Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me, Pastor Jordan, for some Fine Points from Sunday’s service and message “Investing In The Future”.
Investing can be described as doing something presently for an expected outcome later. Most, if not all, investments carry with them some measure of risk. Why? Because, whatever the outcome it is not guaranteed to happen because no one can guarantee future events. There may be a great deal of certainty involved, but it is almost never 100 percent.
For instance, no matter how well an athlete, a stock, a business, a idea, a person, place or thing has performed in the past, it is no guarantee of future performance. But we invest in them anyway despite the risk which can be called faith in the investment.
Christianity is an investment of our time, talent and resources in the teaching and word of God as we believe were spoken and confirmed through Jesus of Nazareth whom we call Christ. The expected outcome for this investment is an eternal life spent with and in the presence of God. Yesterday’s sermon attempted to parallel our investment in Christ with that Jacob made for Rachel.
He agreed to invest seven years of his life working for his uncle in order to receive the hand of his uncle’s daughter in marriage. There we no guarantees after seven years he would feel the same about Rachel or that something would happen to her or to him. No guarantee his uncle would not break his promise and give Rachel to another man.
No guarantee that Rachel would be all to him he imagined she would be once she became his wife. Yet, the possibility that she would be all he expected and then some caused him to accept all the risk just to obtain that expected outcome.
We too as Christians are assuming similar risk. After a lifetime of obedient service and dedication to God how will we feel toward God. How can we be certain God will and is able to keep His promise? What if heaven and the promise of God doesn’t meet our expectations? But the possibility of the promises will be all we can imagine and then some causes us to accept all the risk. This risk is called faith.
The bible said that Jacob’s deep love for Rachel caused the seven years he worked for her to pass as a few days. The same should be said of us who are anticipating eternity with God. As each day passes, we have less time to serve, to worship, to disciple to work for the salvation of all the souls God has called us to reach.
One day soon and very soon and unexpectedly our time will be up and over and there will still be things left on the table that could be done. In other words, time will pass by very quickly when we are engaged in ministry because our hope and joy rest in the promises of God just as Jacob’s did in the promise of the joy of having Rachel as his wife.
Jacob invested in the future with Rachel as his wife. Christians are investing in a future beyond the limits of space and time and death to be with the One they believe are responsible for their current and future existence.
Even if God was to speak from heaven today in order to allow every person to know He is real and affirm He is the God of the bible and Father of Jesus Christ some risk would still remain. There would still be some unanswered question and a need for faith to invest in the promises of God and a future beyond what is currently known to exist.
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Click the SS Daily Bible Readings for an excellent devotional and preparation for the upcoming Sunday School study. Don’t forget to leave a comment or question down below. As always, remember to fear God and keep His commandments.
Pastor Jordan
