Through His sacrificial and atoning death on the cross, Jesus Christ set sinful man free from the bondage of sin and its' liability of death, and bestowed on us "everlasting happiness."  Jesus welcomed us through the gate of salvation and then set us free to enjoy the fullness and abundance of His rich pastures.  His goodness knows no end.  We are eternally blessed beyond anything we could ever hope or imagine.  "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Corinthians 2:9).

In Christ we have the promise of both eternal security and present safety and subsidy.  What comfort and assurance that should bring to all His children as we live in this present age of evil opposition and uncertainty. "No longer will violence be heard in your land, or ruins or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise" (Isaiah 60:18).  When we entered His gate, through the body of our "Yeshuah" ("salvation"), we entered into a life of victory and freedom.  Jesus is our defense, our security, our peace, and our provision; with Him we need not be afraid, or be in want of any need.  He has led us to an abundant and fruitful land where His living water continuously flows.  All we need to do is feed on the green pastures of spiritual food He has provided us in His Word and drink deeply from His infinite supply of living water, and we will never be in want of anything. 

This morning let us offer up a song of praise to our wondrous Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the priceless gift of salvation He has given us.  "Surely this is our God; we trusted in Him, and He saved us.  This is the LORD, we trusted in Him; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation" (Isaiah 25:9).  May we also offer up a prayer of confession for those times we have failed to trust Him to be the total source of our provision, but have by carelessness and neglect of His Word been tempted away by "greener" pastures that proved to be nothing more than artificial turf which did not satisfy.  "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.  The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.  With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation" (Isaiah 12:2). Today, let us offer a prayer of gratitude to our faithful Shepherd who has led us through the only gate that can deliver us out of the bondage of sin and into a life of freedom and abundance; may we follow after Him with great delight and feast daily in His fruitful pastures, and pray fervently for the entire flock to come back into the fold to feed on the fertile fields of His goodness and grace.  "I will listen to what God the LORD will say; He promises peace to His people, His saints - but let them not return to folly.  Surely His salvation is near those who fear Him that His glory may dwell in our land" (Psalm 85:8).

Heavenly Father,

"I trust in Your unfailing love;

my heart rejoices in Your salvation.

I will sing to the LORD,

for He has been good to me."

(Psalm 13:5-6)

"My soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in His salvation.

My whole being will exclaim, 'Who is like You, O LORD?

You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,

the poor and needy from those who rob them."

(Psalm 35:9-10)

"You, O God, are my king from of old;

You bring salvation upon the earth."

(Psalm 74:12) 

"Salvation belongs to our God,

who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."

(Revelation 7:10)

"...to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God,

be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."

(1 Timothy 1:17)

In the Mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

In offering the priceless treasure of His One and Only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our heavenly Father showed humanity our great worth to Him as the crowning glory His creation (reference Genesis 1:26a).  There is no greater treasure on earth than to know Jesus Christ.  The narrow gate leads into an expansive field which is rich with the knowledge of Jesus.  The Bible is the field and Christ is the food believers feed on.  It is here that we are nourished and find satisfaction for our souls.  The longer we linger, and the more we graze, the further we discover that Christ is indeed our joy and delight. When this appetite for righteousness is developed we are willing to surrender all for the privilege of feasting in His presence. "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him..." (Philippians 3:8).

Beloved, does the value of knowing Christ surpass everything in our lives?  Is He truly All in All? What in this world are we chasing after that could ever compare to the matchless worth of Jesus Christ? Jesus is the Pearl of great price.  He suffered and died so we could be spiritually rich.  Sadly, many believers live in spiritual poverty because they neglect the green pastures of God's Word to feed on the dry weeds of the world.  We have been given the Word of God to reveal to us the "unsearchable riches of Christ" (Ephesians 3:8b), and the gift of the Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth that we may "attain to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:1b-3); which include the riches of His "goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering" (Romans 2:4b).  The wise merchant in today's parable had been diligently seeking that one pearl of priceless worth, and he found exactly what he had been searching for.  "When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it" (Mathew 13:46).  May we be found as diligent in our search that we may become so rich as to know Christ and Him crucified. We will not be disappointed for  "...He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6b). 

This afternoon, let us take time to confess our lack of seeking after God.  We are seeking and striving after so many other things.  Our lives are very full and distracted, and although they may be full of good things or worthy pursuits, they are not always filled with the best that God has for us.  We pray so often for our needs and the needs of those we love, but we spend so little time in prayer earnestly desiring to know God and asking Him to share His heart with us.  May we be like the man in the parable of the hidden treasure and realize what we have found in Christ, and be willing to give up all claims to this earth and our lives for the joy of knowing Him; and may we also be like the merchant who diligently searched out that priceless pearl and realizing its great worth he sold everything to have it.  To be spiritually rich in Christ Jesus will cost us our lives in this world, but it will be worth every sacrifice and suffering.  Priceless pearls are made by much tribulation - the trials of this life which we endure will only serve to make Jesus more illustrious in this world.  Let us make His name glorious in our seeking and our suffering.  He is worthy of it all!