Introduction
It is a prayer written by a man called David and in
the prayer he realises that he is special and loved by God.
He was a unique individual and you are too.
Every human being is a marvel of creation. Here are
some amazing facts I’ve discovered about the human body. If you’re a woman,
your ovaries contain up to half a million egg cells, yet only about 400 will
ever get the opportunity to form a new human being.
If you’re a man, your body manufactures about 1,500 new sperm cells every second – that's enough to repopulate the entire planet (8 billion people) in just 61 days. Please don’t try that at home.
Without you ever having to think about it, your
heart pumps 7,200 litres of blood around your body every day.
Since I began this sermon, 350,000 cells in your
body will have died and been replaced by new cells.
Did you know that the chances of you having
identical fingerprints to anyone else are one a quindecillion (that’s one with
48 zeroes after it). There really is only one you.
So when we gave thanks for Oliver’s birth earlier we
were saying how amazing God is for having created such an intricately crafted
masterpiece.
Oliver’s fingerprints, like all of ours, were fully
formed when he was a foetus aged three months. Those fingerprints, distinct
from those of anyone who has ever lived before, will not change throughout his
lifetime. Oliver is a priceless treasure.
Like David, he could say today, “You created my
inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I
am fearfully and wonderfully made... All the days set out for me were written
in your book before one of them came to be.”
How much is he worth? If we add up the value of all
the chemical elements and molecules in our bodies – carbon, iron, water… we
would have a monetary value of about 71p each. But I know to you, his family,
all the money in the world couldn’t buy Oliver from you - he is a priceless
treasure whom you love more than any material thing.
Jesus used to talk about priceless treasure. He told
a couple of very short stories about it.
Here’s the first: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”
And here’s the second: “The kingdom of heaven is
like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value he
went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”
The two stories are quite similar. Both feature a man. Both men discover something valuable. Both see the enormous worth of their discovery. Both are willing to pay whatever it takes to obtain what they had found. And both give everything they have to possess their prize.
But there’s one big difference. Did you spot it?
In the first story, the man stumbled across his treasure quite by chance.
But in the second one he was intentionally searching
for pearls when he found a truly exceptional one.
Treasure in a Field
Here’s what I think the stories mean. Sometimes you make a spiritual discovery
out of the blue. You weren’t looking for anything – but suddenly the answer to
all your longings is staring at you in the face.
I
was listening to Radio 2 this morning and Clare Balding was interviewing a
singer/songwriter called Stefan McCloud. He was a drug addict, living on the
streets of Glasgow. In his desperation he cried out to God one day and God
revealed himself to him. He is now married with a family, totally transformed
by Jesus Christ.
It was like stumbling across treasure hidden in a field. When Stefan McCloud found it, he knew nothing could be the same again.
The Cullinan diamond (sometimes called the star of Africa) is the largest diamond ever found and is worth about $400 million. How would you feel if you were digging around in your garden and you found a gem bigger than the Cullinan diamond?
The man in the story doesn’t just sell all he has; the Bible says he does so with joy. It’s the happiest day of his life. Whatever he pays for the field, he gets so much more in return. What a discovery!
The Pearl of Great Price
But for others, encountering God is not something you stumble upon unexpectedly, but the end of a long search.
Jesus said, “the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.”
He’s looking out for something truly exceptional. Are you looking for
purpose in life?
I
was when I was about 17. I just felt life was empty. I had everything really; a
good family, an education, my health, good looks (at least my mum said so); I
was happy enough but I was looking for something more.
So the collector of pearls has got a magnificent collection.
“Here it is; my pride and joy” he says. “My whole life I’ve built up this collection of magnificent pearls.”
And he starts to talk about them. “This one,” he says, “was handed down to me by my grandfather the day I was born. It’s been in the family for generations. It is only worth about £200 but it has incalculable sentimental value.”
“Here’s one that was recovered from a locked safe on board the Titanic. For insurance reasons I’m not allowed to tell you what it’s worth.
“This
one has a strange glittery shine on it. That’s because it was subjected to
great heat from an underwater volcano when it was being formed. It’s the only
one like it in Europe.”
“This string of pearls was worn by Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot. I bought that necklace for £2 million in an auction.
He
could bore you for hours.
Then one day, his broker calls. A new and rare pearl has come on to the market. In fact, it is not just rare, it is utterly unique. It’s the size of a golf ball, it has an incredible, pure shiny hue, it reflects light in the most glorious ways and it surpasses everything else in his collection.
“When he found a pearl of great value” says Jesus, “he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”
Why do you think a pearl is especially fitting as a symbol of the kingdom of God? I think it’s because it’s the only gem that cannot be improved by human craftsmanship. The source of true happiness, like a pearl, is designed, created and perfected in heaven.
Diamonds and rubies and sapphires have to be cut and polished by skilled jewellers before they have any beauty. But a pearl is flawless when it is found and it can’t be improved by human hands.
Pile up all the wealth in this world on one side of the scales and put what God offers on the other side and it still isn’t enough. The salvation of your soul, knowing Jesus and eternal life in the glorious presence of God are worth infinitely more.
Conclusion
So when you thank God for Oliver, your priceless treasure, when we stop to be thankful for any blessing in life; your friends and family, your health, the food you eat, the roof over your head, and on this 100th anniversary of the eve of the outbreak of WW1, the peace we enjoy in our land, let’s remember that the greatest gift of all; the blessing of knowing God is beyond our means to pay – but absolutely free to all who call out to him.
Let’s pray…
Sermon
preached at All Saints' Preston on Tees, 3rd August 2014
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