The Priceless Value Of The Kingdom Series

The Priceless Value of the Kingdom

Matt.13: 44-46

Note: Some materials of this sermon were taken from the sermons of preachers in sermoncentral.com

In the book of Matthew, chapter 13, verse 44-46 we will find here our first two parables –the parable of the treasure and pearl. These two metaphors indicate and emphasize only one main point –the immense value of the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, we will study these two stories at the same time.

In the first story, a hired plowman accidentally hit a hard something with his plow in the ground. “Another rock that has to be pulled out and discarded,” must have been his initial thought. He bent down to investigate. The earth was still hard, so he had to dig down and around this strange object. Finally, he broke through the hardened soil, to discover the top edge of a chest. The more he dug, the faster his heartbeat. Could it really be something of value? Banks weren’t common in those days. War and calamity often prompted people to quickly bury things of value in hopes of returning to retrieve them at a later, more opportune time.

Of course, if the owner of some buried treasure were killed during a war, he would carry his secret to the grave with him. Could it be some lost, forgotten treasure that now this worker could rightfully claim? He managed to break the lid open and there he found jewels, gold coins, and precious stones in abundance. He quickly placed the lid back on the chest and reburied this treasure, hoping that no one had seen him. The style and condition of the treasure chest and perhaps the dates on some of the gold coins indicated that the present owner of this piece of property could not have put them there. He knew nothing of this treasure. It far outdated anything that he could have hidden. The plowman immediately knew what he would do. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field. He would liquidate all of his assets and use the cash to buy this property because of what the field contained.

The second story is about a merchant who is looking for a merchant searching for fine pearls. He knew pearls. He had studied them for a lifetime. He bought and sold hundreds of these. Perhaps, he had traveled to the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, and even to India in search of these pearls. And one day, he finally saw the finest pearl he had ever seen. He didn’t necessarily go looking for it, but he found it. It was perfect, flawless, and very beautiful. It was the mother of all Pearls. He went out and sold everything he had and bought it. He knew this would be the purchase of a lifetime. He calculated, evaluated, and finally concluded that selling everything in order to buy that one perfect pearl would be the right thing for him to do.

Why would Jesus describe His Kingdom like this? What makes His Kingdom so valuable, so priceless that even if you had to sell everything you own to get it, it would be worth it? The Kingdom of God is infinitely valuable because this is where we find and have:

A. PERPETUAL FELLOWSHIP

In our study of Biblical revelations, we are told that every human being is born a spiritual wanderer. We are told that when the first man fell into sin, he had lost his fellowship with the Creator God. He was expelled from the Garden of Eden and was separated from God. The idea that sinners are lost is made clear by our Lord Himself in the four Gospels. In His teachings we understand that every soul in this world is lost in sin. But praise God, we have the good news that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. When He died at the Cross of Calvary, He made the way in order that the lost sinner will be restored back into fellowship with God. The truth is this: we are all spiritual wanderers before we encountered Christ. Restoration to God is to be found in God’s kingdom alone through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Only in God’s kingdom will a person find unending fellowship with God. From the moment he belongs to God’s kingdom through Christ, there exists an unending and unbroken relationship between him and God –a relationship that nothing can ever break down. This relationship we have with God is eternally secure and is something that we shall enjoy forever.

Well, of course, there are things at present that may disturb and bring interruptions to our fellowship with God: noises, problems, temptations, afflictions, etc. But ultimately in heaven, these things shall be done away. In heaven our fellowship with God will not only be unending and unbroken, it will also be undisturbed.