Gold Mine?
INVESTMENTS, IN THIS DAY AND AGE EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT THE RIGHT INVESTMENT, THE BEST INVESTMENT, EVERYONE WANTS A PERFECT INVESTMENT. AND THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF INVESTMENTS, GOOD INVESTMENTS AND BAD INVESTMENTS.
WHEN I WAS IN GRADE ELEVEN AS A PART OF MY ECONOMICS COURSE EACH STUDENT WAS GIVEN AN IMAGINARY $1000.00 TO INVEST ANYWAY THEY WANTED. NOW, SOME PLAYED IT SAFE AND BOUGHT GOOD SOLID STOCK, STOCK LIKE N.B. TEL AND THE CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK OF COMMERCE. OTHERS TOOK CHANCES AND DID VERY WELL, OTHERS TOOK CHANCES AND LOST THEIR SHIRTS.
NOW I SHOULD RELATE TO YOU HOW IN IMAGINARY FUNDS I BECAME A VERY WISE AND SHREWD INVESTOR AND MADE MY MILLIONS AT A VERY EARLY AGE. BUT I CAN’T, THEN THE PROPER TURN TO MY STORY WOULD BE HOW I TOOK MY ONE THOUSAND, IMAGINARY DOLLARS AND LOST IT ALL IN THE IMAGINARY STOCK MARKET AND BECAME AN IMAGINARY PAUPER. BUT LOOK TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH I CAN’T REMEMBER.
BUT I DO REMEMBER TWO OF THE STOCKS I DID INVEST IN, ONE WAS THE COMPANY I WAS WORKING FOR AT THE TIME DYLEX DIVERSIFIED, THEY OWNED THE CLOTHING STORE WHERE I WORKED PART-TIME. THE OTHER STOCK WAS CALLED LOST-RIVER MINES. FOR SEVERAL YEARS I FOLLOWED THOSE TWO STOCKS AND DYLEX DID VERY WELL, IN THREE YEARS IT TRIPLED IN VALUE. ON THE OTHER HAND LOST RIVER MINES LIVED UP TO IT’S NOMENCLATURE AND IS LOST SOMEWHERE. A WISE INVESTMENT AND A FOOLISH INVESTMENT.
EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE YOU’LL HEAR THAT SOMEONE HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF INSIDER TRADING, THAT IS THAT THEY USED CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION TO BUY AND SELL STOCKS AT AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE. IN THIS PARTICULAR SCRIPTURE CHRIST IS GIVING US SOME VERY IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE INSIDE INFORMATION CONCERNING OUR INVESTMENTS. AND THIS ISN’T ILLEGAL.
IN THESE THREE VERSES CHRIST COUNSELS US AS CHRISTIANS TO SELL SOME STOCKS AND CUT OUR LOSSES, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME HE IS ADVISING US TO PURCHASE STOCK THAT HAS A VERY HIGH YIELD. IN OUR TEMPORAL STATE WE’D JUMP AT THAT WOULDN’T WE? IF WE HAD IMPECCABLE INFORMATION CONCERNING OUR INVESTMENTS. AND YET THIS IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THEN MERE MONEY THIS IS OUR ETERNITY.
IN VS. 19 CHRIST TELLS US THAT BAD INVESTMENTS ARE THE ONES THAT CAN BE LOST. DO NOT STORE UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES ON EARTH WHERE MOTH AND RUST DESTROY, AND WHERE THIEVES BREAK IN AND STEAL. NOW WHAT JESUS WAS TALKING ABOUT WERE THINGS THAT RUSTED, ROTTED OR WERE RIPPED OFF. TODAY YOU DON’T HAVE TO WAIT THAT LONG FOR THINGS TO BECOME WORTHLESS, ONLY UNTIL THE WARRANTY RUNS OUT. THERE IS NOTHING IN THIS LIFE THAT IS INVINCIBLE, NOTHING THAT CANNOT BE WORN OUT, BROKE OR DESTROYED.
EVERYTHING WE EARN, EVERYTHING WE BUY EVERYTHING WE COLLECT IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO DAMAGE. AND CHRIST IS BASICALLY TELLING US THAT IF THAT IS WHERE YOU MAKE YOUR INVESTMENTS THEN YOU ARE DOOMED TO DISAPPOINTMENT. IN CHRIST DAY PEOPLE ASSOCIATED MATERIAL BLESSINGS WITH GOD’S BLESSINGS. NOW THAT’S SILLY ISN’T IT, I MEAN WE WOULD NEVER BE GUILTY OF THAT WOULD WE?
IN OTHER WORDS IFN YOU COULD BUY A NEW CHARIOT EVERY YEAR THEN PEOPLE WOULD BE CONVINCED THAT GOD WAS REWARDING YOU FOR SOMETHING. NOW I DON’T BELIEVE THAT CHRISTIANS OUGHT TO BE DESTITUTE. YOU SEE I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE CHILDREN OF THE KING, AND AS SUCH WE ARE NOT TO INHERIT POVERTY. ON THE OTHER HAND I DON’T NECESSARILY AGREE WITH THE NEW PROSPERITY THEOLOGY THAT IS SWEEPING THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH. IT BEEN REFERRED TO AS A CARGO CULT AND THAT IS PRETTY CLOSE TO THE TRUTH. I’VE MET SOME DEVOTE HOLY SPIRIT ANOINTED CHRISTIANS WHO CAN PRAY HEAVEN DOWN, BUT WHO HAVE REALLY DONE NO MORE THEN EXIST FINANCIALLY OVER THE YEARS.
BUT I GET REAL CONCERNED WHEN I SEE CHRISTIANS GETTING CAUGHT UP IN THE WORLDS PHILOSOPHY THAT WAS SUMMED UP ON A BUMPER STICKER I READ ONCE, THE MAN WITH THE MOST TOYS WHEN HE DIES WINS.
THINK ABOUT IT HOW OFTEN DO WE BUY TOYS JUST TO HAVE TOYS. MY DADDY USED TO SAY, WORKING AT A JOB YOU DON’T LIKE TO SPEND MONEY YOU AINT GOT TO BUY THINGS YOU DON’T NEED TO IMPRESS PEOPLE YOU DON’T LIKE. THINK ABOUT IT, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO BUY IT BUT YOU CAN’T KEEP IT. NOW IF THAT AINT BAD ENOUGH MAY I REMIND YOU THAT EVEN IF YOU DO KEEP IT, IF IT DOESN’T ROT, RUST OR GET RIPPED OFF, EVEN IF IT DON’T DIE THE DAY AFTER THE WARRANTY RUNS OUT, FRIENDS LISTEN UP BECAUSE THIS IS IMPORTANT, FRIENDS SOME DAY YOU GONNA AND THEY’RE GONNA PUT YOU IN A HOLE IN THE GROUND AND THROW DIRT IN YOUR FACE, AND THEN YOUR KIDS ARE GONNA GO BACK TO THE HOUSE AND FIGHT OVER EVERYTHING YOU LEFT BEHIND.
BECAUSE AS JOB SAID, NAKED I CAME FROM MY MOTHERS WOMB, AND NAKED I WILL DEPART. BILLY GRAHAM SAID SOMETHING VERY
SIMILAR WHEN HE SAID, "THERE WON’T BE A U-HAUL FOLLOWING
YOUR HEARSE." EDMUND BURKE SAID, "EVERYTHING YOU OWN WILL
AT THE END OF YOUR LIFE BELONG TO SOMEBODY ELSE." FRIENDS YOU CAN’T KEEP WHAT YOU HAVE, THE ONLY THING THAT WILL BE YOURS FOR ETERNITY IS WHAT YOU ARE.
JACK BENNY SAID "IF I CAN’T TAKE IT WITH ME THEN I’M NOT GOING," WELL HE WENT ANYWAYS AND HE DIDN’T TAKE IT WITH HIM. EVEN WHEN WE TRY TO TAKE IT WITH US WE FAIL, A FEW YEARS BACK A LADY IN CALIFORNIA WAS BURIED SITTING BEHIND THE WELL OF HER ROLLS ROYCE SILVER SHADOW, WEARING HER FUR COAT AND A FORTUNE IN JEWELLERY. MAN SHE DIDN’T TAKE IT WITH HER, IF YOU WENT BACK THERE TODAY AND DUG UP THAT GRAVE SHE’D BE GONE BUT WHAT EVER HADN’T ROTTED, RUSTED OR BEEN RIPPED OFF WOULD STILL BE THERE.
THE THINGS OF THIS EARTH AREN’T BLUE CHIP STOCKS, THEY ARE NOT THE BEST INVESTMENTS. YOU MAY NOT LOSE YOU SHIRT BUT THERE IS A PRETTY GOOD CHANCE THAT YOU MIGHT LOSE YOUR SOUL.
Luke 12:15-20 (NIV) Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." 16 And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, ’What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 "Then he said, ’This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I’ll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."’ 20 "But God said to him, ’You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
DON’T YOU JUST HATE IT WHEN HE SAYS STUFF LIKE THAT? IT’S REAL EASY THOUGH TO COME TO DEPEND ON OUR FINANCIAL RESOURCES INSTEAD OF OUR SPIRITUAL RESOURCES, TO TRUST IN OUR MONEY MORE THEN OUR GOD. BUT IF WHAT WE POSSESS IN THIS LIFE IS EARTHLY TREASURE AND DOESN’T LAST THEN WHAT IS THE SECRET? HOW DO WE OBTAIN THAT HEAVENLY TREASURE. WELL FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK BECAUSE JESUS WAS ASKED AN ALMOST
IDENTICAL QUESTION.
Matthew 19:16-22 (NIV) Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" 17 "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." 18 "Which ones?" the man inquired. Jesus replied, "’Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’ and ’love your neighbor as yourself.’" 20 "All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?" 21 Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
NOW REMEMBER THE JEWISH CULTURE WAS MUCH LIKE OUR IN AS MUCH AS IT EQUATED MATERIAL WEALTH WITH GOD’S BLESSINGS. HERE COMES ONE WHO IT WOULD APPEAR GOD HAS BLESSED GREATLY AND HE ASKS A QUESTION, "GOOD TEACHER WHAT GOOD THING MUST I DO TO GET ETERNAL LIFE? "THIS YOUNG MAN MADE THE SAME KIND OF MISTAKE THAT WE’RE SO OFTEN GUILTY OF, LISTEN AGAIN GOOD TEACHER, WHAT GOOD THING MUST I DO TO GET ETERNAL LIFE?
DID YOU CATCH IT, THE QUESTION HE ASKED WAS "WHAT MUST I DO" INSTEAD OF "WHAT MUST I BE" HE DIDN’T WANT TO CHANGE HIMSELF, HE WANTED TO PAY HIS PENITENCE SO HE COULD GET ON WITH LIFE. AND HE DIDN’T EVEN WANT TO GET TO HEAVEN BY DOING GOOD WORKS, HE ASKED IN THE SINGULAR, WHAT GOOD WORK. NOT WORKS. AND SO JESUS ASKS HIM TO DO JUST ONE THING, NOT A WHOLE PILE OF THINGS, JUST ONE SOLITARY ACT OF GOODNESS. LISTEN TO VS 21 Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor THAT’S THE INVESTMENT, NOW LISTEN TO THE RETURN ON THE INVESTMENT, , and you will have treasure in heaven. NOW SOMEHOW I GET THE FEELING THAT THIS WASN’T THE ANSWER THAT THIS YOUNG FELLOW WAS LOOKING FOR. 22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
HE IS THE ONLY PERSON IN THE BIBLE WHO IS RECORDED AS LEAVING CHRIST SAD. BUT WHY DID CHRIST COMMAND THIS MAN TO SELL ALL OF HIS BELONGINGS. BECAUSE CHRIST KNEW THAT POSSESSIONS WOULD ALWAYS RULE THIS MAN’S LIFE, THAT CHRIST WOULD HAVE TO TAKE A BACK SEAT TO THIS MAN’S WEALTH.
IN OUR ORIGINAL SCRIPTURE PASSAGE, IN MATTHEW 6:24 CHRIST HAD ALREADY TAUGHT THAT VERY SAME PRINCIPLE. NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS. EITHER HE WILL HATE THE ONE AND LOVE THE OTHER, OR HE WILL BE DEVOTED TO THE ONE AND DESPISE THE OTHER, YOU CANNOT SERVE BOTH GOD AND MONEY. IT WAS AT THAT POINT THAT THE RICH YOUNG RULER BECOME ACUTELY AWARE THAT HE DIDN’T OWN HIS POSSESSIONS THAT THEY OWNED HIM.
LET’S BE REAL FRANK FOR A MINUTE OK. WHAT WOULD YOUR RESPONSE BE TO THAT COMMANDMENT? WHAT IF THE PRICE FOR FOLLOWING CHRIST, THE PRICE OF ETERNAL LIFE, THE PRICE OF TREASURES IN HEAVEN WAS SURRENDERING ALL OF YOUR MATERIAL WEALTH? WHAT IF THE CHOOSE WAS THIS, CHRIST OR ALL OF YOUR ACCUMULATED POSSESSIONS? WHAT WOULD YOUR ANSWER BE?
THE FACT THAT JESUS DIDN’T COMMAND ALL OF HIS FOLLOWERS TO SELL EVERYTHING THEY HAVE ONLY GIVES COMFORT TO THE KIND OF PEOPLE TO WHOM HE WOULD ISSUE THAT COMMAND. DID YOU CATCH THAT, THE FACT THAT JESUS DIDN’T COMMAND ALL OF HIS FOLLOWERS TO SELL EVERYTHING THEY HAVE ONLY GIVES COMFORT TO THE KIND OF PEOPLE TO WHOM HE WOULD HAVE ISSUED THE COMMAND. YOU SAY THAT YOU’RE GLAD HE DIDN’T REQUIRE THAT OF YOU HE’S NOT THROUGH WITH YOU YET.
THIS STORY THOUGH HAS VERY LITTLE TO DO WITH MONEY AND A WHOLE LOT TO DO WITH ATTITUDE. THE ONLY REASON THAT CHRIST DEMANDED THE YOUNG MAN’S MONEY WAS BECAUSE THAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN HIS LIFE. THERE IS ONLY ROOM IN YOUR LIFE FOR ONE #1 PRIORITY, AND IF THAT ISN’T JESUS CHRIST, THEN NO MATTER HOW GOOD AND NOBLE THAT #1 PRIORITY IS IT IS THE WRONG ONE.
THE WHOLE ISSUE INS NOT SO MUCH A QUESTION OF WEALTH AS IT IS A QUESTION OF LOYALTY. WHAT DEMANDS A GREATER DEGREE OF LOYALTY IN YOUR LIFE, AND IF IT’S CHRIST THEN THERE WILL BE TIMES THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE DEMONSTRATED.
THE ACT OF SURRENDERING EVERYTHING DOESN’T ALWAYS ENTAIL LOSING THAT WHICH YOU SURRENDER, MANY TIMES IT IS SIMPLY THE ACT OF SURRENDER THAT IS REQUIRED. THAT’S WHAT SANCTIFICATION IS ALL ABOUT. IT MEANS GIVING EVERYTHING TO CHRIST. TO SANCTIFY MEANS TO SET APART FOR HOLY USE. JUST AS IN SALVATION YOUR PART IS REPENTANCE, YOU CAN’T SAVE YOURSELF, ALL YOU CAN DO IS REPENT AND ASK FOR FORGIVENESS,
AND CHRIST SAVES YOU, IT’S THAT SIMPLE. IN SANCTIFICATION YOUR PART IS CONSECRATION. YOU GO TO THE ALTAR AND START STACKING STUFF. YOUR CAR, YOUR HOME, YOUR JOB, YOUR FUTURE, YOUR FAMILY, YOUR HABITS, YOUR DESIRES, YOUR DREAMS, YOUR CHILDREN, YOUR PRIDE, YOUR REPUTATION, YOUR TONGUE, YOUR TEMPER, AND WHEN YOU GET THIS GREAT BIG, HUMUNGAS PILE YOU CLIMB UP ON TOP OF IT AND SAY OK GOD, HERE IT IS AND IT’S ALL YOURS.
NOW THE LAST PART IS THE MOST IMPORTANT AND THE MOST DIFFICULT THE CLIMBING UP ON THE PILE YOURSELF. BUT IT IS ESSENTIAL. REMEMBER Romans 12:1 (NIV) Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.
WHEN YOU GET THAT PILE COMPLETE, AND YOUR’E ON TOP AND YOU CONSECRATE IT OR TURN IT ALL OVER TO GOD, THEN THAT IS YOUR INVESTMENT. HEART PURITY OR SANCTIFICATION IS YOUR REWARD. BUT YOU WILL NEVER BE SOLD OUT TO GOD AS LONG AS YOU CONTINUE TO BE SOLD OUT TO SELF. YOU CAN’T SIMPLY TAKE CHRIST AS A FIRE ESCAPE FROM HELL AND STILL WORSHIP AT THE ALTAR OF SELF.
NOW THEN IN SAYING ALL THAT LET ME SAY THIS, ONE OF THOSE INVESTMENTS THAT BEARS HEAVENLY RETURNS IS THE LOCAL CHURCH. YOU SEE THROUGHOUT THE NEW TESTAMENT AND THROUGHOUT HISTORY THE CHURCH HAS BEEN GOD’S AGENCY FOR CHANGE IN THE WORLD. THE VERY FIRST ACCOUNT OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST IS FOUND IN Acts 2:44-45 (NIV) All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
THE EARLY CHRISTIANS MADE AN INVESTMENT INTO THAT WHICH WOULD CHANGE THE WORLD AND WOULD ULTIMATELY EFFECT THE ETERNAL DESTINITY FOR LITERALLY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE. AND YOUR INVESTMENT INTO Bedford Community CHURCH WILL HAVE ETERNAL RAMIFICATIONS. IF THE CHURCH CAN OFFER A FURTHER REACHING MINISTRY THROUGH YOUR GIVING AND A THOUSAND PEOPLE GET SAVED IT WAS A WORTHY INVESTMENT, IF A HUNDRED PEOPLE GET SAVED IT WAS A WORTHY INVESTMENT, IF TEN PEOPLE GET SAVED IT WAS A WORTHY INVESTMENT, AS A MATTER OF FACT IF ONE PERSON GETS SAVED BECAUSE OF A SACRIFICIAL INVESTMENT MADE
BY YOU WON’T THE INVESTMENT BE WORTH THE RETURN?
EVERY AREA OF OUR CHURCHES MINISTRY COST SOMETHING, SOMETIMES IT’S MONEY AND SOMETIMES IT TIME BUT EVERY MINISTRY WE OFFER COST SOMEBODY SOMETHING. AND EVERYONE OF US HAS TO BE WILLING TO SHARE THE COST. BUT NOT EVERYONE OF US HAS TO GIVE THE SAME, I BELIEVE IN THE CONCEPT OF NOT EQUAL GIVING BUT EQUAL SACRIFICE. IF YOUR GIVING TO THE KINGDOM IS GOING TO BE WORTH ANYTHING IT WILL NEED TO COST
YOU SOMETHING.
WHAT IS A SACRIFICE TO ME MAY NOT BE ANYTHING TO YOU ON THE OTHER HAND IT MAY BE WAY OUT OF YOUR REACH, ONLY YOU AND GOD KNOW WHAT ENTAILS A SACRIFICE FOR YOU, RIGHT.
AND WE ARE GOING TO NEED A COMMITMENT FROM EVERY ONE IN THE CHURCH IF THAT IS GOING TO BECOME A REALITY. MAYBE YOU HAVEN’T BEEN GIVING TO YOUR FULL POTENTIAL BUT YOU SAY I’D GIVE MORE TO SEE US MORE EFFECTIVE IN THAT TYPE OF MINISTRY, LET ME KNOW IF THAT IS WHERE YOUR’E AT.
THE CHOICE MY FRIENDS LIES WITH EACH ONE OF YOU. YOU CAN INVEST YOUR TIME AND MONEY IN THINGS THAT WON’T LAST, AND WILL AT THE END OF YOUR LIFE BELONG TO SOMEBODY ELSE OR YOU CAN INVEST THEM INTO THOSE THINGS WHICH WILL LAST FOR ETERNITY.
