Are We Investing In Someone Series

ARE YOU INVESTING IN SOMEONE?

Are you an investor?

We all invest in something: Stocks, Bonds, CD’s, and Real Estate

But, the only thing that you can invest in that will make it to heaven is people!

What America needs and what churches need is more people who are investors in people.

Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12 “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. . .”

People who invest in other people are the ones who truly make an impact in this world:

Bono of U2 Jerry Lewis (MDA) Princes Diana Mother Teresa

People that invest in people are the ones who really make a difference and we never forget them.

People who only invest in themselves live a very lonely life and never make a difference

1. PRAY FOR THEM (vs. 9):

Ecclesiastes 4:9 “Two are better than one…”

Two are better than one…

This verse is about 2 people

LIFE IS ABOUT OTHERS!

Jesus “I came not be served but to to serve others”

Jesus taught us to serve others

Life is far too brief to be simply spend it on just ourselves.

Naturally when we pray it is for ourselves:

Bless my life, protect my family, supply my needs

Q. When was the last time that you prayed for the success of someone else?

Evaluate your prayers…far too selfish…

“My Name is Jimmy & I’ll take all you gimmie!”

When do we pray for the success of someone else?

Godly success… “to be in the center of Gods will, blessing, joy, peace, influence.”

We need Gods success through our lives, church, work-place…

If you want a good return on your life spend it on others

No one is impressed with a selfish person – you will die a lonely death

Show yourself friendly…

Galatians 5:13 – Serve one another

Colossians 3:13 – Forgive one another

Romans 5:13 – Accept one another

Romans 16:16 – Greet one another

Galatians 6:2 – Carry one another

Romans 12:10 – Be devoted to one another

Romans 15:14 – Teach one another

Ephesians 5:21 – Submit to one another

Ephesians 5:20 – Encourage one another

Life is about others - God sent Jesus to die for others

Charles Plumb:

Was a US navy Pilot in Vietnam

After 75 combat missions his plane was destroyed by a surface to air missile

Plumb ejected and parachuted to enemy’s hands

He was captured and spent 6 years in a Communist, Vietnamese Prison

He survived the ordeal

and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience.

One day while sitting at a restaurant with his wife

a man came over from another table and said

“Your Plumb, you flew jet fighters in Vietnam

From the Air Craft Carrier Kitty Hawk, you where shot down

“How in the world did you know that” asked Charles Plum?

Well, I packed your parachute” the man replied

Plum gasped in surprised and in gratitude

The man high-fived Plum with enthusiasm and said,

“It guess it worked, I guess it worked”

“It sure did replied” Plum,

“If your chute hadn’t worked I wouldn’t be here today!

Charles couldn’t sleep that night from thinking about that man

I kept wondering what he might of looked like in a navy uniform

White hat, bib in the back and bell-bottom trousers

I wondered how many times I might of seen him and not even said

“Good Morning, How are you, How is your day going?” or anything at all

“You see I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor”

Plumb thought about many hours that sailor

had spent on a long wooden table

In the bowels of the ship carefully weaving the shrouds

and folding the silks of each chute

holding in his hands each time

the very life of someone he didn’t even know.

Here is the question: Are you busy packing someone else’s parachute?

Are you an investor…Do you invest in someone else?

Is your life about you and yours? Or about others!

How else to we invest in someone?

PRAY FOR THEM, AND

2. BELIEVE IN THEM (vs :10)

Ecclesiastes 4:10 “If one falls down, his friend can help him up…”

Not only do we invest by Praying, but by Believing in them.

All of us need someone who believes in us the way God believe in us!

NOTICE:

It’s after we have fallen that we need someone to believe in us!

The enemy comes along and whispers…

And you call yourself a Christian

God really doesn’t love you

Look at what’s happened

God is disappointed in you

Just look at how bad you blew it

It’s over…God can never use you again…

Don’t believe those lies!

A true friend comes along when we have blown it and:

Believes in you

Doesn’t step on you when you’ve fallen