The Parables of Christ no. 12

The Hidden Treasure

December 27, 2003

Rev. Brian Kocourek

 

Now, this Evening we will continue in our study of the parables, and today and remember the purpose of our studying these parables is to show you how they are tied to the end-time Presence of Christ and the setting up of  the Kingdom of God in this hour. Tonight we will study the hidden treasure spoken of in Matthew 13:44.

 

Matthew 13:44  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

 

Let’s bow our heads in prayer. Dear gracious Father, we approach thee tonight with reverence and Godly fear knowing that you are the Sovereign God, and take counsel from no man. And yet Lord, we also approach you as our Father knowing that you have come to gather your own in this hour by the Shout which you brought forth called The Message. Therefore, Father we reverently approach thy Throne of mercy this evening knowing that the blood of Your Son Jesus is still on the mercy seat, and will be until He comes forth from the Throne of God to meet us in the air at what we call the second Coming.  And knowing that He can not come forth until that last one is in and child trained, we can boldly approach thy Throne of Mercy. This evening and know that there is still pardon for our sins.

 

Father we understand according to Your Word, that you have come to us in this hour in the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of yourself. Therefore, Father,  we ask that you grant to us this evening, a portion of Your great wisdom that we might know Your Word, and how to apply it in this hour that we are living. For we ask this in that blessed name you gave your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Now, we are looking at this parable that has been read by billions of people over the course of the last two thousand years, and have not known or understood it in the light of the hour in which they lived. But we can read it this evening with the assurance that we are viewing it through a perfect filter, a complete filter. Because the filter of the entire Book has become open to us, and we thus are able to view all things with a perfect understanding because we are viewing al things through that perfect and complete filter of the Word of God.

 

The entire Book lays open to us this evening and as Luke said, It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order that thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.

 

And so we approach this parable knowing that God Himself has spoken to us through His Vindicated Prophet in this hour and has given us this great assurance because he told us in the message SHALOM  64-0119  222   all the new Testament speaks of this hour.

 

Therefore, knowing this is a true statement, because it came from one who was vindicated by God’s very presence Himself. Therefore, we must come boldly to the throne of mercy with our hearts in full assurance knowing that we shall surely receive this great treasure that this parable has spoken to us by the Son of God.

 

Now the parable we are studying tonight we find a man that has stumbled across a hidden treasure in a field and what we want to see is what this man does with that treasure. Notice he does not at first tell anyone about it, but places that treasure back where he found it, until he has the opportunity to buy it for himself. So we are looking at the Kingdom of God being compared to hidden treasure. That is what this parable is all about. And not only that but the attitude of the one that finds it.

 

Therefore before we go any further we must ask ourselves what is so valuable that we might sell all that we have inorder to obtain it. Because when we have an understanding of the treausre itself, then we might be able to understand why the man was willing to exchange everything he had for that treasure.  Jesus told us that where our treasure is there our heart will be also.

 

MATTHEW 6:19  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single (if therefore your focus is single), thy whole body shall be full of light (or revelation). 23 But if thine eye be evil, (now, remember, The Apostle John told us in 1 John 3 what evil is. It is doctrine that is out of season, and if thy focus is on doctrine that is out of season) thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great [is] that darkness!

 

Therefore I ask you tonight, what is the most valuable thing you know of today? Is it your home, or your car, or your job, or your family?  Jesus told us where our treasure is there we will find our heart also.  Now, if you value your car the most that is where your heart will be and that is where your time will be spent. If you value your job the most that is where your heart will be and that is where your time will be spent. And what if the most precious thing to you is your family? Then that is where your heart is and that is where your time will be spent. But how do you know just how valuable your family is to you? If you value it above everything else, you will not want to loose it. Then you will want to possess it for all eternity.

 

MATTHEW 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

 

MATTHEW 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go [and] sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come [and] follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. 23 ¶  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 25 When his disciples heard [it], they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? 26 But Jesus beheld [them], and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. 27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?  28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. 30 But many [that are] first shall be last; and the last [shall be] first

 

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS  61-1015M   687-211    What would mama do now? Now, maybe she'd had good intentions all of her life, that "Someday I'm going to be a Christian." But how could she be now when she's laying there unconscious? How could she become a Christian now? What would her children do? The other day when we taken her out there to give her glucose out there... That's the only thing she's has in her body is glucose. She can't swallow; she's paralyzed. And she said, "This one thing I want you to know, Billy," She talked about me and Deloris standing there, and about her children and things, and a couple of my brothers drinking. And I said, "Well, they broke your heart." She said, "But, Billy, that all goes in the wheel for a mother." She said, "But I'm saved." And she said, "I'm ready to go." I said, "Mama, you might've left us a home that reached all the way from Jeffersonville to Utica, a palace; you might've left us ten million dollars to fuss and fight over after you were gone (That's all that would happen to it.); but, mama, you leave us the greatest treasure that anybody could leave, the assurance that we'll see you again in that land beyond the river." That's right. See?

 

HEBREWS 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26    Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.

 

TIME OF DECISION  59-0418   E-56 Eternal Life, the greatest treasure that could be given. Meaning by this, that to accept the message they would never perish, but would have Eternal Life forever. For our Lord said, "He that heareth My Word and believeth on Him that sent Me has Eternal Life, and these signs shall follow them that believe."

 

ABSOLUTE AN  63-0127 E-43 We want to live. Life is the greatest treasure that man can have. And now, we've got to find what is life. And He said, "My Word is Life." That's the Life that you should have: the Word living in you. Now, watch.

 

COLOSSIANS 2:1   For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and [for] them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; 2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; 3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

 

MATTHEW 13:51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. 52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe [which is] instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man [that is] an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure [things] new and old. 53    And it came to pass, [that] when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence. 54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this [man] this wisdom, and [these] mighty works? 55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this [man] all these things? 57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. 58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

 

INFLUENCE 63-0112 E-37 I cannot tell you what your dream is till I see it over again, and then He tells me. Then I can say the Lord told me. Until then, I don't know. I don't want to take my own influence and my own opinions. I can't say "THUS SAITH THE LORD," because that's me thinking it. That's the best of my opinion. We must be sincere, because we've got the greatest thing in the world. The greatest treasure of heaven is Christ among us. Why do we want a substitute of some little influence to try to make ourselves somebody big, among somebody here? Why not be a humble servant to Christ?

 

II CORINTHIANS 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

 

HEAR YE HIM 57-0519A If there's any here that is ashamed to stand because of their associates, because of their affiliations and yet You spoke in their heart, let them know that they have lost the greatest treasure that could ever be given them. For God has clearly said; Jesus said Himself, "No man can come to Me except My Father draws him. And all that the Father has given Me, will come to Me."

 

PROVERBS 2:1  My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; 2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, [and] apply thine heart to understanding; 3    Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, [and] liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as [for] hid treasures; 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth [cometh] knowledge and understanding. 7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: [he is] a buckler to them that walk uprightly. 8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. 9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; [yea], every good path. 10 ¶  When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; 11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: 12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil [man], from the man that speaketh froward things; 13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

 

Matthew 13:44  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid (kept secret) in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth (Keepeth it secret), and for joy thereof goeth and selleth (barter in other words, we revalues everything he has and considers that value less than the treasure that he desires to obtain) all that he hath, and buyeth (redeem) that field.

 

Some time back I had a dream that I believe was from God. It was about searching for the greatest treasure on earth. In the dream there was an elder brother to my left that I believe was Brother Vayle. I did not se his face but I knew by his presence it was him. In the dream,  we were walking in a very desolate place in search of the greatest treasure on earth. We were dressed in kaki colored clothing and we were walking in a very arid land, very dry. As we  coming over a small hill that very arid but with some plant life on it, suddenly we were attacked by a man dressed like a desert nomadwielding a long curved sword. As he tried to strike at us, I just grabbed him by the long sleeves on his tunic and through him behind us. We continued forward and down the small hill and came upon a foundation of a building that was 20 feet by 20 feet in dimension. There was an opening on the right side a few feet from the end. We walked through that opening and I said to brother Vayle, the directions say we must proceed 20 paces from this entrance but do we go across the room to the other side and turn left and follow the wall or do we go through that door across from this one. You see there was an opening on the opposite wall. He said, I believe we should go straight, and so we did and as soon as we walked through the second door, we were outside again and began down a slight sloped hill. There we could see another foundation that stood about 18 inches high and was 12 feet by 12 feet square. As we finished the 20 paces from that first door it led us right up to this foundation, and as I looked down where the sandy soil met the stone foundation, I noticed a hole in the ground that went under the foundation. I then got down on my hands and knees and bent down to look through that hole and when I put my head down into that hole to see what was in there, I saw a small room with a light over a table, and around the tabel sat a family with young children reading from a book with much interest. When I looked to my left I saw a bookshelf with the Red Volume Message Books of William Branham’s sermons on every shelf, and something spoke to me and said this is the greatest treasure in the earth and then I woke from my sleep.