This morning, I’d like to address a simple question: Is it worth it? Is the payoff worth the cost, is the potential reward worth the risk? We face that question all the time, for the simple reason that everything has a cost. Nothing is free. Even gifts usually come with some kind of strings attached. As an example, our children have been lobbying, quite persistently, for an addition to our family, one of the four-footed and furry variety. Well, lo and behold, just last week a cat down the street had kittens, and the owner was giving them away. “Dad, can we have one? They’re free!” And so I had to explain that there’s no such thing as a “free” cat. First of all, you have to take it to the vet to get shots. Then there’s the cost of a collar, bed, and squeaky toys, along with the ongoing expense of food and kitty litter. Plus the work of feeding and caring for the animal. Plus doctor visits when the little beast scratches you. Plus a new couch to replace the one that got shredded. Is it worth it? If you’re a cat lover, then perhaps it is. But it’s certainly not free.
This question of cost and value, of risk and reward, applies to every aspect of life. It controls minor decisions, like whether it’s worth the time and expense to enroll the kids in swimming lessons. And it’s a part of our major decisions as well: Is it worth it to go to college? Is it worth it to get married? Is it worth it to uproot your family and move across country to pursue a new career opportunity? In short, we’re constantly having to ask ourselves whether the things we’re seeking are worth what we’re giving up in exchange, whether that cost is in time, or money, or leisure, or freedom, or something else.
For example, every one of you had a choice today. You could have spent the morning tending your garden, or sitting on the porch drinking coffee and reading the paper. You could have taken the kids to the park. Or, if you were more a little adventurous, you could have gone jogging or hiking or bike riding. There are dozens of things to do on a Sunday other than come here to worship. Yet here you are. And I’m thankful for that. Several of you have been working since eight-thirty this morning; unloading the trailer, setting up the sound equipment, rehearsing with the worship team, making coffee. You’re all here because, for whatever reason, you believe it’s worth it. Whether it’s because of the music, or the preaching, or the fellowship, or because you believe in this church’s mission and purpose, you’ve decided that worshiping God at WestShore today is worth the time and effort.
I say all this by way of introduction, because like anything else, the Christian life involves costs and benefits. We are constantly facing the question of whether it’s worth it. Many people on the outside say, “No, it’s not. I don’t need religion. I like my life the way it is. And besides, I’m not willing to give up my independence and submit to Christ. I’m not willing to give up the pleasures of sin.” But my primary concern this morning is with those of us who have determined to follow Christ, who have set out on the path of discipleship, but who are finding the way difficult. Because at some time or other, all of us will be tempted to turn back. When we started our journey, we were full of confidence and enthusiasm. But as we go on, we encounter obstacles. The path grows steeper and more hazardous. We find ourselves growing tired, weary, discouraged. A voice whispers in our ear, “It’s not worth it. Give up.” And many do, as Jesus warned in the parable of the sower,
“The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.” – Matthew 13:20-22
Many people initially respond to Christ; and they may even “make a decision” to follow Him. But as soon as they encounter any serious difficulty, their resolve disappears. They stop living for Christ and go back to living for themselves. Now, they may not publicly announce their departure. In fact, they may continue to attend church, and participate in church activities, and call themselves “Christians”. But in their hearts, they’ve wandered away from the path. They’re not seeking God, they’re not praying, they’re not repenting of sin. They’re just going through the motions of religiosity.
Friends, the Bible doesn’t present the Christian life as one of ease, and comfort, and pleasure. On the contrary, it can be extremely challenging. It’s hard to forgive people. It’s hard to love your enemies. It’s hard to deny yourself. It’s hard to repent of sin. It’s hard to discipline yourself to pray and read the Bible. It’s hard to give your hard-earned money to the church. Following Christ can be very costly; it can involve danger, and toil, and sorrow. In fact, the more faithfully we are following Christ, the more likely it is that we will be called on to suffer for his sake. Jesus knew that. And that’s why he warned his followers to count the cost before ever embarking on this journey.
“Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ’This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” – Luke 14:25-30, 33
In the same way, Jesus issued this caution to a man who expressed an intention to follow him:
“Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."” – Matthew 18:19-20
But if you’ve been following Christ for very long, you already know that. You’ve already experienced what I’m talking about. You know what it means to struggle, and suffer, and sacrifice in your walk with Christ. You know how difficult it is to keep trusting in God when your world seems to be falling apart. And that’s why Jesus gave us this next parable. To provide balance. To assure us that it is worth it, and far more. Yes, we need to count the cost. But we also need to consider the reward.
"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. – Matthew 13:44
Let’s get a couple of details out of the way. First, this parable is not about the man’s ethics. Was it morally right for him to buy the field without telling the owner what he had found? It doesn’t matter. The parable isn’t about that. It’s about the great value of the treasure, and what the man was willing to do in order to obtain it. The point, as the New Testament scholar, D.A. Carson, puts it, is 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.” All right. Second detail: Why was the treasure buried? Because in first century Palestine, there were no banks, no armored cars, no safe deposit boxes. If you had a treasure to keep safe, the best thing you could do was hide it in the ground.
Let’s continue. Note that the treasure was “hidden”. Perhaps hundreds of people walked by it every day, passing only a few feet away from this cache of incredible wealth, but it was concealed. And the kingdom of God is like that, hidden. First, its truth is hidden. If everyone understood the gospel and believed it to be true, then the number of Christians would increase tremendously. The streets would be empty on Sundays. Every church would be filled to overflowing. And most of the shows on television would be cancelled. But that doesn’t happen. Why? Because the truth is hidden from their eyes. Not that it hasn’t been revealed, and proclaimed, and preached. It has. But even though it’s right there in plain view, right there in the Scriptures, people can’t see it – unless God gives them sight. Because men are naturally blind to the truth. That’s what Jesus meant when he made this statement:
“The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them . . . This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.” – Matthew 13:10-11, 13
Second, the value of the kingdom of God is hidden. Look around at those who are leaders in the world of business and government; academics, sports, entertainment, and you’ll notice that Christian faith doesn’t seem to be a prerequisite. Many people who have no commitment to Christ seem to be doing quite well. People just can’t see the value of something that seems irrelevant to success in this world.
The value of the kingdom is hidden because for now it’s mainly internal. It can’t be seen, because it’s a change that takes place in the heart. It’s a process of inner transformation, in which we become more and more like Christ. It has to do with things like love, and joy, and peace; patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Yes, the effects of these changes can be observed, but the process of change itself is invisible. The value of the kingdom is hidden because its ultimate fulfillment is in the future. Jesus Christ is not now physically present and reigning here on earth; his power isn’t being exercised through any earthly kingdom. When he returns, and this creation is destroyed and replaced by a new heavens and a new earth, then his kingdom will be fully revealed in all its glory and splendor and power. But until then, it’s hidden. And that’s why faith is required to enter into it.
The second thing I’d like you to note about this treasure is its immense value. We’re not given a dollar amount. All we know is that when the man finds it, he realizes that he has stumbled upon a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He immediately goes and sells everything he has in exchange for it.
You may be familiar with a television series called “Antiques Road Show”. People bring in their antiques, and expert appraisers tell them what the pieces are worth. The highlight of every show is when someone brings in a beat-up old piece of furniture and the appraiser tells them it’s a rare historical artifact worth something like fifty-thousand dollars. “Oh, I got it for fifteen dollars at a flea market,” they’ll say, gasping for breath. This is the most popular show on PBS. It’s popular because it taps into everyone’s fantasy – buying an old painting at a yard sale, taking it out of the frame, and finding a long-lost masterpiece by Van Gogh underneath. We love the idea of finding a hidden treasure and buying it for a fraction of its value. And that was the attitude of the man in this parable. He sold “all he had,” and he was glad to do it. He wasn’t reluctant to part with his belongings; on the contrary, he was ecstatic. Why? Because he knew that he was getting something far greater in return.
Is that your attitude? Are you not only willing, but glad, even joyful, to give everything you have for Christ? Do you regard the present benefits, and the future rewards, of knowing Christ to be so great that you have no hesitation in giving freely of yourself and your possessions? Do you regard it as a relatively small sacrifice, or even no sacrifice at all, when Christ asks you to do something or give something for him, because you know that what you receive in return will be of infinitely greater value? As the missionary Jim Elliot wrote, shortly before he was martyred by the Auca Indians that he had gone to serve, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” And the apostle Paul wrote,
“I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ”
– Philippians 3:8
Is that your attitude? Or do you grumble, and complain, and give only grudgingly, as if somehow you could outgive God? As if God would require of you more than he is planning to give you in return?
I’d like to both encourage you and exhort you. You will be abundantly compensated for anything you give to Christ, any act of service or suffering or sacrifice, even if it’s known to no one but you and him. Nothing will be overlooked, not even the smallest act of kindness. As he said,
“. . . if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." – Matthew 10:42
If even the act of giving a cup of cold water to quench someone’s thirst will be remembered and rewarded, do you think God will fail to reward you for your acts of faith and obedience? Certainly not. God will reward you for every act of faith, whether great or small. Someone cuts you off on the freeway, and you choose to forgive them instead of honking and cursing? God will reward that. Someone treats you badly at work, and you’re kind to them in return? God will reward that. Your husband or wife says something hurtful, and you respond in love? God will reward that. You get up half an hour early in the morning to pray and read your Bible? God will reward that. You risk ridicule by speaking to your neighbor about Christ? God will reward that. There is no act of faith or obedience, whether seen or unseen by men, that will escape God’s notice, and he will repay you many times over. No matter what the circumstances, in the end the benefits of following Christ will always be far greater than the cost of doing so.
Listen to this promise:
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. " – Matthew 5:11-12
Some of you know what it means to be insulted, persecuted, and falsely accused on account of Christ, even by your own family members. But he assures us that this suffering for his sake will not be for nothing; that it will be remembered and rewarded. And what about suffering at the hands of our enemies?
“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” – Luke 6:35
God is watching. He sees every act of self-denial, hears every word spoken in love, observes every act of service and sacrifice. And at the proper time, he will reward you, far beyond anything you can imagine. It truly will be worth giving him everything you have, and giving yourself completely to him as well. Remember that the next time you’re tempted to give up and give in.
Do you view the kingdom of God as a treasure? Look at how you invest your time, how you spend your money. What are your hopes and dreams? Do they revolve around knowing, and serving, and pleasing God? Or are they the same as those of your non-religious neighbors? If you truly view the kingdom of God as a treasure, it will occupy your thoughts. It will be your passion, your focus. Yes, you will be occupied in the tasks of daily life – working, caring for children, managing your home – but the purpose of it all will be to serve Christ; the overriding goal will be to honor him with every aspect of your life, with every word and deed. If that’s true of you, then you will have the joy that this man experienced, the joy that God intends for each of us. Because you will know that no matter how you are called to serve, or suffer, or sacrifice, it will be worth it, and far more.
In closing, let me say this: Perhaps you have been called on to suffer, to give, to serve and labor, in ways that stretch you to your limits. Sometimes you wonder, not only how you can keep on trusting God and following Christ, but whether it’s even worth it to do so. At times, you wonder if God sees, or cares. Your spiritual victories and defeats are played out on a relatively small stage – the only characters involved are you and small child, or a husband, or a wife. And sometimes the struggle is entirely internal, just your heart battling it out with sin and temptation. Does it really matter what you do, when no one else knows about your struggle to obey, when no one else sees what’s going on but you? Yes, it does matter. God sees, and he cares. It matters to him, more than you can know, and He is ready to help. Please remember that every act of faith and obedience – even if it’s unseen and unknown by men – every act of faith and obedience will be rewarded and honored, at the proper time. You won’t be disappointed.
(For an .rtf file of this and other sermons, see www.journeychurchonline.org/messages.htm)
