Send it on ahead
Sometime in the summer of 1989, my brother and I received tickets to an event at a local hotel.
I don’t remember where I got them, but I do remember what happened when we went. It turned
out to be a series of sales presentations given by highly enthusiastic speakers. The title of one
of the presentations was very enticing:
“How to buy a dollar for 41 cents”
The speaker convinced us that through a legal loophole for purchasing bonds, we could do just
that. We were so excited! And so we dug into our hard-earned savings that we had built up
earning our minimum wage jobs ($4 an hour at the time) and plunked down the $400 to
purchase the program. When we got home, we found that the entire kit was a series of tapes
instructing us on the basics of investing in real estate.
We never bought a single bond. It was a totally wasted investment – except, perhaps for the
enduring lessons it taught us (in the long run, it was probably worth the $400). One lesson was
most about the importance of putting faith in reliable sources! Perhaps you can relate to that
story.
There is Good News – there is one investment advisor that’s supremely reliable. Jesus said:
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where
thieves break in and steal,20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither
moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20)
On November 26, 1922 archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of King Tut. By the
time they were done excavating, they found over 2,600 pounds of gold and jewels. Why was it
all in there? Because they believed that King Tut could take it with him into the afterlife.
Not according to Jesus. According to Jesus, there’s something much, much better – Treasure in
Heaven! Nothing compares to the infinite and eternal value of God and his promises. Author
Randy Alcorn writes,
“In Wall Street terms, Jesus is bearish when it comes to investing on earth. His financial forecast
for this world is ultimately bleak. But he’s unreservedly bullish about investing in heaven, where
every market indicator is eternally positive!”
In other words, according to Jesus, you can’t take it with you – but you can send it ahead!
Every investment commercial you listen to ends with the same qualifying statement: “Past
performance is no guarantee of future results.” But that’s not true when it comes to Jesus! As
the Bible tells us: “For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God
will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep (in death) in him.” (1 Thess 4:14)
Join us as we gather to worship Jesus Christ, our eternal treasure and learn to invest all we are
in the only sure thing there is, the Kingdom of God.
Pastor Ryan Sarenpa
God is Good, All the Time!