1 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:03,360 Good morning. 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:05,600 I'm reading two passages this morning. 3 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:09,600 First, a parable from Matthew 13, and then Psalm 100. 4 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:15,360 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. 5 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:18,800 When a man found it, he hid it again. 6 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:24,960 And then in his joy, he went and sold all he had and bought that 7 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:26,870 field again. 8 00:00:27,110 --> 00:00:30,870 The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 9 00:00:31,590 --> 00:00:36,790 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything 10 00:00:37,110 --> 00:00:39,110 he had and bought it. 11 00:00:40,950 --> 00:00:45,750 And Psalm 100 reads, Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 12 00:00:46,390 --> 00:00:48,310 Worship the Lord with gladness. 13 00:00:49,030 --> 00:00:51,270 Come before him, singing with joy. 14 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:54,760 Acknowledge that the Lord is God. 15 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:57,320 He made us, and we are His. 16 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:01,720 We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 17 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:04,760 Enter his gates with thanksgiving. 18 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:07,080 Go into his courts with praise. 19 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,000 Give thanks to him and praise his name. 20 00:01:11,960 --> 00:01:13,560 For the Lord is good. 21 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:19,770 His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues 22 00:01:19,930 --> 00:01:21,210 to each generation. 23 00:01:26,570 --> 00:01:28,170 Jesus told stories. 24 00:01:29,290 --> 00:01:31,690 Jesus told stories to help us understand. 25 00:01:32,810 --> 00:01:36,490 How completely different the kingdom of God. 26 00:01:36,570 --> 00:01:39,290 Is from the world we live in. 27 00:01:40,810 --> 00:01:45,130 He's trying to help us to not see the world through sin's distorted 28 00:01:45,620 --> 00:01:50,300 perspective, but to see it through the eyes of God, how God 29 00:01:50,300 --> 00:01:55,380 designed it to be, how God created us to live and to relate 30 00:01:56,020 --> 00:01:57,060 and to flourish. 31 00:01:59,220 --> 00:02:04,020 And we need to learn that day by day, just as the disciples did, 32 00:02:04,340 --> 00:02:08,420 as Jesus told story after story after story. 33 00:02:08,580 --> 00:02:13,020 Because the kingdom of God is upside down compared to what the 34 00:02:13,020 --> 00:02:13,860 world values. 35 00:02:13,860 --> 00:02:17,470 It's not just a little bit different, it's completely different. 36 00:02:19,870 --> 00:02:23,550 The kingdom of God values forgiveness,. 37 00:02:25,310 --> 00:02:27,630 And the world values revenge. 38 00:02:30,190 --> 00:02:36,710 But it's a process day by day to see thee more clearly, love thee 39 00:02:36,710 --> 00:02:42,150 more dearly, and follow thee more nearly a little bit more each 40 00:02:42,150 --> 00:02:43,480 day and. 41 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:47,400 A little bit more with each story Jesus told. 42 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:53,560 So today we're going to look at the shortest parable that we have 43 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:54,040 recorded. 44 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:55,640 I'm sure there were other stories Jesus. 45 00:02:55,640 --> 00:02:58,160 Told that weren't recorded, but the shortest. 46 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:03,000 One we have recorded the parable, the hidden treasure, about 47 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:06,840 the joy that's worth absolutely everything. 48 00:03:09,490 --> 00:03:14,250 Two years ago in Kentucky, a farmer was out in his field and he 49 00:03:14,250 --> 00:03:15,730 saw something that didn't seem right. 50 00:03:15,730 --> 00:03:22,130 And he dug down and he found buried 700 gold coins that were put 51 00:03:22,130 --> 00:03:25,010 there during the Civil War, the American Civil war, in about 52 00:03:25,330 --> 00:03:26,450 1883. 53 00:03:28,210 --> 00:03:29,890 They're worth $2 million. 54 00:03:29,970 --> 00:03:30,370 Now,. 55 00:03:32,130 --> 00:03:35,050 You see, that often happened during the Civil War because as the 56 00:03:35,050 --> 00:03:38,500 Union troops came to the south, especially in the last two 57 00:03:38,500 --> 00:03:41,380 years of the war, they had to live off the land. 58 00:03:41,380 --> 00:03:43,860 And so they would take what they needed, and they often took 59 00:03:43,860 --> 00:03:46,220 what they didn't need and the wealth of the people. 60 00:03:46,220 --> 00:03:49,940 So the people would go out into the country outside their town 61 00:03:49,940 --> 00:03:54,100 and they would bury their treasure in hopes that the soldiers 62 00:03:54,100 --> 00:03:55,740 coming through wouldn't steal it. 63 00:03:57,900 --> 00:04:00,740 I've often wondered if there's any buried treasure right around 64 00:04:00,740 --> 00:04:01,100 here. 65 00:04:02,460 --> 00:04:05,340 You see, because this was a place of battle during the Civil 66 00:04:05,340 --> 00:04:11,750 war, Mississippi River, 20 miles west of here, was the main 67 00:04:11,910 --> 00:04:15,270 thoroughfare of commerce through the country. 68 00:04:15,910 --> 00:04:16,710 They didn't have. 69 00:04:16,710 --> 00:04:19,190 I mean, they had railroads, but not in the way we have now. 70 00:04:19,190 --> 00:04:20,110 They didn't have roads. 71 00:04:20,110 --> 00:04:22,550 They didn't have highways, obviously didn't have cars. 72 00:04:22,550 --> 00:04:24,470 And so the rivers were very important. 73 00:04:24,550 --> 00:04:28,270 So who controlled the Mississippi river really controlled 74 00:04:28,270 --> 00:04:30,470 the western portion of the country. 75 00:04:30,470 --> 00:04:31,510 During the Civil War. 76 00:04:32,540 --> 00:04:35,340 And so it was a major focus for control. 77 00:04:36,460 --> 00:04:40,780 And General Grant of the Union army came into Mississippi to try 78 00:04:40,780 --> 00:04:45,100 to take Vicksburg, because Vicksburg was the point in the river 79 00:04:45,340 --> 00:04:51,020 that was the primary port, because that's about as far as you 80 00:04:51,020 --> 00:04:55,740 could come up the Mississippi without some kind of power behind 81 00:04:55,740 --> 00:05:00,330 your boat, because the tide, the stream was too heavy. 82 00:05:00,330 --> 00:05:03,090 After that point, and you couldn't go much farther north. 83 00:05:03,570 --> 00:05:06,850 And so Vicksburg became a very important city. 84 00:05:08,130 --> 00:05:11,050 So General Grant came and he came to try to take Vicksburg. 85 00:05:11,050 --> 00:05:12,770 Well, Vicksburg's not easy to get to. 86 00:05:12,770 --> 00:05:14,130 That's why it was a valuable place. 87 00:05:14,290 --> 00:05:17,770 So he came through the swamps of the northern part, and he dug 88 00:05:17,770 --> 00:05:20,010 and he tried to make trenches and get boats through there. 89 00:05:20,010 --> 00:05:20,850 He couldn't do it. 90 00:05:21,650 --> 00:05:25,130 They tried to come in from other directions of Louisiana, and 91 00:05:25,130 --> 00:05:26,850 they couldn't get across the river to do it. 92 00:05:26,850 --> 00:05:30,910 And he finally floated down past Vicksburg, and the battle was 93 00:05:30,910 --> 00:05:35,990 enormous between the guns on the shore and the boats in the water 94 00:05:37,030 --> 00:05:38,550 trying to take Vicksburg. 95 00:05:39,030 --> 00:05:42,350 And he finally decided they couldn't attack it, so they were 96 00:05:42,350 --> 00:05:46,150 just going to surround it and starve out the people who were there. 97 00:05:47,350 --> 00:05:51,430 Well, during that siege that lasted some 46 days of Vicksburg, 98 00:05:51,910 --> 00:05:55,150 where the people, because of the bombardments, went into caves. 99 00:05:55,150 --> 00:05:58,880 And lived off, literally rats and other things they could find 100 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:00,240 because there was no food left,. 101 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:06,960 Grant was worried that an army of the south might attack him from 102 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:11,000 Jackson because this was the direction toward Vicksburg. 103 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:12,880 You'd come through here to get to Vicksburg. 104 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:17,120 And so he sent General Sherman to Jackson to wipe out the city. 105 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:22,690 And General Sherman came into Jackson and burned absolute every. 106 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:23,160 Everything. 107 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:26,120 There are only two structures really left in those days. 108 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:31,680 The old state house, which you see downtown, where if you go in 109 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:35,720 that state House, that is Where Succession started. 110 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:37,680 Was right there in that state house. 111 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:38,959 And the other place that they did. 112 00:06:38,959 --> 00:06:41,000 Not burn is what's now the governor's mansion. 113 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:42,440 Everything else was burned. 114 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:47,240 And they called Jackson Chimneyville after that raid because 115 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:48,720 only the chimneys were left,. 116 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:49,690 Because everything else was burned. 117 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:50,320 Burn. 118 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:54,800 So I'm sure the people came out from Jackson to hide their wealth 119 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:55,520 someplace. 120 00:06:56,480 --> 00:07:02,600 And between our campus and UMMC must have been kind of a safe 121 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:06,200 place because Fortification street as you know it, you came in 122 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:08,880 on Fortification, that's called Fortification street because 123 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:13,720 that's where the rebel army was encamped to try to protect. 124 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:15,680 Against the General Sherman. 125 00:07:16,090 --> 00:07:18,370 And then they had another encampment over on the other side 126 00:07:18,370 --> 00:07:19,210 of ummc. 127 00:07:19,210 --> 00:07:22,650 If you go onto the campus, you can still find the bunkers that are 128 00:07:22,650 --> 00:07:24,490 there that were built during the Civil War. 129 00:07:24,490 --> 00:07:29,810 So somewhere between there and this part, kind of in our campus 130 00:07:29,810 --> 00:07:33,370 and around this neighborhood, would have been the place people 131 00:07:33,370 --> 00:07:34,250 felt the safest. 132 00:07:35,050 --> 00:07:38,490 So I always wondered, is there stuff in the ground? 133 00:07:39,050 --> 00:07:40,490 Is there stuff around here? 134 00:07:42,020 --> 00:07:45,060 Is there stuff buried someplace in this neighborhood? 135 00:07:45,220 --> 00:07:49,140 So what if you got your metal detector and you went out and decided 136 00:07:49,140 --> 00:07:51,340 you were going to look around a little bit, and you go maybe to 137 00:07:51,340 --> 00:07:54,380 some vacant lots and you start hunting and that thing goes off and 138 00:07:54,380 --> 00:07:56,740 in the ground you find somebody had buried. 139 00:07:56,900 --> 00:08:00,660 Treasure here in this neighborhood from the Civil War. 140 00:08:02,180 --> 00:08:05,500 Well, you'd find it, and you'd find those gold coins and you'd quickly 141 00:08:05,500 --> 00:08:10,330 put them back in the ground and you'd wonder, I gotta go sell 142 00:08:10,330 --> 00:08:10,730 everything. 143 00:08:10,730 --> 00:08:12,170 I gotta go buy this lot. 144 00:08:12,170 --> 00:08:14,810 If I could buy this lot, I'm gonna get the treasure. 145 00:08:15,290 --> 00:08:18,410 And so it's worth getting rid of everything else in order to buy 146 00:08:18,410 --> 00:08:21,130 the treasure that's buried there. 147 00:08:22,730 --> 00:08:25,890 And if you could contain your joy long enough that nobody actually 148 00:08:25,890 --> 00:08:28,730 found out what you found, you could own the treasure. 149 00:08:28,730 --> 00:08:31,850 And that's what today's parable is. 150 00:08:32,970 --> 00:08:35,910 It's about a man that finds a treasure. 151 00:08:36,230 --> 00:08:40,150 Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in 152 00:08:40,150 --> 00:08:40,630 a field. 153 00:08:41,670 --> 00:08:45,750 When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy. 154 00:08:46,310 --> 00:08:50,950 Went and sold all he had and bought the field. 155 00:08:52,070 --> 00:08:54,670 Jesus tells another one right after that, that was read to you 156 00:08:54,670 --> 00:08:57,830 today about a merchant looking for pearls. 157 00:08:57,990 --> 00:08:59,830 It's kind of like a flea market thing. 158 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:03,280 They would go and they'd find all these pearls, and most of them 159 00:09:03,280 --> 00:09:03,760 would be junk. 160 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:05,000 And every once in a while you'd. 161 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:05,760 Find a great one. 162 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:07,280 Well, that happens too. 163 00:09:07,680 --> 00:09:11,440 There's a few years ago, somebody founded a garage sale in 164 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:13,200 New York, a little bowl. 165 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:15,280 They paid $3 for it. 166 00:09:15,919 --> 00:09:19,840 That bowl happened to be 1,000 years old from the Northern Song 167 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:23,360 dynasty and it sold for $2.2 million. 168 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:27,200 Well, Jesus is talking about that kind of a find. 169 00:09:28,020 --> 00:09:31,300 One you didn't expect to find, but you came across and it was worth 170 00:09:31,620 --> 00:09:32,020 everything. 171 00:09:32,820 --> 00:09:37,700 Jesus said the kingdom of God is like people who are not looking 172 00:09:37,780 --> 00:09:40,620 for treasure, but they find it. 173 00:09:40,620 --> 00:09:44,660 And when they find it, they're willing to give up everything in 174 00:09:44,660 --> 00:09:45,620 order to get it. 175 00:09:46,500 --> 00:09:48,740 And they weren't looking for it because they didn't realize it 176 00:09:48,740 --> 00:09:49,220 was possible. 177 00:09:49,860 --> 00:09:54,140 They didn't realize that a corrupt world is not how you have 178 00:09:54,140 --> 00:09:54,660 to live. 179 00:09:55,350 --> 00:10:00,390 They didn't realize that a sin plagued society is not what has to 180 00:10:00,390 --> 00:10:01,830 dictate our lives. 181 00:10:03,270 --> 00:10:07,910 And when you find the treasure, there's great joy to realize 182 00:10:07,990 --> 00:10:12,150 there is something very different in the kingdom of God. 183 00:10:12,870 --> 00:10:16,350 Well, the man was surprised by his discovery. 184 00:10:16,350 --> 00:10:19,630 The scripture tells us Jesus, I mean,. 185 00:10:19,630 --> 00:10:21,790 People often aren't looking for the kingdom of God. 186 00:10:21,790 --> 00:10:28,080 But joy is discovered when we find out how God really designed 187 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:29,840 us and. 188 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:33,640 That the world we know doesn't define us. 189 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:38,040 The contrast is so stark, it's so enormous. 190 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:44,240 It's not competition with each other, but service to each other. 191 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:47,640 And the most vulnerable, especially it's about the kingdom 192 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:48,280 of God. 193 00:10:48,680 --> 00:10:52,940 It's not about finding success by pushing other people down, but 194 00:10:52,940 --> 00:10:54,180 by lifting them up. 195 00:10:54,660 --> 00:10:58,500 We all grow in our relationship with God. 196 00:10:58,500 --> 00:11:01,220 It's not by us having. 197 00:11:02,100 --> 00:11:03,540 And the only way we can have. 198 00:11:03,540 --> 00:11:04,980 Is so others don't have. 199 00:11:06,340 --> 00:11:12,500 It's not about abusing others, it's about infusing others. 200 00:11:14,180 --> 00:11:20,510 It's not about revenge, it's about forgiveness. 201 00:11:21,790 --> 00:11:23,390 It's not about hate. 202 00:11:24,190 --> 00:11:25,310 It's about love. 203 00:11:26,510 --> 00:11:28,150 There's an awful lot of hate in the world. 204 00:11:28,150 --> 00:11:30,110 But hate hasn't solved one problem yet. 205 00:11:30,830 --> 00:11:31,950 Not a single one. 206 00:11:32,350 --> 00:11:35,630 You see in the kingdom of God is a stark contrast. 207 00:11:35,870 --> 00:11:40,030 And the man was surprised to discover his treasure, just as we 208 00:11:40,030 --> 00:11:44,800 can be surprised when we see how transforming the kingdom of God 209 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:45,920 really is. 210 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:48,720 The kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven. 211 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:52,680 I've told you, Jesus used those phrases interchangeably because 212 00:11:52,680 --> 00:11:54,800 they're not just about eternity. 213 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:58,360 As I said in the opening today, the kingdom of God, the kingdom 214 00:11:58,360 --> 00:12:00,320 of heaven is not just about someday. 215 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:02,280 The kingdom of God is now. 216 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:05,440 When we learn to live in the kingdom of God. 217 00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:08,480 Well, this man in the story wasn't looking for it. 218 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:09,740 He, he stumbled on it. 219 00:12:09,980 --> 00:12:13,020 He didn't expect to find a treasure like this, but when he found 220 00:12:13,020 --> 00:12:15,580 it, he had such joy. 221 00:12:15,900 --> 00:12:22,180 He wanted to give everything he had for wasn't a duty Too often, 222 00:12:22,180 --> 00:12:26,700 the Christian life people see as a duty, oh, I have to give up 223 00:12:26,700 --> 00:12:27,020 everything. 224 00:12:27,020 --> 00:12:28,220 So I can get the treasure. 225 00:12:28,380 --> 00:12:30,300 No, you get to give up everything. 226 00:12:30,700 --> 00:12:34,240 So you can get the treasure. 227 00:12:34,470 --> 00:12:37,270 Some people encounter Jesus when they aren't even searching. 228 00:12:37,750 --> 00:12:40,550 Like this man in this field, maybe. 229 00:12:40,550 --> 00:12:44,830 Through a crisis, a conversation, maybe a moment grabs 230 00:12:44,830 --> 00:12:47,270 you where you just see. 231 00:12:47,270 --> 00:12:48,630 Jesus in a different way. 232 00:12:49,430 --> 00:12:51,430 My constant prayer for you is that. 233 00:12:51,430 --> 00:12:55,670 You discover the kingdom of God and learn to live in it more 234 00:12:55,670 --> 00:12:59,270 and more, day by day by day. 235 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:02,880 Life does not have to be controlled by sin. 236 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:06,760 It doesn't have to be fighting in order to belong. 237 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:09,040 It doesn't have to be struggling to succeed. 238 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:11,600 It doesn't have to be tensions with people. 239 00:13:12,480 --> 00:13:14,560 It doesn't have to be about gossip. 240 00:13:14,880 --> 00:13:18,880 It doesn't have to be about attacks and counter attacks. 241 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:26,370 The kingdom of God is a treasure that puts all that aside. 242 00:13:27,090 --> 00:13:33,050 And we live in the presence of God as He designed us to be in relationship 243 00:13:33,050 --> 00:13:35,490 to him and relationship to each other. 244 00:13:37,330 --> 00:13:38,690 Have you found the treasure? 245 00:13:39,970 --> 00:13:41,330 Has it brought you joy? 246 00:13:42,770 --> 00:13:44,730 Some of you probably didn't know much. 247 00:13:44,730 --> 00:13:46,850 About Jesus before you got to Belhaven. 248 00:13:47,730 --> 00:13:49,370 I talked to a student just the other day. 249 00:13:49,370 --> 00:13:50,570 He graduated a couple years ago. 250 00:13:50,570 --> 00:13:52,330 He said, I didn't know who Jesus was. 251 00:13:52,330 --> 00:13:52,850 Hardly. 252 00:13:53,150 --> 00:13:55,350 I may obviously have heard about them, but I didn't know anything 253 00:13:55,350 --> 00:13:57,310 until I got here and I found Christ here. 254 00:13:57,310 --> 00:13:58,870 And my life's forever transcended. 255 00:13:58,870 --> 00:14:02,110 I've heard that story over and over and over through the years, 256 00:14:02,110 --> 00:14:05,710 and I'm thankful that this is a place where people find Christ 257 00:14:05,870 --> 00:14:08,670 and discover the treasure for the first time. 258 00:14:10,110 --> 00:14:14,550 Some of you haven't found the treasure because your connection 259 00:14:14,550 --> 00:14:15,710 to Christ is more. 260 00:14:15,710 --> 00:14:18,510 Of a battle than a relationship with God. 261 00:14:20,050 --> 00:14:22,610 It's a struggle over your desires. 262 00:14:23,890 --> 00:14:27,330 And you're trying to kind of color within the lines of life, but 263 00:14:27,330 --> 00:14:29,570 you don't always color within the lines. 264 00:14:30,450 --> 00:14:34,889 People who live in that sometimes kind of see how bad they 265 00:14:34,889 --> 00:14:36,370 can be and still be good. 266 00:14:38,930 --> 00:14:42,290 Like I can be this bad and still be In. 267 00:14:43,090 --> 00:14:46,290 In that Christian life, there's no joy, there's no discovery, 268 00:14:46,690 --> 00:14:49,850 there's no treasure because. 269 00:14:49,850 --> 00:14:51,410 They haven't yet discovered it. 270 00:14:52,930 --> 00:14:56,130 Well, for others of you, maybe you've always known Christ, maybe 271 00:14:56,130 --> 00:14:56,530 you grew up. 272 00:14:56,530 --> 00:15:00,450 In the church, you're always there, but. 273 00:15:00,450 --> 00:15:03,650 You never really found the joy. 274 00:15:04,530 --> 00:15:06,770 You never really got the treasure. 275 00:15:09,410 --> 00:15:13,980 You haven't seen the contrast to what God designed versus what 276 00:15:13,980 --> 00:15:14,900 the world has become. 277 00:15:16,100 --> 00:15:17,700 It's kind of like the old illustration. 278 00:15:17,700 --> 00:15:19,380 Of the frog in the boiling water. 279 00:15:19,380 --> 00:15:20,660 Have you heard that one? 280 00:15:20,660 --> 00:15:22,420 I'm sure at some Point journey. 281 00:15:23,380 --> 00:15:28,460 If you take a frog and you got a pot of boiling water, and. 282 00:15:28,460 --> 00:15:31,620 You throw that frog into the water, it'll jump out immediately. 283 00:15:32,820 --> 00:15:38,300 But if you have a pot of cold water and you put that frog in and 284 00:15:38,300 --> 00:15:39,980 then you slowly heat it. 285 00:15:39,980 --> 00:15:45,770 Up the water, the frog will boil to death, never realizing it 286 00:15:45,770 --> 00:15:46,450 was that hot. 287 00:15:48,530 --> 00:15:50,330 Some of us have grown up in. 288 00:15:50,330 --> 00:15:57,490 The church that as the temperature came up, we never really 289 00:15:57,490 --> 00:16:00,290 got the wow of the treasure. 290 00:16:00,770 --> 00:16:02,690 We never really understood it. 291 00:16:03,650 --> 00:16:05,010 You can put me in that camp. 292 00:16:05,330 --> 00:16:06,130 That's who I was. 293 00:16:06,130 --> 00:16:07,050 My dad was a pastor. 294 00:16:07,050 --> 00:16:07,970 I grew up in the church. 295 00:16:09,580 --> 00:16:11,020 Always there, always part of it. 296 00:16:11,260 --> 00:16:15,100 It wasn't until probably my sophomore or junior year in college, 297 00:16:15,420 --> 00:16:16,940 it finally sunk. 298 00:16:16,940 --> 00:16:23,020 In and the wow came and the joy came when I discovered the real 299 00:16:23,020 --> 00:16:23,660 treasure. 300 00:16:25,980 --> 00:16:30,580 Maybe some of you haven't found the treasure, haven't had the 301 00:16:30,580 --> 00:16:33,580 joy, because he kind of adapted to the sin of the world. 302 00:16:34,470 --> 00:16:35,590 You had it one time. 303 00:16:35,750 --> 00:16:37,590 You had the joy of the Christian faith. 304 00:16:37,590 --> 00:16:39,750 You had the joy of finding the treasure. 305 00:16:39,750 --> 00:16:43,630 And then over time, it's kind of dissipated and it's kind of gone 306 00:16:43,630 --> 00:16:43,910 away. 307 00:16:44,950 --> 00:16:48,390 You're kind of like the frog in the kettle backwards, where you 308 00:16:48,390 --> 00:16:52,070 just got accustomed to the world and the joy drained out. 309 00:16:53,830 --> 00:16:58,950 Well, the man in the field was surprised by his discovery. 310 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:04,360 And when he discovered the treasure with. 311 00:17:04,360 --> 00:17:09,520 Joy, he sold everything he had to buy that field. 312 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:11,840 That decision wasn't grudging. 313 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:14,480 That decision was excitement and joy. 314 00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:17,600 He wanted that field because that's where the treasure was. 315 00:17:17,600 --> 00:17:20,680 And it was worth giving up everything else he owned in order 316 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:22,320 to get that treasure. 317 00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:27,520 You know, I think too often Christianity is seen as a list of 318 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:28,320 sacrifices. 319 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:30,720 What do I have to give up? 320 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:34,520 Kind of go along, do it, don't. 321 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:35,280 Want to do it. 322 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:38,960 Because we haven't discovered the treasure. 323 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:41,440 We haven't really possessed the treasure. 324 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:43,440 Jesus said it is joy. 325 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:49,080 Jesus said essentially, in so many words, you're trading pennies 326 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:51,600 for treasures, for gold. 327 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:54,600 He said, you're trading rags for riches. 328 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:57,540 You're trading emptiness for eternity. 329 00:17:59,300 --> 00:18:04,620 If following Jesus feels heavy, maybe you've lost sight of 330 00:18:04,620 --> 00:18:06,940 the treasure and you. 331 00:18:06,940 --> 00:18:11,380 Need to find it again or need to find it for the first time. 332 00:18:12,580 --> 00:18:14,900 When the man found it, he sold. 333 00:18:15,060 --> 00:18:18,420 Everything for the treasure, all he had. 334 00:18:18,420 --> 00:18:19,620 He didn't sell some of it. 335 00:18:19,860 --> 00:18:20,660 Jesus didn't sell. 336 00:18:20,660 --> 00:18:23,220 He sold some stuff he really didn't need. 337 00:18:23,460 --> 00:18:27,240 He sold everything in order to get the treasure. 338 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:31,240 And the treasure demands total commitment. 339 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:33,320 You see, salvation's free. 340 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:35,240 Salvation is by grace. 341 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:37,480 You can't buy your way into that. 342 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:43,240 But discipleship costs everything and we are disciples of 343 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:45,680 Christ because we see what. 344 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:49,080 He's done for us and we want to love him fully. 345 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:53,080 Jesus isn't asking to be part of your life. 346 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:55,160 He's asking for the whole thing. 347 00:18:56,520 --> 00:19:00,960 And that's where the kingdom of heaven is found, because he gave 348 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:02,440 his all for us. 349 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:05,320 So I ask you this question. 350 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:08,120 What are you clinging to. 351 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:13,480 That keeps you from buying the treasure? 352 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:17,560 What are you holding onto that's worth. 353 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:19,880 More than the treasure. 354 00:19:22,690 --> 00:19:24,050 Until you let go of it? 355 00:19:24,770 --> 00:19:28,210 There's really little joy in the Christian life. 356 00:19:29,490 --> 00:19:34,130 The joy comes when we possess the treasure fully. 357 00:19:35,090 --> 00:19:36,930 That's what Psalm 100 talks about. 358 00:19:37,570 --> 00:19:39,730 Psalm 100 says, Shout to the Lord. 359 00:19:41,250 --> 00:19:41,810 Excuse me? 360 00:19:41,810 --> 00:19:44,450 Shout with joy to the Lord all the earth. 361 00:19:44,450 --> 00:19:45,890 Worship the Lord with gladness. 362 00:19:46,130 --> 00:19:49,110 Come before him with singing joy. 363 00:19:51,350 --> 00:19:52,630 A lot of you wear headphones. 364 00:19:52,630 --> 00:19:54,510 I see you on campus with your headphones on. 365 00:19:54,510 --> 00:19:55,270 That's fine. 366 00:19:55,270 --> 00:19:59,270 I wear them too sometimes, especially when I play golf by myself. 367 00:20:00,150 --> 00:20:00,950 I like them. 368 00:20:01,590 --> 00:20:06,150 But when I see you with headphones, my question I always 369 00:20:06,150 --> 00:20:07,110 ask myself is,. 370 00:20:07,110 --> 00:20:09,270 I wonder, what's the soundtrack of your life? 371 00:20:11,270 --> 00:20:13,030 What's the playlist of your life? 372 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:16,240 Is it a playlist of joy? 373 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:25,680 Or is it a playlist of stress, A playlist of love, or a playlist 374 00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:26,400 of struggle? 375 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:33,920 When we find the treasure, our worship of God becomes joyful. 376 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:37,880 Psalm 100 tells us, you know, we. 377 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:42,090 Often talk about, and the modern church talks about worship 378 00:20:42,090 --> 00:20:43,010 is that time when. 379 00:20:43,010 --> 00:20:44,570 We sing during the service. 380 00:20:44,970 --> 00:20:48,410 I don't really like that phrase, you know, kind of take it 381 00:20:48,410 --> 00:20:48,610 on. 382 00:20:48,610 --> 00:20:49,610 You can't change it. 383 00:20:51,050 --> 00:20:52,330 But we call that worship. 384 00:20:52,330 --> 00:20:53,930 That's not really worship. 385 00:20:53,930 --> 00:20:56,250 You see, worship is not an event. 386 00:20:57,450 --> 00:20:59,450 Worship is a lifestyle. 387 00:21:00,730 --> 00:21:05,320 Worship is because of who Jesus is, not what you just say or. 388 00:21:05,550 --> 00:21:07,150 Or do at a time. 389 00:21:08,590 --> 00:21:11,470 So worship is something we do all the time. 390 00:21:11,630 --> 00:21:14,750 Come before him with singing, with joy. 391 00:21:15,550 --> 00:21:17,870 Then that psalm goes on to say,. 392 00:21:18,670 --> 00:21:21,270 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and enter his courts 393 00:21:21,270 --> 00:21:21,750 of praise. 394 00:21:21,750 --> 00:21:24,470 Give thanks to him and praise his name. 395 00:21:24,470 --> 00:21:28,830 You see, in ancient times, if you came into the courts where the 396 00:21:28,830 --> 00:21:32,910 presence of God was in the temple, you would come in through 397 00:21:32,910 --> 00:21:35,350 gates, and you would. 398 00:21:36,150 --> 00:21:37,510 They knew that phrase. 399 00:21:37,510 --> 00:21:40,590 You come in through the gates into the inner court, which is where 400 00:21:40,590 --> 00:21:43,270 the people would be who would be worshiping God. 401 00:21:43,830 --> 00:21:46,390 Today we just approach to the presence of Christ. 402 00:21:46,870 --> 00:21:49,190 We don't have to go to the temple. 403 00:21:49,990 --> 00:21:52,950 But he says, when you come into the presence of God, give thanks. 404 00:21:53,590 --> 00:21:57,110 Because gratitude changes our perspective on everything. 405 00:21:58,360 --> 00:22:00,480 Instead of focusing on what we don't. 406 00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:07,880 Have, try to see what God has provided in gratitude. 407 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:13,439 It's pretty amazing if you've kind of lost the joy or you never 408 00:22:13,439 --> 00:22:13,960 really had it. 409 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:15,560 I'm going to make a recommendation to you. 410 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:17,800 You probably pray at night. 411 00:22:18,120 --> 00:22:18,760 I do. 412 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:22,280 And often our prayer is, lord, help me with this. 413 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:23,600 Please solve this. 414 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:24,840 Take care of that, Lord. 415 00:22:25,460 --> 00:22:26,260 Work out that problem. 416 00:22:26,660 --> 00:22:28,020 And by the way, we love you. 417 00:22:28,100 --> 00:22:28,740 Amen. 418 00:22:29,140 --> 00:22:29,980 And that's fine. 419 00:22:29,980 --> 00:22:33,060 There's nothing wrong with asking God a list of your interests. 420 00:22:34,580 --> 00:22:37,780 But along with that, write down three. 421 00:22:37,780 --> 00:22:39,860 Things every night you're thankful for. 422 00:22:40,660 --> 00:22:41,460 Just three. 423 00:22:42,100 --> 00:22:44,340 Write down three things you're thankful for. 424 00:22:45,540 --> 00:22:49,220 And when you take a pattern of. 425 00:22:49,620 --> 00:22:55,190 Gratitude, the joy of the treasure becomes found. 426 00:22:55,910 --> 00:23:00,710 Well, the scripture then says, acknowledge that the Lord is God. 427 00:23:01,190 --> 00:23:02,910 He made us, and we are His. 428 00:23:02,910 --> 00:23:05,750 We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. 429 00:23:06,310 --> 00:23:09,190 You know, identity is a huge question of life. 430 00:23:09,990 --> 00:23:10,870 Who am I? 431 00:23:11,830 --> 00:23:12,870 Where do I belong? 432 00:23:12,870 --> 00:23:13,990 Where do I fit in? 433 00:23:15,270 --> 00:23:16,710 Well, it's answered right here. 434 00:23:16,790 --> 00:23:19,660 You are created and claimed and. 435 00:23:19,810 --> 00:23:21,250 And secured by God. 436 00:23:23,090 --> 00:23:27,410 You are created, each one of you individually and purposefully. 437 00:23:27,650 --> 00:23:34,930 God created you for a reason in this world, and you are claimed. 438 00:23:36,130 --> 00:23:38,690 You don't have to worry about what group you belong to or where 439 00:23:38,690 --> 00:23:39,410 you fit in. 440 00:23:39,490 --> 00:23:41,970 You belong to him. 441 00:23:42,530 --> 00:23:43,970 You are part of the family. 442 00:23:44,850 --> 00:23:45,190 You are. 443 00:23:45,260 --> 00:23:46,060 You are his children. 444 00:23:46,620 --> 00:23:47,980 And we're secure. 445 00:23:48,460 --> 00:23:51,740 He says we're the sheep of his pasture. 446 00:23:52,300 --> 00:23:53,460 We're protected by him. 447 00:23:53,460 --> 00:23:54,820 You know, a sheep can't do anything. 448 00:23:54,820 --> 00:23:57,460 For itself if it doesn't have a shepherd. 449 00:23:57,460 --> 00:23:58,060 It's dead. 450 00:23:58,140 --> 00:23:59,100 It's just gone. 451 00:23:59,820 --> 00:24:00,860 It's not going to happen. 452 00:24:02,220 --> 00:24:04,940 But with the shepherd, the sheep are fine. 453 00:24:07,100 --> 00:24:12,380 Sometimes we forget we are protected by God in that kind of 454 00:24:12,380 --> 00:24:12,700 way. 455 00:24:13,740 --> 00:24:15,900 I had one of those things happen last week. 456 00:24:18,700 --> 00:24:21,500 Friday, really tough news. 457 00:24:21,900 --> 00:24:25,260 It was a public policy out of Washington, really messes up my life 458 00:24:26,060 --> 00:24:27,900 and puts a lot of pressure on the school. 459 00:24:27,900 --> 00:24:30,220 And I was trying to figure out how in the world to cope with this 460 00:24:30,220 --> 00:24:30,540 thing. 461 00:24:30,700 --> 00:24:33,100 I mean, it was not a little deal. 462 00:24:33,100 --> 00:24:33,900 It was a big deal. 463 00:24:35,420 --> 00:24:37,560 Friday night, I just couldn't sleep, man. 464 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:38,600 I had nightmares. 465 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:39,600 I had struggles. 466 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:42,400 I was up all night, back and forth and the whole thing. 467 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:46,400 Saturday, I went up, I went to the game for a little bit. 468 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:49,000 Then I thought, well, I got to get my head cleared. 469 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:50,480 I got to get in a better place. 470 00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:52,200 I'll go play golf for a little bit. 471 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:52,720 Played golf. 472 00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:56,760 I was by myself and my stomach was just in knots. 473 00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:58,040 You ever had one of those problems,. 474 00:24:58,040 --> 00:25:00,080 You're just absolutely tied up. 475 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:03,920 And I kept thinking about our verse of the year. 476 00:25:04,370 --> 00:25:05,410 You sang it this morning. 477 00:25:07,250 --> 00:25:08,450 And be sure of this. 478 00:25:09,810 --> 00:25:10,850 Be sure of this. 479 00:25:11,490 --> 00:25:12,690 I'm with you always. 480 00:25:13,810 --> 00:25:15,250 I'm with you always. 481 00:25:16,290 --> 00:25:17,650 I'm with you always. 482 00:25:18,690 --> 00:25:23,010 And I started saying it over to myself on a golf course. 483 00:25:23,650 --> 00:25:25,010 And I started saying it out loud. 484 00:25:25,010 --> 00:25:25,690 You're on a golf course. 485 00:25:25,690 --> 00:25:26,610 You can talk to yourself. 486 00:25:26,610 --> 00:25:28,290 People don't mind. 487 00:25:28,850 --> 00:25:30,210 And I can say it out loud. 488 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:35,720 And over a few hours, all the tension went away. 489 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:40,120 Because you know, that problem, it's not my problem. 490 00:25:42,120 --> 00:25:44,520 I'm in charge of this place, but it's not my problem. 491 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:45,560 It's God's problem. 492 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:51,400 And he'll fix it because he promised he's with us always. 493 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:54,280 We're the sheep of this pasture. 494 00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:55,720 Well, then the. 495 00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:59,880 The psalm ends. 496 00:25:59,880 --> 00:26:00,920 For the Lord is good. 497 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:03,240 His unfailing love continues forever. 498 00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:07,000 And his faithfulness continues to each generation. 499 00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:14,040 In a world of uncertainty, you all live in a lot of uncertainty. 500 00:26:14,120 --> 00:26:15,720 Uncertainty about your career. 501 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:18,360 AI going to take all your jobs,. 502 00:26:18,360 --> 00:26:19,480 You're not going to have any future. 503 00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:22,320 Uncertainty about politics, which has just gone. 504 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:24,280 Off the rails crazy right now. 505 00:26:24,740 --> 00:26:26,140 Uncertainty about the economics. 506 00:26:26,140 --> 00:26:27,380 There seems to be no stability. 507 00:26:27,460 --> 00:26:30,100 Uncertainty even about relationships. 508 00:26:30,660 --> 00:26:34,500 Even in all the uncertainty, God is steady. 509 00:26:35,620 --> 00:26:40,260 His goodness means he wants the best for you and for me. 510 00:26:41,300 --> 00:26:46,500 His unfailing love means he never ever gives up on us. 511 00:26:48,020 --> 00:26:54,940 His faithfulness means you can trust him every single time. 512 00:26:56,140 --> 00:26:57,660 Circumstances are going to change. 513 00:26:58,780 --> 00:27:00,180 The world we're living with now is. 514 00:27:00,180 --> 00:27:02,660 Going to look different, but it's still going to be a sin driven 515 00:27:02,660 --> 00:27:03,020 world. 516 00:27:03,660 --> 00:27:07,180 But God's character is eternal. 517 00:27:07,980 --> 00:27:10,220 It does not shift. 518 00:27:11,260 --> 00:27:13,500 And that's the treasure. 519 00:27:14,700 --> 00:27:16,370 That's the treasure. 520 00:27:17,810 --> 00:27:21,690 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. 521 00:27:21,690 --> 00:27:23,970 When a man found it, he hid it again. 522 00:27:24,050 --> 00:27:27,050 And then in his joy, he went. 523 00:27:27,050 --> 00:27:31,090 And sold all he had and bought the field. 524 00:27:32,690 --> 00:27:33,890 The joy of the Lord. 525 00:27:34,930 --> 00:27:37,490 The treasure is worth everything. 526 00:27:38,770 --> 00:27:43,670 The kingdom of God is completely different from what this 527 00:27:43,670 --> 00:27:44,870 world applauds. 528 00:27:46,310 --> 00:27:51,430 So don't miss it by your unwillingness to let go of the trinkets 529 00:27:52,390 --> 00:27:55,510 that are prized by a corrupt world. 530 00:27:56,710 --> 00:28:01,750 Don't hang on to them when you can trade them in for the treasure 531 00:28:02,310 --> 00:28:04,150 of the kingdom of God. 532 00:28:05,190 --> 00:28:06,030 Let's pray together. 533 00:28:06,030 --> 00:28:07,030 Our benediction. 534 00:28:07,350 --> 00:28:11,950 No eye has seen, no ear is heard, no mind is conceived. 535 00:28:12,190 --> 00:28:15,150 What God has prepared for those who love him. 536 00:28:15,390 --> 00:28:16,070 God bless. 537 00:28:16,070 --> 00:28:16,830 Have a good day.