Matthew 13:44
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This is a joyful night because I'm sitting among a group of people who have discovered the treasure and bought the field. And let's take a look at our verse and we'll see why that's so wonderful. So our verse is Matthew 13, 44. The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field which a man found and covered up and then in his joy went and sold all that he had to buy that field.
So we're going to look at two truths tonight. The first one is, what's the treasure? The second is, what does Jesus mean by he goes and sells all to gain it, to gain that treasure? So the main idea, which I took virtually verbatim from J.C. Ryle, is that anyone who really discovers how badly we needed and do need Jesus Christ and what a wonderful forgiveness he offers, and what an abundant life he offers, that person will be willing to give up anything to get Jesus and belong to him.
So first, the treasure. I want to take an Instagram kind of view of this. I know everybody in the room knows probably the treasure, but I'd like to just fly over some scriptures. First, We're going to look at ones about how much the treasure costs. And then, it is beautiful to look out on you, what that ultimate treasure buys. And then I'd like to look at just a few verses on how we're experiencing that treasure right now.
I won't give citations just to not interrupt the flow, but if you'd like lists, I'm happy to provide them. Jesus, having loved his own who were in the world, loved them to the end. And they crucified him, and at the ninth hour he cried out, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
In this the love of God was made known among us, that God sent his only son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we love God, but that he has loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. For by a single offering, he perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
He that comes to me, I will never cast out. And Jesus said to him, today you will be with me in paradise. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. The thief comes only to steal and to kill and destroy.
I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take heart, I have overcome the world. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such things there is no law. This is what Jesus has to offer. It's a glimpse of the treasure. This brings us to our second point. What does the parable mean by, in his joy, the person who found the treasure goes and sells all to buy that field? We know from the rest of the Bible what it doesn't mean.
It doesn't mean that we're buying salvation. It doesn't mean we are doing anything to earn it. We know we cannot earn it. We've blown that probably the first time our mother changed our diaper and we switched our rear end around and said no. I mean, we've been in rebellion against God for our whole lives. So what does it mean to sell all to buy that field?
I think it means repentance. Part of trusting in Jesus is turning from our rebellion against God in everything because we are rebelling in everything and recognizing his kingship that not only does he rightfully have the right to tell us what to do and what to think about everything, but that is what is in our interest.
yet we rebel against him and when we first whether we realize it or not what happened when we first trusted in him we turned away from trusting in ourselves for some of us that was a moment for many of us we may it happened gradually we didn't know what happened it doesn't matter that's not the focus of the scriptures the focus of the scriptures is are you doing that now because once we do that we must spend the rest of our lives doing that don't we turning from trusting in ourselves and trusting in Christ that's what it means to believe on him and that's what it means to repent so it's that turning away from trusting ourselves to trust in God that's what it means to sell all to buy that field. And what is so amazing is what we're turning from, what we're giving up,
what we're selling is worth absolutely nothing. There's a list really of what we're turning from, what we're giving up. Here are the big things we're giving up. Sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalry, dissension, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, Things like these.
In Galatians, Paul says, I warn you, as I warned you before, those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Now, anybody had any fits of anger lately? Any jealousy? That's what we're turning away from. Now, are we going to turn away perfectly? Absolutely not. But is that what we want?
Is that what we're determined to do? If your answer is no, I want to keep these things. Let me respectfully say, you don't know the Lord yet. You need to have that first turning to him and trusting in him. That's what he's inviting you to do tonight. But for those of us who've been doing it for 10 days or 50 years, we've still got to just keep doing that. That's the sense in which we're selling.
But we've already bought the field. And here's what I mean by that. Well, forgive me. I've got a football illustration I want to get to first. I was never a football player, you can take one look at me and tell that, or an athlete of any kind. But we're going to see that probably. And the front linemen, it's their job, of course, to keep the defensive players to come across and not sack the quarterback. They're going to sometimes fail.
But if they're not 100% determined every time to keep that guy from getting their quarterback, their quarterback's going to be sacked every time. And when they do fail, when they're knocked on their rear end and run over, what do they got to do? They just got to get up, dust themselves off, get in their stance, and keep that guy from coming again. That's the Christian life. I'd like to read a verse out of Philippians and this will be our final verse our final point therefore my beloved as you have always obeyed so now not only in my presence but much more in my absence work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God
who works in you both to will, to want to get up and want to keep that linebacker from coming in on your quarterback to fight sin to want to do it and to work to do it he gives us the power and the desire to fight sin and let me tell you if you feel like you know man that I'm getting knocked over every time I'm losing this battle I can guarantee you if you are a Christian you're going to win that battle we will ultimately win it when we never have to face the temptation but you know what there'll be no new glory to give to God by doing that but every time we get up and fight that temptation it
gives great glory to God you know the devil is not in the business of giving glory to God. That's why it says resist him and he will flee from you. I'll tell you what he is. The devil is a liar. He will tell you, hey, just give in because you're going to have to give in. You've given in before. You're going to eventually give in now. Ain't And so, he's afraid of you.
If you resist him, he will flee from you. And when you're resisting the devil, and when you fail, and you get knocked on your back, and get up again, it's because you already own the field. You've already got the treasure. You're not earning the treasure. If you didn't already have it, you would not will to work your salvation out.
Let's pray. Lord our God, we do not deserve to be in this room. And we thank you so much for your mercy that has caused this to happen. We ask you, Lord God, to be the soldiers for you that you have empowered us to be. Help us look on your treasure and not on anything else.
Let us be that person who with joy decides to follow you no matter what. And for those who don't know you, we're asking you, Lord God, to show them the treasure. They're standing right on it. They're so close, they can just touch it. But if you don't show it to them, they'll never find it. Open their eyes, Lord God. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.