Buried Treasure- Part #2

This is Stu Epperson from the Truth Talk Podcast, connecting current events, pop culture, and theology, and we're so grateful for you that you've chosen the Truth Podcast Network.

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The following is part two of a two-part program. Do you feel like you're on a religious treadmill? Do you feel like Christianity is just a system of rules and regulations?

I can do this, but I can't do that. Do you feel like your efforts to reach God, find God, and please God are futile? Do you feel like your faith is dead or alive? Today, Pastor Russ Andrews will walk us through Scripture to answer these questions. Join us on Finding Purpose, glorifying God by helping men find their purpose for living.

For more information and to connect with Russ Andrews and Finding Purpose, you can visit us online at findingpurpose.net or connect with us on Facebook. Now let's listen to Russ Andrews as he teaches us how to be a Christian without being religious. Okay, if you have your Bible, open up to Luke chapter 6. We're going to be looking at verses 12 through 26, and I've entitled tonight's message, Buried Treasure. When I'm alone at night in my bed and I'm awake and crazy sleeping, I just start asking the Lord for His help.

This life is difficult in case you haven't noticed it. Now, I want us to dig now for the greatest treasure of all. Look at verse 17. It says, He went down with them, Jesus did, and stood on a level place. This could have been, guys, the Sermon on the Mount, the Sermon on the Mount, or this could have been another sermon that He gave on a plain that was similar to the Sermon on the Mount.

Either way, it's pretty much the same sermon as the Sermon on the Mount. It says, A large crowd of His disciples was there, and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases. Word had gotten out. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch Him, because power was coming from Him and healing them all. Remember the bleeding woman who touched the cloak of Jesus, and she was healed instantly? And He said, Power has escaped out of Me who touched Me. And so I said, Lord, you got a thousand people here. And the woman said, I was the one. Her faith healed her.

Nothing but a touch from the Master. Looking at His disciples, He said, Blessed are you who are poor. That's interesting.

Really? Blessed if you're poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you, and insult you, and reject your name as evil. Because now, if you've really been an evil person, that's got nothing to do with God. But if they are excluding you, and insulting you, because of the name of, because of the Son of God, because of Jesus, then that's something to rejoice about. Jesus has a way, men.

Have you ever noticed this? Of turning worldly ideas and man-made philosophies upside down. What the world calls good, Jesus calls evil. And a lot of what the world calls evil, Jesus calls good. What the world puts forth is wisdom, Jesus calls foolishness.

And who the world holds up as a role model, Jesus detests. 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verses 18 through 21 is one of the greatest chapters in the Bible. That in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 on wisdom. Listen to what Paul writes to the church in Corinth. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing.

Did y'all hear that? The world thinks we're crazy. But to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. Have you experienced that power, men? For it is written, and this is God speaking, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise. The intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate. And then Paul basically mocks, where's the man of the world? Where's the scholar?

Where's the philosopher of this age? Who has God, has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know him.

Catch this. God was pleased through the preaching, through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. I remember one time a coach in the ACC said he didn't see what a man who died on the cross 2,000 years ago has any relevance to his life. He claimed to be a Christian. Jesus truly turned the world upside down with his radical teaching. So what's so radical about what he says here in this text?

Well, listen to what he's telling his followers. It's blessed to be poor. It's blessed to be mocked. It's blessed to be insulted. And then he says, he's telling his followers not to pursue the shiny objects of the world, treasures of the world, the glory of the world. Why? Because those objects, those things in the world that you can touch and see, they were never meant to satisfy.

They never do. They were like broken cisterns that cannot hold water. Jeremiah 2 13 says, my people have committed two sins. This is God speaking to the Israelites, but the same thing applies to the United States of America today. They have forsaken me, our country, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. So what are some of the broken cisterns that we in America are pursuing? The pursuit of wealth, the pursuit of pleasure, the pursuit of power, the pursuit of popularity, and yes, even the pursuit of religion.

These are all empty systems that cannot and that never will bring nourishment to your soul. Do you believe that's true? In verses 20 through 26, you need to understand that Jesus' audience is primarily the 12 apostles, but there's also still a great number of disciples that are gathered there listening to Him. And I believe that many of those are still trying to figure out if they're really going to follow Him and do some of this stuff that He's talking about.

In fact, I believe that many of them are going to turn away. If you go look at John chapter 6, it says that His teaching became so difficult that many turned away. And so He looked at His disciples and said, Are you going to turn away, too? And what did Peter say? He said, No, Lord.

You're the only one. I think he said this, not exactly like this, but I think this is close. You're the only one who has eternal life.

Where else can we turn? So what's Jesus' teaching here? What principles? What truths?

I think there are three real important ones. I call the first one the calling. Jesus is describing the heart of a man that God calls to follow Jesus. Second, He explains the cost. Jesus tells them right up front the heavy price they will all pay. And then He gives this warning. He issues a warning to those who pursue the pleasures of this world.

So I want us to look at each one of these briefly and separately. And so in describing the type of man that God calls, Jesus offers four beatitudes. They're just blessed sayings that contain a nugget of truth. So these beatitudes provide a picture, man, of the ideal heart, the ideal heart that God's looking for, who want to comprise His kingdom. It's a condition, man, that He promises will bring eternal spiritual blessings and sometimes physical blessings. But it's mainly He's talking about spiritual blessings. Now I want us to take a look at the Matthew version because Matthew gives us a little bit of more detail that Luke for some reason omits. So for Matthew 5, I want to show you that these beatitudes are clearly talking about, they're describing a man's heart.

Think about your own heart as I go through these. Matthew 5 verse 3, Jesus says, blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Verse 4, blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. Verse 6, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled. And then verse 10 says blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. How do we know that He's describing a man's heart?

Because of the phrases He used. In spirit is a reference to a man's soul or his heart, who hunger and thirst for righteousness points to the inner desire of a heart who wants to please God. And who are persecuted because of righteousness describes the heart of a man who's actually striving to live a godly life and he's leaning on the Holy Spirit to help him. So what kind of man is God looking for?

Here you go, you ready? A man with a humble and contrite heart. A man who grieves over his own personal sin and the sins of the world that he sees all around him. Yeah, we should be grieving about our own sins, but also the sins of the world. Look at how far our country has run from God. A man who looks at his inner sinfulness then repents men and he turns to Jesus for salvation and then he seeks with the Spirit's help to obey God's Word. Does that describe you? Therefore, because of his humility, before God and man, and because of his desire to live a life of obedience to Christ, this man should not expect to win the world's award for the most popular man in town.

Why is that? Because I can tell you right now, if you go out there right now and really make a stand for Jesus and you really are, you know, I don't mean obnoxious, I mean that you're living for Christ and you make no bones about it. Your family knows it and your friends know it. That you are a follower that you are a follower of Jesus, then how should you expect to be treated? You can expect to be excluded, to be rejected, to be insulted, perhaps to be hated and persecuted, and for some to literally die.

I think that's coming to America. This is why Jesus said, anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it. That's the person out there trying to find life in the world, but whoever loses life for my sake will find it. You want to find life? Lose your life.

Again, Jesus is turning worldly philosophy on its head. Take up your cross. Die. Lose your life. Who wants that?

Who's going to sign up for that? What does the world say? Live your best life now. Eat, drink, and be merry. Don't worry.

Be happy. There was a song that came out in 19, gosh, I think it was 1986, and I should tell you, I actually love the melody, but the lyrics are horrible. I want to be rich.

You remember that song? It's got a great melody, but its lyrics are basically saying, I want to be rich, rich, rich. It's all about the money. I mean, the cross was symbolic of death, and when Jesus says take up your cross, it symbolizes what he's trying to get at men, is he wants our total commitment. He wants the total commitment of his disciples, and he was warning them that death was coming. In fact, for ten of them, they all died as martyrs. The only two who didn't were Judas, who killed himself, and John, who died, who was exiled on the island of Patmos.

I got news for you. The same is still, the same call for commitment is still true today. If you want to be a true follower of Jesus, then you've got to be all in. When you try not for the football team, were you all in? When you try not for the basketball team, were you all in?

When you go to a basketball game, you know, when it's Carolina and Duke, or Carolina and State, or some of your two major competitors, are you cheering as loud as you can for your team? Do you feel that way about Jesus? That's what it means to be committed with your heart. In Dietrich Bonhoeffer's classic, if you haven't read, if you haven't studied his life, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, read his book, The Cost of Discipleship. He gave his life in Germany, because he's willing to preach the truth, and he plotted to kill Hitler, and he was a minister, and he got sent to a concentration camp, where he was hung just a few days before the war ended. He wrote, when Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. So let me ask you, man, and I have to ask myself this, what does God see when he looks in your heart? Remember, the Lord does not look at the things man looks at.

Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at what? Your heart. It's all about the heart, man. It's all about your soul. I've told you this before, we're not bodies with a soul. We're souls with a body. It's the soul that will live forever.

You've got to make sure you take care of the soul, and Jesus is the only one who can take care of it. Now, for the warning, look at verses 24 through 26. But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you, catch this one, when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.

They spoke well about them. In these three verses, Jesus is describing the vast majority of people, and we've all been there, who are relentlessly pursuing the pleasures and shining objects of the world. So why does Jesus give such a strong warning?

I believe two reasons. First, Jesus more, he knows more so than anyone else, that this world holds nothing, nothing men that can truly satisfy. Not wealth, not health, not education, not religion, and not pleasure. Now, I believe you should exercise, but that exercise just helps you feel good for that day.

Then you got to get up and do it the next day. I'm getting tired of exercising, but I'm gonna keep on. So why will these things not satisfy? They can deliver what they promise. True joy, true peace, and everlasting contentment. Jesus, remember he told the woman at the well, if you drink this water, it will never satisfy. You'll always be thirsty, but if you drink the living water, I offer you will never thirst again.

Who's the living water? Jesus is. All you have to do to see that this principle is true, that riches don't really bless you, is observe the lifestyle of the rich and famous. To see that money, opulence, and pleasure are never enough, and their lives are usually a trail of tears, divorces, and heartaches. Second Timothy chapter three verses one through five offers me a very sad commentary on our world today. But mark this, this is Paul writing to Timothy. He said, but mark this, there will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, unholy, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness.

What's that? That's a false church. They have a form of godliness, but denying its power, and then as he ends, have nothing to do with them. I mean there's absolutely nothing wrong with working hard, being successful, and having wealth. As long as it does not become your God, as long as you hold it loosely, as long as you're a generous giver, as long as, listen, as long as you're working for the glory of God and not for your own glory. You give him the glory when you're successful, but most men can't handle money or success. For most men, even Christians, money, listen, money is more of a curse than a blessing. It tends to be a weight around you, dragging you down spiritually.

And why is that? Because it's alluring. When you have it, it's difficult to take your eyes off of it. You worry about losing it. You worry about getting more of it. Can't get enough of it, and success can become intoxicating. You see, it's difficult to really rely on God when you can look in the bank and see where your real source of security might be.

You can't take your eyes off of it. This wealth, more often than not, as I said, is a drag on men spiritually. And I'm talking about Christian men.

But let me just tell you this, just to set the record straight. It is possible to be wealthy and still keep your heart and mind on Christ. I know plenty of godly businessmen who give tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, even millions to their church anonymously and to the ministries they support. And God keeps on blessing them. Why?

I believe because they hold on to it loosely. Lord, it's yours. You bring in what you want and take out what you want. I've got a friend of mine who, and we were talking about giving and stuff, and he was sharing with me that a few years back at the beginning of the business year, and he's got a very successful business, big time. He and his wife said, let's give everything we make, all of our income this year to God. He said, Russ, God's got a sense of humor.

It's the best year we've ever had in the history of company. But he honored his pledge. Listen, if you want to see God's spiritual blessings in your life, men, you can't outgive God, no matter how little or how much you have. Be a generous giver, just like the woman in the Bible who gave her two pennies, but it was all she had.

She gave it all. And you men who are struggling financially, don't envy the wealthy. Do you know why? When they all die, they leave it all behind for somebody else to worry about. Psalm 49 verses 16 through 19 gives some real wisdom on this idea that, you know, don't envy the rich.

Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases. For he will take nothing with him when he dies. His splendor will not go down with him. He'll leave it behind. Though while he lives, he can't himself blessed and then praise you when you prosper.

Is that not true? A lot of friends when you got a lot of money. He says he will join the generation of his fathers who will never see the light of life. Here's the second reason Jesus gives a strong warning about the riches of the world, and his is real important.

Jesus knows the destiny of this world better than anyone else, and he knows the destiny of all those men and women who reject God's grace and mercy. What's going to happen to this world? And one day it's going to pass away.

The world as we know it. For this world in its present form, according to 1st Corinthians 7 says is passing away. 2nd Peter 3 10-13 says, but the day of the Lord will come like a thief.

That's when he's coming back. The heavens will disappear with a roar. The elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything men will be destroyed in this way, what kind of men ought we to be? We ought to live holy and godly lives as we look forward to the day of God and speed it's coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise, we, if you're in Christ, are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth which will be the home of righteousness.

I don't know about you, but that's the day I'm living for. The longer I live, the more I realize this world doesn't satisfy me. So here are a few takeaways in closing. If this world is your greatest treasure, I hate to say this, but you to be pitied above all men. Jesus said, what good will it be for men if he gains the whole world, yet loses his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for soul?

It's priceless. You cannot put a price on a soul. Our soul is the only part of us and of this world, men, that will last forever. Our souls are destined, according to scripture, one of two places. Heaven, hell. We cannot give anything or pay an amount of money to purchase our way to heaven.

So what's the solution? It's our greatest treasure, Jesus. He's the one who paid the price for us. He's the one, the veil was opened up.

It gives us access to the heavenly father. He went before us. All we got to do is follow him, and he's an invitation, men, to the whole world.

But he's not going to force his way into any man's heart. God gave him to the world as a gift, but we must receive this gift, this treasure. And there's only one way. John 1 says, to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to what? Become children of God. It's a work of God, men. It really is true, men. Following Jesus is costly. But as one of my heroes, the late Darlene Rose said before she died, the compensations far outweigh the cost.

So what are the compensations? Look at verses 22 and 23. Almost done. Blessed are you, men, when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you, and reject your name because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day. Leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. I could go on and on and on about the blessings that come to the man who truly follows Jesus, just to name a few. Spiritual guidance. He'll take you by the hand and lead you through this life, and guide you through all the decisions you have to make. He'll guide you by his word. He'll give you in peace and joy, and he'll give you that blessed assurance that you know your name is written in the Lamb's book of life. And he gives you the gift of eternal life, so that when you die, the creature just falls asleep and steps into paradise, where you will enjoy rewards and blessings the likes of which you've never seen forever and ever.

C.S. Lewis wisely said this about pursuing the pleasures of this world. It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, full and about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered to us.

Like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because you cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. He says we are far too easily pleased. Jesus is the greatest treasure that I possess, and that's all because he possessed me when I didn't deserve it. Do you know him as your great treasure? Have you come to the realization that all this stuff out there we're pursuing never brings real happiness? You go on a vacation to some island, you have a good time, not as good as you thought, then you go back through that, but it wasn't that much fun.

I just recommend guys that if you've never placed your trust in Jesus that you do so. Because I look at this world right now, you have seen such chaos? Are we looking at a third world war? Are we dealing with pestilences, natural disasters, earthquakes, fires? But I will tell you this, in the midst of all this dark world, God is at work. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it. Jesus is the light of the world.

Let his light shine in your heart, men, and you will experience joy that the world knows nothing about. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. Thank you for your word. Thank you, Lord, for the great treasure that you are.

I hope everybody in this room. And Lord, help us not to keep this treasure to ourselves. Help us to go out and be willing to share this treasure with others. And Lord, I pray that you protect us from this virus, that you'll keep us safe and secure, that you'll protect our families, Lord, that you'll bring this virus to an end. And Lord, we pray for our country. We pray that our country would repent and turn back to you. I pray that you'll keep, have mercy on the world and prevent us from going into war. But we know, Lord, that wars and rumors of wars will continue to the end. We know that one day, Lord, you're coming back the Prince of Peace, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and you will reign forever on the throne of David. We love you, Lord. Come soon. Amen. This is the Truth Network.