Sunday Morning Service

Matthew 13:44-58 (Click title for audio access)
“What It Takes!” • 9.19.10 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service

Intro
- Jesus has been speaking to the multitudes in parables. They are stories that were easily understood in their culture, which helped to illustrated the truths of the Kingdom.
- For those who believed, knowledge about the Kingdom would increase. For those who rejected Christ, they would walk away with a story, but little else.
- The truth that we have assessed thus far is that there is necessary response to the message of the Kingdom, which is illustrated in the parable of the sower or the soils.
- Second, there is necessary influence. The influence of the Kingdom starts small but grows in greater proportion to it's beginning, wherever it is sown.
- Today, we will see the necessary attitudes that are required of us when it comes to the Kingdom in these final parables in chapter 13.

Text

• Matthew 13:44-46 : "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it." : These two parables are about valuable discovery.
- The first man found treasure hidden in a field. The second man found a greatly valued pearl.
- The hidden treasure refers to a treasure chest. The contents of this box caused such joy, that the man went and purchased the entire field!
- There are several cultural things to note that are foreign to us.
- First, people buried their valuables in lieu of banking institutions in order to protect them.
- Jesus, in another story, told of a man who buried his talent in the ground. This was common.
- Second, this man found a treasure and then hid it. You and I, because of long indoctrination to western law, believe that possession is 9/10ths of the law.
- In the eastern world of Christ's time, possession was 10/10ths of the law!
- The likely scenario here is that the owner of the field owned property with treasure hidden from a now deceased former owner.
- To add to this man's integrity, he re-hides the treasure and goes to purchase the field after selling all that he has. The treasure is greater than the sum of his possessions.
- The second man is a traveling merchant, looking for pearls. The original Greek word is "margaritas" but it's spelled "margaritas!" I thought you'd enjoy that!
- Pearls were exceptionally valuable in the East. Finding pearls was both difficult and dangerous for the merchant, as it involved the trudging of the bottom of the sea for oysters!
- Take away the modern scuba equipment that makes diving routine, and you have an adventurous situation.
- While traveling, this merchant discovered one pearl. This pearl was worth more than all the other pearls. It is the mother of all pearls.
- Like the first man, he liquidates his assets and comes to purchase the pearl.
- Both men paid a steep price for their discovery. Both sold everything that they had to gain that which they had discovered.
- The first man bought the entire field for the treasure hidden within it and the second man bought the actual pearl.
- What is Jesus referring to? In each of the parables that we have seen thus far, Jesus is the main character. He is the sower, the owner of the field of wheat and tares.
- Here, Jesus is both the man who found treasure and the merchant.
- These parables illustrate on that level, the cost to God in inaugurating the Kingdom. The cost that He paid is inestimable. What did He pay? Let's turn to Philippians 2.
- Paul is describing the experience of Jesus in taking on the form of a human man.
• Philippians 2:5-8 : "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."
- It cost Jesus the active enjoyment of His divine rights. It cost Him leaving unbroken fellowship with the Father in Heaven. It cost Him the dignity of reputation. Ultimately, it cost Him life!
- Yet, He was willing, joyfully, to part with everything to own it! I love that Jesus adds that in the story of the hidden treasure. Turn over to Hebrews 12.
- The writer of Hebrews is calling God's people to run the difficult race. How?
• Hebrews 12:2 : "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
- Jesus joyfully endured the worst for the sake of the joy of receiving His treasure.
- What is that treasure? What is the pearl of great price? That, indescribably, is His people! You and I are His inheritance, just as much as He is ours!
- The proof of Christ's love for us and His willingness to pay our way, will always be the cross. The greatest value can be seen in the greatest action by the greatest being!
- We have joyfully been bought by God, and have been given as a bride to Christ! Imagine the value that He sees in you.
- Now, this is the principle interpretation of these two parables: God's Kingdom cost Him everything to inaugurate. There is however, in several of the parables, a mirror effect.
- While we can say that this is primarily speaking of Christ, it is equally true that the Kingdom requires that we rightly assess it's value in our lives.
- While we are not able to "buy" our way in, once in, there is a transaction that takes place. Upon believing, we enter a life that requires us to give up our way for His way, our dreams for His.
- We could never earn our salvation. It is all of grace through the agency of faith in Christ. But neither can we say that walking in the reality of the Kingdom costs us nothing!
- It will cost you reputation as you obey Christ. It will cost you friendships as Christ redefines your life. It will cost you your comfort.
- In the final assessment, the Kingdom of God is worth anything that I could give up to walk in it! There may have been a time when you stumbled upon the Kingdom while doing something else.
- I have seen people on their way to shop, when they heard an evangelist preaching. They stopped to hear and were never the same again.
- Perhaps you were the rare Cornelius exception and you were more the merchant, seeking for the pearl of truth. You tried religion and when it failed, you tried that religion, then that practice.
- Then you heard the gospel. You responded in faith and your life was changed!
- Whatever the case, when we found it, we agreed and entered in and found that it required everything we have to walk in it!
- Whatever we must pay to receive the Kingdom is not worthy to be compared with what we will gain. If anything is true about the Kingdom of God, that statement is it!
- Keep this in mind as we explore this next parable.
• Matthew 13:47-50 : "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.'" : The resident fishermen of the group must have rejoiced: "FInally, a story that we know about!"
- I imagine Peter and James telling people, "Listen up! This one's going to be good!"
- A dragnet was the largest of the nets that fishermen employed in that time. It was anchored on the shore and brought out into the water by a boat.
- Because of it's weight and size, it would pull in everything within it's sphere..
- When the net became full, everything that came in was separated. The fishermen sat down to see what was caught.
- Good fish, which refers to marketable, edible, ceremonially clean fish, were put into barrels. Other items of value were also collected.
- Unclean, inedible fish, as well as other inedible things, were simply thrown away.
- The point again is separation of the good from the evil. Jesus says that this will be the way it is at the end of the age, at the time of judgment.
- Notice again that it is the angels who are in charge of separation. They have some part to play in distinguishing those who are His and those who are not.
- Jesus has just spoken a similar warning just a few verses ago. Why does He reiterate this again. Let me suggest a few reasons:
- First, hell is such a terrifying reality, Jesus has to speak of it often to convince us. If Jesus hadn't spoken so much about it, it could hardly be believed!
- Who else could have talked about it that we would believe? The Son of God is the only indisputable person.
- Second reason: This parable might have been told at a different time. Matthew might have simply grouped it with this set of parables.
- The third reason I'll propose is actually my preferred reason. One cannot rightly assess the value of the Kingdom of heaven until he or she understands the reality of hell.
- I might pay for something that I greatly enjoy. But I will give anything to avoid pain!
- There are no words that are sufficient to describe hell. We cannot fathom it, so the Lord gives us pictures that help us to comprehend it. Here, Jesus employs the furnace of fire.
- Please understand and notice that Jesus is the one saying this. Jesus believes in hell and He lets us know that it will not be a place of fun and continual partying. In fact, there will be weeping.
- This will not be a weeping of remorse. It will be a weeping related to an ever increasing sense of loss and utter hopelessness.
- It is a continual new awakening to ever increasing, never ending horror. But when it comes to God, the hatred of Him steadily increases. Jesus adds that there will be "gnashing of teeth."
- If you were here last week, you heard me say that this refers to blasphemy and hatred against the Lord. Let me show you what I mean.
- Turn over to Acts 7. Stephen is defending himself against the religious authorities.
- The apex of his defense comes at the end of his address, when he says, "Which of the prophets did you not kill!" Stephen says that they even killed the Messiah they claimed to love!
- When they heard these things, their response was telling of their hearts.
• Acts 7:54 : "When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth."
- Just a verse later, they killed Stephen. Their hatred and rejection of Christ expressed itself through that metaphor. This is what Jesus reports will be the attitude in hell.
- Now, is the cost to enter into eternal life steep? Once you consider the topic of hell, a critical thinking man will easily see that you can never underestimate the value.
• Matthew 13:51,52 : "Have you understood all these things?' Jesus asked. 'Yes,' they replied. He said to them, 'Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.'" : Presumably, Jesus is asking His disciples if they have understood the parables that He has been teaching.
- I think that they did what we all do: They lied! It's akin to that moment when your tutor asks you if you get it after she has explained it for the 400th time. By then, you just nod and say "yes!"
- Whether they did or not, they would need to, as they would be dispensing the Kingdom. They would be teachers, literally scribes. Jesus is telling them, "You are graduating!"
- Because they had understood the Kingdom, they had the background of Old Testament truth, as well as the freshly revealed concept of the truth of God's Kingdom.
- Someone who understands the Kingdom can bring out new and old treasures to show them together, which is exactly what the Apostles will do once Christ ascends.
- Listen to the NLT's rendering: "Then he added, 'Every teacher of religious law who has become a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a person who brings out of the storehouse the new teachings as well as the old.''
- This person is literally the master of the house, not necessarily the owner. He has access to things that nobody else in the house would necessarily have.
- You and I have access to the storeroom.
• Matthew 13:53-58 : "When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. Coming to his hometown, He began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. 'Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?' they asked. 'Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't His mother's name Mary, and aren't His brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?' And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, 'Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.' And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith." : Jesus came back into His home town of Nazareth and did what He had done elsewhere. Like His other audiences, they were amazed.
- That's where the good news stopped, because as but they considered where He had come from and what they knew about Him, they concluded that He could not be anything special.
- The people that He called family, were among them! They were their neighbors.
- Note the names of Christ's step brothers, Jesus being the first of 5 boys, the first of at least 7 children! Those who teach the perpetual virginity of Mary have 7 big problems right there!
- When those who listened put that together, they were offended at Him.
- They would not choose to believe in Him. The part that we wrestle with here is the meaning: Why did Matthew choose to put this story here?
- For all that God did to inaugurate the Kingdom. For all of His great redemptive plan, from Adam to Noah, to Abraham to Jacob, it has always come down to this.
- Entrance into redemption still hinges upon man's belief. He will not translate an unwilling soul. These people in Nazareth stopped Jesus from doing miracles because of their lack of faith.
- In so doing, they did not avail themselves the opportunity to receive the greatest of the miracles: Inclusion into the kingdom.
- In Matthew's mind, this event brings us back to the very first of Christ's stories. The people of Nazareth heard the message of the Kingdom, but because of their pathway hearts, they missed it!
- Their lack of faith thwarted what God wanted to do in their midst. How many have turned God away and missed it all.
- For those who are saved, we never want this to be said of us. Lord, increase our faith.

Conclusion

- As we close, know this morning, without a shadow of a doubt, that you and I are valued by God at a price that we can never truly understand or calculate.
- Know that the Kingdom that calls you to service and obedience, is worth every investment of your time, talent or treasure.
- Know that you are blessed every time you believe and trust, for then God opens the door to something great in your midst.
- Ours is a privileged place. Let's see who else we can invite in!