The Hidden treasures in Christ
Colossians 2:1-5
Good morning church- I am glad that you have taken the time to hear God’s word.
I pray that your heart is ready to receive what He has for us.
Please turn to Colossians 2:1-5 and then put your finger in Ephesians 2
Colossians 2:1-5 Read slowly and clearly
I have titled the message the hidden treasures of Christ.
Treasures are hard to find because someone has put it where no one else will find it.
They have buried it to protect someone who doesn’t belong to it to find it and take it.
You have to dig up a treasure or you have to uncover it by getting past its protective barrier.
So why would Christ in his word tell us that the treasures of Christ are hidden?
Well in the Old Testament, we see that Israel, the Jewish nation was the chosen people of God and God single handedly brought that nation out of bondage and out of slavery and promised to take them to the promised land, a land that was flowing with milk and honey.
You remember the event, the Egyptians hot on their trial as Pharaoh had second thoughts of letting them go.
The amazing parting of the Red Sea and the demise of the Egyptians and the miraculous victory for the Jewish nation.
You would think that they would gratefully serve a God like that and enter the promise land with all the promises.
But they continued to draw close and fall away from the one that saves. That sounds like today and most people relationship with God.
As long as He is doing what they think he should, they follow at a distance but following. If He does or allows something that they don’t like, because they think it is all about them, they separate from him. That is today also, as people find their lifestyle and life choices going away from God, they drift from God and do things that they know does not please God.
In the book of Isaiah, the scroll of which Jesus himself taught in the synagogue talked about a coming redeemer, one who would take away the yearly atonement of bloodshed for sin at the altar in the tabernacle and one who would be the ultimate and only sacrifice that we would need.
When Jesus finished teaching, he rolled up the scroll because the bible was not yet in book form and He said that today this word has been made complete and fulfilled in Him.
The church at Colosse, the Laodicea church, the one if you remember that John spoke of in the Book of The Revelation as the church that was not hot or cold and would be the church that Jesus spits out of his mouth was the church that Paul has to address some of their struggling issues.
Circumcision or not
What to eat and what not to eat. Clean and unclean
The animal sacrifices where now Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice paid for our sins because of what He did on the cross and His resurrection.
Jesus now was telling them some good news! That they should stop pulling away from God, stop serving other idols, not get hung up on all the rituals but enter into a personal relationship with the Lord. A treasure that was once buried in Old Testament prophecy was now coming to pass. A treasure that was now available to all that sought after it.
The hidden mystery of salvation was now for us to find in Christ. (Jesus) “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
What is the spiritual meaning of treasure?
The search for treasure has a twofold meaning (1) either the search is for earthly treasure, such as gold or jewels, usually hidden in a CAVE. Usually it is a matter of greed that you go after it and you are willing to lose your life to find of someone else and claim it for yourself. (2) It is spiritual treasure, symbolizing ... your precious relationship with Jesus, the heart that is given to the Lord, the storing up of not material things but spiritual blessings where moth or rust cannot destroy.
Paul fought false teaching of mysticism, mutilation of the body because some believed it was evil, and the lie that we could not spiritually have a relationship with Almighty God in a personal way.
HE DECLARED “IN HIM (CHRIST) ARE HID ALL THE TREASURES OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE.”
Point
My goal (Paul) is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
In Him is spiritual union, He desires a relationship.
There are many things He desires to show us and teach us.
Spiritual wisdom and knowledge is a truth that was hidden and is now found in Christ .
The Holy Spirit to dwell within us and lead us to God’s truth.
The deeper things of God are hidden to those who perish and to those that think the things of God are foolishness, but to a seeking believer that it is endless treasures that He opens us up to everyday of our lives.
The Bible is full of treasures!
Studying, obeying what we are shown, will yield riches that many won’t be able to find!
Praying brings us comfort but praying also brings us wisdom and knowledge of God.
There are world treasures that are based upon greed and what this world offers and there are treasures that can change your life because they come from the Lord Himself!
There is a principal here- Those not looking will not find but those who seek the things of God are guaranteed to find them.
You go after the things of God like some go after the world and you will see that the one searching for the things of God will find them and those searching for world treasures are always looking and never finding or will have them destroyed or taken from someone else.
Greed…selfishness and a lack of doing what is right.
We all could share testimony but hopefully we have learned where to go after treasures.
Illustration-
Once when I was seven or eight years old, I hid money at the side of the local fire house next to my grandparent’s house. I went to the corner store several times and bought candy and junk. Each time I would go back to my hiding spot and eat the candy. When I went in for lunch my grandmother asked me why I was at Mr. Wilson’s store. I denied going into the store. My grandma said Tony I am asking you to tell me the truth and again I denied going to the store. She said Mr. Wilson called her that you had a lot of money and spending on junk. She also said Fire Chief Ted saw you several times on the side of the fire house digging in the flowers and eating. She then made me walk over to the fire house and show her where the money was- it was not my finest moment and all I can say was I didn’t receive time out from my grandfather. It was the only time in my life that my grandfather had to spank me and I believe it sickened him to have to do it. Where we store our treasures and how we got the treasure and what we do with our treasures are important.
Matthew 6:19-21
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust.”
Isaiah 45:3, “And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness — secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.”
“Attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:2-3).
Near the close of Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he makes a personal plea that his readers will pray for him and Timothy as they continue to preach and teach in various cities: “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains“ (Colossians 4:3). The term mystery (Greek musterion) refers to something not previously revealed.
Paul adds that the mystery had been revealed not only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles. That mystery, Paul says, is “Christ in you—the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). A bit further into the context, Paul refers to God’s mystery as Christ Himself (Colossians 2:2). Throughout his letter to the Colossians, Paul identifies the mystery as Christ and His relationship to believers being revealed in a way not previously communicated.
The identity of the Christ had not been revealed in any detail in the Old Testament, though there were, of course, many prophecies anticipating His earthly ministry.
As Ephesians is a similar letter written by Paul around the same time, it is helpful to consider Paul’s use of the word mystery in that context as well. He mentions “the mystery“ in Ephesians 1:9, 3:3, and 3:9, but he doesn’t offer any definition in those verses.
However, in Ephesians 3:4 Paul refers to the “mystery of Christ,” which he identifies in Ephesians 3:6:
“This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.“ In Colossians 4:3
While Paul uses the term mystery on a number of occasions in his other letters, the reference isn’t always to the mystery of Christ and His relationship with people, as it seems to be in Colossians and Ephesians.
Paul recognizes that he is stewarding the mysteries (plural) of God (1 Corinthians 4:1). In Romans 11:25 the mystery is that there would be a partial hardening of Israel. In 1 Corinthians 15:51, the resurrection—and the rapture, more specifically—is referred to as a mystery. There is even a mystery of lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2:7).
While Paul stewards and communicates several of God’s mysteries, he speaks of none in such detail and repetition as he does the mystery of Christ (Colossians 4:3).
What a joy to know that Jesus loves us and that His grace toward us was part of God’s plan from the very beginning.
A “mystery” in the New Testament is something that had at one time been hidden but is now revealed to God’s people. Jesus told His disciples, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted”
The apostle Paul often spoke of such “mysteries”:
Jesus’ incarnation (1 Timothy 3:16)
The indwelling of the Spirit (Colossians 1:26–27)
The unity of the church (Ephesians 3:4–6)
The rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51–52)
The gospel (Colossians 4:3).
All these truths were “hidden” from the prophets of old but have been revealed plainly to us today. They are “mysteries” that are no longer mysterious to the child of God. “The mystery of faith” is the divinely revealed truth about grace, redemption, and forgiveness in Christ.
Treasures have to be dug for. In the bible are treasures that will change your life. They are truths that once were hidden but are now available to the believer.
The more you dig into God word the more you can receive also it does not matter how long you serve God he will always be able to take you into a deeper relationship. We have all of eternity and we will be constantly learning and being shown new things by a creative and mighty God who loves us as his children.
We talked on Wednesday study about pain and the things that we sometimes have to go through. Does God get enjoyment out of watching us hurt? Of course not, but he does enjoy when we learn lessons and go deeper with our relationship with him and he does use situation and circumstances to draw us closer to him.
Close-
“Dead man Walking” is a phrase used to describe a maximum security prisoner who is about to be executed-“Green mile” if you ever saw that movie. That phrase is us without Jesus- we are awaiting sentencing for our sins and without Jesus we will be found guilty.
The hidden treasure is found in Jesus- He has provided a stay of execution because of what He did for us on the cross. There are many truths revealed so that we can have and trust a relationship with Christ. There are also so many truths to be revealed to us as we serve the Lord and by seeking in His word, praying, and experiencing fellowship with like-minded believers in service of worship that will make our lives abundant and fulfilling!
Last example as we pray-
Have you ever seen the TV show “who wants to be a millionaire?”
They are given a certain amount of lifelines to help get the answers right. I think many approach life like this-
50/50- ½ the wrong answers are removed. They believe that have a 50/50 chance to get into heaven and hope that they have done enough good.
Phone a friend- they follow what others do, even if they know that it does not please the Lord.
Ask the audience- Majority rules… even if the majority rejects God and His Word.
If you do not believe that Jesus loves you, it will affect how you live your life. It is a lie from the pit of hell that keeps you from knowing and understanding that but it is also a lie from the pit of hell that says that God will not correct us when we are doing something wrong.
