Christ’s Parables: 6. The Treasure (Matthew 13:44)

Michael Spangler: Prime our hearts for the subject of our sermon today. Give you to meditate on here Luke fourteen, twenty six to thirty three. If any man come to me and hate not his father and his mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters, yea, in his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first and counteth the cost? Whether he have sufficient to finish it. Lest happily after he hath laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish. For what king going to make war against another king sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him? With twenty thousand. Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Come into to Exodus twenty six. We have the privilege of reading consecutively through the Old Testament here in the morning worship. And right now, as I mentioned last week, we are in the midst of the description of the tabernacle, and this will take us quite a few chapters. And we ought not be overwhelmed by the detail or the tediousness, as it might seem to us, because each item, clearly, by God's design, is meaningful. He would not spend all this time to teach us all these things if they did not have a rich and important meaning for our salvation. Now, the discovery of that meaning takes patience and care, and for most people, years of learning. I trust even today we will not leave without a blessing from this passage. Exodus chapter twenty six. After we heard of the making of the furniture, now of the tabernacle proper, that is the inner tent, which contained the holy place and the most holy place. Moreover, thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twine linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them. The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits, and every one of the curtains shall have one measure. The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another, and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another. And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvage in the couplet coupling. And likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second. Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain, that is in the coupling of the second, that the loops may take hold one of another. And thou shalt make fifty tatches of gold, and couple the curtains together with the tatches. And it shall be one tabernacle. And thou shalt make curtains of goat's hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle. Eleven curtains shalt thou make. The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits, and the eleven curtains shall be all of one measure. And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle. And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops in the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second. And thou shalt make fifty tatches of brass, and put the tatches into the loops, and couple the tent together that it may be one. And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the back side of the tabernacle. And a cubit on the one side, and a cubit on the other side, of that which remaineth in the length of the curtains of the tent, it shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it. And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of ramskins, dyed red, and a covering above of badger's skins, and thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of Shitimwood standing up. Ten cubits shall be the length of a board. And a cubit and a half shall be the breadth of one board. Two tenons shall there be in one board, set in order against another, thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle, and thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side, southward, and thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards, two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons. And for the second side of the tabernacle on the north side there shall be twenty boards, and there are forty sockets of silver, two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board, and for the sides of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards, and two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides, and they shall be coupled together beneath, and they shall be cuppered together above the head of it, unto one ring. Thus shall it be for them both. They shall be for the two corners. And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets, two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board, and thou shalt make bars of shit and wood, five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the two sides westward. And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end. And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold. And make their rings of gold for places for the bars, and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold, and thou shalt rear up the tabernacle, according to the fashion thereof which was showed thee in the mount. And thou shalt make a veil of blue, and purple and scarlet, and fine twine linen of cunning work, with cherubims shall it be made, and thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shit and wood overlaid with gold, their hooks shall be of gold upon the four sockets of silver. And thou shalt hang up the veil under the tatches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the veil the Ark of the Testimony, and the veil shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy. And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the Ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy Place. And thou shalt set the table without the veil, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south, and thou shalt put the table on the north side, and thou shalt make an hanging. For the door of the tent of blue and purple and scarlet and fine twine linen wrought with needlework, and thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shit and wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold, and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them. Now I would remind you of what will be a continual application of these things. Last time, that all the fine twine linen, all the blue, the purple, the scarlet, the gold, the silver, the brass, the fine wood, the overlays, the skillfully wrought cherubims, all of these things combine to give us a clear image of beauty. And this is to teach us particularly about the beauty of God in heaven, so that we might be taught as through a Picture book to look to heaven by faith, where true beauty is. How amiable, Psalm 84, 1, are thy tabernacles, O God. And we would long for heaven more than we long for the gold of this earth. Another thing that's very important is all the details underline what is said explicitly in the last chapter and in this one, verse 30 Thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was showed thee in the mount. No innovation in the worship of God. We worship by the book. God Himself, from heaven, in the picture of the mountain, teaches us to worship. And it makes sense that this tabernacle, as we've seen already, being a picture of heaven, that only heaven itself could tell us the accurate picture, because the nature of heaven is no one before death has seen it. It is God's secret place to us mortals. On this earth. But that should show you the remarkable mercy of this tabernacle. That at least in a picture, heaven came to earth and went around with the people of God. We see this tabernacle is prepared to move. You heard of the tenons and the sockets of these boards. They were meant to be put in place into the sockets, but then also removed when it was time to go. This is a mercy of God that he traveled with his people. And this is all a great way to portray the coming of Christ. Who made his dwelling place with man, even in our flesh. Think of how that's shown in the coverings of this tabernacle. They were glorious on the inside, this fine twined linen with all of its colors. But there was another layer over it of verse 7: goat's hair. And then in verse 14, two more layers: ramskins dyed red. And then a covering above of badger skins. Now, this word badger can be hard to translate. It's not clear exactly which animal it is. It seems, through comparison of similar languages and some reasoning about the creatures of that area, that this is more likely to mean dugong skins. A dugong being a sea cow, like somewhat like a manatee. And this would be very fitting to that, that there would be a skin from an animal that lives in the water. so that there would be an impermeable barrier over the tabernacle. this is not a mere practical measure to keep water out. This fourfold layer, the outermost layer being, whether badger or dugong, to the appearances, nothing spectacular. Animal skins on the outside. And so it was with the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah 53 tells us, especially fitting to his coming in the form of a servant, he had no comeliness. There was no beauty. That we should admire him. He was despised and rejected of men. He took on the form of a servant. Philippians 2. But that did not deny that the one who took on that form was and remains everlasting God. Gold and jewels and beauty on the inside. That should also show us, as we've seen recently in the preaching of the Word, that God hides the glories of His kingdom in things that themselves are not that impressive to the eyes of the And we should be content with God's method. Learning to live by faith in the glories that we do not yet see. Note this: what you see here in your mind as you hear all these things pictured was not much less than what the Israelites of that day would have been able to see. Because all of these things in the tabernacle. were hidden to their sight by four layers of covering. And only the priest and among them a certain family would even spend time in the presence of these things. And only a certain family of the Levites would carry them after the priest had covered them. We'll come to that. Which means that most of these things would never be seen by the eyes of the Israelites. And they had to believe in them by faith just as we do, reading. And so it is with the thing that's pictured: heaven, God's dwelling. We've not seen the cherubims, but there they are, hidden away in heaven. We've not seen the mercy seat where Christ sits at the right hand of the Father and brought his blood into the Holy of Holies in order to make intercession for his people. We've not seen Christ, the high priest, doing his work in that hidden place, and yet. By faith we see him, and we love him, and we have salvation through him. And these pictures are a way to stir up that faith in you. So use them for that. And fitting to the text we'll have preached, let your mind be persuaded of the beauty and the treasure of heaven, of the kingdom of heaven, so that you might seek it with diligence. Now let's read Filipiens chapter three. Key in this chapter is to notice how Paul values the things he used to value, his religious privileges, which though some of them were good. were lost to him, because he counted them as if they were his righteousness. And now, having Christ, he sees them all as but dung. May the Lord give us the same perspective. Listen to God's word. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. 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 more, circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and Hebrew of the Hebrews, as touching the law, a Pharisee, concerning zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gained to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea, 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. Not as though I had already attained. Either we're already perfect, but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended. But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark. For the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us, therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded. And if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. For many walk. Of whom I have told you often, and now tell you, even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Now from Matthew thirteen, our text is verse forty four. Matthew thirteen, forty four Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field, the which when a man hath found he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Recently completed two similar parables, that of the mustard seed and that of the leaven, both teaching us of small beginnings contrasted with great outcomes, to build our faith in the quiet but sure growth of the kingdom. Now, Christ, the master teacher, in part repeats that lesson, that of the hiddenness of the kingdom, but now adds a new element that was not explicit in the previous, the response that we ought to have in finding that hidden kingdom. Thus, our parable, that of the treasure in verse forty four, we'll see, as before, the thing compared to the And then the comparison. And the thing compared, as is very common, is the kingdom of heaven. Now, as before and always, the kingdom of heaven signifies to us the church, which is especially the place where Christ is king. The church first in heaven as its proper home. Where the majority of believers now reside, and where all believers will reside forever. But also the church upon earth, as it is an outpost of heaven, and the place from which the subjects of the heavenly kingdom are drawn by their conversion. And here especially in view is that same kingdom, the church of Christ, as it is the object of God's saving mercies in the gospel of Christ. That church as it has been converted out of this world. And by the necessity of the comparison before us, in that respect, the church is something that is to be found out and obtained by men. What's spoken of here is the power of conversion by which God builds his church. And that becomes evident then when we consider the comparison, the second thing. And this kingdom is compared here to a treasure. It's like a treasure in four aspects. The first, it's like a treasure in its worth. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure. This word treasure speaks naturally to us of something that's very precious, very worthy, very expensive, and therefore very desirable to be found. Just like we sang in Psalm 19:10. Of God's word. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold. Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. And this worth is confirmed in the response of the man who finds this treasure. The next parable as well underlines this, speaking of the kingdom of heaven, like a pearl of great price. So, first, its worth as a treasure. Second, it speaks of the hiddenness of the kingdom. It is a treasure. Hid in a field, but also that when a man finds it, he hideth it. Consider these two hidings. The first in the field. This speaks of us as something like that mustard seed. It's very small, and it's hidden away in the earth before it can spring up and become a tree. It's like the leaven, hidden away in the dough. You can't see it. You can only see its effects, and only over time. Remember, we consider from 2 Corinthians 4 3 the sense in which the gospel is hid to them that are lost, in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not. What's implied here is that not everyone, indeed not most, find this treasure, because it's hidden by God's wisdom. The second hiddenness, though, is that by the man himself he's found it, and then he hides it. After he's found it. It's likely he hides it back in the same place in the field, perhaps in another place. It doesn't matter. The key is that it's safe. Now, this is not teaching us that the gospel of the kingdom is not to be shared. Rather, it's teaching us that the gospel is to be jealously possessed, lest being taken by another, the treasure would be lost to us. And we would not be able to have it for ourselves. We must cling to this treasure that the kingdom of heaven is, and defend it against the various threats that would come to snatch it away. Remember the threats given us in the picture of the parable of the sower, that of the birds of the heavens, of the thorns, of the rocks. hiddenness, both in the field and by the man. The third thing in the comparison is the finding. The which when a man hath found. This speaks of two things. The first is labor, that of the treasure hunter. It wasn't evident to others. That's why it's still there in the field. No one else found it. It was hidden away for him, but he therefore had to search for it, or else he wouldn't have found it either. Proverbs 2 4 says of wisdom, if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures. Take the example of mining or quarrying, which requires quite a bit of labor, sometimes even. The use of explosives and of heavy machinery to get the treasures that are hid in the ground. So this man labored in his finding. But it also speaks of providence. Because these things are hidden, they require revelation. There has to be a sort of treasure map to teach the man how and where to look. Indeed, because we're speaking of the kingdom of heaven, which is God's kingdom, and of God's own hiding of that kingdom. God being Almighty, there is no finding of that kingdom if God does not help us by his providence. If he will not, by his almighty power, guide us and give us the power ourselves to labor to dig it up, we'll never find it. And many never find it, though they might walk right upon the same. And so Christ praises God's sovereignty for this in Matthew eleven twenty five I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. The finding speaks of labor and providence. The fourth thing in the comparison is the obtaining. He hideth and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field. This is worthy of our most of our closest focus. There are four things here. This obtaining tells us. First is the necessity of obtaining the kingdom. This man understood this treasure was not his by nature, it was not his by birth. It was not his by mere right of discovery. He couldn't say, I found it, it is mine. And that's clear because it wasn't sufficient. He had to go and buy the land. Just like we understand with mineral rights. They have to be purchased, and most commonly they're purchased with the land itself. The image is teaching us that a man must obtain a saving interest in the kingdom of heaven. And he must do so not by mere inheritance or birth, and not by mere exploration, but as if by purchase. Now, this does not teach us that man may merit salvation, that he may, properly speaking, pay the price for the right of salvation. That price is far too great for him to pay. The price was, as Galatians 3 13 says, God's curse poured upon his son, the God man. Who himself, being everlasting God, was alone able to endure such a curse in his body and his soul upon the tree. No man can do that. No man could offer, as Christ did, a perfectly righteous life to be imputed, counted to those who believe. This cannot be teaching merit, because if it did, no man would be saved. And yet it is teaching the need to buy, the need to obtain. Isaiah 55 explains exactly what is meant. When it says in verse 1, Ho everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, and eat. Yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price. No money or price of your merit, which would be impossible, but nonetheless you must buy it. You must obtain it, and those who do not obtain, they will not eat and will not live. There is a necessity of obtaining here. The second thing about this obtaining is its joy. Verse 44 again says, He hideth and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath. What a burden it would be to sell all of your possessions all at once. But to this man it is not a burden. He's very happy to do it. Because he knows that this short-term loss will bring a long-term gain far more than anything he ever had before. He understands, the image is teaching us, that though true conversion is a matter of necessity, and even brings with it a great burden and a great labor. It is, as Christ says in Matthew 11, a yoke. Yet by grace that yoke is light and easy. Because who wouldn't wear a yoke for a little time with the promise that soon that yoke will be taken off and there will be only rest and no more labor. There's an incomparable reward here to the loss that Christ calls men to. The reward of eternal life. Itself. And the mark of a true convert, then, is his easy willingness to render everything that's required by God to be saved. He happily pays the cost, and he would pay a hundred times more because of the great gain. He knows by faith he will have from it. Consider how Paul says to Timothy, 1 Timothy 6 6, that godliness is great gain. Remember in Romans 11 35 how he argues, Who hath first given to God and it shall be recompensed unto him again? That is, who loses anything for God who's not abundantly repaid? God is not a debtor to any man. As if anyone in dealing with God will find himself at a loss. Impossible. No, this man understands that about God that he abundantly repays. And he will be the great gainer in this transaction. And that gives him joy. So first necessity, second joy. The third thing in this obtaining is the shrewdness by which we see this man do his spiritual business. We already saw how he prudently hides that treasure again. He's taken account of the dangers of this business. And especially of the jealousy of enemies, who as soon as they find out that he has that treasure, would gladly snatch it from him. He understands, as Paul did, Satan, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians 2 11, lest Satan should get an advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices. He's following, as Christ commends, the example of that unjust steward in Luke 16, who adjusted the books for his own advantage when he was about to lose his job. Christ not commending theft, but commending a holy shrewdness, a wisdom in application of all things, even monetary things, for the sake of the kingdom. And most especially here, the true convert is aware of the danger in this enterprise of obtaining an uncertain title. So that he would think he has the field, but it's not his, because he didn't buy it properly. That would be no better than having the treasure stolen and the field worthless to him because it would not be his. What especially the true convert is shrewd about is the reality and danger of false conversion, which for all the labor that might be given to it. Does not save. And thus all his labor will be lost. So third is shrewdness. Fourth, and finally, under this obtaining is the expense of it. Though there is no merit involved, that doesn't mean the price is small. This man sells all that he has. He's persuaded it's worth that. He pays no thought to the expense. It's no real loss because of the gain. Yet, temporarily in itself it is a true loss. He truly sells everything he has. He starts his new life utterly destitute. Not a penny to his name. And spiritually speaking, there's no other way to have the kingdom of God. No other way to enter it except as one who's sick, who's crushed, who's lost, who's dead, who's hateful, who is hopeless, that is in himself and his own resources. Furthermore, there is no way into the kingdom, and no way to stay in the kingdom, except by a willing bearing of the cross and daily self denial. As Jesus said explicitly in what we read from Luke 14, concluding in verse 33 Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be my disciple. Salvation is free. But it is also costly. It requires the giving of everything. This brings us to our doctrine. And it regards conversion. True conversion into God's kingdom requires the total giving up of ourself unto God. Again, true conversion into God's kingdom requires the total giving up of ourself unto God. I want to underline three things that are part of this doctrine before we turn to application. And the first is that this requires of the man who would be converted a total hopelessness in himself. Christ said, It is only the sick that need a physician. And this is the great reason that so many are not healed by Christ. It's not because he's unable to heal them. And it's not because they're not sick unto death. It's because they do not know they're sick. Or they might say it, but they don't feel it. They don't sense any need or urgency. And so while they're bleeding out, they say, I'm fine, and won't go to the emergency room. And they don't. Thinking that they're happy. The true convert says, no, I'm dying. And if I do not get to the physician, I'll be only dead forever. Similar. The true convert has a broken and a contrite heart. That's what David says in Psalm 51, 17, and knows that this alone is the only sacrifice that God will not despise. He's like that publican in the temple who beats upon his breast and says, God be merciful to me, a sinner. Anyone like that Pharisee claims nothing in himself, because he has nothing in himself and he knows it. What could he do to recommend himself to God and to his mercy? Anything he would try could not overcome the weight of his sins, which all stink before a holy God. This is what was in those 3,000 Jews who were converted in Acts 2. This is why they cried, Men and brethren, what shall we do? That is, we have nothing to do in ourselves. We've come to the end. You have to tell us. God has to tell us how to be saved, or else we'll never be saved. Acts 16, sirs, what must I do to be saved? It's this same Wholsom hopelessness, a saving despair. Without that, there will be no giving up of ourselves and no conversion. The second thing this means is that the man who'd be truly converted must hope in God alone. And this is really the other side of the same coin. The man who has no hope of himself necessarily casts all his hope upon God. Psalm 62, verses 1 and 2 Truly my soul waiteth upon God, from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and My salvation. He is my defense. I shall not be greatly moved. That confidence I'll not be greatly moved depends upon that adverb only. If there's another ground of hope together with God, then it's no different than having an entirely other ground of hope. If God is trusted in, he's only trusted in as the only God, the only help. And so it is for Christ, who is the only mediator between God and man. There is no other name, Acts 4, 12. None other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. As Christ said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. And no man cometh unto the Father but by me. The man, hopeless in himself, puts his hope in God alone, through Christ alone, and knows there is no other. Third thing then this requires is flowing from those two things Total commitment to God. In this first and total repentance, turning from all known sin and despising and hating sin and even hating self for sin's sake. Luke thirteen three Christ says, Nay, but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish. No conversion, no salvation without a true repentance from all sin. but also from that a total holiness, not an absolute perfection, without which no men would be saved, because who can live upon this earth and say I've never sinned? But a sincerity of holiness, that perfection of heart that Father Abraham was commanded, walk before me and be thou perfect. That holiness without which no man shall see the Lord, Hebrews 12.14. That righteousness, that Matthew 5.20, must exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, who had a great appearance of righteousness, but it was empty. It was false. It was hypocritical. It was all an act. An act will not save. Only true righteousness is a safe mark of true salvation. summarise these things and now we must come to the most important We must bring it home. There is only one application here, and it is most necessary, most important, not just, in my opinion, the most important application of this passage, but the most important one of all of Scripture, as it concerns the most important things. All of life, both now and for eternity, are included in this one thing. And it is the test of your conversion. Now, there may be some of you here who don't presume to be converted. If that's so, you've already been honest in the test that you are not. But most people in the Christian church profess: yes, I'm converted. But profession is not the same as conversion. That's a great reason that this parable is brought to us by Christ, so that we might discern between the false and the true. The question that it presses upon us is: have you truly bought? Kingdom of God. Is this treasure yours? Before giving you the means of testing, I want to press upon you the urgency and the necessity of it. You say, professed Christian, that you have found the treasure, that you've obtained the field. Did you really? Because all of that obtaining is in the first buying. And if you did not start right, you will not end right either. If your initial title to the land is not good, if the official plat held at the Register of Deeds is not clearly marked with your name, It does not matter how long you have lived upon the It does not matter how long you have used its treasure and counted it your own. It is not yours. You are a squatter. You will be a victory. Forced to pay forever for your theft. Do not think that this is an idle thing. Countless millions have had to face this fact at the end of their life, thinking they belong to the kingdom of God, but having no real possession of it. First Corinthians 10:5 tells us of an entire generation of professed believers in the wilderness, with him with whom God was not pleased. Many of them, it says, God was not well pleased with, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. And as Christ says in Matthew 22, 14, many are called, but few are chosen. I must insist upon this against so much presumption in the church today. So much naive resting in a false conversion. Do you not see with me how this deeply corrupts the churches today? This is the secret reason behind all the worldliness and lukewarmness that we see across the whole face of the professed church today. This is the reason our own church has received so much opposition from those who call upon the name of Christ. And having suffered that, can you not see the reality behind it all of false conversion? And then would you see that and be so foolish as not to turn the question to yourself and ask, as the disciples did when warned that there was a Judas in their midst, is it I, Lord? I press this urgency and necessity here against so many objections to it. I've heard them all. None of them are good. I want to help you defeat them in your own soul. One objection is baptism. People say the church is baptized. We and our children have the sign of salvation upon our heads. And who are you, O preacher, to cause them to doubt the efficacy of that sign, that seal of salvation? It is remarkable thing to be included in the covenant of grace and have that inclusion marked in baptism. And I would not diminish at all that grace of Christ. But remember, Simon the magician was baptized, and that upon good grounds, and he very quickly after proved to have a heart of stone. Remember in the Old Testament that their baptism then was circumcision. And wasn't Esau baptized? Wasn't Ishmael baptized? Weren't so many saints, including all those that died in the wilderness, baptized, or at least if they were not, they had the right to it. I speak, of course, of the Old Testament baptism, circumcision, but it signifies and seals the same thing. That seal, as precious as it is, was no proof. People object from charity. Well, we ought not go around judging harshly Christians who profess to be Christians. And I agree with that. Love ought to think the best it can of men. And we should not go around seeking and prying into secret things that God's not given us to know. We can't see the heart. We certainly can't see the secret decree of election. God knows who will be truly saved. And we do not. We only look at fruit, and we, as Christ said, know a tree by the fruit, and yet. We recognize our ability to discern fruit is limited because we can only see the outside, not the heart, not the inside. And we need to have great patience in that. And even I, as a preacher, would not presume to be more incisive in my judgments about individuals than I can be. But that is not at all a cause, not to ask, not to pry, not to press, because though I myself cannot have infallible knowledge of your heart, you can by God's Spirit. Indeed, if you could not, then what will be the point of all the calls in Scripture to examine yourself? And how could any man then have assurance that he actually is saved and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God? No, you can know, and thus I press you to know, not with any breach of charity. I would not judge things I cannot see, but my withholding of judgment and yours in charity to others is no sure proof to them that they are truly saved. Because I, even by right, am held and treated as a Christian by so many in the church. That could merely be because they do not know. They may not be right. And they may not be at fault for thinking the best of me. But I would be at fault because I ought to know better, even though they don't. Because I may by the Spirit know my heart. And if I don't, their charity will not bring me into heaven. A charity that could extend beyond the grave, so that the preacher at my funeral assures all my friends and family that I'm with Christ in his. That itself is no proof. Because it's not the preacher's opinion that brings men into heaven. Our text says nothing of that as the means of obtaining the kingdom. Baptism, charity, a third objection is assurance. If you preach this way to Christians, they will lose their assurance, which is precious. And would you cause true Christians to doubt their salvation? And I answer: no, I would not. But I would rather have you, if you indeed are a true Christian, have your assurance put upon the right And you should see evidently that that is no threat to your assurance. It's the greatest help. Because if you try, even as a true Christian, to place your assurance, I am a Christian, I am saved, I will go to heaven upon some ground that cannot bear it, like mere baptism or mere church membership or the mere opinion of other men, you will find that those grounds will give way. And then what will your assurance give you? Where will it be? Once those grounds have failed you, you'll be in the same rut that you're afraid that careful preaching would put you in. No, it is the best thing for your assurance for it to be continually directed to the examined ground of the true biblical marks of conversion. I say biblical marks, because assurance shouldn't be built in any other marks. And there is a way in which some preachers toy with the consciences of men by presenting marks that are not present in the scriptures, as if they have to come up to a certain human bar, perhaps of some emotional experience, before they can be assured that they are Christians. And I would not do that. But I would require you to examine yourself by the book. And that's the only safe way to have assurance. You do not want assurance otherwise. Because what would an assurance be that lands you happily in hell? Would that be help to you? Would I be kind to you to allow you to have that? Absolutely not. That would be cruelty and malpractice to your soul. I wouldn't do that to you. The fourth objection is regarding young converts. This is one that may especially come from some of you who are persuaded that you were converted before you can even If that is true of you, and I don't deny it can be true, then that's very precious. To not remember a lifetime in sin. Would be very sweet to those of us who've had the bitterness of a memory of apostasy. And we do not begrudge you that. But men reason wrongly from that experience to the fact that that's a model for everyone's conversion. As if it would be wrong to tell you to examine the start of your Christian life, because we would disturb those who don't know exactly when it started. That doesn't make any sense either, because in those people who don't remember being lost, they still have to examine the fruit of their conversion to know whether it's been truly started. And they believe by faith, though perhaps not by remembrance, that they were lost and dead in sins. The Bible says that of them, of course they should believe it. People use this example and they show that they have a presumption which is not warranted at all by Scripture, as if it were a normal thing. That Christian children, and we can call them that, converted or not, Christian baptized children are usually regenerated in the womb or in infancy, maybe right at baptism. God can do that, but they say that usually happens, and then as soon as they are able, they're converted and they live a life never knowing a day when they did not. And again, isn't that precious? We would love it for all of our children. We should pray it for them. I do pray it for children. But is our prayers and desires and the goodness of that thing a proof that God has promised it? That He's made it normal? Where would you go in Scripture for that? John the Baptist, who leapt in his mother's womb and Christ came into the room? Yes, but how many are like him? Is that extraordinary example, our model? And really to the point here. Should that make us cease to hear the calls to self-examination that echo through the scriptures? As if because I might have been converted as a child, I now am exempt from the duty of testing whether I am truly. Folly. The fact is, a true convert, however long he's been converted, rejoices in this duty as he does in all the other duties of the scriptures, because he knows it is no harm to him. I would not keep even the youngest children from being converted by this. Rather, children, what I want is what God wants from you. That you, no matter how young, if converted, would be truly converted. And not rest in the false assurance of a false confession. I hope I've underlined for you the necessity and the urgency of this question. And now we come to asking it in detail from the marks this parable presents. This portion of scripture, more than many others, is a useful mirror in which you might look to see whether you yourself are truly saved. The first mark from our passage. The true convert searches for the kingdom as for hidden treasure. He is a treasure hunter. And he has an itch, a zeal, a necessity, an internal compulsion to find the kingdom of God, and he's not happy till he's found it. In this respect, the true convert is unsatisfied. He cannot stand not being saved. Proverbs 2 4. He seeks for wisdom. In Proverbs, that is Christ Himself, as for silver, and searches for her as for Hid treasure. Just like the men of this world, the businessmen who succeed, they don't have to be told to make money. They wake up every day and it's what they live for. That's how a Christian should. With this spiritual treasure, and all the more because of its exceeding value over all the treasures of this world. And he doesn't seek in vain, but he seeks in the place that God has appointed, because in looking for the treasure, he uses the map that God has given. And that map is the scriptures. The scriptures that themselves were called in what we sung from Psalm 19 more precious than gold, even much fine gold, and sweeter also than gold. And the drippings of the honeycomb. Those scriptures that Christ says, even to the Pharisees, to search. For in them ye think, ye think rightly, ye have eternal life. And they are they which testify of me. That pearl of great price that will consider Christ Himself, this is where He is. In terms of our passage, here is the field in which the treasure is hid. You need the whole field. In principle, Though you don't yet understand all of Scripture, believing that His word is the lamp to your feet and the light to your path. And then in the things clearly revealed about the way of salvation in it, embracing those things as your only hope, and diligently walking in that path unto the end, searching for the treasure by the map, like those noble Bereans who search the scriptures daily. This is a mark of true conversion. Does it describe Do you consider salvation a treasure that you must? And you will continue to seek it as God gives you strength until you found it, or else you will die trying. That's the only way. So one mark is that the true convert searches for salvation as for hidden treasure. The second is he recognizes the worth of this treasure of the kingdom of heaven, which again is the power of true Christianity, of conversion working in the souls of men. He knows that everything else by comparison is, as Paul says in Philippians 3, but lost. And done. Now Paul does not say in itself that all the privileges he had were lost and done. It was a great thing to be circumcised on the eighth day, to be a son of Israel, a Hebrew of the Hebrews. It was not a great thing to be a persecutor of the church. But it was a great thing to have zeal for God, though that zeal was false and misdirected. But in those things, however good in themselves, he could put no hope because of the contrast of the surpassing worth of Christ. And that's a mark of the true convert. He sees relatively no value in this world. He confesses as Solomon, whose conversion may have started, but was not, in a sense, completed until the great repentance at the end of his life from all of his folly. A repentance which is catalogued in Ecclesiastes. He came to recognize more fully. At the end of his life, that all things are vanity. That all things under the sun are but striving after wind. And especially as concerns the matter before us, conversion. They are useless. What is a man profited if he gained the whole world and lose his own soul? What will it matter to you if you have houses and money and wife and children and all this? If you don't have Christ. If you purchased every other field on earth that you don't have this field and this treasure? Useless. You need to recognize the worth of the kingdom. A true convert does that. He says, Psalm 84, verse 1, which I quoted to help you understand the glories of the tabernacle. How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! He loves heaven. And he cannot get enough of it because he realizes that for all the gold and everything in the tabernacle, that was just a little picture of the great worth of the kingdom of heaven. He understood Psalm sixteen, eleven. At thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore, and in God's presence fullness of joy. He recognizes that kingdom is well worth selling everything. He pays that cost, doesn't look back. Because it's worth it A third mark of a true convert is that when he obtains the treasure, he guards it jealously. He's not a fool. All this labor he took to get it, he knows, could all be lost if he doesn't continue in his labor to keep it. He does not presume that his salvation is safe until it is certainly obtained, until again his name is on that deed. Luke eighteen twenty six When the disciples hear the cost of salvation, such that a rich man cannot enter the kingdom of heaven, it'd be easier, be harder than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. They say who then can be saved? Christ goes on to say, with men it's impossible, with God all things are possible. That is to say, salvation is a work that cannot be accomplished by the strength of men, the mere strength of men. We must have God working in us. And that salvation then requires our work by God's power. Christ explains this in striking terms in Matthew 11, verse 12. The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. Becoming converted is like conquering a city in battle. It is not easy. It needs a commitment. Men think that being converted is the easiest thing. And the fact that they think that is in most clear proof. They're not converted. They've never really tried to be, because if they did, they'd realize. What a labor it is, not only to first obtain, but to guard and keep and to be sure of that salvation, that purchase of the field. And even after salvation is purchased, long after a man's conversion, comes the work of perseverance, which is more of the same: this jealous keeping and guarding, defending the treasure that's now ours against all invaders, against all challengers, against Satan who goeth about. Like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8. The true convert is aware of all these dangers and makes provision that none of them would prevent his purchase and possession of the kingdom of God. Fourth, from our parable, the mark of a true convert is he sells all he has to obtain. Now, this is not the same as in Luke eighteen, when Christ, seeing the man whose idol was his money, told him, as an extreme remedy, remember amputation, sell everything you have and then follow me. It's just not true that every Christian has to become literally, financially, fiscally poor in order to become become saved. But there is a spiritual lesson there that we must be totally done with ourself, with our resources, and with all presumed right to live of and for ourselves. And that particular man that was his clinging to that right was showed by his clinging to his money, and Christ knew the solution. But he explains in Luke 14. Principle. It's in what we've already read, that any man who does not forsake all that he hath cannot be my disciple. And previously in that chapter, this is filled out as to the various things that threaten to keep men from selling all they have. He says, With all can with all with one consent who are invited to the wedding feast, they began to make excuse. The first said to him, I bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it. I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them. I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife. And therefore I cannot come. You think what fools. Well, that's true. But don't laugh too early. Because these excuses are still exceedingly common today. Well, preacher, I know that it this is important, but you know, I have other things. I've got business to deal with. I'm very busy right now. I'll consider becoming a Christian later. I'll consider this important question of whether I'm saved or not, but not right now. God will understand that I'm busy. What if that rich man who dreamed about building his barns that night your soul was required? What will happen to your plans to consider salvation tomorrow when you don't have tomorrow? The fact that you are putting off the most important question you could ever ask yourself shows you have no real interest in asking it or in answering it. And if you don't have interest today, you're less likely to have interest tomorrow. Christ is dealing clearly with your soul today. Sell all you have and follow me. Be done with your right to your things. Deny yourself. Take up your cross. Follow me. Put away all the sins you think you still have a right to commit. You don't. Put away all of your unbelief, whereby you refuse to rest in me and in my Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. You have no such right. Die to yourself so that you might live in me, and do it now, or else you can't be saved. The true convert knows those are the terms and comes to God in those terms and will not bargain with God for another arrangement. There is no other arrangement. It's everything or nothing. You give God your whole self now. If you don't like the sterms. Use this to test yourself. Fifth and finally, from our parable, a mark of true conversion, is that even this giving of our entire self is done with joy. No man was truly coerced into being saved. Yes, some people require more violence than others in order to be dragged, and some people might describe themselves as having been dragged, kicking and screaming into the kingdom of God, because they recognize the almighty power of God was required to overcome their natural stubbornness. But if they're truly converted, they would testify to you that they came willingly. That when Christ had shown that He had chosen them by drawing them sweetly, they heard His voice and they followed willingly, as sheep follow the voice of their shepherd. No truly converted Christian Is ever sore about the cost it was to be converted? No one says, I wish it hadn't cost so much to come to Christ, but well, I'm here. No. The true Christian, on the contrary, is amazed at what he gained for such a relatively small loss. Give up house, family, life, possessions? What is that compared to heaven and eternal life in Christ? All the blessings that I receive that I can come and purchase without money and without price? This wine and milk that God has given. What a joy that God would make such a deal with me. Psalm 116, verse 12, the true converted Christian says, What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? All I've given to God is nothing. He's given me much more than I could ever give back. says with Genesis thirteen, excuse me, thirty two, verse ten, I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast showed unto thy servant. And this against two alternatives. This joy is the opposite of disappointment. This is the disappointment of the soul that says, I have done so much for God, and what has God done for me? If your soul is saying this now, I fear. I've heard it before. And I've seen the fearful end of such a dealing with God. This is the spirit of that man of one talent. Do you remember in Matthew 25 when he said, God, I knew that thou wert a hard man, reaping where thou dost not sow. And I hid my talent in the ground because I was afraid of your harshness. A man who thinks such a way is one inch from total shipwreck of his soul. And I would plead with you, how could you think such evil of such a good God who even now, right before you, has offered you salvation without money and without price? And this joy is also against indifference. The man who's joyful in his treasure seeking is not cool. He's not calm. He's zealous. He's eager. And if you are not, And you should know your heart by that. Do you not realize that right now, you are standing on a golden Spiritually speaking, right beneath your feet, there's treasure, and you barely have to dig. It's right near the surface. Christ is being offered to you now. And if you take him on his terms, you will be saved. You will possess the kingdom of God. You who by nature deserve the kingdom of the devil and hell. How could you be indifferent before such things? How could you say, well, I know this is important, but I just don't care? How could this most urgent question, am I converted, not seem urgent to you? If it does not Then it seems a safe conclusion that you're not This is not something to be cool about. Field, if you don't value it and take joy in the possessing of it, is not yours. Neither is the treasure, neither is the kingdom of heaven. Because that which you do not value, that which you do not delight in, that which you do not cherish and long for. You will never appear. Let's stand and pray.