Open 115 RR 841 "The BIG Pearl" Close 138 Matthew 13:45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 "who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. When I was living in East Texas, before we moved to Canada, I had a Dodge Dakota pickup similar to the one that I have now. It was a 5-speed transmission and got good gas mileage for a truck. Because of our move, we began to get paid in Canadian dollars, which at that time were running in the neighborhood of $0.65. That made the truck way to expensive for me to finish paying for, so I had to sell it. In the back of my mind, I determined that one day, I would have another one as much like that one as possible. Fast forward 6 or 7 years. From time to time I would check the internet for the truck I was looking for, but very few of the V6 engines had the standard transmission. And the prices were usually beyond me. One evening, I decided to look again, and there it was. A man in Georgia was selling a Dakota that he had bought new, and cared for himself. The paint was not too much to look at, but the rest seemed to be very good. And the price was right. After some phone calls and e-mails back and forth, I went to meet him, and my new (old) truck in Chattanooga, Tn. Other than a lousy paint job, it was just exactly what I was looking for. And as the saying goes, the rest is history. Have you ever experienced the joy of finding? I am not talking about an ordinary shopping spree, but the joy of finding something very special, very sought for? I am sure that most of us have from time to time. Jesus gave us several parables of finding. We are going to look at the one today that may most closely speak to our salvation, and how we will relate to the world once we understand that parable. Matthew 13:45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 "who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Now this is not a long parable. Yet it is packed with meaning. We spoke of the kingdom of heaven last time I was here. We looked at many of the parables that spoke to an understanding of the Kingdom of Heaven. Today we wrap up our studies on the parables, but I hope that you continue to dig in them for the truths that will strengthen you in the Kingdom. Today, I want to examine the parable from two different, but complimentary points of view. I believe that each tells of truths that are eternal. In the first, Jesus is represented as the Pearl of Great Price. We are familiar with this viewpoint. Truly there is no greater possession, if I may use that word, that we can claim for our own that of the righteousness that comes from Jesus Christ through His indwelling Holy Spirit. The really huge issue is this: What do we have as human beings that can purchase in essence that which is divine? We speak of the free gift of salvation. Paul said in: Romans 5:15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. 17 For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. Isaiah 55:1 "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance. 3 Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you; The sure mercies of David. These two passages illustrate the paradox of salvation: It is a free gift, but it costs us everything It is a great mystery. But is it not contradictory. Because just like the pearl, everything else in the eyes of the merchant became mere dust on his feet as he contemplated the beauty of the one perfect thing that had been his goal all along. When you see the value, nothing else seems to be worth anything. You are not really buying as much as Paul put so eloquently, "Counting all as dung." In the parable the merchantman is represented as selling all that he had to gain possession of one pearl of great price. This is a beautiful representation of those who appreciate the truth so highly that they give up all they have to come into possession of it. They lay hold by faith of the salvation provided for them at the sacrifice of the only-begotten Son of God. {1SM 399.1} There are some who are seeking, always seeking, for the goodly pearl. But they do not make an entire surrender of their wrong habits. They do not die to self that Christ may live in them. Therefore they do not find the precious pearl. They have not overcome unholy ambition and their love for worldly attractions. They do not lift the cross, and follow Christ in the path of self-denial and self-sacrifice. They never know what it is to have peace and harmony in the soul; for without entire surrender there is no rest, no joy. Almost Christians, yet not fully Christians, they seem near the kingdom of heaven, but they do not enter therein. Almost but not wholly saved means to be not almost but wholly lost. {1SM 399.2} Now let us look at the complimentary interpretation. Matthew 13:45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 "who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. This view is that the precious church of Jesus Christ, the church universal, is the pearl of great price. This view is reflected in the parable of the lost sheep. Also in the following passages: Romans 10:20 But Isaiah is very bold and says: "I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me." Luke 19:10 "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." 1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. He so appreciated the possibility of the human race that he became man's substitute and surety. He places upon man his own merit, and thus elevates him in the scale of moral value with God. Christ is the atoning sacrifice. He left the glory of heaven, he parted with his riches, he laid aside his honor, not in order to create love and interest for man in the heart of God, but to be an exponent of the love that existed in the heart of the Father. He came into the world to make man accept the fact that although man had sinned against God, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Jesus paid the price of all his riches, he assumed humanity, he condescended to a life of poverty and humiliation, in order that he might seek and save that which was lost. {YI, September 5, 1895 par. 1} You see, Christ did not come down to buy with his precious blood a pearl that was obvious to the universe. He gave up everything, he sold everything that he might purchase what he knew that we could be if we united with Him through His Holy Spirit. And not only that, His intent is that we sit with Him in heavenly places through this marvelous action of Christ. And more than that, it begins right now in promise, and continues throughout eternity Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 3:8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. This seeking on Christ's part, is the greatest mystery of salvation. It might easily be understood that a mortal might strive for that which seems almost impossible, although it seems almost totally out of reach. But it is unfathomable that Divinity would seek fallen humanity and pay for that humanity a price that can never be appreciated fully in it's scope and dimension. That is what motivates the human seeker. In the parable the merchantman is represented as selling all that he had to gain possession of one pearl of great price. This is a beautiful representation of those who appreciate the truth so highly that they give up all they have to come into possession of it. They lay hold by faith of the salvation provided for man at the sacrifice of the only-begotten Son of God. The righteousness of Christ, as a pure, white pearl, has no defect, no guilt, no stain. . . . {HP 49.4} Can you see how this pulls together? The human merchantman, seeks for that which is beyond his reach, but is willing to let everything else pale in significance as he contemplates the beauty of the wonderful Savior. The Godly Merchantman desires so strongly that he might have a church without spot and blemish, that he leaves infinity, omnipotence, omniscience and lives as a man that he might form that beautiful pearl. Peter lays out the two visions for us. A call to honor the God that saves us. 1 Peter 1:17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. A call to recognize just where our salvation lies. 2 Peter 3:14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; And what of the things that the human merchant has to buy with? We can only buy His life by our death. Our death to self. Our understanding that in us is no good. And when we see our dust for what is it, and we let the Master form it, mold it, put it under pressure if necessary, then we began to get a glimpse of what he has in mind. New life. True life. Not your life, but His life. Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. We are to give ourselves to Christ, to live a life of willing obedience to all His requirements. All that we are, all the talents and capabilities we possess, are the Lord's to be consecrated to His service. When we thus give ourselves wholly to Him, Christ, with all the treasures of heaven, gives Himself to us. We obtain the pearl of great price.--"Christ's Object Lessons," p. 116. Are you ready to seek the gift from God? Are you ready to give up your ideas, plans, motives, thoughts, opinions to the one who will take them and purify them, and give you back what you really wanted all along? Are you ready to join with those who have made that commitment?