Message - Spiritual Treasure Chests - Randall Nelsen

“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 destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:19 -21 NKJV

 The Heart of man is like a Spiritual Treasure Chest. The type of of person you are today is directly related to whatever is within your heart and mind. The Bible teaches us that it is not the physical things that we consume that corrupt us, but the spiritual. It is not the kind of food that we eat, or the external things of this world that we use that make us unclean. What God really cares about is the internal condition of our hearts. The thoughts and unseen motivations of the heart are the most important they are the things that need to be dealt with.

 So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding?  Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.” 
Matthew 15:16-20 NKJV


Jesus rebuked the religious leaders because they taught and believed that they were holy because of their strict ritual observances such as dietary laws, and the washing of hands.The truth is that they missed the point. Jesus was teaching them that the heart of man is what needs washing not the hands. He taught them that it is was not the physical food that that makes a person clean or unclean but the spiritual condition of the heart is what defiles a person

This poses a problem for us because the bible also teaches us that the heart is deceitful and full of wickedness. 

 “The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?  

Jeremiah 17:9

     
 If  this statement is true, and we know it is, then we face a serious problem. The Bible teaches us  that our heart is corrupt and evil. How do you wash away an evil heart. Since our heart is where our treasure is then we must make sure that the treasure is good.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

 Matthew 13:44 

Jesus is comparing  the kingdom of God to a Treasure hidden in a field, but what he says next is a little more obscure. Jesus says that the man hid the treasure and then sold everything he had and purchased the field. It is my belief that what the Lord is saying here is that the man hid the Treasure which is the Kingdom of God in his heart. What this clearly illustrates is that the man accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior in other Words he received Salvation. It also explains that the things of this world have no worth in comparison to the priceless Treasure of eternal Life.  


What can be the solution to this problem?

How do we wash the heart?

What is Good Treasure, is that even possible?  

There is Good news and there is a solution and answer to all of these questions. It is found in the Bible, lets take a look at some scriptures.

   For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 2 Cor 4:6-7 NKJV

The only treasure that can  wash and clean us is the indwelling word that is Jesus Christ. 

Jesus Christ is the Living Word of God.

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 

JOHN 1:1-4

 

When we ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior he enters into our hearts  and becomes our Priceless, Eternal, and Incorruptible Treasure. He is truly the Treasure of Eternal Life living within our hearts. We talked earlier about how Jesus taught that the Heart needs to be washed. Jesus when he enters ours heart he begins to start a cleaning process within us, he begins to wash us with a soap that can even clean all the dirt that has accumulated over the years in the treasure box of our heart. The bible says this.

 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,  that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

 God washes us spiritually. The Word of God washes us. Jesus is the Living Word of God dwelling within us , and he is the only one that can clean us. 

You might ask how can I experience this washing? How do i get rid of all the hurt and pain of my past. It is very simple the Bible says this.

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  Romans 10:9

Jesus was Hung on a cross for all of our sins which are the evil treasures of our heart. 

The Good news is that death could not keep him and he came back to life. If we just believe in our hearts that he is our  Redeemer  and our Savior  then we will have eternal life, death is only temporary we will be raised just as he was. All we need to do is sincerely ask him to come into our hearts and forgive us for all of our sins.

  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 NKJV

     

 The Treasure Box

by Randy Nelsen

I had a Treasure Box

Filled with Silver, Pearls, and Gold

I Had a Treasure Box

My Hands would often Hold

I liked to watch it sparkle

 I held it in the Light

I held it in the morning

 It even sparkled in the Night

Then one day I Found

My Horror and Dismay

My Treasure box had turned to Rust

My Joy to Ash and Gray

How could this ever happen?

I asked myself that day

And then I heard a still small voice

A Voice not far Away

My Son your treasure Box is Rust

It lasts just for a Day

Its worth is made of  crumbling rust

 Its sparkle fades away

My son I have a Treasure

There is no hidden fee

There is no cost

The price is paid

My gift I Give for Free

What is this Treasure Box?

I heard my own voice say

What is this Priceless Treasure that never fades Away?

Listen To My Word

My Son

And you shall know The Way

Jesus is the Treasure

That will never fade away

He was sent down from above

So the Blind may Truly See

Once a Captive Treasure Box

Your Heart has been set Free