Get It? Got It? Good!, Part 3

Why did Jesus tell stories today from Chuck Swindoll. You gather in a place like this to glean you are equipping your store you're stacking the way the food for the soul food just to be used, but There are stories there so that you might share it like a good disciple of Christ 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 trucks went all this teaching from Matthew chapter 13 in this passage we see Jesus with his disciples presenting several different stories pulling back the curtain on the mysterious subject of the kingdom of heaven check title. Today's message get it. Got it good story. The kingdom of heaven is like what I read this I'm going to think in terms of salvation while think of the kingdom. I'm thinking of kingdom life, the kind of life Jesus offer life abundantly. Life lived 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 could help prepare them for dinner and for life after death.

Look at the story. The kingdom of heaven. Salvation the life of Christ is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field in his excitement he hit 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 and clearly understood 21st-century unit put treasures in the dirt. But back then they didn't have banks that 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 tracer man in this case stumbles upon something he wasn't looking for. He discovers a hidden treasure that's in the field he realized that this viable so that no one else would come and take her that he would lose any part of it buys the whole field realizing the value 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.

The next verse 45. The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant. He's on the lookout for choice per these different he's not stumbling upon it. He's looking for get it. Some of you have known the kind of salvation experience you are seeking for peace.

You were longing for an answer.

There was a hole in your heart you could fill with anything else, someone for the grace of God made you aware of the good news of Jesus and is change completely.

But there is 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 on him to the shore set down and sorted the good patient into crates and through the bad ones way. 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 clashes down at the Gulf Coast between flashes and Rockport on into Matagorda Island area. We had a little but rented a little clotting. We would we would fish this little Bay Rockaway Bay, named after Indian name: an nor the face you needed bait and directly go to the bay house and by our bait. We sing for me that about his longest maybe not quite as long as this platform is wide maybe 2015 and 20 yards long net on each end is is is like a broom handle, one holds the sand and the other was that in the bottom of and that has led sinkers that hold that against the bottom and one that you take out into the bay in the other person would stand here and you drag that around as it drags into the shallow waters then you'd bring it up on the shoreline and it was always fascinated would you'd find it I just kidding you know I I'm not all that excited for the casual baby sharks you don't fish with little baby sharks I'd play around and that's a no-no. Pick out the shrimp and I grab a crab you'd say pick out the shrimp were looking for me pick out the shrimp in Libya, Belize, and it's all trying to just get rid of the other, all we want is the team back to me when a read but this is not about a be caught each of the net was seen. This is about God's sovereign suite in life, for he reaches people of all time. At this moment.

Somewhere in this great world of ours. There are those coming to Christ there hearing the gospel message. Overall over radio broadcasts or overrode a televised city or maybe out of a book you're reading, perhaps from a friend at the net swings. Why is it swings. There are those Lord catches that maybe your story, you might look back and say you know it's not 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, in the immeasurable worth of the life that he has brought me. What else can heal a broken heart or fractured marriage like Christ 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 significant 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 is found us by his great I would you get back to the story. It hasn't uneasy ending to here we are again.

49 for. He's throwing the bad ones away follow 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 for there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. He says it again because it's true. Perhaps the most difficult fought 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 respond. Don't wait. Don't wait.

The net is sweeping around and you have this opportunity to be one of each fish. One of his sheet. One of his very own Jesus is so concerned about the disciples understanding look at what he says do you understand these things do you get it to the response we got this we got said Jesus. Then he added, 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 becomes a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like a housemaster literally brings from his storeroom new gyms of truth as well as old set will allow me when you gather in a place like this to glean truth you are equipping your storehouse your stacking the way the food for the soul food that's to be used, but There will get old and rancid, rotten but your story 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 will called the storehouse the place for the storeroom where the housemaster COM's to be equipped as a disciple. I don't know if you thought about this much but you hear more truth in one Sunday and most here in a lifetime.

Think most would have a hard time filling out a 3 x 5 card on the reason Jesus came to earth, and if they did fill it out, it's doubtful he would square with what Scripture teaches because they don't know that's what you're left.

That's why I'm here. In case you wonder what I get excited about its not so much about communicating though I love to do that. I get excited when I think about what's gonna happen as a result, when I see you and you respond in your own life got my response is good sharing taking you are becoming.

If you will one of those teachers of the troop because you are being equipped in every class you attend our home class that you go to work one that you may teach the whole purpose of the gathering is not just to get information is to glean it so that you can share it. That's what the disciples were about to do. That's what made their hearts sing. Ultimately, when he left this I like to close with a personal story from my own life. I take you back to 1959 I was a 24-year-old former Marine flattop 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 beautiful and I came along, hoping she would help my case is on their doing this interview with Dr. Campbell and he's looking at me over the top of his glass said you realize our courses are difficult and I said yes sir, I do. Our curriculum is pretty stringent yes understand that notes for your course. Yes or a realize you understand that we take the Bible literally and we go from one course to another teaching theology and church history in the original languages and these are things that you 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 then ministering to people for the rest your life. If you're trained here and I've never been asked that question about a good job waiting for me back in Houston. In fact, I was back engaged in nice salary and I would try to answer so I looked at Cynthia. She to me like he ask you a question. You know what you want to know the passion of my life.

He said we can give you information that 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 will look over your tests will look at will talk about the possibility of admitting you they did later admit be on probation.

I'm 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, the risk teaching me that I might have the opportunity for the rest of my life to do my Ted talks for 45 minutes in length, because that 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 you directions so that you can honestly say I'm not getting this to keep on getting this to show Cynthia told me the other night just before went to sleep. She said I got word today that one of our listeners on Insight for living was imprisoned and he he was in solitary confinement had a toilet bed chair lightbulb and a tape player and the and the.

The chaplain of the prison brought him my tapes brought him my messages. One afternoon, we never admit never saw each other and he is alone in that place of solitary confinement can even imagine. And for once I have a captive audience so good in his words were it's transformed my life. It's changed my life. Please spell with me. Maybe something along through life and suddenly the day you kicked over little rock and found a treasure. You weren't even looking for. Take it claimant you may have been searching and finally you come to the place where you see what you've been looking for and is the invaluable parole of greatest price. Or maybe you you have to say is you think back. Honestly, I don't. I can't even describe what I was, but in this sweep of God's sovereign grace. He swept me into his family. He chose me. I'm so grateful if you got it, share it, releasing 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 in your faithfulness in leading us from one place to another. How faithful you have bad grateful I am to have all along that you will take the truths that you give me so that others harass share the coming disciple here. Our hearts sing today. Our father as we tell you thank you for finding us motion by your grace, seeking agreement in the name of Jesus praying.

Everybody said a we never know how God will 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 is in the studio is your closing comments.

Please stay with us at if you'd like to learn more about this ministry.

Please visit us online@insightworld.org and I 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 are quiet times with the Lord, the spirit of God is able to penetrate our hearts and minds with discernment.

Well you like Leona favorite Bible for this purpose.

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/offer was up one of the positive outcomes of this radio program has to do with the instant response we received 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 edge sword, cutting between soul and spirit. Think of it as an example I was so touched when I recently read The Encouraging Word's 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 and help 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 piece 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 seasonal loss all in one year. For that reason, I come to you with a bold request and without apology to help us continue touching the lives in this way, you see, when you give a generous donation by 30 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 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 that here's her contact information and I look forward to receiving your donation today or shortly by the deadline of June 30, and in advance. Let me say thank you so much. Respond to Chuck right now. It was a phone call listening in the US, 1-800-772-8880 phone number one more time is one 800-7788 88 or give a contribution online today when you go to insight.or, again, Swindoll describes the surprising reception in town. Listen Thursday to Insight for living.

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