Thursday, July 28, 2011
I was recently reading someone’s
short blog posting and observation about our ministry and others. It was in the context of a commitment to world evangelism. He said:
“But unless you’re Pastor Warner, Mitchell, Rubi, Stephens, and others who are heavily invested in world evangelism, and who have to support regardless of how much and sadly how little comes in month after month.”
It was the phrase “heavily
invested” that jumped out at me, which I could certainly relate
to. It echoes Jesus’s “treasure principle” which he spelled
out in (Mt.6:20,21) "Do not lay up
for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where
thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and
steal. For where your treasure is, there
your heart will be also.” Jesus is
clearly talking about our eternal investment portfolio, or our
lives and investments in the light of eternity.
In the last two or three years, many people’s investments have taken a
major hit, suffering some significant losses.
This is why there are all sorts of companies, large and small, who
specialize in “investment strategies” to help build and protect your portfolio. I’m
not sure how successful many of them have been, but I do hear at least a half a
dozen radio advertisements every day about gold as the place to be, the only
safe haven with a falling dollar and the prospect of hyper-inflation etc.
To be “heavily invested” in
world evangelism is not the same thing as living life with blinders on, or
being a monomaniac. It means being invested in God’s entire plan
of redemption in all its many aspects.
From winning souls and unchurched people, making disciples, edifying the
church, gifts of the spirit, family and marriage ministry, training in service,
and raising up new leaders, all with the goal of reproducing the same life of
Christ in other cities and nations.
Paul’s motivation captures this when he said, “I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls.”
(2Cor.12:15a) The Message version put it, “I’d
be most happy to empty my pockets, even mortgage my life for your good.”
All of this is not simply the
promotion of a program as it is the igniting
of the heart in the direction of God’s burden. Again, I think about how prominently this
figured into the thinking, the theology, and the passion of the apostle
Paul. How many times did he refer to
people as “my joy and my crown” or the focus and fruit of his investment. To the Philippians he said, “Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and
longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.”
(Phil.4:1) To the Thessalonians his heart overflowed, “Or what is our hope or joy or
crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.” (1Thess.2:19, 20) He is affirming what he is
heavily invested in before the Lord.
Finally, he verbalizes his ultimate goal at the end of his life in
(2Tim.4:8) “Henceforth there is laid up
for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will
award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his
appearing.”
The exciting thing about this to
me is that he is not excluding the rest of us.
In fact, he opens the door wide to us all to be invested when he said, “not only to me but also to all who love His
appearing.” It is also important to
realize that this investment will not always be immediately repaid, but
realized and fully-amortized in heaven!
“Only one life, ‘twill soon be past.
Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
LET’S STAY HEAVILY INVESTED,
MY BELOVED BRETHREN!
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