Hidden Treasure / Pearl of Great Value

Think of the most valuable material thing you own (house,car,computer,stereo,etc).
Now, if I offered you $50 for it, would you trade? Why not?
What if I offered you $50,000,000? Why?

Tonight we will look at one of the parables Jesus used (as he often did) to teach people about the kingdom of God, and other spiritual concepts.

Matt 13:44-46

"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. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it."
Who do the man in the field and the merchant represent?

What do the treasure and pearl represent?

We've all heard stories about people who found something of great value ( such as art, meteorites, fossils ), but did not recognize what they had, so they treated it as something common! The two people in the parable knew what they had! They recognized what they had found for it's true value.

Jesus teaches that the kingdom of God is of such great value that when (and if) people recognize it for its true value, they will gladly give up everything they have to get it!

That sounds like a heavy price! Why were these guys willing to give up everything just to purchase that one thing?
They knew it was worth more than all they had! They knew they would get a good return on their investment!

What kind of risk were they taking?

Can you think of other areas in life where people really have to give up a lot to obtain something better?

What kinds of risks are involved with these things?
What are the potential benefits?

Jesus teaches that the kingdom of God is worth far more than any of these pursuits, or any other thing we have on earth! In fact, he teaches that there is really no comparison -- if we will truly recognize the value of a relationship with God, verses the value of all these other things.

But what are the costs and benefits associated with the kingdom of God?

Luke 9:23-25

Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?"

Luke 14:25-33

    Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'"
    "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

According to Jesus, what is the cost of being His disciple?

Here is what we are commanded to do just in these two verses:

What does this mean? Does this mean we have to give away all of our possessions and be a monk? [No, we know from the example of the first century Christians that this is not the case.] Then what does it mean?

Let's take a few minutes to talk about each one of these things.
It's time to get personal! Let's bring these things home and talk about what this things will mean or have meant to each of us.
Note: the items on the list can be summarized in a word: repentance!

Why would any of us want to pay this kind of price? Because it's worth it! Let's talk about the true value of the kingdom of God!

Mark 10:28-30

Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!" "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields -- and with them, persecutions) and in thee age to come, eternal life.

John 10:10b

"... I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

These promises are from the Son of God Himself! Do you think He would ever let us down on one of His promises?

Let's get personal again! For those of you who are experiencing this kind of full life, share some of your experiences. How has God blessed you with so much more than you have given up?

If you are not experiencing this kind of full life, it could be because you have not yet surrendered everything to God!

Caution: The verses in Mark 10 are some of the most mis-used verses in scripture. Jesus is NOT saying that for every dollar you put in the plate, you will get 100 back! Jesus is NOT promising a happy, easy, wealthy, or painless life! Be careful of those who teach this.

Let's look at some other benefits to being in God's kingdom.

John 15:9-11

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."

Jesus is eager to give us a full and joyful life! (Not the same as a "happy" life)

Galatians 5:19-23

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Look at the qualities God can give us in vs. 23. Who wouldn't want to have more of these in their life?

Romans 6:1-7

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

Sin is enslaving (John 8:34). It has the power to take over and dominate our lives! In Christ, we are no longer slaves to sin! Through His power, we have freedom from sin!

Let's close with some verses from Matthew, keeping in mind the parables we read about the hidden treasure, and the pearl of great value.

Matthew 6:19-21

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Are you willing to recognize the true value of the kingdom of God?

Are you willing to weigh the costs of being in God's kingdom against the costs of NOT being in God's kingdom?

Are you willing to surrender everything you are to God in order to get it?

Do you believe it will be a good investment?

In addition to all of the tangible benefits we talked about tonight, there's a kicker: eternal life in heaven! Can you find a better life insurance policy anywhere?

Close with prayer.

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