Investing for Eternity
- Rev. Jerry Lepasana
- Mar 14, 2010
- Series: Back to Basics
Back to Basics: (Part IX)
INVESTING FOR ETERNITY
Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)
19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (NIV)
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
One sermon that really makes many Christians feel uncomfortable is a sermon on giving. But, this is one of the most basic teachings in the Bible that we cannot avoid and ignore. Both the Old and New Testaments have discussed money quite extensively. In fact, if you study the Bible, there are more than two thousand references for money, which is five times more compared to prayers. And then, in Gospels of the Jesus (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), two out of every three stories Jesus told had to do money. Now, being a pastor who desires to be faithful to the Word of God, there’s no way I would skip this theme. My commitment conforms to what the apostle Paul had said in Acts 20:27:
“For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.”
The reality is: if I don’t preach about this because of the possibility of making some uncomfortable, it would be to your disadvantage. I could deprive you of so many blessings that can come into your life if you would learn the godly way of handling your money.
For example, for this morning, I want to emphasize the truth about eternal investments. I am convinced that many Christians are struggling to give because of the perception that they are losing when they give. They think of it as an expense, instead of an investment.
On the contrary, Jesus wants us to have a vision of an eternal investment. In Matthew 6:19-21, He makes a distinction about the kingdom of this world and the kingdom heaven, and the two treasures, the earthy and the heavenly. Clearly, for Jesus, there is no greater investment than the kingdom of heaven. All earthly investments are so uncertain especially during these days that the economy is so unstable. The safest is to make an investment in heaven, and the best part is that this investment can also bring us enormous eternal dividends. So, allow me to explain to you four important guidelines in eternal investments:
I THE CONCEPT OF STEWARDSHIP:
All believers must accept the concept of stewardship. The word Steward literally suggests an appointed manager or caretaker. In the New Testament, a steward is usually a trusted servant who manages a household or a property that belongs to his master.
On the same token, we are all stewards because God has entrusted His possessions to us. The Bible explicitly declares that God owns everything:
Psalm 24:1 (NIV)
1 The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
Haggai 2:8 (NIV)
8 'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the Lord Almighty.
If you acknowledge this fact, then you have to accept some accountability on how you are managing His resources. Being His managers, we will all stand before Him one appointed day and give account on what we have done with the resources He gave us. Jesus gave the parable of the talents in Matthew 25: 14-30 to teach this truth. The story centers on a master who was going on a journey, and so he gathered his three servants to entrust to them some talents. The first one got 5 talents; the second, two; and the last, one talent. By the way, the “talents” here were not abilities or gifts, but a reference to a large amount of money.
After he returned, all the three were made to account on how they managed their monies. The first two were commended and the third was condemned. Let’s listen to the commendations:
Matthew 25:21 (NIV)
21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
Both the first two servants heard the same words. Their faithfulness did not only result to commendations, but also multiplication. They were both promised with more resources to manage. While, the unfaithful servant was condemned, his resources were also taken away from him. I hope you don’t miss that truth, God is watching how we are manage His resources, and when we are faithful in making eternal investments, and then we will gain more resources to manage, even to the point of getting from the unfaithful ones those resources they were not able to manage properly.
II THE CHALLENGE OF SOWING:
When the apostle Paul instructed the Corinthians regarding giving. He taught them the idea of investment using the image of sowing. Obviously, they are equal in terms of both having to lay out resources with expectation of multiple returns in the future.
Considering Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, we can learn how we can effectively invest for eternity:
- A. The Rule – The size of the harvest is determined by how much you have sown:
There is a natural rule that each one must accept. One cannot expect to harvest more than what he or she had sown. If we are to examine the Bible regarding how much we have to sow, the teaching is quite clear concerning tithing. The word tithe simply means a tenth. The giving of the tithe is clearly prescribed in the Mosaic Law:
Leviticus 27:30 (NIV)
30 "'A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.
I know that those who want to find an excuse for not tithing and would say that this is a practice only for the Old Testament people, those who were under the law, but not for Christians who are under grace. Now, this is not right. The first appearance of tithing happens during the time of Abraham even before the law came:
Genesis 14:19 (NIV)
19 and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.
20 And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Abraham who wanted to honor the high priest Melchizedek offered his tithes to him. When you go to the New Testament, the book of Hebrews says that Jesus Christ is a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 7:8 is teaching that Melchizedek’s priestly line continues to receive tithes, which means we are to pay our tithes to Jesus Christ:
Hebrews 7:8 (NIV)
8 In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living.
So, the tithe continues in the New Testament, no longer as a commandment to the law but as our response to God’s grace shown to us through Jesus Christ.
The tithe belongs to God, and if we are giving only the tithe, we are simply returning what belong to God. If our harvest is determined by our sowing, we have to make sure that we invest generously. Peter Marshall once said:
“Give according to your income lest God make your income according to your giving.”
- B. The Response – With Cheerful Hearts
If we are to give out of the gratitude of our hearts, we have to constantly check the way we respond to God. Paul encourages us to be careful on how we are giving. We must give with cheerful hearts. In other words, we don’t give with a grumbling heart as if we are being forced to give; but, with a joyful willingness because we treat it as a privilege.
Throughout the Bible, God consistently requires that we serve Him with our hearts. He will never accept anything we offer Him without our hearts. This is the attitude that Paul admired about the Macedonian believers. Despite their poverty, they were generous toward the needs of the brethren in Jerusalem:
2 Corinthians 8:1-4 (NIV)
1 And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.
2 Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.
3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,
4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.
How is your attitude whenever you are giving? Remember, God is watching your heart, and He is greatly honored when you do it with joy.
III THE CAUTION FOR STEALING:
Without a doubt, the way we give to God reveals the kind of heart we have for Him. Therefore, He takes our giving seriously that He had regarded the people who are neglecting it as robbers or stealers. Notice His words:
Malachi 3:8-11 (NIV)
8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings.
9 You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me.
10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the Lord Almighty.
To give you some historical background, God gave these words to the Jews who have just been restored in the Promised Land after 70 years of captivity. Through His help, they were able to go back and rebuild their lives. Evidently, the main reason why they neglected their tithes and offerings was because they were still in the process of rebuilding. Yet, in the eyes of God, it is never acceptable for us to put ourselves ahead of Him.
Today, many Christians are guilty of putting themselves before God. According to an article from Christianity Today last October entitled, “Church Giving Outlook: You've Got Some Time,” the average giving of Christians today is only about 1.5 percent of their income. With this fact, I am reminded of what Dr. Tony Evans had said:
“Some Christians are wearing clothes, driving cars, and going on vacation with God’s tithes and offerings. Some of us are living in homes we can only afford by robbing from God’s portion to pay the note each month.’
If we are falling short, I hope we will do our best to change because God has attached a strong warning in verse 9 – “You are under a curse.”
This curse can be understood through the words in verse 11 wherein you would find pests that devours the harvest. In other words, God has withheld His blessings from them by not giving them a bountiful harvest. In the midst of your best efforts to provide for yourselves, God can withhold your blessings. Sometimes, people are wondering, “I’m already working as hard as I could, how come I still don’t have enough?” The answer is obvious; you are under a curse because you have been stealing from God. On the same context, the curse is worded this way in Haggai 1:6:
“You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."
IV THE CONTRIBUTION OF SATISFACTION:
Last but not the least; we need to highlight the promise given to those who are faithful in giving their tithes and offerings - Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it” (Mal. 3:10).
Oftentimes, the reason why we withhold the tithes to ourselves is because we are afraid that we might not have enough. God is saying, “Test me in this.” In other words, why don’t you take a step of faith? See if God would not be able to prove to you that He is a faithful provider wherein He would be able throw open the windows of heaven and pour out abundant blessings to you. There’s no question, God is able to satisfy His people. Have you tried God in tithes and offerings? The fact is: He promises to you that you will never be able to out give Him.
When we speak of God’s material blessings, there’s also an important truth we should not miss according to Proverbs 10:22:
The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.
Take note, when God blesses us, He adds “no trouble” to them. Meaning, He allows us to enjoy His blessings with a deep sense of divine favor. There are people who have lots of material possessions, yet they are not happy and satisfied. God gives satisfaction together with His blessings.
But, let me impressed to you where the greatest satisfaction really comes. It is when you give to the Lord’s work and because of your giving people will be saved and transformed in Christ. We as believers have been given the privilege to invest in the building up of His kingdom. So our blessings do not only translate to dollars and cents, our blessings our people who get into the kingdom. We should be satisfied when we know that God is most pleased when the people He loves are saved. They are our eternal investment.