Have we identified that treasure?

I'm reading the name of Jesus this morning.! The East, some that have never been here, were here, and they could not get done talking about the beauty of this area.

You know, we take those things for granted, but God's beauty is also everywhere, wherever people live.

But let's not take for granted the work that God has done, the beauty of creation, and the beauty of what He is doing in our lives.

Turn to Matthew 13.

This morning, I want to look at the pearl of great Christ, the treasure in the field.

We'll look at this. We'll talk about it for a while. Matthew 13, we'll start in verse 44.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hidden in a field, the which, when a man is found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth, and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man seeking goodly pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good and the vessels, but cast the bad away.

So shall it be at the end of the world, the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just. Now, verse 44, we have Jesus talking, and he says, he likens the kingdom of heaven to a treasure in a field.

So here's his treasure in a field, and nobody knows that it's there, nobody knows what it is. But we have this man that finds this treasure, and what does he do?

First off, he goes, and he sells everything that he has to have enough money to buy that field. Why? Because he has identified a treasure.

He has identified something in this field that is worth more than anything that he has, that he owns. And Jesus says, that is how the kingdom of heaven is.

That is how the kingdom of heaven is here on this earth, is it is worth more than anything else that we have, or that we can have.

So he makes the decision. You know, we heard about decisions, and making the right decision. And how, you know, every decision that you make in life will affect the rest of your life.

You know, every decision we make, it alters our course, and it directs our path. And so this man, he found this treasure, and he made the decision.

Look at that treasure. It is worth more than me. It is worth more than anything that I have. And I want it more than anything that I have.

And so what does he do? He sells all. He sells all that he has, and he buys that field, that he might have that treasure.

In verse 45, we have it again. There is this merchant man, and he is seeking goodly pearls. And as I think about this man, I think that, you know, he has probably got a lot of pearls.

He has got a lot of things. He is a merchant man, and he buys and he sells. But here he finds a pearl.

One pearl of great price. It's a pearl that is worth more than any of the dozens or hundreds of pearls that he already has.

It's worth more than any of the others. It's worth more than anything that he has. And what does he do? He sells all that he has.

However many it is. Is it dozens or is it hundreds? He just puts them up for sale. Yes, I want to sell this. Make me a deal. I want to sell this and get rid of it.

I need the cash. And he sells all that he has. Why? To buy that pearl of great price. Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is like this.

My question this morning is, have we identified the treasure in the field? Have we identified that pearl of great price?

Do we realize? Do we realize what we have? Do we realize that that us as Christians, it is our destiny to have this pearl of great price?

Are we are we willing to pay the price for it? Are we hanging on to our pearls that we have? Oh, I've got this. I've got this chest full of little pearls and, and I, you know, they're worth a dime.

I don't want to get rid of these that I can buy one for $10. I know that's old prices. But you follow me in what I'm saying?

We all have. What do we have? We have a life. We have friends. We have, we have things in this life.

Are we selling anything that is standing in the way of us to own that treasure, the treasure of the kingdom of God?

Have we found the treasure, the true pearl of great price? It is the kingdom of heaven. It is the Lord Jesus.

You know, have we identified it as a great treasure or, you know, have we grown up in a Christian home?

We've heard about Jesus all our life and the plan of salvation and the gospel and all of that. And, and it's not, it's not a great treasure to us.

How is it with us? How is it with us? How is it with us? Have we identified the kingdom of God and the will of God as a great treasure in our life?

Take care. Take care. Take care. Take care. Take care. Take care. Take care. Take care. Take care. Take care. Take care.

Take care. Take care. Take care. Take care. Take care. Take care. Take care. Take care. Take care. Take care. Take care.

Take care. Take care. Take care. Take care. Take care. Take care. Take care. Take care. joyfully he happily went and he sold everything he had why because the treasure in the field was worth so much more than anything he already had and the kingdom of heaven is worth so much more in our life the will of god in our life is worth so much more than anything we can come up with ourselves it is worth so much more than anything we can do in our own on our own strength of our own will to be used of god in the kingdom of god is a great treasure this man he joyfully went and he sold all that he had you know he didn't grudgingly do it and it's the same with us today if we grudgingly want to give to the lord it will be of no avail leavitton corinthians says god loves a cheerful giver whether it's our money or whether it's ourselves whether it's our time whether it's going to honduras for a year or two whatever it is can we do it joyfully if we do it joyfully because it is the will of god in due season we will reap if we think not in matthew 19 we have a man that made the wrong decision here we have this young man that came and he asked matthew 19 verse 16 good master what good thing shall i do that i may have eternal life isn't that the same question so many people are asking today they want to do a good thing to have eternal life well jesus answered and told him to uh keep the commandments and so on and he said what all these have i kept from my youth up and then verse 21 jesus said if thou will be perfect go and sell that thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come follow me but when the young man heard that saying he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions you know this morning whatever we have that is hindering us from fulfilling the will of god and walking in his will we need to sell it and get rid of it and if we are like this young man that he was not willing he was not willing he was sorrowful because what what the master was asking was so much more than what he was willing to give it was not like the man that joyfully sold everything he gave he gave he just got rid of it all he sold it all that he might have that treasure and let me sell let me tell you this morning when god asks you to do something when god has a calling on your life or when god when the holy spirit prompts you to do something

do it joyfully sacrifice give give sell what it what you what whatever you need to do to do the will of god if he's asking for a lifetime of service it's the best way you can spend your life and the rewards are forever remember this man this man he was not willing he was not willing and i believe jesus knew that his possessions were his idol he knew that his possessions would keep him from from being the disciple that jesus wanted him to be and it says he went away sorrowful quite opposite of the man that joyfully sold all that he had what hinders us from fulfilling the will of god what is it what is it you know we all have houses and lands and family and jobs and none of it is wrong unless it hinders us from fulfilling the will of god here in matthew 19 let's look look at verse 29 yet and everyone that has forsaken houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my name's sake shall receive a hundredfold and shall inherit everlasting life you know we we we look at people that are out on the mission field and they made such a sacrifice leaving the american way of life and then going somewhere but their vision is right and i believe that's why they're there and if our vision is right we will not look at it that way why because we must see that the kingdom of heaven is so much greater than I am.

Are we living for something greater? Are we living for ourselves? You know, is our life, does our life consist of me?

Or is my life for the master? That he might use me as he can. That he might use me, that he might make of me the man he wants me to be.

You know, and if he asks us to leave family, to leave home, to go to Honduras for however long, then let's do it joyfully.

Let's do it joyfully, knowing that our Lord will be with us and that he will reward us in due time.

How is our vision? Is our vision only the temporal things, the things of this life, the things that we deal with every day?

Or do we see the eternal?

Corinthians says, the things that are seen, they're temporal, and they'll pass away. But the things that are not seen, they are eternal.

They are eternal. There's a quote from Jim Elliot.

What is it? He is no fool that gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. What an awesome, awesome thought.

We hang on to our little chest full of treasures, and it keeps us, it hinders us from entering in and receiving the full treasure of the kingdom of God.

In John chapter 4, John chapter 4, verse 34.

Here we have Jesus. They were there at Samaria, and he had talked with the woman there. The disciples had gone to get food.

Verse 32, Jesus answered them. They brought the food. They said, Master, eat. And in verse 32, he said, I have meat to eat that you know not of.

They asked, Hath any man brought him up to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

Say not ye, there are yet four months, and then cometh harvest. Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest.

And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal, that both he that soweth, and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

And herein is that saying true. One soweth, and another reapeth. I send you to reap, and whereon ye bestow no labor, other men labored, and ye are entered into their labors.

What is our vision? What is our vision? How do we see life? How do we see life? Proverbs says, where there is no vision, the people perish.

And he's not talking about our eyesight. But I believe that what he's talking about, and what Jesus is telling us here, he says, lift up your eyes.

You know, we get so wrapped up with our daily walk of life, and our jobs, and the things we're doing, that we forget there's a world out there, lost and dying and going to hell.

Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest. You know, it is our human tendency to say, oh, the harvest is not yet.

You know, how many times has someone thought they might have a calling to go somewhere, and as they talk with family and friends, and whoever, people say, oh, yeah, but surely the time isn't yet.

Surely the time isn't now. Jesus said, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields.

They are white already to harvest. Are we, do we have anointed eyes?

Are we looking at the harvest? Are we allowing, are we allowing God to show us the harvest? Are we allowing Him to show us our place in the harvest?

You know, us as believers in the Lord Jesus, we're not to save, to live a good life and go to heaven. No, but we are saved to labor in the kingdom of God.

We are saved that we can be an influence, that we are saved that we might be a witness. We are saved that we can labor in advancing the kingdom of God, however that might be.

is it going, or is it sending, or is it supporting those that are sent? Whatever our place is, let's be faithful in it.

Lift up your eyes. You know, it's so easy to get a tunnel vision and we can't see anything, we can't see anything more than just before us and in our daily work.

lift up your eyes and take a look at the harvest field. Allow God to show us the fields.

Observe the needy world round about us. Jesus said, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

Do we know that meat? Do we know that meat, that strength, that nourishment that comes from the spirit of God when we, when we labor in the kingdom of God?

When we get our eyes off of the temporal and onto the eternal? Jesus said, I have meat to eat ye know not of.

Meat is food, it's nourishment. To do the will of God is nourishment to the soul. Yes, it is. You know, we, we want to be full of the Holy Ghost, but the Holy Ghost is a well within us.

And unless it flows out from us, it will do very little good within us. It is made to flow a river out to a lost and a dying world.

To do the will of God will bring pleasure to, to the Lord Jesus, to God Almighty. Yes. Verse 36, and he that reapeth receiveth wages.

You know, what is that verse? I believe I have it here. I don't see it. I don't see it.

But in due season we will reap if we think not. Jesus said, he that reapeth receiveth wages. He that, both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

Herein is that saying true. One soweth and another reapeth. You know, you know, can we sow the seed? Can we sow the word of God?

Even when we don't see results, even when we don't have people turning to the Lord right now, but we continue sowing the seeds. And maybe down the road somewhere, someone else will reap what we have sowed.

You know, you know, if we, if we get discouraged when we're, while we're sowing seed and not seeing results, maybe it's because we need a greater vision.

we need, we need more of a vision that this is the kingdom of God and the work of God. You know, we're not, we're not sowing seed, we're not, we're not bringing people into ourselves or even into our church, but we're bringing them into the kingdom of God.

and if they come to our church, fine, but let us be more concerned about helping people into the kingdom than helping them into ourselves, that we would have a name, that we would receive honor and glory for it.

And sometimes, yes, like verse 38, I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labor. Other men labored, and ye are entered into their labors.

You know, let's not be proud when that, when that is our lot, when we're allowed to reap, because someone, some unseen soldier of the cross labored, labored hours, days, years, in prayer and in faithfulness, witnessing and praying, and all of a sudden, there's a harvest.

Praise God. It's his kingdom, not ours. There's a reward for the labors of the kingdom.

Are we laboring to build our kingdom? Are we laboring for the kingdom of God? We'll get a couple verses in Psalm 126.

they that sow in tears shall reap in joy, he that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

You know, can we continue faithfully laboring even when we don't see fruit, when we don't see the harvest, when we don't see results for our labors, but knowing that if we are laboring in the will of God, it will not return to him void.

like Isaiah says, the word of God, it will not return void, but it will accomplish that which he sends it forth to do.

Well, in Matthew 9, in Matthew 9, we have Jesus looking at the multitudes.

It says he was healing every sickness and every disease among the people, but when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd.

You know, you know, Jesus looking at the multitudes and who were the multitudes in his day?

Weren't most of them, you know, I know he was in Samaria and other places, but most of these people would have been the Jewish people that had been taught the scriptures and all of that.

But he says he was moved with compassion. Why? Because they were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherds.

You know, as Jesus looks on this world today, what does he see? What does he feel? I believe he still feels that same heart of compassion.

I gave my life, I shed my blood for those people. But there they go wandering about. And I'm trying to get somebody to go tell them to share the gospel with them.

But they don't go. They don't do it. They just say hi and go on their way. Jesus, I believe he has a heart of compassion for the multitudes of our day.

Then saith he unto his disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labors are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labors into his harvest.

A prayer request that our Lord Jesus gave. And he instructed us to pray. Pray to the Lord of the harvest, pray to God in heaven, that he would send forth labors into his harvest field.

will. You know, we know that that is the will of God. That's not a question. But Jesus still instructs us to do this and to pray this.

And sometimes he will use you to answer your own prayer. the harvest is great.

The harvest is great. And the labors are few. There's so few labors. In John 9 verse 4, Jesus said, I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day.

The night cometh when no man can work. The night cometh. There's a time coming. There's a day coming when the day of grace will be over and no man can work.

There's a harvest out there that is going down. You know, even without the end of the world without the end of time coming, there's people perishing every day.

The harvest is going down and it's perishing. There's a night coming when no man can work. The storm is brewing and the harvest is delicate.

You know, grain, you know, when it's ripe, Jesus said it is ripe to harvest. and when the grain is ripe and a storm comes and there's wind and heavy rain or sometimes hail and the harvest will be lost.

Let us labor labor. Because the night cometh when no man can work. We are laborers to gather with him.

Like 2nd Corinthians says, he's given us the ministry of reconciliation and we are laborers to gather with him, laboring to finish the work that Jesus began when he was here on earth.

The work that Jesus began when he labored here on earth and when he shed his blood and went back to glory. He sent the comforter and now we are laborers together with him in reconciling a lost and a dying world to the Holy Father, the Heavenly Father in Heaven.

the Holy Father labors together with him. Matthew chapter 6. The treasure in the field.

Are we willing to lay down our life for this treasure? Are we willing to sell what we have to gain this treasure?

In Matthew chapter 6, he says in verse 33, but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.

Seek first the kingdom of heaven. Seek first the kingdom of God almighty. Seek first the will of God.

Seek first to be in his will. And if there's something that we have that is standing in the way of walking in his will, will, then we must sell it, that we might gain the eternal value.

Sell what is temporal, sell what is hindering, sell whatever it takes, that we might gain the eternal value of the treasure of the kingdom of heaven.

Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. You know, if we seek first the kingdom, then we can trust in God.

We can trust him for our every need. We can trust that he will lead us. We can trust that he will direct us. We can trust that he will use us.

If we seek first him and his kingdom. in verse 21, where your treasure is there, will your heart be also.

He says, lay not, lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doeth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doeth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal.

For where your treasure is there, will your heart be also. Yo, where is our treasure? Have we identified the true treasure?

treasure? And are we grasping a hold of it? Are we paying the price to make that treasure our own?

Are we so busy laying up treasure on this earth and building our kingdom on this earth that we're missing the true riches, the riches of eternity, the riches of the kingdom of God?

You, all these temporal things, they will pass away. Only what we've done for the kingdom of God will be of eternal value.

Are we laying up treasure in heaven? Whatever treasure we lay up in heaven, we don't have to worry about it.

It will take good care of it and it will always be there. But when we lay up treasure on this earth, you know, that's why that's why you need a security system.

That's why you have to have cameras. That's why you have to have insurance. That's why you have to have all these things is to protect our treasure. all these things that will pass away.

We spend so much. But are we laying up the true treasure? Are we laying up treasure in heaven? Where neither moth nor rust doeth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.

For where your treasure is there will your heart be also. That's the key. Where's your heart? Where is our heart today?

Is our heart running after the treasures of earthly things? Or is our heart after the things of glory?

Is our heart after the kingdom of God? Is our heart after the kingdom of heaven and laboring for him and being the best soldier in the army of God that I can be?

Fulfilling all his plan and purpose for my life? Where is our heart? Where is our heart? our heart? Are we so calloused and so used to Christianity that we don't realize the great riches that are that are right here that he would so want to bless us with and take us into more in this walk with him?

More than we've ever had? More than we've ever walked in? I believe there's always more. are we selling what we have that we might give the kingdom of heaven?

Lord, we thank you for that treasure. Lord, we thank you that you have chosen us to be your people in this last hour.

And Lord, I pray that you would help us to have a heavenly vision and to see things with the eternal perspective.

Lord, that we will see the eternal and we will make our decisions according to eternity and not the temporal.

Lord, help us to know your will, to know your will and to walk in your will, to lay down our lives a living sacrifice that you can have your way with us and in us and through us.

We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you.