Sermon Notes

Matthew 13:44–46 NIV
⁴⁴ “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.
⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. ⁴⁶ When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

What does it mean to seek King Jesus?

Micah 5:2 NIV
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

Matthew 2:1–12 NIV
¹ After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem ² and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
³ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
⁶ “ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
⁷ Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. ⁸ He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
⁹ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Proverbs 8:17 NIV
I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.

Deuteronomy 4:29 NIV
But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Jeremiah 29:13 NIV
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Discussion Igniters

(1)  Read Matthew 13:44–46.
How should we think about our relationship to Jesus and his kingdom?

(2)  Has there ever been a time when the demands and pursuits of life have put your relationship with Jesus on the back burner? Did you get out of that season of life? How? 

(3)  Read Matthew 2:1–12.
Why do you think the Magi were willing to travel more than 1,000 miles through dangerous territory to find Jesus?

(4)  What would change if you were willing to be like the Magi and go to extreme lengths to make room for Jesus in your life?  

(5)  What is the biggest obstacle to your pursuit of Jesus right now? What do you need to do to make sure it doesn’t continue to get in the way of your relationship with Jesus?