How Much Can God Invest in You

There’s a section of the newspaper that intrigues me – and at the same time baffles me. It’s in the Business section. I happen to have a copy with me. When I scan over all these little numbers, I’m amazed that someone can analyze exactly what’s going on. I know the numbers represent stock prices for various companies. They show if the value of the stock is going up and down. But what company should you invest in? That’s the big, baffling question, isn’t it? If you could figure that out, you’d be set. Many people go to investment specialists or money manager to help them translate those numbers into wise investments.

That might sound like an odd way to start a sermon. But I bring it up because all of us in life are investors. Maybe you don’t own stock in a company like Apple or Case Tractors, but you invest your resources into something. Maybe it’s your home, your car, your child’s education fund? Maybe you invest in yourself, you eat well and exercise? Whatever the case, how you spend your time, your energy and your resources show what’s important to you. It shows what your investing yourself into.

God invests too. Today He’s going to talk about how He has invested in you. And like any investor, God wants His investment to pay off. How have you thanked Him? How have you praised Him? How has God seen a return on all He has invested into you? It’s an interesting question we are going to ponder today as we consider the theme: How Much Can God Invest in You?

Being a good manager calls for quick, calculated judgements. When someone has those traits, we call that person “shrewd.” Today Jesus tells a story when a “shrewd manager” is held up as an example that God wants us to follow. Listen to Jesus story recorded by Luke. Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg…

In Jesus story, a wealthy businessman has a problem. The owners top manager was accused of being  dishonest, wasting the owners money. The owner orders his manager to grab a bankers box, pack up his desk and get out – just as soon as he balances the owner’s record books.

That manager is in a load of trouble. He’s going to be out of a job in hours. But before he leaves the office, he collects himself and weighs out his options. Can you picture him talking to himself?  “Well now what am I going to do? I’m not strong enough for manual labor. I’m too proud to beg for a handout.” After weighing his options, this smart manager figures out a solution. We hear his plan in the next verses.

   

I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ ‘Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.’  “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’  ”‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’

Did you catch the twist in Jesus’ story? Everyone thought the manager was sunk. But this man is shrewd. Before he closes the business books and hands them back to the owner, he calls in all the people who owe large amounts of money to his boss. He plays let’s make a deal? How much do you owe? Well, let me do something about that. Now you own only a fraction of what you did before! Here, let me slash your bill! Can you picture him in the middle of the office cooking the books? And all the while, can you hear him saying, “Guys, guys – remember this favor I doing for you, because someday I might ask you for a favor!” Little did those other people know how those favors would need to be returned so quickly!

By the time the records were reviewed and the receipts gone over, it was too late. All the owner could do is marvel at his shrewd manager’s crafty plan. And here is the point of the Jesus story: The shrewd manager used all of the means at his disposal to prepare for the future. 

Listen to how Jesus’ story wraps up: “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

Did you catch Jesus’ lament? “Oh that my children were more shrewd like the people of this world,” says Jesus. “Oh, I wish my disciples would learn a thing or two from the people of this world.” Does that sound strange to you? We aren’t used to hearing Jesus say we should be like the people of this world. Often, we are told to avoid following their example. But in this case Jesus wants us to use all the means at our disposal to prepare for the future.

Have you noticed the amazing lengths and creative ways people are willing to go to gain money and wealth in this world? If unbelievers can rack their brains day and night in order to get a few more bucks in their pockets – shouldn’t Christians invest that same amount of energy, racking their brains and use all their resources in order to spread the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ? Time is short and souls are at stake!

Some of you might know this story, but I used to serve a church that received an amazing offer. A developer came to us and said they were interested in purchasing our church property. Would our congregation be interested in selling? An offer like that can be divisive to a church. Some were concerned about moving away from the place where their child was baptized. Or where grandpa had his funeral. Or where they were married. But it was also an amazing time to think about the future. If were to move, how could we better connect with the community? How would we craft a new building to match and enhance the ministries we excelled at as a congregation? It forced us to think. To plan. To be shrewd and start taking action. Ultimately the offer never came. But God used that exercise to teach us to think to the future, how we could connect with more people. The culture of the congregation changed to how we could better reach out with the Gospel. We were blessed as the Lord led us to reach out to more people. What a blessing! God is shrewd and He wants to us boldly seize opportunities to share His promises with more people!

Finally, there is a principal our Lord wants us to understand: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?  “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

Back to our theme question for the day: How Much Can God Invest in You? If you prove you can be trusted with little, God says you can be trusted with much.

So how much as God invested in you? Are you wealthy in God’s eyes? You might be saying to yourself, “Ah, pastor, my bank account would say I’m not wealthy at all.” But your checkbook doesn’t the gauge the wealth I’m talking about. I’m looking at people who have been purchased and won, not with gold or silver, but with the holy, precious blood of the Son of God. God gave you the greatest gift He could afford, His Son. Jesus covered and cleansed you of all sin at your baptism. He claimed you as His own. And He continues to speak His promises over you every time you hear His Word. 

You are a wealthy person, because God chased after you with His love and promises. Wealthy people that are so precious to God that He gives you His very body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. A gift that assures you that all your sins are forgiven and that you have a bright eternal future with God in heaven. You are a very wealthy person because God invested the innocent blood of His Son in you.

And that investment leads you to invest your heart, your resources, your very self into proclaiming the promises of God here and around the world.

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That’s why I’m here today. To say thank you on behalf of your brothers and sisters in Christ around the WELS for your partnership in the Gospel here in Morton Grove, and for the prayers and gifts you offer moved by the love of Christ to help the Kingdom come around the world to souls that need to hear about the Savior.

Last year your congregation gathered $316,000 for the Lord’s work here in your midst. And after prayer and deliberation, you decided to share close to 3.6% of those gifts, around $11,400 – of what the Lord had given to be shared with the work of the Synod. On their behalf, I’m here to say thank you for your prayers and your support! And I’m here to tell you just a bit of what your gifts are doing both here and around the world.

Do you know what your gifts have done? Your gifts to the WELS have supported World Mission work in 40 countries – with 14 more prospective fields. From refugee camps to the South Sudanese in Ethiopia, to house churches in Southeast Asia, to bush churches in Zambia and Malawi, to Spanish language website on the internet.

Your gifts have supported Home Missions, helping 122 congregations in North America. For mission churches like the one just started in Joplin, MO or Las Vegas, NV where work is being done with people from Korean & Africa. To college campus served by WELS campus ministries.

You are helping support over 1,500 future Gospel ambassadors – future pastors and teachers studying at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Martin Luther College, Luther Preparatory School, & Michigan Lutheran Seminary. God will use this year’s graduates to harvest souls throughout the world. 

Your gifts support resources for over 520 (524) Lutheran schools, marriage retreats, worship conferences, youth rallies, a series of outreach movies, and gospel-based service to 80,000+ prisoners and military personnel.

These are what your gifts to the WELS support. Gifts that our gracious Lord has given to us in love, and that you in love return to Him and the work of His Kingdom!

To that end of supporting and sharing our worldwide Kingdom work - the WELS provides my services to you. I assist the members of this district in the grace of giving.

·       If God has resourced you and moved you to want to support a particular mission field or ministry above and beyond what your congregation already does – I’m here to offer you free, confidential assistance.

·       If you would like assistance in planning for that day when you no longer need your earthly things since God has called you home to your heavenly mansion – I have a partner Rick Kneser who offers you free, confidential assistance in preparing your estate plan or will.

A pitcher filled to the brim has only one purpose – to be poured out. That’s a picture of each of you. God has poured His love, forgiveness and life into you so you can go through life pouring it out in praise to God for the benefit of others. And what a blessing that you will never run out. The more you pour God’s gifts out, the more He provides so you can be even more of a blessing.

Thank you for rejoicing in the love of the Lord. Thank you for your prayers and sharing the resources God has provided you so that more souls might hear God’s promises both here in Racine and around the world. The Lord has invested everything in you – so let us continue to strive to use every opportunity to share the Lord’s gifts with more out of love and thanks for all the Lord has shared with us. Amen.