Dorothy Conference: 1988, Laying up Treasures (6:19)
Address—G.H. Hayhoe
Matthew chapter 13. Matthew chapter 13, and the 44th verse 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 buyeth that field. Then in Second Corinthians chapter 4, verse 7, verse 6, For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the Excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us who are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. We are perplexed, but not in despair. Persecuted but not forsaken, cast down but not destroyed, always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. And we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. And last of all, in Matthew chapter 6. Matthew chapter 6 and verse 19. Lay that up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves breakthrough and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, For neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and for thieves do not breakthrough nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. I'm sure you have noticed in these three scriptures we have a little word about treasures. In the first one we have a picture. Of the Lord, and there was a treasure hid in the field and he was seeking. He bought that field in order that he might have that treasure. I believe it's what He has in His people, the treasure that He has found in His people. He was willing to sell everything for that. In the second one, we have a treasure in earthen vessels. He's put a treasure in us and that is the new life that has been given to us. And the Holy Spirit of God, who indwells us so that we might be able to go through a world. Like this. And then last of all, there's something that speaks to our hearts. Where is our treasure? We know that He. Spoke of us as a treasure that was worth selling all that he had to have. We think of what he has given to us and how richly we've been blessed. And then we think of how much our lives respond to this. That sometimes been said, we can have as much of Christ as we want. Our lives show how much we want. And so in this one that we looked at in Matthew 13, I'm sure we're all acquainted with these similitudes of the Kingdom of heaven. I believe the Kingdom of heaven, just to say briefly, in a general sense refers to what is known as the Christian world professing Christendom. And in this chapter, the Lord was telling about what character things would take during His absence. I believe He gave a little outline of how things would go on in the sphere of profession in this world. While He was away. And so we find these different things. But when we come to the passage that we read here in the 44th verse, the Lord had gone into the house and now He's speaking specially to His disciples. The others were spoken more publicly. But here He goes into the house and then He speaks about the treasure hid in a field. I believe this refers to His people here in this world. Isn't it a marvelous thing? When we think of ourselves and what poor, failing things we are, at very best a little, we have responded to His love. How marvelous that He should speak of us as a treasure. When we think of a treasure, we always think of something that's specially valuable, something that means a great deal to us. But brethren, isn't as true about the Lord Jesus, we'll never fully realize what we mean to Him. I think of that lovely verse in the 53rd chapter of Isaiah. He shall see. Of the trival of His soul, and shall be satisfied. Doesn't that sound wonderful to you when you read it? As we look at ourselves, we think of how far short we have come in responding to His love. But what we think that He's going to view that whole vast company up there in the glory, and He's going to see each one there. There's not one that He will say. I'm sorry I brought that one here. No, everyone you'll see of the travail of his soul. And shall be satisfied. His heart will be eternally satisfied. He wants us to be satisfied too. But remember that verse. I shall be satisfied when I awake with Thy likeness. But this seems to me overwhelming when we stop to think of it. That He could speak of His own as treasure. And we know here, we're told in this chapter that the field is the world. We think of this world, how far it had departed from God. How far.
It had gone and it's. Giving up of God at last of all, God had sent his Son. But then we find that the Lord bought the field. We know that He had a Creator's right. Perhaps you remember in the 4th and 5th of Revelation we have His two claims to this world celebrated by the redeemed in heaven. The first one is, thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they were, are, and were created. And then in the 5th chapter we have redemptions, right? And there is the whole company of the redeemed up there around the throne in. Glory and they're singing, Thou art worthy, for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. That is His right as Redeemer. So he had a right to this world as Creator. But into that fair garden we know how Satan came and got the ear of man, and they turned away. They shut out the Creator, so to speak, from their thoughts and from their lives. And yet the Lord loved His own so much that he saw in all his corruption and ruin that we see in the world those who are precious and dear to him, those He considered that it was worthwhile that He should give himself, as we often sing Himself, He gave our poor hearts to win. Was ever love Lord like thine from the paths of folly and shame and sin? And fill them with joy as divine. And what? Marvelous expression as is, He sold all that He had there. He was up there in that glory above, forever the delight of his Father. But there was a necessity if he was going to have his own. There was a price to be paid. And how much must He give up? When we think of doing something, we say, well, how much do I have to give up for this? Well, the Lord gave up everything. He left the Father's glory and came down into this world a homeless stranger. The only person who could choose where he would be born, he was born in a Manger, the only person who could choose where he'd be brought up. And he was brought up in a community that apparently had a poor reputation, for he remembered, Nathanael said. Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Oh, how marvelous. Then in this pathway here foxes have holes and the birds of the air hath have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head. As the little song says, to only a cross did they give to our Lord only a borrowed tomb. Just think of what he gave up. And that makes a response in our hearts, doesn't it? Somebody gave up a great deal for us. Somebody did something that really cost them a great deal. We appreciate it in proportion to what we see behind it and the love and the sacrifice they made in order to do it for us. And so if you and I would only realize. What it meant that the Lord Jesus sold all that he had and bought this world, He has now a Redeemer's right over it, but he has a company, and though that company have been washed in his blood, and they'll surround the throne and sing, Thou art worthy, for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. And so I say again, isn't this? That he's going to be satisfied. Another thing that I've enjoyed, especially of late is that the Lord calls us friends. We sing the little song, what a friend we have in Jesus. And that is wonderful that I can say that I have a friend in the Lord Jesus. But isn't it much more that he should say, well, I have a friend in you. He said, Abraham, my friend. And why does he say that He said All things that I have heard of my father have made known unto you? Yes, He's told us what's going on. You pick up the Daily News and they're concerned about things that are going on in this world. And the Lord says, but I have told you everything. You're not surprised by things that happen because I've set out the whole panorama of what's going to happen and you can just look on as an observer because you're my friend and I want you to understand what's happening. And it's all leading up to that glorious event when the Lord gives the shout and gathers his own to himself. And then, as we know later on, brings in blessing to Israel. And then he'll bid the whole creation smile and hush its groan. Well.
Just think of this a little bit, brethren. I need it for myself as well As for you, that the Lord has looked down in this world, with all its trouble and turmoil and strife. And he says, I have a treasure there. I gave everything in order to possess that treasure so dear to me. And from the ruin and wreck of humanity He picks us up and counts us his treasure. Then too, he says. And then shall every man have praise of God, just to think when we get. Get there. He's going to value the slightest little response there was in our hearts to His love and His claims over us. But then in the next one, in Second Corinthians chapter 4, Second Corinthians chapter 4, and verse 6. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the Excellency of the power may be of God. And not of us. Well, there's a treasure that's been placed in this earthen vessel. That is, before we were saved, we saw no beauty in the Lord Jesus. We had no interest in him or in his love or in his claims. But then he brought us to himself, and he put a treasure inside. Every believer in this room has within him the very life of Christ, when Christ, who is our life, shall appear. Then shall ye also appear with him in glory. He also sealed us with the Holy Spirit, and our body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. Are we conscious of this, brethren? Don't we often forget it? This treasure in the earthen vessel, Wherever you go, wherever I go, this treasure is with us. He asked The very life of Jesus in US. And as we think of that, certainly it concerns us that our conduct would be such as would show to this world that the treasure is there. As the Lord said, let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify not you, but glorify your Father, which is in heaven. So God wants the world to look on and say, here are people who are different. What is it that's different about them? Oh, it isn't just a change of ways. There's a treasure in the earthen vessel. Just think of it, the life of Christ, the Holy Spirit of God. And so that we can look up and see that Blessed One is read to us this morning about on the Mount of Transfiguration, how the disciples saw no man anymore. Say Jesus only. With themselves, that is, they saw Him, and God has given to you and I a life that is created in righteousness and true holiness, a life that delights to please Him, a life that finds all its satisfaction and all its joy in Him. And so it tells us here to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. All that God is has come out in him, so the Lord Jesus could say. He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. A perfect display here in this world of what God is like. People say, what is God like? There was a perfect display in this world of what God is like. And I see the Lord Jesus standing still at the cry of a blind man. That's what God is like. When I see the Lord Jesus weeping at the grave of Lazarus, I see what God is like. I see his heart told out in a man down here in this world. In the circumstances of life sin apart and how perfectly he displayed that and he's given us the very life of Christ. We say I can't respond that way to situations. Well, maybe we don't, but we can. We have the life and we have the power. Every believer has the same new life. Every believer has the same power. Sad to say, we're not always using it. We're not always allowing the life of Jesus to. Seen in our bodies, but it's there. There's a treasure in the earthen vessel. Well, as it tells us then at the Excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. That is, he puts the treasure and some of us have bodies that have aches and pains and that are wearing out, have many deficiencies. We realize that. He's he's put it in an earthen vessel. He doesn't want a lot of attraction. The world is all built up in the idea of the idea of a traction that tension to.
The body. What God wants to do is to attract attention to the treasure that's inside. Just like what we were talking about yesterday. What does God value in a woman? He says the hidden man of the heart, that which is not corruptible, that's what He values. That is really what is of importance to him in our lives. Brethren, whether brothers or sisters, is not how well we're dressed or how well we appear, but the treasure. Do others look on like they did with the early disciples as they took knowledge of them that they had been with? Jesus, what did they say? They saw the life of Jesus. Oh, but we might say, I have so many unpleasant experiences and it's hard, but that's the very purpose that God is accomplishing in these things. Notice this eighth verse. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. We are persecuted. We are perplexed, but not in despair. Did you ever feel like that? Trouble on every side. Something that you wanted to make a decision about and you were just perplexed. You didn't know which way to turn. The Lord put you in that situation that you would realize, and I would realize how totally unable we are to meet the situations of life in our own strength. But He put the treasure there so that we would feel a need of Him, and so that when these situations arose, we would see His hand. That He was teaching us the hard lesson for all of us. Dependence and confidence. That's what he wants to teach us, repentance and confidence. Cast not away there for your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. And so he passes us through these things. Possibly even persecution in the goodness of God. We have great liberty in this land, but there are lands where they really are being persecuted for the name of the Lord Jesus. Has it robbed them of the treasure? No. As we read accounts of it, we see the treasure shining a little more brightly. Sometimes I have wondered if there isn't a reference here to Gideon's men. Do you remember when Gideon's men went out against the Midianites? It tells us that in one hand they had an earthen vessel with a light in it, and in the other hand they had a trumpet and they blew with a trumpet. I believe that refers to our spoken testimony. A trumpet makes a noise and we speak. We we let it be known as, or at least we should, that we are believers in the Lord. Jesus, we confess his name before men, and then they begin to watch us. And what do they see? Well, when they heard that trumpet blown, and they looked over, there was 300 shining torches. But how was it? Everyone of those vessels had to be broken. Everyone. Gideon said When when you hear that trumpet, I'll blow, and then you all blow with your trumpet. And then he said the vessel has to be broken so the light can shine. And it's not how we act when everything goes well, it's how we act when everything goes wrong that displays the treasure within the vessel. In the time of trouble, He will hide me in his pavilion. And how often we find that we're overcome when bad situations arise. But God is saying it's just an opportunity that others would see that there is a treasure in the earthen vessel. There's something inside. And how lovely it is when you see and sometimes. Even the world will say, what is it that you have? You have something we don't have. It's all right when everything's going well, but you've faced a very bad situation and yet you, you seem to have something. Yes, we have. We have a treasure in the earthen vessel. The Excellency of the power is not of us. It isn't. We have such wonderful characters, but we have the life of Jesus in the vessel. And so he speaks of the situations of life cast down, but not. Destroyed. I guess we've all experienced that. We get cast down because situations seem so hard to understand. Why has the Lord allowed this or that to come in our lives when He has all power? Why doesn't He correct that situation? Well, it's in order that the light would shine out. The brighter people in the office or the neighbors will never know what we have when we're prosperous and everything's going well, because they can be. Happy when everything's going well, but they will see something when things go the other way. And the Lord intentionally, shall I say, passes us through these things so that that treasure would be seen.
I believe there are two thoughts in the 10th and 11TH verse here. Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body, for we would live, or always delivered unto death for Jesus sake, that the life of Jesus also that that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. You notice how similar these verses are? One speaks about bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus and the other one speaks of delivered unto death for Jesus sake. Well, if I could illustrate it by speaking about Gideon's man, let us suppose that when the trumpet is blown, there's one man and immediately breaks down the vessel so the light can shine out. But there's another man there, and he he thinks his vessel's pretty nice. He's picked out one that's very nice and pretty, and he's hesitating. He just doesn't like to see that nice vessel broken down. And so Gideon slashes it down. So the light can't shine unless it's smashed down. We ought to do this voluntarily. But the Lord in his wisdom and in his love brings circumstances in our life. We would deliver all the way. It's always happening. Isn't that what it says here? All the way delivered unto death for Jesus sake, because we're so slow to put the flesh in its right place, the place of death. Reckoning ourselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive. God and God seeing it necessary, then he has to allow these things over and over again. Brethren, we never graduate from God's school. We're in it as long as we're down here. And some of us require more than others in order to break down that. And so if you could only accept those situations that arise, the times of trouble, the times of distress and perplexity and persecution times. When were cast down, they're all allowed of God for this definite purpose because he didn't intend people to be just attracted to us, we'll say for our nice personalities or good looks or something. But he wanted them to see the life of Jesus in the vessel. And he passes us through these things. So again I say he found a treasure in US and he put a treasure in us and he wants that treasure to be manifested. And in his wisdom and love, perhaps the reason it says here you notice in the end of the tenth verse in our body, and then in the 11TH verse in our mortal flesh. That is when we do it in communion with the Lord. Maybe He doesn't have to put us through some of the trials that really humble us, But if we don't, then in his wisdom and in his love, he says, well, I'll just remind you that it's mortal flesh. It's that which is going to wear out and breakdown. It's that which is weak in itself. And so troubles come, physical troubles perhaps, and we realize it's mortal flesh. We have mortal that is dying, We die, so to speak, and so He sees in his wisdom and his love. But again I say, he's put the treasure there, and he wants others around to see it. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify. Again I say, not you, but your Father, which is in heaven. What does God want to see displayed in this world? He looked down as it was brought before. This was such infinite delight on a person in this world that always pleased him, did everything, thought everything to please him, was willing to go even to Calvary in order to tell her at the heart of God. And now that precious 1 is up there in the glory that he put the life of Jesus in US and he's looking down and what does he want to see? He wants to see the life of Jesus manifested in US. That's the treasure in the earthen vessel and it's. The Excellency of the power would be of God and not of us. And so these things are necessary, brethren, in our lives, because otherwise we might boast and say, well, I did it. But the Lord brings us into situations where we have to say, it was all of the Lord. And the time came for David to get the Kingdom. Where was he? Down in the country of the Philistines, offering his services to the king of Gath, he could never boast and say, I was so faithful that when the time came to get the Kingdom, the Lord gave it to me. He'd have to hang his head and say.
Right at the time when the Lord was going to come in and give me what He had promised, I broke down. Oh, how weak we are at best. And He teaches us our nothing. Is our weakness to teach us to lean hard upon Him? And so we have that treasure in earthen vessels now in Matthew that we looked at in the 6th chapter. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth. Where Moth and Rust doth corrupt and where thieves breakthrough and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Or in either moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not breakthrough nor steal. For where your treasure is there for your heart be also. Well, we've spoken about the Lord Jesus counting his own a treasure. We've seen how he's put the treasure in earthen vessels. But then there's one that we can look up to. There's one up there in the glory. And He wants us to have our treasures, not down here, but up there. Now it's amazing how much effort we go to in order to have treasures down here. And when we have perhaps worked hard and got a nice car or something. That we had particularly wanted by. We're so pleased that at last we've got what we wanted here. But the Lord wants us to be looking up and saying, well, everything that's abiding, everything that's worthwhile, it's not here, it's up there. And someday, brethren, there's going to be a manifestation of our lives. And when that manifestation takes place, it won't be how well we succeeded in getting along down here, but it'll be how much in our lives was according. His well and pleasing to Him, how much we truly found our treasure up there. Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. If I could think of that treasure as the Lord Jesus up there, everything that I have for time and eternities in Him, everything I say, there's nothing that you and I could possess apart from Him that can bring any kind of lasting happiness. Remember when the children of Israel entered, Jerry called. There was a special. Charge made that all the silver and gold were the Lords. One man thought, oh, I'd just like some for myself. And so he took it and hid it in his tent. Brought a lot of sorrow on himself and on his family. We often do that, brethren. We get an eye that says the wedge of gold and silver and a goodly Babylonish garment. And he said, I'm just going to have this for myself. But what a loss it was before the one who searches all. Things out. Why would the silver and the gold be brought into the treasury of the Lord? Does he mean that when you get saved, you're to just take every bit that you possess and give it to be distributed? No, not necessarily. But you sell out, so to speak. And you say before I was saved, everything was my own. It was my car, it was my house, it was my. Possessions, clothes and everything but after we are saved. If we really recognize the Lord's claims, we sell out. This car belongs to the Lord, This house belongs to the Lord. These clothes that I have, they belong to the Lord. And so there's a new ownership, shall I say? They belong to him. And he makes us his stewards. And then he says, I'm going to reward you if you carry out that stewardship in a way that's pleasing to me. And that's our privilege here in this world. We're stewards at each one of us can. I'm not going to ask you where you've got a nice color or not or whether you have a nice home, but the great the important thing is are we acknowledging the Lord's claims over what we possess and that we are willing to say it's really not mine, it's his and I just want to use it for him brethren is a real joy in that it says where your treasure is there with your heartbeat also and if our treasure is up there in the glory they. Our hearts will be there, our hearts will be there, and the thing that we'll seek after in life is that we might recognize that Blessed One now crowned with glory and honor, that everything we have for time and eternity is in Him. And if He has left us here to be stewards for Him, that it's only that we might use what really doesn't belong to us, but belongs to Him in a way. That would have his approval. What a blessed thing it is. So we see what He has done for us, brethren. He sold everything to have us as His treasure. He put a treasure in the earthen vessel. But now he's looking for a response from our hearts, from his love. That's what he wants. My son, give me thine heart. He's asking us how much do we value what he has done for us? And if we value what he has done for us, we'll say, as the words of the little hymn say, love that.
Our highest power demands our soul, our life, our all. The enemy may tell us all, but that's a hard path. You may have to make a lot of sacrifices, but very, very small. When we think of the sacrifice that he made for us and all, how how wonderful it would be if in any little measure he says well done. That's the only thing that will count when we get there, to have his approval on what we've done. He wants us. As Paul said, we labor that whether present or absent, we may be agreeable to him.