Entering the Kingdom B

We talk about the kingdom of the Lord were talking about salvation were talking about Christ himself and the gift of salvation that he gives the knowledge of God through Jesus Christ. The preciousness of what is to be in his kingdom. The blessedness of the kingdom is so valuable that it is the most valuable commodity that can ever be found and only if is not so everything he has to gain is about your faith and still at times you wonder how committed you really are to Jesus Christ and his kingdom.

How can you tell whether you love Christ more than money or your career, or even more than yourself.

Consider that today as John MacArthur continues is look at the parables of the kingdom with a lesson that can help you evaluate your devotion to the Savior in here now is John MacArthur.

Matthew chapter 13 versus 44 through 46. Matthew 1344 through 46 the Lord said again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in the field which when a man hath found, he hide earth and for joy have it go with and sell of all that he hath, and bias that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant man seeking fine pearls who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Now what are the principles from the two parables. One of the principles only give you six principles listen carefully number one. The kingdom is priceless in value.

The kingdom is priceless in value.

Both parables are designed to teach us the incomparable value of the kingdom of the Lord and we talk about the kingdom of the Lord were talking about salvation were talking about Christ himself and the gift of salvation that he gives the knowledge of God through Jesus Christ.

The preciousness of what is to be in his kingdom. The preciousness of fellow shipping with the king.

The preciousness of being a subject of the sovereign. The blessedness of the kingdom is so valuable that it is the most valuable commodity that can ever be found and only a fool is not willing to sell everything he has to gain it.

Nothing comes close in value. Secondly, this lesson the kingdom is not superficially visible. The treasure was hidden right and the pearl had to be sought isn't just lying around on the surface, the treasure is not on the estimate in the value and the preciousness of the kingdom of heaven.

The value and the preciousness of salvation is not viewed by men.

They don't see it although it stands there and looks them in the eye, the world looks at us and they'll understand why we are all about this business of worshiping God. They don't understand why we want to give our lives to Jesus Christ.

They don't understand why we want to live and obey a code of ethics and rules that goes against the grain of our deepest lusts and drives they don't understand why we price this so highly when it means so little to them know the kingdom is not superficially visible.

Third thought.

The kingdom is personally appropriated and this is the crux of the parables.

The kingdom is personally appropriated is not enough to be under the influence of the kingdom is not enough to just be under the influence of the church or the influence of Christianity is not enough to just as it were large in the branches or be touched by its permeating influence there must be personal appropriation and at some point in time in order to do that men and women must come to the point where they realize the value of it.

The fourth principle, the kingdom is precious. It is hidden and it is personally appropriate and fourthly the kingdom is the source of joy. If you look at verse 44 it was for the joy that the man had when he found the treasure that he sold everything to buy. It was joy.

Now that is a very very insightful addition to this parable didn't have to say that in there but it does and it's very very important because the Lord is acknowledging something I have believed to be true. All my life and is confirmed here. The basic desire of all human beings on the face of the earth is to be happy.

That's it. You say will I know some people love misery. Yes, they are happy being miserable, but it is happiness that thereafter. I don't understand that approach. But if misery makes him happy. It still proves the point.

The world is seeking for happiness for joy. People want to feel good. The Lord knows joy. I mean, Jesus even said in John 1511 to his disciples.

In summing up the best of what he had to offer.

The things I've spoken to you.

I've spoken that my joy might remain in you, and your joy might be what full and first John one John says these things I write on you, that your joy might be full and in John 16. Our Lord says in verse 24 figure 2. He asked nothing in my name. Ask that you receive, that your joy may be full, and Romans 14 says the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit is joy in Romans 15 that great benediction says that God may grant unto you joy. People want to be joyful. They want to be happy and hearings. It is all bound up visited in the treasure true joy comes in the discovery of the kingdom of heaven.

And the Lord Jesus Christ. So the kingdom is precious kingdom is hidden.

The kingdom is personally appropriated in the kingdom is the source of true joy for the joy of it.

This man sold everything he had to take that treasure for his own for Joyce. Nothing wrong with that.

Lord wants us to rejoice.

The Bible says rejoice always and again I say rejoice. We should be the most rejoicing of all people we have found the treasure is 1/5 principle, and this is a very very helpful. The kingdom may be entered from different circumstances.

The kingdom may be entered from different circumstances that are some similarities in both cases, you have a man both cases they find something of great value. Both cases they understand its value and in both cases they are willing to pay any price for deliver similar Arctic.

But there's one big difference in case number one. The man just comes across the treasure in case number two, the man knows exactly what he's looking for now, even if number one was a treasure hunter. He didn't know what he was looking for number two did know what is this tell us well. The man in the field.

Most likely was not looking for treasure he was going through whatever routine he went through working or plowing a field or building something or preparing some of the soil for whatever and he was in the field and he was going along seeking sustenance for his life doing what he did and he stumbled across a fortune another. Our people into the kingdom like that Arthur sure the apostle Paul was he seeking to enter the kingdom not on your life. He thought he was in it.

He was on his way to Damascus to kill Christians annexing a new God blasted them out of heaven. He landed in the dirt and he was redeemed he was just doing his thing.

He was just plowing his field and he stumbled into a fortune. Or how about the Samaritan woman. She was thirsty.

She came down the well to get a drink of water.

When already and there was a man born blind. All I really want a light was a PLC and he went away redeemed. Also, I know you know there are some people to come to church to mock the preacher and then they get say you better be careful, there are people who aren't particularly seeking that but they stumble into the treasure Charles Haddon Spurgeon when he was young, sort of resolutely attended church because it was the thing to do, but he didn't know Christ and he wasn't seeking Christ. He was content with his religiosity. He was only 15 years old. One morning when he decided to. It was a New Year's morning and he decided it would be proper to go to church. His biographer says there was such a blizzard of snow that he was a not able to reach the church.

He was in the habit of attending when I could go no farther.

He said I turned down the court and came to a little primitive Methodist Church. The preacher was to have conducted the service never got there because he was held up by the weather and quickly. One of the officers had to be brought forward to conduct the service with a congregation of perhaps 15 people.

The man said Spurgeon was really stupid. His text was to me and be saved. All the ends of their and he just kept repeating it because he didn't have anything else to say something about young Spurgeon caught the preachers I young man.

He said suddenly. You look very miserable miserable in life and miserable and death. You will be if you don't obey my text, and suddenly he literally shouted young man blocks to Jesus will lock will and said Spurgeon I looked and then there the cloud was gone and the darkness rolled away and that moment I saw the sun wasn't searching for anything.

But it got me. He stumbled into a fortune. Few people have ever lived. Of affected so many souls as Charles Haddon Spurgeon. I don't know who that stupid guy was a just kept repeating the text, but it was of God. And then there was the other want to look for the pearls. He knew what he was looking for. He wasn't a Monday and man that the man plowing the field was.

He wasn't the guy who was content with the secular or the mildly religious disc. I was really seeking something of genuine value to me. This is the true seeker. This is the Ethiopian eunuch of acts eight. This is the Cornelius of acts 10. This is the Lydia of acts 16. This is the Philippian jailer of act 16 this is the Berea Novak 17 this is the one who seeking God and seeking virtue and seeking that which is of true value, but what he doesn't understand.

It has seeking of religion, which always comes to the works of man is that all of it is wrapped up in just one per just one he was looking for pearls.

He was looking for things that were valuable. He was looking for goodness and honesty and virtue in God and forgiveness and peace and joy in heaven and salvation, and many thought it was all over the place in a multitude of pearls and the shock to him was, it was all in one everything he needed was in one so there are people who come into the kingdom almost by accident or not from God's.

And then there are people who search but the kingdom can be entered from different circumstances. The last point that I get this one because this is so important.

The kingdom is made personal by a transaction, the kingdom is made personal by a transaction in both of these cases, the word buying or bought is involved.

Thus, some people just get really nervous here and they say we need a minute you not telling us you by your salvation. You're not telling us they bought their salvation. Listen carefully, in a sense, the Bible says they did, but you have to understand in what sense now. Certainly the story itself is a a real treasure box with money, a real pearl bought with money, but that's only the story.

The kingdom of God is bought, but you don't take the money out of the parable into the kingdom.

So whatever the exchanges here. It wouldn't be money.

In fact, the Bible says you can't buy your salvation with money, a rich man can know more by his way into the kingdom. Then you can shove a camel through the eye of a needle that is in the port in the Bible tells us that salvation is God's free gift.

Romans three and it is not of works lest any man should boast. We don't purchase it on our own with our own good, but it is black. Nonetheless, there is a great Old Testament passage that people always relate to salvation by grace and is in the 55th chapter, and I'll just read it to you the first verse of Isaiah 55 one says this whole everyone that Thursday with calm the waters, and he that hath no money, come by and eat it come by wine and milk without money and without price. Everybody says yes without money, and all yes without price and you don't need any money.

But they forget that it says come in by come in by come in by you to view by it is don't buy it with money. There is a purchase transaction in salvation say what is it what isn't money and it is in human works.

Is it what is. There's got to be in exchange sure it is.

The transaction is this you give up all you have for all he has. Get that that is that the essence of the transaction of salvation I give up all I have the end God gives me all he now listen very carefully. I do not want to be misunderstood on this point, then you need to understand it clearly in your own mind.

In Luke 957 came to pass that as they want. On the way a certain man said to him, Lord, I will follow me wherever I go, I want to come into your kingdom.

I want to be your follower. I want to be your subject you're gonna be my Lord and Jesus said to him, all right then, foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. All right, here's the price your comfort you give me your comfort and I'll give you my kingdom. No deal. It would make the transaction. The next guy says I want to follow you, but I want to bury my father. Now his father wasn't even dead yet want to hang around for the inheritance.

Jesus said, you let the dead bury their dead. You come with me and preach the kingdom. No deal.

The first guy wouldn't give his comfort.

The second guy wouldn't give his money is inheritance and another says I will follow the but let me first go say goodbye to everybody at home in my house and Jesus said nobody putting his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God. You cannot plow straight for looking the opposite direction. And this is no deal. Either this guy can't give up his family. Now you will get the same by money and you'll get saved by all these other elements, that isn't the salvation factor, but it is indicative of whether you are willing to make the transaction of salvation which says that nothing stands between my willingness to get but myself to receive you, that's the issue in Matthew chapter 10 in verse 37 he that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me and he that loveth daughter son more than me is not worthy of me. In other words, if you are not willing to give up if it needs to be given up your family, then you're not going to enter the kingdom he that taketh not his cross and follow up after me is not worthy of me. And here comes key that finds his life shall what lose it, and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it.

There's the transaction you give up all you are and you receive all he is. That's salvation in Matthew chapter 16 and I could go on forever was Scriptures on this but 1624 Jesus said unto his disciples, if any man desires to come after me, here is the transaction, let him deny, whom he himself. Salvation is an act where I exchanged need for him as ruler of my life. That's the basic principle rich young ruler came to Jesus in Matthew 19 and he said what do I have to do to get in your kingdom will I have to do to have eternal life, and here's what Jesus said if you want to be in my kingdom then go and sell everything you have and give it to the poor and then you will have treasure in heaven. You want my treasure is like a treasure in the field you want my treasure than give away all yours and you get saved by giving your money to the poor know you come to Christ and you are saved, when you are willing to abandon everything to affirm that he is the Lord of your life. That's the transaction that's the transaction we exchange ourselves. Our sin are will our control of our lives for Christ's leadership. Now I don't think that people who are saved at the moment there saved understand all the ramifications of that.

I don't think they understand all the elements of that but I believe true salvation is marked by a willingness to do that has that understanding on full it's not saying well you can get saved when you stop your sinning and stop your cursing is Dr. drinking is not your arguing or fighting in your lusting then come to meet nonowner is saying I can't get rid of those things I exchange all my own will. My own strength of my own resources. I struck myself. I receive your strength and your power. That's the transaction. Willingness to abandon everything.

Everything under Christ's Lordship. An illustration of this is in Philippians chapter 3 and I want you to listen carefully to here's Paul. It says he's going to tell you what he had in his flesh.

This was what he had that he would consider his riches.

This would be his all that he possesses.

This was his stuff. He says I was circumcised the eighth day the stock of Israel. I was of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the law Pharisee.

In other words, the stuff that was in his account was his Jewishness is belonging to the tribe of Benjamin and that was important because Benjamin was one of the good tribes historically and so he was identified as a true Jew as a Pharisee he had zeal.

He was righteous. According to the law and he was blameless why my Judaism my self-righteousness my holiness. All of these things. That was my stock in trade. That was my reservoir, but when confronted with Christ.

What those things that were gain to me, those I counted what loss and that's the transaction.

Yes, I count all things but loss. I count them manure that I may gain Christ to see there is the man behind the treasure right there is the man behind the pearl.

He will let everything all of his self-righteousness. All of his own resources. All of his own self will is abandoned to the affirmation of the Lordship of Jesus Christ and he does not understand all that that implies. He doesn't understand all that that means but the willingness is there any prices worth it if I can be found in here if I can know him if I can attain the resurrection of the dead any price. I think the cost factor in the presentation of salvation is not stressed often enough. We are calling for a transaction.

Luke 14 the Lord says, a man builds a tower if he does, he counts the cost, whether he sufficient to finish if the king makes war. He counts the cost consults whether he is able with 10,000 to meet him that comes against him with 20,000. Nobody goes in blind you count the cost and there's cost but it's worth the cost. The pearl is so valuable in the treasure is so valuable.

But it's worth any cost kingdom is precious kingdom is hidden, the kingdom's person. The kingdom is joyous.

The kingdom is entered from different circumstances, but always the price is to abandon myself to receive the supreme sovereignty of Jesus Christ.

John MacArthur with his study from Matthew 13 that's helping you grasp the amazing blessing.

That's yours when you're part of God's kingdom. The title of our series here on grace to you.

The parables of the kingdom.

Now John before time gets away. It's always a joy to hear how the Lord is using grace to use Bible teaching to encourage and equip believers both near and far and with the letters you have in front of you. I think far is the operative word.

These are people who've written to us from a long way from where we are here in California. Yeah, for sure.

This is from Beryl in England for many years I attended charismatic churches, I often came into conflict with church leaders. When I respectfully said, but the Bible says five years ago I moved to a new town, the more I read my Bible, the more I realized I couldn't attend any of the many charismatic churches there. I came across grace to you on the Internet more I listen the more amazed I was nearly everything that I had been trying to say over the last 40 years that had fallen on deaf years was being preached by you and now I can't stop listening.

I can honestly say that your teaching has been a lifesaver for me. I just wish I'd heard it 40 years ago hope. Thank you Beryl that is tremendously encouraging is that wonderful Philly wheat we all know this for searching heart.

The Bible has the ring of truth right and this is another illustration is one from Archer my name is Archer. I'm 17 years old and I live in Australia. I've been having some trials and sad times lately and I've been listening to a few of your sermons help keep my eyes on the Lord, the series abiding in Christ from John 15 were Jesus that I'm the true vine has helped me a lot. My mom has encourage my dad to listen to you too and I can see him growing and changing.

Thank you for your biblical teaching. I'll be praying for you and your ministry next for those prayers Archer and we are delighted that the word of God is making a difference in your life down in Australia and here's one from Miles who says he lives in extreme northwest Montana.

I live in a valley that rarely gets radio signals. He says I don't have TV service and my Internet is remarkably slow. Occasionally I pick up grace to you radio on K MBI and I can listen to your sermons and read your articles online. Sometimes I have to wait for an hour or two while a sermon loads, but it's worth it. I serve in my local church and share the gospel with neighbors, friends and family. Thanks again for your ministry.

Sounds like a place I'd like the list, not me that's the hard with a slow Internet connection.

Thank you Miles oh we know that Scripture is the word of God never returns void. It does the work God intends it to do grace to you is able to reach you with God's word were able to bring God's word, one verse at a time to folks all over the planet amazing amazing outreach and when you support grace you you you are part of that your partner in a very real sense, pray for us. Thanks for standing with us financially as your lead and as you're able. We rely on the support that you provide for us. Yes, even though these men have very different lives and come from very different cultures. They were all radically changed by biblical truth and that will always be our goal here to connect as many people as we can with God's transformative word. If you would like to help in that make a donation when you contact us today.

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You can email us here at letters@tty.org or write to box 4000 panorama city, CA 91412 in our email one more time. Letters@TTY.now for John MacArthur and the grace to you staff, I'm Phil Johnson reminding you to watch grace to you television Sundays on DirecTV channel 378 or check your local listings for channel times and then be here tomorrow for another half hour of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on grace to you