Get It? Got It? Good!, Part 3

Why did Jesus tell stories?

Today from Chuck Swindoll. When you gather in a place like this to glean truth, you are equipping your storehouse. You're stacking away the food for the soul.

Food that's to be used, not kept there, but you store it there so that you might share it like a good disciple of Christ. When Jesus told stories, we call them parables, he wasn't trying to entertain his audience, nor was he trying to impress them with lofty spiritual concepts. Jesus had a much greater goal in mind. He was presenting the truth and driving his listeners toward a decision. Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll is teaching from Matthew chapter 13. In this passage, we see Jesus with his disciples presenting several different stories and pulling back the curtain on the mysterious subject of the kingdom of heaven. Chuck titled today's message Get It, Got It, Good.

Look at the story. The kingdom of heaven is life. And when I read this, I'm going to think in terms of salvation. When I think of the kingdom, I'm thinking of kingdom life, the kind of life Jesus offered, life abundantly, life that is lived in peacefulness, with the Holy Spirit residing within, and a destiny that is filled with hope. Heaven is our home. In the meantime, we have the joy of touching other lives for good, to encourage them and to equip them with information that can help prepare them for death and for life after death.

Look at the story. The kingdom of heaven, the life of Christ, is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.

What on earth is he doing that for? You see, here we are with a difference of 20 centuries. In the first century, it had been clearly understood. 21st century, you didn't put treasures in the dirt. But back then, they didn't have banks. They didn't have safe places to deposit their valuables.

So they put them under the ground. That was their bank, if you will. It was a place of treasure. Now this man, in this case, stumbles upon something he wasn't looking for. He discovers a hidden treasure that's in the field. He realizes it's valuable so that no one else would come and take it or that he wouldn't lose any part of it.

He buys the whole field, realizing the value of it. You know what that says to me by way of application? There are some of us who weren't looking for an eternal answer to life. And we stumbled across an individual who told us about Christ. Look at the next group.

Verse 45, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant. He's on the lookout for choice per. He's different. He's not stumbling upon it. He's looking for it.

Get it? Some of you have known that kind of salvation experience. You were seeking for peace. You were longing for an answer. There was a hole in your heart that you couldn't fill with anything else. And someone, by the grace of God, made you aware of the good news of Jesus.

And it's changed you completely. But there's yet another part of the story that you need to see. Verse 47, again, the kingdom of heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water, caught fish of every kind.

Look at this. When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down and sorted the good fish into crates and threw the bad ones away. You know what I think of when I read that? I think of when I was a little boy and we would go to this — my granddaddy's — bay cottage, not far from Palacios, down at the Gulf Coast. Between Palacios and Rockport or on into the Matagorda Island area, we had a little — my granddaddy had a little cottage.

And we would fish this little bay, Karankawe Bay, named after an Indian name, Karankawe. And in order to fish, you needed bait. And rather than go to a bait house and buy our bait, we seined for bait. We had a net about as long as — maybe not quite as long as this platform is wide, maybe 20, 15, 20 yards long, a net. On each end is a — looks like a broom handle.

One holds this end and the other holds that. And the bottom of the net has lead sinkers that hold the net against the bottom. And one end of the net you take out into the bay and the other person would stand here and you'd drag the net around as it drags into the shallow waters. Then you'd bring it up on the shoreline.

And it was always fascinating what you'd find. I'm just a kid, you know. I'm not all that excited. I'd rather catch little baby sharks. Now, you don't fish with little baby sharks. So I'd play around with my dad and say, no, no, pick out the shrimp. And I'd grab a crab. He'd say, pick out the shrimp. We're looking for bait. Pick out the shrimp. And then there'd be other things. And he said, it's all tripe.

Just get rid of the other. All we want is bait. All of that came back to me when I read this. But this is not about a bay cottage and a net and a seine. This is about God's sovereign sweep in life where he reaches people of all kinds. At this moment, somewhere in this great world of ours, there are those coming to Christ. They're hearing the gospel message over a radio broadcast or over a televised setting or maybe out of a book they're reading, perhaps from a friend.

But the net swings wide. And as it swings, there are those the Lord catches that may be your story. You might look back and say, you know, as I picture all of this in my mind, I realize the Lord found me. He found me by his grace. He came to my rescue.

And what an incomparable change has happened as a result. And the immeasurable worth of the life that he has brought me. I mean, what else can heal a broken heart or a fractured marriage like Christ? What else can give peace to a depressed soul considering suicide? What else can relieve guilt and remove shame like Christ in his acceptance of us and willingness to forgive us?

What else can release our grip on money or fame or significance or selfishness? Christ, Christ only, he can do that. And he has done that for most of us listening right now.

Each one of us has a story we can tell of how he has found us by his grace. Now, when you get back to the story, it has an uneasy ending to it. Here we are again, 49, where he's throwing the bad ones away, he follows through with that thought. That's the way it will be at the end of the world.

The angels will come, separate the wicked from the righteous, throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. He says it again because it's true. Perhaps the most difficult thought for us to have over a long period of time is a loved one in that setting. Which is why we often say to people, as long as you have breath in your lungs, as long as you are able to hear and to respond, don't wait.

Don't wait. The net is sweeping around and you have this opportunity to be one of his fish, one of his sheep, one of his very own. In fact, Jesus is so concerned about the disciples' understanding. Look at what he says. Do you understand these things? Do you get it? Look at their response. We got it.

Yes, we got it. Good, said Jesus. Then he added, and this is interesting, not so much a parable as a challenge, to those who have begun to grasp his truths. Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like a housemaster literally, who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.

What's that about? Well, allow me. When you gather in a place like this to glean truth, you are equipping your storehouse. You're stacking away the food for the soul, food that's to be used, not kept there.

It'll get old and rancid and rotten, but you store it there so that you might share it like a good disciple of Christ. Why else would we gather time after time, month after month, year after year, at this place we'll call the storehouse, the place where the storeroom, where the housemaster comes to be equipped as a disciple? I don't know if you've thought about this much, but you hear more truth in one Sunday than most here in a lifetime. Think of that. Most would have a hard time filling out a three by five card on the reason Jesus came to earth.

And if they did fill it out, it's doubtful it would square with what scripture teaches because they don't know. That's why you're left. That's why I'm here. In case you wonder what I get excited about, it's not so much about communicating, though I love to do that.

I get excited when I think about what's going to happen as a result. When I say to you, get it, and you respond in your own life, got it, my response is good. Share it.

Take it. You are becoming, if you will, one of those teachers of the truth because you are being equipped in every class you attend or a home class that you go to or one that you may teach. The whole purpose of the gathering is not just to get information, it's to glean it so that you can share it. That's what the disciples are about to do.

That's what made their hearts sing ultimately when he left this earth. I close with a personal story from my own life. I'll take you back to 1959. I was a 24-year-old former Marine, flat top and all, sitting in an office. Across the desk was a man named Dr. Donald Campbell. He was the registrar at Dallas Seminary. Cynthia dressed up in her nicest white suit.

She looked beautiful. I came along hoping she would help my case as I'm there doing this interview with Dr. Campbell and he's looking at me over the top of his glasses and he said, you realize our courses are difficult? And I said, yes sir, I do. Our curriculum is pretty stringent, yes, I understand that. You know, it's a four-year course, yes sir, I realize that. You understand that we take the Bible literally and we go from one course to another teaching theology and church history and the original languages and these are things that you're going to have to learn. You understand that?

Yes I do, yes I do. I got it. He said, you must understand this, it's essential that you have a heart for these things. So would you be fulfilled doing anything else than ministering to people for the rest of your life after you're trained here? And I had never been asked that question. I had a good job waiting for me back in Houston, in fact I was back engaged in it, nice salary and I wasn't sure how to answer so I looked at Cynthia. She looked at me like he asked you the question. You know what he wanted to know?

The passion of my life. He said, we can give you information but we cannot make you excited about it. What you do about it is up to you.

Our job is to teach the truth, what you do with it is your responsibility. We'll look over your tests, we'll talk about the possibility of admitting you. They did later admit me on probation. I am so grateful to have been allowed to come to that school on probation that they didn't talk to my mom and dad about my childhood.

They didn't go into depth with my wife about my habits, my impatience. They risked teaching me that I might have the opportunity for the rest of my life to do my TED Talks for forty-five minutes in length. Because that is my passion and I want that to rub off on you. I want you as a result of being exposed to the truths that have begun to change my life. I want you to reimagine your life and think about it through new eyes, new thoughts, new directions so that you can honestly say I'm not getting this to keep it.

I'm getting this to share it. Cynthia told me the other night just before we went to sleep, she said, I got word today that one of our listeners on Insight for Living was imprisoned and he was in solitary confinement, at a toilet, a bed, a chair, a light bulb, and a tape player. And the chaplain of the prison brought him my tapes, brought him my messages, one after another, and we never had met, never saw each other.

And he's alone in that place of solitary confinement, can't even imagine. And for once, I have a captive audience. So good. And his words were, it's transformed my life. It's changed my life.

Please bow with me. You may be stumbling along through life and suddenly today you kicked over a little rock and found a treasure. You weren't even looking for it. Take it.

Clean it. Or you may have been searching and finally you've come to the place where you see what you've been looking for. And it's the invaluable pearl of greatest price. Or maybe you have to say as you think back, honestly, I can't even describe where I was, but in the sweep of God's sovereign grace he swept me into his family. He chose me. I'm so grateful. If you've got it, share it.

Release it. Let your heart sing with this wonderful message of eternal life. Thank you Father for your faithfulness in my life over these many years. After my years of study and your faithfulness in leading us from one place to another, how faithful you have been, how grateful I am, and how long that you will take the truths that you give me so that others can grasp them and share them becoming good disciples of yours. Hear our hearts sing today our Father as we tell you thank you for finding us when most weren't even looking by your grace saving us. How grateful we are in the name of Jesus. We pray.

Everybody set? Amen. We never know how God will use these daily programs to speak to you, but we're confident that he'll use his word to guide you and direct you when you allow the seed to fall on fertile soil. You're listening to the Bible teaching of Chuck Swindoll, and he's in the studio to share a closing comment, so please stay with us. And if you'd like to learn more about this ministry, please visit us online at insightworld.org.

And then let me point you to one of the most helpful resources offered by Insight for Living. Nothing will accelerate your ability to understand important issues like the kingdom of heaven and discern the wicked from the righteous more than spending time in God's Word. As we pour over the Bible in our quiet times with the Lord, the Spirit of God is able to penetrate our hearts and minds with discernment. Well, you likely own a favorite Bible for this purpose, but you may not have one that includes insightful commentary from Chuck Swindoll. The Swindoll Study Bible represents decades of personal study by Chuck, preparing for sermons and writing books. And it's all contained in this helpful study tool that belongs in your personal library.

To discover the different options available to you and to purchase a copy of the Swindoll Study Bible, simply go online to insight.org slash offer. Well, Chuck, one of the positive outcomes of this radio program has to do with the instant response we receive from people who hear Insight for Living. Their comments affirm that God is working even beyond our expectations during this season of uncertainty.

That's right, Dave. God uses the feedback from our listening audience to remind me that His Word is alive and powerful. In fact, as the writer of Hebrews put it, the Word of God is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit.

Think of that. As an example, I was so touched when I recently read the encouraging words from one of our listeners who found his rest in Christ after an agonizing year in 2020. Listen to what he wrote, Chuck, I can't tell you how much your messages have helped me through the storms I have been through, starting in September with the passing of my sister, then my stepdaughter in November, then with the passing of my wife in December. Jesus used your messages to comfort me and love me and give me a peace that words cannot explain.

Thank you. Clearly the Spirit of God has penetrated that man's heart, providing deep and healing soul care during a painful season of loss all in one year. For that reason, I come to you with a bold request and without apology to help us continue touching lives in this way. You see, when you give a generous donation by the 30th of June, you're enabling Insight for Living Ministries to teach the Word of God without barriers, allowing the Spirit of God to perform spiritual surgery with divine precision. I can assure you that your investment in this nonprofit ministry is yielding fruit. God's Word is alive and powerful.

People are responding daily, and I mean that literally. I am more energized today than ever before to pursue sharing the good news in all 195 countries of our world. Now here's our contact information, and I look forward to receiving your donation today or certainly by the deadline of June the 30th.

And in advance, let me say thank you so much. And to respond to Chuck right now, give us a phone call. If you're listening in the U.S., dial 1-800-772-8888. That phone number one more time is 1-800-772-8888. Or give a contribution online today when you go to Insight.org. Join us again when Chuck Swendall describes the surprising reception Jesus received from his hometown. Listen Thursday to Insight for Living. The preceding message, Get It, Got It, Good, was copyrighted in 2016 and 2021, and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R. Swendall, Inc. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.