John Thiel mp3
Investment. That’s an interesting expression today, because society is continually investing in one thing or another. In our meditations here, week by week recently, we have been exploring the subject of the cause that we are invited to support. Jesus commenced something very precious when He came to this earth when He chose the twelve disciples and launched out His church. He launched them out in a program in a cause that was to end in His coming on earth to take His people home. We had studied that in this cause, followers, the true Christians are to enlist like the disciples did. Like the early Christian Church understood what it meant to become a Christian to enlist in the cause. We saw how the disciples were trained by joining Jesus, they were trained to become capable activists as it were in the cause. It took them three years. Then we had a close look at how Judas, being one of the twelve, was carefully being solicited and trained. If he would choose to surrender himself to the cause instead of making the cause something he wanted it to be. We saw how he had made a terrible mistake in his interest in the cause.
Today we are looking at the investments that we make in this cause. When it comes to money and financial support. The thing that stirs people to be willing and joyful to give is if they have an interest in the cause. If it’s something different than that, it’s regarded as a legal requirement. The church teaches we are to give tithes and offerings. They say, oh okay, it’s required of me, I have to give my tenth. I have to give offerings and so we come to church with our tithes and offerings as a duty to the church. After I’ve done that duty, my money and my finances are my own business thereafter. That is the way, it is often viewed by Christians around me.
I want us to worship the Lord. I want to see things from God’s viewpoint to understand the cause in such a way that financial investments become the central appreciation in terms of the cause that I’m interested in. When I’m interested in something, I will sacrifice everything for it, not only in my time, not only my efforts my interest, but my finances as well. We identified that you notice what they do in the sports world out there. Look at the money that flows in the sports world. I mean, people are really fascinated with sports and look at the money flowing. These people don’t have to solicit money, the people give it. To satisfy their interest in the cause that happens in the money markets, that happens in every area of life in the world around us, people will give and spend because they enjoy what they’re spending it on. We are, as Christians attracted to Jesus and His kingdom and His cause. As we become fascinated with Him, we do something like the widow who gave her last night. She understood. But today the cause becomes even more vivid to our attention. We are living in a time. Which? We know is very close. To the very end. We are very close. As God’s people, we know that the advent of Jesus is imminent. Jesus is soon to come. Jesus himself spoke about the coming in the last days when He is about to come. He made a comparison there for us to appreciate in reference to the calls of his disciples today.
Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
He equates the coming of the flood, destroying the world with his coming at the end and how Noah was engaged in the and antediluvian activity. Just before the flood, and just to ponder upon this a little longer… Our understanding of living in these days. Has everything to do with the parallel of the understanding of Noah and his family living in those days.
2 Peter 3:6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
What does it say back there? It was destroyed by water. Now it’s going to be destroyed by fire.
2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
Here the word of God is coming to us to solicit us with the same kind of message that God came to Noah with. I’m going to give them another 120 years. The world is going to be destroyed by water.
Noah
Noah, how are you going? To act towards this you want to be protected, build an ark. He gave them the dimensions and He gave them the instructions. Do you think it’s any different for God’s people today? Noah lived in a lush climate. Everything around him was beautiful and the world that existed then, according to the words of Christ, is no different to the world today. They were eating, drinking, building, enjoying themselves, and they were investing all their interests and finances in building up their stability in this world. Noah knew that in 120 years it was going to be destroyed. How long do you think we’ve got before it’s going to be destroyed? Now think about it. What did Noah do? He invested in the building of the ark.
How? What sort of an investment do you think that was? Maybe God had blessed him with plenty of wealth. What would he have done? He must have been a builder of some kind. Wouldn’t he have expended all his wealth in the building of the ark? I think it’s common sense. Wouldn’t that be the case? Because what’s the use of spending your wealth in anything on this earth if you knew that in 120 years it was going to be destroyed? Do you think he had a house? I think so. He had a place to live. He had to sustain his livelihood for 120 years. But during that time, anything he didn’t spend on the necessities of life, he would have spent on what? His pleasures? Would he have spent it on get multiplying houses and lands? Would he have spent it on sports or anything like that? No way. In 120 years’ time, it was going to be finished. He spent his entire life’s fortune in building that ark.
As we know under the three angels’ messages that commenced in 1844, we’re not far much further than 120 years from there. How close are we to the burning of this world? How close? If that’s the case, what are you investing in? What are you spending your money on. Good question. What are you working for? What are you earning your money for if this world, if you turn with me to Matthew 6 19 to 21? We notice here that if this world is on the very brink of fire destruction. If everything in this world is soon to be melted away, then Matthew 6 is more relevant now than when Jesus spoke it back there,
Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Where is your treasure at the brink of all earthly treasures being destroyed. Where is your treasure? Are you living for more than just the necessities of life or are you living for that flash motor car or that house that I want to embellish and make extra beautiful because I’m going to live in there for a long time? Or are you scrutinising your finances to live for the necessity of the day and then place your finances, your investments in something that is secure, the bank of heaven. This is our meditation here, making investments in the cause of this present message in time. I’d like us to ponder upon this. What does it mean? What really does it mean when Jesus says there that we are to store up our treasures in heaven?
I like to read it from inspiration so that we don’t think it’s just a whim of my own maybe because sometimes I feel that I’m overreacting to things but let you make your own conclusion.
To lay up treasure in heaven is to use our God-given capabilities in acquiring means and influence that may be used for the glory of God. Review in Herald April 7, 1896 Volume 3, page 347
What is it to lay your treasures up in heaven so that you use your God-given capabilities in acquiring means? What do you do when you go out to work every day? You are using your God -given capabilities to acquire means. It is right to go out and work and acquire means. But what are you going to use those means for? You’re going to lay them up in heaven. What are you going to use them for? That they may be used for the glory of God. This puts a different slant entirely on tithes and offerings, doesn’t it? Your whole life interest, like Noah’s was, is to invest all your capabilities and earnings to the glory of God. That’s what it means to lay up your treasure in heaven. It goes on to describe this further on.
Every dollar we earn is the Lord’s property, RH April 7, 1896, par. 4
Did you pick that up? It’s not mine. I’ve worked for it, I say. Yes but who gave you the strength to work for it? I’ve slaved myself to get all this wealth and it’s the Lord’s. It’s not mine. I can’t use it as I desire. People who think that way don’t understand that everything I am, is given to me of God, everything.
…and should be used in reference to the time when we shall be called to give an account of our stewardship. RH April 7, 1896, par. 4
Ever since 1844, we are being examined in the judgment. We are right in on the scene of examination for stewardship. Are we prepared to sacrifice everything for God so that when the world burns, we will not lose it?
Every dollar we earn is the Lord’s property, and should be used in reference to the time when we shall be called to give an account of our stewardship. No one of us will be able to evade the future reckoning. By choosing to lay up treasure in heaven, our characters will be molded after the likeness of Christ. RH April 7, 1896, par. 4
That’s interesting. We’re going to be Christlike if we do this. The world will see that our hopes and plans are made in reference to the advancement of the truth. The world will see. They’ll say, “You’re really, you’re really involved in your church, aren’t you?” They will say that you’re giving all your money there and you’re just living a poor life. Come on, make yourself comfortable. They will say that to you. They will see that Christ is all, in all, to those who love Him. Real Christianity. Not just professed Christianity.
The world is stirred to intense activity in seeking for earthly treasure. Men prostitute their God-given powers in devising and executing earthly projects; but Christ lifts his voice, like the trump of God, and calls the attention of men, saying, “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”. RH April 7, 1896, par. 5
How relevant these words are for us today? In securing treasure in heaven, we place ourselves in living connection with God who owns all the treasures of the earth and supplies all temple mercies that are essential for life.
Every soul may secure the eternal inheritance. The Lord opens the fact before his people that there is full room for the exercise of their faculties, for the fulfilment of their loftiest aims, for the acquirement of the choicest and most enduring treasure. They may lay up treasures where neither fire nor flood nor any manner of adversity can touch. RH April 7, 1896, par. 5
When the fire destroys the world, what have you lost? Nothing because it’s recorded as a multiplication in heaven where there is no fire and flood. Noah invested his money in the ark and while the flood destroyed everything else, he and his family were safe and were able to continue to invest their life thereafter. It is the same story. It is the highest wisdom to live in such a way as to secure eternal life. You want to be wise? The highest wisdom is that self -evident isn’t it?
This may be done by not living in the world for ourselves, but by living for God; by passing our property on to a world where it will never perish. By using our property to advance the cause of God, our uncertain riches are placed in an unfailing bank. RH April 7, 1896, par. 5
Now let it really sink in. You want to put your money in a bank that is going to collapse tomorrow? Would you do that? Common sense isn’t it? You know for well that in the future that bank is going to collapse. You will never even consider putting your money in that. But here it says that we are able to put our riches in an unfailing bank.
But it is not riches alone that is accounted as treasure. We are to dispense our wealth of thought, to use our God-given wisdom in devising and executing plans to honor and glorify God. RH April 7, 1896, par. 6
Don’t you think Noah had to do that? When God instructed him how to build that ark, he was exercising all the ingenuity his mind could exercise. He gave himself entirely to it. All the wonderful gifts that you have, the capabilities, we’ve got so many people in this company that have wonderful capabilities. Just imagine if we used every capability that we have in this community, what an amazing investment that is for the glory of God. How the world will marvel here are the people that really mean it They’re not just professed Christians. They put their whole energies and their skills into such a system. So indeed, the investments are beautifully delineated here, we place our money in practical God’s activities.
I remember the story of the parable of the barns. He enlarged his barns because he had so much.
Your barns are large, too large already. If they overflow, instead of building larger, send your treasure before you into heaven. There are widows to feed, orphans to be taken under the guardianship of your home, and share your ample stores; there are souls perishing for the bread of life; missions are to be supported, meetinghouses to be built. RC 269.3
That’s interesting. We’re going to be building one or trying to get one, aren’t we?
If God’s cause demands a part, not only of your interest, but of your principal, you are to give back to Him His own. He calls upon you to sow now, that you may reap your harvest with eternal joy. RC 269.3
I remember hearing sermons about finances from my youth up there and then I came across one day that beautiful statement – ‘seek ye first the kingdom of heaven and his righteousness and all these other things will be added unto you.’
I read that when I was 12, 13, 14 years of age, and I said, “Right, Lord, I’m going do that.” I want to tell you, brethren, sisters and friends, I can say today at 51 years of age that it was worthwhile doing that. It was worthwhile doing it. I sacrificed everything by choice in what I’m sharing with you here. While I might lose the earthly materialism and those who are bound to this earth, I have the greatest joy and peace in my heart. I can personally testify it is worthwhile investing everything in God’s kingdom. It is worthwhile. Along the road you will go through all sorts of sacrificing experience, but if you keep your mind focused on the great investment that you are actually engaging in, you will not become discouraged. That’s what I’m trying to show here. We have a wonderful investment and our time is nearly finished on this verse. What do I want to invest in something that’s going to shrivel away?
The Lord is coming. You have no time to lose. You are not to do as did the inhabitants of the antediluvian world—The Signs of the Times, January 14, 1886. RC 269.7
Get the comparison? What did they do?
plant and build, eat and drink, marry and give in marriage, the same as the careless worldling. Let the books of heaven present a different record from that which now appears. Make haste to redeem the time; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not.—The Signs of the Times, January 14, 1886. RC 269.7
Couldn’t be more clear, couldn’t it? To help us appreciate the kind of investment that makes common sense when you know that everything is going to be destroyed, o you might as well were invested in something that isn’t going to be destroyed, that we can actually stop to bask in the preciousness of that proposition. Many times we read something in God’s Word, and we sort of think, “Oh, do I really?” The flesh just sort of tends to buckle up under it a bit. I know, I’m sure it happens to you like it happens to me. There’s little things that keep on niggling and saying, do I, this is uncomfortable. We need to get a view of the consequences of my discomfort here on earth and I’d like to spend a little time with you on that because more and any other time we need to have the appreciation of our scripture reading that we read this morning. Jesus uses a terrible in reference to somebody who discovered that his time was finished. Our time is just about finished Brethren and sisters isn’t it? Here is a terrible of somebody whose time was about finished.
The Mammon of Unrighteousness
Luke 16:1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.
What are we? Are we not stewards of God? Here is a parable of the people who are stewards of God. And what is written about them? They had wasted their goods. Is that written about you and me? Haven’t we enlisted our goods in a world that is about to be destroyed?
Luke 16:2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward
Give an account of your stewardship. Are we living in that time right now? The hour of God’s judgment has come, examination of our stewardship. What does the examination reveal? Sorry, you failed. But it’s not closed yet:
Luke 16:3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. 4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. 5 So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? 6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.
He is the one who has got control of the purse strings of the Lord and he says to these men look, you don’t have to worry about your what you owe them. Only owe half. The rest of it is forgiven. How do you think that he felt? Oh, he’s a good friend. Oh wonderful He’s a great man.
Luke 16:7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.
Now that’s another good relief. Oh, don’t owe them so much now. This is a wonderful steward.
Luke 16:8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. 9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
What is he saying here? What is Jesus trying to teach us here? We are living indeed in a time when we are about to lose everything we have invested in this world. Our money, our everything, every dollar is the Lord’s. What have you done with the Lord’s dollars? What have I done with the Lord’s dollars? Good question. I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way and I feel ashamed of the way that my money has been used It wasn’t mine. It was His and so I stand before Him with a terrible sense of I’m going to lose my stewardship. I won’t have a place in heaven to be able to control the situations there that I’m going to be placed under. So what do I do?
Make yourself friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, said Jesus. Make some restitution here so that as you come to the end where you’re going to have to face up to the consequences, you’re going to have friends. When you study the beautiful story of Jesus’ sacrifice for us, who was particularly interested in everything Jesus did for you and me? Wasn’t it the angels? The hosts of heaven? They were watching everything that Jesus did for us and they were longing for people to respond to what to what Jesus did for them. They were watching, and as they were seeing that people weren’t doing the right thing, they were heartbroken. What’s this? As we are right at the very end in the time of the judgment, the angels are looking upon what man has done.
Then they see these people that are making quick restitution for the glory of God. They take hold of the mammon of unrighteousness, and they use it for good from here onward. Although it’s all going to be lost in a minute, you’ve still been able to make some correction and the angels are very happy. The quote of Jesus was just given in this statement:
“Make to yourselves friends by means of the mammon of unrighteousness,” Christ says, “that when it shall fail, they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles.” R.V. God and Christ and angels are all ministering to the afflicted, the suffering, and the sinful. Give yourself to God for this work, use His gifts for this purpose, and you enter into partnership with heavenly beings. Your heart will throb in sympathy with theirs. COL 373.1
You’re making yourself friends with them, aren’t you?
You will be assimilated to them in character. To you these dwellers in the eternal tabernacles will not be strangers. When earthly things shall have passed away, the watchers at heaven’s gates will bid you welcome. COL 373.1
Do you want to have that joy? They will take you into eternal habitation because they actually saw you engaging in the cause like they’re interested in it. As you become partakers with their interests, of course, you see how this parable illustrates that, how that this man made himself friends of the people who owed the Lord money. He made friends with them by doing things as they were interested in and as he made himself friends of them, then when he failed, they received him. You looked after us and we’re going to look after you now. That’s what the angels of heaven are actually looking forward to. To stand at the gates of heaven and say you are like us, you have made friends with us.
This is the most joyful experience for a Christian to actually sense the care of angels around you. How many people have become excited about an angel coming up before them and speaking to them or they thought it was so wonderful. Make yourself friends with the man of unrighteousness so that these angels will rejoice to take you into their eternal habitation.
This is a wonderful story of God’s focus on something higher than we ourselves usually think. Under inspiration the question is asked:
Why is it that riches are called unrighteous mammon?—It is because Satan uses worldly treasure to ensnare, deceive, and delude souls, to accomplish their ruin. CS 133.3
That’s the way money is used by Satan’s instigation.
God has given directions as to how they are to appropriate His goods in relieving the wants of suffering humanity, in advancing His cause, in building up His kingdom in the world… CS 133.3
If God’s entrusted means are not thus applied, will not God surely judge for these things? They are called the mammon of unrighteousness because on this earth there is a term that the love of money is the root of all evil but if you have the love of the cause and you use that same money for that, it’s not evil, it’s good. Only then does it have value.
To invest in the cause of the present magnitude, as we described in the beginning, it’s not worth investing it anywhere else. But now I’m going to invest it in something that’s going to be joyful, I’m going to be taken into the friendship of the angels, received into eternal habitations.
What am I supposed to be doing then according to some other scriptures here? At the present time since 1844, the judgment is taking place and we’re heading straight into the destruction of the world soon after, just like it was given no time to build the ark and then the door was shut. Remember when it was all finished, probation will shut in the heavenly sanctuary when the judgment is finished. Same picture. No different. What are we supposed to be doing just now?
The Three Angels
Here is the work of the time of judgement in which we are living. You recall the message of the three angels where it says the angels cried aloud, here is the work. Here is the investment that we do, cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet and show my people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. Wasn’t that what Noah was doing?
He was making all the world not only here to see that the world is so sinful, you’re going to be destroyed unless you come into the ark and repent. Same story. But now they come along and say, “But wait a minute. We’ve done everything that God wanted us to do”. Looking at it from their viewpoint.
Isaiah 58:2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God.
They profess righteousness but what’s the problem?
Isaiah 58:2 …they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
In the Christian world today, how they come to our church and say, “You’re not a happy people. You ought to come to our church. We’re happy. We’re praising the Lord. We’re singing happy songs instead of these birdies that you sing.”
That’s how they talked to me when I was picked up along the way one day as I was flying from Korea to here. I met somebody like that. And they say, “Oh, you people sing as if you’re not happy.” They take delight in approaching to God.
Isaiah 58:3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
Isn’t that interesting? What were they doing in the time of the fast? Because isn’t that what we’re supposed to be doing from 1844 onwards? Afflicting ourselves? What were they doing in the time of their fast? They were exacting all their labours. If you read into that very carefully, you will see they are investing their activities on earth requiring lots and lots of money from the money they’ve invested and using it to build their stability here on earth. This was their fast and it goes on to say now what is the real fast?
Isaiah 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? 7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
Isn’t this money expense? Isn’t this what the true fast is meant to be? So instead of ravishing your appetite on money expense for the embellishments of your home life beyond what is to do without and only have enough to live, here it is in the Bible as a focus on the money affairs of your life, not only on your eating affairs.
Fasting
This is the fast that God wants.
Isaiah 58:10 And If thou draw thy soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day.
In the darkness you will be happy, because it doesn’t matter if everything falls down around you. You’ve expended your money and invested it in something that won’t be lost. Here is the exercise of God’s people in the time of the judgment like in the days of Noah.
The means over and above the actual necessities of life are entrusted to man to do good to bless humanity. COL 370
What are we to use? The money that is over and above the actual necessity. What is necessary? Your food, your roof over your head, And what else? You think of anything else? Your clothes, of course, yes and to get from A to B. What else do you need? You know, I used to spend big money on expensive cars and I woke up, that’s a waste of money. I can buy a $2000 car and save the rest instead of losing it in devaluation. You start to think differently when you start to talk about God and you realise, oh, there are ways and means of fulfilling your necessities and giving the rest that you’ve got to use as we’ve just studied here, to invest in the bank of heaven.
How many are losing rich blessings and becoming spiritually dwarfed because they withhold from God his own. The enemy of God and man is constantly at work to divert the treasures which belong to God and to please and honor and glorify the human agent. My family needs call for this and for that, men say, and convenience after convenience is added to the house in furniture, in clothing, in dainties for the table. They fail to limit their desires, when by so doing they would bring blessing to themselves and to their families. TDG 97.4
Here it’s nailed right down, isn’t it? What do we spend our money on? Convenience after convenience. Not needed convenience. You know, when you start thinking along the path of fasting, you start to realise that there’s food that I can eat that will satisfy me very nicely without spending big money on it. Like for instance today, it is rampant to go to a restaurant and spend money that way when you can just buy, I mean, when I was traveling around to visit different people, to just go along and buy some fruit and a little bit of bread somewhere or something like that satisfied my hunger perfectly, and it cost me no more than about five dollars, whereas I see others in my position they spend twenty -five dollars on a meal, if not more. You know, it’s stopping to think and fast. In other words, to eat only which is necessary, to buy in your house only that which is necessary. How many homes I come to that are embellished throughout with expenditure of goodies there that would be better to sell and to use that money for the cause of God.
As we make our plans, as we make our projects here on earth, what have we got in mind? If we know it’s going to be destroyed, yes, we have to purchase, to build and to make, etc. But we bear in mind only necessity for the necessary comforts that keep us healthy, warm and wholesome. But unnecessary, that’s fasting. It goes on in the beauty of God’s Word. It shows us the heavenly embellishments that we are looking forward to because this earth has been a big drain on God’s investments. But he’s looking for results of his investments in us. He’s looking for the beauty of the glory that will be when they have been received into their own habitations of God and the joy that will be there.
That will be worthwhile all the expense. There is a beautiful statement, heaven is cheap enough if we spend everything on this earth for Him. In a world that is feverishly investing in ambitious projects today, our project is of far greater dimension than theirs isn’t it? What a precious thing to invest in, as they are all feverishly investing and looking for results and increase in their investments.
Matthew 25:14 to 30 – I won’t read it all but here is the content of it. We know the parable well – The kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country who called his own servants and delivered them unto them his goods.
Whose goods? His goods. That’s the picture. That’s what heaven did. All the goods were given into the hands of His disciples. What were they meant to do with them? You know the parable well. One went along and multiplied them into ten talents. The other one who had to multiply them into four talents. The other ones who had one did one, he buried them in the earth. What does that mean? That you use your talent in the earth, in the world, instead of multiplying for the kingdom of heaven? Here it is all in this parable. And then he comes and he makes an account with them and he comes to the one who just put it in the back, in the earth. And it was taken away from him. It wasn’t a good investment at all. But the other ones, it was a wonderful investment because now they had control over the things of greater things.
Matthew 25:23 His Lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful over a few things. I will make thee ruler over many things, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.
Is that attractive, brethren and sisters? Is that attractive to you? It’s a deep attraction to me. The appeal of God’s Word is not my appeal to you, it’s God’s appeal but I’m becoming an agent to be a channel of His. He is appealing to us. He is saying can’t you see life on this earth is not worth living without me and for me. You’ve got something worth living for. You’ve got something worth working for. That when you feel a little bit oppressed because the work is a bit hard because “Oh, I’m doing it for something better than this earth.” I have to do that many times. When I was gardening, got a bit hot, got hot at times and I was really sweating. And there was the joy, “I’m earning my money to keep myself so that I can continue to preach God’s word.” That was all important to me. And it didn’t matter how much I suffered. It was good. You see, when things go hard, we’ve got to remember that we are investing in the cause of God.
The Bank of Heaven
Let us invest our means in the bank of heaven by using it to supply the once of the needy or to advance the cause of God. RH December 6, 1881, par. 19
When the Master at his coming having found us faithful over a few things will make us each ruler over many things in the kingdom of glory. The blessing of God will rest upon those who have the cause of Christ at heart. Free will offerings prompted by love to the crucified Redeemer will bring back blessings to the giver for God marks and remembers every act of liberality performed by His people. He marks it. To carry forward the work of God for this time, for this time, no one has asked time to carry that forward, there must be a constant exercise of faith in Him. In business transactions, men are willing to venture something in the hope of gain. Should we be less willing to invest our means in the cause of truth with the prospect of securing eternal riches? RH December 6, 1881, par. 19
So simple, isn’t it? That is the reason why in this church we only have an offering box. You notice that you have never been solicited for money and all the time that we’ve been here. Have you? Never. Because all I’m interested in is the servant of God is to proclaim the beauty of the kingdom of heaven. If you want to invest in it, It’s a free choice. You don’t have to have the bag running up in front of you and feel embarrassed if you don’t put anything in it. Nobody has to know that you’re putting money in there. Nobody.
It is an act of worship from your own response of wanting to invest in the cause of God. And when it comes to missionary work, when it comes to any other activity, This church is organized, but the organization and function of this church is totally dependent upon that which every person uses his skilful abilities to achieve something together. And the degree with which everybody does it, to that degree, we go somewhere. If we don’t go anywhere, we discover that we’re not getting anywhere. Somebody goes along and says, “Well, what about this and what about that?” It doesn’t happen unless somebody, by free will choices, puts his heart and mind behind it. The Kingdom of Heaven is appealing to us. Heaven is cheap enough. It’s worthwhile sacrificing all for a cause, and it’s a cause that will not perish.
May God grant us an appreciation that every penny, every dollar, every cent it is today, not penny, every dollar we have is for the use of the glory of God. As we focus our attention on this beautiful cause, may God grant us a heart that is submissive and is surrendering, abandoning to the things of God. This is my prayer in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
