I have the privilege of introducing our guest speaker today. Dr. David Hartman is joining us
from the university just up the road here at Southern. He is a professor of applied theology,
and I had the privilege of taking two classes from him. One required, he's the only one who
teaches that one, and the other one I chose to take it from him, amongst other options.
It was a joy having him as my professor. I learned a great deal from him, from his experience
in ministry. You can read, there's an insert in the bulletin that gives a little bit of a bio
about it, so I'm not going to cover that. I wanted to share a little bit about my thoughts of him.
I first met David Hartman. You were working, it was in the ministerial department in Kentucky,
Tennessee. So he was in the ministerial department in the Kentucky, Tennessee conference while I
still lived at Lexington, so I got to meet him there and observe how he went through a pastor
hiring and leaving. So we kind of knew each other, and I thought I recognized his name when I saw him
join the professor roster at Southern. Then of course when I saw him and we introduced ourselves
to each other again, that was of course confirmed. So now it is a joy to have him not only as a former
professor, but now as a colleague and a friend in ministry. I am glad that he accepted the invitation
to be here, and what impresses me the most about him is he loves Jesus and he wants everybody else
to love Jesus. That became very apparent in my conversations with him and the classes that I took
in his approaches to it. When you are a student, you appreciate the professors that yes, they want
you to do the work, but they also care very much that you know the Jesus whom the work is about.
And that was the impression that I got with him is that he cared more that the students knew Jesus
than that they just had hard work and long papers, etc., etc. So it was a double blessing.
It is my privilege to introduce him. He is going to have our message this morning. You will be
blessed. And then again this afternoon at 1.30, he is going to share from his experience in ministry
on practical ways of witnessing. Can I have a word of prayer for you?
Loving Heavenly Father, we thank you for how you have been a part of Dr. Hartman's life and ministry,
how you have led him and how he has answered that call to follow after you. So now Lord, I pray that
you would use him as your mouthpiece. Speak through him so that we might be blessed with your words.
Bless him with the presence of your Holy Spirit. Fill him with your love this morning. We pray in
your name. Amen. Thank you. It is a real privilege to be here. And I'm glad that my wife Judy is with
me as well. She is my better half, always has been my better half. Judy, would you just stand up and
say hi? All right. We have two children. We have a 35 and a 33 year old. And we have just had our
fourth grandson born into our family last night two weeks ago. So we are blessed with four grand
boys. I could have my own Pathfinder club. And we'll get out and do some of that camping,
backpacking that Pastor Aaron talked about. It feels good to be in a church pulpit. I'm used to
standing up in front of a class of 30 to 60 students. And God has called me to that. This is the
fifth year that I've been at Southern. Prior to that, I was a pastor for 24 years. And then I was
ministerial director of Kentucky Tennessee Conference and evangelism coordinator for nine years.
And got to travel to all of the churches in our conference. We had 110 churches and companies
in the Kentucky Tennessee Conference. So I got to preach in every one of those churches. Through the
nine years I was there and it just feels like I'm back on the sawdust trail again doing that,
being with you. You have a beautiful sanctuary. I'm Facebook friends with Pastor Aaron and I've
noticed the pictures. Now I can come and feel it and experience it. God bless you for stepping out
in faith and taking on a project like this. This is absolutely awesome. Aaron, I can't believe it's
been two years since you graduated. And Heather, I think you graduated about a year later. So both
of you are out in the workforce now. Three lovely boys. We're just so happy for you all.
Before we open God's word, let's pray one more time. Lord, please speak through me.
Please share the burden that you have on your heart. Send your spirit to inspire us in Jesus name.
Amen. When I was young, I dreamed of finding buried treasure.
During my elementary years, I was down on the Emerald Coast of Florida, Pensacola, Florida,
just about 15 miles from where I lived with the long thin barrier island called Santa Rosa Island.
And I would claw in the sand dunes. I had read books by Robert Louis Stevenson, you know,
Treasure Island and other books like that. And I just knew that I was going to strike a year
that I was going to strike a treasure chest and bring up that gold bullion. And I was going to be
a rich young man. Never found that treasure. Treasure has driven men for centuries to go on
great search of it. People like Hernan Cortez, Hernando de Soto, Francisco Coronado, all
traversed the New World in search of gold. Coronado actually tripped over the great,
the Grand Canyon in his search for gold. More recently, Mel Fisher. He was looking for the
Spanish Galilean, a sunken vessel, the Atoka for 18 years. Every morning he would wake up, he and
his man and he would say, this is the morning boys, we're going to find her today. 18 years of
searching and finally they found the Atoka. He was willing to sink several million dollars into that
exploration search project because he knew that that which he was searching for was worth far more
than a few million. And we have been down in the Key West and seen the museum there. We have seen
the gold bricks that came up from the Atoka. But this morning I want to talk about searching for a
different kind of treasure. Although we would like to strike gold, wouldn't we? A different kind of
treasure. Let's take our Bibles and look at Matthew chapter 13. This has already been read as our
scripture reading, but we are going to park right here as well as look at several other passages
to take a look at this pearl of great price and what is its application for our life
today. Matthew chapter 13, let's read verses 45 and 46. Matthew 13, 45 and 46. By the way,
this chapter 13 is a treasure chest. There are more parables of Jesus found in Matthew 13 than
any other place in the Bible. Seven rich parables and this is right in the heart of that treasure
chest of parables. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a what? A merchant seeking beautiful what?
Pearls who when he had found one pearl of what kind of price? Great price or value. Went and sold
how much? All that he had and bought it. That word there, that one pearl of great value is a compound
is a compound word in the original language is polytumos. Polytumos. Poly means many, great,
much and tume means value, worth. It's the same word found in John chapter 12 verse 3 when it
talks about Mary buying that spikenard ointment, perfume and anointing Christ's feet before he was
crucified. She spent her life savings on that perfume. It was of great value and great worth.
Same word used. You know it's interesting before cultured pearls, you know they introduced little
grit into the pearl oyster now and pearls are you know dime a dozen so to speak. But back in the day,
back in Bible times, divers would have to plunge as deep as a hundred feet and feel around on the
murky bottom. They didn't have scuba tanks back then. They had to hold their breath a hundred feet
down. Can you imagine groping on the bottom of the ocean finding three or four pearl oysters,
stuffing it in a little sack and back up to the surface. It took roughly ten thousand pearl
oysters before they found one gem quality pearl. Can you imagine the repeating that process?
Imagine the risk. That little guy with the dorsal fin, I wouldn't want to mess with that shark,
or barracudas, or decompression sickness, or drowning. All of these things they risked so that
they could find that pearl. In fact, pearls were so rare that they were the most valuable commodity
in the ancient world. More valuable than gold, silver, or even diamonds. Pearl of great price.
This pearl was so valuable, what was the merchant person willing to give to secure it? Verse 46,
he sold all that he had and bought it. Can you in your mind's eye see Mr. Merchantman
searching the world over for this pearl of great price? I can just imagine in my creative mind's
eye he goes to Istanbul and he's at a fashionable bazaar and he sees all these tables laden with
fine silks and emeralds and sapphires and rubies and so forth and there he sees it on this table
the most beautiful pearl he's ever laid his eyes on. Perfect symmetry. I mean without defect.
Perfect luster. And he says to the grizzled seller, how much? You know they had a bartering
system back there. So this Mr. Merchantman began to take rubies, sapphires, emerald, diamonds out
of his pockets. He clunks it on the tabletop. Not enough sir. So Mr. Merchantman goes
and empties out his bank account, cashes out his Roth IRA, sells his sleet of cars, his yacht on
the Mediterranean, his livestock, they all go, his mansion gets put up on the market and is sold,
his investment properties, his fortune 500 company and Mrs. Merchant thinks she and the kids are next.
Everything goes to secure that one pearl of great price. Now I'm a curious guy and you're curious too.
What on earth could that pearl symbolize that would be so valuable it requires me giving up
everything I have to secure it. Any ideas? Now this is the teacher in me. Turn to someone next.
Now this is the teacher in me. Turn to someone next to you. What do you think that pearl represents?
Everybody now turn to someone next to you. Take a moment. What do you think that pearl represents?
All right you got that locked in. Someone, someone, what do you think the pearl represents?
Now I am deaf you need to really shout this out. What do you think the pearl represents? Anybody?
Yes. Jesus I love that answer. Yes ma'am. God. Okay. Hey you know what it's the young people that
are raising their hands. Adults these guys are on it. All right way back here in the corner.
What is it Judy? Salvation. I love that and then one other hand here. Who else had their hand up?
Okay. Yes. Love. Us. Us. Okay wonderful wonderful. All right we are actually going to see
that it represents two distinct things at least and maybe encompassing all these things.
I've actually done research on this and I found that the word pearl is not mentioned a single time
in the entire Old Testament. It's mentioned nine times in the New Testament and it does not say
definitively exactly what the meaning of the pearl is. So I got my commentaries out as every
good student of the word does. I took out spirit of prophecy and man things began to open up. Okay
so first of this double meaning who said Jesus? All right you got it girl. The first meaning of
this pearl it symbolizes Jesus or Christ. Picture that perfect pearl. Perfect symmetry, pure white,
glowing luster, free of any defects. What a fitting symbol of Jesus and his perfect righteousness.
And we're told that we are to seek Jesus with all our hearts right? Can you think of a Bible passage
yet suggest we need to seek him with our entire hearts? Look back in the Old Testament Jeremiah.
Jeremiah chapter 29. Isaiah Jeremiah chapter 29 and let's read verse 13.
Jeremiah chapter 29 and verse 13. Many of you know the promise in verse 11. I know the thoughts that
I think towards you says the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you a future and
a hope. I love that promise. We're going to talk about witnessing this afternoon. One of the things
I like to do whenever Judy and I go out to eat I always on the little receipt you know I pay with
debit card and on the receipt I always write down thanks so much for the great food and the service.
God has big plans for your life. Jeremiah 29 verse 11. You never know what those kind of little
witnessing things will do but two verses below that here is the verse verse 13. And you will seek me
and find me when you search for me with what? With all your heart. Does God play hard to get?
You know I'm aware one time there was a young man that was convinced that this young lady was going
to be his bride and he pursued her with vigor but she was not convinced the other way. She wanted to
get away from this guy and finally he gave up. You know for any relationship to work it has to be two
way right? God always seeks after us. He always comes after us looking for our heart looking to
build a relationship with him but it's got to be a two-way street. That's why God is inviting here
you shall seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. I am a man of faith.
Search for me with all your heart. I am so thankful that God invites me to seek him and last week God
reminded me again urge me David I want you to put me first in your life. I want you to seek me with
all your heart. We need to be like the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts chapter 8 who was reading the
scriptures diligently and urgently crying out to heaven. Lord give me light give me understanding
on this suffering servant in Isaiah 53. I don't understand this man was so in earnest about
receiving light that God tapped Philip on the shoulder a deacon who was holding evangelistic
meetings up in Samaria and said deacon you're needed down here on the road leading to Gaza and
I believe it was like Star Trek Scotty beam me up. I mean I don't think he had to walk you know two
days to get down there. This guy was in earnest and wanting light this second and there is Philip.
Can you understand what you're reading? That's the earnestness at which we should be seeking God and
truth and his word. We should be like the Bereans in Acts 17 who searched the scriptures how
frequently daily to see whether these things are stuff. Leland Wang was a great revivalist in China
he was the moody the Dwight L. Moody of China. He had a self-imposed rule that he lived by
no Bible no breakfast. I'm a guy I like to eat I gotta have my breakfast. This young lady doesn't
have to eat much for breakfast man I have to have my big old bowl of Kellogg's or whatever it may be
before I head out the door. God wants us to seek him even more passionately than eating
breakfast in the morning we should eat from his word. So how is your devotional life? That's a
rhetorical question. How's your devotional life? Are you seeking God with all your heart?
I believe we're living in some exciting times and we need to be closer to God now than we've ever
been in our life to get those signals from him and I believe this word is more relevant
today than it was back in the Apostles and the Patriarchs time. So let's get into it.
I've been a professor for the last five years and I can tell you I've been a pastor,
I've been a ministerial director, and I've been a professor and I think I've been
the most chaotic busy now that I've been a professor. What do you think Judy?
I've got nine courses that I teach and this semester I have 200 students we have a bumper
crop of incoming freshmen this year good problem to have but I am up early and a bed late
and there are some mornings I have to choose boy that lesson that course that presentation
that lecture is not super polished that I'm going to give this morning but I'm going to spend time
with you God I've got to start my day with you.
All right so let's go to the second meaning now who said us? Us all right.
Us there you go that is absolutely correct the pearl of great price not only symbolizes Christ
and the eternal riches of Christ we found in his word but it also symbolizes us it symbolizes lost
sinners. Jesus's supreme purpose of coming to the earth is found in Luke chapter 19 let's go there
Luke chapter 19 Luke chapter 19 and children you will recognize this story as Zacchaeus was a wee
little man climbed up in the sycamore tree to see Jesus and I see a double seeking in this chapter
Zacchaeus did whatever it took to see Jesus even shaming himself scooting up a sycamore tree how
did a short little runt of a guy get up to that first limb I can just uh that's kind of a hilarious
uh picture you know he was he maybe had someone toss him up I don't know but I see a double seeking
not only was Zacchaeus seeking for Jesus but Jesus was seeking for Zacchaeus and notice what it says
in chapter 19 verse 10 this is Christ's purpose why he came to planet earth for the son of man
has come to get wealthy and rich well he he left all that behind the son of man was a poor man
he left all that behind the son of man has come to seek popularity no the son of man has come to
seek and to save that which was lost that word seek is very interesting in the original Zateo
it means to do whatever it takes to secure that object or that person do whatever it takes was
Jesus willing to do whatever it takes to secure us did he give up all to secure us the pearl of
great price absolutely look at a cross reference Matthew chapter 18 Matthew 8 chapter 18 says
almost the identical thing and then it goes into a story Matthew chapter 18 look at verse 11
Matthew 18 and verse 11 reads for the son of man has come to what to save that which was lost and
then goes into this story about a farmer a herder had how many sheep hundred cheap and one of those
little rascals goes missing and that herds person valued that lost sheep more than the 99 that were
safe in the fold and he went after seeking that one straying sheep so he could find it these verses
illustrate so well how we are the pearl of great price and Jesus gave up all heaven to secure us
there is a commentary that Ellen White wrote on the parables you know it is Christ object lessons
right and in her chapter where she talks about the pearl of great price page 117 this paragraph
absolutely stuns me she talks about this double meaning the the we're the merchant people seeking
Christ and Christ is the heavenly merchant seeking us notice what she says Christ the heavenly merchant
man seeking goodly pearls saw in lost humanity the pearl of great price in man and woman defiled and
ruined by sin he saw the possibilities of redemption hearts that had been the battleground
of the conflict with satan you know right up the road here is battlefield right civil war battle
fought right here it's she says hearts that have been the battleground of the conflict with satan
and that have been rescued by the power of love are more precious to the redeemer than are those
who have never fallen stop there for a second Jesus has all these other pearls all these other gems
all these other unfallen planets unfallen beings this planet in rebellion is more valuable than
all the other worlds now look would you rather have a brand new Lexus right off the showroom floor
or a beat up old car that's been smashed I used to say or beat up VW bug and some people say oh
I'd rather have the beat up VW bug and restore it you know now this this car is in the junkyard
it has been smashed it is no longer any use to it that's essentially what Jesus is saying here
hearts that have been the battleground of the conflict with satan that have been rescued by
the power of love are more precious to the redeemer than are those who have never fallen
God looked upon humanity not as vile and worthless he looked upon it in Christ
saw it as it might become through redeeming love he collected all all all the riches of the universe
and laid them down in order to buy us the pearl of great price may I just speak personally to your
heart right now you are of infinite value to the heart of God my students fill out something called
a personal spiritual history where they talk about their upbringing and their spiritual journey
before they came to southern and since they've been at southern what they would like that journey
to look like and I tell you some of our students really battle with low self-esteem they didn't
have a dad in the picture they didn't have parents in the picture and they do the cutting stuff and
they've had suicidal thoughts and they're in really dark places and this passage assures me
it assures you that you are infinitely valuable to the heart of God God loves you God has a bright
special future a plan for your life I am so thankful for that this shows the inestimable
value of the human soul like the merchant in the parable who sold all he had to purchase the one
pearl God gave up everything to secure us not with silver or gold but with his own precious blood
Jesus purchased us first Peter chapter 1 18 19 here's a follow-up thought that hits me not only
do we have infinite inestimable value in the heart of God but this is how God feels about the people
around us our work associates our family our neighbors next door God loves them with an
everlasting love if God cares that much about the lost can we do any less after all we're servants
of Christ ambassadors of the king God took Abraham Abraham his name came to be out of her the
cowdies and had him go 1200 miles up over the fertile crescent to the crossroads of civilization
in Canaan so he could be a light to the pagan nations that's how much God loved the pagans
and wanted to get their attention and then on the flip side a few hundred years later he had Daniel
and his three friends go the opposite direction 1200 miles back over the fertile crescent to pagan
Babylon to be a light in the heathen king's court because God wanted Nebuchadnezzar to be his child
and I believe that's why God has placed you in your neighborhood in your workplace in your community
it's not by accident it's by divine design God has put you there to be a light to that neighbor
next door to that person that works with you in your workplace he wants you to reach that person
for his kingdom how deliberately and earnestly should our search be for the lost
June 23 2018 12 members of a soccer team over in Thailand just finished their practice for the day
their 25 year old coach had grown up exploring the deep recesses of this Thai cave
and he challenged them let's go for an hour or two back into the heart the bowels of this cave
and let's explore and what turned out to be an afternoon adventure ended up an absolute hellish
nightmare because as they were back in there it was ahead of monsoon season but a monsoon came a
violent thunderstorm floods rains began to flow through the cracks and crevices and into that cave
and they were literally unable to retrace their way back out that main channel because it was all
flooded they were two and a half miles back in the recesses of this cave
immediately the world found out about it word quickly spread I'm gonna read this because I
want to get it straight listen to how an international community came together to do whatever it takes
to save these 13 10,000 rescue workers and volunteers quickly converged from around the world
including Thai navy seals the US Air Force 353rd Special Operations Unit that was the first
military that was at that time station in Okinawa a hundred divers from Great Britain Australia
Japan China and elsewhere 50 to 60 doctors representatives from a hundred governmental agencies
900 police officers 2,000 soldiers in addition there were 10 military helicopters and seven
nurses as well as hundreds of people working to pump more than one billion liters of water out of
the cave to try to drop the level for these these 13 to get out the international team had one goal
in mind to safely extract the 13 from the bowels of the earth British divers discovered the group
about two and a half miles inside the cave on July 2 2018 but they had a real predicament on their
hand those channels were completely full of water they had to have scuba gear on to get out and they
actually used anesthesia to knock the 13 out in a semi-state of unconsciousness so forth they
sedated them so that they could transport them two and a half hours underwater and praise god
between July 8 and 10 all 13 were rescued one former Thai navy seal Saman Kunan actually gave up his life
the Thai government and international community vowed to do whatever it takes to save the 13
don't you love that motto whatever it takes are you willing am I willing to do whatever it takes
to reach the people in my circle of influence do you have family members that don't know Jesus
that don't know this precious truth that will enable us to go through that end time and see
Jesus when he comes do you have work associates do you have neighbors that god has put a prayer
burden on your heart are you willing to do whatever it takes are you willing to make out a 10 most
wanted list not the FBI wanted list but write the names of these people on a piece of paper and begin
praying diligently for them are you willing to step across the property line take courage as
pastor Aaron said it's a little fearful to knock on doors a little fearful to greet that neighbor
but are you willing to get acquainted and build that friendship are you willing to serve practical
needs are you willing to at the appropriate time to give that glow track or that bible study whether
online or in person are you willing to invite them to that next evangelistic meeting you do
are you willing to invite them to that next evangelistic meeting you do god wants to use you
to reach those 13 that are lost all around you praise god i'm no longer searching
for buried treasure i never found it by the way never found it i found something far greater in
value and worth i have found the pearl of great price jesus and his righteousness
and the lost in my sphere of influence that god is asking me to reach