God’s Basic Plan for Security - 1

Christian lady asked what point would you will choose accumulating wealth is the power of joy. But God's word sees that so long today. Dr. David Jeremiah. She's the differences between earthly and heavenly treasures in his message God's basic plan for secure word of introduction is David so let me ask the question as we head into the weekend edition of Turning Point. Are you headed toward your reward or you headed away from it. If you live for the things that are on this earth you're headed away from your reward, but if you live for the things of God.

You headed toward it.

I want to be headed toward my reward don't you must learn how to do that as we open our Bibles together and talk about God's basic plan for security.

One of the messages that comes with all of us were followers of Christ is that spending a lot of time in putting a lot of energy into the investments of this world can be rather discouraging. Jesus tells us that there are only two ways to invest, you can invest in the insecure earthly things you can invest in the secure heavenly things.

As Christians we do a little bit of both of those things. But as followers of Christ. We need to be moving more and more to an understanding of how we can make investments that will be safe and secure. One of the things that we learn about investing in earthly things is that when we do that we make investments that tend toward deterioration and depreciation, everything that we invest in on this earth has a tendency to deteriorate or depreciate Matthew 619 to 21 says it this way, do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal by lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal for your treasure is, there your heart is also. Matthew six tells us that earthly treasures are subject to ruin. When moths get them there, subject to rust when they corrode and are subject to robbers who want to break in and steal them.

We discovered a few years ago that we had moths in one of our closets does happen to be where I hung my suit and they were making my suits, a work of art. So we cleaned all the closet out with somebody come and we put cedar walls and there and we scratch them so the aroma would be great and we hunger] for a couple years.

They were great, but I gotta tell you the monster back where you have that can be destroyed or deteriorate or depreciate is subject to we do not most of us recognize how serious an issue that is, for instance, did you know that the average car loses 12.2% of its value in the very first year. Some cars depreciate even faster. So all of us know that if you're in the car business you're in the junk business. That's what you do you buy a car, and pretty soon if you hang onto it long enough the government to come up with a plan so you can get some out of it in the world is full of old cars that people once bought thought this is to make them happy.

Whatever you buy on this earth has a tendency to depreciate or deteriorate, number two earthly treasures demand constant vigilance and care how many of you know that it's not your homeowner is always broke his natural somethings always wrote whatever you have. Whatever you own. If it's a material possession. We need your vigilance and your care burglars case a house they wait until owners are gone. And then they break in and steal earthly treasures always have to be watched on top of that, when you get a new toy or a new possession all of a sudden we're in the maintenance business.

Whatever you invest in on the earth demands vigilance and care. There's one little illustration. If you average all the homes in America.

It averages out to $500 a year just to take care of our lawn just to take care of our lawns and doesn't include the water bill. It's just what we pay to care for our lawns. So everything that we do everything that we have as a sort of a hidden price to number three. Earthly treasures can desensitize us to the needs of others. This is really a subtle thing but let me go to a little bit of detail to explain. You would think that people who have the most would do the most, but historically and this is very consistent from as far back as they been studying this, that's just not a true fact. The people who have the least end up doing the most that doesn't mean there are people who have resources and wealth more very generous and do way beyond what anyone else would expect of them.

But if you average it all out getting more does not necessarily mean you will give more, getting more usually becomes a problem, an issue for many people it usually has been those who have the least who have given the most is an illustration of that in the New Testament in second Corinthians, where we read. Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality there some interesting words, there they were in affliction. They were in poverty and they gave a abundantly that's a historically accurate picture of what usually happens sometimes when we get a lot of stuff we can become insensitive to the needs of hurting people. If we are not careful. There is a good illustration of that in the story of the rich man and Lazarus in the book of Luke and the 16th chapter, you know the story well this man stared sumptuously.

The Scripture says he lived in the lap of luxury and at his gate. There was a beggar who didn't have enough to eat. On any given day, every day.

This rich man walked out of his gate and walked by this beggar. When he came home at night he walked by him again and he never had any sense that there was something he should do about this poor man as you know the story goes on into eternity and we see how the roles are reversed and the purpose of the story is not to illustrate that sometimes rich people neglect poor people, but it is a great illustration of it somehow. When we get lots of stuff for not careful, we see the world through our own eyes and we become blinded to the needs of the people who were around us very difficult for us. When that happens, in his book.

What is money.

Ron Nash writes concerned with wealth can encourage the development of such character traits as arrogance, selfishness, self-satisfaction, materialism, and a total indifference to the plight of the needy money has the potential of becoming a God that competes for our devotion and commitment. Many wealthy Christians are extremely generous and sensitive. Always looking for someone to help that if someone invests exclusively in earthly things.

They have to guard against the possibility of becoming insensitive to the needs of others. Earthly treasures deteriorate and degenerate and depreciate the demand constant vigilance and care they can desensitize us to the needs of others is the next one.

Earthly treasures don't go with you to heaven. I don't care what anybody says they don't go with you to heaven. First Timothy 67 says for we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we will carry nothing out. You all know there are no pockets in a shroud and horses don't pull trailers. They just don't do that you can send it ahead but you can't take it with you see faster how the world he ascended ahead. Wealth you invest your resources in things that will survive you, and will go on for eternity. What are those things is only 21. Are the souls of men and women and the other is the word of God, whatever you invest that involves the souls of men and women and involves the word of God will live on forever and ever. Everything else has no shelflife and it will dissipate and be gone.

I can't tell you what a thrill it was to be a student of the word of God for so many years.

Read the Bible and still come up with passages that somehow I haven't seen her. They haven't grabbed hold of me and course. The way this works a lot of times as you know is if you're thinking about a certain thing in your reading Scripture. Some of the passages jump out at you because you're thinking about it in your thinking about that subject will that's what happened here is a Scripture that I have never thought about with regard to what were talking about now might be one you'd like to write down because it is so appropriate and it really seems so contemporary Psalm 49, 10 to 12 and 16 to 17. Here's what it says for he sees wise men die.

Likewise, the fool and senseless person perish, and they leave their wealth to others.

Another thought is that their houses will last forever.

Their dwelling places to all generations. They actually call their lands after their own names.

Nevertheless, man. Though in honor does not remain. He is like the beasts that perish. Do not be afraid, when one becomes rich, when the glory of his house is increased for when he dies to carry nothing away his glory shall not descend after him.

I'm always amused when I hear somebody say he died a millionaire big deal. You know, when you die a millionaire. It's exactly the same as when a pauper you just die. People say of somebody who's died. How much did he leave, he left it all. Take one time with him. He left everything he had earthly treasures deteriorate and depreciate. They demand constant vigilance and care they can desensitize us to the needs of others. They don't go with you to heaven and him something that's interesting.

Some of you find this amusing, but many of you will understand what I mean before even illustrated earthly treasures can drive you to do things you don't want to do. Having money can make you do things you don't want to do that. Some people so you know acts as a whole lot happier when life is a lot simpler before I got all the stuff that many people with many things you would just like to go back to the beginning. But who can't.

They can hardly realize what is happened to him. It's almost like a fulfillment of Paul's words to young Timothy Paul was writing to this young preacher this young protégé of his that he was trying to help them understand how he should teach his people and he was reminding him that there are some things about wealth that you need to guard against this is a very kind of in-your-face passage of Scripture. But let it do its work in your life because that's why it's in the Bible. Here's what Paul wrote to Timothy, he said, but those who desire to be rich. Just make a note there, he didn't say those who are rich. He said those who crave to be rich. Those who desire to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful loss which drown men in destruction and perdition for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Notice money is not the root of all kinds of evil.

But the love of it is for which some have strayed from their faith and their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Sometimes earthly treasures can drive you to do things you don't even want to do if you want a good illustration will give you an assignment. This is a very sophisticated congregation. All of you are very savvy about the Internet servers and Internet assignment go to the Internet when you get a chance and research what happens to people who will win the lottery.

The misery that was created for so many of them.

I read maybe 15 stories like that. I picked out one is an illustration short enough that I can tell you, you get it.

Here's what happened. William Bud post on $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania lottery in 1988, but he now lives on Social Security. He wrote I wish it had never happened. It was a total nightmare in my life.

A former girlfriend successfully sued him for service winnings. It wasn't his only lawsuit. A brother was arrested for hiring a hitman to kill him, hoping to inherit a share of the winnings.

Other siblings pestered him until he agreed to invest in the car business and a restaurant and Sarasota Florida to ventures that brought no money back and further strained his relationship with his siblings post even spent time in jail for firing a gun over the head of a bill collector within one year.

He was $1 million in debt. He eventually declared bankruptcy and he now lives quietly on $450 a month in food stamps and get this in one year.

He went through, 16.2 million. Actually, 17.2 because he went a million upside down. You say how can that happen. Well really easy government takes a bunch of it, your family, because after you make foolish decisions. You don't how to say no you buy this and then have to buy that to cover what you bought, you know your upside down and he withdrew that money and it was gone. Not to say a word here about play in the lottery, I mean I don't if you want somebody. I don't play the lottery. Don't do that, but I go to 7-Eleven get coffee sometimes and I see people come in and sometimes it's so funny they can look around to see if anybody's there, you know, they quietly walk up and they poignantly get one of those things. It comes off the roller take it in them they give it back to the man he puts in this little machine and checks it. And I've never seen anybody when and they walk out having blown some money and it'll have anything the lottery doesn't make people happy, winning a lot of money doesn't make you happy so earthly treasures deteriorate and appreciate the demand constant vigilance and care.

They desensitize us to the needs of others that I'll go with you to heaven and they can drive you to do things you don't want to do and earthly treasures don't even satisfy us now. Is this something you think you know I'll do this for now and then I'll worry about eternity later, but earthly treasures don't satisfy you even now say wait a minute, Pastor, have you ever heard people say if I just had more of this I have heard them say that and I watch them get in the doesn't do what they thought it would generally want people strive for more.

Never happened. You know why me tell you why you how much more you need just a little bit more than you have in its collective life is soon as you pastor of the church you start meet all the people who pastor churches twice as big as yours as soon as you have some money you start running the people that have a lot more money than you do.

If you're not careful. It's always about something else, something more in the something more never brings joy or satisfaction to your life. King Solomon had the opportunity is the richest man in history sort life out without God and he said I've had it all. I've done it all.

I've been everywhere I've accomplished everything you could want in my estimation of that all is this you take God out of the equation and it's all vanity. It's all chasing the wind so earthly treasures deteriorate and appreciate the demand constant vigilance and care they can desensitize you to the needs of others that I'll go with you to heaven. You can be driven to do things you don't want to do. You don't even get satisfaction out of them now often at earthly treasures finally are doomed to ultimate destruction. Did you know that that you know that every material thing on this earth is going to be burned up.

Use a word or words you get that. Well, it's in the Bible. Here's what the Bible says, but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat and both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. The Bible tells us there's coming a day in the future when God is going to destroy the heavens and the earth and reconstitute a new heaven and a new earth and the Bible says everything is going up in smoke another only two things I told you that survive that. Those are the souls of people and the eternal Word of God. Somebody once told me if you want to keep this ever before. You get a red tag and write on it soon to be burned and then tie that tag on everything you've got suitability pressing well you would want to do it for the rest your life but for a week.

You might try it just to be reminded that everything we have is temporal.

So what about making secure investments and let me just go through through three things here that will help us heavenly investments are constantly appreciating that you know that once you make a heavenly investment and continues to appreciate all the way out for eternity. Jesus said assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for my sake and the Gospels, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children lands, with persecutions and in the age to come eternal life. The Bible says this if you decide that you're going to give to the Lord. Maybe you're going to give your whole life to the Lord in terms of service, God will never be identity.

I've had people tell me that they've come to Christ out of families that have no interest in the things of God. In fact, there tag and a stick to the things of God when they become Christians. They literally lose their earthly family which and what they say I lost a brother and my sister and my earthly family. God gave me 100 brothers and sisters in my churches in my Bible studies and in the choir and the places where I interact God never is a debtor to anyone. Whatever we give to him. He gives it back and it appreciates and the appreciation keeps going on and on into eternity, you can't stop it. You can't control it.

Once you give it. It is out of your hands and God takes over and whatever God does. He multiplies God is in the multiplication business.

Did you know that is what he does. Heavenly investments are constantly appreciating and heavenly investments are cared for by somebody else. All that's a good one you wake up in the morning, go read the stock market to see if your investment in heaven is all right. Just keep reading your Bible you be reminded that God's got it all under control.

He's taking care of your investment and robber smoke break through and steal corrosion won't ruin it to be safe. Whatever you invest in safe. Thirdly, heavenly investments are constantly appreciating their cared for by someone else and they continue for eternity. The returns on heavenly investments do not stop John 627 says it this way do not labor for the food with parishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you because God the father has set its seal on him, whatever you give to God will never ever ever go away you invest in the word of God. It lives and abides forever. You invest in someone's life as a Christian. Their souls are eternal. When you invest in evangelism.

God uses that to bring many sons to himself and they go to heaven, heavenly investments cause God to be pleased. Did you know that when Paul was writing to the Philippian believers after they received an offering to help him.

They gave this offering, as unto God, and Paul described this way, he said. Your offering is a sweet smelling aroma and acceptable sacrifice well pleasing to God. Did you know that when you invest in eternity it pleases God. Lord, I want to please you with my offering today and I hear his voice, saying, when you give.

I'm always pleased to pleases God and brings joy to the body of Christ.

Heavenly investments create joy in the body of Christ to do that heavenly investments create joy in the body of Christ in heavenly investments constantly are appreciating their cared for by somebody else and they continue for eternity because God to be pleased. And here's the last one. Heavenly investments certify your passion in life that you know that you silly me. How do you know what you're passionate about what here's the principle. Matthew 621 wherever your heart is. That's where your treasure is, that's a verse that's really interesting because you can say it forwards and backwards, and it conveys the same truth wherever your treasurers, your heart will be wherever your heart will be your treasure will be documented. This mitigating nonsense that you love God, but you just don't give us a possible you may not have much, but whatever you have.

You give some of it because where your heart is your treasure will be there is any way to explain that away. I wish I could be a little forgiving with this principle but there isn't any wiggle room here if you love God is going to show up in what you do with what he's entrusted to you. I don't know what you do, so it's not talking anybody personally have no idea how this cuts you are out touches you for some of you. It's an affirmation I really do love God and my treasure is a proof of that for some of your significant boy. This is a really uncomfortable moment, but wherever the sketches you let God use it in your life and at least have integrity about because it is a principal that is really true. Heavenly investments certify your passion in life. There are two things about investing the charter. Remember, first of all is the desire of it which we have just talked about the desire of investment says you can give to what you really care about what you really believe in, but the second is really interesting, principal, and we believe this with you and tell you a story and refinish the second is what we call the direction of investment should how that works. Let's suppose over here are all my earthly investments. Everything I've invested in on this earth got let me tell you what I know about that every day that I live I'm taking a step away from it. My earthly investments and I are getting further and further apart every step I take. I am walking away from my earthly investments now suppose that over there are all investments that I've made for eternity. Every investment I've made in a person in the word of God.

Every gift that I've given every project I've helped everything I've involve myself with in terms of my own energy and vitality and creativity.

Listen to this. Every day that I walk on walking closer toward my investment.

I'm getting closer and closer to my investment. If all my investments are in this life am walking away from them. If I put some over here on walking toward them. Amen. That's what I wanted to like to be moving toward your investments.

Instead away from some of you moved away from a lot of this last year and it doesn't feel good one to put some out there that you can walk toward me try something in the government no matter who it is, no matter what they do they cannot touch your heavenly investments for Such, they can't tax some they can't function they can't redistribute them is a good way to remember how this works always and ever.

We are making the conversion of the things God trust to us and were converting it into spiritual coinage in his book the law of rewards, Randy Alcorn tells a story that really helps us to see this movie in a different way. So listen up. Imagine that you are alive at the end of the Civil War living in the South but you happen to be a northerner and you plan to move home justices. The war is over and while in the South. You've accumulated a whole bunch of Confederate money.

Now suppose you know for sure that the North is going to win the war and that the end is eminent. What will you do with your Confederate money or if you're smart, there's only one answer, you should immediately cash in your Confederate currency for US currency. The only money that will have value. Once the wars over keep only enough Confederate currency to meet your short-term needs. When the Lord returns, all remaining money and possessions will burn like wood, hay and straw when it could have been given in exchange for gold, silver and precious stone money that could have been used to feed the hungry and fulfill the great commission is going to go up in smoke. How much Confederate money will you have when Jesus Christ comes back that is writable question for us to ask how much of this world stuff are we going to still be hoarding and hanging onto when the economy changes over after Jesus comes back.

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