Investment Advice

Listen

I have an exercise for you. I want you to listen…can you hear that? If you get very quiet you’ll hear it. Yeah, there it is. It’s ALWAYS there but you and I are so used to it, we don’t even notice it anymore. That’s the sound of every second of your life just passing by. And every day you trade these seconds away and spend them just like money. You trade them in exchange for…what? Well, that’s gonna be the question today.

Consider this reality: you only get so many seconds to live your life.

In the US average life expectancy is 77 years. That sounds like a pretty good haul to anyone listening that may be under a certain age. That’s two billion, four hundred twenty nine million, eight hundred eighty five thousand, three hundred and four seconds.

Now, that number sounds so big it might as well eternity! But here’s some other numbers through the lens of a few realistic scenarios that may give you a better, more accurate perspective on the time and possibly hit all too close to home:

The doctor says, “You’ve eaten far too much fried food and steak and lived far too careless and reckless. In your health, you might not make it to 50.”

The surgeon says, “It’s inoperable. I’m sorry but you’ve only got five years.”

The peace officer knocks on the door, “We’re so sorry to tell you but there was an accident and your loved one has passed this night.”

Two billion doesn’t matter at all in light of the fact that we could take our very last breath at any given time. I hope that this stark contrast between what seems like forever and gone in an instant will give you and me a wake up call to think over and consider how we live out our days. Looking around at our culture everyone is pretty care free and operating as though life lasts forever but the counsel that scripture gives us is much different.

James 4:14

New International Version (2011) Chapter 4

“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

Jesus tells a parable that Luke records in chapter twelve of his gospel and he prefaces it with a bit of humor honestly. There was a crowd of many thousands gathered around Jesus, so much so they were trampling on each other so its a big group! Luke writes that “someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”

New International Version (2011) Chapter 12

The Parable of the Rich Fool

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.  And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’ “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?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

It’s a cautionary tale not to invest your days piling up stuff and spending the moments of your life on earthly concerns when none of it is going with you and eventually someone else is going to get it all. And what then would you be left with exactly? What Jesus is warning against is a lifestyle that piles up earthly things and pleasure and comfortable in the here and the now, while being unaware that this will cost you the REAL prize of life and the things that have true and everlasting, substantive value. I have made the mistake of being that person and I have know many others who could echo the sentiment of “Had I known, had I realized the gravity of my foolish decisions sooner, and the lack of real value that all of this STUFF gave, I would never have consciously traded the treasure of eternity for these temporary trinkets here on earth!

Have you ever bought something that even before the purchase was made you were heavily invested in it. You’d done all of the research and watched all of the YT comparison reviews and settled on the one that made sense. Emotionally you already owned it before you even asked the other people in your life who this buying decision might affect what their thoughts were on the purchase. Then you bought it…got it home and realized it was kinda cheap and not really worth having; it didn’t really suit the need after all and just left you regretting the purchase? Buyer’s remorse is the term you’re looking for. I’ve had buyer’s remorse many times and if you’d like to hear some funny stories ask me later. How many people have you and I known who have stepped into eternity and have buyer’s remorse for how they lived the days of their life. We need to think and consider the cost! It matters! The seconds and minutes and hours, days and years for each one of us are valuable and how you spend them is THE most critical investment decision that you and I will ever make! I encourage you - make them count and count for the Lord and His kingdom.

You trade every one of the seconds of your life…FOR something. So think on this: what are you going to buy with those seconds? What are you gonna exchange them for?

The primary passage I want to bring your attention to today is Matthew 16:24–27 “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.”

Jesus said we could be trading our very soul for just STUFF but be sure of this: that one day in a future that to us seems too far away to worry about; one day He’s going to come with all of the heavenly host examine what we did with the time and energy and resources that God the Father gave to us and then reward us for those efforts. The indication as I read it is that “rewards according to what they have done” means some will get a great reward and some will get a reward that’s not worth a thing; some rewards we don’t want. He indicated to the Pharisees who were doing their good deeds for everyone to see “well, you’ve earned your reward…don’t expect one from heaven.” And I don’t know about you but I want to be in the line for rewards that are GOOD! And to do that it takes an investment of our resources, our energy, and our time through conscious decisions all along the way that will make us rich toward God.

Earlier in Matthew’s gospel in the 6th chapter, Jesus said “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Here’s another point to consider: if we’re honest and at all close to one another, it’s very easy to see where we invest our soul. We don’t like to say it aloud or put each other on the spot socially. We like to imagine that we’re keeping it a secret but here’s the rub: if we truly have an honest look at one another, it’s plain as day to see what motivates the heart of each person. An apple tree doesn’t give out peaches and pears don’t drop off of an orange tree! Now I want some fruit but we’ve got more to go…

Some of us live and breathe sports, some work sun up to sundown because you’ve got to get all you can….then can all you get, then sit on the can. Others can’t wait to get out on the water to either bake in the sun or yank fish out of the ocean. For some of us it’s social media and the moment that we get away from having to do something for the boss or the spouse or whomever, we are scrolling through the feed and watching reels and TikTok videos. None of these things in and of themselves are bad or wrong - they’re okay as far as it goes…but if you’re making yourselves rich in these things and the energy that you have you invest these things, Jesus said ‘be careful that you are not eating, drinking, and being merry - storing up these things for yourselves but not investing in richness toward God and HIs kingdom.” It matters! It is going to matter greatly. Don’t have buyer’s remorse when you step into eternity! Don’t have buyer’s remorse when you step into the rest of this day! Because the earthly stuff won’t be going with you and me when we pass from this life.

So you say, if that’s the case what then do I invest my life in? What treasure do I buy with my time? Well I thought you’d never ask!

Back to Matthew 16:24, Jesus said “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” Whoever loses their life….FOR ME….will find it.

You see, what Jesus is proposing here is that for a disciple of His there should be a change in kingdom mindset - a change in where your allegiance lies. Colossians 3:1–4 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Do you see? Set your heart and mind on the things of God - THAT is where you make your investment. Well, how do I do that?

There’s all sorts of practical ways to do this and to work it out in the real world. It’s really not as hard as we sometimes make it out to be. You’re already doing step one - you need to be in worship! And you need to be intentional about getting involved with and knowing the community of people that gather together to worship and serve the Lord. Make being in this community, or SOME community of believers, a priority in your life that comes first before any other of your extracurricular activities.

Next you need to grow. Find a few friends or a group that’s already meeting together separate of this large gathering that you can study, pray, confess, trust and have them trust you back, and start working out life together. Learn from God and from other believers that you know better than just in passing. You’ll take flight and go places!

Thirdly, you need to serve. There is never a shortage of places to serve and the great thing is that you can typically find something to scratch your own itch and operate in one of your natural abilities and strengths. This doesn’t always look like serving the church either. Serve the people around you and be sensitive to the opportunities the Holy Spirit invites you into. You don’t have to be weird for Jesus. It could be as simple as a co-worker sharing a difficulty and you saying “Let me pray for you about that…”Jesus help this situation, in Your name. Amen.” And then go on about the day. Don’t power up on them with fire and brimstone….don’t be odd or off-putting. Just make it normal! And it can be quick! Jesus healed several people and made an incredible impact for the kingdom of God with a one sentence prayer.

Or it could look like this: we need some small group leaders. You don’t have to be a Bible scholar or have the five point plan of salvation memorized or even know what that means. You just need to be willing to play host with a few donuts and potato chips and love on people…and let them love on you back. Little investments that say to the Lord “I want to be used by You because I love you and want to see Your kingdom come.” He will honor that and add His blessing.

Lastly, you need to share. God has blessed us all in so many ways. And we all need to hold that which He’s given us on the earth with a very open hand, ready to cheerfully give when we sense it’s His pleasure. In the early church, they were so joyful and full of life in the Spirit that the Bible said they were all of one heart and mind and that no one claimed any of their possessions as their own but shared everything they had.

Ask the Lord, “Lord, what can I do with my life and my things and in what way can I invest all that I have so that You and you alone are in first place”. And then listen. And then obey. Whatever it is that the Spirit is speaking to you about your time, energy, and resources - invest those things in the kingdom of God and you will buy for yourself treasure that fire cannot burn, thieves cannot steal, and can never be taken away from you. You will FIND your life. It’s that life that Jesus spoke about in John chapter 10 vs 10 - you will have life and have it abundantly.

Just remember: abundant life isn’t made up of earthly things. Boats, cars, sports championships, relaxing evenings at home in the recliner watching the TV, what have you…whatever it is that would compete with God. Let it be a heart check for you if you find yourself caring more about and making space in your life for earthly pleasures and pursuits and yet find the kingdom of God things to be kind of a drag. It’s ok! Don’t be afraid to admit it! Make an examination of yourself and be honest and open before the Lord. You’re not going to scare Him or surprise Him or make Him angry. HE ALREADY KNOWS! In fact, as you in honest humility and willingness draw close to Him, He is going to draw close to you. Just say “Lord, teach me to care about what You care about. Set my mind on heaven things and stir a passion in me for your kingdom here on earth, just as it is in heaven.” He’s not playing hide and seek. He will grant that prayer. Then lean into where He takes you. It will change your life.

I want to leave you with a picture. It’s a picture that comes out of the book of Revelation. Revelation 21:1–7 “Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.”

What good will it be for someone to gain this whole world and all of its pleasures and miss walking into this reality one day, live and in color? We have a choice to make. What are we going to buy with the precious seconds of our lives and how are we going to invest them in order to be rich toward God? He can tell you how to answer if you pay attention. Be still. Listen!