Endless treasures in christ
Ephesians 3:3–11
endless treasures – can’t cover them all today, because they are endless
unsearchable, without limit
THE TREASURES OF CHRIST
1. They are endless (impossible to fully count and value) Eph 3:8
2. They are eternal (we have them forever) (1 Peter 1:4)
3. They are incomparable (2 Cor 4:17)
4. They can’t be stolen (Matthew 6:20)
5. They only come by inheritance through a death (Heb 9)
6. They are often overlooked (Eph 3:5)
TREASURE 1 – Christ In You
2 Corinthians 4:4–7 (NLT)
4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. 5 You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
Treasure in jars of clay – Christ in You!
2 Corinthians 13:5 (ESV)
5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
TREASURE 2: Same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in me and will raise my life!
Romans 8:10–11 (ESV)
10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
THE TREASURES
Gentiles can be saved
Same inheritance as the Jews
Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus
Christ in you!
TREASURE 3: If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:28–30 (ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
If God is for us, who can be against us?
TREASURES IN CHRIST 4: God graciously gives us all things.
Romans 8:31–34 (ESV)
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
TREASURES IN CHRIST 5: Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:35–39 (ESV)
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
TREASURE IN CHRIST 6: The Creator of the Universe will never leave you.
Matthew 28:18–20 (ESV)
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
TREASURE IN CHRIST 7: You have the source of all wisdom and knowledge
Colossians 2:2–5 (ESV)
2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
What are wisdom and knowledge?
Wisdom to make wealth like Elon Musk? (worth $240 BILLION!)
Apple stock - $22/share - $100 (4.54 shares)
1 share then = 224 shares today due to stock splits 1016.96 shares (if bought $100 in 1980)
$157 share on Friday (May 6, 2022) initial value of $100 from 1980 worth $159,662 (not including dividends)
NOT TOO RICH OR POOR
Proverbs 30:8–9 (ESV)
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, 9 lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.
Colossians 2:3
in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Job 28:9–18, 23, 28 (NLT)
9 People know how to tear apart flinty rocks and overturn the roots of mountains. 10 They cut tunnels in the rocks and uncover precious stones. 11 They dam up the trickling streams and bring to light the hidden treasures. 12 “But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding? 13 No one knows where to find it, for it is not found among the living. 14 ‘It is not here,’ says the ocean. ‘Nor is it here,’ says the sea. 15 It cannot be bought with gold. It cannot be purchased with silver. 16 It’s worth more than all the gold of Ophir, greater than precious onyx or lapis lazuli. 17Wisdom is more valuable than gold and crystal. It cannot be purchased with jewels mounted in fine gold. 18 Coral and jasper are worthless in trying to get it. The price of wisdom is far above rubies…
23 “God alone understands the way to wisdom; he knows where it can be found… 28 And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’ ”
Colossian 2:2b-5
knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
OMIT TO THE END?
Kingdom of Heaven
Matthew 13:44–46 (ESV)
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Persecution/Suffering
Hebrews 11:24–26 (ESV)
24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.
Philippians 3:7–10 (NLT)
7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,
Suffering has a purpose – James 1:12 (crown of life)
Suffering – endurance – character – hope (Romans 5:3-5)
Romans 5:3–5 (ESV)
3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Ephesians 3:10-11
10 God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.
What riches are you sitting on, not realizing the wealth you have? Are you living like a spiritual pauper?