Treasure Hunting & Fishing
Matthew 13:44-51
Focus: The thing that Jesus values.
QUESTION: What do you have or have you had that you value or valued? Dr. WB Caldwell’s Soothing Syrup. Dian
broke it and I hadn’t taken anger management, but I’d read a book about anger. Whew!!
Todd, describe your Harley.
44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again
and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.
45 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. 46 When he discovered a pearl of
great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!
47 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind. 48
When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad
ones away. 49 That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people
from the righteous, 50 throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 Do you understand all these things?” “Yes,” they said, “we do.”
52 Then he added, “Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a
homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.”
53 When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country.
1) What is the valuable thing that Jesus tells these parables about?
The Kingdom of Heaven
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2) What does Jesus use as examples in these parables?
Hidden treasure, Choice pearls, Net full of fish, A storeroom full of truth old and new.
QUESTION: Are these still valuable to day? Absolutely.
TEACHING POINTS:
QUESTION: Why does he tell several stories about the Kingdom of Heaven? Repetition for emphasis (L7), so we should
pay attention. This is his message. >>>He’s bringing the Kingdom to earth.
3) How much were the people in these parables “paying” for the things they valued?
They sold everything to get the treasure, the pearl. “so valuable that it's worth sacrificing whatever it takes to get them”
4) We can have our own individual “kingdom.” What all might you include in your own “kingdom?”
That little sphere in which what you say, what you want, goes. (Example: You’re in my space, physical kingdom.)
QUESTION: Is it wrong to have our own kingdom? We will work on that. Why do we want our own kingdom? We were
born with the desire. In the Garden, God said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to our likeness; let them have
DOMINION (kingdom language.) Believe it? When a child is born, they learn to walk, talk, and say NO. They are
learning about their kingdom.
Said another way, your kingdom is the range of your effective will (what you know you can control) starting with your
body.
QUESTION: So, what is The Kingdom of God? It’s the “space” where God’s will, God’s power, God’s provision exists.
– It’ the best place to ever be. > It lasts forever.
– It’s the safest place to ever be. > You can be physically attacked, but hey can’t destroy your soul. You can be
mentally abused, but they can’t take your soul. They can lock you up, but they can’t lock you away from God.
– Ultimately, you will live forever in a place better then the most awesome paradise you can imagine!
THE QUESTION
THE QUESTION: Whose kingdom are you living in? We have a physical kingdom we live in, right now we are at the
Garage Church, we’re American’s. We like to ask, “Where are you from?” But also, You have a spiritual location, it’s
literally real. Jesus says you can live in the kingdom of God! This is the greatest news ever! In the kingdom of God,
you have the ultimate support and you can’t be ultimately harmed.
How do I know this? well, Paul said it: For I am convinced that neither death not life, neither angels nor demons, neither
the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all of creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God that in IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD. “In Christ” is how Paul describes God’s
kingdom! Paul uses “in Christ” 164 times. 164 times he says you can be in Christ, in his kingdom.
THE QUESTION: Whose kingdom are you living in? On earth there are a lot of kingdoms: mine, yours, they are
messed up little kingdoms, neighborhoods, corporations, nations, economic and political systems, cultures and sub-
cultures. What are they really? They are all kingdoms of personal POWER. In biblical language all of this big
conglomerate/mixed up/merged kingdoms make up the Kingdom of Earth.
5) So, how are things on the “kingdom” of earth? List some of the issues.
Injustice, genocide, sex trafficking, untrustworthy people in power, apathy toward God, loneliness, depression, suicide,
addiction, hate, cruelty, the very rich and the very poor, devastating storms, fake news, terrorism. The answer: Not good!
Obviously, we do live on the earth, along with all of the stuff listed. That’s our location. And our little kingdoms have
definitely crossed paths with some of these other kingdoms.
In Matthew, staring way back with the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is contrasting his list with the world’s list of WHO IS
ELIGIBLE FOR THE GOOD LIFE. The world’s list includes the immensely talented, the slender, those who hustle
(work hard), those who have figured out how to not work hard and get a lot of money. The people with the white picket
fence life (no big problems) – a lie, the power brokers, the people that manage to stay out of jail somehow, those with the
most social media followers, those that have a second home on the beach. Are you on any of these lists? So, you’re
missing out on the good life?
Jesus comes to say, “NO, THE WORLD HAS IT WRONG.” We call Jesus’ way of thinking the upside down, but HIS
WAY IS RIGHT SIDE UP!
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6) V47-49 Thinking eternally, what is the long-term result to living in your own small kingdom and the world’s big
kingdom?
Ah, the fear sermon > bottom line > there will be judgement > you will follow Jesus and choose His kingdom or you
won’t.
My dad – “I’d sure like to hear a good sermon on hell” – that’s old school – not in vogue any more to discuss “what if I
don’t choose to follow Jesus?” But, “what if you don’t choose to be a Jesus follower/”
Separated from God. And your soul never dies.
Don’t sleep walk through life.
Consider what you are going to do with your life.
Consider who are you going to trust with your eternal life.
AGAIN, “THE QUESTION:”
Everyone here has to answer this question for your own life. Because you will base your life on something (You do have
a worldview.) Who’s well off? Who’s blessed? Who’s living the dream? JESUS HAS THE ANSWER: BLESSED
IS ANYONE WHO IS ALIVE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD!
-Blessed is anyone who is daily interacting with God in the adventure of bringing up there down here. Will you?
-Blessed is anyone who seriously wants to get out of the drug culture and live in the kingdom of heaven. Will you? Not l
live for that fleeting addiction comfort.
-Blessed is anyone who will give up their ego, their need to be right all the time and live a kingdom life? Will you?
-Blessed is anyone who does not live for comfort, physical comfort. Will you? Will you not live for plenty of money and
comfort.
– Will you? Not live for that “living in addiction chaos.” Will you?
To be in the kingdom means to be blessed no matter what else happens. Sickness, physical death, you name it.
YOUR PRESENT IS REDEEMED. YOUR FUTURE IS SECURED.
No matter how small or insignificant the world thinks your life is, it’s not small and it’s not insignificant!