Skip to content More than Grateful Part 2 with Kenny Luck Dec 3 · 34 min ...more
Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Support this leader
Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Give
Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
The Treasure of God's Love 0:01 Welcome to this session of More Than Grateful. Just to get you thinking in the right direction, just 3 days ago, a 9.5 carat teardrop rare blue diamond was0:13 sold at auction by Christie's in Geneva, Switzerland for, get this, 26000000 dollars.0:24 It's called the Melon Blue. It was owned by Rachel Bunny Mellon, American heiress to the to the Mellon family,0:36 fortune. And the global head of jewelry for Christie's, said the sale reflected the the confidence and discernment of the buyer, which is another way of0:48 saying the buyer really wanted it. I mean, imagine you're at the auction and, you know, the gavel gets hit and we're starting at auction this sale at1:00 20000000 dollars. Do I have 20? You know, and he starts pointing around, and all of a sudden, the little paddles that indicate someone wants to buy that, they start becoming fewer and fewer, and then it's1:12 down to to 5, to 4, to 3, to 2. It goes up to 26000000, and there's only 1 paddle at the end. In the end, that person who raised the paddle at the end really wanted that1:24 diamond. Now if you had 26000000 dollars or more, which you probably need to make a purchase like that, I'm not so sure anybody out there listening to me would really do that, but the bottom1:35 line is is that the buyer assigns the value. The buyer assigns the value. Like, I read just today about the the owner of the1:47 most sushi places in Japan. His name is Kiyoshi Kimura. This guy paid 3100000.0 dollars for a1:58 612 pound fish. Now, why would he do that? Well, it was a bluefin tuna. He's the owner of2:10 the biggest sushi chain in all of Japan. Again, the buyer defines the value and assigns,2:23 the value. Then, again, you know, they're glad to pay 26000000 or 3100000.0. They're grateful and joyful to pay that because the size of their2:35 financial investment and their financial risk really reflects the size of their heart for whatever that object is. In in 1 case, it's it's a rare blue diamond, and in2:47 the other case, it's a rare blue fin tuna. Now, the reason I'm I'm starting off this way and getting us thinking in that direction is because we're gonna see in this2:58 session of more than grateful. We're gonna see how the perception of value by a buyer, right, we're going to see it in the scripture, right, comes from3:10 their core attitude inside of their heart. And I want us to start off our session in Matthew 13, if you have a Bible. I want you to turn there. Matthew 13 verses 44 to 46, where3:22 Jesus is is is talking about the value that that God has for us. And then what we're going to do is we're going to flip it, and3:34 we're going to see if this is the value God has for us, then what value do we assign to Him? So let's read Matthew 13 40 four-forty 6. Jesus says3:46 this, The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again. Then in his joy3:58 went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls, and when he found 1 of great4:10 value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. Alright. Let's do a little bit of simple observation here. You might have read this4:21 passage before, but we have to be clear on who's who. The the man who found the treasure in the field, and the merchant who was searching4:34 for fine pearls. That's Jesus in these 2 parables. Right? So we have the man and the merchant. You can write that down. That's Jesus. Okay? The field4:47 in the story, in the parable of the man who finds the treasure in the field, the field and then the places that was that that was searched in by the merchant, that's the4:59 world. Right? So there's a field in which the treasure is found. The man searches places to find a fine pearl. Those places5:11 that's the world. So there's Jesus, and then there's the world. And then the treasure and the pearl of great price, that's us.5:23 Okay? That's that's the believer. Write that down. So we have to be clear in order to understand the dynamics in play here that the man and the merchant is Jesus. The5:35 field and the places look, that's the world. And then the treasure that's discovered and the pearl that is searched for and found is the believer. Now, there's some cool background and5:47 context as Jesus is saying these words. People know, the listeners know, that under rabbinic law, if a workman finds a treasure while he's working in a field and he he he finds something,5:59 right, if he lifts it out of the field, whatever he discovers belongs to the owner of that field. Make sense, right? So, in Jesus's6:11 parable, he's careful not to lift it out but he actually hides it again And then he he goes and buys the whole6:23 field, so he becomes the owner, so that whatever is in the field is his. Right? Now, this is Jesus6:35 telegraphing that he is going to die for and redeem the sins of the world. He's gonna pay for the6:46 entire world's sins so that he can possess the treasure and the pearl that is within it, which is you.6:58 Wow. So when he's sharing this story and people are are listening to him, they're like, oh yeah. That's right. Okay. Yeah. He he kept it there and then he went out. And it's7:10 just the excitement of the process for him. Right? I love the language. When a man found it, he hid again. Then in his joy, right, he's like, I'm gonna go buy that7:21 field. And if I buy the field and I become the owner, then I will be able to possess the treasure that is within it. Now just zoom out for a second spiritually,7:34 zoom out into eternity, and you see Jesus now going, Alright, I'm gonna come to Earth.7:46 I'm going to purchase humanity. I'm gonna I'm gonna purchase and redeem humanity by dying on a cross for everyone's sins in7:58 order to possess the treasure that is in the world, which is the church, which is his people. Right? So we learn something about8:10 God. We learn something about his core attitude and core heart, toward us. We learn about his character. But really, what8:22 we learn is is our own value. Now I don't know where you're listening to this session from. Some of you are behind bars.8:34 Some of you have been abandoned, rejected. Some of you are being criticized and judged, and you feel very alone and you feel like8:46 your value is low. The king of the universe came and purchased the world so that he could possess you.9:01 Just just think about that for a second. And and he he paid a great, great price, great, great cost. You know, we started off at the top talking about people paying 26000000 dollars for a9:13 diamond and 3100000.0 dollars for a fish. God paid with the blood and life of his only son. The9:25 purchaser assigns the value. And I don't care what lie you believed. I don't care what perception of yourself that you9:36 have. The purchaser of your eternal life has assigned such a high value to you beyond what you could even comprehend. Now we may9:48 not feel worthy of that love, but the the fact of the matter remains that the price paid determines the value for the purchaser. When no 1 else10:00 would would raise a paddle and purchase you and redeem you, Jesus did. When people forgot you and wrote you off, Jesus raises his bowels. I want him. I want10:12 him. I don't care about that. I paid for that. I'll pay for that. I'll pay for it in blood. I'll pay the final price because I want relationship10:24 with him. I have on your notes, if you downloaded them, the first part of John 3 16, on purpose. And it says this, it says, for God10:35 so loved he that's right. Many of you read that out loud, and I want you to speak that into your own spirit. I want you10:47 to preach to yourself. For God so loved that he gave.11:01 And he gave a lot more than 26000000 dollars than he wasn't buying a fish. He paid in precious blood of his only son who left a perfect environment to come to11:13 Earth because that's how much value God assigns to you. And right now, I just I feel like11:25 God wants you to feel that. I feel like God wants you to know that you're his if you're a believer. And you're not just his, you're something that11:37 he he really, really desires, and he really, really wants, and he's really, really invested in him. And and like the workmen who became the owner of the field so that he11:49 could possess all that was in the field, god came into the world and purchased the world with his blood so that he could possess the treasure that was in it, which is you.12:03 And I want you to feel that. I want you to know that. I want you to experience, through the power of the Holy Spirit your own value. Because I know12:15 that there are things which have happened in all of our lives. I mean, if you have a belly button and you're listening to me right now, stuff has happened to you, which has impacted the way that you see12:27 God and the way you see you others and the way you see, most importantly, yourself, your self perception. And what God wants you to know right now is that those shaping forces in your life that have12:38 lowered your value, the lens that you're looking through to see yourself. He's lifting those those lenses off you right now so that you can see him so that you can see yourself12:51 the way that he sees you. A treasure that fills him with joy so that he would go and do something dramatic and pay a crazy, crazy13:03 price to have relationship with you. Now, let's flip it. WhatPursuing God with Grateful Hearts 13:15 Jesus models for us in gladly and excitedly and gratefully giving everything for us. What13:27 Jesus models for us, you know, that that is meant for us. How do you know, Kenny? You know, Jesus giving it all. Jesus is signing great value13:39 to this to this relationship. Well, here's how I know. Because when we believed in the person and work of Christ and began a relationship with him, the Bible says that His Spirit came into13:51 our hearts on a mission to make us like Him. In other words, now we14:03 get to assign value to this relationship with God just like he assigned value to us and gave everything for us. Now we can respond. Look14:15 at what it says in Proverbs chapter 2 verses 4 and 5. It says this, if you look for it, right? God's wisdom, god, a relationship with god. If you look for it14:26 as silver and search for it, catch this. As for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find,14:38 keyword, and find the knowledge of god. You see, the king he establishes14:50 the value that we have by the price that he paid. He searches for us. He he pays an incredibly high cost. And then then when that happens and he finds us and then we respond to him and15:02 believe in him, now look at what the believer is looking for. Right? 3 things. Number 1, the believer is looking for what he now values, right? If you look for it, what is15:14 it? Right? The wisdom of god, relationship with god, right? He looking for as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure. Right? Now, could15:26 I just say that there's false treasure out there versus real treasure? There's knock offs and there's the real thing. There's synthetic treasure and there's authentic15:38 treasure. The real treasure of the believer is the real God made known through the person of Jesus Christ, not the cheap imitations that are out there in the world.15:52 What are the the cheap imitations? Alright? The cheap treasures, the non real things. Right? Well, they're they're defined by beliefs and philosophies,16:04 but pretty simple. It's all around. You just turn on your TV, watch a commercial, listen to ads, look in your social media feeds. Right? The false treasures of hedonism or sensation, the false treasures of16:16 materialism or stuff, accumulating things, the false treasures of power and title and position narcissism. See, those are the the treasures that the world16:27 has to offer, but those are synthetic. They will never satisfy. They are from the enemy, and they're designed to distract you and pull you away from16:40 the real treasure, which is Christ. I don't know what you're battling right now. I don't know if you're pulled by issues in your heart toward16:52 self indulgence or pulled by issues of your heart toward needing to be self important and visible or pulled by issues of your heart to where you need to get defined by titles and17:04 stuff. I don't know. But I am telling you that that is a strategy of the enemy of God and the enemy of your soul to pull you away from the17:16 real treasure which is Christ. So the believer is looking for what he values. Second, the believer is searching for God's person and wisdom. What's really great17:29 in in the parables is is that there's this spontaneous type of discovery by the guy in the field, but then there's a real intentional search17:41 by the merchant. And I'm gonna focus on him right now, where if you spontaneously came to Christ and you're just like, Okay, that was great. But if you're like the merchant who17:52 searched and found like a specific thing that you were looking for and you found it in Christ. You were searching for meaning and you tried this and this and this and this, but then you found the pearl of great price.18:03 Right? The merchant, remember, was searching for fine pearls, and then the Bible says, when he found 1 of great value, so it just rose above the rest. When you found Jesus,18:15 the object of great value, it talks about the merchant. He he sold everything. He had it. He bought it. I mean, he he went all in. And so we're on that18:27 search too and what can happen once a believer is in relationship with God is we can stop pursuing. We can stop searching. And here's what you need to know is that is that God is infinite and he's love.18:39 He's infinite and he's mercy. He's he's infinite and he's creative, and I can go on and on about all his characteristics and that he's infinite. So guess what? Our search18:51 for more of God is always available to us. God is not a finite thing. Like, you know, you can meet people and know people and kinda get to the end of a person go,19:02 yeah, I know them. You know, they're like this, and they're like that, and they're like this, and they're like that, and then become predictable, not mysterious, and easily known. That's that's with human beings, not19:13 with God. Right? And as it says, if you look for it as silver and search for it as hidden treasure. Right? So can I just ask you a question? How's your search for God going? Are you19:25 pursuing God? Are you looking for more from your relationship with God? Because there's more of God, right, if there's more searching from you. Alright? And19:37 sometimes we can treat God like we can treat people. Well, you know, I I know God this much, but I'll I'll I'll tell you this, and I brought my Bible here. Unsearchable. Like,19:48 God's revealed some things, and there's plenty there in the in the word that that reveals how he relates to his people and who he is. And, man, I will never in 1 lifetime20:01 be able to unpack the hidden treasure which is God, but I search for it every day. Like silver, something of real value20:12 that gets me excited, just like Jesus in the parable is excited to go purchase the field. I'm excited back now to go and search out who God is, and how he20:24 feels about me, and what he wants for me, and what he thinks about me, and what he promises me, and how he wants to provide for me. I mean, every day, it's like, oh my goodness. When my eyes open, and it's just like,20:35 good morning, god. I know there's more of you, and I, man, I I know exactly where to go. I need to go to this treasure chest called scripture and the Bible. So a lot of you guys are watching this,20:47 and you're searching god out, man. There there's your treasure right there, and it and it's unending, and you'll never get to the bottom of it. Right? That treasure box, which is called scripture. And then we'll pass20:59 into eternity, and then we'll spend all eternity discovering the value of god and how he is like a treasure that just keeps on giving like the facets of a diamond just endless,21:11 right? So, the believer is looking for what he values. The believer is searching for god's person and god's wisdom. We're looking. We're searching And then the believer is understanding and appreciating what he has.21:24 Right? What I love about, the workmen in the field and the merchant who's who finds the pearl of great price is that, is it there just they appreciate what21:35 they have. Question for you. Do you understand and appreciate what you have in Jesus? I mean, like, you21:47 discovered the most amazing thing. You possess the most amazing thing. You have the spirit of God inside of you. You have your sins forgiven. You have a purpose for living. No matter where you are, you have21:59 a home in heaven. But between now and and going to be with Jesus forever and having your home in heaven, he's got all this intention, and the intention that he has for you is that you get to22:11 play in the kingdom of God. You know, I I would I would bring my kids to the Magic Kingdom, Disneyland, and we'd walk in the front and they'd go, oh. And then and then we'd go22:23 under a bridge, and then we walk into some other portion of the park, and I go, woah. And then, you know, we experience that, and then we walk through, you know, to another area of the park. Woah. That's the magic22:34 kingdom on earth. You're part of this adventure of discovery, this endless, infinite, supernatural kingdom22:47 of God. Because you're a son of the king. You operate in his realm. You're a son of the king, so you get freedom to participate in the things, and it's this adventure. And there's this this door that you22:59 get to walk through every day in the lives of people, little doors that open up the kingdom of God, the reality to which you really belong. Do you23:11 appreciate that? Do you appreciate what you have? You see, in this session, what I really wanna get across is that true wisdom. You can write this down.23:22 True risk true wisdom based on what Jesus models for us and based on how we can respond back. True wisdom is gratefully giving everything23:34 we have to possess the 1 thing we really need. True wisdom is gratefully giving everything we we have to possess the 1 thing we23:46 truly need. And what I'm here to tell you is the 1 thing that you truly need, if we work it back, is your relationship with God. And to discover23:58 his intentions for your life, his plan for your life, his purpose for your life, to discover the gifts that he's deposited in you, to discover your24:10 identity in him, and to give everything gratefully to him so that you can possess those things which24:22 are of great value to you. You see the basis of all gratitude, is the perception of the value of the person, and what they did, and what24:34 that commands in terms of value. Just like the diamond commanded a certain value, and the tuna commanded a certain value, and in the parable, right, the the treasure that he found in the field commanded a24:46 certain value, went out and bought the whole thing. The searcher for the fine pearl finds the the 1 pearl of great price, and that commands a certain value. Alright? We're learning a24:57 principle and it relates to gratitude. High value, high gratitude, and high risk of commitment. Low value,25:09 low commitment, low risk. You know, the Bible is very clear. It says in second Corinthians 5 15, and we're gonna close with this. And he25:22 died for all. That those who live should not live for themselves, but for him who died25:34 and rose again on their behalf. Did you catch that? And he died for all, that those who live should not live for themselves,25:47 but for him who died and rose again on their behalf. What's implicit is that we're grateful. What's implicit is that because we recognize25:58 the price Jesus paid, we respond gratefully with everything we have, and that is our life. Died for all that those who live shouldn't live for their sin, but26:10 for him who died and rose again on their behalf. So you see how it gets flipped? And because what Jesus models for us is meant for us, that the same value that he assigns to26:22 me, I assign even more value to him. Right? To possess the great treasure of knowing him. I give everything I have gratefully.26:36 Right? Understanding and appreciating what he did. I'm giving him back my gratitude. What does my gratitude look like? A life that gratefully obeys26:47 him. A life that gratefully worships him. A a life that gratefully serves him and extends that appreciation toward others. And I26:59 tell my story to others. Why? Because I'm so grateful. Question. Are you ready to give your whole life back to God? Are you27:11 ready to give everything gratefully back to Jesus in faith out of gratitude.27:23 Jesus said, the man who seeks to save his life, otherwise live it live for himself. The man who seeks to save his life, he's gonna lose it, but whoever loses his life and he gives everything27:36 for me and for the sake of the gospel will find true life. That's your desire. I want you to pray with me right now. Jesus,27:50 you're worth my life, and you're worth my life because I see how you value me so much28:03 that you would come and you would die for the whole world just to possess me. You would buy the whole field to possess the treasure,28:15 which is me. You would search in all these different places and find the pearl of great price, which is me. And so, in response to28:28 how you would value me enough to die for me, I I wanna give back my gratitude, and I wanna give back my faith, and I wanna give everything that I am,28:40 and all that I hope, and everything that I have. I put my whole life back to you. I give everything to you. I lose my life to gain you. Fill me now with28:52 your spirit. Fill me now with your power. Transform me, make me more like you, And then, Holy Spirit, I pray deposit now of power and energy and motivation and29:03 joy in the pursuit of Jesus Christ for every person that I'm talking to. Life changing energy, motivation, diligence, and persistence and perseverance in the pursuit of Jesus. And I29:15 ask this in the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit. Amen. God bless you. Greetings, men. Kenny Luck, founder of Everyman Ministries.Breaking Through to Promised Land Living 29:28 You know, after 30 years of helping men in the mental health, pastoral, and coaching context, the 1 working assumption I've operated on is this. Men, they're like icebergs. You only see the29:39 tip. Under the waterline of the image that they are projecting and the lives that they are living are massive spiritual, emotional, and relational battles they recognize, but they're just not talking29:51 about. And it creates a dissonance. It creates spiritual plateaus. It creates unresolved tensions within that start to eat away at their faith, eat away at their hope. It opens them30:03 up to spiritual attack and lies to the point where so many, if they were honest, would say, I believe in God and I believe his promises are true, just not for me right now. Have you ever felt that or thought that?30:15 Well, here's the thing. So many men I counsel and coach say the same thing. I'm attending church. I'm reading my bible. I'm going to men's group. I'm praying, but I'm not sensing or experiencing God30:27 the way I see it promised in the Bible. You know, that abundant life that Jesus speaks of. I'm I'm not breaking through, and I know there's more. I just don't know how to get there, and it's confusing me.30:39 It's affecting my relationships with God and other people. Now if you've ever felt the same way, if you've ever had any of those thoughts, welcome to the club. As men, we go through different30:51 seasons of personal, professional, and, yes, spiritual life. And listen, that calls for new Christ formation,31:12 fulfillment turn on the hidden axles of what the Bible calls your inner man. So when the Bible says, watch over your heart with all diligence for from it flow the springs of life.31:24 It's not calling for new outer spiritual behavior management. It's calling for a new you. You say, how do you know, Kenny? Because God called me personally into a new31:36 season of Christ formation after 25 years as a pastor and counselor. And you know what I needed? I needed a community of brave brothers, of professional men who were spirit filled,31:48 and I needed a solid process and godly coaching to walk me into a new place of strength, a place of powerful sacrifice, a place of complete tenacity in my32:00 purpose, a place of growing authentic generosity, and a place of meaningful32:12 lane. What's yours? If you're like me and you want a new place of growth, if you want the dissonance to go away, if you want an inner breakthrough in Christ, if you want to discover what is it that is holding you back32:24 spiritually versus continuing to say some narrative to yourself and other people, just lean in right now. There is a next adventure in God and in life waiting for32:36 you. But the old thinking, the old victories you cling to, the old patterns of living, just the old thought processes are not going to cut it in32:47 this next adventure God has for you. The promised land that he has for you. And that's why I'm inviting you into the every man promised land living experience, where Christ formation advances33:00 in new ways, where the language of the heart is spoken, and where the enemy, he takes it on the chin and strongholds are broken. You want your next adventure in Christ to begin? Then fight the33:11 good fight like I did. Believe. God is at work. Register. Get into an every man promised land group. Our team of trained coaches are eager to meet you and33:23 to start getting you prepared for the greater works of Jesus in and through you for this next season and adventure of life.In this video 0:00 The Treasure of God's Love13:13 Pursuing God with Grateful Hearts29:21 Breaking Through to Promised Land Living56K followers
Since 2000 Every Man Ministries has been activating men worldwide to live out their truest identity in Christ through its discipleship resources, live events, and steaming platform.
56K followers
Comments No comments yet. Start the conversation.
Comments
Keep it kind. Comments are public.