Investment of a Lifetime by Tommy Burrus Matthew 6:19-6:21 Investment of a Lifetime Matthew 6:19-20 Introduction: Ive been reading a book

by Ravi Zacharias. He relates a story he read in a New York newspaper a few years ago. A baseball player was trying to renegotiate his contract with the Yankees. He had been offered a $91 million contract by another team, but the Yankees top offer was an $89 million contract. When the Yankees didnt match the other offer, the players wife was quoted as saying, It was one of the saddest days of our lives. Doesnt your heart just break! How devastating to work so hard and only get $89 million or to have to relocate for $91 million. It seems absurd to me that athletes garner such high pay while teachers, policemen, and soldiers and others are so underpaid. Dont get me wrong. I do not resent athletes or CEOs because they can command such salaries. I think that it underscores how askew this worlds priorities are. Of course, in this economy, whatever job you have is a blessing. What does seem clear to me is that the majority of us will never face the saddest day of our lives because we could only get $89 million. We live in a country driven by the constant pursuit of materialism, to the point that we have brought our economy and nation to the brink of destruction and still are not content. Rather than facing the consequences of poor choices, there is the hope that if we put it off long enough, a miracle may still rescue us. Despite the fact that this drive for more has robbed people of their savings, homes and security, people still seem inclined to believe that the worlds system works and is worthy of our trust. That reminds me of the old adage, Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Actually, our attitudes with regard to our finances have more to say about our faith than it does about money. In our passage today, Jesus said that where our treasure is, there will our heart be also. We need to ask ourselves this morning how secure our investments are. I. LOCATIONImagine you are looking for a bank to trust with your accounts You walk into one bank, and there seems to be little security and the guard reminds you of Barney Fife. Oh, and their deposits are NOT guaranteed by FDIC or any other insurance How likely are you to bank there? Now you go to another bank, and the security is very visible and effective On top of that, they proudly advertise that no robbery has ever succeeded.

Your deposits are fully guaranteed. Wouldnt it be foolish to take that risk of the first one? But that is precisely what the majority of people are doing placing their confidence in this world Think about the greatest treasure you have. More valuable than your home or vehicle This exceeds the value of your 401k even before the housing bubble Your greatest and most enduring asset is your eternal soul- too whom have you entrusted it? Jesus said in Matthew 16:26, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" Your spiritual life is drained by the interaction with the world, but nurtured by heaven When it came to the security of his soul, Paul was able to say, I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. (2 Timothy 1:12) Can you say with the same certainty that you have trusted God for salvation and are secure? For those who are saved, since your salvation, how have you invested yourself? Some come to faith, but then live secularly with no difference from before Paul speaks of them in 1 Cor 3 and says they will be saved but will suffer loss Think there of a uninsured house that is a total loss in a fire. Everyone escaped, but now what Youll be grateful to be in heaven, but there wont be a reward to show Your life on this earth would have been wasted because you didnt invest in eternity II. LIABILITIESWe are accustomed to weighing assets against liabilities When you make the comparison between investing in heaven and earth there is a stark contrast On the one hand, the news carries reports every day of the liabilities associated with this world People have lost pensions that they amassed over a lifetime and had to delay retirement Crying children confront us as families are evicted from their homes Some of those families bit off more than they could chew, but some were unfortunate victims There is a devouring spirit that stalks the inhabitants of this planet, but he is banned in heaven Nature itself has become a liability. Moths are representative of this problem We could add to that locusts, weevils, frost, and natural disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes

Rust represents the aging process or the results of neglect or exposure. Things break and corrode The shine and glimmer will tarnish. Things in this world dont last even when wellmade On top of that, there are other people who would like to steal what you have Locks and security systems arent built to ward off moths or rust but thieves Determined thieves will find a way around those preventative measures if they want to But then, what are the liabilities of heaven? None whatsoever. No one can take your soul from God. He holds it securely in His hand. Jesus said in John 10:28-29, "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." And God guarantees that the work we have done for Him will be rewarded The Bible tells us in Hebrews 6:10, "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister." Jesus spoke of the mansions. Paul spoke of the crowns. There is no down-side when we invest in heaven because the devourer has no access III. LOVEDoes the Bible discourage us from owning property? No. 1 Timothy 6:17 says, "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;" What we have comes graciously from God to the end that we might enjoy those things Are we enjoying what God has provided or have we lost enjoyment because we provided? The Bible teaches us to recognize that all we have belongs to God and we manage it in trust We are to provide for our families, support the work of God and help those who have needs The problem arises when we worship at the altar of greed and make money an idol If you love money, youll compromise your values to get what you want 1 Timothy 6:10 tells us, "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." People sell away righteousness if it will bring them more money and things And the very notion that we should tithe or serve or invest ourselves in Gods kingdom bristles

But when we love God and His work, we hold the things of this world loosely Here, we accumulate by hoarding, but spiritually we gain by giving away what we have God told the Israelites in Malachi 3:10, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." If we need a good inventory of our spiritual lives, we can look at how we spend/serve What drives you? What do you value? How are you investing your life? Conclusion: There really is no doubt that we benefit best by investing ourselves in eternity. If you have not entrusted your soul to God, will you do that today? This world cannot promise you a gain on your investment, and what you entrust to this world is in jeopardy of being lost eternally. Now you must decide. As we have this invitational song, won't you choose to invest your soul and invest your life with God eternally?