…in his JOY he goes and sells all that he has…

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up.  Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Mt 13:44

Last week was my Seattle church’s young adult retreat.  And guess who our speaker was: Paul Kim.  That’s right, Renewal’s Paul Kim!  Haha, small world, eh?  I haven’t heard Pastor Paul speak in a while, so it was great to hear him preach.  Even the sermons I’ve heard before (“you’re more sinful that you realize and more loved than you can ever imagine” – remember this one?) were a great reminder of the Gospel.

The message on Sunday morning was particularly blessing for me – and not just because it was a sermon I’ve never heard before.

The basic premise was how God is worth everything.  And not only is He worth giving up everything, but we can give up everything with joy.  This is a real challenge to me, because it’s hard enough to commit to giving myself up to God.  I admit, it’s not a decision made with tons of joy but with fear and resignation and hesitancy.

Which seems sorta reasonable.  When I think of how Jesus told us to “take up your cross” and lose your life and you will be persecuted, it kind of makes me think of all the ways I’m going to be made very UNhappy.  But I do still want to give my life up.  So my pledge of commitment comes with gritted teeth and scrunched up eyes as I show all the joyful anticipation of a 5-year-old getting spanked.

This sermon was an excellent reminder of how our commitment and sacrifice to God comes with joy.  The guy in the verse doesn’t in his “misery go and sell all” – he goes in his joy.  In gospel-typical backwards fashion (b/c nothing about the gospel ever seems to make sense by our standards), sacrifice brings happiness and praise.    I pray that I would really come to believe and live this – because I don’t quite yet.  And then, when God calls me to give up my life, I can do it not with my fists clenched at my sides but with hands lifted up in praise.

I’ll post a link to the sermon recording if my church in Seattle puts it online.