As we mentioned, just briefly a moment ago that in the parable
that was before this one that being the parable of the hidden
treasure, we find that Jesus depicts the value of the Kingdom
to one who accidentally find it. Binds it that the Kingdom of
Heaven is like unto a treasure. That was hidden in a field, and
when a man found it, he went and sold everything that he had in
order that he might buy the field.
And when we search the scriptures regarding all of the
conversion stories, especially those that we find in the book
of Acts, we find no greater example, as we've brought out
from time to time. Then that of a man named the
Apostle Paul, there is no greater example of a man that
was respected and honored and looked up to by his peers.
Have you ever stopped to consider what exactly Paul gave
up that he might Jesus Christ, you remember that?
This was a man that was looked up and looked upon by his peers
as a man of great respect. He was for sake of the, of a
better term, the very Hired Gun of the Sanhedrin when he would
go out and he would persecute the Church of God.
And as he said, he wasted it, he was the one that was there.
When the Martyr Stephen, the first one that would die for his
faith, in the 8th chapter of the book of Of Acts where the Bible
says, when this man Stephen was stoned to death.
That those that through those rocks at him to his death, they
laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul, Saul of
Tarsus obviously beat later became the Apostle Paul.
He was a man, that was persecuting and binding, all
that would call upon the name of the Lord, but all of a sudden on
one very special day on one, very special day.
In the ninth chapter of the book of Acts, we find Luke's account
of exactly what happened to this man.
We know the story, I'll not go into it.
Any further. All we know is that Jesus speaks
to him. He blinds him with a blinding
light and all of a sudden, everything is about to change.
All of his former values are about to go by the wayside
things. He thought that were important
from time to time. No longer are important.
Aunt. He took himself and his social
standing and social status and he cast it aside to be one that
would be beaten one. That would be persecuted all the
days of his life. He would be one that would go
and have an infirmity In the Flesh.
Described simply as a thorn in his flesh, a messenger of Satan
to Buffett him as the Bible says, yes.
He suffered much for the Lord and later we find that he was
behind. Did for his faith.
He gave up everything to obey Jesus.
I want us to listen to the words of Paul as found in one of his
letters in Philippians chapter 3 and we will read beginning there
in verse number 4. But I want you to notice the
assessment or exactly how Paul viewed the things that he must
of given up to be a Christian. He said though, I might also
have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that
he hath whereof he might Trust In the Flesh.
I'm or circumcised. The Eighth Day of the stock of
Israel of The Tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews as
touching. The law.
A Pharisee concerning Zeal persecuting the church touching
righteousness, which is in the law blameless, but what things
were gain to me those I counted loss for Christ.
Yay doubtless and I count all things but loss for the
Excellency of the knowledge of Christ, Jesus, my Lord, for whom
I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them.
But dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having
mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is
through the Faith of Christ, the righteousness, which is of god
by faith that I may know him. And the power of his
resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made,
conformable unto his death. If by any means, I might attain
unto the resurrection of the Dead, you know?
Also, the Apostle Paul would say that in writing of the Gospel of
the glory of Christ, he would refer to it as a treasure, the
Apostle. Paul also said, in second,
Corinthians, chapter 4 and verse 7.
He said, but we have this treasure Measure in Earthen
vessels that the Excellency of the power may be of God and not
of us, he considered the kingdom, considered it beyond a
shadow of a doubt as a treasure and worth, giving up all that he
has anything. That is necessary in order that
he might obtain it. He clearly understood that the
kingdom was extremely valuable because the kingdom or in the
Kingdom. We find that it is a refuge from
the powers of Darkness. It is a domain of righteousness.
It is a domain of Peace, joy and safety.
It is unshakable in itself. And finally, the Apostle Paul
knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that one who is in the kingdom
and remains there is destined for eternal glory.
Well Jesus gave that Parable that Paul fits in and then at
that time and then he gives the one that we're going to discuss
from now on during the course of this study in that is the pearl
of great price. Here's the fellow that's looking
for it. You know, I would imagine if you
talk to people, I do. Everyone talks to folks
sometimes people look in their life and they think something's
missing, you know, every Walk of Life.
There's someone that has something in their life.
Life. That is just not, right?
Something that is missing or something that is lacking.
There's a lot of folks, I know a lot of folks or can read about a
lot of folks. And so, on Howard Hughes for
example, a man that was a billionaire but something was
missing. Money couldn't buy.
All of the happiness in the world and you know what
happened? When he died, what we find with
Howard Hughes, very shamefully and very sad.
He died with his fingernails with inches long.
Corkscrews, he died with rotting teeth and a sunken chest.
He died a billionaire, junkie. A drug addict, something was
missing, something was missing that all the money in the world,
all the fame in the world. All the power in the world could
not buy. Jesus pictures, though that
there's a man and he calls him a merchant man.
This is a man that's in the for sake of a better term.
Let's just say he's in the pearl business, you know?
I would just imagine in my mind's eye as Jesus pictures,
this Merchant, man, I can picture that he has all manner
of pearls, with all manner of price tags.
Oh, perhaps, he found some that didn't cost very much and then
maybe he cost. Others cost him quite a lot.
I don't know. All I know is is Jesus pictures
this man as an Goooal that has pearls.
That is his life business and then all of a sudden something
happens. The reason something happens is
his eyes were open. He was looking for something
that was greater. The Bible says that that which
is greater was the pearl of great price, you know, it's very
interesting to me as I look at this, Parable, this man does
not. What most of us would do in a
similar situation. You know, if I'm a coin
collector and I'm not, I don't know.
The I don't know the first thing about coins, but just say, for
example, I'm a coin collector, I would imagine that I would spend
my life and I would purchase various coins.
And as I got more and more coins, my treasure, if you will
or my, my, my hobby would grow and the price or the Value of it
would grow. Also as I added coins to it, I
would just imagine if I like coins or that was something that
was of interest to me that if I came across one that was
priceless or one that was of Great Value.
I wouldn't do what this man did I would imagine if that is my
hobby, what I'm going to do is I'm going to try to keep what I
have and then mortgage whatever's necessary or figure
out a way that I might be. Bullet come up with the
resources. In order that I might buy this
Priceless or this very expensive coin.
I'll tell you what, I probably wouldn't do if that's my hobby
or my business. It's not even a good business
decision. I wouldn't sell all of them or
trade all of them, because before I had all of these and
here is one chances are. I'm not going to give up all of
those in order that I might obtain.
Pain, just one coin. So understanding that.
That is the picture that Jesus portrays about this, man.
He said the Kingdom of Heaven is likened, unto a merchant, man, a
man that had spent his life collecting and having these very
valuable pearls. All of a sudden, he comes across
one that is of great, price of great value.
You know what he does? He sells it all. he gives it all
up, all of a sudden, every one of those other pearls and all of
his other possessions, all of a sudden Don't Mean a Thing The
only thing that means anything is, how can I get that one?
But this fella found this Pearl because this fellow was looking
for that Pearl and I hope we all understand as I'm sure we do.
We're not talking about pearls tonight.
Jesus is picturing in this Parable.
You know what a parable is a parable is laying alongside
another words, you take something that you know about
and you lay it alongside something you don't know about,
you can compare and you can understand the illustration and
therefore Jesus. I gave this sermon in these two
verses about this, man about the kingdom of heaven.
But you know, I think what most people want to do though is
figure out how they can keep all the old things too.
I think that's what a lot of people do today with regards to
the Lord, they want all the benefits of the Kingdom.
They want the benefits of forgiveness.
They want all of those things. They want an inheritance in
heaven. And by the way, I don't know if
I made the statement here or at another place in a sermon, I
don't remember. So if I have made it here bear
with me but let me just say this, I don't care what people
in the world say with regards to Satanic rituals and satanic
things and they don't believe in God and all that.
And they don't want to go to heaven and certain affiliations
that believe in in that heaven is not a place that you want to
go that you want to be on this Earth, if a person really
understood and a A person can really grasp what heaven is all
about and not just that but have an understanding of the opposite
of that and the alternative is an eternity in hell and know
what held is all about. I'm going to tell you something,
there's not a person in this world that has that
understanding that doesn't want to go to heaven.
If you really knew about hell and you really came to the
understanding that there's only two places, there's heaven, and
there's hell and both places regardless of where you end up,
it's for eternity and it will never change.
You will never leave that state. If a person really understood
that and really could grasp that there's nobody in this world
that would want to go to hell for all eternity.
But you know, I think sometimes people want to hold onto the
world and have the Beautiful Things That Heaven of Heaven.
That's pictured in the scriptures that the same time.
Jesus. So, beautifully pictures.
This Merchant man had a different attitude because this
man, when he found that pearl of the greatest value, he was
willing without reservation to get rid of all that he had in
order that he might obtain it. He was undeterred by the price
now. Do you remember?
Member a few weeks ago, couple weeks ago, we talked about
counting the cost the parable that Jesus portrayed about
counting the cost. You remember?
Jesus said this? That a man is in the kingdom is
likened unto a man that builds a tower.
And this man is to sit down first and count the cost to see
whether he has sufficient to finish it.
You remember also, what Jesus said, Jesus said, if you don't
love or you don't hate your father, Mother and all of that,
you cannot be my disciple. We talked about what that meant
Jesus was not teaching hate. We know that.
Jesus is the very epitome of love what Jesus was saying
there. That word hate means to love
less. All Jesus was saying, is this
unless you love less everybody in this world and everything in
this world, you cannot that work and not means impossible.
Okay, it's impossible. To be my disciple, sometimes we
get deterred by the price but we can't.
Jesus said, if you love father and mother more than me, you're
not worthy of me. Well, let's notice the meaning
of this Parable, really quickly in this Parable.
We find that the person that's described here, represents
someone who is on a mission to find that, which is of the
greatest value, he believes that there's something out there
that's worth looking for, or he would not be seeking it.
And when he finds it, he does without reservation immediately,
recognizing its value, he's willing to sell all that he has
in order that he might obtain it notice though.
I think this is important. And for us to understand at this
time because we're talking about buying and selling and Jesus is
referring or making reference to the kingdom of heaven, or
salvation. So, let me clarify this point
really quickly. Jesus was not suggesting in this
Parable, nor was he suggesting in the parable just prior to
this. That a person can buy his
salvation because the Bible says, it is a gift.
Gift. It is a gift and it's a gift
from God. I don't just leave it there.
We'll explain it a little bit further.
First of all, in Romans 6:23 Paul said this very interesting
how Paul pictured this by divine inspiration and by the way,
nothing that you can read about in the Bible is for the purpose
of taking up space. There's a reason for every
single thing that is written in this grand old book and It is
god-breathed. It is God's will it is God's
words. It is God's way keeping that in
mind. Through the inspiration of the
Holy Spirit. Paul wrote this, to Rome in
Romans, chapter 6 and verse 23, Paul said for the wages of sin
is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ. Our Lord, there is a difference
between wages. Of sin and gift of Salvation.
Notice very briefly and very, very simply if I go out and I
work for a man for a certain wage for a certain amount of
hours. And we agree upon that, as long
as I perform that task or that Duty, he owes me a livable wage,
he owes me specifically what he agreed to pay me I can earn
that. Anybody that's ever worked for a
dime knows that you put the time in, you do your job tasks.
It is owed to you. That's what it's like in
reference to sin, know, if you live in sin and you don't get
sin out of your life. And by the way, sin is raining
in a person's life because of two things.
Number one, because the blood of Jesus has not been applied at
baptism, that person is still In sin because baptism is what
takes away the sin. It's what washes, our sins away
but also for the one that's the backslider for the one that
refuses to live in accordance with God's word.
For the one who is guilty that Jesus talked about of loving
other things in this world more than loving Jesus.
And by the way, the reason for that, if you love other things
more than you love, Jesus, He's the reason that that's a problem
is because the things that you decide to do the choices, you
make the decisions, you make will reflect that.
And Jesus said, I will be number one.
Jesus also would say that if he's number one, then in
essence, all of the decisions that we make in our life will
prove and demonstrate by obedient Works our faith.
Let's go a little step further, though.
And understanding this idea very Simply first of all, we talked
about wages of sin, I go out and I sin, I have what's coming to
me, you know, that little phrase that looks saying he got what's
coming to him. That's kind of what it's like
when you go out and sin you have to reap the benefit of that or
the lack thereof I go out and I sin and I reject the teachings
that are found in the gospel and my life does not coincide with
what's taught to me there. I've Got what's coming to me?
And I better just take it because that's what's coming
death, spiritual death for all eternity but I can't go to God
and that last, and final day before the Judgment seat of
Christ and say, look look what I've done.
Here's the checklist of all of the Good Deeds that I've done,
therefore I have earned my salvation.
That's not how that works. Paul said salvation.
And is a gift of God. But what about my obligation to
work? A lot of times folks, say, you
see, we're not saved by works, we're saved by grace.
How does this all work real quick?
Now, we are saved by grace through faith.
The Apostle Paul said in Ephesians, chapter 2 and verses
8 and 9, for by grace, are you saved through faith and not of
yourselves, it is the gift of God and not of Works, lest any
man should boast that. Just simply means that I can't
do enough Good Deeds to Warrant, or Merit or deserve the grace of
God. That's what that means.
But it doesn't remove me from my responsibility to demonstrate my
faith by my obedient works as James said, if I don't work, if
I don't obey, if I don't perfect my faith and that's what the
Bible says, we are seen. Our faith is seen.
By the way, we demonstrate that Faith by our works.
You can't go to heaven without works.
But I believe, with all of my heart that a person doesn't fall
in and out of Salvation, based upon their Works.
In terms of, I've done good today.
I've earned good. So, I mean grace tomorrow, I do
bad. So, I'm out side of Salvation
because I've not done enough. Good.
No, I believe we fall in and out of Grace, Because by the grace
of God, we have the gift of Salvation.
If we don't work, we fall from grace.
You know, it is only then that we have this Grace though.
Is when we submit to the working of God in our lives which takes
place when were baptized into Christ, Colossians chapter 2 and
verses 11 through 13. Paul said in whom also ye are
circumcised with the circumcision made without hands
in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the
circumcision of Christ. Buried with him in baptism.
Wherein also you are risen With him through the faith of the
operation, who hath raised him from the dead and you being dead
in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh.
Hath he quickened or Made Alive together with him having
forgiven you all trespasses. When are you forgiven your
trespasses? We got to do something about
this sin because of all the things in the world that are
cause a person to be lost. Did you know that there's only
one thing in this whole world that of keep you out of heaven?
Only one. And that's in.
If sins in your life, you've got to get rid of it.
You get rid of it by being washed in the blood of Jesus.
And that's done at baptism. Then we must stay with are
obedient Works in Grace all the days of our life, you know, in
this parable It describes how some people react to the kingdom
of heaven. When they know there must be
something out there, that's worthy of Great Value and have
been searching for it. You know, I'm looking very much
forward, 2007 in going to the Philippines, I'm really looking
forward to that. Because I tell you something,
sometimes we get carried away with all the hustle and bustle,
and modernization, and riches, and so on, and sometimes it's
challenging. Don't misunderstand me.
I'm not saying we have to go to foreign lands to save folks
because I don't believe that at all.
I believe that there's folks to save right here.
I believe that there's folks to save period or the Lord would
come back. I've always believed that I
still do but it's going to be wonderful to see folks.
That have nothing but they're searching for something better.
And all of a sudden they hear in the Bible, they hear in the
gospel. It's told to them, they can have
a mansion on a hill top one day they can live in a place with a
street of pure gold. They can go to a place and be
part of an institution being the church that they don't have to
have social standing or social status.
Nobody cares about how Much money they have no one's looking
at their credentials, the only thing they've got to have is a
good and honest heart. And that's all and they have to
have a willingness to serve God, that's it.
And that person does that is baptized for the remission of
his or her sins and then lives, according to God's will.
They're going to that place in heaven one day?
You know, there's some wonderful Bible examples of how there were
individuals that were searching and looking for something better
looking for the truth, many examples in the scriptures about
that. But you know what's very
interesting about these people? Unlike Paul Paul was not looking
Paul stumbled across it but there was others that were
looking for the truth. They were searching God's word,
they were doing something religiously that they were
trying to be better or find better or do better.
Notice very familiar story, I'll not go into it, but the story of
Ethiopian eunuch the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch in the
8th chapter of the book of Acts, I'll just say this.
Now we know the story, we know that Philip, the Evangelist went
there and preached unto him. Jesus.
We know he obeyed the gospel. We know they came to a body of
water. I know where they went down into
the water. We know that he was baptized.
We know that his sins were washed away that day and after
he was baptized for the remission of his sins.
He went on his way rejoicing and the spirit caught away Philip
that he saw him no more. Now there was no rejoicing
before baptism rejoicing only happened after they both came up
out of the water saying all that to say this.
You know, this man was going or he went to Jerusalem to worship.
He went to Jerusalem to worship under the Old Law.
That is a religious move or religious act.
In fact, when the angel of the Lord sent Philip to him, you
remember what he was doing, he was sitting in his Chariot
reading. The word of God, he was reading
from the prophet, Isaiah He was looking for something that was
better. We find also that his immediate
desire to be baptized shows his estimation of the value of the
Salvation offered through Jesus Christ. you know, sometimes
folks say well, Being a good person is enough.
I'm going to tell you something. Listen to me.
I know some wonderful people that I dearly love.
But they're lost according to God's word.
Because their own goodness is not going to save them.
Their obedience is what will save them.
Great example, we know when the church was established in Acts
2, that the Jews were first converted.
The gospel went to the Jews, we know that and Acts 2, on the day
of Pentecost, three thousand Souls were saved or added to the
apostles on that day as the first of the church.
We go all the way till acts 10 and no Gentiles were converted
before that time. Do you remember a man named
Cornelius? This was a good man.
This was a wonderful man. In fact, he prayed to God always
and gave much alms to the people.
That's wonderful things isn't it?
Aren't those good things? Those are good works.
But you know, his goodness his good deeds and his things that
he was doing in his life while he was an error, they weren't
enough to save him but he was praying.
He was looking for what was right?
He genuinely wanted to do that which was right.
So the Lord sent Peter to him to tell him what he must do and he
told him words, much like Philip told the Ethiopian eunuch on
that Chariot that day and he was baptized to for the remission of
his sins. You know, this coincides with
the promise of Jesus. As found on The Sermon on the
Mount, in Matthew Chapter 5 and verse 6, you remember what Jesus
said, he said, blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after
righteousness, for they shall be filled.
God took note of his spiritual hunger and spiritual thirst and
sent Peter to take the gospel to him.
Lydia is also another occurrence that we find in the book of Acts
the 16th chapter and verses 11 through 15.
We find that she was converted to.
But what we find is her meeting with other women to pray
illustrates. She was searching spiritually
and upon hearing the things that were spoken by.
Bye, Paul. She and her household were
baptized. Yes, these are examples in the
scriptures that should remind us, that people are looking for
something people are looking for some purpose.
They're looking for some meaning out there that's worth diligent
search, and there are those that are willing to win, they find it
to turn their back on, whatever is necessary in order to have
it. You know.
I stood this not too long ago. One of the greatest challenges I
think it is is to know sometimes what to say, as not only a
preacher but a Christian to others to try to instill in them
the importance of putting the Lord first.
It's difficult, sometimes, it's challenging.
I often wonder when we preach on stuff like that.
I Watson wonder what goes through the mind of The
Listener. Now, I'll tell you this.
I can sure see how a person would want to.
On me off. I could see that right off the
bat, but I can't see someone turning their ear or turning a
deaf ear to Jesus, who said, I will be number one in your life.
And if you want to go to heaven, you make me number one.
I can't understand how someone would turn from those words from
him. Well, you know, I'll just tell
you this, I'm so thankful that my father was one, who was
diligently. For the truth.
He was I don't know how many years it was I was either a
little boy or even before I was born my dad was searching for
answers. He was searching for the truth
and what he would do is he would go and compare certain doctrines
and teachings to the Bible simple as that he didn't have
someone standing there telling him he was comparing it to God's
word. And all of a sudden one day he
found the Lord's church and I remember something that was I
remember this like it was yesterday.
I was a little fella and I remember in 1973.
I remember standing outside a church building on a Sunday
morning. I remember a preacher came up to
my father and said, don't you think it's time Don't you think
it's time to obey the gospel? Don't you think it's time to be
baptized for the remission of your sins?
My dad said he says, well, I'm coming around.
I'll get there and this fellow looking dead straight in the eye
and says know you're there. You need to go to heaven, you
need your sins washed away, and you need to do it right now.
My father, and my mother obeyed, the gospel that day.
My sister's, followed shortly thereafter.
When my sister, Louise? Who's married to Brett, hickey
that you all know. On the same day, we obeyed the
gospel together. I'm going to tell you something,
I'm standing before you today because my father was searching.
I'm not putting the emphasis or the credit to my father.
I'm putting the credit to what Jesus said.
He said, if you look for it, you'll find it period.
The Providence of God will make it.
So if you want the truth, you will find it.
That's beautiful to me because all that means is we got to be
people that are searching for, what's right?
We need to be searching for the pearl of great price.
Let's notice really quickly as we draw our lesson to a close.
How did they search? That's very important.
How did these people in the scriptures?
Search for that? Pearl of great price, we find
with the Ethiopian eunuch, he became a student of the Bible.
You know what else we find? And also that he applied the
scriptures to the best of his understanding, he was open to
what Philip the Evangelist had to say concerning these
scriptures. You remember, also those bereans
as evidenced in Acts 17 and verses 10 and 11, you remember
Paul said they were more noble than those of thessalonica.
You know why? Because with Readiness of mind,
they received the word gladly, that's what they did, but they
didn't just leave it there. Paul, praise them, Paul praise
them. You know why they didn't just
take his word for it. They went home and they searched
the Scriptures Daily to see if those things were.
So that's what a person has to do in seeking out the Lord,
that's what a person needs to do in their life but Also, apply
diligence that is Readiness of mind to grasp.
What others are saying about God's word.
But here's number three because I just said about others.
Speaking of God's word. It is God's plan that we preach
the gospel to the lost. That's true.
I want you to notice though, in the end, let the scriptures and
the scriptures only be final Authority.
Demonstrate that demonstrate that by your respect for God's
word. By searching the Scriptures
Daily to see if these things were so like the Ethiopian
eunuch, like those at Barea, like Cornelius, like Lydia and
many other religious people. It is possible to be lost in the
present state that we are in and it is it is possible to be lost
in our present understanding of God's word.
So let's search the scriptures. Let's find out exactly what's
found in God's word for us. us, let's seek after that pearl of
great price and then when we find it let's be willing to part
with all that we have if necessary in order to obtain it
You know, I would just imagine because we don't have trials
today. I it's almost embarrassing to
say that we have trials compared to those that we read about in
the New Testament. Oh, I think probably the Do the
hardest thing ever, I guess said to me was somebody laughed at
me? No one's ever beat me for
serving the lord. They've made fun of me for doing
it. I remember when I was growing up
going to rodeos. I remember if Sunday rolled
around, we turn my steer out and I wouldn't be there.
I remember I remember making fun of me.
Big deal. That's it.
It's about the worse. It gets right there.
I remember also, there was a young man, my dad baptized from
from my high school is about 4 years younger than then I was at
and will.i.am and at the time I was graduating and he was a
freshman. I remember this like it was
yesterday, his family said, this is wonderful.
It was wonderful that he went to the church to what the services
on a regular basis. That was wonderful until he
wanted to obey the gospel and take a stand for what was right?
Until he wanted to get baptized and you know what they told him.
They told this young man, the grandparents who had a lot of
wealth. Look him dead straight in the
eye and said if you get baptized, you're out of the will
You know what? This little fella said, leave me
out. He was willing.
To turn his back on whatever because I'll tell you something.
If you know about heaven and you know where the alternative is,
there's nothing in this world. That's more important.
I wonder if we could ask the Apostle Paul, that was beheaded.
If we could ask Peter, who was crucified upside down, if we
could speak to Stephen tonight that were stoned or even
polycarp, that was burned at the stake.
Before he was a judge to the Flames, they try to get him to
reject Jesus Christ and he said eighty and six years.
Have I served him and he's never done me wrong.
How could I possibly do it now? How could I possibly reject my
Lord and Master that saved me I'll bet you if we could talk to
every one of those tonight which we can't they would say it was
worth it. All one more thing and I'm going
to quit. Sometimes Christians though,
find The Pearl. But they don't realize the value
of it Mila straight at this way, there was a man about 20 years
ago. They call him a rock hound.
That's just a funny way of saying he like rocks.
And this guy, what he would do is he would go out on various
digs and he would dig into the Earth and come up with various
types of rocks. He would take them to collectors
or even jewelry makers and he would sell them and they would
take those stones those rocks and they would do whatever with
them. well, one day about 20 years ago, this fella he goes on
this dig, and he comes up with a blue rock that he simply refers
as A hunk of Bleu. That was it.
He thought, you know, this is kind of pretty weighs about a
pound. Looks pretty nice.
I'll tell you what I'm going to do.
See, he didn't know the real value of it because he would
leave that to those that would do that for a living.
The appraisers would do that, but he looked at it and thought
I would imagine this has some value.
He put a price tag on it. A $500 and tried to sell it, not
knowing what it was. He just tried to sell it for 500
dollars. Well, being in this business, he
loved this business had a little store doing this.
He loved the Business. But it didn't always pay the
bills. So he thought this I've always
got that Blue Rock. I want 500 but if I have to pay
the PG&E bill or whatever, I'll just lower the price.
He never could sell it. So we cast it into a closet or
under his bed and it stayed there for two decades.
Good thing though, good thing it was never sold because what he
did is he almost hawked for a few hundred dollars.
What turned out to be the largest and most valuable
Sapphire ever found, he abandoned that Sapphire to the
darkness of his closet. For a sapphire, that's called
the Star of David and it's worth 2.75 million dollars.
Don't we do that sometimes though.
I don't want to trivialize the church.
But sometimes we do that. We find The Pearl.
But we don't know what we found. And the reason is because we
have not placed the value on it. That is rightful for it to have.
How was it with you tonight? Have you found the pearl of
great price? The idea that we need to
understand is a person is saved when they hear the word of God,
believe in Jesus for whom, he is as the Son of God when they
repent of their past life and make the determination, I no
longer am going to head in the direction that I've been
heading. I'm going to make a change.
It's kind of like this Merchant man.
I'll give it all up for the Lord, because I know that if I
do that, I'm going to be saved. And then we confess the name of
Jesus as the Son of God, that is very simple.
I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
That's all. And then baptized for the
remission of our sins. We thank you for listening to
our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.
Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional
information or you would like to receive a free Bible
correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at True
Church of Christ Bakersfield.com.
Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and
Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us.
We would love for you to be our honored guest.