Spiritual Treasure Hunter
09.11.22
Message…
Geocaching - may or may not be a term you are familiar with. I was watching a show that mentioned it (“Escape from the Country”).
Geocaching is treasure hunting with a twist.
You use a GPS or you can download an app on your phone.
There are containers/boxes (big or small) people have hidden in places all over the world.
The app will give you the map/location/coordinates and then you search for it. Once you find it you record that you found it. If there is stuff in it, you can take something and leave something. It’s just something fun to do while you explore the outdoors!
It’s been around for 20 years as a thing. However, I was unaware. So, I was amazed to discover that there are several hidden geocaches all around here!
There is one hidden less than ½ mile from my house! A treasure out there just waiting to be discovered!
And, I didn’t even know it!
>>>>>>>
Proverbs is such a great book. If you do not yet read the book of Proverbs, add it to your daily reading. Just read a chapter a day. Whatever day it is, read that chapter!
It is full of all kinds of hidden treasure!
Today we have an incredible hidden gem in scripture that was never meant to be kept hidden. It's just waiting and wanting to be discovered…
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,
But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
Proverbs 25:2
On our way home from Virginia a few weeks ago, my wife and I were listening to a Message Podcast about this verse.
There was some amazing insight from…
Pastor Bill Johnson of Bethel said that God “hides things for us not from us”! *(Bethel Sermon of the Week Podcast - 08.14.22; The Beauty & Wonder of Hope, Bill Johnson)
What God has for us, what He hides for us is ours for the taking!
It is ours when we are willing to search for what God has hidden along the way in our life of faith!
Think about that - God has something for you…but, He isn’t just going to give it to you. He wants you to search for it! He wants you to seek it out!
“seek” - attempt to find ...desire to obtain ....ask for
Matthew 7:7-8
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Ask, Seek, Knock
All three of those things are actions on your part for God to release to you treasure, wisdom, provision, protection, favor, blessing, direction, understanding, healing, restoration, peace…all things that are His part!
?Even the order that He gave you this instruction in His Word has a hidden treasure of emphasis!
Ask
Seek
Knock
Psalm 14:2
The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
Hebrews 11:6
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.
1 Chronicles 16:11
Search for the Lord and for His strength; continually seek Him.
Proverbs 8:17
I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.
Psalm 9:10
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.
There seems to be a common theme running through those verses…
The Lord wants to be pursued/sought out!
The Lord rewards those that pursue Him!
When was the last time you looked for God?
When was the last time that you passionately pursued His will, or His ways?!
When was the last time that you truly tried to understand what God’s Word was saying to you? Is God’s Word a treasure to you?
Is your faith a burden or an adventure?! (repeat)
Matthew 14:22-29
22 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that His disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while He sent the people home.
23 After sending them home, He went up into the hills by Himself to pray. Night fell while He was there alone.
24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves.
25 About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.
26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”
27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” He said. “Take courage. I am here!”
28 Then Peter called to Him, “Lord, if it’s really You, tell me to come to You, walking on the water.”
29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.
If you know the story you know that Peter didn’t walk on water very long. The Bible tells us that when he took his eyes off of Jesus, when he began looking at the wind and the waves…he began to sink!
He yelled for Jesus to save him! Jesus reached out His hand and grabbed him and they both climbed into the boat.
Peter experienced something no other human has. He walked on water! How did that happen? He asked Jesus for it! How did he know to ask Jesus for it?
Do you suppose while Jesus was on the mountain praying…He was talking to the Holy Spirit to nudge Peter to ask?
Maybe, Jesus was praying for all of them to walk on water! Yet, only Peter did. Why?
Why didn’t the others walk on water?
They didn’t ask Jesus to do so!
They missed a hidden gem/treasure.
They missed God working…wanting to work!
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,
But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
Proverbs 25:2
God conceals things that He wants discovered! God hides things not from you…but for you to search out and claim!
Ask, Seek, Knock
Ask…
Matthew 7:7-8
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
You lack, God has!
You need, God gives - God supplies!
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Jeremiah 29:12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
God invites you…challenges you…pleads with you to come to Him when you are in need!
So prevalent throughout all of scripture is God’s command and desire for us to come to Him in prayer!
Why is it that prayer is sometimes our last resort?
Why isn’t it our first priority?
Why try to tackle/handle anything on our own when the Master Creator says that all we have to do is go to Him?!
God has hidden treasure waiting to be revealed when you go to Him in prayer!
Matthew 21:22 You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”
Seek…
Matthew 7:7-8
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
You may be wondering, “What is the difference between asking, and seeking”?
Asking is listening/talking to the Lord in prayer.
Seeking is really the attitude in which you go about it.
When you “seek” something you go after it. You pursue it!
When you lose something…You will leave no stone unturned until you find whatever that thing is you lost.
Seeking is pursuing. When you want something bad enough you will do whatever it takes to get it!
Jesus wants you to get Him! Jesus wants you to find Him!
He wants you to find His hidden will! He wants you to find His hidden ways!
He wants you to search out and discover His direction and guidance for your life.
Jeremiah 29:13
And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
The truth is…you do not always want to know what God wants!
You are afraid that it will not align with what you want!
Listen, the easiest way to avoid God’s will…is to not seek God’s will!
You can leave His will hidden!
You can leave God’s treasures, all that He has for you locked away!
But, is that what you really want?! You understand that those hidden things God has for you to discover will reveal/bring some amazing things into your life!
Knock…
Matthew 7:7-8
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
You associate the word “knock” with “door”. You are knocking on a door.
We face closed doors in our life all the time.
A closed door is any obstacle, any seemingly insurmountable, impossible thing in our life!
A closed door can feel like a dead end, or missed opportunity!
God opens doors!
God opens doors that have been shut!
God opens doors that have been locked or blocked!
God opens doors that have been dormant!
God opens doors of opportunity!
God opens doors of destiny!
God opens doors!
God can open what may seem impossible to open!
You may have a shut door in your life right now!
You may feel that there is nothing you can do about it!
You didn’t shut the door, but it’s still closed!
You don’t own the door! You don’t have the keys, there is no way for you to get through that closed door!
Whatever that closed door is…
Matthew 7:7-8
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Jesus can do what no one can!
After Jesus' resurrection…
John 20:19
That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” He said.
God opens doors!
Sometimes God closes doors, which in turn opens other doors!
Sometimes God doesn’t use a door!
But, understand Jesus is the door!
John 10:9
I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
There is only one Door you need to be knocking on!
Why would Jesus declare such things? Why did He make all this a point for us to understand?
Matthew 7:9-11
9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Why does God hide treasure for you to find along your life of faith? (Not hide from you, but hide for you!)
You are loved!
1 John 3:1a Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! …
God wants to give you good things!
Psalm 34:10b
“...But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.”
God is glorified when you Ask, Seek, and Knock.
He is glorified when your prayers are answered!
John 14:13 "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
There are some incredible, mind blowing, life altering hidden truth treasures out there waiting you, believer to discover!
You will not find them if you do not ask, seek, or knock for them!
Jeremiah 33:3
‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’
