I invite you to turn back with
me now to Matthew chapter 13 and verse 44. In the 13th chapter of Matthew,
our Lord gives seven parables concerning the kingdom of God. What do we know about the kingdom
of God as believers? Well, we know it's invisible.
You don't see it. It cometh not with observation.
Men don't see it. It's an invisible force. It's the establishing of a work
that this world cannot see. And that's the point. He's driving
home. I read it to you a few moments
ago in all these parables. He that hath ears to hear, let
him hear. He that hath eyes blessed are
your eyes, for they see. This world don't see these things.
It doesn't see these things. It doesn't consider these things.
He tells us that over and over and over. He's also telling us
of the peril of this world. The kingdom of God is accomplishing
a purpose in this world. When that purpose is over, when
that crop is all harvested, when all the When it's time for the
harvest, the first thing he's going to do is he's going to
go through there, he's going to send out his reapers, and
they're going to get rid of all the tares, all the junk, all
the stuff that pollutes that world. They're going to get rid
of all of it. And then they're going to gather his wheat into
his barn. Now there's a day coming when
God's going to fold this world up. Close the doors on it. Time gonna be no more. No more of this everyday experience
that you and I have lived with our whole life. Time shall be
no more. Eternity will take its proper
course. And so he gives us seven parables
here. He gives us the parable of the
sower, the parable of the tares, the parable of the mustard seed,
the parable of the leaven, he gives us the parable of the pearl
of great price, and the parable of the net. And then in verse
44, which is our text, he gives us the parable of the hidden
treasure. I understand what these things
are about. They're given to set before the
hearer the nature and character of the kingdom of God. This kingdom
cometh not with observation, it's invisible to the natural
eye. To see these things, one must
be born of God and given eyes to see. see these things apart from that.
These things have been read by scholars. They've been read by
people who know languages better than you and I will ever know.
And they come away from this book, these scholars, come away
from this book not seeing one thing concerning the kingdom
of God. They come away and And they're
fascinated by the genealogies, they're fascinated by the scientific
facts given in the scriptures, they're fascinated by all of
these things. But there's no fascination, there's
no glory, there's no worship, there's no concept of what God's
doing in this world. They're given to set before us
the nature and character of the kingdom of God. The Holy Ghost cannot be seen. I hear people talk about the
Holy Ghost and talk about, I remember when I received the Holy Ghost
and all this kind of stuff, but the Holy Ghost cannot be seen.
Only the evidence of His presence testifies of Him and His work. Our Lord basically told that
to Nicodemus. He said, the wind bloweth where
it listeth. You can't see it. Can't see it
coming. You can't tell where it's going,
but you can see the effects that it's been there. And it's an
absolute impossibility for a natural man to enter into the kingdom
of God, or to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, or to turn
from his idols to serve the one true and living God. It's an
absolute impossibility. With man, our Lord said, it is
impossible. Except a man be born of water
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter. into the kingdom of God. These parables were given to
describe what natural man cannot see. And all those there who
were born of God, all those standing out among them who were born
of God, understood these parables. His disciples, they come to him,
tell us what these things mean, and he'd tell them. These parables were given to
describe what natural men cannot see. But this morning I want
us to focus our attention on just this one parable, the parable
of the treasure hidden in a field. Let me give you three or four
things concerning this parable to consider. First of all, I
want you to think about the treasure which God the Holy Ghost tells
us lay hidden. What lay hidden? After a total disregard for both
Christ and His gospel, our Lord bowed His head and said, I thank
Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast
hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them
unto babes. What lay hidden? What did He
reveal unto babes? He revealed Christ to them. He
revealed Christ to them. He revealed the gospel to them. In 1 Corinthians 2, 7, Paul said,
but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery. It's a mystery. Everybody's not going to hear
it. Everybody's not going to perceive it. Everybody's not
going to understand it. We speak the wisdom of God in
a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the
world under our glory. Now listen to this, which none
of the princes of this world, none of the doctors, the lawyers,
the experts, the kings, none of the princes of this world
knew, for had they known it, they wouldn't have crucified
the Lord of glory. But as it is written, I have
not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of
man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. All the doctrines and means and
intent of salvation, though clearly stated, it's hidden in the word
of God. It's hidden. It's amazing to
me that you can read Ephesians 1 and not come away from there
understanding what election is. Absolutely amazing. I don't see
any other way you can read it. Brother Mahan one time had a
deacon in an Armenian church where he was assisted pastor
and that deacon, he said, he was just reading Ephesians 1
and the deacon got really mad. And he said, I've had enough
of this. He said, I know what you're trying
to do. And he said, I'm not trying to do anything. Oh, yes, you
are. And he said, well, what am I
trying to do? He said, you're trying to preach election. He
said, I'm not preaching anything. I'm just reading Ephesians chapter
1. Is that what you got out of it?
Because that's what I got out of it, too. That's what it says. That's what it says. But this wisdom's hidden. And
all of the doctrines and means and intent of salvation Clearly
stated, still, it lies hidden in the Word of God. The Jews read and studied the
Word of God, but they had no understanding of its message.
They saw no treasure in it. Rather, they came away believing
that it taught righteousness by their own obedience to the
law, reconciliation by sacrifice, and redemption by silver and
gold, sonship by blood, ties, and inheritance. And to this
day, men and women read the word of God, come away with the most
ungodly conclusions that you've ever heard. The treasure lies hidden in the
field. Who hid it? God did. Who's going
to find it? Those who are led to it. Those
for whom it was hidden. And it's in the field. All I
was ever taught from the Word of God as a child was moral stories. They'd read the Ark of Noah,
and teach a moral story, and Samson, and Cain, and Abel, and
Moses, and the sea, and David, and Goliath, and on and on it go. Why didn't they speak
of Christ? Why didn't they talk about that
city of refuge being Christ? Why didn't they talk about Abel's
offering setting forth Christ? Why didn't they talk? Because
they didn't see it. They didn't see it. The treasure
was hidden. All right, here's the second
thing I want you to see. What was hidden was discovered. It was discovered. It didn't
stay hid. Says a man found it. He found
it. Now, without some long drawn
out process, just let me simply say that the treasure which God
had hidden, he also purposed to be found. He hid this gospel in his word. There's actually, I can take
you in the book of Isaiah and show it to you. The Lord actually
put djinns and snares in the word of God to entrap men who
deceitfully use the word of God. He said, djinn, I'll give you
one of those djinns. For God so loved the world. John
3, 6, 10. How many men have been snared
in that? How many men have been caught
up in there like a gin and a snare? And there he is. He's tangled
up in that thing. He'll die in it, believing in
universal salvation. What God hid, he purposed to
be found. Well, who did God purpose to
find it? and he tells us in the word of God, babes. Babes. God hath hid these things from
the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes. You think about that a minute. You showed me a picture a while
ago. Babes. If you will, turn with me to
John chapter one. Gospel according to John chapter
one. And we'll begin reading with
verse 10. He was in the world, talking
about Christ, and the world was made by him. Everything that was made was
made without him, and without him was not anything made that
was made. He made everything. The world was made by him, and
the world knew him not. He came unto his own, to those who had Bibles, to those
who had these things. had every kind of advantage. He came unto his own, his own
received him not. But as many as received him,
why did they receive him? The world didn't receive him
and he made the world. His own didn't receive him and
they had his own word. They had the scriptures, they
had the prophets. But as many as received him,
to them gave he power to become the sons of God. How come them
to see him and receive him? God gave them power to become
the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Now
watch this, which were born, not of blood, nor the will of
the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. God. And they received Him and believed
on Him and rested in Him and worshipped Him, who were given
power to become sons of God. How were they born? Well, Peter tells us in 1 Peter
1, 23, they were born not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible
by the Word of God. And then he tells us in verse
25, and this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto
you. The treasures revealed to God's
elect through the preaching of the gospel. Peter said, now we
have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit
which is of God that we might know the things which are freely
given to us of God. 1 Corinthians 2.13, which things
also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which
the Holy Ghost teacheth. Comparing spiritual things with
spiritual. They see those parables given
as spiritual, and they apply them that way. They apply them
to Christ. They see them as meaning Christ.
They have a spiritual understanding. They've been given the spiritual
revelation. But, he said in verse 14, the
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God,
for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned. God's treasure is hidden in a
field, but it's revealed to his elect. And then thirdly, when
he finds the treasure, when God reveals it to him, It says he
goes and sells all that he has and buys the field. Now, the
person who has a Bible who has not believed has just another
book. That's what he's got. It's just
another book. It's a great book. Greatest book
that was ever written. You may keep the book on the
top shelf of your library. You might put that book on your
coffee table. You might carry that book around
in your hand, but it's just another book. Until you discover the
treasure. And then what happens? Oh, you
hide that treasure. And you buy the book. You buy
everything in the book. All of a sudden, there's treasure
from one end to the other. There's treasure all through
the book of Genesis. I hope in our studies through
Genesis that you realize that. There's treasure. And there's treasure in the book
of Exodus and Leviticus and Deuteronomy. There's treasure all through
the Word of God. It's filled with treasure. But a man, God has chosen a man
and that man stands and he preaches the gospel to people. That's
what's going on in the kingdom. He's preaching the gospel. And
all of a sudden that man, he sees that treasure in this book. He sees that this is God's treasure. It's not just another concept. It's not just another religion.
It's not just another principle. It's a treasure. It's real. It's
true. This is Christ, this is the Son
of God made flesh, dwelling among us. This is the treasure. And
boy, he buys the book then. He don't want to hear, well I
think, nah, you go on. Show me in here, show me where
it says that. I got to talk to my nephew a
little bit and he told me something that He said, I finally arrived
at the conclusion that, I forget what he said, all these religions
in the world are all accomplishing good. And I said, can you show
me that in this book? Well, he said, it's just something
that I think I've come to know. And I said, well, I wasn't aware
we had any information on God except this book. Brethren, I bought the book.
I bought it because I saw the treasure. It's filled with treasure. There's no treasure out here.
He didn't buy every field in the world. He didn't go out there
and say, well, there's treasure here. There's got to be treasure.
No. He bought the field where he discovered the treasure. And until you find the treasure,
the book is just another book, isn't it? It's an amazing book. It says things, talks about things,
talks about future events and those events come to pass. It's
a fascinating book. But it has nothing to do with
what captures your soul. But when God, when a man's born
again, when he's born again, born of God, now he perceives
the kingdom of God. He sees the treasure. And Christ
is the treasure and he receives him. And now God's gonna show
it to him all through the book. All through the book. He goes and sells all that he
has and buys the field. This Bible to us is the word
of God. That's how I see it. I don't
think there's any other way to view the Bible except as the
word of God. Now, if God says a thing, it's
true, isn't it? It's true. And if I can't show
you where God said it, then don't you take it just because I said
it. I want you to see where God said it, where He said it. There's no other place to discover
this treasure except in this field. You're not going to find
it in the traditions of men. You're not going to find it in
worldly religion. You're not going to find it in
the philosophies of men or in these religious ideas and concepts
that men set forth. We find this treasure in the
word of God. And then in our text it says,
he hideth it. He found the treasure and he
hides it. Where does he hide it? He hides it in his heart. Hides it in his heart. Why does he hide it? He fears
somebody will take it away. Isn't that what those former
parables were teaching? The enemy came in, stole the
seed, took the seed. The man who finds this treasure
hides it in his heart for fear that someone will take it away. And remember what he's talking
about here. He's talking about gospel treasure. Well, what did he have to sell? What did he have to sell? Well,
he had that old sentimental faith. He got rid of that. You know,
we sell stuff at a garage sale. We don't sell stuff that's valuable
to us in a garage sale. We sell what we don't want anymore.
Take it out there and put 50 cents, a dollar, whatever on
it. We just want to get rid of it. We want to get rid of it. And that's how I see this man
who found this treasure. He's selling out. He's selling
out. He found the field, he found
the treasure. What's he need with this stuff?
He doesn't need it anymore. Get rid of it. Get rid of it. He had this old sentimental faith.
A belief swayed by affection for whoever taught him. And a faith that feeds on sentiment. He had a faith that was fool's
gold. He thought he had the real thing
until he saw the real thing. He had a baseless hope, just
a common hope. I hope, I hope, I hope. I hope
it don't rain. He had a false refuge, a hiding
place made out of lies and falsehood. And he had a good reputation.
He wanted to get rid of that too. He let that go. He was a faithful member of the
church, paid his tithes, donated his time, worked in the community. He had a good reputation. He
sold that cheap. People in the community looked
up to him as a wise man. Now let me tell you something. If
you ever see the treasure in this book, you'll gladly turn
loose of all those things and buy the field. And know this, if you buy the field, these other
things are gonna go by the wayside anyway. You can't have them in
the field. You can't have them in the treasure.
You can't believe the word of God and see that treasure that
lies hidden in it and have fellowship with this world. In 1 John chapter 1 it says,
if we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness,
we lie and do not the truth. And I love what Paul said, those
things which were gained to me, those I counted lost for Christ. Yea, doubtless and I count all
things but lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord. for whom I've suffered the loss
of all things and to count them but done that I may win Christ
and be found in him. He got rid of everything he had
and bought the field. Bought the field. And then fourthly,
what is the treasure he found that was so esteemed that it
was a joy just to get rid of everything? It says for joy. He sold all that he had. He didn't
take it out and say, oh, I hate to part with this, man. No, he was happy. He had the
happiest day of his life. He'd take that out there and
lower it down. The treasures Christ. The Bible
said in him are hidden all the treasures, the treasures of wisdom,
and knowledge. In him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily. In him, John said, was life,
and the life was the light of men. And then Paul said, Christ
is all. He's all. Without Christ, the
Bible is just another book. It is just another book. He's
the treasure. There's only one mediator between
God and me and the man Christ Jesus. No other reconciler. You hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through
death. No other reconciler, no other
way to the Father. No man cometh unto the Father
but by me. He's the end of the law for righteousness
to everyone that believeth. In Him, the law is honored and
exalted. In Him, justice is satisfied. God saves poor sinners without
compromise and without change. He's the Word made flesh. He's
always been the Word. Always. In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And
the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. He's the revelation of God. No
man knoweth the Father save the Son. And to see Him is to see
the Father. To know Him is to know the Father.
To know Him is to know God. and to know God is eternal life.
He's the treasure. John said, we know that the whole world lieth in
wickedness. We are of God and the whole world
lieth in wickedness. And we know that the Son of God
hath come and given to us an understanding, that we may know
Him that's true, and that we're in Him that's true, and this
is the true God and eternal life. Christ is the theme of the Word.
To Him give all the proper witness that through His name, whosoever
believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins. He's the treasure.
He's the treasure. He's the theme of all true preaching.
Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.
That's what the Bible says. And Christ is Lord. Lord of the
dead, Lord of the living. He's Lord. Lord over all nations
and kindreds and tongues and Lord over creation and Lord over
providence, the very providence that brought us here this morning. In him we found ourselves having
obtained a great inheritance being predestinated according
to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel
of his own will. He's the treasure. He's the treasure. He's Lord. What's that mean? That means
he runs the show. That's what that means. In the book of Proverbs it said,
the preparation of the heart and the answer of the tongue
is from the Lord. From the Lord. It says, the king's
heart is in the hand of the Lord as rivers of water. He turneth
it withersoever he will. The kingdom of heaven is like
unto a treasure hid in the field, of which when a man hath found,
he hideth. And for joy thereof goeth and
selleth all that he hath, and buyeth the field. And then let
me close with this. Our Lord said where a man's treasure
is, there shall his heart be also. That's where his heart's
gonna be. With the heart man believeth
unto righteousness. Keep thine heart, for out of
it are the issues of life. Salvation's a heart work. It's
a heart work. And that heart work begins with
discovering the treasure. And the treasure is Christ. Once
a man sees that, he don't want anything else. Why would you
want anything else? We're complete in him. Huh? Where else we gonna
go? What else we gonna do? What other
hope do you have? It's a done deal. You're gonna
go out of this world and meet God. Not a God, not some God,
but the living God. And there's no other hope before
him, no other mediator except Christ. And when a man sees that
and discovers that treasure, he'll find that treasure. He'll
look for it too. He'll look for it. And he'll
go back there and he'll find that treasure everywhere. Everywhere. And as he reads and studies and
goes along, I've read countless books, read through this book
many times. Every page, I rediscover the
treasure. There it is. I've never found
the bottom. Have you? There's no bottom to
it. This treasure goes on and on
and on. Because in him dwelleth all the
fullness of the Godhead. Oh, what treasure. What treasure. Father, take the word. The gospel of your son. and give us eyes to see, ears
to hear, and a heart to rejoice in it. Be with those who couldn't
be here this morning. Bring them back to be with us
again. Use now your gospel according
to your will. I ask it for Christ's sake.