Jesus Is Worth It

Matthew 13:44-50

⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven 

In all three of these short parables Jesus is using things that are common to man to give insight about the kingdom of heaven.

• Is the kingdom of heaven different than the kingdom of God?

The two are the same, the Jews used the phrase kingdom of heaven because they feared saying God’s name wrongly and taking His name in vain.

• So, what is the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven?

The kingdom of heaven is God’s rule or God’s supremacy, which is expressed in the earth today.  His rule is currently at work in our lives saving us from destruction and leading us to a fulfilled life in Christ.

His rule will be expressed completely in the end of time as we know it.  He will cast that serpent of old known as satan, the adversary of our soul, into the lake of fire. 

God will sit upon His throne and pass the final judgement over the devil and his demons, and on all those that have followed.

Revealing that there is no one like Him no one greater or stronger, He is the Ruler over all things He is the righteous judge, He is God Almighty

So, when we talk about the kingdom of God, think of God’s rule over your life.  He is the king, you are not.  It is His ways, not your own.  Whatever the king desires is expected to be done.

The average American does not understand this concept as we are not ruled by a king.  But if you lived in a kingdom you would get it.  You eat, sleep, work for the king and for the king’s glory.

So, it is with the kingdom of God.  All that we are and everything that we do is done for the glory of our King.

When Jesus teaches His disciples to pray in Matthew 6:9-10

⁹“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
¹⁰ Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Why did Jesus pray this way?  Because God’s will is done in heaven.  He commands the angels and they execute His will that very instant. 

For His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, there must be an alignment of our will on earth with His will in heaven. 

Jesus is really praying that the will of man would align to do the will of God.

Now that we know some basics about the kingdom of God, let’s look back at our text for today.

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

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.

The text could also say that God’s rule over our lives is like finding treasure.

• Why should we think of the kingdom of God as being hidden treasure in a field?

In Him there is an abundance of riches such as wisdom, knowledge, peace, joy, strength, comfort, righteousness, grace & mercy and so much more.

Every want or desire can be fulfilled in Him.  He is so much more valuable than any earthly treasure. 

So, the focus is on the value of the kingdom. The worth of having God ruling over you and, for you, over everything else.  He does not only want to rule over you but also for you.

If the omnipotent, all-wise God is ruling over all things for your joy, everything must be working for your good, no matter how painful. And in the end God will triumph over all evil and all pain.

• Do we see God’s rule over our lives as a good thing?
• Do we count that rule to be more desirable than anything of this world?

The man in this story did.  He considered the cost of the field and he purchased it because what he obtained was so much greater.

It would be like you buying a piece of property.  On this property you discover some gold coins that date back to the 1800’s.  These coins are now worth some serious money.  We are talking millions of dollars. 

Do you at that point begin to complain about the price that you had to pay for that property?

No, the price you had paid is now nothing in comparison to what you have gained.   

The man’s response in finding this treasure should be our response when we find Christ.  We must realize that there is nothing greater on earth than obtaining Christ and that the price that we had paid does not even compare to what we have received.

Perhaps the cost for you is losing friends, with Jesus you gain a friend that sticks closer than a brother.  You also gain other brothers and sisters in Christ who will prove to be more of a friend than your worldly friends have ever been.

Perhaps the cost is laying down that substance.  With Christ, He fills every void in our life more than any substance could ever do.

Maybe the cost is waking up a little earlier to spend some time in the scriptures and in prayer.  Though that may cost some precious sleep time, you gain the Spirit of the Lord upon as you start your day. Who knows what valuable truths the Lord will show you.

Perhaps the cost is laying down your pride and telling someone about Jesus.  The gain is that if we confess Him before others, He will confess us before our Heavenly Father.

To some this cost may seem too high.  Yet, the cost that we pay in America does not even come close to the cost that others around the globe are paying on a regular basis.

I had recently seen a video clip of the underground church in China.  They would wake up at 4:30 in the morning to spend 2 hours in prayer in an underground cave because that was the only time and place they could do so without getting caught. 

The cost for them to live for Christ is great.  They risk losing their families and even their lives, just to attain Christ.  I ask again what do you value more, the kingdom of God or of this world.

People are often reluctant to come to Christ because they feel like they would have to give up too much to do so.  What you give up does not even come close to what you gain.

Philippians 3:7-8

 ⁷ But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. 

Paul would say to know Christ is worth more than any material possession in this world.

The man in this parable seen the worth of this field because of the great value of the hidden treasure. He went and sold all that he had to obtain this field.

Do we see the kingdom of God as something more significant in worth than any material thing?

• If you were asked to sell that material thing in order to gain Christ would you do it?

The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value

⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, ⁴⁶ who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Think about how the pearl is harvested.  A fisherman catches mollusks (oysters). After opening the shell of that mollusk, he finds a pearl that is found growing on the inside.

Pearl is the only gem made by a living process and the only one that comes from the sea.

An unblemished pearl is one of the most ancient symbols of perfection and was among the most precious of gems.  This is probably the reason why the word is used symbolically for anything of great value, especially wise sayings.

Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God to that of a pearl of great price.  It is something to be desired, it is of great worth and is more precious than anything.

In both stories the buyer finds great worth in newly found treasure and sells everything so that he might have that treasure.

Salvation is more than saying a onetime prayer. It may start off with a prayer of confession.

Romans 10:9

 ⁹ because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

When Jesus called the 12 disciples, He simply told them to “come and follow me.”

• What did that cost them to follow Jesus?

Everything.  They laid down careers, they left behind family and friends, all but two would even die as martyrs for the sake of gaining Christ.  

Peter and Paul- Both martyred in Rome about 66 AD, during the persecution Emperor Nero.

Paul was beheaded.  Peter was crucified, upside down

Andrew- Went to what is now the Soviet Union.  He also preached modern-day Turkey, and in Greece, where he is said to have been crucified.

Thomas- Most active in the area east of Syria. Tradition has him preaching as far east as India. They claim that he died there when pierced through with the spears of four soldiers.

Philip- had a powerful ministry in Carthage in North Africa and then in Asia Minor.  Later Philip was arrested and cruelly put to death.

Matthew- the tax collector and writer of a Gospel, ministered in Persia and Ethiopia. Some say he was stabbed to death in Ethiopia.

Bartholomew- had widespread missionary travels to India with Thomas, back to Armenia, and also to Ethiopia and Southern Arabia. He too met his death as a martyr for the gospel.

James- Had ministered in Syria. It was reported that he was stoned and then clubbed to death.

Simon the Zealot- ministered in Persia and was killed after refusing to sacrifice to the sun god.

Matthais- was the apostle chosen to replace Judas. Tradition sends him to Syria with Andrew and to death by burning.

John- only one of the company generally thought to have died a natural death from old age. 

Following Jesus for these men meant more than saying a prayer of salvation. Just like the two buyers in these parables, they considered the cost, then they literally gave up all so that they would have Christ.

I will ask again

• Do you consider God’s kingdom or God’s rule to be more desirable than anything of this world?
• If asked to do so, would you be willing to leave all behind in order to follow Jesus?

Christ must be your most valuable treasure.  To have Him is to have it all.  You can be poor in material possessions but if you have Christ, then you are rich in spirit.

Even if it cost you everything, Jesus is worth it.