The Priceless.
Matthew 13:44TPT
What is the price of the priceless?
At four months old, Leo had never seen his parents. He had been born with a rare condition that left his vision blurred. For him, it was like living in dense fog. But then a doctors fit him with a special set of glasses.
Leo's father posted the video of mom placing the new glasses over his eyes for the first time.
Priceless.
In that moment, little Leo could see clearly.
Perhaps this morning we need to put on our God glasses so we can clearly see who Jesus really is.
-What is priceless to you?
Imagine if there was a treasure hidden in a field. -Imagine it was worth 100 times the value of everything you own.
Moreover the field was for sale. And the asking price was equal to everything you possessed.
So you decide to sell everything you have and purchase the field.
-The treasure is now yours.
Matthew 13:44TPT ““Heaven’s kingdom realm can be illustrated like this: “A person discovered that there was hidden treasure in a field. Upon finding it, he hid it again. Because of uncovering such treasure, he was overjoyed and sold all that he possessed to buy the entire field just so he could have the treasure.”
So the treasure is now yours. How much did it cost you to buy the treasure?
You would probably say everything you owned.
However, it didn’t cost you anything.
Remember, You paid everything you had, and purchased the field, but not the treasure…
1 Peter 1:19ERV “You were bought with the precious blood of Christ’s death. He was a pure and perfect sacrificial Lamb.”
Again, the treasure didn’t cost you anything. However, you paid for the field with everything you had.
However, you can never pay for the treasure in the field. Again, You only pay for the field.
-The treasure is beyond your ability.
Remember this, The treasure can’t be bought, only sought.
One of my favorite reality shows is, Gold Rush.
Those truly seeking this precious mineral speak often of ‘Gold Fever.’ Gold Fever makes its victim do the extreme, cast caution to the wind. So you could say, “Gold Fever impairs judgment.”
How bout you? Are you ready to throw caution to the wind and trust God?
There was a Seinfeld episode where Kramer scoots into Jerry’s apartment where Jerry and George are talking, and he says "Do you guys want to have some fun!" George and Jerry say "Sure." And then Kramer says "Do you really want to have some fun? Or are you just saying you want to have some fun?" And George says "I really want to have some fun." And Jerry says "I was just saying I want to have some fun.”
So the question is, Do you trust God? Or are you just saying you trust God?
If you trust God, you’ll do what He says, no matter how foolish or impossible it seems - and leave the results to Him. If you’re just saying that you trust God, you’ll spend your resources on yourself, you’ll hold on to whatever amount will help you find security, you’ll do things Your way.
Once more, You give everything you have for the field, but the treasure is priceless.
James 1:18NLT He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.
The treasure was beyond your ability to buy, even with all your possessions. It was, in fact, priceless. -And yet it was free!
Why? Because you are His prized possession!
The text I read to you, Matthew 13:44 was the parable Messiah gave of a man who buys a field, in order to gain the treasure within it.
Once more, Matthew 13:44AMP ““The kingdom of heaven is like a [very precious] treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field [securing the treasure for himself].”
What do you think the treasure represents? Salvation? Eternal life? The blessings of God?
All correct, you can never earn or warrant God‘s blessings, or his salvation, or eternal life.
You can never earn or warrant the treasure. A million years of perfect works could not purchase it. -It’s priceless!
Luke 18:22TPT ““Ah,” Jesus said, “there’s still one thing you’re missing in your life.” “What is that?” asked the man. “You must go and sell everything you own and give all the proceeds to the poor so you will have eternal treasures. Then come and follow me.””
What is Jesus saying in, verse 22? Go sell your field. Sell your wants, Sell your agenda, and follow Me (Jesus)!
Jesus is saying, I’m the treasure in the field. The treasure is priceless.
And yet the treasure is given freely, apart from any works, undeserved, and solely by the grace of God.
Again Jesus goes farther in, Matthew 13:45-46TPT ““Heaven’s kingdom realm is also like a jewel merchant in search of rare pearls. When he discovered one very precious and exquisite pearl, he immediately gave up all he had in exchange for it.””
Again, You give everything for the Kingdom.
But there’s another side to the story. Though the treasure is free, it causes this man to go out, and do everything he can, use everything he has, let go of everything he can let go of, and give everything he can, in response to having found it.
Hear me my friend, salvation is the treasure beyond prize, and yet given freely to all who freely receive it.
Before Titus 3:4-7 the caption of my Bible reads, Hymn of Salvation by Grace.
Titus 3:4-7TPT “When the extraordinary compassion of God our Savior and his overpowering love suddenly appeared in person, as the brightness of a dawning day, 5 he came to save us. Not because of any virtuous deed that we have done but only because of his extravagant mercy. 6 He saved us, resurrecting us through the washing of rebirth. We are made completely new by the Holy Spirit, whom he splashed over us richly by Jesus, the Messiah, our Life Giver. 7 So as a gift of his love, and since we are faultless— innocent before his face— we can now become heirs of all things, all because of an overflowing hope of eternal life.”
Again, salvation, eternal life and the blessings of God is the treasure beyond price, and yet given freely to all who freely receive it.
But the treasure is so great, that if you truly receive it, if you realize what you have, it will lead you to do everything you can, to use everything you have. And to give everything you can in response to having found it.
Listen to the words of the apostle Paul, Philippians 3:7-8TPT all of the accomplishments that I once took credit for, I’ve now forsaken them and I regard it all as nothing compared to the delight of experiencing Jesus Christ as my Lord! 8 To truly know him meant letting go of everything from my past and throwing all my boasting on the garbage heap. It’s all like a pile of manure to me now, so that I may be enriched in the reality of knowing Jesus Christ and embrace him as Lord in all of his greatness.
The apostle is saying, all my stuff, all my wealth, all my gain, everything is rubbish compared to Jesus Christ. Therefore, I embrace His fulness for me! P.H
If you’ve truly found this treasure, then it must lead you to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love others, as yourself, to forgive, as you have been forgiven, to give, as you have been given to, to make your life, a gift of love, And to do all this in joy, in light of the treasure that has now come into your life.
2 Peter 1:4TPT “As a result of this, he has given you magnificent promises that are beyond all price, so that through the power of these tremendous promises we can experience partnership with the divine nature, by which you have escaped the corrupt desires that are of the world.”
If you possess the treasure, it’s time for you to experience partnership with the divine. 2 Peter 1 records that He’s giving you magnificent promises. He’s given you everything pertaining to life and godliness, and he paid the price for each and every promise.
I spoke on this for two weeks. Every promise belongs to you!
Here’s the truth, If you’ve found the treasure, that is beyond price and freely given, then live a life that is of the most a value and the greatest of worth, and do so freely.
In this way, you will possess the priceless.
Many years ago, there was found in an African mine the most magnificent diamond in the world’s history. It was presented to the king of England to blaze in his crown or state. The king sent it to Amsterdam to be cut. It was put into the hands of an expert lapidary: a cutter, polisher, or engraver of precious stones usually other than diamonds.
And what do you suppose he did with it? He took the gem of priceless value, and cut a notch in it. Then he struck a hard blow with his instrument and--lo!--the superb jewel lay in his hand cleft in two.
Did he do this out of recklessness, wastefulness, and criminal carelessness? Indeed not! For days and weeks that blow had been studied and planned. Drawings and models had been made of the gem. Its quality, its defects, its lines of cleavage had all been studied with minutest care. Again, the man to whom it was committed was one of the most skillful lapidaries in the world.
Was that blow a mistake? No! It was the climax of the lapidary’s skill. When he struck that blow, he did the one thing which would bring that gem to its most perfect shapeliness, radiance, and jeweled splendor. That blow which seemed to ruin the superb precious stone was, in fact, its perfect redemption. From those two halves were wrought two magnificent gems which the skilled eye of the lapidary saw hidden in the rough, uncut stone as it came from the mine.
Sometimes God lets a stinging blow fall upon your life. The blood spurts; the nerves wince. The soul cries out in agony. The blow seems to you an appalling mistake.
But it is not, for you are the most priceless jewel in the world to God. -And He is the most skilled lapidary in the universe.
Isaiah 49:16NASB “Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.
Your mission, in view of the treasure freely given, pay the price of the priceless.
Give all you have, and are. Live all out. Apprehend the field.
Matthew 13: 47-51TPT “Again, heaven’s kingdom realm is like a fisherman who casts his large net into the lake, catching an assortment of fish. 48 When the net was filled, the fishermen hauled it up on the shore, and they all sat down to sort out their catch. They collected the good in baskets and threw the bad away. 49 And so it will be at the close of the age. The messengers will come and separate the evil from among the godly 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where they will experience great sorrow and anguish. 51Now do you understand all this?” “Yes,” they replied.
Again, Gods kingdom, the Kingdom of heaven is like a large fishing net. God will take care of the priceless. Our mission, throw the net.
Benediction. -So what is the price of the priceless? You.
