The Great Invitation and The Kingdom Reward
Jesus shares the significance of what He is bringing to us—the Kingdom of Heaven.
“The Kingdom of Heaven 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. “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!”
Matthew 13:44-46, NLT
Reflection
The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure found and the finest of pearls. A treasure worthy of selling all of our resources to obtain, we should pay attention to.
These examples are stated in extreme terms. What kind of treasure or great pearl would have enough value for me to sell off all of my resources to obtain it?
Imagine me saying to Bev, “I found some treasure, and we are going to sell our house and cars, drain our savings, and empty our investment accounts to get this treasure!”
Yet, this is precisely Jesus’ point. He illustrates it with material things, such as treasure, pearls, money, businesses, and land.
The Kingdom of Heaven is now found on earth through Jesus Christ, the living Son of God. The life he is offering is of the most incredible value and is worth pursuing at any cost.
Encouragement
The greatest thing anyone can do is to focus their life on believing in Christ. Ready to believe and follow Him with everything they have.
Nothing of greater value has ever been or will be offered to us. Christ invites us into – nothing less than the Kingdom of God.
- Through Christ, we become qualified for the Kingdom. Our sins are forgiven, righteousness restored, and permission to be with God forever.
- Through Christ, the Holy Spirit is with us every day as we are transformed into Christ’s ways. It is our submission, surrender, and obedience to Him and His ways, which are communicated in Scripture.
- Through Christ, we live to bless others by being a faithful presence. We share this great invitation with others, offering truth, encouragement, healing, resurrection, and hope to anyone we have the opportunity to share it with.
It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. There is no greater way to live. The Kingdom of Heaven is worth all of us and everything we have. Here is a little secret: Jesus is offering all of this to us for free. And the follow-up to that secret is once we receive this new life in Christ. Our strong desire is to focus all that we are and to ensure that the great invitation of the Kingdom of Heaven is available to everyone within our reach and influence.
Yes, worth everything!
Prayer
Dear Jesus,
Following you is worth everything! Thank you for inviting us into the Kingdom. We know the Holy Spirit is with us. We know he is helping us to grow into the fullness of what you are freely offering to us.
Our acceptance of your generous invitation is by faith and belief in you, the living Son of God.
Help us focus on all that we are and what we have for your purposes. Let us be a blessing to many, sharing your great invitation with them.
In your name, Jesus, we pray,
Amen
Ed McDowell is the CEO of Warm Beach Camp Ministries. He also coaches and consults on board leadership and development, bringing fresh perspectives to complex situations. Ed authorizes a devotional series titled A Well-Planted Faith in an Uprooted Culture. His writing and speaking aim to challenge people to let God’s Word inform their lives. Ed and his wife, Bev, live on Camano Island, Washington, where they live out their mission statement: “to give our lives away for the cause of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible.”
Seeking First the Kingdom of God And His Righteousness
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