Lessons From The Pearl

LESSONS FROM THE PEARL

Matthew 13:45-46

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. JOKE # 1

a. A mechanic accidentally swallowed some brake fluid and really liked the taste. Before he knew it, he had polished off a whole bottle of the stuff.

b. His buddy George caught him sneaking a swig the next day. "That stuff is dangerous," George said. "You gotta give it up."

c. "Don't worry," the mechanic said. "I can stop anytime I want."

2. JOKE 2

a. Stanley & Ole were eating in a restaurant. Ole went to the front desk to ask a question.

b. Hurrying back he said, “Hey Stanley! Someone just stole our pickup from the parking lot!” Stanley said, “Did you get a look at the thief?”

c. Ole said, “No, I couldn’t see him, but I did get his license plate!”

B. TEXT

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Mt. 13:45-46

“And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass” Rev. 21:21.

C. THESIS

1. Pearls have been used for centuries as objects of beauty. They are unique in that they do not occur naturally in nature, as other gems, but are the product of a living creature.

2. Because of the pearl’s unusual characteristics, they are symbolic of many deep spiritual truths.

3. Two examples might be the formation of the nature of Christ in us or as a symbol of the resurrection body.

4. So let’s look at God’s special creation of beauty & its 7 meanings: “Lessons from the Pearl.”

I. A PEARL IS FORMED FROM WORTHLESS MATTER

1. The pearl is formed from all types of junk. Grains of sand, bone fragments from dead fish, and other wastes on the sea floor are aspirated/ breathed in by the oyster. Yet through God’s gift it becomes a very rare and beautiful thing.

2. Paul says that “Christ…shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body” Phip. 3:20-21, KJV. Wow! What a transformation!

3. The weak body you now possess that gets tired and sick and gets old will someday become – by God’s power – an eternal body of great beauty and everlasting nature.

4. God takes we “creatures of dust,” and by His power makes us New Creatures fitted for Heaven!

II. A PEARL IS A COMPOSITE THING

1. It’s a combination of several things. There are at least 3 materials used in forming a pearl – the irritant material, the oyster’s saliva, and calcium.

2. Paul said, “It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven” 1 Cor. 15:44, 49.

3. We have partly earthly nature and part heavenly nature now. One day the heavenly form will clothe the earthly.

4. In heaven, we will still have features we have now: arms, legs, and faces, even though our bodies won’t require air, food or water.

5. Our Resurrected Body will not exist by blood flow, but by the breath of the Holy Spirit. They will be “spiritual” bodies, animated by the Spirit.

III. A PEARL IS THE PRODUCT OF SUFFERING

1. A pearl is formed when an oyster gets a grain of sand or something trapped in its soft tissue inside its shell. This piece of sand irritates the oyster and it responds by coating the grain with layers of saliva and calcium.

2. Similarly, the new nature in us can only be perfected by trials & tests.

3. HUMOR

a. A hillbilly Mama & her boy were sitting in church and a baby was crying so loudly they couldn’t even hear the preacher.

b. The boy said, “Where did you say babies come from?”

c. The Mama said, “From Heaven.”

d. The boy answered, “Wow! I can see why they threw him out!”

4. Peter says, “I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure” Message 1 Pet. 1:6.

5. Paul: “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Rom. 5:3-4.

6. Beauty comes from suffering! Just as the gemstone in the tumbler is buffeted, that buffeting is the means to its perfection.

IV. A PEARL GROWS GRADUALLY