"Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge"

Neal, a kind and loveable character about town, was considered by many to be quite simple minded. Time after time people in our small village would come up to him and offer him his choice of a dime or a nickel. Always, he would take the larger coin.

Finally, a bystander could bear this mockery no longer. He went up to Neal and said, "Don't let these people fool you any longer. The nickel may be larger, but the dime is worth twice as much money."

"I know that," Neal whispered to him, "but if I start taking the dimes, they'll stop offering me money!"

Knowledge is a treasure today as much as it was a treasure back in the apostle Paul’s day. But as with many things of overall value, it is not necessarily sought out today. Many will see the value of knowledge and wisdom, but will not do what it takes to get it. In many ways, we struggle with this because what knowledge and wisdom does communicate, is really the opposite of what it is that many of us will desire today. Yet we all can’t help but see the ultimate value of what knowledge and wisdom gives. Maybe when I am older and all my youthful lusts are gone then maybe I will start digging for the treasure.

But is it really just our youthful lusts that keep knowledge and wisdom at bay while it calls out to us? There is one thing clear that we have seen in political philosophy throughout all history. One very common and constant thing when it comes to power and control. The dumber the people are the easier it is to control them. This is the kinda stuff thats gonna get your Pastor shot. The less we know the more gullible we are. So we fall for anything. The less wisdom we have in our hands the more we can be lead to destruction. One of the best ways for us to have population control and for the weaker of the human race to be deposed of so we can more to the next step of human evolution. Ignorance and foolishness. They will destroy themselves.

Proverbs 14:12 NLT

There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.

We in the church tend to believe that it is the devil and his demons who are tempting us to destruction. But if we open our eyes, we will see that it is the evil in this world by those who seek to gain and control who are leading many to utter ruin. The world desires to take from us, the world desires to get us out of the way, too many consumers, too many breathing the fresh air, too many making things difficult for me.

This is even happening in the church. Many urge people and even lead people to have disdain for doctrine, to have dread for real study of theology, to really understand what is in the scriptures… why?? Because the more ignorant we are the easier it is to convince us of anything. Comon Shane for real? Yeah there is a popular Bible College in California that offers degrees in raising the dead. Go to college and learn how to raise people from the dead… from professors who never raised anyone from the dead. And people are paying good money for all this. It does not take a lot of wisdom or knowledge as to why this is just crazy. But we just don’t know better? Maybe don’t want to know better… But the scriptures desire for us to know better. Even gives us the tools to know better and the wisdom to walk though life better. As Christians we are supposed to know better. We are commanded to know better. We gotta know better. Let’s take a look at it today.

Colossians 2:1–5 NLT

I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.

Wisdom and Knowledge

Do Not Be Deceived

The first thing we will look at is the clear truth that all the wisdom and knowledge that we need for life and godliness is found in Christ and Christ alone. The second thing is that there are many in this world who want to deceive us and it is the knowledge and wisdom found in Christ that will keep us.

Thesis: Though sin, the pattern of this world, and the false teachers cause us to lose sight of the complete sufficiency of Christ, it is the truth of scripture and the power of the Holy Spirit that will cause us to grow in the knowledge and wisdom, needed for life and godliness, found in Christ and Christ alone.

I. Wisdom and Knowledge

- All that we need is found in Christ.

A. And so we see Paul and Timothy helping us to see more and more in this letter the grand sufficiency of Christ and Christ alone. Remember again that the false teachers in Colossae were undermining the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ and Christ alone. Simply teaching that Christ is important be he is not the most important and not all you need.

B. Now especially in that time in that area there were influences from a wide array of gnostic teachers who assert the primacy and fullness of what knowledge and wisdom can bring. And it was not just found in Christ. They knew the way to gain it all… they had their hands on the secret knowledge of the universe from the Abyss. We know how to find wisdom and knowledge.

C. But Paul and Timothy stops it all right here. And what we have got to got to got to get and hear today. Let’s hear from Dr. Doug Moo...

“Christ is the one in whom is to be found all that one needs in order to understand spiritual reality and to lead a life pleasing to God.”

D. There is no other treasury of knowledge and no other treasury of wisdom. The Colossians need not, must not, cannot, look for any source of happiness or of holiness outside of Christ. This is not possible. An to make it even more, do we not see that neither man nor angel nor any other creature in this world and universe has anything at all to to give or offer us … and quoting Dr. Hendrickson, “which abosolutely cannot be found in incomparably superior essence and an infinite degree in Christ.”

E. The couplet is comprehensive and complete. We understand knowledge as being simply, information and or data. And wisdom, the ability to rightly apply that information in life. A way to use the most effective means from the knowledge we have to achieve the highest goal. And if that is the case then it is really simple right? When it come to purpose in life and the only things that matter it is pretty clear what this is right?

F. Well if you are a Christian then it should be clear. Our purpose in life is to glorify God and enjoy him. And the only thing that matters in life is to fear God and keep His commandments. And if that is the point and it is the reason then who would be able to tell us what that is? Only one person can tell us what it is that will bring Him glory. Only one person can tell us what His commandments are. It’s God. And if we really believe that glorifying God is our only purpose in life here on earth, then would we not agree that the scriptures give us more than enough, overflowingly enough, for life and godliness.

G. But the problem is… we don’t really think that is our purpose and so we look for answers and directions from other places. The Bible does not give us answers for sin and sinfulness, for self-sufficiency, for centeredness, for all the lusts of the flesh and worldly pleasures that fulfill self rather than glorify the Lord. This is why our tendency is to look for knowledge and wisdom apart from the scriptures. Because in the end we do not want wisdom we want rubies.

Proverbs 8:11 NLT

For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it.

H. And we have got to remain committed to acquiring knowledge and wisdom from Christ and from Christ alone. He is where wisdom is hidden. Apokryphows … wisdom is hidden. Not to remain so, but to be uncovered. Wisdom is something we search for. We seek after. We make an effort to dig up. We gotta work for it.

I. We just started the memorizing game at dinner time. So we always read the proverbs and after the reading we have to go around the table and have to say one that we remember and it cant be the same one as someone else. I came up with the dumbest rule… the youngest goes first and the oldest goes last. Man it is hard when you go last cause you can’t just memorize one… cause someone might say one that you memorized. We gotta work for wisdom. We gotta find wisdom. But wisdom is also given.

James 1:5 NLT

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

J. This is one of the most important passages of scripture of my life. Ever since high school 90’s I have always ended my prayer asking the Lord for knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge and wisdom everyday and always when I pray. And you know… when I went into the ministry way too young … if there was one consistent thing people would say about me. They would say that I was wise for my age. Seriously, the Lord will give us wisdom if we ask for it. But we also search for it and we are to work for it as well.

K. And wisdom is important for us today. This is why I am pushing the book of proverbs like drug dealers push crack these days. There is just way too much confusion and way too much lying going around today. Ethics are being challenged on a daily basis. Our worldviews are being shaken. Our ideals and values are changing at an exponential rate. And so much that should be foundational are being ripped away like from our feet like a rug.

L. We gotta know where we stand. We gotta be sure of what we believe. And we need clear divine wisdom to know how we are to walk in life. And we have to be clear that we actually do have a biblical worldview and not a worldview that agrees with the Bible. And this is what wisdom will reveal to us. And why a lack of wisdom will get us in trouble. And this is the reason for Paul’s Lego Medece. So that.

II. Do Not Be Deceived

- Not by well crafted arguments.

A. So that we will not be deceived. And not just deceived, but deceived by well crafted arguments. Pithanologia - persuasive speech. Arguments and ideology that are crafted with the intent to deceive you. And they do this really well. I mean think about it… we don’t fall for just any type of argument. We fall for the ones that we are persuaded by. And many times we fall for it and we don’t know that we fell for it, because it was well crafted and we think it plausable and the next thing we know we are deceived and have fallen into real error.

B. Serious error. Yes if you deny the Trinity, deny the Supremacy and Sufficiency your soul is in jeopardy. Man and these arguments are really good. Denial of the Trinity? Yeah… called Jehovahs witness, mormons, the way and the list goes on. The deception is real. The deception is pervasive. The deception is super subtle.

C. A prominent evangelical church leader wrote “I don’t know a single successful person that leaves their shopping cart in the middle of the parking lot.” I chuckled for a second and I was about to turn the page, but then it struck me. The message. “A single successful person” The point is… if you want to be a successful person you wont do this. Yeah Shane we get it… but thats the thing… the mark and goal of a person is to be successful. It is super subtle.

D. The drive for success as defined by the world. Let’s not lie to ourselves today. It is there it is a given. And we would think you were weird if you did not want to be successful. The American Idol interview. When I was at the church in Hawaii, there was a man who was wanting to talk to me about the church and myself for possible membership. Well I think every pastor want to be a successful one with large church with all the benefits. Well my goal is not to be successful, but to be faithful. And if my faithfulness brings “success” the way the world would define it, then blessed be the name of the Lord. But that is not the goal. And he said, that He could not go to the church where the Pastor was not doing whatever it takes to be successful. To make sure we were not mixing words… I asked how he would define that. Big church with lots of people.

E. But lets not lie to ourselves… this is how we define it as well. Numbers decides worth. But Paul makes it clear that its not numbers but purity that decides the worth of the church. His goal was not a big church, but a pure church strong and faithful in Christ. Sardis was a church who had the reputation of being alive, but Christ said that they were in his eyes dead. We would say that a church with small numbers without much going on is a dying church. But here we have a large vibrant growing church with lots going on and the surrounding community is saying that they they got it going on… wow, but God did not say they are dying… He is calling them dead.

F. This mentality and deception is well crafted and so well crafted that we don’t even know that we are deceived. (Obviously, Jesus said that the elect would not be) But these arguments are so good that they would deceive the elect if it were possible. And it is because the elect will heed the warnings and the Lord will make sure of it.

G. And the assurance we have from it comes from the promise that the Lord give to us.

Philippians 1:6 NLT

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

H. This is the beauty of the gospel of Jesus. We can have life and life more abundant because of what Christ has done for us. We by nature have chosen foolishness and rebellion. We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But Christ has made a way for us today.

I. Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures and he was buried and he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures. The saying is trustworthy that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. By his wounds we are healed.

J. All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart… If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

K.