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Wisdom & Wonder, Season 2, Episode 5
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Before we dive into today's message, I need to share something I can't keep to myself. A digital disciple from the Bahamas—someone who watches our broadcast from across the ocean—wrote to my wife about her testimony. She had traveled to the United States in January to see a specialist about a brain tumor. The Sunday before her appointment, she came to 2819 Church, and I was declaring about Christ the healer. She grabbed hold of that moment in faith. When she went in for her MRI and CAT scan the next morning, that tumor was creatively removed from her brain. In gratitude, she gave a seed offering, and I prayed God would multiply it back into her life.
That same week, I learned about another woman in our room who had a damaged left eardrum and couldn't hear. During a time of corporate prayer, a little baby—Ryan's baby—was sitting on her lap and began rubbing her left ear. How Christ hijacked the hand of a child to touch and heal her ear. After that prayer time, she heard music in her left ear for the first time. She was healed during a season many of you won't even rearrange your schedule to attend.
Though my own healing—from tinnitus caused by a gunshot blast—hasn't yet come, I celebrate hers. Christ is the God of the impossible. Nothing is impossible for God. Look at what the Lord has done. Over and over and over, He's done it again. For we all shall be healed. Hallelujah.
We are in a series called Wisdom and Wonder, walking through the Gospel of Matthew together. Matthew was an outcast Jew in the first century AD, brought into faith by Jesus Christ himself. He became a follower, a martyr, and wrote the gospel that bears his name. The church used this gospel for 1,700 years to ground people in discipleship. Today we're unpacking Matthew 13:44-52, a section I'm titling "A Tale of Treasure and Torture."
To understand Jesus's words, we need context. Notice that Jesus gives no definition, no application, no explanation. So we must understand the context in which He spoke.
In the first century, there were no banks, no financial institutions, no safe deposit boxes. When people had valuables, they would hide them in their homes. But in a war-torn, rugged nation, when war forced people to leave their homes, they would take their most precious possessions—earrings, bracelets, something valuable—and bury them in the ground, covering them with the hope that one day they could return, dig it up, and reclaim their treasure.
The ground was like a bank.
If a person working in a field happened to stub their toe, see something glistening, and dig up treasure, they could claim it—but only if they worked the field themselves. If they worked for someone else who owned the field, that treasure belonged to the owner. This is the context Jesus had in mind.
"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy, he goes and sells all that he has and he buys the field." (Matthew 13:44)
A poor man is working in a field—a field he doesn't own. He discovers treasure buried there. Realizing its value while nobody is looking, he covers it back up. Then he leaves. He goes back to his impoverished home, digs through his couch, digs through his jars. He liquidates everything he owns. He takes the shirt off his back. He takes every scrap he possesses as a poor man and comes back to the field owner.
"I want to buy this raggedy field," he says.
And he buys that field—so he can return later and dig up the treasure, making it rightfully his. He pushed through his poverty. He got rid of all his possessions. He did it with one powerful word: joy.
Something in him was so happy about what he found that he thought it absolutely necessary to give up everything to have it.
"The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. Who on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it." (Matthew 13:45-46)
Here we have not a poor man, but a rich man. Merchants would travel the world, on ships, searching for jewelry, gold, pearls, and nice treasures. They would find treasures, sell treasures, find more, and sell more, building up a fortune. It was always the pursuit of the next best thing.
This merchant finds one pearl—something that comes out of an oyster, created when the oyster is agitated by a piece of dirt and coats it with a gel, forming something beautiful. Out of agitation comes beauty.
He finds this one pearl and says to himself, "Oh, this pearl is so valuable." This rich man—unlike the poor man—goes back to everything he has. His businesses. His assets. His portfolio. His stocks. He liquidates all of it for this one pearl. It was so valuable that he thought nothing else he had was more valuable than that pearl.
These two parables speak to two different human conditions:
The first man stumbled onto a treasure he was not looking for. He had no knowledge it existed. He wasn't treasure hunting. He wasn't searching. He just stumbled into this treasure by accident, realized its value, and gave up everything to have it.
This is akin to those of us—like me, Philip Anthony Mitchell—who had no knowledge the kingdom existed. No knowledge God was real. No knowledge that Jesus was more than a man in a book. We weren't looking for God. He wasn't even on our radar. But His eyes were upon us anyway. In our ignorance of the kingdom, we stumble into it by the grace of God. We are saved, rescued, redeemed, and brought into the kingdom—and now we have this joy: "Oh snap, I wasn't even looking for God. He wasn't even on my radar, but I was on His radar."
Is there anyone here who stumbled into the kingdom? You weren't looking for God, but He was looking for you.
This is like the woman at the well in John 4, who wasn't looking for God. She ended up at a well, trying to be by herself, trying to avoid community—and bumped into the Messiah. She found a treasure in a field she wasn't searching for.
The merchant knew about treasure. He was always in search of the next pearl. He represents those of us who have chased counterfeit pearls: the counterfeit pearl of a house, a car, a business, entrepreneurship, relationships, wealth. We think these things will satisfy the human soul, so we constantly pursue them.
We pursue the counterfeit pearl of religion—going to church your whole life but not really saved. Hearing sermons but far from God. Building your business but far from God. Blowing up on social media but far from God.
Then, in a moment, by the power of regeneration, you're brought into the kingdom. And you realize all these other pearls you've been trying to use to satisfy your soul—they are nothing. They are nothing compared to the treasure of the kingdom of God.
Some of you have been searching, searching, searching. Is the Bible real? Can we believe what it says? Does God exist? Was Jesus more than a prophet? Your search led you to the Lord Jesus Christ. Some of you knew God existed. You knew about Jesus. You heard about the kingdom. But in your heart, you were searching—searching in and out of beds, in and out of jobs, in and out of businesses, reading articles, reading other religious texts. Searching, searching, searching.
Like Nicodemus in John 3, who came to Jesus at night, asking questions. That conversation gave us one of Scripture's most famous verses: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life." That wasn't a sermon; that was a conversation between Christ and one searching man. Eventually, Nicodemus was saved. When Christ was crucified, everyone fled. But who took His body down from the cross? Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, two rich men who buried Him in Joseph's tomb. We know Nicodemus in his searching eventually found the kingdom.
What Jesus is communicating through these parables is this: The kingdom is so valuable.
Salvation. Being rescued from eternal damnation. Having your name written in the book of life. Having the promises of Scripture. Knowing that Jesus is your Lord and Savior. God is your Father. The Holy Spirit lives on the inside of you.
Is there anything you possess in this life that's more valuable than the kingdom?
A house? No. A car? No. A business opportunity? No. Your children? No. Your marriage? No. Is there anything more valuable than salvation? More valuable than the kingdom? More valuable than the promises of God?
No. No. No.
And that's why we really don't make any sacrifices for Jesus. We worship Him with joy and labor with joy. We want to put our hearts on the altar. We want to serve Him. We want to love Him. Because when we consider the treasure of the kingdom, it's like: "Man, there is nothing I can put my hands on that's more valuable than the kingdom."
Can anybody tell me anything more valuable than salvation, Christ, God the Father, the Holy Spirit, the word of God, knowing my name is in the book of life, knowing I have eternal life now and will die and live with Jesus forever? Can anybody tell me anything more valuable than that?
Do you know a man who was rich and famous, educated, noble, and powerful—who understood this? His name was Paul. He wrote to the church in Philippians:
"But whatever I have gained, I counted it as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ." (Philippians 3:7-8)
How is that for your American Christianity? How is that for everything American preaching makes your heart salivate for—above Christ? It's like He is not enough. You need Christ and your vision. You need Christ and your husband. You need Christ and your wife. You need Christ and this money. You need Christ and this wealth. You need Christ and all these other things—like all this preaching that makes us feel like He is not enough to satisfy the soul, like all these other things are just gravy on the steak and mashed potatoes of my Savior.
But because of the corruption of our preaching, you don't see the kingdom as that valuable.
Your heart is always sick and depressed about what you don't have because you don't value the intangible things that you do have. Even if I don't have something tangible, I can still have joy in my heart.
If I can't pay the bill, but I'm in the kingdom. If I may be single, but I'm in the kingdom. If I have tinnitus in my left ear, but I'm in the kingdom. If my ministry may not be where I want it to be, but I'm in the kingdom. If I may have enemies, but I'm in the kingdom. If I may have suffered betrayals, but I'm in the kingdom. If I may have sick relatives, but I'm in the kingdom.
My problem, fill in the blank. But I'm in the kingdom though. [Applause]
My fill in the blank. But I'm in the kingdom though.
Every time the enemy makes your heart sick over some unanswered prayer, something you don't have, or some area of your life you think is broken—every time you shed a tear over something you think is not right—just ask yourself:
Ain't nothing in this life—not hell, not principalities, not troubles, not anything, not unanswered prayer—going to rob me of my praise.
Not even in the transition of a wife can rob me of my praise of what I owe my Lord, because I will see her again because we are in the kingdom.
The kingdom. Jesus. Jesus.
Too many American Christians, y'all only get happy about these trinkets and toys. You keep listening to me preach this book, you're going to be happy about the things that nobody can't take away from you. The devil can't take your name out that book. He can't take you away from the kingdom.
I want you to have joy about the things he can't steal from you.
Strip me of everything. You can't take away from me the kingdom. Jesus. Oh, how I love the kingdom. Oh, how I'm so thankful to be in the kingdom. Oh, how I cherish the kingdom.
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. And when it was full, men drew it to shore and sat down and sorted the good into containers. But the bad they threw away." (Matthew 13:47-48)
A dragnet was a large square net with weights on the bottom that would sink to the lake floor and floats on the top. It was attached to two boats. As the boats sailed from the middle of the lake toward shore, the weight was dragged along the bottom, creating a massive wall of net. As they dragged the net to shore, it captured everything—every fish, every eel, every snake—all of it gathered inside.
At the shore, they would pick through the net. Because they were Jews keeping kosher, there were certain fish they couldn't eat. So they would take out the bad fish and throw it away. They would keep the good fish in a safe place.
Nothing escapes the path of the net.
"So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. And in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 13:49-50)
In this parable:
Because once the net reaches the seashore—once the end of the age has come—there is no more second chance. There is no more "God, forgive me." Once that net arrives on shore, once we get to consummation at the end of this era of redemption, God will send His angels out from heaven. There will be a great separation at the end.
The focus of this parable is the judgment of the unbeliever. The judgment of the atheist. The judgment of the false Christian.
He said, "The only time you have is while that net is traveling to the shore." Because once that net hits the shore, once the end comes, there will be no second chance. There will be no more "God, let me in."
There is coming a separation, a judgment. And Jesus says, in that place, "there's going to be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
I don't care about any of your false theologians that say hell doesn't exist. Do we believe Christ or do we believe men?
People say, "There's no way God could have created a place so horrific." And the words of Scripture don't even do it justice. Out of darkness, being totally alone, you receive a body that's fit for destruction. The worst part of hell is not even the fire, the torments, the harvest of hell. The worst part of it is that God is not there. And the worst part of it is that there is no getting out.
There are people dying every day going there. Listen to me: their money can't save them. Their morality can't save them. Their church attendance can't save them. Do you know what it is to wake up in a place separated from the presence of God? You get a brand new body fit for destruction. You're being tormented in flames and darkness and agony. Scripture says there is weeping—that is sorrow. There is gnashing of teeth—that is pain. And the mentality to know "I am never getting out of this."
Some of you have suffered with something for 10, 20, 30 years. We complaining about things. We got to—if the Lord don't never heal my ear, if I die at 80 with a damaged eardrum—that's nothing compared to being separated from God for all eternity.
And why don't you care about this? Why doesn't this bother you? Why are you not praying for your lost family members? Why are you not praying for people in the gym, or wherever you go, and you see the unbeliever? Why don't you support gospel ministry? Why don't you support missionaries? Why do you harbor everything to yourself? Why do you not care about the advancement of gospel? Why do you think Christianity is only about this gathering?
No biblical worldview. You want proof? This is what Jesus wants you to be thinking about.
All I've been doing is walking you through the scriptures. Just listen to what Jesus keeps bringing you back to over and over and over. Not wealth. Not happiness. Not your vision board. Just listen. Take all my sermons and throw them away and just read the Bible. See what the Lord keeps bringing you. You know what He keeps bringing you back to?
A biblical worldview. Time is running out. Serve me while you're in the kingdom. Make the gospel known. Pray my will be done on the earth. Serve me well. Keep your mind fixed on eternity, fixed on heaven. He keeps focusing your attention up. He keeps trying to detach you from being so overly attached to the things of this life.
This ain't Philip Anthony Mitchell. This is Jesus the Lord. I'm just reading to you what He taught. And look where He keeps bringing your mind back to.
For you, you think this preaching is boring. So you're going to leave next week and go sit somewhere where they make you feel cushy and comfortable, and they overdo Jesus's love and all that nonsense. You keep hearing sermons that make you think Christianity is about your comfort and your happiness and your wants and your desires. And it's not. It's a response to the cross and a life of sacrifice.
Look at the two parables: Give away everything. Even my own dreams. For the sake of the Lord, what do you want me to do? That's understanding the value of your rescue. The only response to rescue is surrender.
"Have you understood all these things?" He asked them. (Matthew 13:51)
After they heard everything—the parable of the sower, the parable of the weeds, the parable of the leaven, the parable of the mustard seed, heaven and hell, the end times, what you need to be doing right now—He asks: "Have you understood all these things?"
He wants His people to understand. It's not enough to have intellectual knowledge if it doesn't reach the heart. He wants His followers to understand, to sit in gatherings like this and hear the proclamation and have your heart burned like: "Lord, I need to be praying. I need to be giving. I need to be serving you. I need to be looking out for those who are unsaved. Man, I need to be sharing the gospel on my social media."
He wants you to be salt and light. You forgot that we're just walking through Matthew. Can't you hear the spirit of God saying to some of you right now: "My son, my daughter, what do I have to do? Do you not understand? What voices are you listening to? Do you understand all these things?"
He's asking for understanding. Why? Because understanding brings transformation in the heart.
They said to Him, "Yes."
"Therefore, every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who brings out of his treasures what is new and what is old." (Matthew 13:52)
Every scribe who is trained in the kingdom of heaven—every one of you who have listened to His teaching, who have been at 2819 listening to His teaching—you are like a scribe, the master of a house.
What does a master of a house do? He brings out of his house treasures that are new and treasures that are old.
Old treasures? The Old Testament. The knowledge we have of the Old Testament. The foundation of where the faith came from. The origin of all things. The promise of the Messiah. The words of God in the Old Testament.
New treasures? The things Jesus was teaching them, the New Testament that was being formed.
If you understand His teaching from old to new, bring out those treasures.
You learn, proclaim. You learn, proclaim. You learn, proclaim. Make My treasures known.
"How will they hear if my people don't speak?" (Romans 10:14)
Do you only think it's My responsibility? You learn something in your devotional time from the Old Testament—make it known. You learn something from a message on Sunday morning—make it known. I want y'all to bring out of the old and the new the treasures of the word of God and make it known.
Be hearers of the word. Be doers of the word. Be proclaimers of the word.
If you have a biblical worldview, if you understand we're living in the hour of redemption, if you understand that a judgment is coming—why are you not praying, speaking, serving, giving? Why are you not busy about getting the message to as many people as possible? What are you doing with your time? Is your life even going to matter when it's over? Are you going to be salt with no saltiness that He can't use?
What good are you if you're not involved in the work of the kingdom? You become worthless to Him.
This life is not about Him making you comfortable. This life is about you serving Him for the spread of the gospel.
Because you sit in American churches, you got Christianity all wrong. The utopia you're trying to build is your next life. You sit there with those dead eyes and look at me like I'm confused, but you're not reading the scriptures. You didn't hear nothing in here about your comfort. You ain't hear nothing in here about all of your desires. You didn't hear nothing in here about everything you want.
All you keep hearing from Jesus is:
"I bought you. I own you. Live for me. I'm going to hook you up when you die. In this life, be fruitful for me. And whatever lane I put you in, and whatever state I put you in, be fruitful for me."
Y'all think I was like this when I got a church? Nah, I was acting like this when I was first saved. Preaching the gospel in parks, in the streets, sharing Jesus everywhere. Before there was social media that made it easy, and y'all won't even use that.
All your Christianity is about is begging for what you want next. And in the absence of prayer, you stay depressed instead of pivoting to say: "Let me be fruitful while I'm waiting."
So what do you do with this message? Have you seen? Have you heard? Do you understand? Then do something with it.
My prayer for you is that you would stop crawling and running to and fro to all these churches. My prayer for you is that something on inside you would re—that you would hear the voice of your Savior crying out: "Who can I send? Who can I send?" And something in you like—I wish something would just click in you right now in this moment. Say, "You know what? Enough is enough. Lord, I put my life on the altar. I'm going to live for you. I'm going to pray your will. I'm going to read your word. I'm going to serve you in some capacity. I'm going to be generous my whole life in response to what you have done. I will serve you until I die. And my reward will be my crown."
Is that you? Is that what you want?
The best life you can live right now is total devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. Like everything you're trying to build outside of Him is going to burn up.
Do you even have the courage to come back next week? Or you going to go find some place where you're going to be comfortable in sin and then be kept comfortable in lies? Come on, man. Man, you built for more than that. God wired you for purpose. He wired you for meaning. He wired you to care. He wired you to cry. He wired you to pray. He wired you to be a proclaimer of the gospel. He wired you to push the kingdom forward.
That's what He wired you for. All of your flaws and your failures, your strengths and your weaknesses.
