The Great Value and Overwhelming Joy of the Kingdom

Matthew 13:44-46 Joe Fauth

The Public Parables

• We’ve observed the first four parables. 
• They are the public parables. 
• Jesus taught these parables to the great crowds who had gathered to see and hear Him. 
• In those four parables Jesus taught us about “the kingdom of heaven”. 

The Private Parables

• And now this morning we come to the private parables. – these are the ones given exclusively to the disciples when they came to Jesus in the house after He had left the crowds (cf. 13:34-36). 
• By most accounts there are three more parables with a concluding application. 
• It is here in these parables that He is concerned to tell us how the kingdom is obtained (received/entered).

The kingdom of heaven is likened to a treasure hidden in a field and it is likened to a merchant who is seeking beautiful pearls. This is teaching us four truths about “the kingdom of heaven”. In other words, the Kingdom of heaven…

• Must Be Revealed
• Requires a Personal Transaction
• Is a Priceless Treasure
• Results from and in True Joy 

It Must Be Revealed

Not Visible on the “surface” level – We notice that the treasure was “hidden in a field” and the pearl had to be sought out before it was found. 

• This reminds us that “the kingdom of heaven” is something that must be revealed. 
• In other words, it is not something that is visible on the surface level.

Revealed to different people in different circumstances – You have one man who apparently hasn’t given two seconds of thought to this treasure and yet he “stumbles upon it”. 

• That is how some people come across the message of the kingdom–the message of salvation–the gospel. 
• Others however are seeking. By this I mean that they are trying to find something to satisfy them. Some turn to religion, some to money, fame, relationships, drugs, etc,

It Requires a Transaction

• A Personal Transaction
• A Purposeful Transaction
• A Painful Transaction

It is a Priceless Treasure

• The kingdom of heaven is worth MORE than anything that you could ever afford or hope to afford today or ever. You can’t afford it! You can’t manage it! 

• It takes everything…the laying down of everything you have and are for you to obtain this kingdom. 

• Why is the kingdom such a priceless treasure? It is MORE valuable than everything else.

  • Every spiritual blessing in heavenly places (Eph. 1:3) Fullness of joy and eternal pleasure (Ps. 16:11)
  • An imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance (1 Peter. 1:4) Crown of righteousness (2 Tim. 4:8)
  • All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2:3) Eternal life (1 John 5:11-12)
  • Absence of corruption and mortality (1 Cor. 15:53-54)
  • Total conquering of death (1 Cor. 15:54-55)
  • Perfect peace (Isa. 26:3)
  • Victory over sin and it’s dominion (Rom. 6:14)
  • Wiping out of your past and it’s guilt (2 Cor. 5:14)
  • Being made into the very righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21)
  • Forgiveness of sin (Eph. 1:7)
  • Rescued from the kingdom of death and darkness (Col. 1:13)
  • Transformed from God’s enemy to God’s family (Col. 1:21-23)
  • Entrance into an eternal kingdom that will never end (Rev. 11:15)
  • A street of gold, gates of pearl, no night, no death, sickness, sin, Satan, sorrow, or separation (Rev. 21-22)
  • Your own soul! (Luke 9:25, “For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?”)—you won’t be cast into the Lake of fire!

It Results from and in True Joy

• The Joy of God (Luke 15:7)
• The Joy of Angel’s (Luke 15:10)
• Your Joy Over the Treasure
  • We have here a picture of true, saving faith. What does true saving faith look like? The total and complete commitment of all that I am to Jesus Christ. 
  • And it was out of sheer joy that these men laid aside what they had valued and cherished for that which was truly valuable and worthy of being cherished. 
    It’s not hard to give up dirt for diamonds.
  • Is. 55:1-13   

The Great Value and Overwhelming Joy of the Kingdom

Matthew 13:44-46 Joe Fauth

The Public Parables

• We’ve observed the first four parables. 
• They are the public parables. 
• Jesus taught these parables to the great crowds who had gathered to see and hear Him. 
• In those four parables Jesus taught us about “the kingdom of heaven”. 

The Private Parables

• And now this morning we come to the private parables. – these are the ones given exclusively to the disciples when they came to Jesus in the house after He had left the crowds (cf. 13:34-36). 
• By most accounts there are three more parables with a concluding application. 
• It is here in these parables that He is concerned to tell us how the kingdom is obtained (received/entered).

The kingdom of heaven is likened to a treasure hidden in a field and it is likened to a merchant who is seeking beautiful pearls. This is teaching us four truths about “the kingdom of heaven”. In other words, the Kingdom of heaven…

• Must Be Revealed
• Requires a Personal Transaction
• Is a Priceless Treasure
• Results from and in True Joy 

It Must Be Revealed

Not Visible on the “surface” level – We notice that the treasure was “hidden in a field” and the pearl had to be sought out before it was found. 

• This reminds us that “the kingdom of heaven” is something that must be revealed. 
• In other words, it is not something that is visible on the surface level.

Revealed to different people in different circumstances – You have one man who apparently hasn’t given two seconds of thought to this treasure and yet he “stumbles upon it”. 

• That is how some people come across the message of the kingdom–the message of salvation–the gospel. 
• Others however are seeking. By this I mean that they are trying to find something to satisfy them. Some turn to religion, some to money, fame, relationships, drugs, etc,

It Requires a Transaction

• A Personal Transaction
• A Purposeful Transaction
• A Painful Transaction

It is a Priceless Treasure

• The kingdom of heaven is worth MORE than anything that you could ever afford or hope to afford today or ever. You can’t afford it! You can’t manage it! 

• It takes everything…the laying down of everything you have and are for you to obtain this kingdom. 

• Why is the kingdom such a priceless treasure? It is MORE valuable than everything else.

  • Every spiritual blessing in heavenly places (Eph. 1:3) Fullness of joy and eternal pleasure (Ps. 16:11)
  • An imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance (1 Peter. 1:4) Crown of righteousness (2 Tim. 4:8)
  • All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2:3) Eternal life (1 John 5:11-12)
  • Absence of corruption and mortality (1 Cor. 15:53-54)
  • Total conquering of death (1 Cor. 15:54-55)
  • Perfect peace (Isa. 26:3)
  • Victory over sin and it’s dominion (Rom. 6:14)
  • Wiping out of your past and it’s guilt (2 Cor. 5:14)
  • Being made into the very righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21)
  • Forgiveness of sin (Eph. 1:7)
  • Rescued from the kingdom of death and darkness (Col. 1:13)
  • Transformed from God’s enemy to God’s family (Col. 1:21-23)
  • Entrance into an eternal kingdom that will never end (Rev. 11:15)
  • A street of gold, gates of pearl, no night, no death, sickness, sin, Satan, sorrow, or separation (Rev. 21-22)
  • Your own soul! (Luke 9:25, “For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?”)—you won’t be cast into the Lake of fire!

It Results from and in True Joy

• The Joy of God (Luke 15:7)
• The Joy of Angel’s (Luke 15:10)
• Your Joy Over the Treasure
  • We have here a picture of true, saving faith. What does true saving faith look like? The total and complete commitment of all that I am to Jesus Christ. 
  • And it was out of sheer joy that these men laid aside what they had valued and cherished for that which was truly valuable and worthy of being cherished. 
    It’s not hard to give up dirt for diamonds.
  • Is. 55:1-13   

Shepherding God’s Flock

1 Peter 5:1-4 Pastor Joe Fauth

Introduction

• Peter seems to have three major concerns or themes in his writing:
  1. throughout the letter we find recurring encouragements and commands towards holiness and obedience in life;
  2. then there is the concentration on the Christian hope of a glory that is to be revealed;
  3. but the main concentration of this epistle is centered around the present context of suffering.
• The final conclusion to this whole thing really seems to come in 4:19 when Peter writes, “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”
• Throughout this letter it’s very clear that God permits and appoints suffering in the lives of His children.
• There is a tight integration from 4:19 to 5:1
• Notice how the first verse of chapter 5 begins, “So” or “therefore”. In other words, what is to follow here is flowing out of what he’s just said, particularly in 4:19

If you’re going to deposit your soul to a faithful Creator by continuing to do that which is good (or live beautifully) there are THREE ABSOLUTE NECESSITIES.

1. Elders Must Shepherd the Flock of God (5:1-4)
2. The Younger must be subject to the elders (5:5a)
3. All must surround themselves with humility in service (5:5b)

Elders Must Shepherd the Flock of God (5:1-4)

• Who? Elders
  • a plurality of elders
  • When you’re suffering as a Christian you really see your need to have godly leaders
• What? Shepherd God’s Flock
  • there is one primary exhortation that Peter gives
  • The word “shepherd” implies the whole office of the shepherd: guiding, guarding, folding of the flock as well as leading to nourishment
  • The elder must carefully and diligently use his God-given skill to both guide and guard God’s flock.
  • sheep are can be easily disoriented, defenseless and deceived
• How? Serving as Overseer
  • As an overseer the elder is an observer of the flock of God
  • He carefully examines the condition and needs of the flock (cf. Heb. 12:15)
  • The shepherding ministry of elders in the local church is a provision of God whereby we all might entrust our souls to God by living beautifully!
  • Spiritual leadership is to be taken on seriously and gladly with a joyful and willful heart and accomplished in the power of the Spirit of God (1 Tim. 3:1)

The Younger Must be Subject to the Elders (5:5a)

• The subjection of the younger to the elders is a must since they are entrusting their souls to the faithful Creator by doing good.
• This means to bring yourself under the influence of godly elders.

All Must Surround Ourselves with Humility to Serve (5:5b)

• Now the focus moves to the entirety of the church…elders and congregation together.
• the “one another” that comes at the end of the ESV is reference to another of the same kind. In other words, we are of the same kind.
• Elders are to be so clothed with humility that they answer the call to shepherd the flock, younger people are to be so clothed with humility that they freely aligned themselves under the leadership of the elders in the local church.
• Why? Because to those who do not array themselves in humility but rather with self-exaltation God is not coming as a faithful Creator but rather as an army set against them.

Application

• The goal in all of this is that we would learn to entrust our souls to a faithful Creator by doing good no matter the circumstances of life.
• If that’s to happen, there must be elders who shepherd the flock, young people who submit to the elders, and a congregation of people who surround themselves with humility to serve one another.
• The appointment of elders in the local church is for your spiritual good. It is so that God would not stand against you but rather give you grace.

1. The passage present the role of elder as being primarily concerned with the spiritual condition of the church rather than as a management team. How have you thought about elders in the past?
2. How does understanding the elder’s role change the way you: Prayer for them? Interact with them?
3. How does your temptation to pride exhibit itself towards: The elders? Fellow believers?