[0:00] Let us all prayerfully wait upon God that the words that we are contemplating upon will be blessed to each one of us.
[0:14] I'd like to draw your attention to words in Matthew 13, Matthew 13, and from verse 44.
[0:25] The Gospel of Christ according to Matthew 13, reading again at verse 44. Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field, the which when a man hath found he hideth, and for joy thereof go, and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
[0:51] 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.
[1:11] If you or I were to ask to discover. If you were to ask to discover something that was so precious.
[1:23] that you were willing to sell all that you have in order to have it. How willing would we be? Well this is a parable as we all know. How willing would we be? Well this is a parable as we all know.
[1:35] It is a story of things that is a story of things. If you or I were to ask if you or I were to discover something that was so precious. That you were willing to sell all that you have in order to have it.
[1:52] How willing would we be? Well this is a parable as we all know. It is a story of things earthly and it has a heavenly meaning.
[2:13] The kingdom of heaven is at hand. And words such are those are not words that we say we have heard them before.
[2:27] It has had no effect on us. Why? Why? Why? Why? Can we live without God?
[2:39] Can we live without the breath that we are breathing? Can we live without the bread and water that you and I had this morning before we came to this house?
[2:53] Who is the giver of every good and every perfect gift? Let us contemplate those basic facts which they are okay, they are natural, they are physical, they are worldly, they are to keep us going, to keep us moving.
[3:18] Is there something higher than this? Surely that there is. Surely even when we look at the world in which we are and the promises of men in power and women in power and how uncertain all of that is.
[3:37] Is there something higher? Is there something greater? Is there something infinitely higher? There is and that is the kingdom of God.
[3:50] And if we haven't entered into that kingdom yet, the kingdom of heaven is here. This is where the kingdom of God comes.
[4:07] When the disciples, when they heard Jesus Christ praying to God, they said, teach us to pray. They knew that the Christ who was praying well, that he knew he had to honour God.
[4:31] Do we know that? Do we really believe that we have to honour God? Is that an option?
[4:43] If we like, we can come when we wish, how we wish, and so on. Not so. We all know it is not so. The Spirit and the Bride say come. Not just to church. We are so thankful to Almighty God for the church, but to himself.
[5:10] To Jesus Christ, the Son of God, let nothing, neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, O Lord.
[5:36] Why did he die on that rugged middle cross outside the walls of Jerusalem? Why was he spat upon? Why were the nails in his hands? Why were the nails in his feet?
[5:50] Why did the blood come from his back? Why was the crown of thorns on his head?
[6:01] Why did the eternal Son of God? Why did the Lord come from his feet? Why did the Lord come from his feet?
[6:31] So Senna always came from his feet and he said happy Zeit? Why did he stand throughl ça?
[6:41] Why did it him say the Lord would never come from mine exbed? Frentuous allotions And have said that a lot more of the visionary came out than it was a wise chap entrariah, who was making a fire apathaker as white diagnosis.
[6:56] and shall cast them into the furnace of fire. There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Are you still preaching that? Many would say, oh well, surely not.
[7:10] People will not come if you preach that. It is not our option what we ought to and what we ought not to.
[7:23] To try and bring sinners, sinners like me, sinners like you, to Jesus Christ. That is not an option to say, to be comfortable and to say, well, do not be over-anxious about anything.
[7:44] You're doing what you can. You're a nice, gentle person, lady, gentleman. Nobody ever any harm. What else can we do?
[7:56] We can believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. That's what God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.
[8:11] And then these are parables of the Lord that we read. And Jesus trying to, and certainly people are saying, as we read, who is this that is preaching with such power and with such authority?
[8:36] And people being converted under the power of the gospel? Who is he? Son of Mary, the son of Joseph.
[8:47] Don't we know? Don't we know all his sisters? Don't we know his brothers? He's just like one of us.
[8:59] He's not. He is. He was. From the beginning. He was. The son of God.
[9:10] And he was then God in the flesh. And he left the Holy Spirit in this world in order that sinners like me and you would enter into the kingdom of God.
[9:34] There must be a kingdom higher than the earthly kingdoms. When we think of the empires of this world. Going right back.
[9:46] Greek, Egyptian. Empires. Which Roman Empire that just about ruled the world.
[10:01] And they rose up so high. And they fell down so low. Those are the empires of this world.
[10:13] These are the kingdoms of this world. Our text. And areas that Jesus Christ and three times in Matthew's gospel.
[10:34] And Matthew 4 verse 17. Matthew 3 verse 2. Matthew 10 verse 7.
[10:48] Repent. For the kingdom of heaven is at hand. It's at hand. We're into the second month of the year 2020.
[11:00] The year 2019 went past pretty quickly. People, we may say, well, so has what is gone of 2020.
[11:16] Like yesterday when it is past. Or at a watch by night. As quickly as that.
[11:30] We're on this journey. From the dearest, youngest. And those who are being taught in Sunday school. And young people's fellowship.
[11:42] It is going, perhaps we don't feel that you. Younger when we were. When we were. It seemed longer. But it's past.
[11:57] Today. Says the Lord Jesus. Today. If you will hear his voice. Harden not your heart.
[12:07] Why should I harden my heart? Because. The word of God.
[12:18] Must enter into. Our hearts. In order. To find. The preciousness. Of Jesus Christ.
[12:30] And of. The kingdom. Again. The kingdom of heaven. Is like unto treasure. Hid. In a field.
[12:42] The which. When a man hath found. He hideth. For joy. Thereof goeth. And selleth. All that he hath.
[12:55] By that field. We're. We're. We're living in times. When everything. Is. Valued. Or. Evalued.
[13:06] According to its. Monetary value. According to its. Value in gold. God. And here is.
[13:20] A man. Who is. In a field. It's not. His own field. He may be. Working for a master.
[13:32] Or. And. Whatever work. He was doing. In the field. Cultivating. Sewing. Harrowing. Harrowing. Whatever he was doing.
[13:44] But. It is. An ordinary task. Could be a very ordinary task.
[13:55] What. What. You are doing. Day by day. I'm speaking to those. Who are not yet. Found. Found.
[14:07] The pearl. Of great price. Haven't found. The treasure.
[14:18] That is. To be found. And. And. How. How. How. How diligently.
[14:31] He was. At work. As we. Underst. We would understand. Hard work. In the field. Was never. An easy work. Maybe.
[14:41] Some of us. Remember. Cultivating. With. A spade. For. Sowing seed. For corn. And potatoes.
[14:52] Etc. Etc. And. So. We know. Something.
[15:03] The present. Generation. Know. A lot. Less. Of. That. Form. Of. Work. And labor. As. Those.
[15:14] Of us. More. Advanced. In years. But. Whatever. We are doing. What I am trying to say. Is.
[15:24] That. If we haven't found. This treasure. We can. Because.
[15:36] It is there. It is here. To be found. The. So.
[15:48] He is plowing. It is. Or he is cultivating. Or. He is tilling. Tilling the ground. And then. He discovers.
[16:01] Something. That he recognizes. That he knows. It's a treasure. That. That.
[16:12] That. How do we know. That. Because. According to the word. That we read. He sells. All.
[16:23] That he has. How on earth. Could he live. Like that. The devil is constantly. Telling us. That we have to live.
[16:36] In the. Philosophies. Of this world. That we cannot live. In any. Other way. Jesus Christ.
[16:48] Is telling us. That we can. And wait upon God. To provide for us. Miraculously. Personally.
[17:01] Humbly. Faithfully. I'm sure. Quite a number of us. Maybe. Nearly all of us. God's house today. Is saying yes.
[17:13] He has provided for me. More than I could ever believe. More than I was ever. Was ever worthy of. That is the treasure.
[17:25] But to enter into it. And here is. This man then. When a man. Had found.
[17:37] He hideth. In a way. Perhaps some of us. Who have been a long time. Many years.
[17:48] Perhaps. Following Christ. Witnessing for Christ. Praying to God. In the name of Christ. Who have been.
[18:02] Diligent. In the house of God. The house of prayer. The weekly prayer meeting. But when we look back.
[18:15] And at first. Perhaps. We didn't want. People to. Know. There would be a lot. Required of us.
[18:27] As witnesses. For Jesus Christ. How on earth. Could I stand. Openly.
[18:40] Publicly. And pray. How on earth. Could I. Stand in the. Presenter's. Box. Box. And praise God.
[18:52] How. And I can honestly say. And we don't want to preach ourselves. How on earth. Could. A very.
[19:04] Many ways. Backward person like me. Stand in a pulpit. And preach. Jesus Christ. Of course. Of course. Of course. Naturally.
[19:14] I couldn't. But then. We discover. Not what we can do. But what God can do.
[19:25] And he can do it. In you. And me. If he's not already doing it. He has found it. And for joy thereof.
[19:37] And let us not. Misunderstand. The. The love of God. In Jesus Christ. Let us not for a moment think.
[19:49] That it's all grief and sorrow. And. And protesting against worldly things. And so on. There is joy. There is a higher joy.
[20:00] Than the world. The joys. That the world is promising us. And just does not fulfill. And cannot deliver. And finally.
[20:18] First Thessalonians. Chapter five. The apostle Paul is writing to the church in Thessalonica. Rejoice. Rejoice. Evermore.
[20:30] Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks. For this is the will of God. In Christ Jesus. Concerning. You.
[20:42] Quench not. The spirit. Prove all things. Hold fast. That. Which is good.
[20:52] If we have touched. The extremity of it. If one spark of spiritual life. Has entered into our souls.
[21:05] Nourish it. Look after it. Pray with it. Wait upon God. Ask God. Ask God.
[21:17] Ask God. In the name of Jesus. Ask God. Ask God. Say God. As honestly. As faithfully. As humbly. Overwhelmingly. Overcoming.
[21:30] Lifestyles that... That the world is saying you are doing nicely. You cannot possibly do better than that. You have done it all. seek ye first says Jesus the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all those things will be added unto you.
[22:01] Takes a bit of believing naturally. We will say it's difficult to believe, oh as much as I know my heart, mind, soul I have been asked and on our knees before the Lord our maker let us fall.
[22:23] Let us, an heavenly one of us and I start with myself. Let us repent before the mercy, the power, the majesty, the holiness of Almighty God.
[22:40] Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man seeking goodly pearls.
[22:51] Maybe more to the ladies than to the men but always at one time it was a mark of, well, a mark of pleasing mother of pearls, strings of pearls.
[23:10] There are many pearls. And how, how were pearls found? I have a friend in the ministry in Australia and he has a son who drives large excavators and, well, who did at least bulldozers searching for gold.
[23:35] And in our own country in Scotland there are those who are searching for gold. They know somewhere and tests that are made, well, it's there to be found.
[23:50] Work at it, dig further, try harder. And also, long ago before technology discovered how divers could go to very deep into the ocean and with the help of, technical help of oxygen that they could breathe at very deep levels of the ocean and searching, searching for pearls.
[24:22] And often it is said that those, those most costly of pearls were discovered in the depths of the ocean.
[24:42] We preach God who is omnipresent. As you know that means there is nowhere where God is not. After all we believe that it is God who created the depths of the ocean as, as surely as he built the top of the highest mountain that he created.
[25:06] Nowhere where God is not. Where the two or three are gathered together in my name. There am I in their midst.
[25:21] In my name. And this merchant man. You know how, how merchandise works and how, how, how obtain treasures perhaps.
[25:41] What is considered treasures and the can sell. Maybe can be found in some way or discovered in some way.
[25:55] And then the treasure becomes yours.
[26:09] And when he had found and the merchant man, it doesn't tell us, it pleases Jesus, O Lord, in this parable when he has, so he, he did recognize when he found this one of great price, this pearl of great price.
[26:34] He recognized how precious it was. Have you discovered?
[26:49] He went. He went. And the same as the man who found, digging in the field, he found, he recognized this treasure.
[27:03] This man, this merchant man, whether he was wherever he found it or whether he had paid a man to go into the depths of the oceans and, and discover pearl that could become so precious to him.
[27:23] Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, thoughts, if we're thinking, can think that way, selling it and how rich we could become.
[27:34] The riches that are in Jesus Christ. And the riches that are in Jesus Christ are riches that no man can, can take away from us.
[27:49] The world can take away from us many riches. That we esteem very, very precious. The world can take them away from us.
[27:59] But the riches that are in Jesus Christ, no man, no power, can take away from you or I what God has made.
[28:23] So precious to us. The kingdom of heaven then we say means finding treasure.
[28:37] And we read in Revelation. And we have in, we've read in Revelation 21 about the Apostle John's insight into heaven.
[29:00] And we must think that when we try to give sound thought about life after death.
[29:19] I have a Muslim friend, three or four weeks, five or six weeks ago, saying to him and says, Oh, the Christ that you believe in, we cannot believe in that Christ.
[29:35] We cannot believe that anyone rose from the dead. I said, well, we can believe in Christ as a prophet who prophesied, but cannot believe in a Christ who rose from the dead.
[30:02] Well, we believe in a Christ that rose from the dead. And we also believe that if we have found this treasure, that we will, when Jesus Christ returns, along with his angels, we will meet him in the air, and he will bring us to heaven.
[30:37] And that is the Christian faith. That is what has been preached in this pulpit. And what we pray will be preached, as long as there's one person living in North Tolstice.
[30:54] And to give some thought, there's all those stones that are of such monetary value, 12 of them.
[31:23] They were all created by God. Every one of them. Every one of them different. The way that you will find the treasure.
[31:35] The way that the dear one next to you has found the treasure. The way that the woman next door found the treasure.
[31:49] It's there to be found. It is here today. Tomorrow is a very uncertain day. As we hear of passing away of some very young people.
[32:04] So who of us can afford to postpone? To be made willing in a day of his calling.
[32:18] To be made willing to hear, to believe, to live, to glorify, to enjoy. And to...
[32:32] Verse 21. And the twelve gates. And the gates.
[32:44] And again, the word of God in a way that perhaps... Perhaps, well... As much as we can believe.
[32:57] And the gates. The twelve gates. Were twelve pearls. The gates of entry into heaven. Were twelve pearls.
[33:10] Every several gates. Was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold.
[33:23] As it were, transparent glass. There was a minister in our church years ago. And he would say quite openly that he believed that the street of the city was of pure gold.
[33:42] Now, I'm not going to say about that. But at least it is telling us what we ought to treasure.
[33:56] What we really ought to treasure. And we all start with ourselves. And at verse 25.
[34:08] Those glorious pearly gates. Each one of pearl.
[34:19] A pearl. No wonder Jesus Christ told the parable about the pearl that was discovered.
[34:31] And verse 25. And those gates.
[34:44] Those pearly gates of heaven. No wonder we attempt at least to preach Christ crucified. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day.
[34:58] And there is no night there. Sometimes we may be afraid of the night. Of darkness.
[35:10] Isn't it wonderful that we are not afraid of the spiritual darkness. That may be so real to us. Not afraid of that. Afraid of the natural darkness.
[35:24] We cannot see through it. Our lifestyles. Are commanding us.
[35:36] All that for light. That light that shines. Jesus said. I am the light of the world.
[35:48] May you and I live in that light. Amen. Let us pray.