The Treasure and the Pearl Matt. 13:44-46
INTRO.: You will notice as we continue to meditate on the stories Jesus told that many of the stories come from Matthew 13 and Luke 14. That’s because these chapters record so many parables Jesus used. In parables, an everyday event is used to teach spiritual truth. Juniors learn a parable is "an earthly story with a heavenly lesson."
Jesus used parables because those who welcomed truth could understand them and those who opposed truth could not find cause to accuse Him of wrongdoing. Anyone who wanted to learn could ask Jesus and He explained the parables.
Here are two parables about valuable things. A treasure, a pearl. One is found by accident, the other is sought diligently. Both of them teach us the Kingdom of God is worth giving everything we have in order to possess it. In other words, we are talking about full surrender to God.
Too many Christians go through all the motions of belonging to the Church but never fully surrender all they are and all they have to God. They are missing out on many wonderful blessings. It seems so risky to surrender everything we have to someone else’s control that some Christians never make it. Those who do are always the happiest and most effective Christians.
Let’s look at the parables to see what they have to say about full surrender to God.
I. An exciting discovery:
A. The discovery is priceless:
1. There were no banks. The treasure may have been hidden from robbers, war, tax collectors.
2. May have been an entire life’s savings.
3. No doubt the one who hid it was dead or long gone. Otherwise, he would have appeared to claim his treasure.
4. The pearl is the result of a deliberate search. Contrast Samaritan woman and Ethiopian Eunuch. One accidentally found salvation. The other was seeking it.
B. Jesus compares this to the Kingdom of Heaven. The comparison is feeble as concerns value but powerful as concerns priorities.
1. The Kingdom is the rule of God in the human heart. Every Kingdom has a king.
2. It’s wealth beyond imagination. Eph. 3:8, 16
3. What would we pay to live forever with no conflict, loss, or pain?
4. This is what the Kingdom of God means.
C. Each of these men made a personal discovery:
1. There is no indication anyone gave them any help in finding their treasures.
2. God will help us discover the way of eternal life, but in the end, it is up to us to make the decisions to surrender to God.
3. ILLUS.: the Ethiopian Eunuch was seeking truth and God sent help, but he made the decision to act on the truth. Acts 8:26-40
II. A radical decision:
A. ILLUS.: Dan. 3:17, 18
1. Why not negotiate, temporize, compromise with Nebuchadnezzar?
2. They would not shame God by splitting their allegiance.
3. They took an uncompromising stand because that’s what it took to express their surrender to God.
B. God will not share your heart with anything or anyone else:
1. He gave His Son, Who gave His life for you.
2. Learn the lesson of Ananias and Sapphira who said they were giving everything and didn’t.
3. Surrender to God will never cost more than you have but it will never cost less, either.
C. ILLUS.: Rich young man. Mk. 10:21.
1. Jesus did not need his wealth. He needed his heart.
2. He was told "sell all you have." because that is what it would take.
3. Because the treasure God offers is worth all we have and are.
III. Joyful results:
A. Many joys of the Christian life:
1. Meeting with good friends to sing, pray, and gain support for efforts to live.
2. Mental stimulation of Bible study, sermons.
3. Sense of peace and security that comes from knowing you have eternal life.
4. The help we receive from Christians in times of need and satisfaction from helping others.
B. But only one thing really matters. The seekers sold all for the "Kingdom of God." It includes:
1. Forgiveness of sins and freedom from guilt.
2. Everlasting life in the Presence of the Father.
3. Guidance of the Holy Spirit in day to day living, the assurance of God’s Presence.
CONC.: both these men made a great gamble. we are always warned about "putting all our eggs in one basket." Either could have lost everything he had. Yet, the treasure found was seen to be worth the gamble.
It may seem risky to turn everything over to God, but it is worth doing. No investment of your life, energy, affection could pay greater returns. And if you want to enjoy God’s greatest blessings that’s what it takes.
