Participants: Ken Dixon
Series Code: FC
Program Code: FC000359
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00:31 Hello, and welcome to Faith Chapel.
00:33 My name is Kenn Dixon. 00:35 Let's begin with a word of prayer. 00:37 Father in heaven Lord, we thank you 00:38 for this beautiful day which you 00:40 have given to us. Lord, we ask that 00:42 your Holy Spirit would come and 00:43 abide with us. Speak to our hearts Lord. 00:46 We ask that you would show us the 00:48 things in your scriptures in which 00:50 we can take to heart and it would 00:51 draw us closer to you. 00:53 We pray this in your name, amen. 00:55 Our message today is called, 00:57 'If you knew what I know.' 01:00 And we're gonna go right into the 01:01 scriptures in Matthew chapter 13, 01:03 the Bible speaks of something. 01:04 It says in verse 44, "Again, 01:07 the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure 01:09 hidden in a field, which a man found and 01:12 hid, and for joy over it he goes and 01:15 sold all that he has and buys that field." 01:18 You know, when I first read this, this, 01:21 this little passage in the scriptures I 01:23 thought it was amazing because I pictured 01:26 a man that is digging in a field. 01:28 And as he is digging in the field he finds 01:30 a costly treasure in that field. 01:33 He was not looking for a treasure, 01:35 he was just minding his business, 01:37 digging in that field. Maybe plowing 01:38 it for a new crop and he finds a 01:41 treasure in that field. Now, in those 01:43 days generally they would hide their 01:46 treasures in the field. And sometimes when 01:49 they would do these things, either they 01:51 would die or they would forget where 01:53 they buried them and someone else 01:55 would come along and purchase the 01:56 field and dig it up and find this 01:58 treasure or would be working in the field 02:00 and find the treasure. Well, this man 02:02 was in there and he was working 02:03 in the field and he found this treasure 02:06 and when he found this treasure, 02:07 he covers it back over, hoping that no 02:10 one saw him find it. And he runs back 02:12 home and he tells, he tells his family, 02:14 family we're selling everything. 02:16 Now, if your family is anything like 02:19 my family. They would think that 02:21 I lost my mind, if I came home and I start 02:24 selling everything to buy a field 02:27 with nothing in it. Well, the reason 02:30 this man was doing all of this and selling 02:33 all that he had is because he knew 02:35 something that his family did not know. 02:38 So, he ran home and said, everything 02:41 must go, he is taking although the 02:43 jewels and all of the, the China and 02:46 everything and selling it. And the 02:47 family's saying, daddy has lost his mind, 02:50 but he was saying, if you only 02:52 knew what I know. His family think that 02:57 that he, he, he had become mad. 02:59 They did not understand that this 03:01 man had found something far greater 03:03 than anything that they had 03:04 already possessed. They had, he had 03:06 found something in that field that was 03:09 gonna change not only his life, 03:10 but the life of his family. 03:13 This man did all that he could. 03:16 It is not natural to sell everything that you 03:18 have without discussing it with your family. 03:20 I'm very familiar with that because, 03:22 if I so happen to go to the store and 03:25 I know that men can agree with me on this. 03:26 You go to the store, one of those electronic 03:28 stores and, and you see the latest gadget 03:30 and you walk and then you look 03:32 at the gadget and you, you start doing 03:34 a mental calculation of how much money 03:37 you have and how much you can spend 03:39 without your, your, your wife knowing 03:41 that you've spend it. And so you start 03:44 doing the mental math and you, 03:45 you start working this thing out 03:47 and you said, okay well you know, 03:48 I can do this and I can, I can, 03:49 I can possibly sell this and get the 03:52 money from that and it'll all workout. 03:53 And so, you up at the checkout counter 03:55 and you say, you, you, you, you 03:57 buy the thing and then you go home 03:59 and you try to explain it. Well, it doesn't 04:00 work quiet like that. So, imagine this man 04:03 coming home and saying we're selling 04:05 everything we have. So, I can 04:08 purchase a field. They were would 04:10 think that he was crazy. It is not natural 04:13 for him to do that. He needed to discuss 04:15 these things with his family, 04:16 but you know I'm reminded of some 04:18 more people in the Bible that were crazy. 04:21 I call them crazy people in the Bible 04:23 that did some crazy things in order to 04:26 obtain something that they knew that 04:30 someone else did not know. 04:31 If you look in your Bibles in Hebrews 04:33 chapter 11, we look at our first one. 04:35 Hebrews chapter 11, verse 31 it says, 04:37 "By faith the harlot Rahab did not 04:39 perish with those who did not believe, 04:41 when she received the spies with peace." 04:44 See, Rahab was one day sitting around 04:48 the wells. And I can see the chatter and 04:52 the, the, the buzzing of the, the caravans 04:54 that would come and water. 04:56 And Rahab's job was to entertain she 04:59 was a harlot, so therefore she did some, 05:01 some things to entertain those that 05:04 were weary travelers. And I can see her 05:06 standing there in her, in her, in her harlot 05:10 clothing, dressed and trying to find the, 05:13 the next client. And as one of these caravan 05:16 comes, there is a buzz and people are, 05:19 are talking about strange thing that 05:22 happened. A strange thing that 05:24 happened to the Egyptian Army. 05:26 The water of the Red Sea came upon 05:29 the side and the Israelites came 05:30 through and as they came through 05:32 they prayed and then the water 05:35 came back down on the Egyptians 05:36 and swallowed the whole army. 05:38 And I can imagine Rahab stopping 05:42 you know, her, her, her normal train 05:44 of thought is to sell her body, 05:46 but now she is, she's trying to figure 05:49 out what they are talking about. 05:50 And she starts hearing more-and-more 05:52 about the God of Israel. And so she, she, she, 05:55 she runs back home and she begins so wipe 05:58 the stuff off of her face. She begins to 06:02 take things off of her and, and she changes 06:04 her clothes and her, her family is looking 06:07 at her like you know, what's going on he 06:09 says you know, I, I heard some news 06:11 about something in a, I'm not sure and 06:13 I'm not feeling comfortable. And later 06:15 on these, these spies came and they 06:19 made their way through the city of 06:21 Jericho and they found Rahab and Rahab 06:23 kept them and, and, and hid them. 06:26 And the Bible says the reason why 06:27 she is mentioned in this chapter is 06:29 because she hid the spies. And after 06:33 doing so, the Lord send blessing to 06:37 her home. Her family thought she was 06:39 crazy for what she was doing. She, 06:40 they didn't think that she, she was, she was 06:43 working with a level head. They didn't think 06:45 she was doing what was right because 06:47 for one minute she is out there selling 06:50 her body and the next minute she's 06:52 taking everything off and hiding strangers 06:54 in her home. And God blessed her for that, 06:58 the family did not know, but she knew 07:01 something that they did not know, 07:03 if you only knew what I know. You know, 07:06 the Bible speaks even more about some, 07:08 some more crazy people I'm thinking 07:09 about Abraham and, and when you 07:12 look at Hebrews chapter 11, 07:13 starting of verse 8. The Bible says, 07:15 "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was 07:17 called to go out to a place where he 07:19 would receive as an inheritance. 07:21 And he went out, not knowing where 07:23 he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land 07:27 of promise as in a foreign country, 07:29 dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, 07:32 the heirs with him of the same promise; 07:35 for he wanted, he waited for the city 07:39 for which has foundations, whose 07:41 maker and builder was God." 07:44 Here Abraham was crazy, here's a man 07:48 that has all sorts of money, just making all 07:53 sorts of money and, and doing well and 07:56 he is living in a place that all of the sudden 07:58 God tells him, Abraham, get up 08:02 and go to a place well I tell you afterwards. 08:05 And you are gonna live in tents while 08:07 you are doing it. Can you imagine 08:09 Abraham coming home and, and telling 08:11 his wife, dear we're moving. And she is 08:15 probably like, oh great where we going? 08:17 The Lord will tell us when we get there. 08:20 Excuse me, you're saying that we're 08:23 gonna up root our whole family, 08:24 we're gonna dwell in tents and we'll know 08:28 when we get there because God 08:29 will tell us afterwards. Yes, you're crazy, 08:34 but, but, but dear, if you only knew 08:36 what I knew. If you only knew what I know, 08:39 if you only knew what I know. He said, 08:42 well I don't care what you know, but we, 08:44 where are we going? God has given 08:47 us a promise. He said, there is a city 08:49 where there is the, where, where, 08:51 that the maker and builder his God. Okay, 08:53 I will follow you. So, she follows him, 08:56 but his family must of thought he was 08:58 crazy to carry them out into the desert, 09:01 to carry them out into the wilderness, 09:03 to live all family and friends and everyone 09:06 behind and I need to say that sometimes 09:09 God has to take you from where you are 09:11 to get to you where you need to be. 09:14 Sometimes he shows things just a glimpse 09:17 of heaven and you want it so bad that 09:20 you would do whatever it takes. 09:22 And people don't understand they think 09:24 you're crazy. They think you have lost 09:25 your mind, but let me tell you. 09:26 When God says get up and go, go. 09:29 Because the place where He's sending 09:31 you is better than where you are. 09:32 His family thought that he had, he 09:35 had been out in the sun too long and he's, 09:36 he's crazy and he was heading for a place 09:38 that he do not know where he was going, 09:40 but then soon God would tell him. 09:41 You know, that's just, this is a crazy 09:43 thing to think of, but I think of another 09:46 crazy person Moses. Moses was one of 09:50 these kind of guys that you know grew up 09:52 in the limelight. He grew up having 09:55 everything right at his beck and call. 09:57 He, he was adopted into the Egyptian 10:01 family and the Pharaoh's son and, and 10:04 now he was living in the lap of luxury. 10:06 Everything was going well for, for Moses. 10:09 And, and everything was fine, but then all 10:12 of a sudden God grabbed a hold of him 10:15 and God took him and God changed him. 10:17 And instead of being in the, in luxury and 10:20 being in the palaces of Egypt he now 10:23 was going to be with the people whom 10:26 in which the kingdom were have enslaved. 10:28 The Bible says in Hebrews chapter 11 10:31 and verse 24. "By faith Moses, when He 10:34 became of age refused to be called 10:37 the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 10:38 choosing rather to suffer affliction with 10:40 the people of God than to enjoy the 10:44 passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the 10:47 reproach of Christ greater riches than the 10:49 treasures in Egypt; for he looked to 10:52 the reward." It was Moses desired 10:56 something greater, Pharaoh was 11:00 the richest man in the world. 11:02 The greatest nation in the world. 11:04 Moses had the, the, the opportunity 11:08 to be one of the greatest men and 11:11 Pharaoh in, in Egypt. He had the 11:13 opportunity to, to become great and, 11:17 and all the, he could have been 11:18 embalmed when he died and held in 11:20 one of the tombs, in one of the, the, 11:23 the pyramids, he could have had the 11:25 greatest things happen to him in the world, 11:29 but he choose rather to suffer with the 11:31 people of God than to enjoy sin for a season. 11:34 You know, it's interesting that when 11:36 you think about it? He would rather go 11:38 with slaves than with the leaders. 11:41 He would rather follow those that were 11:43 being suffered for Christ sake than those 11:45 that will doing the suffering. It is 11:47 amazing what God will do. 11:50 If you only knew what Moses knew? 11:53 You know, I think about so many different 11:55 things and as I contemplate all of 11:58 these different things and, and, and 12:00 speaking about the, the man digging 12:01 in the field and finding the treasure that 12:04 he was not searching for, but he found 12:06 it in the field. It reminds of what the 12:08 Bible continues to read in 12:10 Matthew chapter 13, starting with verses 45, 12:13 it says, "Again, the kingdom of heaven 12:14 is like a merchant seeking beautiful 12:17 pearls, who when he had found one pearl 12:19 of great price, went and sold all that he 12:22 had and bought it." The Bible speaks about 12:24 this man who had found and who was seeking 12:27 after a beautiful pearl he had seen many 12:29 ordinary pearls here and there. 12:31 He would look at them and handle 12:32 them and say, this is not that one, 12:34 this is not that one, this is not that one. 12:36 So, many different pearls out there, 12:38 but he did not find the one that he 12:40 wanted until one day he found the pearl 12:43 that he was looking for. The beautiful pearl, 12:45 he was out for an earnest search for 12:47 this pearl and when he found it, 12:48 he sold all that he had to obtain 12:51 that pearl. He did not go out looking 12:55 for any ordinary pearl. He wanted one 12:58 particular pearl in particular. 12:59 And once he found it he goes back 13:02 and sells all that he has to obtain it. 13:04 The best things in life or sometimes 13:08 not on the surface. Sometimes you have 13:11 to dig a little deeper. 13:12 The precious pearls that are in the 13:14 scriptures, you have to dig a little deeper. 13:16 You can't just take the, you know, 13:18 I'm gonna wake up in the morning and 13:20 read my one text and carried me 13:21 through the day. You think about that 13:23 for a second. You take one simple text 13:26 and you say, you read that text and 13:28 you say that's good enough for the 13:30 day for me. And then you go about your 13:31 day and for the next 23 hours you're 13:38 spending with the devil bombarding you, 13:42 but if we would take sometime to dig 13:46 a little deeper into the scriptures, 13:47 to search for that precious pearl 13:50 that is there. We would find that we 13:52 would be blessed. Our lives will be 13:54 changed; this man knew that it would 13:57 take something different. He couldn't 13:59 just go out and accept any, any old pearl. 14:02 He had to find the pearl that he wanted. 14:05 The man before him went out digging 14:08 in the field and when he found the treasure. 14:09 He did not say, well this is just any 14:11 ordinary treasure, I don't need to sell all 14:14 that I have. I can just sell a little bit and 14:16 keep a little, no he realized that the 14:17 treasure was that important to him. 14:19 And he sold all that he had just like 14:21 this man that found the treasure or 14:23 the man that when searching for 14:24 the pearl the price is the same, 14:26 the price is the great price of Jesus 14:29 and his kingdom 'cause let me tell you, 14:33 heaven is a beautiful place, 14:35 but heaven would not be heaven, 14:37 if Jesus wasn't there. It would just be 14:39 like any other place, if because Jesus 14:42 is there that makes it heaven, 14:43 if Jesus wasn't there what's the point? 14:47 You know, the Bible tells us that, 14:50 Jesus is the word of God. 14:52 He is the word that was made flesh 14:55 and dwelt among us. 14:56 It is the word of God. We can obtain 14:59 and experience heaven through the 15:01 word of God. Open the scriptures you 15:04 know, it, it doesn't make sense saying 15:05 that you know I enjoy and I know Jesus 15:08 and I love Jesus when we don't open 15:10 the scriptures, that makes no sense 15:12 because what we're saying is that we 15:14 know and we love someone that we 15:16 don't really know. Imagine if you were to 15:20 wake up one morning and turned and 15:21 looked at a person next to you, 15:22 if you're married and you see someone 15:24 lying in the bed with you and you 15:26 don't know them. How would you feel? 15:28 Would you say, oh dear thank you I, 15:29 you know, good morning. No, you would 15:31 probably call the police. Well, if you 15:33 don't know Jesus how can you say 15:35 you love Him? And how can you know Jesus, 15:38 if you're not studying His word? Finding out 15:41 what he is all about. What he wants 15:44 for our lives? These men understood this. 15:46 The only way that this treasure can be 15:50 appreciated is by seeking more of this 15:53 precious treasure in our hearts. 15:55 In Jeremiah chapter 29 and verse 13, 15:58 the Bible says, "And you will seek Me 16:01 and find Me, when you search for Me 16:04 with all your heart." When we search for 16:06 Jesus in all of our hearts? When we go 16:08 after the scriptures and we dive 16:10 into them and I must say that when we 16:13 study them line upon line and precept 16:15 upon precept here a little and there 16:17 a little, don't try to eat the whole thing, 16:19 take it slowly, take your time with it. 16:23 A relationship takes time and as 16:25 long as you continue to cultivate this 16:27 relationship it will strengthen the 16:29 relationship, it will be a better 16:30 relationship. And as you do this, 16:32 you will find that Jesus will become 16:35 more and more real to you in your life. 16:37 You know, the searching for the 16:40 treasure is one in which many 16:42 people will start. They will start on the 16:45 journey and they will go and they 16:47 will do those things, they make 16:48 New Year's resolution and they say, 16:50 that they will do this and they say 16:51 that on my birthday, on my 25th birthday, 16:53 on my 50th birthday I will do 16:54 this, but they only go half way, 16:56 this search is one in which that we 16:59 must go all the way. They desire only, 17:02 only a little bit. They, they find a 17:04 little bit of the what the Bible says, 17:06 and they take that and they say, 17:07 this is all I need. I don't need anything 17:09 else, but that's not the precious search 17:11 that we need. We need the one 17:13 in which we'll go past our feelings and 17:15 our desires. We need to go past 17:17 what we feel and what we want, 17:19 and what we, what we think is right, 17:21 we need to find out what God says, 17:22 and go that extra mile and go, 17:25 and be willing to lay aside every 17:27 weight and the sin that does so easily 17:29 be set us. God is wanting us to go 17:32 further-and-further and to His son. 17:34 The real treasure is going and 17:38 finding of the savior and making him 17:40 part of our soul. You know, and 17:42 there are many people that have eyes, 17:43 but yet they see not. 17:45 And they have ears, but they hear not. 17:47 They see things in there and they say 17:50 you know, I've had many people come 17:51 to me and say you know, 17:52 I see it in there, but it doesn't really 17:54 matter, if it's in there it matters. 17:56 It's not about our opinion and I've 17:58 this saying over the years. 18:00 Sometimes your opinion really, 18:01 when it comes to the scripture your 18:03 opinion doesn't matter. It's what God 18:05 wants for you because he knows 18:07 what's best. Well, in First 18:10 Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 14, 18:12 the Bible says, "But the natural man 18:14 does not receive the things of the 18:15 Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; 18:18 nor can they know them, because they 18:21 are spiritually discerned." I remember 18:23 a time that when I was at the 18:25 University of Michigan and I was working 18:27 there that I had many people that 18:30 will come to me and that would say, 18:31 you know, what? I don't think you know, 18:34 I don't, I don't see it in the Bible or 18:35 you know, the, you know, it doesn't, 18:36 I don't see why I must do this or 18:39 I must you know, not do that. 18:40 I don't see it you know, that's, 18:41 that's your interpretation of it. 18:43 And you know, the Bible clearly says 18:44 that they don't see it because the 18:48 things of scriptures are foolishness 18:50 to them. People will wake up in the 18:53 morning, and they see no need for Jesus. 18:57 People will go throughout the day and 18:58 they see no need, but they make it 19:00 a point to say I cannot start my 19:02 day unless I have my coffee. 19:04 I cannot start my day unless I, 19:07 I watch this, this news program. 19:09 I cannot start my day until I check 19:11 my stocks. Well, you should not start 19:15 your day unless you've made Jesus 19:18 the first thing in your life. 19:20 The first thing when you wake up, 19:22 finding that pressure, that treasure 19:24 in the morning is what God wants. 19:26 And if you, if you look at the Bible 19:28 and you're saying, you know, I don't really it's, 19:30 it's boring and ask the Lord to touch you 19:33 and to give you the treasures that are 19:35 there because you will find yourself 19:37 saying after all is said and done you'll 19:40 be willing to sell all that you have 19:41 and people will call you crazy and 19:43 you will tell them, you don't know 19:45 what I know. And if you knew what 19:48 I knew, then you wouldn't be saying 19:50 what you are saying? And I will tell you 19:51 that God loves us so much that he 19:54 is willing to give us all the treasure 19:57 that are in a scriptures. You know, 19:58 there was a story about a young man. 20:01 This young man wanted a sports car 20:03 he desired a sports car and he told 20:05 his father said, dad, I want a sports car. 20:07 And his dad was up in the age and he said, 20:10 son you know, I wanna give you a sports car, 20:12 but I really want you you understand the, 20:13 the real meaning of life and the different 20:15 things in life and the most precious 20:17 things in life. He said, dad, I don't 20:19 care, I'm young. When I get older, 20:22 I'll go and I'll follow and do these different 20:25 things, and but right now I want a 20:27 sports car. All my friends have it, I want 20:30 a sports car. Give me a sports car, 20:32 his dad said, I cannot do that. 20:34 Well, this went on for years and years 20:36 and years and finally the older man, 20:38 the father died. And the son was 20:41 distraught and he was upset and 20:42 very upset not because his father 20:45 died, but because he did not get 20:47 the sports car. Well, they called 20:50 him in, and, and they told him that 20:53 he needed to bring the Bible that 20:57 was given to him as a youth. 20:58 He needed to bring the Bible that 21:00 was given to him by his father many, 21:03 many years ago when he was teenager. 21:04 And he said, I don't want to bring, 21:06 he said, bring it in. So, he finally brought 21:08 the Bible and he went into the Attorney 21:10 office and he sat down and the Attorney 21:12 took the Bible from him and he said, 21:14 you need to look at such a, 21:16 such a passage in the scriptures. 21:18 And he said, I don't want to, I've never 21:20 looked at the Bible, there is dust on 21:21 as you see, I don't study it. 21:23 He said, son, take this Bible, look at the 21:26 passage, so the son takes the Bible 21:28 and he is upset because he doesn't 21:31 really want to look at this thing. 21:33 And he opens the Bible to a certain 21:35 passage and taped in the Bible is a key 21:39 to a sports car, a brand new sports car. 21:45 Well, the son started crying and he 21:48 read the note from his father said, 21:49 son I wanted you to realize the precious 21:52 treasures that are in the word of God. 21:54 It has life eternal, but you did not 21:57 want to do it. I have, I wanted to share 22:00 so many things with you while I was alive, 22:01 but you desired to do what you wanted to do. 22:04 So, if you would have read these scriptures, 22:07 if you would have followed what the Bible 22:09 has said, eventually you would have 22:11 gotten that sports car because 22:12 I taped the key here for you, 22:14 but the son never picked up the Bible. 22:18 You know, sometimes when we have 22:19 Bibles on our shelves and we never 22:21 look at them. We never realize the 22:24 treasure that is hidden there. 22:25 We may desire some things in life. 22:28 We may want some things in life, 22:30 but the Bible says, you know seek 22:32 first the kingdom of God. 22:33 And all these things shall be added 22:35 unto you. God knows what's best for us. 22:37 He knew that if you would have given 22:39 that young man that sports car, 22:40 when he wanted him. He would have 22:42 never opened the scriptures; 22:43 he would have never studied the scriptures. 22:45 Sometimes God will not give us the things 22:47 we want immediately because 22:49 he knows it, if we do it we will forget 22:51 about him and we will have no time for him, 22:53 but God wants us and to love him, 22:55 he wants us to spend time with him, 22:57 he wants us to form that relationship 22:59 that is so meaningful at this point, 23:02 in this junction. You know, 23:03 there is another story that, that is, 23:05 that is spoken of in the Bible. 23:08 And this story speaks about a young man, 23:10 a rich man. And this rich man basically 23:13 he had everything and he came to 23:15 Jesus and he said, you know, 23:17 how can I obtain eternal life? 23:18 And Jesus explains it to him in, 23:21 in Mark chapter 10 and verse 21. 23:23 Jesus tells him, he says, 23:24 "Then Jesus looked at him and he loved him. 23:27 and he said to him, 'One thing you lack: 23:29 Go your way, sell whatever you have and 23:34 give it to the poor, and you should have 23:36 treasure in heaven and come, 23:40 and he says take up the cross and follow Me." 23:44 You know, Jesus is talking to this 23:46 young man. And he doesn't just say 23:48 to him. You know, come and hang out with us. 23:50 He says, go first and sell all you have 23:53 because there is a treasure within me 23:55 that is greater than anything else. 23:57 There is a treasure that your money 23:59 cannot buy. There is a treasure that 24:01 if you take this treasure you will 24:03 find life's greatest blessings. 24:05 And the young man was blinded by 24:08 the fact that he had so much that 24:10 he could not sell them. He said, 24:12 I can't sell it, I have so much. 24:14 And Jesus is saying to him, first of all 24:17 the Bible says, he loved him. 24:18 Jesus loves all of us, whether be 24:21 rich or poor. He loves all of us. 24:23 He says, go, sell all you have give 24:26 it to the poor, and then take up your 24:29 Cross and follow me. 24:31 He's given him something that Jesus 24:33 did not give very many people in 24:35 the Bible. He says come be one of 24:37 my disciples. Be one that will stand 24:39 next to me in this ministry. 24:41 Be one that will stand next to me 24:42 in preaching the gospel. 24:43 And this man said, I can't do it, 24:46 I have too much. I cannot give up 24:49 all that I have and do this. 24:51 And he went away the Bible says, 24:53 very sorrowfully. You know, so many times 24:58 God is speaking to us and He tells us so much, 25:02 and He wants us to give up so many different 25:05 things in our life, but we hold on to them. 25:07 We don't want to give them up. 25:09 We don't want to give up certain 25:11 relationships. We don't want to give 25:13 up certain jobs. We don't want to give up 25:15 certain friendships because we feel 25:17 that that is what makes us who we are? 25:19 But God is saying that let me, 25:22 let me make you who you are? 25:24 I made you once, let me remake you 25:27 and to something new. Let me change 25:29 the things that you desire, let me 25:32 change the life that you once live, 25:34 and to a life that will be great for the 25:36 kingdom. You know, that man that's 25:39 searching through that field and 25:41 found that treasure was willing to sell 25:43 everything. He was willing to go home 25:46 and be considered a crazy man, 25:48 but he obtained the great price that 25:52 was in the field, the treasure, 25:54 the kingdom of heaven. That merchant 25:57 that went out and search for that 25:58 beautiful pearl. They searched and 26:01 searched and searched not settling 26:03 for just anything, settling for what 26:05 God told them. He, he, he had his 26:08 mind fixed on what he needed, he had 26:10 his mind fixed on what he want it and 26:12 that's what he found. And once he 26:13 found it, he was willing, when they told 26:15 them the price he said; cheap enough 26:17 I'm willing to sell everything. You know, 26:21 Jesus wants us to do that very same thing. 26:23 Listen this, "There are those who 26:26 seem to always be seeking for the 26:28 heavenly pearl. But they do not make 26:31 an entire surrender of their wrong habits." 26:35 There, there is a, there is no dying 26:39 to self that Christ may live in them. 26:42 Therefore they do not find the 26:45 precious pearl. "There is a need for, 26:48 for us to take up our Crosses and 26:52 follow Jesus, there is a need. 26:55 Almost Christian yet not fully Christian, 26:59 they see near the kingdom of heaven, 27:02 but they can enter here. 27:05 Almost but not wholly saved means 27:10 to be not almost, but wholly lost." 27:14 God is trying to do whatever He can 27:16 to save every last one of us. 27:18 He's given us the treasure and the 27:21 precious pearl. He loves us with an 27:24 everlasting love. And God wants to 27:27 save us. Let's pray now that God 27:29 will come into our lives, even now 27:32 and make our lives what He wants 27:34 us to be. Father in heaven Lord, 27:36 we thank you for this time, we thank you 27:39 for the precious, precious pearl and 27:41 the, the treasure. We ask that you 27:43 would please make it real to us Lord 27:46 as we seek out those things that are 27:49 found above. We pray this to in 27:51 your name, amen. We want to thank you, 27:53 thank you for joining us at 27:54 Faith Chapel, God bless. |
Revised 2014-12-17