Treasures and Pearls

Notes
Transcript

Intro

Granny’s coffee mug And our yard sale
what determines value?
Matthew 13:44–46 CSB
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field. 45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. 46 When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.
Reveals the Kingdom
Like a puzzle piece revealing how Jesus is redeeming and restoring the brokenness of our world.
Confronts us with the reality of the kingdom in our lives.
Test of our hearts.
Invites us to embrace the kingdom.

Reveals the VALUE of the Kingdom.

1) It is UNEXPECTEDLY valuable.

The first man stumbles upon an immensely valuable treasure not knowing it existed and not knowing he needed it.
Why was the guy walking through the field
Was he taking a short cut to the store?
Was he digging for some reason?
Was he just going for an afternoon stroll?
We don’t know why, but we are told he wasn’t expecting to come across this treasure.
Much like this man, many of us and those we know aren’t necessarily looking for something in our lives when we encounter Jesus.
Maybe it is in a low or challenging moment in life and a friend shares with us about Jesus.
Or maybe things were going fine, but when we heard the good news of the Gospel everything we thought we knew seemed to pale in comparison.
We often come in contact with the Kingdom of God when we least expect it.
The second man finds the priceless pearl while searching for other pearls, not expecting to find one that out valued ALL others.
Many of us are like the second man. We are searching for treasure anywhere and everywhere we think we might find it.
There are moments, even season where we think for sure we have found THE ONE that will satisfy us completely, but all good things seem to come to an end.
That is until we find the treasure that surpasses all other treasures.
You know of people who are on this journey right now, maybe it is even you.
You are reading, listening, and watching all you can to try and figure out what it TRUE and REAL.
Nothing I can say or do will prove that Jesus is the treasure you have been searching for, but I trust that if you give him a chance He will show you.
Maybe that is exactly what brought you here today.
20 years ago I stumbled upon the treasure of Jesus while I was looking to college and a future career as my treasure.
I won’t lie and say He always stays at the top of my treasure list, but I know that who I am today and the joy I have in my life is a result of knowing and following Him.

2) It is INCOMPARABLY valuable.

Both men immediately run off and sell everything they own in order to buy the treasure they have found.
When I worked in the thrift store world, we would often get pieces of clothing, jewelry, or purses in that looked to be something really valuable.
I would take these pieces up to my office and begin to examine them for marks of genuineness.
A Louis Viton bag would have very clear identifiers that would separate it from the fake.
If we did find a genuine one (which was quite rare) we would put it out for sale for MUCH more than just a normal bag.
The value of a particular item is based on how much people are willing to give up in order to own it.
I love a nice pair of shoes, but I am not going to buy a $300 or $400 pair even if Michael Jordan’s logo is on it. (no offense)
Jesus’s main point here is that the Kingdom of God (the unfolding redemption and restoration of God in Christ) is more valuable than ANYTHING we could ever have or experience.
Everlasting life in and with Jesus is simply and undeniably worth more than anything else we can buy or build or obtain here on earth. Massive homes are as nothing. Beautiful, expensive cars are as nothing. Clothing, hobbies, Apple products, books, businesses, animals, televisions — all nothing compared with our Christ. He is worth all to us. — Marshall Segal
Paul speaks of the value of knowing Jesus when he wrote his letter to the Philippians:
Philippians 3:8–9 CSB
8 More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith.
Paul’s message is clear, everything this world has to offer him is nothing in comparison to knowing Jesus as Lord.
In fact, Paul says that everything he has given up in his life to follow Jesus is worth the same as dung in comparison to knowing Jesus.
What we LONG for is what we WORK for.
Likewise, what we VALUE most is what we LONG for MOST.

3) It is DELIGHTFULLY valuable.

“In his JOY...” that is the response these men have to finding the priceless treasures.
They JOYFULLY sell all they have in order to purchase the very piece that will satisfy their deepest longings.
It’s a woeful mistake to assume following Jesus means giving up enjoyment of life.
Joy originates in God. It comes through Jesus His Son. And it is the fruit of his Spirit. Those who embrace Jesus as their Savior and treasure, by the power of the Spirit, for the glory of the Father, enter into that Trinitarian joy. — John Piper
Following Jesus doesn’t mean we give up fun and pleasure, though those things will likely take on new meaning and activity.
God is the creator of joy and Jesus was the most joy-filled person that ever lived.
It might be hard to believe that based on how Christian culture has often presented Jesus.
But the very things that rob us of joy are the things Jesus came to destroy.
Sin, conflict, pain, sickness, neediness, death...
Jesus’s joy was hindered by outside forces, but He was “full of joy”
It was Jesus’s mission to make our joy “full” and “complete”.
John 15:11 CSB
11 “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
John 16:24 CSB
24 Until now you have asked for nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
John 17:13 CSB
13 Now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy completed in them.
Jesus’s purpose was to bring the possibility of unhindered, unwavering joy.
Jim Johnston argues that the most miserable Christians he has encounter are the ones who seek to live with a foot in both God’s kingdom and the world.
“They call on the name of Christ, but they still try to find security, satisfaction, pleasure, or fulfillment from this world. They’re riding the fence. And they’re not happy.”
The men in our parables today didn’t hold on to a few of the things they thought might come in handy down the road, they JOYFULLY sold everything they had because the treasure they found was SO MUCH BETTER.
Until we see through the false promises of temporal, worldly pleasure and embrace the perfect goodness of God’s Kingdom, we will find joy to be an illusive ambition as best.

What is your greatest TREASURE?

We often think of heaven as a place all our earthly pleasures and enjoyments will be satisfied over and over again.
Endless rounds of golf, chocolate fountains we can drink from anytime and as much as we want, plus all the loved ones and friend that have gone before us.
Now I am not saying those things won’t be there, but they are not what makes heaven a gloriously grand place.
Jesus is what makes heaven glorious.
Revelation 21:3 CSB
3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God.
Philippians 1:21–24 CSB
21 For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose. 23 I am torn between the two. I long to depart and be with Christ—which is far better—24 but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.
Paul’s longing wasn’t for streets of gold, a big mansion, and to hug his mom, it was JESUS.
What is your greatest treasure?

Invitation

There is an unmistakable link between this parable and Jesus’s conversation with the Rich Young Ruler in Matthew 19:16-22.
A rich, young, and powerful man comes to Jesus and asks him, “What good things must I do in order to get to heaven?”
He knows the law, so when Jesus tells him to keep the commandments, he wants Jesus to be more specific.
Partly because he wants to make sure he got them all, at least the ones that matter; but also his relationship with God was entirely performance based.
If he could check all the boxes and satisfy God then he could rest and enjoy his life.
But he knew something was lacking, “what do I still lack?”
Mounce describes the man’s response as an “uneasiness that reveals an instinctive human awareness that legalism [following rules rather than loving God] falls short of God’s intention.”
It is the same reason we so readily point to the things we do and don’t do as evidence we are good Christian people.
It is the same reason we struggle to have confidence in our own salvation, because what if we haven’t done enough for God to be satisfied.
Matthew 19:21 CSB
21 “If you want to be perfect,” Jesus said to him, “go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
If you want to be whole/complete, then give up the worldly treasure you hold so tightly to, that you place so much significance in, and that you foolishly look to to bring you happiness and joy.
And receive instead a treasure that will satisfy you for eternity.
A treasure more valuable than anything we can image.
And a treasure more delightful that anything we have ever experienced.
A treasure worth selling everything for.
Saving faith is the confidence that if you sell all you have, and forsake all sinful pleasures, the hidden treasure of holy joy will satisfy your deepest desires. Saving faith is the heartfelt conviction not only that Christ is reliable, but also that He is desirable. It is the confidence that He will come through with His promises and that what He promises is more to be desired than all the world. — John Piper
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