Today, I’d like to talk to you about a subject that has many different verses attached to it, in fact, a whole chapter is dedicated to it in Luke. So, I’ve wondered how to approach our scripture reading this morning, and I think the best way is to read a short set of verses upfront to get a grasp of where we’re heading and what we’re talking about this morning; and then we’ll flip over to another chapter and read along as the sermon progresses rather than reading so much up front. So for the most part, this is more of a “follow-along” almost “book-club discussion” sermon today.
So to start, I’d like for us to go to Matthew 13, and we’ll read just a short couple of verses out of there. And then if you have a bookmark, place it in Luke 15, and that will be our main text as we go through our sermon today. So Matthew 13 to begin, and then Luke 15.
Another little disclaimer this week: I was a bit under the weather again, so if this sermon doesn’t quite follow a straight line, I’ll chalk it up to that.
Anyway, last week we discussed what it means for God to “get us” and what it should mean for us to get each other in response to the rather vague and incomplete Superbowl ad. This week’s sermon I think follows up on that concept. I hadn’t intended to do a two-parter last week, but you know God, he tends to plan things without telling us sometimes.
Last week, we talked about how we can’t be just “who we are” and that’s it. We can be–in fact we can only be–who we are and where we are in our spiritual journey in any given moment, but it shouldn’t be where we were. And when we first come to Christ, we are where we are, and he accepts us where we are.
As I mentioned in my closing prayer last week, the ground is even at the foot of the cross. When it comes to the imagery of those who were seemingly opposed to each other washing each others’ feet, it is an example of how we ought to love and serve one another. Today, I’d like to take the concepts from last week and expound on them a little bit–not to delve into last week’s sermon, but to bounce off of it. Let’s take a look at our scripture in Matthew and you’ll see where I’m going with this.
Scripture: Matthew 13:44-46 (New International Version)
44 “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.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
Here, with just a couple of sentences, Jesus tells a great truth. He has a way of doing that, doesn’t he? I love how Jesus told Nicodemus the whole entire gospel story in one sentence in John 3:16. Here, Jesus gives us two parables involving a man who sold all he had to possess something of great value.
You know, we all have different treasures, don’t we? I have to admit, my worldly treasures tend to be things that are really impractical–baseball cards, comic books, movie posters, vintage vinyl record albums, CDs, and DVDs…one time I was at Big Lots in Dansville, and I found a DVD set of the first six seasons of I Love Lucy for a really good price. I don’t remember what it was–but it had to have been only $10 or $20, and it was the last one they had. Now that little bit of money doesn’t seem like a whole lot, but at the time, every penny counted–we were living paycheck to paycheck, and I had to wait until I got paid again to purchase it. So what did I do? I went and put it in the cereal aisle, back behind the last box of something that I knew wouldn’t sell out within the next few days so that I could come back again and buy it.
And sure enough, there it was.
Now, I admit, a DVD set isn’t the biggest priority in the world–like I said, so imagine finding something of greater practical value that goes way beyond that. In this parable, the treasure and the pearl represent Jesus, himself, and the salvation He offers. To the scoffers out there, how many rabbis went ahead and preached that sort of thing about themselves?
And while we cannot pay for salvation by selling all our worldly goods, once we have found it, we are willing to give up everything else to possess it.
I read this in another sermon not too long ago, it’s from Philippians 3, and it’s Paul the former Pharisee of Pharisees talking about his own testimony.
He says, “7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”
Once we truly find Christ, we are not supposed to be the same. It’s not “He gets us,” and that’s that. When we find Christ, we find a treasure that cannot be found anywhere on earth. That’s why it’s kind of hard to find. It’s not right out in the open, on sale in a store with only one left. It is hidden in plain sight. Jesus is here, there, and everywhere, yet he is hidden. You have to find him.
The good news is, he is also searching for us. And like a lost sheep, we have to call to him to allow him to come to us. That’s the deal.
Let’s go now to Luke 15 and read about that. As you’re turning there, let me read to you something I found on the Matthew 13 verses.
It says, Notice that the merchant stopped seeking pearls when he found the pearl of great price. Eternal life, the incorruptible inheritance, and the love of God through Christ constitute the pearl which, once found, makes further searching unnecessary. Christ fulfills our greatest needs, satisfies our longings, makes us whole and clean before God, calms and quiets our hearts, and gives us hope for the future. The “great price,” of course, is that which was paid by Christ for our redemption.
Isn’t it amazing that the pearl of great price is Christ for us; yet it is us for Christ? He is our great pearl; and we are His great pearl. If you have headings in your Bible, you’ll see that in Luke 15, there are different headings for Jesus’ teachings: The Parable of the Lost Sheep; The Parable of the Lost Coin, and the Parable of the Lost Son. We’re going to briefly go over those today. Remember last week, when we looked at the story of the woman who washed Jesus’ feet, and the thoughts that ran through Simon the Pharisee about how much of a sinner this woman was. “If Jesus had only known who she was, he wouldn’t let her near him.” And remember how Jesus corrected Simon?
We have a very similar situation here. Beginning with verses 1 and 2, we read, “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.””
That was a big deal back then. I’m sure it still is among some Christians today. And because of this attitude Jesus couldn’t just brush it aside–though he probably did a lot, here was the time and place to correct this attitude.
Continuing with verse 3: 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
The “He Gets Us” campaign, and the Oprah Winfrey Gospel, tells us that we don’t need to have Christ find us. He gets us. He lets us go, and no matter where we are, He still loves us. Well, of course there’s truth to that, but it’s a twisted truth. Jesus does love us no matter where we are, and he’ll let us go, but what the Progressive theology misses is that if we go, we don’t go on our own in the way that we grow up and leave home and pop in and see mom and dad once in a while. This is a different kind of going away. This is going astray. You may have heard the word, “apostasy” used–it means the opposite of repentance. It’s going from Christ to the World.
Progressive theology almost encourages apostasy. I use the word, almost as a little disclaimer, but in reality, I could probably edit that word out. And that’s why I’m cautious about the “He Gets Us” campaign. I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but like I’ve said before, it’s not just a campaign, it’s a theology that is creeping into not just progressive churches but also our evangelical churches.
Not to get too bogged down on this, but here’s a survey by Ligonier Ministries which said the following: A significant number of evangelicals surveyed (i.e., us–our basic belief system) have a profound misunderstanding about the nature and character of God.
- Almost three out of four (73 percent) agree with the claim that Jesus is the “first and greatest being created by God.”
- More than half (58 percent) believe that God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.
- More than half (56 percent) agree that worshiping alone or with one’s family is a valid replacement for regularly attending church.
- More than half (55 percent) believe the Holy Spirit is a force but is not a personal being.
- More than half (55 percent) agree that “everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature.”
- More than half (53 percent) disagree with the claim that even the smallest sin deserves eternal damnation.
- More than one in four (46 percent) disagree that every Christian has an obligation to join a local church.
- Almost half (44 percent) say that Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God.
- Almost one-third (29 percent) agreed with the statement that God learns and adapts to different circumstances, while only 43 percent disagreed.
Again, I don’t want to bead a dead horse, I want to find a lost sheep. Do you see how many sheep are lost right within our own collective group of evangelical churches? This is one reason why it is so important to talk about this subject. It’s not preaching to the choir anymore. There is no such thing. The Bible says that in the last days there will be a great apostasy.
Gotquestions defines apostasy as this: Apostasy, from the Greek word apostasia, means “a defiance of an established system or authority; a rebellion; an abandonment or breach of faith.” In the first-century world, apostasy was a technical term for political revolt or defection. Just like in the first century, spiritual apostasy threatens the Body of Christ today.
Lost sheep are not just people who don’t care–they are people who do care and may be those who call themselves Evangelical Christians.
Let’s read the second parable, starting with verse 8 and going to verse 10:
8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
I remember going to large Christian festivals like Kingdom Bound and Creation where there were tens of thousands of people, and hundreds or even thousands might give their hearts to Christ in one night. Imagine the rejoicing in Heaven on those nights. Imagine the rejoicing in Heaven during a Billy Graham crusade where not only people in the stadiums gave their hearts to Christ, but many many more who were watching on television.
One lost person is precious to God. Sometimes when one person goes astray, we (myself included) think, “Oh well, there goes another one. That’s no surprise.” Maybe it’s not a surprise, but one person is precious to God. Especially one who was already there.
Notice in this parable, the woman did not just lose a coin, it was part of a collection. It was part of 10. She didn’t swear and say, “Well, there goes that set.” No, she looked up and down, in and out, for that one coin. Talking about DVDs, I did that for either a book, a DVD, or a CD just the other day because I found a great deal on something that was part of a set. I think it was a DVD because I’ve been piecemealing a TV show on DVD and I have a bunch of things in boxes, and I was trying to get this book or DVD or CD in with the rest of the set. I drove myself crazy to find something that I can’t even remember now whether it was a CD, DVD, or book.
Imagine a precious coin or pearl of great price.
It is suggested that possibly, this coin was held with several others on a silver chain worn around the head as a mark of a married woman. It was a precious ornament to the woman, and made the loss all the more severely felt. It would be like losing the diamond in a wedding ring.
Charles Spurgeon said: “The piece of silver was lost but still claimed. Observe that the woman called the money, ‘my piece which was lost.’ When she lost its possession she did not lose her right to it; it did not become somebody else’s when it slipped out of her hand and fell upon the floor.”
In the same way, God sees those who have gone astray as still His. That makes for a very tricky theological point as to whether those who have gone astray are still saved or not, which is why Baptist theology on this subject is at odds with other denominations. This is one reason why God commanded us to not judge one another. There are some whom only God knows whether or not they are still or have ever been His own.
One thing that I remember both from Elim and from a workshop that our local Baptist association did on ceremonies–Pastor George Norton of Montour Falls Baptist admitted that there are some funerals that he does where he doesn’t know where the deceased is. And he has to leave it up to God to judge perfectly.
I believe that those who are truly saved will not be truly lost because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
John 6:38-40 says, 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
Ephesians 1:13-14 says, “13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”
2 Corinthians 1:21 and 22 says, “21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
And one more out of 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 says this: “ 9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
That last part is what truly matters. If you are truly saved, you’ll know it. Remember in past sermons when I said “God is not our genie?” Well, the sinner’s prayer is not a magical incantation. Not all those who said the sinner’s prayer at those Billy Graham crusades and Christian festivals might have been truly saved. They might have just been caught in the moment, made a decision in the moment, and went about their lives as usual when the moment wore off. And Jesus said that not all who call him Lord are saved.
So what about the lost sheep? What about the lost coin? What about the pearl of great price, which is us to God? I think it applies to those who had been so close, who wanted to commit but temptation, their own sinful desires, or perhaps their friends and family were just too much of a pull. Maybe it was their own pride. Maybe it was the false teaching that they were okay with putting God in the back of their minds because The Church–even the evangelical Church–did not focus on repentance and holiness. Instead they focused–using scripture maybe in context or out of context–on being a good person, or how to manage your money or time, or on how to be a good spouse or coworker or whatnot. Maybe it’s “God is there for you when you’ve had a bad day. Life can be tough, but hang in there.”
This type of preaching isn’t wrong, so long as the scripture is used in context–I’ve been to churches like that, myself; but if the churches aren’t careful, the world will get ahold of their sheep and back they’ll go.
It’s like the story of the Prodigal Son, which is next. Due to brevity, I won’t read all of it. But the son didn’t see what he had until he tasted the World.
Let me say that one more time: The son didn’t know what he had until he tasted the World. It’s like the old saying, “You don’t know whatcha got until you lose it.” I wonder how many demons understood that, only after it was too late. But for those who are with us, the prodigals who are still alive, it’s not too late.
Let’s look at verses 17-24: 17 “When he came to his senses [the prodigal son], he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
Remember what I said about the angels celebrating over the one sinner who was lost? Let’s look at the last set of verses starting with verse 28:
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
See, Jesus concludes his “Lost and Found” parables by giving us a real example of what the lost sheep and the lost coin represent. Look how valuable both of those were. Look how valuable the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price were. For those of us who suffer from understanding our worth, let’s look at this passage from Matthew:
“29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
And this from Psalms 147: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. 4 He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.”
I love how those two seemingly separate ideas are put together. He knows the number of hairs on our heads; he knows how many stars there are and calls them by name. He knows us much better than we know ourselves. He calls us to repent. That’s not a bad, judgmental word, it simply means to turn around and make a very clear, conscious decision to come to him once and for all, with everything we got, in the same way the prodigal son did, and we will be received in the same way.
That is the good news of the gospel.
Those of you who are here today, might be thinking to yourself, what does this have to do with me? I’m good. I know where I stand. Maybe some of you are struggling with being a pharisee. I get that. Maybe some of you are struggling with doctrines–or doctrines of demons as Paul put it, like those who were polled in the evangelical survey I mentioned earlier.
But the real, true reason why I gave this sermon is that maybe you know one or two or more who have gone astray. There is still hope, so long as they are alive. I’ll bet you someone has probably already come to mind. Put them on your prayer list. They aren’t too far gone that Christ can’t save. They aren’t too far gone that Christ can’t find. He knows exactly where they are. He wants to find them. He wants to leave the 99. This is what “He Gets Us” is missing because it doesn’t end there. He gets us, therefore he wants to rescue us. The problem is, they (who need rescuing) have to call on Him in order for Him to come to them.
It’s like the story of the Prodigal Son. The father was there all along, but the son had to come back home. How can we help those who are lost find their way back home? How can we help those who lost God find their pearl of great price? We know where it is, why aren’t we telling those who lost their treasure where it can be found?
Romans 10:12-14 says: 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for,“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
Now, I’m not asking you to be preachers, but I am asking you to bring good news. Somehow, some way, as the Lord leads. Maybe it’s just inviting someone to church or a Bible study or a concert or recommending a Christian book or a song. Maybe it’s just prayer.
James says that the fervent prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Paul tells us to pray without ceasing, and the writer of Hebrews says this:
“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.”
Even Jesus cried out to God. It wasn’t just in the Garden of Gethsemane. And even Jesus was heard–not because He was the Son of God–but because of his reverent submission (a little study in the Trinity there). If God The Father placed upon Jesus the same standard of earthly submission in which he places upon us, and because Jesus was faithful in being submissive to His Father, then God heard Jesus’ prayer. He can do the same for us because God is our Father as well, just as much as He is Jesus’ Father.
I want to ask you as we close, who comes to your mind as lost and in need of salvation? Who can you pray for and encourage this person or these people this week?
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on First Baptist Church of Watkins Glen
Featured Image by Sr. Maria-Magdalena R. SMCB from Pixabay
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