The Inestimable Worth of Christ

Have we pondered lately, the inestimable worth of Christ, that he is chief among ten thousand, that he is the lily of the valley, the blessed hope who comes again, the lamb slain who is worthy to be praised, that he is the pearl of great price, who's worth selling all for, sacrificing all for, forsaking all for, so he can be obtained? Let me share a story with you, friends. About a hundred years ago, there was an Englishman, an English merchantman, who frequently traveled from London to Bombay, India, to buy goods there, and bring them back to England, and sell them at a substantial profit. One day, while he was in Bombay, at a bazaar, buying goods, he noticed a little trinket, a jade necklace, in the marketplace, and he bought it for his little daughter, back in London.

After he gave it to his little girl, and she played with it for a while, the latchet on the jade necklace broke, so he took it to a London jeweler for repair, and left it there. The next week he returned to the London jeweler to pick up the repaired necklace. The jeweler's eyes brightened as the businessman walked into his shop, and he cheerfully greeted him with the following words, "'Oh, good day, sir.

Let me ask you a question. How much did you pay for that little jade necklace?' To which the man replied, "'Five sterling.' Which was just a few dollars. The jeweler then walked this man back to his inner office, where the jade necklace lay on a black satin covering, near a large magnifying glass.

The jeweler raised the magnifying glass over the necklace, as he tenderly lifted it up for view. See the writing, on each piece of the jade? The French lettering that is carved on each piece. Do you see it?' The Englishman nodded.

The jeweler went on with great enthusiasm. "'This little necklace is a love-letter from Napoleon to Juliet, and its value is inestimable. It is priceless and worth a fortune.' The End My message this evening, friends, is entitled The Inestimable Worth of Christ, and my text can be found in Matthew's Gospel.

You can turn in your Bibles there now. We will be in chapter 13 and verses 45 to 46. Let me read you this wonderful passage to us at this time, where Jesus is speaking and describing what the Kingdom of Heaven can be likened to.

Let me read it to you now, and may His Spirit attend the reading of His Holy Word. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is likened to a merchant man seeking goodly pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. I remember when I was a little boy, I subscribed to a treasure catalogue that sold odd items from all over the world at cheap prices.

It was just a marvel to a little boy like me. I liked everything in that paper catalogue. But there was a pearl advertised in it from the South Seas, and I couldn't wait to save up my money to buy this pearl all the way from the South Seas.

I worked odd jobs around my neighborhood, raking leaves for folks and running errands, until I had saved up enough money to buy the special pearl. When it finally arrived in the mail, I eagerly opened the box and grinned as I rolled that pearl from hand to hand, gazing at it in amazement. Little did I realize that I had overpaid for that little common pearl, but in my eyes I had found a real treasure.

And I recall the first time I heard the Gospel message preached, when I was a young teenager, and I heard about the pearl of great price from this passage in Matthew, how I sat up and listened, how I sat up on the edge of my chair eagerly as the preacher told about this precious pearl, worth selling off for, and how it resonated with my heart and excitement. And I recall times in my life when I was actually excited about Jesus, and I couldn't wait to spend time with Him in prayer, when my alarm clock would go off at four-thirty in the morning, I would leap out of bed and rush down the hall to quickly wash my face in the sink, and then go on to my study to spend time with my Lord. Then after a while, my eagerness turned into apathy, my glow for the Lord turned into mere routine of duty, the luster came off the pearl for me.

Let me ask you, friend, has the luster come off the pearl of great price in your own life? Do you still love Jesus as you used to, be honest? Or has your eagerness in spiritual things turned into apathy as well? Oh, how I need a revival to come into my heart and renew me, so that my heart would once again burn brightly for that glorious person of Christ, the great pearl, who's worth selling off for, losing off for. Years ago I was committed to go deeper with God and a more vital walk with Him. It was during my quiet time, and God had met me, my heart was lifted heavenward with new enthusiasm and going all out for Him and His glory.

Have you ever had those moments whereby the Spirit of God meets you in a glorious way, in a life-transforming way? Some of you know of which I speak, where you cross your Rubicon, so to speak, and your love for Christ is overflowing and cannot be contained. This was one of those times, and I made a vow unto God early that particular morning. I even wrote it in the front of my Bible.

And let me tell you, friends, that when we make a vow to God, He does not ever forget it, even though we sometimes will. He remembers vows. I was in the Gospel of Matthew that morning, where Jesus was addressing His disciples in the following manner.

Then Jesus said unto His disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. I paused my reading and said to my Lord, Well, I am any man, Lord, and I will gladly follow you to wherever you take me. Then I read the next verse, For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

When I read those words, they were brightened on the page, as if I was Moses on Sinai in the glow of my Lord, standing face to face with my God, and I made a vow to Him there on my knees as hot tears fell to the ground. And when I rose, I wrote my vow on the front page of my Bible. This is that Bible, friends, where many years ago I wrote these words.

Listen to them as I read them to you now. What is my life, that I should keep it selfishly from me? I choose to lose it so completely and have it found in thee. That's what I wrote that particular morning, and I meant it with all my heart.

God sealed it that morning, I believe, by His Holy Spirit. At the time I was a wealthy businessman who played golf four to five times a week at the local country club where I was a member. I drove a BMW, and I thought nothing of spending money to enjoy my hobby of golf.

I'd go out and fly out to Monterey, California, and stay at the lodge and play Pebble Beach. I played it numerous times, or I'd fly out to L.A. and play Riviera Country Club. I had plenty of money, and I enjoyed spending it to gratify my desires.

I had a beautiful wife, a big fancy home, and a large bank account. But at the time I realized my spiritual poverty. I wrote those words in my Bible, and I meant it with all my heart at that time.

Oh, what is my life that I should keep it selfishly from me? I choose to lose it so completely and have it found in thee. Well, God heard that vow that day. In the course of time, I lost my wife.

She died. I lost my home. I lost my money, and eventually I lost my reputation.

Everything I held dear in this world I lost. I had to lose all to experience what I vowed that particular day. I choose to lose it so completely, I had vowed, and have it found in thee.

I can identify with the words of the Apostle Paul from Philippians, whereby he writes, But what things were gained to me? Those I counted loss for Christ, yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death. Listen to me, friends. That day in my study, in my quiet time, when I was full of the world, I was given the grace to see a brighter view of the glorious pearl of great price in the person of Jesus Christ, my Redeemer, who lost what he had for me.

He lost the comforts of heaven to come to the sin-cursed earth, and live among men, to be abused by men. He lost his reputation. He lost his closest friends, for they each deserted him during his greatest trial.

He lost his life, and gave it willingly for my wretched sins. Oh, the great price he paid to go and purchase me from the marketplace of sin. The price was his very blood, the cost of which is inestimable.

How can we go on playing church as usual on Sunday morning, when we have such a wonderful Savior? How can we go on, with our eyes dry in our prayer life, and indifferent to the souls around us, dropping into a burning hell? How can we go on in this once great nation of ours, without a great revival, that would save multitudes and spare the life of a nation? But we go on as usual, because I fear we have lost the vision of the brightness of the pearl, and the cross he died upon. Let us go to our knees, and confess our lack, and make our own vows to him in a personal way, that will allow us to bring him honor and glory with our broken lives, like alabaster boxes, whose fragrance rises up to please him. Let us pray.