WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.700 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant 00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:08.140 seeking beautiful pearls, who when he had found 00:00:08.140 --> 00:00:13.560 one pearl of great price, he went and sold all 00:00:13.560 --> 00:00:18.100 that he had and bought it. Let's ask the Lord 00:00:18.100 --> 00:00:19.800 to help us this morning as we look into this. 00:00:22.339 --> 00:00:25.839 Father, your word is rich and it is good. It 00:00:25.839 --> 00:00:29.480 is bread from heaven. nutritive, Lord, it's going 00:00:29.480 --> 00:00:32.200 to feed us. And Father, I pray that now you would 00:00:32.200 --> 00:00:34.359 help me, Lord, not to be a distraction to your 00:00:34.359 --> 00:00:37.159 word. Father, we pray for the Spirit's ability, 00:00:37.460 --> 00:00:40.479 Lord, to understand that you might illumine your 00:00:40.479 --> 00:00:42.899 own word this morning to the hearts and lives 00:00:42.899 --> 00:00:46.439 of your people. Father, I do realize that there 00:00:46.439 --> 00:00:49.719 may be one or perhaps more in here who are dead 00:00:49.719 --> 00:00:52.679 in their sins and they have no ears to hear your 00:00:52.679 --> 00:00:56.060 voice. Would you open their ears this morning 00:00:56.060 --> 00:00:58.100 and open their blind eyes and grant them life? 00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:03.060 Help them to behold the beauty of Christ. Lord, 00:01:03.079 --> 00:01:05.379 we need you. God, we're not sufficient for these 00:01:05.379 --> 00:01:08.640 things. So we ask now for your help. In Jesus' 00:01:08.760 --> 00:01:13.519 name, amen. We're in Matthew 13, but just three 00:01:13.519 --> 00:01:17.180 chapters later in chapter 16, the Lord Jesus, 00:01:17.260 --> 00:01:20.840 he asks this most important question. What does 00:01:20.840 --> 00:01:25.159 it profit a man? if he gains the whole world 00:01:25.159 --> 00:01:29.540 and loses his own soul? Or what will man give 00:01:29.540 --> 00:01:33.120 in exchange for his soul? Now I want you to remember, 00:01:33.319 --> 00:01:35.560 this is the Son of God asking this question. 00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:39.180 And he says, what profit is there in gaining 00:01:39.180 --> 00:01:43.219 this whole world if it means you lose your soul? 00:01:44.379 --> 00:01:46.159 Well, the first question we have to ask ourselves 00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:49.810 is, what does it mean to gain the world? To gain 00:01:49.810 --> 00:01:51.909 the world means you have everything this world 00:01:51.909 --> 00:01:54.250 has to offer. There's every pleasure, it's yours. 00:01:55.010 --> 00:01:59.930 Every experience, every joy, every point of happiness, 00:02:00.230 --> 00:02:04.150 all the treasure you can amass and all the notoriety 00:02:04.150 --> 00:02:07.609 you would ever want, it's yours. To gain the 00:02:07.609 --> 00:02:10.610 world is exactly what it suggests. You gain every 00:02:10.610 --> 00:02:13.750 advantage this world possesses. It's yours for 00:02:13.750 --> 00:02:17.229 the taking. But what does it mean to lose your 00:02:17.229 --> 00:02:21.500 soul? It means if you will come to the end of 00:02:21.500 --> 00:02:23.259 your life and you will take your final breath 00:02:23.259 --> 00:02:26.659 on this earth without being in a right relationship 00:02:26.659 --> 00:02:31.939 with God. To lose your soul is to spend eternity 00:02:31.939 --> 00:02:36.539 separated from God. To lose your soul means you 00:02:36.539 --> 00:02:40.159 forfeit eternal life. It also means that you 00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:43.800 have forever, for all eternity, forfeited any 00:02:43.800 --> 00:02:47.800 access to God. So let's suppose you do gain the 00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:51.250 world. But in the process you lose your soul. 00:02:51.330 --> 00:02:54.969 How have you gained? How does it profit you? 00:02:56.009 --> 00:02:58.409 And the Lord Jesus, the one who asked this question, 00:02:58.550 --> 00:03:00.949 he knew something that you and I do not know. 00:03:01.150 --> 00:03:04.169 Because he created both the world and he created 00:03:04.169 --> 00:03:08.050 the soul. And he knows there's no profit whatsoever. 00:03:09.289 --> 00:03:13.849 This is a fool's exchange. He went on to ask, 00:03:13.909 --> 00:03:16.050 what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 00:03:17.740 --> 00:03:20.080 The loss of your soul, friend, is irreversible. 00:03:20.860 --> 00:03:24.979 It cannot be undone. To die separated from God 00:03:24.979 --> 00:03:28.960 is to remain eternally separated from him. So 00:03:28.960 --> 00:03:32.060 yet, to embrace this world, it may mean temporary 00:03:32.060 --> 00:03:34.360 gain. In fact, it probably will mean temporary 00:03:34.360 --> 00:03:39.759 gain. But it means eternal loss. And that's the 00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:43.419 worst possible price to pay. There's nothing, 00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:45.719 nothing on this planet that is more valuable 00:03:45.719 --> 00:03:48.840 than the human soul. And to lose it is the most 00:03:48.840 --> 00:03:52.840 dreadful thing that could ever take place. The 00:03:52.840 --> 00:03:55.780 Lord's arresting our attention to this. I think 00:03:55.780 --> 00:04:01.740 of Judas. Judas betrayed the Son of God. He got 00:04:01.740 --> 00:04:05.680 30 pieces of silver. How is that profiting him 00:04:05.680 --> 00:04:09.879 now? See, all the riches of the world are of 00:04:09.879 --> 00:04:13.620 no value whatsoever in eternity. Jesus, wanting 00:04:13.620 --> 00:04:15.759 to further strengthen this argument in the Gospel 00:04:15.759 --> 00:04:18.600 of Luke, he told the story. Some call it a parable. 00:04:18.620 --> 00:04:21.800 We don't know. Because this is the only parable 00:04:21.800 --> 00:04:23.959 in which a proper name is used for Lazarus, a 00:04:23.959 --> 00:04:26.899 rich man named Lazarus. You know the story. Was 00:04:26.899 --> 00:04:28.899 this a parable or was Jesus telling a true story? 00:04:28.980 --> 00:04:32.100 We don't know. Scholars are divided. But the 00:04:32.100 --> 00:04:35.480 point remains the same. So in Luke 16, beginning 00:04:35.480 --> 00:04:38.759 in verse 19, Jesus said there was a certain man. 00:04:39.629 --> 00:04:42.069 And he was clothed in purple, the sign, you know, 00:04:42.069 --> 00:04:45.569 only rich people could afford purple dye. And 00:04:45.569 --> 00:04:49.769 fine linen. And he fared or he feasted sumptuously 00:04:49.769 --> 00:04:52.290 every day. He ate the finest gourmet food every 00:04:52.290 --> 00:04:57.009 day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, 00:04:57.009 --> 00:05:01.850 full of sores and who was laid at his gate. And 00:05:01.850 --> 00:05:04.149 all Lazarus wanted was to be fed with just the 00:05:04.149 --> 00:05:09.069 crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, 00:05:09.209 --> 00:05:13.170 the dogs came and licked his sores. And so it 00:05:13.170 --> 00:05:16.329 was that the beggar died and he was carried by 00:05:16.329 --> 00:05:20.569 the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also 00:05:20.569 --> 00:05:24.350 died and was buried and being in torments in 00:05:24.350 --> 00:05:28.810 Hades, in hell. He lifted up his eyes and he 00:05:28.810 --> 00:05:31.550 saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus was there in 00:05:31.550 --> 00:05:34.670 his bosom. Then he cried and said, Father Abraham, 00:05:34.889 --> 00:05:38.769 have mercy on me. And send Lazarus that he may 00:05:38.769 --> 00:05:42.149 dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my 00:05:42.149 --> 00:05:48.310 tongue. For I am tormented in this flame. But 00:05:48.310 --> 00:05:51.910 Abraham said, Son, remember that in your lifetime 00:05:51.910 --> 00:05:55.029 you received your good things. You gained the 00:05:55.029 --> 00:05:59.389 whole world. And likewise Lazarus evil things. 00:06:00.350 --> 00:06:04.410 But now he is comforted and you are tormented. 00:06:05.259 --> 00:06:08.379 you lost your own soul. And it's irreversible. 00:06:08.920 --> 00:06:11.339 Now, in speaking this way, I do not believe the 00:06:11.339 --> 00:06:13.500 Lord is merely trying to scare us. I do not think 00:06:13.500 --> 00:06:15.920 that at all. This is not a scare tactic. Rather, 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:19.459 he is trying to give us a reality check. He knows 00:06:19.459 --> 00:06:23.300 what eternity holds. See, this world is fleeting 00:06:23.300 --> 00:06:26.779 and eternity awaits. So investing in this earth 00:06:26.779 --> 00:06:33.620 while ignoring eternity is so very foolish. Earthly 00:06:33.620 --> 00:06:38.459 wealth. is a terribly poor trade for the priceless 00:06:38.459 --> 00:06:41.879 soul. Now in our text today in Matthew 13, Jesus, 00:06:42.019 --> 00:06:44.399 he gives two short parables. They're very short, 00:06:44.459 --> 00:06:47.040 and they both ask the same question, essentially. 00:06:47.899 --> 00:06:51.420 What is the kingdom of God worth? What's it worth? 00:06:51.980 --> 00:06:54.279 Now both of these men in these parables, they 00:06:54.279 --> 00:06:57.579 joyfully, it said, sold everything they had because 00:06:57.579 --> 00:07:01.480 they understood that what they found was infinitely 00:07:01.480 --> 00:07:05.060 more valuable than what they gave up. So the 00:07:05.060 --> 00:07:09.959 idea here is when someone truly sees the value 00:07:09.959 --> 00:07:14.220 of Christ and the value of his kingdom, giving 00:07:14.220 --> 00:07:19.939 up everything will still feel like gain. See, 00:07:19.980 --> 00:07:21.740 the Lord is teaching one central truth here. 00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:27.019 Nothing, nothing compares to the treasure of 00:07:27.019 --> 00:07:30.110 God's kingdom. Nothing. There's nothing on earth 00:07:30.110 --> 00:07:32.389 that is more valuable. Nothing can even come 00:07:32.389 --> 00:07:35.610 close. Nothing is comparable to it. Now, we want 00:07:35.610 --> 00:07:37.910 to ask, why does Matthew, what is meant by kingdom 00:07:37.910 --> 00:07:40.550 of heaven? Well, first of all, kingdom of heaven 00:07:40.550 --> 00:07:42.509 and kingdom of God mean the exact same thing. 00:07:43.410 --> 00:07:46.029 Matthew was a Jewish man writing to primarily 00:07:46.029 --> 00:07:48.889 a Jewish audience, Matthew's gospel. The Jews 00:07:48.889 --> 00:07:51.110 were careful not to break the commandment of 00:07:51.110 --> 00:07:53.670 taking the Lord's name in vain. So in order to 00:07:53.670 --> 00:07:55.470 not take his name in vain, they would substitute 00:07:55.470 --> 00:07:59.019 the word heaven for God. So you go, Matthew, 00:07:59.180 --> 00:08:02.180 all throughout his gospel, he will only refer 00:08:02.180 --> 00:08:04.720 to as the kingdom of heaven. But you have Mark, 00:08:04.720 --> 00:08:07.220 who is a Gentile, writing a gospel to Gentiles, 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:10.939 and he almost always, no, not almost, he always 00:08:10.939 --> 00:08:14.319 uses the phrase kingdom of God. So kingdom of 00:08:14.319 --> 00:08:16.040 heaven and kingdom of God are the same thing. 00:08:17.120 --> 00:08:20.639 Now, what does that mean, though? We talk about 00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:24.480 it, we sung about it. In its simplest form, it 00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:27.709 refers to God's rule or his reign. Basileia in 00:08:27.709 --> 00:08:31.850 Greek, basilica, kingdom. Now it's not exclusively 00:08:31.850 --> 00:08:38.629 a people. It's not exclusively a place. But here's 00:08:38.629 --> 00:08:40.610 where it gets a little confusing. The kingdom 00:08:40.610 --> 00:08:42.889 of God does produce both a people and a place. 00:08:43.470 --> 00:08:46.570 Think of the church. The church on earth is kingdom 00:08:46.570 --> 00:08:49.809 in seed form. But when we're talking in this 00:08:49.809 --> 00:08:52.049 parable about the kingdom of God, we're talking 00:08:52.049 --> 00:08:55.549 in particular about the saving reign of God or 00:08:55.549 --> 00:09:00.269 the saving rule of Jesus. So for our sake this 00:09:00.269 --> 00:09:02.750 morning, we're going to have the kingdom of God 00:09:02.750 --> 00:09:05.029 referring and being synonymous with salvation 00:09:05.029 --> 00:09:08.990 because that's what the idea is. So now look 00:09:08.990 --> 00:09:10.590 at the first parable again. Look at verse 44. 00:09:10.830 --> 00:09:13.690 The kingdom of God is like a treasure hidden 00:09:13.690 --> 00:09:18.009 in a field which a man found and he hid it and 00:09:18.009 --> 00:09:21.769 with joy he goes and sells all that he has. To 00:09:21.769 --> 00:09:24.809 buy that field. Now notice, the kingdom of heaven 00:09:24.809 --> 00:09:29.309 is like. It's a simile. It's a comparison. So 00:09:29.309 --> 00:09:31.690 don't press the details too far, and I'll talk 00:09:31.690 --> 00:09:34.409 about that in just a moment. So why is the kingdom 00:09:34.409 --> 00:09:36.929 of God like? Jesus said, well, it's like a treasure 00:09:36.929 --> 00:09:41.149 that's hidden. A man found some treasure hidden. 00:09:41.250 --> 00:09:44.549 It was buried in a field. And he was so excited 00:09:44.549 --> 00:09:48.210 over this newfound discovery, he knew he had 00:09:48.210 --> 00:09:50.830 to have it. Now at that time in history, you 00:09:50.830 --> 00:09:53.169 have to understand, there were no banks. There 00:09:53.169 --> 00:09:56.029 were no safe deposit boxes to keep your valuables 00:09:56.029 --> 00:10:00.450 safely stored. No storage facilities. So in order 00:10:00.450 --> 00:10:03.529 to keep treasure safe, people would hide them 00:10:03.529 --> 00:10:06.629 in a field and come back later to retrieve it. 00:10:06.710 --> 00:10:08.649 And this is especially true because at this time 00:10:08.649 --> 00:10:10.549 in history, keep in mind, there were frequent 00:10:10.549 --> 00:10:13.950 wars. So people would want to protect their valuables 00:10:13.950 --> 00:10:16.429 from invading armies. So they would put it in 00:10:16.429 --> 00:10:18.129 a jar or something like that, some canister. 00:10:18.600 --> 00:10:21.240 Go out and bury it. Well, what if they were killed 00:10:21.240 --> 00:10:23.379 in battle? Or what if they were never able to 00:10:23.379 --> 00:10:25.899 come back to the field? That treasure would remain 00:10:25.899 --> 00:10:29.679 buried. See, that's why you have coins and jewels 00:10:29.679 --> 00:10:32.440 and valuables that were buried in fields. And 00:10:32.440 --> 00:10:33.879 by the way, some of those are still being found 00:10:33.879 --> 00:10:37.419 today in the land of Palestine. So this man, 00:10:37.559 --> 00:10:40.460 he wants to gain this treasure. He wants to have 00:10:40.460 --> 00:10:43.879 it. But what's he have to do first? Well, he 00:10:43.879 --> 00:10:46.360 knows he has to buy that field. So what's he 00:10:46.360 --> 00:10:47.720 going to do? Well, he needs to raise some capital. 00:10:47.899 --> 00:10:50.539 He needs to have enough money. Well, the only 00:10:50.539 --> 00:10:52.100 way he's going to do this, he's probably a day 00:10:52.100 --> 00:10:55.440 laborer. He sells everything he has. That's the 00:10:55.440 --> 00:10:59.120 text. He sells everything he owns to raise enough 00:10:59.120 --> 00:11:02.279 money to go purchase that land to get that treasure 00:11:02.279 --> 00:11:04.580 that was buried in that land. Now, why would 00:11:04.580 --> 00:11:08.000 he do that? Why would he sell everything, not 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:11.159 my words, Jesus' words, he owned. I mean, why 00:11:11.159 --> 00:11:15.159 bet the whole farm? Because he was convinced 00:11:15.159 --> 00:11:18.919 that the value, of what was hidden in that field 00:11:18.919 --> 00:11:22.860 was more valuable than everything he owned. He 00:11:22.860 --> 00:11:25.419 was convinced of that. And friends, this is an 00:11:25.419 --> 00:11:28.279 act of faith. He truly believed the treasure 00:11:28.279 --> 00:11:31.200 was worth more than everything he owned, which 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:33.659 caused him then to act upon that belief. And 00:11:33.659 --> 00:11:36.259 that's what faith does. A living faith. If it's 00:11:36.259 --> 00:11:40.000 living, it moves us to action. Now, obviously, 00:11:40.120 --> 00:11:43.000 Jesus was not teaching that the kingdom of God 00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:45.669 was a treasure that could be bought. You don't 00:11:45.669 --> 00:11:47.990 get a purchase salvation. He was not teaching 00:11:47.990 --> 00:11:50.809 that you buy it in any way. In fact, in the fifth 00:11:50.809 --> 00:11:52.730 chapter of Matthew, where we started with the 00:11:52.730 --> 00:11:55.950 Beatitudes, Matthew 5, 3, says the kingdom of 00:11:55.950 --> 00:11:59.389 God belongs to who? Those who are poor in spirit. 00:12:00.429 --> 00:12:03.730 That's who gets it. Tokas in Greek, it's a beggar. 00:12:04.309 --> 00:12:08.190 They understand they have no resources at all. 00:12:08.769 --> 00:12:10.870 So the point of the parable, because that's what 00:12:10.870 --> 00:12:15.009 it is, is that the kingdom of God, is of such 00:12:15.009 --> 00:12:17.950 immense worth that you should let nothing keep 00:12:17.950 --> 00:12:20.870 you from entering into it. It's worth more than 00:12:20.870 --> 00:12:22.730 everything you have in life or everything you 00:12:22.730 --> 00:12:25.850 would ever hope to have in life. What if it does 00:12:25.850 --> 00:12:29.549 cost you everything? What if it does? Even then, 00:12:29.649 --> 00:12:32.929 you can't call it a sacrifice because what you 00:12:32.929 --> 00:12:38.169 gain far exceeds all that you give up. And I 00:12:38.169 --> 00:12:40.669 want you to notice the emotion. Jesus said this 00:12:40.669 --> 00:12:45.620 man had joy. at the prospect of doing this. He 00:12:45.620 --> 00:12:49.179 is more than happy to sell all that he had. He's 00:12:49.179 --> 00:12:53.220 giddy at what he's going to do. He couldn't wait 00:12:53.220 --> 00:12:56.840 to go do it. So this is not a grit your teeth 00:12:56.840 --> 00:13:00.399 and do it decision. Not at all. It's an act of 00:13:00.399 --> 00:13:04.039 pure joy. Why? He was convinced of the value 00:13:04.039 --> 00:13:07.360 of the treasure so he was more than willing to 00:13:07.360 --> 00:13:12.059 make that trade. And this is the attitude Of 00:13:12.059 --> 00:13:15.980 those whose eyes have been opened and you can 00:13:15.980 --> 00:13:19.659 see their surpassing value and worth of the Lord 00:13:19.659 --> 00:13:23.639 Jesus Christ. See, people do not come into the 00:13:23.639 --> 00:13:25.899 kingdom of God kicking and screaming against 00:13:25.899 --> 00:13:29.940 their will. It's not how it works. But the Holy 00:13:29.940 --> 00:13:33.600 Spirit does a work in you. And one day you notice 00:13:33.600 --> 00:13:35.759 your eyes are open, your ears are open, and you 00:13:35.759 --> 00:13:40.480 behold something of the glory of Christ. Now, 00:13:40.480 --> 00:13:42.320 we don't understand it all, but we behold something 00:13:42.320 --> 00:13:45.139 of his glory. And those people who see something 00:13:45.139 --> 00:13:48.379 of his glory, they joyfully run into the kingdom 00:13:48.379 --> 00:13:51.799 smiling from ear to ear because they want to 00:13:51.799 --> 00:13:55.799 have that treasure. This is the joyful, willful 00:13:55.799 --> 00:13:59.159 response to God's grace. When writing about the 00:13:59.159 --> 00:14:01.139 kingdom of God in Romans, Paul said in Romans 00:14:01.139 --> 00:14:04.700 14, verse 17, for the kingdom of God is, he said, 00:14:04.740 --> 00:14:10.909 it's righteousness, it's peace. and joy in the 00:14:10.909 --> 00:14:14.210 Holy Spirit. Life in God's kingdom is joyful, 00:14:14.370 --> 00:14:18.649 not dreadful. If you've been born again, it's 00:14:18.649 --> 00:14:24.210 a big if. Your desire, your joy is tied to Christ. 00:14:25.309 --> 00:14:28.590 You've got to have him. Listen, I know we talk 00:14:28.590 --> 00:14:30.730 a lot about heaven in church. We ought to. We 00:14:30.730 --> 00:14:32.789 sing songs about heaven. But I've said it so 00:14:32.789 --> 00:14:35.470 many times. What makes heaven heaven is not streets 00:14:35.470 --> 00:14:37.490 of gold. It's not great big pearls with gates. 00:14:37.690 --> 00:14:40.169 What makes heaven heaven is that the Lord Jesus 00:14:40.169 --> 00:14:43.789 Christ, your Savior, is there. You want to be 00:14:43.789 --> 00:14:46.870 with Him. I've got to have Jesus. I don't have 00:14:46.870 --> 00:14:48.990 to have anything else in life. But I must have 00:14:48.990 --> 00:14:52.929 Him. And that's the attitude of the Apostle Paul. 00:14:53.519 --> 00:14:56.120 Because you understand the worth and the value 00:14:56.120 --> 00:14:58.100 of having a relationship with Jesus, you're happy 00:14:58.100 --> 00:15:02.799 to do anything. As long as I have him. Paul was 00:15:02.799 --> 00:15:05.299 the golden -haired boy growing up in Judaism. 00:15:05.759 --> 00:15:09.299 The next leader studied under famed Rabbi Gamaliel. 00:15:10.039 --> 00:15:12.740 He was taught at the finest schools. He had the 00:15:12.740 --> 00:15:15.179 best education. An erudite scholar, if there 00:15:15.179 --> 00:15:20.139 ever was one, was Paul. Philippians 3. He says, 00:15:20.220 --> 00:15:24.799 but what things were gained to me. All those 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:29.480 things. These I have counted loss for Christ. 00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:34.080 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the 00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:36.879 excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my 00:15:36.879 --> 00:15:39.620 Lord. Now notice what he just says. For whom 00:15:39.620 --> 00:15:43.639 I have suffered the loss of all things. He lost 00:15:43.639 --> 00:15:47.600 it all. But I count them as rubbish, garbage, 00:15:47.960 --> 00:15:53.840 refuse that I may gain Christ. Paul said, listen, 00:15:53.980 --> 00:15:56.019 let's think of a ledger, an accounting ledger. 00:15:56.080 --> 00:15:58.240 He said if you put Christ on one side of the 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:01.039 ledger, and on the other side you put everything 00:16:01.039 --> 00:16:03.779 in his life that he's ever owned, including titles, 00:16:04.240 --> 00:16:08.620 reputation, pedigree, learning, friends, he said 00:16:08.620 --> 00:16:10.620 you put that all on the other side of the ledger. 00:16:12.440 --> 00:16:15.379 Christ surpasses all those other things combined. 00:16:16.379 --> 00:16:19.299 It's no comparison at all. In fact, Paul said, 00:16:19.379 --> 00:16:23.429 what I once thought was gain, I now consider 00:16:23.429 --> 00:16:27.769 loss. It's just garbage when it's compared to 00:16:27.769 --> 00:16:31.070 Christ. But I want you to compare that attitude 00:16:31.070 --> 00:16:36.049 to another man. We know him as a rich young ruler 00:16:36.049 --> 00:16:41.590 in Matthew 19. Now behold, one came and said 00:16:41.590 --> 00:16:46.210 to him, that is to Jesus, good teacher, rabbi, 00:16:46.210 --> 00:16:49.330 what good things shall I do that I may have eternal 00:16:49.330 --> 00:16:52.179 life? So Jesus said to him, well, why do you 00:16:52.179 --> 00:16:55.059 call me good? No one is good but one. That is 00:16:55.059 --> 00:16:58.240 God. But if you want to enter into life, keep 00:16:58.240 --> 00:17:00.039 the commandments. And that's true. Keep them. 00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:01.740 If you keep them perfectly, you'll enter into 00:17:01.740 --> 00:17:03.039 life. The problem is you're not going to keep 00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:05.819 them perfectly. He said, well, which ones? Which 00:17:05.819 --> 00:17:07.359 commandments are you talking about, Jesus? And 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:09.400 he said, well, you know them. You shall not murder. 00:17:10.380 --> 00:17:12.539 Don't commit adultery. Don't steal. He's given 00:17:12.539 --> 00:17:14.779 the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments here. You 00:17:14.779 --> 00:17:17.259 shall not bear false witness. Honor your father 00:17:17.259 --> 00:17:21.200 and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself. And 00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:24.220 the young man thought, great, all these things 00:17:24.220 --> 00:17:26.079 I've kept from my youth. Is there anything I'm 00:17:26.079 --> 00:17:27.579 lacking? Is there anything else I should do? 00:17:29.299 --> 00:17:31.940 Jesus is like, yeah. You want to be perfect? 00:17:33.180 --> 00:17:35.460 I tell you what, go and sell what you have and 00:17:35.460 --> 00:17:38.740 give to the poor. And you have treasure in heaven. 00:17:39.240 --> 00:17:43.380 Come, follow me, be my disciple. But when the 00:17:43.380 --> 00:17:48.660 young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, 00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:54.650 not joyful. Why? For he had great possessions. 00:17:55.690 --> 00:17:58.109 Go, sell what you have, give to the poor, and 00:17:58.109 --> 00:18:01.930 you will have treasure in heaven. Now Jesus, 00:18:02.049 --> 00:18:04.789 speaking of treasure in heaven, he's talking 00:18:04.789 --> 00:18:06.309 about a treasure that's going to last forever. 00:18:06.710 --> 00:18:10.170 Eternal treasure. And here's where we see the 00:18:10.170 --> 00:18:13.509 lack of faith. That young man did not believe 00:18:13.509 --> 00:18:17.750 Jesus' words. He didn't have faith. Had he really 00:18:17.750 --> 00:18:21.319 believed Jesus, He would have been more than 00:18:21.319 --> 00:18:23.099 willing to sell all that he had and follow Christ. 00:18:23.339 --> 00:18:26.799 If you say, you give me, I have massive treasure 00:18:26.799 --> 00:18:29.339 for eternity or I have limited treasure for a 00:18:29.339 --> 00:18:31.359 temporary time, it's a no -brainer, friends. 00:18:32.380 --> 00:18:35.279 But the man didn't believe it. His earthly possessions 00:18:35.279 --> 00:18:40.460 were more valuable to him at that moment than 00:18:40.460 --> 00:18:44.670 some uncertain future treasure. But the saddest 00:18:44.670 --> 00:18:46.849 part, this is the saddest part, he couldn't see 00:18:46.849 --> 00:18:49.009 the true treasure that was standing right in 00:18:49.009 --> 00:18:53.490 front of him, which is Christ himself. The apostle 00:18:53.490 --> 00:18:55.789 Paul saw the surpassing worth of Christ and he 00:18:55.789 --> 00:18:57.509 gladly gave up everything. He's like, listen, 00:18:57.650 --> 00:19:00.089 I'm more than happy to do it. He gave up everything 00:19:00.089 --> 00:19:02.829 and he found eternal life. The rich ruler gave 00:19:02.829 --> 00:19:08.869 up nothing and he lost his own soul. And say, 00:19:08.869 --> 00:19:12.109 friends, for some, especially... For our brothers 00:19:12.109 --> 00:19:14.089 and sisters in Northern Africa, like Nigeria 00:19:14.089 --> 00:19:17.869 right now, or North Korea, Middle Eastern countries 00:19:17.869 --> 00:19:20.150 where Sharia law is practiced, for some, when 00:19:20.150 --> 00:19:23.650 they confess Christ as Lord, it'll cost them 00:19:23.650 --> 00:19:28.569 their life. Why would you do it? Because it's 00:19:28.569 --> 00:19:32.210 worth it. I think of our brothers who have courage, 00:19:32.390 --> 00:19:35.710 backbones of steel. They convert to Christianity 00:19:35.710 --> 00:19:37.869 and they find a bounty has been placed upon their 00:19:37.869 --> 00:19:40.349 heads because of honor killings in their culture. 00:19:41.680 --> 00:19:44.940 Dads put a bounty on their own son's head. So 00:19:44.940 --> 00:19:46.759 they're targeted even by their own families. 00:19:48.220 --> 00:19:51.539 If these men and these women, they have courage, 00:19:51.759 --> 00:19:53.660 they're willing to forsake everything including 00:19:53.660 --> 00:19:58.680 family and friends and their culture. Why? Because 00:19:58.680 --> 00:20:00.279 there's a treasure hidden in that field and I've 00:20:00.279 --> 00:20:04.400 got to have it. It's Christ. They see in Jesus, 00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:06.319 and this is what I'm asking you, they see in 00:20:06.319 --> 00:20:09.640 Jesus the true treasure. He's the true treasure. 00:20:09.400 --> 00:20:12.539 true treasure. And this is evidence of a genuine 00:20:12.539 --> 00:20:17.680 work of the Holy Spirit. You see Christ for who 00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:21.700 he is. John Piper said the kingdom of God is 00:20:21.700 --> 00:20:24.980 so valuable that losing everything on earth, 00:20:25.119 --> 00:20:29.140 that getting the kingdom is a happy trade -off. 00:20:29.299 --> 00:20:32.660 Having the omnipotent saving reign of Christ 00:20:32.660 --> 00:20:36.720 in our lives is so valuable that if we lose everything 00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:41.210 in order to have it. That's a joyful sacrifice. 00:20:42.930 --> 00:20:45.049 Now, the Lord gave a second parable very similar 00:20:45.049 --> 00:20:47.029 to the first. He said, the kingdom of heaven, 00:20:47.049 --> 00:20:50.029 it's also like a merchant. This is a businessman. 00:20:50.349 --> 00:20:53.390 And he's seeking beautiful pearls. That's what 00:20:53.390 --> 00:20:57.069 he dealt in. Who, when he found one pearl of 00:20:57.069 --> 00:21:00.390 great price, he went and sold all that he had 00:21:00.390 --> 00:21:04.769 and he bought it. Now, notice there are similarities, 00:21:04.930 --> 00:21:07.200 but there's a very striking difference. In the 00:21:07.200 --> 00:21:09.740 first parable, the man just happened to stumble 00:21:09.740 --> 00:21:13.700 across a treasure. He wasn't looking. But in 00:21:13.700 --> 00:21:16.299 the second man, in the second parable, excuse 00:21:16.299 --> 00:21:19.960 me, the other man is actively seeking for a treasure. 00:21:21.200 --> 00:21:24.940 I thought about this. And I think this accurately 00:21:24.940 --> 00:21:28.180 and vividly describes how people find salvation. 00:21:29.660 --> 00:21:31.579 You ever meet someone who goes through life and 00:21:31.579 --> 00:21:33.799 they have no interest in God or religion? They're 00:21:33.799 --> 00:21:37.200 content. I do membership interviews in the church. 00:21:37.640 --> 00:21:39.980 I did one recently, and the lady told me she 00:21:39.980 --> 00:21:42.920 had no interest in it. The way the Lord converted 00:21:42.920 --> 00:21:46.019 her was very interesting. They're happily leading 00:21:46.019 --> 00:21:48.059 their lives when something unexpected happens. 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:52.599 They stumble upon some treasure hidden in a field. 00:21:53.380 --> 00:21:56.019 They weren't interested in the gospel. They had 00:21:56.019 --> 00:21:59.019 no use for the church, no desire for Christ. 00:22:00.099 --> 00:22:04.819 But they stumbled. And upon a treasure that was 00:22:04.819 --> 00:22:08.079 buried in a field. They found Christ when they 00:22:08.079 --> 00:22:11.319 weren't looking for him. And better said, God 00:22:11.319 --> 00:22:15.259 found them when they weren't seeking him. But 00:22:15.259 --> 00:22:19.099 before they knew it, God had opened their eyes. 00:22:20.259 --> 00:22:25.119 And they saw in Christ a prize far greater than 00:22:25.119 --> 00:22:29.279 anything they had ever beheld before. He was 00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:32.539 compelling. The Holy Spirit revealed to them 00:22:32.539 --> 00:22:34.819 that they were sinners and they needed a Savior, 00:22:34.960 --> 00:22:37.400 and he pointed them to the only Savior, the Lord 00:22:37.400 --> 00:22:40.339 Jesus Christ. And I think one of the best examples 00:22:40.339 --> 00:22:42.400 of this, if you know his testimony or read much 00:22:42.400 --> 00:22:45.140 about him, that we have in modern times, is a 00:22:45.140 --> 00:22:48.019 former atheist turned Christian apologist. Many 00:22:48.019 --> 00:22:51.180 of you know him, C .S. Lewis. You probably are 00:22:51.180 --> 00:22:53.319 more familiar with his works, The Chronicles 00:22:53.319 --> 00:22:56.640 of Narnia, if you read Mere Christianity, Surprised 00:22:56.640 --> 00:23:00.740 by Joy. Lewis described himself as, and I quote, 00:23:01.640 --> 00:23:06.819 the most dejected and reluctant convert in all 00:23:06.819 --> 00:23:11.720 of England. Dejected and reluctant? How in the 00:23:11.720 --> 00:23:15.779 world was he converted? I love this. Lewis famously 00:23:15.779 --> 00:23:19.980 referred to God as the hound of heaven. He said 00:23:19.980 --> 00:23:23.299 God was relentlessly pursuing him while Lewis 00:23:23.299 --> 00:23:27.519 was happy to ignore him. He stumbled. Upon a 00:23:27.519 --> 00:23:30.880 treasure buried in a field. And he couldn't deny 00:23:30.880 --> 00:23:33.339 it no longer. This is what Paul wrote about in 00:23:33.339 --> 00:23:35.579 Romans chapter 10 verse 20. He said, I was found 00:23:35.579 --> 00:23:38.480 by those who did not seek me. I was made manifest 00:23:38.480 --> 00:23:42.240 to those who did not ask for me. But there are 00:23:42.240 --> 00:23:44.900 others. And that's what the second parable. They're 00:23:44.900 --> 00:23:46.920 like the men in the second parable. Actively 00:23:46.920 --> 00:23:50.180 seeking for treasure. Some of these are anxious 00:23:50.180 --> 00:23:54.779 folks. They're seeking for valuable pearls. And 00:23:54.779 --> 00:23:58.299 this man, he said he found one that was so valuable 00:23:58.299 --> 00:24:03.779 that he had to have it. It was so worthy of his 00:24:03.779 --> 00:24:05.680 time and attention, he was willing to sell everything 00:24:05.680 --> 00:24:09.480 to get it. These are the people who have been 00:24:09.480 --> 00:24:12.900 seeking God. And the way has been very difficult 00:24:12.900 --> 00:24:18.180 for them. They pass through dark times. Some 00:24:18.180 --> 00:24:21.859 nearly quit in despair. Brother Forrest is not 00:24:21.859 --> 00:24:23.740 here, but that would be his testimony. He wrote 00:24:23.740 --> 00:24:28.059 it out for me one time. He despaired. Despaired 00:24:28.059 --> 00:24:30.799 of damnation, never thinking he would be saved. 00:24:31.940 --> 00:24:37.359 Until one day. One day they found it. The pearl 00:24:37.359 --> 00:24:40.480 of great price was before them. And they had 00:24:40.480 --> 00:24:43.460 to have it. See, from their viewpoint, they were 00:24:43.460 --> 00:24:47.839 seeking God. Now, we know the whole time it was 00:24:47.839 --> 00:24:51.569 God, the hound of heaven, Who is seeking them. 00:24:52.750 --> 00:24:58.549 There's a great paradox. Isaiah 55. Seek the 00:24:58.549 --> 00:25:00.710 Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while 00:25:00.710 --> 00:25:03.089 he is near. I use that a lot if I'm in evangelism. 00:25:04.789 --> 00:25:08.349 But in Romans, Paul wrote, there's none righteous, 00:25:08.369 --> 00:25:11.349 not even one. There's none who understands. There's 00:25:11.349 --> 00:25:17.130 none who seeks after God. Okay. Isaiah says, 00:25:17.210 --> 00:25:19.009 seek the Lord. And Paul says, no one seeks the 00:25:19.009 --> 00:25:23.869 Lord. How do you reconcile these verses? Isaiah 00:25:23.869 --> 00:25:26.750 is speaking of God's universal call that goes 00:25:26.750 --> 00:25:30.390 out to all people. God graciously invites sinners 00:25:30.390 --> 00:25:35.410 everywhere. God is near. Forgiveness is available. 00:25:36.190 --> 00:25:39.890 And sinners are urged to come and drink from 00:25:39.890 --> 00:25:43.069 that well. In fact, God won't reject anyone who 00:25:43.069 --> 00:25:46.369 comes to him. But then you come to Paul writing 00:25:46.369 --> 00:25:48.980 in the book of Romans. And he's looking at it 00:25:48.980 --> 00:25:51.160 from a different perspective. He's describing 00:25:51.160 --> 00:25:55.460 man's fallen condition. Man, by nature, is depraved. 00:25:56.700 --> 00:26:01.019 He's not neutral. He's hostile to God. He doesn't 00:26:01.019 --> 00:26:04.359 love light. He hates it and loves darkness. Which 00:26:04.359 --> 00:26:07.660 means that mankind, without the grace of God, 00:26:07.779 --> 00:26:11.500 unaided by grace, will never respond to God's 00:26:11.500 --> 00:26:14.119 gracious invitation. The gracious invitation 00:26:14.119 --> 00:26:15.839 is still there, but they won't respond to it. 00:26:16.079 --> 00:26:18.779 Isaiah says, seek God. Paul says, nobody apart 00:26:18.779 --> 00:26:22.900 from grace really seeks God. Isaiah is assuming 00:26:22.900 --> 00:26:26.319 human responsibility. Paul is assuming divine 00:26:26.319 --> 00:26:29.059 sovereignty. And once again, we feel the tension. 00:26:30.180 --> 00:26:32.559 It's there. It's there throughout all scripture. 00:26:32.700 --> 00:26:35.640 You have human responsibility. Mankind is responsible, 00:26:35.900 --> 00:26:39.619 but you also have God as sovereign. People are 00:26:39.619 --> 00:26:42.829 commanded. to repent of their sin, to seek the 00:26:42.829 --> 00:26:45.230 Lord, to believe the gospel and obey Christ. 00:26:45.990 --> 00:26:48.750 They're commanded to do that. Yet at the same 00:26:48.750 --> 00:26:51.730 time, Scripture says, God must awaken hearts, 00:26:51.910 --> 00:26:55.170 draw people, grant repentance, and reveal himself. 00:26:56.789 --> 00:26:59.230 John 6, I'll give you one more before we would 00:26:59.230 --> 00:27:03.829 close. John 6, verse 44. No man can come unto 00:27:03.829 --> 00:27:09.049 me unless, here's the stipulation, unless the 00:27:09.049 --> 00:27:11.299 Father, Who sent me draws him. That's the only 00:27:11.299 --> 00:27:14.319 way you come to Christ. Now, friends, exegetically, 00:27:14.339 --> 00:27:17.200 that's not hard to look at. We may not like it, 00:27:17.240 --> 00:27:21.619 but it's what it says. And also, the same Jesus 00:27:21.619 --> 00:27:26.119 in Matthew 11 says, Come to me, all who labor 00:27:26.119 --> 00:27:28.880 and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 00:27:29.039 --> 00:27:33.599 You are weak. You are tired. Come to me. Which 00:27:33.599 --> 00:27:38.660 is it? It's both. See, some accidentally discover 00:27:38.660 --> 00:27:43.660 treasure. Others actively seek it. But in both 00:27:43.660 --> 00:27:47.539 cases, it is God working behind the scenes to 00:27:47.539 --> 00:27:51.839 bring them to salvation. Salvation is of the 00:27:51.839 --> 00:27:55.700 Lord. J .I. Packer wrote a book called Sovereignty 00:27:55.700 --> 00:27:58.819 in Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God or the 00:27:58.819 --> 00:28:01.099 Sovereignty of God in Evangelism. It's there. 00:28:01.140 --> 00:28:02.579 Google it. You'll find it. I'm probably messing 00:28:02.579 --> 00:28:05.720 the title up. But he wrote this, and it was very 00:28:05.720 --> 00:28:09.519 good. He says, An antimony exists when a pair 00:28:09.519 --> 00:28:11.900 of principles stand side by side. And he's talking 00:28:11.900 --> 00:28:13.900 about divine sovereignty and human responsibility. 00:28:14.400 --> 00:28:18.599 They stand side by side, seemingly, paradoxically, 00:28:18.640 --> 00:28:22.799 irreconcilable. Both truths are undeniable. There 00:28:22.799 --> 00:28:25.079 are cogent reasons for believing each of them. 00:28:25.700 --> 00:28:27.900 Each of them rests on clear and solid evidence. 00:28:28.539 --> 00:28:31.519 But it is a mystery to know how they can be squared 00:28:31.519 --> 00:28:34.200 with each other. You see that each must be true 00:28:34.200 --> 00:28:37.410 on its own. They both are true. But you don't 00:28:37.410 --> 00:28:40.670 see how they can both be true together. Two seemingly 00:28:40.670 --> 00:28:43.829 incompatible positions must be held together, 00:28:43.950 --> 00:28:49.029 and both must be treated as true. Such a necessity 00:28:49.029 --> 00:28:54.369 scandalizes our tiny minds, no doubt. But there's 00:28:54.369 --> 00:28:56.369 no help for it if we are to be loyal to the facts. 00:28:56.490 --> 00:29:00.390 And he goes on. What the Bible does is to assert 00:29:00.390 --> 00:29:04.640 both... side by side in the strongest and most 00:29:04.640 --> 00:29:09.779 unambiguous terms as two ultimate facts. This, 00:29:09.799 --> 00:29:11.819 therefore, is the position we must take in our 00:29:11.819 --> 00:29:18.440 own thinking. C .H. Spurgeon was once asked if 00:29:18.440 --> 00:29:20.400 he could reconcile these two truths to each other. 00:29:21.460 --> 00:29:25.980 I would not try, he said. I never reconcile friends. 00:29:27.200 --> 00:29:31.789 Friends? Yes, friends. This is the point that 00:29:31.789 --> 00:29:35.710 we have to grasp. In the Bible, divine sovereignty 00:29:35.710 --> 00:29:39.809 and human responsibility are not enemies. They 00:29:39.809 --> 00:29:43.710 are not even uneasy neighbors. They are not in 00:29:43.710 --> 00:29:46.029 an endless state of cold war with each other. 00:29:46.829 --> 00:29:51.339 They are friends, and they work together. Just 00:29:51.339 --> 00:29:54.539 because you and I cannot understand how the sovereignty 00:29:54.539 --> 00:29:57.380 of God and the responsibility of man work together 00:29:57.380 --> 00:30:01.079 does not make it untrue. All that means is that 00:30:01.079 --> 00:30:05.000 our understanding is insufficient. It just means 00:30:05.000 --> 00:30:07.180 our tiny minds can't comprehend it. But let me 00:30:07.180 --> 00:30:09.380 just say that. That's a case for so many things 00:30:09.380 --> 00:30:12.220 in scripture. So very many things. There are 00:30:12.220 --> 00:30:14.380 many things that are too high for me and I trust 00:30:14.380 --> 00:30:16.640 for you as well. Things I cannot fully understand 00:30:16.640 --> 00:30:18.480 but I believe by faith. I will give you two. 00:30:19.150 --> 00:30:21.769 First of all, one God, three persons. Not three 00:30:21.769 --> 00:30:24.450 gods, not tritheism. One God, eternal essence 00:30:24.450 --> 00:30:27.390 in three eternal distinct persons. Yet one God, 00:30:27.490 --> 00:30:31.049 a triunity, a trinity. How can one God be three 00:30:31.049 --> 00:30:33.970 distinct persons and still be one? One and three 00:30:33.970 --> 00:30:35.829 and three and one. How? I don't know. I believe 00:30:35.829 --> 00:30:39.930 it. The Bible says it. The other thing is the 00:30:39.930 --> 00:30:42.509 nature of Christ. Is Christ man? Yes, he's a 00:30:42.509 --> 00:30:44.369 son of man. Truly man. Yeah, born of the virgin. 00:30:45.289 --> 00:30:47.269 Is he truly God? Yes, he's truly God, and she 00:30:47.269 --> 00:30:49.230 was the Theotokos. She was the God -bearer. He 00:30:49.230 --> 00:30:52.750 was also the son of God eternally. How do you 00:30:52.750 --> 00:30:54.789 be both son of God? How do you be both God and 00:30:54.789 --> 00:30:59.410 man? I don't know. I can't understand it. Theologians 00:30:59.410 --> 00:31:01.190 refer to it as a hypostatic union, if that helps 00:31:01.190 --> 00:31:02.769 you, but I don't think it helps any of us. It 00:31:02.769 --> 00:31:05.130 just gives you a term for it. What do we do? 00:31:05.750 --> 00:31:08.769 We believe it by faith. Now, we're at the two 00:31:08.769 --> 00:31:12.730 -minute drill. So what? So what's the point of 00:31:12.730 --> 00:31:16.730 this parable? In Matthew 6, Jesus said, I think, 00:31:16.730 --> 00:31:19.569 something that we ought to really heed. Seek 00:31:19.569 --> 00:31:22.829 first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. 00:31:23.250 --> 00:31:27.130 Seek first. Why seek it first? Why does it have 00:31:27.130 --> 00:31:29.609 to have the priority? Because it is the most 00:31:29.609 --> 00:31:31.210 valuable thing on this planet and everything 00:31:31.210 --> 00:31:34.549 else pales in comparison. If we thought anything 00:31:34.549 --> 00:31:37.490 else above it, it would be idolatry. So in these 00:31:37.490 --> 00:31:40.009 parables of today, the Lord Jesus has been teaching 00:31:40.009 --> 00:31:42.690 us something. The kingdom of God is so valuable. 00:31:43.579 --> 00:31:45.559 That people should be willing to do anything, 00:31:45.700 --> 00:31:48.279 including dispossess themselves of all their 00:31:48.279 --> 00:31:52.180 possessions, give up everything in order to have 00:31:52.180 --> 00:31:55.819 it. All right, and this is the good part. But 00:31:55.819 --> 00:32:01.460 the kingdom of God is not for sale. It is a gift 00:32:01.460 --> 00:32:03.680 from God himself. Now, let me prove this. Luke 00:32:03.680 --> 00:32:06.200 12, 32, one of my favorite verses here. Jesus 00:32:06.200 --> 00:32:08.220 speaking to his disciples, he says, do not fear, 00:32:08.299 --> 00:32:13.170 little flock. Why? Why not fear? For it is your 00:32:13.170 --> 00:32:18.529 Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 00:32:19.730 --> 00:32:21.609 God's kingdom is not something to be earned. 00:32:21.769 --> 00:32:24.289 It's not something to be bought. It's a gift 00:32:24.289 --> 00:32:28.410 that is to be received. This is why Jesus started 00:32:28.410 --> 00:32:30.589 in Matthew 5 with the Beatitudes. The very first 00:32:30.589 --> 00:32:33.049 Beatitude. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for 00:32:33.049 --> 00:32:38.049 theirs is the kingdom of heaven. God gives his 00:32:38.049 --> 00:32:41.329 salvation to those who know. They don't deserve 00:32:41.329 --> 00:32:44.069 it. Who know they cannot earn it? Who are the 00:32:44.069 --> 00:32:46.109 poor in spirit? Because it says theirs is the 00:32:46.109 --> 00:32:48.109 kingdom of heaven. They possess it. Well, who 00:32:48.109 --> 00:32:50.490 are they? He's not speaking of physical poverty, 00:32:50.630 --> 00:32:53.990 but spiritual poverty. It means that word, it 00:32:53.990 --> 00:32:57.470 is to be destitute. Tokas in Greek. It's to be 00:32:57.470 --> 00:33:01.089 a beggar, to be helpless, to be powerless. He's 00:33:01.089 --> 00:33:03.369 speaking of the one who has complete spiritual 00:33:03.369 --> 00:33:06.970 bankruptcy. And he says blessed, happy, mercadios 00:33:06.970 --> 00:33:09.380 in Greek. Happy are those folks. Why? Because 00:33:09.380 --> 00:33:13.920 they know their only hope is in God. They've 00:33:13.920 --> 00:33:17.140 understood something. They can't save themselves. 00:33:17.980 --> 00:33:21.400 So they cast themselves upon the mercy and grace 00:33:21.400 --> 00:33:26.099 of God. And Jesus says to them, don't worry, 00:33:26.220 --> 00:33:28.880 little flock. It's my father's good pleasure 00:33:28.880 --> 00:33:33.240 to give you the kingdom. He who has ears to hear. 00:33:34.339 --> 00:33:38.039 Let him hear. Let's pray. Father, thank you for 00:33:38.039 --> 00:33:41.099 your word. Lord, it is very good. It is so very 00:33:41.099 --> 00:33:44.500 rich, and we thank you, Lord. Thank you for your 00:33:44.500 --> 00:33:47.279 revelation in revealing Christ to us. Father, 00:33:47.319 --> 00:33:49.799 we had no eyes to behold him, no ears to hear 00:33:49.799 --> 00:33:52.460 his voice. It was a work of your spirit, Lord. 00:33:52.539 --> 00:33:54.900 For some of us, it was at an early age, being 00:33:54.900 --> 00:33:57.480 raised in a Christian home. For others, Lord, 00:33:57.539 --> 00:33:59.160 they found you and they weren't looking. They 00:33:59.160 --> 00:34:01.279 were adults, happily going on their own merry 00:34:01.279 --> 00:34:03.920 way, and God, you interrupted them by tripping 00:34:03.920 --> 00:34:04.799 them over that treasure.