DAN: Hi, Ryan, is there something I can do for you?
RYAN: Oh, no, but there is something I can do for you!
DAN: What's that?
RYAN: Well, I am holding in my hand a ticket for the Packer/Viking game at the dome on Monday night, December 20.
DAN: Oh, wow! Are you serious?
RYAN: Yep.
DAN: Boy, this is great. That game has been sold out for months. I really appreciate you getting that ticket for me. It will be a great game. Thanks a lot, Ryan!
RYAN: Um, Dan, I can't just give you the ticket.
DAN: Oh, I'm sorry. What do you need? Thirty or forty bucks?
RYAN: No, I was thinking a bit more than that.
DAN: Well, what do you need? Just name your price. $50? $75? $100?
RYAN: No, that won't do it.
DAN: Well, how much do you want?
RYAN: Dan, I want everything you have.
DAN: Everything I have! What do you mean?
RYAN: Everything. Your house, your car, your books, your clothes, your computer, your TV, all the money you have in the bank and in the 401K.
DAN: You want everything I have for that one ticket?
RYAN: Well, I'll let you keep the clothes you're wearing, and one Packer sweatshirt to wear to the game.
DAN: You must think I'm crazy!
RYAN: Hey, I'm not asking for your wife and kids, just all your material possessions.
DAN: For one football ticket? I love my Green Bay Packers, but I just don't know if it is worth it. But, I don't know where else I could get a ticket for that game. OK, it's a deal. I'll give you everything I have for the ticket. When do I have to give you the stuff?
RYAN: Hey, I'm in no hurry. I'll come over this afternoon and you can sign over the deed to your house and the title to your car. I'll just pick up the other stuff on Monday. Will the church be open so I can get the books out of your office?
DAN: Yeah, I'll see that it is unlocked.
RYAN: OK, I'll get everything tomorrow and then give you the ticket. (They shake hands.)
DAN: Ryan, it's been good to do business with you.
RYAN: Oh, don't mention it. I'm sure we'll both be very happy with this deal. I've got to go. I'll see you this afternoon to sign those papers.
Do you folks think I'm crazy? I hope you do. A person would have to be insane to give up everything for one lousy football ticket. But, this little fictional skit reminds me of a story which Jesus told about a man who was willing to give up everything he had, not for a football ticket, but for a pearl. In this case, however, Jesus does not ridicule the man for his decision, but essentially congratulates him. That may seem a bit strange, but when we start to understand the message of this story, I believe we start to understand the heart of what it means to be a Christian. Our text today is Matthew 13:44-46. We are going to explore two very brief parables, one featuring a hidden treasure and the other a valuable pearl. As we look at God's Word today, let's pray the Lord would help us understand what these parables mean and most of all what they mean for our lives.
The two stories which Jesus tells really make the same point. It appears to be Jesus' way of emphasizing the importance of what He is saying. The first is the parable of the hidden treasure. Matthew 13:44 "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." This is a situation a lot of folks dream about. The man just happens to find a treasure of some type. Whether it is coins, jewelry or some other type of valuables, we don't know, but it was quite a find. In 1st Century Palestine, people no doubt buried valuables to protect their wealth, but to find a treasure which someone had forgotten would happen only once in a thousand lifetimes. It would have been stealing for the man to simply take the treasure home, but by hiding it again and buying the whole field, the treasure now belongs to him. Jesus does not endorse this as ethical conduct. He simply says it is what happened. The point is that the man made a great deal. Let's say the field had a market value of $1,000. The man sells all of his modest possessions and gets $2,000. He uses that money to buy the field and the fellow who owned the field thinks he is getting a great deal. But, in reality, the man now has a field worth $1,000 and a treasure worth $100,000. Giving up all he had to make that purchase was a great move.
Here's the second parable: 13:45-46 "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." Unlike the first fellow who stumbled across a treasure, the merchant has been hunting for fine pearls. Now he finds one with beauty and perfection beyond what he has ever imagined. He knows that this pearl is one of a kind. He sees that the price tag is substantial, let's say $20,000, but he knows it is still a bargain. He goes back home and sells everything he has and comes up with just enough money to buy the pearl. He makes the purchase and now knows that he owns something worth far more than everything he has ever owned. It is probably worth at least $200,000, but he is thrilled just to have it.
These are a couple of interesting little stories. What is the message Jesus is giving? Some have suggested that the parables are about the Lord Himself, first purchasing Israel to be His chosen nation, and then purchasing the church as His own people. In other words, we are the pearl of great price. This is one of those interpretations which I think tries to over- analyze the text and misses the point that Jesus is making. It seems clear that the focus of both these stories is that being part of the kingdom of heaven, being a disciple of Jesus Christ, is worth whatever sacrifice one has to make. Even if one gave up everything he or she had to follow Jesus, it would be well worth it. I like what Don Carson writes in his commentary. The first parable, he says, shows that the kingdom is worth infinitely more than the cost of discipleship, and those who know where the treasure lies joyfully abandon everything else to secure it. The second parable, he says, shows that those who comprehend the true value of the kingdom of Jesus gladly exchange all else to follow Him. Though I would be crazy to give up everything I have for a ticket to a football game, someone who gave up everything to follow Jesus would be making a very wise choice. The benefits of belonging to God's kingdom far outweigh any cost. That is what Jesus is teaching in these stories. Now, let's talk about the implications for us.
First of all, the cost of following Jesus should not keep us from doing so. Today, churches around the world are praying for Christians who are being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. My heart breaks when I hear stories about how Christians in Sudan are sold into slavery, how a missionary in India is murdered by a Hindu mob, and how Christians in Cuba are still rotting in prisons because of their faith in Jesus. Yet, it should not really surprise us that things like that happen. In 2 Timothy 3:12, the Lord warns through Paul that "everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." Here in our country we don't have to face the type of persecution which exists in many parts of the world, and we should be very thankful for that. Still, many of us in this room have experienced some form of ridicule or rejection because of our faith. Not everyone is going to like it if we seek to follow Jesus. As a pastor, I want to make sure we are all aware of that. I don't want anyone to get the impression that it is easy to be a Christian. In Luke 14:25ff, we are told that when large crowds were following Jesus, He turned to them and warned them that they'd better count the cost before they became His disciples. Following Jesus is a rough road.
However, the parables of the treasure and the pearl remind us that it is worth it. No matter how tough the going is, it pays to keep going. The men who found the treasure and pearl gave up everything they had to obtain them, but it was worth it. The great missionary, David Livingstone, said, "Over the years I have given up many things, but I have never made a sacrifice." In other words, all of the comforts and pleasures which he forfeited by serving the Lord in Africa were not anything compared to the rich rewards he found in Jesus Christ. By devoting his life to serving Jesus, he had a priceless pearl. He experienced what Jesus tells us in Mark 10:28-30 Peter said to him, "We 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 the age to come, eternal life." Friends, no matter what it costs, it is always worth it to follow the Lord. Often we will realize that in this life, but if not, we will surely realize it in heaven.
Friends, don't let the cost of following Jesus keep you from doing so. Don't ever let the price tag scare you off. Maybe you are afraid that if you choose to become a Christian, it will cause a conflict in your family. Don't worry. That may happen, but a relationship with Jesus Christ is of far more value than family harmony. Maybe you are afraid that some of your friends will laugh at you if you start going to that Bible study at school. Don't worry. What you gain from that study will be far more important than any ridicule you suffer. Maybe you are afraid that if you tithe, give 10% of the money you make to the Lord's work, you won't have enough left to pay the bills. Don't worry. Things may get tight, but the joy you find in participating in the work of God's kingdom in that way will surpass any satisfaction you could get from something else that money might buy. Yes, Jesus wants us to consider the cost before we decide to follow Him, but He also wants us to know that no matter what it costs, it is always worth it.
Secondly, we should focus our lives on what matters the most. In our day, many folks suffer from what I call a "too many syndrome." We always seem to have too many things to do, too many places to go, too many events to attend, too many books that we want to read, too many people to keep in touch with. Lots of folks get burned out as they become enslaved to the "tyranny of the urgent" or "the dictatorship of the datetimer." We often get frustrated because no matter how busy we are, no matter how many things we do, we still get this empty feeling that we still have not done anything which really matters. How can we get our priorities straight? How do we even know what they should be? The parables tell of two individuals who did not feel that sense of confusion. They had a very clear purpose. The first thought, "I am going to do whatever I have to do to buy that field and get that treasure." He was willing to give up all that he had so he could obtain it. The second thought, "I'm going to do whatever I have to do to buy that magnificent pearl." And he did, and sold everything he had so that he could purchase it. They had their sights on a bulls-eye, and nothing was going to keep them from hitting their mark.
Friends, I believe we as Christians can and should be just as focused. There is a clear bulls-eye for which I should be aiming each day. What is it? Well, I believe each of us has been put on this planet to please God by living as He has called us to live. It's that simple. Our purpose in life is to please God by doing what He wants us to do. Now, that is simple, but it is not always easy. Often it is natural for us, because of our fallen nature, to resist living in the way God desires. Sometimes we are willing to do that, but we are not sure what it is that He wants us to do. There are so many things from which to choose. Now, I don't think this is as big a problem as we often imagine. God usually has ways of making it clear to us what He is calling us to do, so I don't think we will be in the dark if we really want to know what that is. Remember, of course, that God is calling us to be more than just religious beings. Yes, our involvement in church and other Christian activities is very important, but God calls us to both serve and enjoy Him. Sometimes that involves simply enjoying His gifts. So you can please God as you are sitting in a deer stand watching the sunrise (I'm not sure if you can do that on Sunday morning, but that is up to you to decide); you can please God as you are sitting playing Monopoly with your family; and you can please God as you are watching a football game. Friends, it may not always be easy to figure out what God is calling us to do, but that still is the goal for which we need to aim. As we do that, I think we will save ourselves from a lot of frustration. As I like to say, "There is never enough time to do all the things we want to do, there is never enough time to do all the things other people want us to do, but there is always just enough time to do the things God wants us to do." Set your sights on that bulls-eye and don't let anyone distract you. It is what matters the most.
Thirdly, we should not hesitate to seek our own joy by following Jesus Christ. Three weeks ago, Pastor Tom Steller was here for our Harvest Festival weekend and he talked about "Christian hedonism." Now, for a variety of reasons I don't call myself a Christian hedonist, which simply means a Christian who seeks pleasure, but these two parables have helped me to see more clearly that what Tom said is true. The problem is not that we as human beings seek our own pleasures, but rather that we seek in the wrong places. Human beings desire to be happy. That's not a bad thing, or a good thing. It's just the way we are. God made us that way. The truth is that we find our greatest happiness, our deepest and most enduring happiness, in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. But most folks look for happiness in the wrong places. Sometimes we look for it in sinful activities. In fact, the Bible tells us that sin can be fun, but the fun only lasts a short time and then we pay the price. Often we seek pleasure in things that are not wrong in themselves, but which are poor substitutes for the real thing. We think attending a party, watching a movie, having a boyfriend, buying a new car, or going to a football game are things which will make us really happy. We are wrong. Oh, those things may bring a sense of pleasure to our lives, but that pleasure is only a shadow of the joy that the Lord offers us in Himself. It is foolish to be content with the happiness that is found in these other things and ignore what God offers to us. But, shouldn't I be concerned about what glorifies God rather than what is good for me? That is not a choice we have to make. God is glorified when we acknowledge that He is the source of true joy, and that apart from Him our souls are empty. To proclaim with the psalmist that the Lord has made us glad is to indeed bring honor to His name.
C. S. Lewis summed up this truth. Now, I know most of you have heard this before, but it is one of my favorite quotes so I'm sure you will hear it again. He said, "It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling around with drink, sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he can't imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." Oh, that is so good. To think the limited pleasures we find in this life can even begin to compare with the eternal joy God offers us in Christ, is to show our ignorance. I see this truth clearly illustrated in these two parables. If the man would have chosen to just let the treasure sit in the field, because he didn't want to part with the stuff he had, he would have been a fool. If the merchant would have decided not to purchase the magnificent pearl because he thought the asking price was too high, he would have been a fool. If we choose to ignore God because we think we are going to find a better life by doing things our way, we are acting like a fool. If we want to find true, rich and full joy in life, we need to trust and obey Jesus Christ.
Two men who made this discovery were Eric Liddell and Jim Elliot. Many of you know their stories, but it is good to be reminded of these faith heroes. Eric Liddell was known as the "Flying Scotsman." In the 1924 Paris Olympics, he forfeited a chance to win a medal in the 200 meter race because he refused to compete on Sunday, believing that would dishonor the Sabbath. He ended up winning a gold medal and setting a world record in the 400 meter race instead. But the next year he gave up his promising athletic career and went to serve as a missionary in China, where in 1945 he died in a Japanese prison camp. He understood that in Jesus Christ he had found an absolutely priceless pearl, and that it only made sense that he let nothing stand in the way of following Him. When Jim Elliot graduated at the top of his class from Wheaton College in 1949, he could have had a lucrative business career or could have probably enjoyed success in a variety of professions. Instead, he chose to be a missionary. He arrived in Ecuador in 1952 and four years later was killed, along with four of his companions, by the Auca Indians, the tribe they were trying to reach with the gospel. Though many thought it foolish that such a talented young man would give up his life trying to help a primitive tribe, Jim Elliot knew that was not the case. In Jesus Christ he had found an absolutely priceless pearl. He was willing to give up everything he had, even his own life, in order to follow Jesus. And he was glad to do so because, as he wrote in his journal, "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose."
As we close, I want you to listen to a song by Twila Paris that tells the stories of these two men. It is entitled He Is No Fool. The first verse is about Jim Elliot and the second is about Eric Liddell -- two young men who found Jesus to be the priceless pearl.
Are you willing to give up what you cannot keep?
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Go to www.life.1stbaptist.org/sermons.htm for Pastor Dan's full text Bible based sermon site
