You’re A Treasure

Introduction

Good morning. We’ll open in your Old Testament to the 139th Psalm. Psalm 139. Have you ever received a Christmas present? We’re going to start with the bar incredibly low. Have you ever received a Christmas present? Also, an incredibly low bar coming. Have you ever received a Christmas present that wasn’t your favorite? For most of us, that means socks. Or many any number of other different items that we maybe didn’t want, but somebody said, hey, you have a need for that. I could be really mean about what certain people in this room would get as a gift, fitting the qualification of need, but I won’t because there was something about a truce a few weeks ago. And so as we think then about Christmas presents and not receiving something we really wanted, there’s one thing that overrides a desire, aside from manners, to not be frustrated, or to actually be happy with a gift that otherwise would have no value whatsoever.

It’s sentiment. It’s the gift giver. Sometimes it doesn’t matter what the gift is, it just matters that you give it to someone. So for example, when Kash and I were in college and she told me she wanted me to get a souvenir from where I was to let her know I was thinking of her. By the way, I was all the way in this weird place called Orlando, Florida, about an hour and a half away from Tampa. And I got her this Tigger pillow pet. You’ve seen those that kind of stuff together and then they unfold. Very impractical, but she loved it. Turns out much later, she would thought it was the greatest gift ever, and then I find out after being married, Tigger is not her favorite character.

But she keeps it. Because, for reasons unknown to me and everyone in this room, she’s thankful for the gift giver. More so even than the gift itself. One of the problems with the other side of that, though, is if we don’t actually allow ourselves to see love, to feel love, we let the devil in with one of his most vicious and vile and effective temptations. The idea that I don’t deserve love. That I’m not worth anything. And maybe it’s not that we think just inherently I’m worthless, but maybe I’ve done some things that make me unlovable, unknowable to those who otherwise would love me, and worse yet, unacceptable to a loving God. When Satan gets us to think that way, he’s starting to win. Because what he does, if you imagine walls closing in around you, he makes us stop looking to those who could pull us out of the funk.

You see the irony of having a self-worth crisis of not recognizing where God stands and where others stand with regard to where we are in their life, is that God’s word is the only thing that can and should prop us up and pull us out of that type of funk. Same goes with family, friends, and other loved ones. But when you feel Satan’s temptation that you are worthless, that you have no value, no place to serve, that you have damaged yourself in a way that you are now unacceptable, if not just downright unrecognizable, then we refuse to reach out for the very lifelines we need most. So it’s critical this morning as we understand the idea that we do have worth, that this is not only an important concept for day-to-day life, but moreover, this is crucial and critical to our spiritual lives.

1. Fearfully and Wonderfully Made in His Image

Read the words with me of the 139th Psalm beginning in verse 13. Psalm 139, verse 13, for you formed my inward parts. You knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works. My soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance. And your book were written every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. Of course, the beauty of creation, the power of creation, the majesty that goes with anything you can see comes from the goodness and greatness of God and his power.

And that includes everyone here this morning. We have to understand then that God doesn’t make junk. When we think of ourselves as unworthy of God’s love, unworthy of his forgiveness, not only are we doing a disservice to ourselves, we are insulting our Creator Himself, who made us, and as we’re going to study this morning, has made certain promises to us. We have to understand if Psalm 139 is true, that we are intricately made, that God deserves the credit and glory for creating us, then when I say I am worthless, when I refuse to see value that God instilled in me personally, I’m not just rejecting myself, showing some form of sadistic humility. I’m forgetting God in his rightful place as creator and owner of my life and soul.

You see, go back with me to Genesis chapter 1. We have to see we were created by God. That is crucial. If we think about the Christmas gifts and having an important value because of who they came from, what better gift is life? What greater sentiment is God creating us? In Genesis 1.26, on that sixth day of creation, then God said, Let us make men in our image. After our likeness, but don’t stop there, keep reading. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image. In the image of God, he created him.

Male and female, he created them. Now we read that so often that it doesn’t mean anything sometimes. It loses its value the more we refuse to think about the honor and the majesty of that moment. Think about this. You were made by God. If you don’t think that matters, think for a moment what you would do for the people you love the most. Your spouse, your parents, your children, a close friend. Who would do anything for them? Jesus said, and Paul would write that even a good man would die for someone he loves. We would do anything. We would be sacrificial for someone that we love. But God, the creator of the heavens and the earth, God who otherwise was with Jesus and the Holy Spirit, away from this earth creation that we think is the end all be all of creation.

He was there and made us. Not only did he make us in our image, a point we’re going to emphasize in a moment. Notice what he gave man dominion over fish of the sea, birds of the air, over every creeping thing. God said, I am making man, I am making them special, and they have a special what? Obligation or responsibility. Dominion implies authority, control, stewardship, if nothing else. God created you for that. He created me for those ideas. And so when we think then about this next part that’s emphasized both in 27 and the first of the words in 26, we were made not just created by God, fish were created by God. More importantly, cows were created by God and they taste great. But we were made in his image.

That is amazing. That is life altering that God made you.

And he made you special in his image is crucial and critical. Of course, the question is raised what does that mean? And we think about the difference in man and the fish of the sea. What’s the difference in man and the birds of the air and every creeping thing? It is the soul. We’re going to focus on the soul this morning because this is not a self-esteem seminar. Please don’t mistake it for one. This is a Bible study of our God who speaks to us through his inspired word. He gave us a soul that has the ability at a proper age to discern right from wrong, to choose to accept and live out what it means to accept God’s love and to love him in return, or to reject him at every turn.

2. God Protects His Precious Treasure

But we have to understand what choice we’re making and where we came from. And being made in the image of God is incredibly special. Think about for a moment the fact that there was God. And he said, I’m not only going to make man, I’m going to make him in our image. What could be more valuable than that? The perfect gift giver, the greatest gift, and the greatest honor of that gift from the perfect gift giver, all in one incredible package. But it wasn’t just when we were born. From beginning to end, and while we’re not going to study it, everything in between. God doesn’t make junk. And he protects his precious treasure. If you look in 1 John chapter 2, there’s many passages that we can look at.

But notice in 1 John 2, and this is important because unlike other passages that emphasize the idea that Jesus died just for some Christians. He didn’t just die for people who are quote unquote worth it. In fact, Romans 5 8 says God demonstrates his own love towards us and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. What point was Jesus making when he says even a good person would die for a friend or a righteous or a loved one? His point was that Jesus died for the unrighteous, the ungodly, the enemies of God. And so then we think about this in 1 John 2. Notice who Jesus died for. My little children, I’m writing these things to you so that you may not sin, but if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous.

Verse 2. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. How do you know when you love something or when somebody loves you, when not only do they make you, do they do a couple things at first, they protect you as you go. Parents often want their kids to go to the best schools, have the best jobs, have the best spiritual walk. In that sense, it’s not because they’re trying to protect their investment, it’s a sacrificial love, a desire that their kids have a better or at least as good life as they do. And as you think about Jesus dying in my place, in our place, what does that mean? It means not only did God love me, not only did God think to create me and give me that soul, that invaluable worth that will forever be mine at creation.

But he protected me when who ruined it, by the way? Who tarnished that soul? Who tarnished with my own choices? That great gift from God? Me. And not only do you see in verse 2 that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, you see in verse 1 that when we sin, perhaps in an ongoing fashion, we have what? An advocate. From the beginning, God created you in mind, in his image. While we are living, when we try to churn against God, if we have that willing heart, submissive soul of 1 John chapter 1, he will forgive you, cleanse you out of love, faithfulness, and justice. And when we were wrecked beyond repair before that forgiveness can take place, Jesus had to die. And we think about that every week as we rightfully should when we remember his death, his body and blood.

But remember what that means. Sometimes it’s easy to think of Jesus’ sacrificing crucifixion as a bulk purchase. Has anyone ever shopped it like a Sam’s or Costco’s? We love the value we get by going and buying lots of something. By the way, we talked about cows before. How about lots of beef? Right? It’s a good value. We like it. We feel better about spending money when it comes in bigger packages, even if we end up throwing half of it out. That’s not how Jesus’ sacrifice worked. Yes, verse 2 says he died for the sins of the whole world. Jesus did die for everyone. Acts 20 says he purchased the church of God with his own blood. But he died for you, and he died for me.

It wasn’t a bulk purchase, it was an individual transaction for every one of God’s precious treasures. Jesus died for you. Don’t let Satan or anyone else ever tell you anything else. So the question, of course, is why would we even have that problem? Why would we struggle? If God is so clear in his word from beginning to end, by the way, we haven’t even talked about what happens when you are redeemed, when you are bought with the blood of Jesus, that you have a hope of being with God forever in heaven. You read the beautiful picture of Revelation 21 and 28. You see the idea in 2 Corinthians 5 of yearning to be apart from this earthly body to be with God. But then how does the devil get us to be distracted?

3. Our Worth Only Comes From God

We start categorizing our worth in things that God has never dealt in. We start thinking that I’m not worth it because of my choices. Because of the container for my soul. Because of my riches or lack thereof. We have a worldly mindset rather than a spiritual mindset. Our worth has always and only been from God. It might be this morning that you hear a lesson like this and think this doesn’t matter or apply. And I hope for our sake that we don’t let the devil ever get us. But for those who are struggling, they understand. And for those who aren’t, please know this warning. Sometimes our self-confidence doesn’t come from God. You can have strong self-confidence, a strong assurance, and have it be from self and from God.

And that is worth nothing. God gives grace to the humble, but opposes the proud. When we look back at Psalm 139, notice where God puts the value. Notice where everything about us originates, forms, and the value is from. Verse 13, you formed my inward parts. You knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you. Why? For I am fearfully and wonderfully made. The praise, the glory, the honor for our creation is always and must always go to only God. Only God gives us power. Think about the last slide for a moment. Where is our worth? God who created us. God who made us in his image. God who sent Jesus to die for us. Our entire identity has to be wrapped up in what God gave us.

God loves you. He valued you enough to give you a soul. To send Jesus to die on the cross to save our souls. Any view of self that doesn’t originate from God is missing the point. And maybe if we are struggling with that point of view, you need to recognize that values never come from looks, riches, popularity, fame, job status. Our worth only comes from God. It’s given by God, protected by God, and sealed by God. And so we need to realize all things have been made possible by God. Look at Ephesians chapter 2. The only thing, the only type of spiritual stain, if you will, that we can put on God’s great creation, on his special gift, is when we choose actively to stain ourselves, to stain our garments to remove the white garments that Jesus died that we could have to free us from blemished, sinful choices.

But in Ephesians chapter 2, notice what God does for his children. Verse 4 of Ephesians chapter 2. But God, being rich in mercy. Why? Because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. So that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. By the way, did you see in verse 4? He’s rich in mercy because of the love with which he gave us. In verse 7, the kindness of God. All surrounding this great grace and mercy.

My choices, the very choices I can make to choose to ignore God’s love, to ignore Jesus’ sacrifice, are the very choices that we have an opportunity to be forgiven of if we will faithfully submit to God on His terms and on His perspective. Of course, that shouldn’t be a problem because we realize what are God’s terms for us? Terms of love. Terms of value. A desire for true lasting peace. And isn’t that what this exactly disrupts? When the tempter comes for us, it’s our internal peace that’s misconstrued. We think I can’t help in the Lord’s body. I’m not good enough. I don’t have a skill set. I don’t have a skill. I don’t have a contributing factor. That’s not true. God doesn’t make junk. I don’t have what it takes.

I don’t have what other people have. That’s not true. God made you special. God sent Jesus to die for you, just as well as the ones you view as more talented. And some might even say, you don’t know the choices I’ve made. That’s great, preacher, that you talk about God forgiving you, but you don’t know where I’ve been. You don’t know what I’ve done. And that’s true, I don’t. But I know God who can forgive you if you’ll turn back to him. I know our Father through his word teaches he loves and values the soul. He gave us so much that through his love and his kindness and his great mercy, grace is offered to his children. The question is only, will we accept that offer?

4. Nothing Can Separate Us From the Love of Christ

And so we have to see very clearly that worth cannot be removed from us by anyone else other than ourselves. I want you to open in your folders. I know there’s not enough for everybody, but please try to share. This is only a good thing to do in a church building. We’re going to work on sharing. If you will open this to number three, in Christ alone. Number three, in Christ alone. Notice the words of the songwriter here before we read Romans 8, verse 31 through 39. Number three, in the supplemental folder. In Christ alone, my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song. This cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm, what heights of love. What depths of peace.

When fears are still, when striving cease, my comforter, my all in all. Here in the love of Christ. I stand. Do you see where everything goes back to? My all in all-in-all. My comforter, my peace, my God. Verse 2. In Christ alone who took on flesh, fullness of God, and helpless babe. This gift of love and righteousness scorned by the ones he came to save. Till on that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied. For every sin on him was laid here in the depth of Christ, I live. Where is our hope? Where is our value? In Jesus, sent by God to redeem us. There in the ground his body lay, lie of the world by darkness slain. Then bursting forth in glorious day, up from the grave he rose again.

And as he stands in victory, sin’s curse has lost its grip on me. For I am his and he is mine, bought with the precious blood of Christ. Verse 4, can this be taken? No guilt in life, no fear in death. This is the power of Christ in me. From life’s first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny. No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from his hand till he returns or calls me home. Here in the power of Christ, I’ll stand. An important qualifier I know everyone’s thinking. These blessings of salvation, I have one more slide, don’t get too excited. These blessings are for Christians. For those who choose to faithfully submit to God’s word. But for those who do, look with me in Romans chapter 8.

Think about the words of in Christ alone. Think about the fact that nothing can take you from God’s hand. Jesus has already paid the price for sin. When we choose to spit in the face of God, to ignore his word, he sent Jesus to die in my place anyway. Romans 8 31, what then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is it to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died more than that who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger of sword? As it is written, For your sake we are being killed all the day long. We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of Christ Jesus our Lord. It’s that love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord that makes all of that possible. Never say you don’t have value. Because God doesn’t make junk.

God values you enough to not only create you, to create me, to give us a soul. But he sent Jesus to die on the cross to purchase the church, the chosen ones, the faithful ones with his blood. And when God sets his mind to do something out of love, out of convicting his own son to die in our place. Who are we to think anyone else could possibly determine our worth or steal away our service that we owe God? It can’t be done. No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from his hand. Those blessings are only in Christ alone, though. If you’re wondering, is it true that God really could forgive me based on where I’ve been and what I’ve done, please read the Old Testament.

Read about how the Israelites repeatedly scorned God, not just Jesus in the flesh, scorned God who was leading them. They said, No, we want a king. God said to go right, they said, no, we want to go left. And when they went left and faced the consequences, they said, God, why’d you let this happen to us? And finally they would confess and repent, and God would make it better. Then God would say, go right and they go left, and they say, God, why’d you let this happen to us? They would confess, they would repent, and God would forgive them, and then you can see the cycle on and on. In the New Testament, though, we read a story of the prodigal son. The Father, as long as that son had breath, the Father seems to be by the text watching and waiting for a son to return.

The prodigal son was a waste of his life. Literally wasted the fortune of his father, squandered it selfishly, by choice, by arrogance. And his father was still waiting for him with love. And that father doesn’t know half the love that our God contains. He doesn’t have a quarter portion of the love, mercy, kindness, and grace that God offers to his children who come back. You are not too far gone for God. You can’t be. Because our God’s too powerful, too big, and too strong. Let me be clear. You have to come back. The prodigal son was humiliated, humbled, and returned on his own volition. But the father was waiting, arms outstretched, and he received his son and had a celebratory feast. And so what this means for me is three simple ideas.

5. We’re Not a Burden

One is we’re not a burden. I’m not a burden in a physical way, and I’m not a burden in a spiritual way. Now, Kashka’s homesick this morning, so she can’t rebut what I just said. There are plenty of ways that we are a quote unquote obligation or responsibility to others. Some of us, like me, make it really hard on people we live with through needing a lot of different things. But when we think about the word burden in the English language, it’s not quite the same as it might be, as you might think of it. Burden in terms of obligation, sure, we create obligations for one another all the time. But when we hear the word burden, if I say someone is a burden to me, we have a negative connotation to that.

It’s something we have to do. We have to take care of it. It’s this burden weighing me down. And that’s not all how we’re to look at each other. Look in John chapter 13. Think for yourself in your own service for a moment, and then we’re going to circle back to that idea of how we should view ourselves. In John chapter 13 and verse 34, Jesus said, This new commandment I give to you, notice that you love one another just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By all this, people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. Now, was the burden of the cross of Christ difficult for Jesus? Yes. Was it a burden in a non-connotational tense of the word burden on Jesus?

Was it a burden for Jesus to die? Yes. But did Jesus go reluctantly to the cross? Did he go saying, I just have to do it. I don’t want to. I hate it. It makes me unhappy, but I’m going to do it. In Matthew 26, he’s praying three times, if possible, that this cup passed from me. But he submitted to it. Why? Lovingly, accepting God’s will that we needed his death. Willingly. Sacrificially. Lovingly. Jesus died for us. So if we are to love one another as Jesus loved us, that doesn’t just mean sacrificial. It means the attitude with which we sacrifice. Lovingly. Sacrificially. Kindly. There’s really two different types of situations that this would apply to. One is someone who internally thinks they’re a burden. And then there’s those who are unwilling to help because they don’t want to be a burden.

But in both cases, not only do we see that God created us to be a value, we’re supposed to love one another, by the way, love your neighbor as yourself. And we usually don’t think of taking care of ourselves as a burden. We think of it as an opportunity. We call it it self-improvement in the library section. Not only should we be looking at others with a loving disposition, we need to be willing to take their help. Because that’s what God’s plan is. That’s what his expectation is. And if people want to help, take it. Because they need to serve God and serve others. And when you’re in a position to give help, give it. Because you have an obligation to God and others. And that obligation is not to be burdensome or cumbersome, but an opportunity to show thanksgiving, not only to God, but recognition that that is a soul who needs help.

6. We Have a Purpose

Because that’s how God sees us. Where is our value? Where is our worth? He created us not just with the body, that’s not the important part. It’s the soul in the image of God he created him. Jesus didn’t die for our bodies. He died so that our soul might be cleansed from the stain of sin. And so when I look at myself and I look at others, I need to see souls, not bodies. I need to see opportunities, not obligations. I need to see a chance for love, not a chance for bitterness or frustration. We’re not a burden. But secondly, we have a purpose. Look with me at one final passage this morning. In Luke chapter 17. It’s great to focus on the love of God, the grace of God.

But what it means, the fact that we were bought with a price, as Paul would say twice in 1 Corinthians 6 and then in chapter 7, that we were bought with a price by Jesus, that God showed us love, that he does value us, that we are a treasure. It does carry some obligation and weight. In Luke 17 and verse 7, will any of you who has a servant ploughing or keeping sheep say to him, when he has come in from the field, come at once and recline at the table? Will he not rather say to him, prepare supper for me, dress properly, serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink. Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded?

So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, We are unworthy servants. We have only done what was our duty. What it means to be valued by God? It means not only that we can take advantage of the peace, security, love, and forgiveness of God, not only that we recognize we have value because God placed it there, we have value because God allows it to be there, but that because of that love, forgiveness, mercy, grace, I owe God everything. I am his servant. And you don’t, from the standpoint of a New Testament servant, look at someone and say, Thank you for doing the job. It’s our duty. It is our expectation by God. We have a purpose. You have a purpose. Satan not only gets us down, not only gets us depressed, not only gets us to feel alone, he keeps us from serving God.

God didn’t just create you to feel and take love. He created you to show love, to praise him and to serve others. That’s why we were made to bring glory to God. And God says, glory is brought to me by praising me and loving others more so than self. And so we have that purpose to live out. Do not mistake humility or depression for a reason not to serve. God has valued you way too highly for that. The truth is we owe God everything. Because we are valuable. Because we have worth placed by God. That can’t be taken by any power of hell or scheme of man. We owe God who gave, maintains, and secures our everything. Our everything. Don’t let the devil tempt you into not serving.

Conclusion

Stand up and fight. But realize you’re worth standing. God has equipped you for the fight. God loves you. God cares for you. And we should be thankful to Him always for that. Will you pray to Him with me at this time? Our dear God, we thank you for your love, your grace, and your mercy. Forgive us of our sins, forgive us of our cowardice, our discouragement. And when we allow ourselves to be caught up with things of the world, and so that we doubt you, we doubt your great plan. We doubt your love for us. Thank you for your great love that you constantly showed the rebellious Israelites, the rebellious kings who would repent, the New Testament servants who crucified Jesus and yet would repent and be baptized at your command.

Thank you for your word. Thank you for purchasing us at such a high price at the blood of your Son. Thank you for his love. Thank you for his sacrifice. May we love and sacrifice likewise as you deserve and the glory to which you belong. Thank you for all of your blessings. Keep us as we go through this day. It’s in your Son’s name we pray. Amen. We’re now dismissed to our Bible classes.