Sunday, Sunday, Sunday

Doesn't that make you think of a commercial for a monster truck show at Wells Fargo.

Well. we didn't have a monster truck show, but we did have a meeting with God. Sunday went well as we finished the sermon series "God at the Billboards." Jason sang the Finger Eleven song "Traded it All" as I spoke about the parable that Jesus told about the man that found the treasure bauried in the field.

Here is the overview.

This question of cost and value, of risk and reward, applies to every aspect of life.

Like anything else, the Christian life involves costs and benefits.

“The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.” – Matthew 13:20-22


The Bible doesn’t present the Christian life as one of ease, and comfort, and pleasure.

Jesus warned his followers to count the cost before ever embarking on this journey.

“Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ’This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” – Luke 14:25-30, 33

“Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."” – Matthew 18:19-20

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. – Matthew 13:44

D.A. Carson, puts it, is that “The kingdom is worth infinitely more than the cost of discipleship, and those who know where the treasure lies joyfully abandon everything else to secure it.”

First thing about the treasure is that it was “hidden”.

“The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them . . . This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.” – Matthew 13:10-11, 13


The second thing I’d like you to note about this treasure is its immense value.

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”-jim elliot

“I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ”
– Philippians 3:8

“. . . if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." – Matthew 10:42

No matter what the circumstances, in the end the benefits of following Christ will always be far greater than the cost of doing so.

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. " – Matthew 5:11-12

“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” – Luke 6:35

Do you view the kingdom of God as a treasure?