Jesus- the treasure of all wisdom and knowledge

The Holy Spirit Points Us to Christ

Is the third person of the Godhead, the Trinity. The Holy Spirit, His function, according to the Word of God, is to point us to the Lord Himself. The Holy Spirit brings to mind what God has said and what God has spoken in His Word.

In that song, Holy, Holy, Holy, that we sang, that, I can't remember exactly if it was the last verse, but all thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea. And we think about that a lot of times, I think in just the general sense, but when these songs were written, the focus was on the Lord.

It wasn't just about what God has done in nature, but it's about what God has done in Christ. And what God did in Christ is why man can be made a new creation. I was reminded what the Word of God says in the book of Ephesians chapter two, and this is not where we're preaching from, but I have to read this passage to you because it so typifies the sound theology in that just that one verse of that song.

In Ephesians chapter two, verse one, Paul writing to the Ephesian church said this, and you he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once also walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, just as others, but God, who is rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, for by grace you have been saved, and has raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus, for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Now listen, for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them, that all of his works should praise his name. I want you to know today, March 1987, as Rob put it, I was made aware of in time as we know it, that I was God's child, and that from all eternity, that he set his love on me to save me, and now I am his workmanship.

Therefore, how can I do anything but praise his name? So when we sing that song, consider that, when we sing any of these songs, consider the rich theology in these songs. Theology does matter. By the way, when we do the theology Q &A on July 21st, I again want to just here at the front, remind you all to remember this date, July 21st at 5 p .m., we're gonna join it.

We'll have a joint service with Eden Chapel. We're gonna have the time of Q &A where we're gonna answer some theological questions as a group, some men here from the church, Aaron, and another man from his church, the other elder there, and his church will be there as well.

But Aaron's going to preach, and he's gonna be preaching on the subject, theology, what it is and why it matters. And then we're gonna sing some songs together, and then we'll have a little bit of time for the Q &A, but we want the word of God to be the central focus in that time that we have together.

So I want to remind you of that, July 21st at 5 p .m., we'll be having an evening service here together with them. So if you would, turn in your Bibles to the book of Colossians, and we're just gonna look at three verses from the second chapter.

Christ in Whom Are Hidden All the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge

It's where we are in the book of Colossians. And I know today is Father's Day, and truly, fathers need wisdom. Truly, fathers need knowledge on how to live according to the scriptures, on how to love our wives, on how to love our children, on how to love those around us.

But it's not just fathers that need it. Truly, it is men and women alike that we need God's wisdom in our lives. And today, that's what we're going to look at very briefly. Again, just the first three verses of chapter two, let's go ahead and read that together.

Colossians chapter two, verse one, two, and three, the word of God reads like this. For I want you to know what a great conflict I had for you and for those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and 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.

Heavenly fathers, we come before your throne. I thank you and I praise you for your mercy, for your grace. God, I thank you today for your sovereignty, and I thank you today for your providence, dear God, for we are where we are by your guiding hand.

I'm thankful today for that. Lord, I'm thankful for the fact that you sent your son, Jesus Christ, to die an atoning death for my sin, dear God, and for raising again on the third day to give hope of eternal life, that we may have the forgiveness of sins and the reality of eternal life would be present in us.

I am thankful to you, Holy Spirit, that you through your work and through the word of God, that you recall to mind what you have accomplished in out throughout all of time as we know it, and even out of time as we do not understand it all, God.

I'm thankful for what you have done. And I'm thankful today that you truly are all the wisdom and all the knowledge that we need to bring glory and honor to your name in this world. Help us as we look at your word today.

Help us as we study, help us as we go away. God, I pray that you would burn it into our hearts and into our minds, the truth and the power of the wisdom and the knowledge of God, for it's in Jesus' name I pray, amen.

The Theme of the Message: The Treasure of Wisdom and Knowledge

Amen, and the theme today of the message will again taken straight from the text of scripture is this, the theme is the treasure of wisdom and knowledge. Who is the treasure of wisdom and knowledge would might be the first question that we ask.

Again, this is answered from the text of scripture itself. God, the father and of Christ. So the apostle Paul continues here and you'll notice probably in the coming weeks, it's gonna be, we're gonna likely Lord willing move to a large portion, likely the remainder of the second chapter next week.

But this week as we stop right here and just look at this little short set of statements that the apostle Paul makes it, I think it's very important that we understand and that we know the importance of knowing that Jesus Christ, God, the father, the son, the Holy Spirit, that from them and them alone comes true wisdom and true knowledge.

In another place in the New Testament we're taught, if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all men liberally and upbraids, the King James says upbraids, the New King James says does not hold back but gives liberally to all men.

That means all kinds of men. When you read that word all, it's all kinds of men to men and women alike that God gives unto them wisdom according to the truth and the knowledge of his word. So very quickly again, I know we do a lot of recap but if you're anything like me and your mind and your body gets tired, sometimes you forget.

Remember, Paul is addressing the issue of the Colossians ascetic practices. He's addressing their issue of mediating their worship through angels and so what he does at the latter portion of that first chapter is reminds them of the preeminence of Jesus Christ, that there is none above him, that there is none beside of him.

And so picking up here in the second chapter, he continues, the apostle Paul continues his plea unto them basically. He says, I want you to know what a great conflict I had for you and those in Laodicea, remembering that this letter to Colossae was intended to be read at Laodicea as well.

And he said, for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh and what Paul's aim and what Paul's goal was, was this. It's very clear, he said that I wish that their hearts may be encouraged. How can you be encouraged as a Christian outside of the word of God?

I'm gonna say and make a very bold statement. You cannot as a Christian be encouraged outside of the word of God. Ultimately, all encouragement outside of the word of God will fall, fail and come short.

Listen, I'm telling you this because worldly wisdom, the world has all kinds of wisdom that it's gonna try to give to you. The world has all kinds of wisdom that it's gonna try to sell to you. Go to the bookstore, go online to amazon .com and look up self-help books.

And you'll find book after book, after book, after book, after book, some even stating to be Christian, but they are not teaching godly principles to their readers, they are teaching worldly wisdom unto their readers.

And the wisdom of this world will fail ultimately. So Paul, again, he's pointing them to Jesus Christ. He says, I want you to be encouraged, I want you to be knit together, being knit together means woven together in love.

And then he said, and I want you to attain, I want you to achieve to all riches of the full assurance, full assurance. There is nothing that makes me personally, maybe other than dogs, there's nothing other than dogs that makes me uncomfortable in life than not having an understanding of what I'm doing or what I'm going into.

Because there is uncertainty when I don't have an understanding of what I'm going into or what I'm doing. And I can't seem to plot out in my mind how I'm going to react or respond. But if I know and I understand what I'm going into and what I'm looking at, then I have a little, I feel like I have a little bit more control.

Now what Christians need today, there's a very sad statement that are made by many within the church world today. You ask them, can you be absolutely certain that when you die, you will go to heaven? Some would say, well, I hope that will be the case.

Well, I think I'll go to heaven. Well, I've done this, so I think because I've done this that I'll go to heaven. No, you need to be absolutely sure. Is it possible for a Christian to have absolute assurance of salvation?

I'm telling you, according to the word of God, yes, Bill, it is absolutely able. You are absolutely able as a Christian to have assurance. If you read the book of 1 John, the book of 1 John was written for this purpose that you may know and have assurance that he has gave his life for you by what goes on by the inner working of the Holy Spirit in your life.

But Paul goes on to say this, that you may attain to all the riches of the full assurance of understanding. And then he directs his, he concentrates his statement more focus. And he says, not only just have understanding of general matters, but have an understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God.

Now, he is not stating that all Christians that, and I'm gonna be so bold as to say this, there is no Christian who will ever fully understand God because if we could, he would cease to be God. Amen. Let me take another step.

Even when we get to heaven, we are not gonna have God all figured out. He will be God in heaven just as he is. He is here on the earth. He will be omniscient. He will be all powerful. He will be sovereign just as he is today.

But we can, according to the word of God, have a greater knowledge and understanding of who God is. And that was Paul's desire for these Colossians so that they would not seek to these ascetic practices, so they would not seek to mediate their worship through angels.

He points them to Jesus and he says, I want for you to have all the riches because truly there is great, great riches in knowing who God is and what God has done. And so he says, both of the father and of Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

He was speaking to a group of people, a largely Gentile congregation who sought worldly wisdom. And they were quote unquote saved and yet they continuously, as the other churches did, as all churches do today, this is why we must always be pointing you back to the word of God, churches then, churches now, will always be trying to incorporate a little bit of the world in with what God has said so that we can accentuate what God has said and make it just a little bit better.

You cannot improve on the word of God. You cannot improve upon the wisdom of God and you cannot improve upon the knowledge of God. So in thinking about this very quickly, if you would, I wanna ask you to turn to the book of Proverbs, Proverbs chapter one.

The Fear of the Lord Is the Beginning of Knowledge

Proverbs is the book of wisdom. It's referred to as one of the wisdom literature books. We have Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon as books of wisdom. And I wanna share just a little bit from there and just to explain from the word of God, let the word of God explain itself, what true wisdom is and what true wisdom does and all of that in light of the fact, in light of the truth and the fact that Jesus Christ, that God, the Father, God, the Son and God, the Holy Spirit are the fount of all wisdom and knowledge.

I don't know how we could go all the way back to Genesis 1 .1 to understand that. Who else could make the heavens and the earth? Who else could make the land, the sky and the seas? Who else could divide the waters from the land?

Who else says to the ocean, you can only go this far. That's wisdom. We think we've got it figured out and we learn how to change our oil. God is true wisdom. And so in the book of Proverbs, and as we're gonna, we'll see maybe next week as we move further into Colossians, but this is where we're gonna spend the rest of our time this morning in Proverbs.

Again, understanding that the treasures of the knowledge of wisdom, the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in the Lord. The book of Proverbs, the writer is likely Solomon, most of the book of Proverbs in general, but as we pick up here in chapter one of the book of Proverbs, this is what the writer says.

Verse two, to know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity. So know this, to know wisdom and instruction, to perceive, to hear the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, to not just be a hearer of the word, but a doer of the word, because what you take in will come out, and to understand and to know the world is plagued with how do we solve social justice issues?

Well, I'm gonna give you the answer to that today. I know I'm seem like I'm giving you all kinds of answers today, but I'm certain of these answers. The world says, how are we gonna solve social justice issues to the church?

I'm gonna say this, we must preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is how we solve social justice issues. For it is only the blood of Jesus Christ that gives forgiveness to the hearts of sinful men that makes them think rightly and know and do rightly.

So he explains here, the writer explains to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity, what is truly just, what is truly right judgment, what is truly equity, and that is what the Lord does.

And then it says this, the purpose of wisdom is to give prudence to the simple. When you see this word, the simple used there, it's speaking to those who many times are willfully ignorant of the knowledge of God.

Some would say, well, the preacher's message didn't really affect me none, it just went in one ear and out the other. Well, whose fault is that? Is that God's fault? No, that's your fault, because you need to understand and know that as a Christian, when you hear the preached and taught word of God, the sung word of God, the testified word of God, that God is giving you more and more knowledge of himself, and it will do you good to take heed.

It gives prudence to the simple, to the young man, knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear and increase in learning. And we see throughout the Proverbs, we see this contrast and this comparing of the wise man and the foolish man.

So if a wise man will hear and increase in learning, it goes without saying that a foolish man thinks he doesn't need to hear, and he doesn't need to learn. If you think you've got it all figured out, then join the big part of the world, go ahead and write another book on that so somebody else can throw their money down the toilet and refuse to heed and listen to the word of God.

A man of understanding will attain wise counsel. Where does wise counsel come from? From the word of God. And then he goes on in verse seven, and he says this, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

That's where you start. That's where you start. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. In the book of Luke, it's gospel. Jesus said, I say unto you that you should fear him who has power to cast both soul and body into hell.

Friends, you need to understand and know that your life is in the hand of God. There are people in the world who say that they are atheists and say, I don't believe in God. My life is in my own hands.

No, your life is in the hand of Almighty God. The breath that you are breathing right now at this very moment is because of the common grace of God to all men. And he goes on to say this, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

My son, hear the instruction of your father and do not forsake the law of your mother for they will be like a graceful ornament on your head and chains about your neck. Listen to this sound wisdom. If sinners entice you, do not consent.

If they say come with us, let us lie in wait to shed blood. Let us work secretly for the innocent without cause. Let us swallow them alive like Sheol and whole like those who go down to the pit. They say we shall find all kinds of precious possessions.

We shall fill our houses with spoil, cast in your lot among us and let us all have one purse. My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your foot from their path. Keep for their feet run to evil and they make haste to shed blood.

Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. We've got turkey hunters, Rob's a turkey hunter. What if Rob, you go turkey hunting and you eyeball that turkey and you look at it and you say, you wait right there and you plot out a net for it.

You're watching that bird and that bird's watching you. You think that bird's gonna come to you right on after that? No. It says surely the net is spread in vain. He goes on. If we read just a little bit further, so are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain.

It takes away the life of its owners. Seeking true wisdom, seeking true knowledge in God is not about you personally necessarily making gain. It's about you understanding and knowing who God is so that you can live content in this life.

Wisdom calls aloud outside. She raises her voice in the open squares. She cries out in the chief concourses at the opening of the gates in the city. She speaks her words and this is what's cried out by wisdom.

How long you simple ones will you love simplicity for scorners delight in their scorning and fools hate knowledge. Turn at my rebuke. Surely I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make my words known to you.

If any man lacks wisdom, I guess this is the principle that's in play right now. This is the so what do you expect me to do with this preacher question that's answered right now? I expect for you to know that you do not have all the answers and that you need the Lord.

You need wisdom and you need knowledge to navigate this course of life in which we live. I need wisdom, I need knowledge to navigate this course of life in which I live and I know that it is found in the word of God.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God. And God gives to all men liberally and upbraids not. So wisdom goes on to say this. Surely I'll pour out my spirit on you. I will make my words known to you and then wisdom says, because I've called and you refused, I've stretched out my hand and no one regarded because you disdained all my counsel and would have none of my rebuke.

Wisdom says, I also will laugh at your calamity. That's a very strong statement. As parents, we try to teach and guide our kids in the right path. As friends to one another, we try to lead and guide one another in the ways of truth and righteousness.

When we try to do this according to the word of God, it will be beneficial to the giver of the wisdom and the receiver of the wisdom. But to those who disdain godly counsel, those who ignore godly wisdom, just to put it as plain as I know how to, it'll come back and bite you in the high end.

It'll get you. And you'll be reminded when the calamity comes because wisdom said, I gave you a right way. I gave you knowledge of the truth and yet you ignored it. For those many, many, many who are in hell to this very day have left this world having ignored the pleas and the cries of the gospel preachers who proclaim the word of God to them are being reminded this very second that you have ignored God's truth, that you ignored the wisdom of God, that you ignored the fact of the matter, that you're unable of yourself to save yourself and that you stand in need of a savior.

Many today in this world will ignore gospel preaching because to them it just does not make sense. But we know this to be true. That's what the apostle Paul said. There are many who will mock. There are many who will disdain, who will ignore the message of the cross because to those who are perishing, the message of the cross is foolishness.

But unto us which are being saved, it is the power of God. It is true wisdom. It is true knowledge. Goes on to say this, you disdain my counsel. You would have none of my rebuke. Therefore, I will also laugh at your calamity.

I will mock when your terror comes. When your terror comes like a storm and your destruction comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call on me, but I will not answer.

They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. Why do men and women and churches all around us keep trying to do things their way because they don't have the fear of the Lord?

Because they think they can do it on their own. But we cannot do it on our own. We cannot stand on our own. We cannot breathe on our own. It is of the Lord's mercies as the prophet Jeremiah wrote that we are not consumed.

And he goes on to say this, they did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would have none of my counsel. They despised my every rebuke. Therefore, they shall eat the fruit of their own way and be filled to the full with all their own fancies.

You wanna know the dumbest thing that you can do today as a old person or a young person in this room? The dumbest thing you can do is to ignore what thus says the word of God. If I was up here telling you God was giving me a new word, then you ought to put your fingers in your ears and run out of this place.

That, well, that's a good idea too. That's the truth. He's telling y 'all the truth. But as it is, I'm gonna be so bold to make a statement right here that when we open this book, whether it's coming out of my mouth or Sir's mouth or Kenny's mouth or Rob's mouth, any other preacher that stands in this pulpit, when they open this book and they read from this, you are hearing the very word of God.

And you ought to take heed to the truth of God. They will call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me. They'll have none of my counsel going on down to verse 32. For the turning of the way of the simple will slay them and the complacency of fools will destroy them.

The turning away of the simple, those who are willfully ignorant of the wisdom and the knowledge of God will slay you. It will kill you. And the complacency of fools will destroy you. Complacency means that you're satisfied with things just as they are.

You are believing the devil's lie if you think that you are saved and you don't need any more. Well, I got my ticket punched. I'll just show up at church every now and then and I'll be okay and I'll be about my business and I'm gonna go on to heaven.

Friend, your faithfulness to God demonstrates the evidence of your confession of faith concerning God. If you're saved, you will desire the things of God. Blessed are they, Jesus said, who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.

What was Paul's desire for them? That they would be full of the riches of the assurance of the understanding of the knowledge of God, both of the Father and of Christ. Whoever listens to me will dwell safely and will be secure without fear of evil.

The psalmist wrote, the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. That sounds like a man who is secure. That sounds like a man who has felt safe. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside the still waters. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. And then he went on to say this, he said, you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

Listen, that's the evidence of this. Whoever listens to me concerning wisdom and the knowledge of God will be secure and without fear of evil. He said, my sons, if you, or my son, if you receive my words, chapter two, verse one there, and treasure my commands within you so that you incline your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding, yes, if you cry out for discernment.

Discernment means to know the difference, to make a distinction. If you cry out for discernment and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver and search for her as hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

That was Paul's desire for them. It was rooted and grounded in the wisdom and the knowledge of God. And that was found in their time in the writings of the Old Testament, in the Hebrew Bible. It is found in our time through the writings of the Old Testament as well as the New Testament because God gave them revelation concerning the new covenant.

We've got the best of both worlds here in our day and age. How can we not be grateful? How can we not be thankful? How can we not be digging into the truth of God's word? I wanna close, and I'm gonna close here right now, but I want to read you just a little bit of the theology of Proverbs just very quickly here.

At the heart of the book of Proverbs is the doctrine of God as creator. You'll see it throughout the book of Proverbs. As creator, God is in control of his creation. While his holiness is not taught explicitly in the book of Proverbs, the holiness of God is assumed as the foundation of the moral code contained in the book of Proverbs.

Clean living won't get you to heaven. It's not saying that. It's saying clean living is a direct result of the knowledge and the wisdom of God being in you, that you fear God. As holy God, he is also just.

The sovereign, holy, just creator is knowable because he has chosen to reveal himself and those who know him find him to be completely trustworthy. This is what Proverbs is about. Far from being a distant God, the Lord is close enough to hear the prayers of those who trust him.

Above all, the theology of Proverbs is practical theology. That's just good wisdom. Kira, what you heard in the word here, what your mom tells you many times, mom and dad tells you many times, don't get mixed up with the wrong crowd.

Rosie, don't run with the wrong people. If folks are doing things that are wrong, your dad will say, don't get mixed up with them, don't do that. Because if you get in trouble, you're not only getting in trouble with the group that you're mixed up with, but you're getting in trouble when you get back home with your dad.

Does that sound wise? Staying in trouble? No, staying out of trouble sounds wise. I'm not gonna say you won't get in trouble for following God, because you will get in trouble for following God. And we won't get into the depths of that, but that's just the truth of the matter.

When you stand for the truth, the world will hate you, but it's wise to do right. There was an old preacher years ago, used to, he would get excited while he's preaching and he'd clap his hands and he'd cup his hands and he'd shout up at the ceiling.

He'd say, it's right to do right. How true is that? Is it ever wrong to do right? No. What's true and what's right is God's word. You need direction. You need to know what's wrong and what's right, clearly set forth.

Don't go to the world, go to the word. God's word will never lead you astray. In God is the treasures of all wisdom and all knowledge. Stand with us if you would this morning. And sir, would you care to dismiss us in prayer?

Lord, it's again we come before you.