All right, turn with me if you
would now to Matthew chapter 13. Matthew chapter 13. I have been thinking on two verses
in this chapter for a couple of weeks now. And Friday morning,
I guess because it was Valentine's Day, thinking on love and everything
pertaining to the heart, I felt led to bring a message from these
two verses. Our Lord is giving parable after
parable in this particular chapter. He gave the parable of the sower.
He gave the parable of the wheat and the tares. He gave the parable
of the grain of a mustard seed. He gave the parable of the leaven. He gave the parable of the treasure
that was hid in the field. He gave the parable of the gospel
being a net. And right here in these two verses,
he gives this parable too. Matthew 13, verse 45. It says, again, the kingdom of
heaven is like unto a merchant man seeking goodly pearls, who
when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all
that he had and bought it. That is a beautiful illustration. That's a beautiful parable. The
kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man. Every time the
Lord says the kingdom of heaven is like, I want to know what
he's about to say. And he said, the kingdom of heaven
is like unto a merchant man seeking goodly pearls, who when he had
found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had
and bought it. After searching and searching
and searching, he finally found what his heart desired. finally
found his heart's desire and he had to have it. He just had
to have it. He sold everything he had to
have it. Everything. The gospel and salvation. The gospel is built on love and
salvation is built on love. It's built on love. It says for
God, so loved the world. He gave his only begotten son
because God loved greater love had no man than this. He laid
down his life for his friends, the gospel and salvation. is built on love. God commended
his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us. He commended his love toward
us. The gospel and salvation, they're built on love. Therefore,
the effect of the gospel and the effect of salvation is love. That's what it produces, love
in the heart. This becomes a heart issue. Whenever salvation truly comes,
it comes to the heart. Salvation is a heart issue. It's a love issue. It causes
God's people to fall in love with Christ. They really do. They really do. Turn with me
over to Ephesians chapter three. Ephesians three, verse 17, it
says that Christ may dwell in your
hearts by faith that you being rooted and grounded in love. Christ dwelling in us produces
love in us that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that
you being rooted and grounded in love. may be able to comprehend
with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth
and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,
that you might be filled with all the fullness of God." That
love of Christ, it goes so far past what The mind can understand,
it goes so far past knowledge, human comprehending. Ephesians 4 verse 15 says, but
speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things,
which is the head, even Christ. from whom the whole body fitly
joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth
according to the effectual working in the measure of every part
maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."
It's all in love, it's all unto love. Ephesians 5 verse 1 says, Be ye therefore followers of
God as dear children and walk in love as Christ also hath loved
us and hath given himself for us and offering in a sacrifice
to God for a sweet smelling savor. Love, love. I love Psalm 133
verse one. I love that verse. It says, behold
how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together
in unity. And do you know what creates
that unity? Love, love, true, true love. Ephesians 5 verse
25, it says, husbands love your wives Even as Christ also loved
the church and gave Himself for it. Husbands love your wives.
We ought to really focus on that but it's the second half of that
verse that ought to just amaze us. Even as Christ loved the
church loved the church and gave himself for it. Ephesians 6.23,
look at one more here, Ephesians 6.23 it says, peace be to the brethren and
love with faith. from God the Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ. Grace be with all them that love
our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. I love that verse. Grace be with
all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. And we could just keep going
with that. We could just keep on going with that. Paul told
the Corinthians, love for Christ is everything. Everything and
it is he said if I have all of these gifts that men could attain
But I don't have love love for Christ and love for his people
love for his word love for his blood that saved me I Don't have
anything he said I could have everything but if I don't have
that I don't have anything If God does not create a love in
His people for Christ, the person, the man, the Savior Himself,
not just salvation, and there's a big difference in that, not
just salvation, but the Savior Himself. If God does not create
that genuine love for Christ, then there's no genuine evidence
of salvation. If God does not create a genuine
love for that man, Jesus Christ, if he does not put something
in the heart that says, I love him. I love him. I have to have him. I have to
be with him. then there's no genuine evidence
of salvation. Salvation is built on love. When life comes to a center,
a heart to sell out comes to a center. Really, when life comes, A heart
to sell out comes. Once God reveals Christ to be
the pearl of great price, all these things entice us. We're
all flesh and all these things in the world entice us. But once
God reveals Christ to be the pearl of great price, that sinner
will sell everything this world can offer him to have that pearl. That sinner will, he must have
that pearl. If God ever reveals the value
of the blood of Christ, you think about the value of the blood
of Christ. Think about what kind of payment
that blood made. How valuable the blood was that
he spilled. And if God ever reveals the value
of the righteousness of Christ, that means everything Christ
did for His people, all of the perfect righteousness that He
earned for His people. If God ever reveals the value,
that worth of standing before the judgment throne, completely
covered in the work and the payment and the safety and the protection
and the acceptance and the redemption that is in Christ. If God ever
reveals the value of that, what it means to be found in Christ,
a sinner will say with the Apostle Paul, I count everything that I have
ever attained, everything I've ever had, everything I've ever
done in this life that I thought had any value before God, I count
it all dung. I count it all done. Paul said,
everything I've ever done. I went to seminary, he said,
studied under Gamaliel. He said, that's done. I was a Hebrew of the Hebrews.
I was of the tribe of Benjamin. I was a religious young man. He said, that's done. I count
it all done. I gladly suffer the loss of all
of it that I may win Christ and be found in him Not having mine
own righteousness, which is of the law. Does anybody here want
their own righteousness before God? Once you've seen his, once
you've seen that perfection he earned, once you've heard the
father cry, that's my beloved son in whom I'm well-placed.
Would you want any other righteousness than his? Paul said, 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.
He said, I count everything loss that I may attain that. What
he was saying is Christ is all. Christ is my all. I've got to
have him. I gotta have him. I must have
him. That's what happens when salvation comes to a sinner.
All right. That's what happens when life
is given. The spirit reveals the gospel
to the sinner and the sinner sees Christ. He sees Christ,
that sinner sees the glory and he sees the value of the person
of Christ and that sinner must have him and he will sell out
everything to get him. Everything. He'll break every
relationship, every earthly tie that stands between him and the
one that he adores. His love for Christ will reign. All right, I'm trying to really
establish that. That will happen. That will happen. When God opens the eyes, Christ
will be everything. He will be the pearl of great
price, all right? Now, let me show you something.
This is amazing. I've been on cloud nine. I hope
you end up on cloud nine too. That's not in my control, but
I'm praying for you. This is just so lovely. This is lovely. Turn with me
to first John chapter four. First John four, verse 19, it
says, we love him because he first loved us. We love Him, don't we? When Christ
is revealed to a sinner, that sinner falls in love. He falls in love. I mean, it's
true love. He loves Him. He's the pearl
of great price. He'll give up everything for
Him. Everything. He will sell out everything for
Him. I take Him and Him alone. We
love Him because He first loved us. Look at verse 10 right here.
Herein is love. You want to talk about love?
Herein is love. Not that we loved God. but that He loved us and sent
His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. We can wonder and
we can glory in our love for Him, but the real wonder and
the real glory is in His love for us. His love for us, the
truly amazing thing in salvation. This is the amazing part of grace. We sing amazing grace. Here it
is. He loved us. I mean, He loved us. He loved
us so much so that He sent His Son to be the covering The appeasement,
the atonement, the propitiation for our sins. It is true. I reiterate it. It is true. Salvation will cause
every center that God has saved to fall in love with Christ.
But the glory of it all is that God's salvation caused Christ
to first fall in love with the sinner. I mean fall in love with
the sinner. He said, I must have them. This bride prepared, I must have
her. I must have her. Let me read
you one of my favorite stories. Go with me to Genesis 29. Genesis
29, verse one says, Then Jacob went on his journey
and came into the land of the people of the east. And he looked
and behold a well in the field and lo, there were three flocks
of sheep lying by it. For out of that well, they watered
the flocks and a great stone was upon the well's mouth. And
thither were all the flocks gathered and they rolled the stone from
the well's mouth and watered the sheep and put the stone again
upon the well's mouth in his place. And Jacob said unto them,
my brethren, whence be ye? And they said, of Haran are we? And he said unto them, know ye
Laban, the son of Nahor? And they said, we know him. And
he said unto them, is he well? And they said, he is well. And
behold, Rachel, his daughter, cometh with the sheep. And he
said, lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle
should be gathered together. Water ye the sheep and go and
feed them. And they said, we cannot until
all the flocks be gathered together, until they roll the stone from
the well's mouth, then we water the sheep. And while he yet spake
with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she kept
them, And it came to pass when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter
of Laban, his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother's
brother, that Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the
well's mouth and watered the flock of Laban, his mother's
brother. And Jacob kissed Rachel and lifted
up his voice and wept. And Jacob told Rachel that he
was her father's brother and that he was Rebekah's son. And
she ran and told her father. And it came to pass when Laban
heard the tidings of Jacob, his sister's son, that he ran to
meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to
his house. And he told Laban all these things. And Laban said unto him, surely
thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space
of a month. And Laban said unto Jacob, because
thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for naught,
tell me what shall thy wages be? And Laban had two daughters. The name of the elder was Leah,
and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah was tender-eyed,
but Rachel was beautiful and well-favored. And Jacob loved
Rachel, and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy
younger daughter. And Laban said, it is better
that I give her to thee than that I should give her to another
man. Abide with me. And watch verse 20. This is one
of the sweetest verses in all the Bible. And Jacob served seven
years for Rachel. And we know it turned out to
be 14. But it says Jacob served seven
years for Rachel and they seemed unto him, but a few days for
the love he had to her. A couple is two. A few is three. Our Lord served. Working the
work, finishing the work, that redeeming work of the grave for
his bride. It took a few days. Three. Why did he do that? Why did our
Lord do that? He did it for the love he had
to her. That's the reason he did it.
He did it because she was his heart's desire. Now with that
in mind, go back to our text. Matthew 13. Let's read this again. Not from
the point of view of the result of salvation. but from the point
of view of the cause of salvation, Christ's love for His own, Christ's
love. Verse 45, it says, again, the
kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man. Merchant man
means a man on a journey, a man who traveled. Kingdom of heaven is likened
to a merchant man seeking. Who does the seeking in salvation? Who does the finding in salvation? Who does the buying, the purchasing
in salvation? Who handles the whole transaction?
The great merchant man of heaven, Jesus Christ the Lord. Verse
45 says, again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant
man seeking goodly pearls, beautiful, virtuous, distinguished, worthy,
jewels of great value. Verse 46 says, who when he had
found one pearl, his bride, his love, that one great desire of
his heart. When he had found one pearl of
great price, great value, not great value in and of herself,
but great value in and of him, in him, of him, great value to
him because of what he would do for her. What would he do
for her? Verse 16, who when he had found
one pearl of great price, went. That means came. Left where he
was and came to where she was. When he'd found one pearl of
great price, went and sold all that he had. Does that not crush
you? How much did he have? He sold all that he had. He sold
out. I mean all of it. It cost him
everything. How much will it cost to redeem
them? Everything. Everything. He willingly gave
up everything for the joy that was set before him in buying. redeeming, paying the purchase
price for the one he had to have. Verse 45 says, the kingdom of
heaven is like unto a merchant man seeking goodly pearls, who
when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all
that he had and bought it. He bought it. He didn't try to
buy it. He bought it. Now it's his. And the song of
every soul bought with the price is redeemed how I love to proclaim
it. Redeemed by the blood of the
lamb. Redeemed through his infinite mercy, his child and forever
I am. I think of my blessed redeemer. I think of him all the day long.
I sing for I cannot be silent. His love is the theme of my song. Unto Him that loved us, so much
so that He sold all that He had and gave Himself for us. It's all unto Him. That's beautiful. That is beautiful. Look with
me very quickly at Psalm 135. Psalm 135. Verse 1 says, Praise
ye the Lord, praise ye the name of the Lord. Praise Him, O ye
servants of the Lord. Ye that stand in the house of
the Lord, In the courts of the house of our God, praise the
Lord, for the Lord is good. Sing praises unto his name, for
it is pleasant. For the Lord hath chosen Jacob
unto himself. and Israel for His peculiar treasure. The Lord chose to make His people
a treasure to Him. Verse five says, I know that
the Lord is great and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatsoever
the Lord pleased, that did He in heaven and in earth, in the
seas and all deep places. He did whatever pleased Him to
do. And what did it please Him to do? It pleased him to make
his people to be a peculiar treasure to him. He said, that's my treasure
right there. That's my treasure. It pleased
him to sell all that he had. He gave it all up though. He
was rich yet for her sake, he became poor that she through
his poverty. might be rich. He said, I want
to be poor and I want her to be rich. That's an amazing story. That
is an amazing, amazing, beautiful story. Oh, the love that sought
me. Oh, the blood that bought me.
Oh, the grace that brought me to the fold. Wondrous grace that
brought me to the fold. All right, let's all stand together.