January 29, 2012

What do you give the man or woman who has everything? That’s the question we often ask when we need to buy a gift for someone we love. This is especially true if the person is a little older and literally has just about everything. Often we either end up getting something they already have or we get something they probably don’t need or want.

When we look at the people around us it does seem that they lack for nothing. We have so much. Because we have so much, it is very easy to miss what is most important.

This morning we look at the parables of the hidden treasure and the valuable pearl. These are well known parables. Together these parables teach that there is nothing in this life more important than entering into the kingdom of God.

 

I. DO YOU RECOGNIZE THE VALUE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD? Mt.13:44-46

It seems to me that there are two primary values which structure our lives. One value is the pursuit of life in this world while the other value is the pursuit of life with God.

Let’s think about the value of pursuing life in this world. One of the clearest advantages to life in this world is that it is visible and tangible. It can be seen and felt. It can be owned and preserved. Let me explain. Life in this world consists in laying up treasures for oneself. This is realized in making money and gaining possessions. Now we all have to earn money to live in this world. We all need a certain amount of possessions to maintain our life. God gave us the ability to use the resources of this world to maintain and prosper our lives. If living in this world is all there is to life then clearly, the more money and possessions one acquires, the better off that person will be.

Again, life in this world consists in pursuing achievement and recognition. We all need to feel accepted and appreciated by others, especially by our families. But there is in all of us a desire to make a difference, to leave a mark, our mark upon the world. We long to be recognized and affirmed and consulted by those whom we value in this world. Education, work, and community involvement are the means to pursue achievement and recognition.

Another way in which we pursue life in this world is through maintaining health & wellness. If we are going to live life to the fullest, we must pursue health and wellbeing. We try to have good health insurance. We try to save and invest our money. We exercise and go to the doctor. We want to learn and grow in our physical and emotional maturity.

A further way in which we pursue life in this world is in pursuing enjoyment, pleasure. We find enjoyment in relationships, in eating, in playing and in pursuing culture. We want to be well rounded people.

But there’s another side to pursuing life in this world. Our pursuit of pleasure and enjoyment can easily spiral out of control and we can ruin relationships and destroy our health. Our frustration at not making enough money or having enough possessions can cause us to become workaholics or put us into deep debt. The reality is that many do not feel appreciated and loved. Many have been deeply wounded and hurt by those closest to them. And of course life in this world can be and often is wearying and wears us down. There are heartaches and sicknesses and death. And all of this is compounded by our sinfulness. You see, the underlying focus of our pursuit is really ourselves. It’s all about self. And so we are unkind, we are deceitful, we demean and belittle others and we often pursue things that are personally destructive.

What I find is that many people are so busy pursuing their lives in this world that they have little time for anything else. The reality of what is seen and felt consumes every waking moment.

The other primary value which may structure our lives is pursuing a life with God in his kingdom. Obviously this is what Jesus is talking about in these parables. Jesus’ point is that life in the kingdom of God is far more valuable than the pursuit of life in this world. But in what way is life in the kingdom of God more valuable than life in this world? This is an important question because it appears to me that many believers do not live as if life in the kingdom of God is more valuable than life in this world.

Let’s think about what Jesus did when he began his public ministry. For one thing he lived a sinless life. A sinless life is a noble life. Jesus experienced great temptation but did not cave in. He experienced suffering and death but overcame death. Not only that, but in Jesus’ teaching we find a whole different outlook on living. Jesus taught that being in a living relationship with him enabled one to truly know the God who created and sustains the universe. Being in a relationship with Jesus enables one to live an everlasting kind of life. In the latest issue of Christianity Today, there is an article called, “A Purpose Driven Cosmos,” by Russell Moore. Moore writes, “...Jesus doesn’t promise an ‘afterlife.’ He promises us life - and that everlasting.” Knowing Jesus enables us to live a truly good life that is honorable, filled with integrity and goodness. The miracles of Jesus revealed his power over nature, suffering, sin and death. He is the King who reverses all that is wrong with this world and with our lives. He is the King who will return to fully establish the kingdom of God in a new heaven and earth. In his first coming Jesus showed us what Kingdom living is all about. In his second coming he will establish his kingdom rule in all of its fullness forever.

Finding the treasure in the field, finding the pearl of great value is akin to finding and entering the kingdom of God. If you do not see the extraordinary value of the kingdom of God it is because you value the pursuit of life in this world more highly than you value the kingdom of God. It means you do not see the value of knowing Jesus. So let me ask you...

 

II. HOW HAS THE VALUE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD AFFECTED YOUR LIFE? Mt.13:44-46

Notice what the man in the field did. Upon finding the incredible treasure, he hid it. He was filled with great joy and he didn’t think twice about selling everything he had so that he could buy the field to gain the treasure. In buying the field he acquired far more than he sold. The merchant was intentionally looking for fine pearls. In the ancient world, pearls were regarded as very costly. Klyne Snodgrass writes, “...pearls were regarded as the most valuable objects in existence, so they became a figure of speech for something of supreme worth.” For example, a dearly loved child might be referred to as a pearl. The merchant also sold everything he had in order to buy the pearl. In buying the pearl he was increasing his wealth far beyond what he sold. There was no question in either of their minds about what their response would be. They saw the value and responded in kind.

So again, how has the value of the kingdom of God affected your life? What has been your response to the kingdom of God? One of the implications seen in these parables is that you cannot merely add the kingdom of God to your current way of living. In other words, you cannot pursue life in this world and at the same time pursue life in the kingdom of God because these pursuits are incompatible with each other. In fact, the end results of these two pursuits are completely different. Those who pursue life in this world may acquire a great deal and be very successful, but it is temporary and doesn’t last. It will not lead you to God. Those who enter into the kingdom of God find a whole new way of living that actually brings significant meaning to living in this world. In Mt.16:25-26 Jesus says, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” Gaining the whole world is what I mean by pursuing one’s life on earth. You do it at the expense of your soul.

But what does this mean for us? Must we go out and sell everything we have? Is that what Jesus is telling us here? I don’t believe so. The kingdom of God is not something we can buy our way into. Rather Jesus is telling us that if we want to enter into the kingdom of God we must abandon everything that we have put our hope and trust in. Whatever we were banking on to secure our life is insufficient compared to knowing Christ and being in the kingdom of God. At all costs you don’t want to miss the kingdom of God. You don’t want to miss knowing Christ.

For those of us who profess to know Christ, let me say that we live in an society that is driven by materialism and greed. I believe it affects the way we look at life with God. We may be trusting solely in Christ for our salvation, but when it comes to living our lives we are in an all out pursuit to have as much in this world as we can. It is very easy to think of Christ as our eternal life insurer. But Christ is not our eternal life insurer. He is our King. Because the kingdom of God is so wonderful and valuable, Christians surrender everything to God. They use their resources to promote the kingdom work of God. It’s all about exalting our King and not about exalting ourselves.

But it’s very possible that there are some her who are not in the kingdom of God. I can tell you that, Jesus has done everything possible to make the kingdom of God available to you and me. When he died on the cross, God placed the guilt of our sins on Jesus. In dying he bore the punishment for our sins in our place. All who repent of their sins and call upon Jesus in faith will be saved and be given his everlasting kind of life. Do you see how valuable the kingdom of God is? Well, how has the value of the kingdom of God affected your life?

 

Russell Moore writes, “For too long, we’ve called unbelievers to ‘invite Jesus into your life.’ Jesus doesn’t want to be in your life. Your life’s a wreck. Jesus calls you into his life. And his life isn’t boring or purposeless or static. It’s wild and exhilarating and unpredictable.” Let me ask, “Have you entered into the life of Christ?” Men and women, knowing Christ is not just a get out of Hell free card. Knowing Christ is all about living out his eternal life in you. Do you know Christ? Amen