Hold on for Dear Life
May 16, 2021 Morning Service
Immanuel Baptist Church, Wagoner, OK
Rick Boyne
Message Point: We must choose between investing in the temporary and the eternal.
Focus Passage: Matthew 6:19-24
Supplemental Passage: while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18 NASB)
Jesus answered them and said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. "Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal." (John 6:26-27 NASB)
Introduction: A little over a year ago, I started investing a minute amount in stocks. It was right when COVID hit and the stock market crashed. Basically every stock could be had at a discount. It wasn’t very much, because the adage is “only invest what you can afford to lose.” Therefore, it certainly wasn’t very much. I did have one impulse buy; it was a cryptocurrency called Dogecoin. I bought it at about 4 or 5 for a penny. I bought 10 bucks worth. Little did I know that I had just bought into the hottest cryptocurrency market of 2021. I follow an online group of fellow investors. Most are very serious and are in it for the long-haul. The first goal is to drive the value of the coin to $1 each. A few weeks ago, the value got up to $0.75 and there was a very large number of people who sold their coins and made the value drop tremendously down to 38 cents. The serious investors have a war cry “Hold On for Dear Life.” In other words, let’s wait a while and pass several of our investing goals. Hold for the long term. Don’t make a quick buck. Well, many people who aren’t into buying cryptocurrency hold on to things, too. Many times, these things are like making an investment only to find out there was much, much more to be had. We spend way too much time investing in temporary things rather than making investments where it will really count; in eternal treasure.
I. Short-sighted investing
a. earthly treasure; things that can be taken away
i. wealth
ii. pleasure
iii. big-boy (and girl) toys
a. 1970s bumper sticker “He who dies with the most toys wins”
iv. Prestige
v. Approval of people
b. "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? (Mark 8:36 NASB)
c. Rich young ruler – walked away grieved because he had many possessions
II. Long-haul investing
a. Heavenly treasure; things that will last
i. Love
1. God & others
ii. Good works
iii. Offerings - Time AND Money
iv. Souls – people whom you have lead to the Lord; spiritual children, grand-children, and great-grandchildren
b. Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31 NASB)
III. Choose your master
a. One master leads away from God, or at the very least, leads nowhere
b. One Master leads to Eternal Life
c. for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21 NASB)
d. Elijah stood up in front of all the people and asked them, "How long will you try to have it both ways? If the LORD is God, follow him; if Baal is God, follow him." The people didn't say a word. (1 Kings 18:21 GW)
Application/Call to Obedience: Too many of us are trying to have it both ways. We want what the world has to offer and we also want to go to Heaven. "If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:15 NASB) Won’t you make a stand today? Won’t you give up living for yourself? The Bible says that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (Romans 10:9-10 NASB)
