Message Through Word
Title: True Satisfaction
Bible Verse: Matthew 13:44-46
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.
Introduction:
We all tend to look for satisfaction in the fleeting pleasures and things of this world.
At different junctures in life, these desires keep changing.
It never end.
The sad reality — unknowingly, we are spending all our lives wasting our energy chasing after things that were never meant to give us true Satisfaction.
WHAT IS IT THAT GIVES US TRUE SATISFACTION?
I. When we find and chase after the one thing that's of great value (v.44)
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.
The one thing that man finds of great value — THE KINGDOM OF GOD (Matthew 6:33)
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Instead of running after all these things in life that you think will give you real satisfaction, you must seek first the Kingdom, and all other things shall be added unto you.
The Kingdom of God is God's redemption work through His Son Jesus Christ in the world.
To seek and chase the Kingdom of God is to walk in a right relationship with God and to participate in God's glorious work in this world.
Our sins have separated us from God (Isaiah 59:2)
2 But your iniquities have separated
you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
so that he will not hear.
Jesus is the treasure; receiving Jesus' salvation is worth giving up everything in this life (Philippians 3:7-9)
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[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
Nothing in this world should be valued more than Christ.
To chase after the Kingdom of God should be of primary importance, rather than chasing after the things this world (1 John 2:15-17)
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[a] is not in them.
16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.
17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
Knowing that our desires for its pleasures will end can give us courage to control our greedy, self-indulgent behavior and to continue doing God's will.
The Kingdom of God brings Joy (Romans 14:17)
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
The Kingdom of God is not about physical things, but about spiritual qualities of righteousness, peace, and joy.
Therefore, experiencing the joy of the Lord is a core component of being part of God's Kingdom.
II. When we realize how precious the gift from God is (vv.45-46)
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.
When the man found the Kingdom, he hid it, realizing how precious it was, went back and sold everything he had, paid the price, and bought the land, fully satisfied in doing so.
No cost was too great for him to obtain this pearl of great cost — that's what the Kingdom of heaven is like.
The true Christian values the Kingdom of God above everything else.
The immeasurable value of the Kingdom of God shows it to be the ultimate prize for which one would willingly give up all other earthly possessions, and it demand total devotion and a willing heart.
True and lasting satisfaction comes from the gift of Salvation through our faith in Jesus Christ, rather than from material possessions, experiences, and worldly achievements.
God's ability fully satisfied the deepest longings of the soul, and the joy found in Him leads to selfless love for others.
The pearl also represents the church.
Like a pearl, the church is the product of Christ's suffering. (Ephesians 5:25)
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
In spite of Satan's subtle working in this world, Christ is forming His church.
He gave up all that He had to purchase His church, and nothing Satan can do will cause Him to fail.
Pearls were considered the most valuable items in Jesus' day, more precious than silver, diamonds, or gold.
Unlike most other gems, the pearl is a unity
It cannot be carved like a diamond or emerald.
All believers in Christ belong to one body, all are united under one Head (1 Corinthians 12:12-26)
12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.
13 For we were all baptized by[a] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
15 Now if the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.
16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.
19 If they were all one part, where would the body be?
20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!"
22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,
23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty,
24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it,
25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.
26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Conclusion:
• How to find satisfaction
1. Seek God first
2. Cultivate intimacy with God
3. Trust God's sufficiency
4. Embrace God's value