What is the Gospel worth to you?

I love the Christmas film “Jingle All the Way” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as a dad who is too preoccupied with his career. He forgets to pick up the famous Turbo Man toy for his son for Christmas. So, the whole film centers around how Arnold has to go out on Christmas Eve and search for this toy that has been sold out everywhere. In the final scene, through a series of events, Arnold has to dress up like Turbo Man and saves the day. Jamie is thrilled that his dad is Turbo Man! Finally, Arnold gives Jamie a Turbo Man toy, only to have Jamie turn around and give the doll to someone else. Arnold says, “But Jamie, I thought you wanted this doll more than anything!” and Jamie replied, “What do I need the doll for? I got the real Turbo Man at home!” 

In Matthew 13 Jesus tells a series of parables and in verses 44-46 He tells two brief and similar ones. They go like this, “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. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for find pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

Every human soul is searching for something – something to give us value, fulfillment, purpose – something that completes us – satisfies this internal appetite that craves something more than this life. I want to tell you that every soul is longing for The Holy Spirit’s presence, a relationship with our Maker. This relationship is the power source our soul’s hunger for, and we try to satisfy with lesser things. 

Here it is, if you have Jesus than you can let go of all the “toys” – the fillers – the fakes.

The question is – what are you turning to instead of Jesus? What are you still running to instead of Him? 

The message here is not to sacrifice that out of guilt and shame but to be joyfully freed from that because you realize you have the real fulfillment, the genuine eternal life in Jesus. 

I don’t have to do this sin anymore, I don’t have to worry about pleasing people anymore, I don’t have to live for money anymore, and the list goes on.  

I remember talking to a friend who was totally obsessed with having a girlfriend. He felt that if he wasn’t in a serious romantic relationship, he was incomplete. After a series of mistakes he was at the end of his rope and there he learned that all he needed was the Lord. He came to realize that even if he never got married, never dated again he would have all he needed in the Lord. It wasn’t long after this realization that God placed his future wife in his life. 

I remember a friend of mine who was also a preacher. He shared that his entire self-worth, even his moods centered around his ability to preach well. His greatest fear was that his gift would be taken from him if he didn’t handle it well. He said that if he couldn’t preach, he wouldn’t have an identity. God used a series of events in his life to show him that he had replaced Christ with his career, with preaching! He finally got to the place where he realized that even if he couldn’t preach, he still had the Gospel and now he enjoys preaching for God’s glory more than he ever did before. 

Do you know that you cannot get anymore rich than when you come to know Christ? Do you know that you can’t be any safer than when you come to know Christ? Do you know that you cannot accomplish anything greater than coming to know Christ?

The question for you to consider today is what false idol can you now put down, what counterfeit high can you finally let go of because you now have the real thing in Christ? 

People may be shocked when you do it – they may say something like “But I thought you wanted that more than anything?” And you can confidently say, “What do I need a doll for? I got the real Turbo Man at home!”