
He still is talking about the kingdom of heaven.
But in this next section he talks about the reality of good and evil and what happens at the end of time.
The last point tonight is that: Separation comes from the Gospel.
Separation comes from the Gospel (13:47-50)
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
You have this massive net that catches all kinds of fish.
And when the net is full it is brought back to the shore.
And the fishermen sit down and sort the fish.
They separate them between what is good and what is bad.
We get that— we understand that here.
But then Jesus gets more personal and he makes us a little uneasy.
Because he talks bout the end of the age.
As in when Jesus comes again.
And he says that Angels will do what the fishermen did.
They will separate the evil from the righteous.
And the righteous will go to the kingdom of heaven and the evil— will be put into the fiery furnace.
They will be placed in Hell.
In a place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Hell is a very real place.
And the reality is that if we keep the Gospel quite, from our friends, our family, those we work with or just interact with daily— we are leaving it up to chance that they hear the gospel from someone else.
And they may but what if they don’t?
What if you were the only one who had a chance to tell them about Christ?
The Christian life is not meant to be lived in fear of rejection but in the confidence of our savior.
I had a buddy named Brandon.
And we played basketball and football together.
Brandon was always the guy everyone wanted to be around.
He had a big personality.
When we were sophomores in high school Brandon was diagnosed with Cancer.
It was a little late in the game but doctors were confident that they got all the cancer and for all of Brandon’s junior year he was cancer free.
But then senior hit and Brandon wasn’t feeling all that great.
It was durning our basketball season that he was diagnosed again with cancer.
I remember the last game he played with us we wanted so badly to get him a win but we fell short by 2 points.
Prom and graduation came and went and it was over the summer that Brandon got more and more weak.
The cancer had spread to his whole body.
It was literally everywhere and all the doctors could do was make him comfortable.
I sent a lot of time at his house that summer and into the fall.
We would talk sports, girls, and memories.
But never once did I bring up that there was a God who loved Him and cared for him and wanted a relationship with him.
Never once did I tell Brandon about Jesus.
This friend who was going to die— literally a dead man walking and I couldn’t get the words out to tell him that there is a God and there is only one way to him.
As we were all home from college for Thanksgiving that fall Brandon would take his last breath on this earth.
And man I wish I could go back— and tell him about Jesus.
Honestly if I could go back I would have lived differently.
I wish I had that time back, but that is the thing about time— you don’t get a do over.
Now I don’t know what Brandon’s state was when he died.
He may have had someone else talk to him about Jesus.
But here is what I do know at the end of his life Brandon came face to face with our creator and if he knew Jesus then he would be welcomed in to heaven, but if he didn’t know Jesus then his fate was the same as the evil fish— hell.
And it is one of the biggest regrets I live with it.
It makes me sad and embarrassed.
But it also makes me live differently now.
So it doesn’t happen again.
Here is the funny thing
All the opinions that I cared so much about I haven’t talked or seen those people in years.
And they have none/zero say about my life.
They didn’t even have a say about my life in high school— i just let them.
I cared so much about what they thought.
Truly there is only one opinion we should care about and that is God’s
You:
So the question is how do you live out the Gospel?
You live out the gospel by loving God/ Loving people and witnesses to everyone.
I get it it is scary but the truth is hell is real and at the end of time if your friends or family doesn’t know Jesus then that is their fate.
But you have a chance to let them know about Thee Way, The truth and the life!
Jesus.
How he came, and lived and died for you, and we wants a relationship with you!
That is the Gospel
It is powerful and freeing!
It is what this broken world needs and if we hide it, if we keep it secret then we are missing out on the power of it.
While it may have started out hidden in those parables.
The treasure and the pearls were hidden but once they were discovered the people did everything to get it.
They gave everything they had to receive it.
The world wants to believe in something.
They want the truth and we have it!
We have the truth!
You have the truth.
I want you to begin to think of one person who you can share the Gospel with this week.
And tell your leaders once you get back to your host homes.
If you have never accepted Jesus— what is holding you back?
Why not give your life to him?
You know he loves you and cares you— he sent his son to save you and when Jesus died— paying the debt that you own— we did once and for all— But here’s the deal I don’t serve a martyr— I don’t serve someone who is still dead— That is the difference between Christianity and other religions.
I serve a Christ who rose three days later from his dead state— He arose and he is alive and he is waiting to return!
That is my king— show me your king— Because I would hate to be combative but my king will whoop your kings butt.
That is who I am ask you to put your faith into— that is who I am asking you to tell your friends about.
King Jesus.
You have a chance to impact your community.
We:
I’ll leave you with this.
What if everyone here gave everything for the Gospel?
If you did this people would know what you stood for and your confidence in Christ would be contagious.
Your friends would want what you have.
Because we know that the Gospel brings Joy—
For it is the greatest treasure ever.
All time greatest treasure.
And if you went all in meaning that your pursuits in life lined up with what God wanted you to do then man you would impact your whole community.
You would radically change your school/family/friends
They would see what you treasure and they too would want that to be their treasure.
As we leave this weekend— leave ready to make a difference for the kingdom.
We know that God treasures you.
You may need to know what you treasure.
And my hope is that what you treasure is Jesus because if you do then you will live radically on mission for Christ and that is what your church, your friends, your family and your community needs.
Chase that treasure and give everything you have for it.
Pray
Questions:
1. What was your big take away from tonight?
2. What was your big take away from this weekend?
3. What get you pumped up? What gets you most excited?
4. Do you get that way with your faith? Why?
5. Why do we care so much about what others think and so little about what God thinks?
6. What is one or two things that you can do differently on Monday to shoe that Jesus is your treasure?