Wisdom For 2026 - Part 3 by Pastor Jerry Eze: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

Live Like a Merchant

Matthew 13:45-46

The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man seeking goodly pearls, who when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

The first word in verse 45 is "again" — a gain. If you don't apply what it is saying, it becomes a loss. If you don't treat the kingdom like a merchant, it is going to be a loss.

Wisdom one: live like a merchant man. Make this your mindset — every second of your life, always find out: what are you buying or what are you selling?

If sitting in a conversation that has taken 30 minutes, ask yourself: what am I buying or what am I selling? If not giving value and not receiving value, there is no reason to be there.

Every minute of life is a transaction. Don't waste the time God wants to use to make greatness happen in your life.

What you are buying or selling must be giving expression to the kingdom of heaven. If the value being exchanged is not adding to or advancing the kingdom, there is no true gain.

Your Wound Is Someone's Game

Pearls are produced by wounded oysters. When a parasite attacks an oyster, it produces nacre as a defense. The pearl is formed from the wound. One in 10,000 oysters produces a pearl.

The merchant does not go looking for the wounded oyster — he goes looking for the product of the wound. He picks up the pearl, sells it, and makes the money. He never goes back to share the profit with the oyster.

Your wound is someone's game.

Why stay wounded and make them gain? They felt bad for one month — their lives are moving on. Two months — they are doing well. Never parade your wound. Never show them your wound.

Don't bleed on people that did not hurt you. Don't transfer aggression to people who had nothing to do with the wound.

Some have healed from the wound but it has left a major scar. Now there is a foreign policy — don't want to smile too much, don't want to be too forthcoming, don't want to trust. All of this is being led by the wound, not by the Spirit.

As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God — not as many as are led by their wounds.

Some are even led by the wounds of their parents. That is how my father was nice to people and they treated him wrongly — so I made up my mind I will not be kind to anyone. Who told you that you are your father?

Don't let your wounds lead you.

God Sometimes Allows the Wound So the Pearl Can Come Out

The best of you is not when things are okay. Sometimes God lets them break you so that you can run to him. God allows them to disappoint you. The wound becomes an opportunity for your pearl to come out.

There are some people you need to thank — thank those that didn't help you, thank those that didn't see you, thank those that treated you like you didn't matter. Because before the end of April, a precious pearl will come out of you.

That perfume that was in the alabaster box — the smell would not have filled the room if that alabaster box had not been broken. There is a fragrance that the generation needs to smell, and God let them break you so it will come out.

You Came Looking for Pearls — Don't Reduce It

This merchant man was looking for pearls — plural. But God gave him one, because the one he could find was what he could afford. He had to use everything he had just for one pearl.

You began this year looking for some things. The lie of the enemy: as you progress, the devil will say adjust, reduce, minimize. It may not happen like that. Don't reduce your expectation.

You came this year looking for pearls. Don't minimize it to stones. The devil wants to break your focus. At some point you might say, whatever happens, let it happen. No.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

The elders obtained a good report through faith. Whatever was searched for — you will get it.

• You came this year saying you will be more focused — February is here, don't break your focus.
• You came this year saying you will be more resilient — don't lose your resilience.
• You came this year saying you will not walk in fear — do not be afraid again.
• You came this year believing God for expansion — don't adjust that expectation.

Once the Lord has spoken a prophecy or given a vision, the devil will come to attack the belief, attack the faith, attack everything. You came looking for pearls — please don't reduce it to pebbles.

Sell What Needs to Be Sold

The merchant man went and sold all that he had and bought it. He needed to dispossess himself of some things in order to possess something new.

If there are some things wished for this year, come back to the place of asking: Lord, what needs to go? The thing desired cannot come meeting laziness. The thing desired cannot come meeting the same old habits.

Sometimes a painful decision must be taken — because there is a pearl about to come, and the Bible says he sold all that he had.

There are some things that need to go — not because they are bad, but because they are not needed in the new season.