The Pearl Beyond The Gates Outline
Main Text: Matthew 13:44-46
Main Point:
Jesus Christ is the Greatest Reward in this Life and the Next
Platt: "We come to Christ because He offers great reward; He is the great reward" (p.183)
Application 1: Entering the Kingdom
- Our Salvation Experiences May Be Different, But Our Salvation Stories Are The Same
Some are "seekers" (Ethiopian Eunuch) some stumble upon Jesus (Paul). But no matter the circumstances surrounding our salvation, we all were once dead in sin and made alive through Christ. No one truly seeks God unless God draws him or her (John 6:44). We all came to a point where we had to be willing to give up everything for the Treasure.
Piper: “You are converted to Christ when Christ becomes for you a treasure chest of holy joy.”
Application 2: Living for the Kingdom
- Jesus Is The King Of The Kingdom
What is the "kingdom"?
Platt: "The kingdom of heaven is the redemptive rule and reign over all things in Christ."
"The fundamental word is “rule” or “reign,” because when we talk about the kingdom, we are talking about the authority and sovereignty of God as King. Now I put “redemptive” before that because God has authority and sovereignty over everything in all the universe. So in that sense, you could say that the kingdom of heaven is everything in the world, because God has rule and reign over everything in the world. And Scripture obviously teaches that, but that’s not the primary way that this phrase “kingdom of heaven” is used.Instead, this phrase is used to describe how God is asserting His authority in the redemption of sinners through Christ, through the promised Messiah."
The most important aspect of this definition is the phrase "in Christ" or "through Christ." While it may seem as though Jesus' reference to the Kingdom of heaven is something outside of Himself, it's not. Jesus is the embodiment of the Kingdom of heaven. He is the very image of God, and He is the image of the invisible rule and reign that God has over the Kingdom of heaven and beyond. If Jesus was not the source of the Kingdom of heaven, then it would not be worth anything.
The kingdom is priceless only because Jesus is priceless.
John1:14,18
Colossians 1:15-16
All things are created through Jesus and for Jesus, included the kingdom of heaven. Jesus has rescued people who were living in obedience to God, so that they could be people who worship God with their lives.
- The Eternal Reward Is Priceless Because Jesus Is The Reward
It's very easy to get caught up in the idea of the kingdom that we miss the King. The way we view heaven directly affects how we live our lives here on earth. For too long we've viewed eternity as though we are bringing earth to heaven. That we get to live out our American dream forever in our mansion on the streets of gold passed the pearly gates. That we get to experience a big family reunion with those we lived with on earth. But if we see Heaven as only those things we miss that heaven is great not because of the mansion we probably wont have, and not because of the streets of gold and not because some of our family will be there. The kingdom of heaven is priceless because Jesus Christ is seated on His throne and the fullness of His presence fills the entirety of heaven. Heaven is worth my life because Jesus is there. As we realize that, we will live our lives here not to satisfy our earthly desires but to bring heaven down here.
So, when we get to heaven, we won't even notice the pearly gates because we desire to see the one Pearl beyond the gates, and His name is Jesus.
So I will ask the question. What is the reward? The kingdom or the King? The answer: Both. But please don't miss this. If heaven was only Jesus, that would be worth giving up everything for. If heaven was everything but Jesus, it would not. If heaven was just the mansions, just the streets of gold, just family members, then it would not be worth your life here on earth.Jesus told us to give up "our best life now" to have our best life for eternity.Jesus told us we should be willing to go without a home and to forsake our families, if necessary. Why then would the best thing about heaven be what we gave up on earth? We should be willing to give up those things because Jesus is better. So we need to live each day as though we want to be in Jesus presence forever.
Psalm16:11
"While I'm waiting, I'm not waiting. I know Heaven lives in me." As It Is (In Heaven) – Hillsong Worship
The presence of Christ lives within every believer, so that while we wait for the day when we see Jesus face to face and experience the fullness of His presence, we don’t have to wait because His presence is in us.
Colossians 3:1-4
When we begin to see Jesus as the goal of heaven, we will live out our lives building His kingdom here because we can point people to the greatness and majesty of our King! Because Jesus is the greatest reward in this life and the next.