Financial Security

It’s good to be with you again at the beginning of a new week sharing with you keys to successful living which God has placed in my hands through many years of personal experience and Christian ministry.

We’ll continue this week with the theme we’ve been following the last two Weeks, Where to Find Security. But first let me say thank you to those who have been writing to me. Before I finish this talk we’ll be giving you a mailing address to which you may write. It means a great deal to me to hear how this radio ministry of mine has been helping you and blessing you. So please take time to write even if it’s only a brief personal note. In my talks last week I showed you the Bible reveals a place of total security. It’s described in Psalm 91:1

“He who dwells in the secret place  of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” (NIV)

Then the following verses tell us that this is a place of complete protection from every kind of harm, evil and danger. So there is a secret place of the Most High. If we can find it and dwell in it, it’s a place of total protection and total security. I also showed you last week that there is a hidden door which leads to this hidden place, and that hidden door is the cross of Jesus. On the cross Jesus identified himself with us in our lost and fallen condition. He took upon himself our guilt, our condemnation and all its evil consequences. He paid the final penalty; He died our death and then He rose again. And when, by faith, we see ourselves identified with Him in His death, through His death, through the cross, we pass out of the realm of the temporal and the insecure and the impermanent. We pass into a different realm, that’s the hidden door to the secret place. Paul said, “You die and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” That’s total security, we’re with Christ in God. We’re in that secret place where no evil can reach us or touch us. The door is the cross.

And then last week, also, I spoke of certain forms of security that are thus made available to us. I spoke about emotional security, protection against fear and worry, discouragement and depression. I spoke about the kind of security that protects us against people’s tongues, against criticism and misrepresentation.

Today I’m going to deal with another practical and important form of security, financial security. In all periods of human history, men have always been concerned about security in the realm of finances and material possessions. In recent years, the pressures of world-wide inflation have greatly increased this concern, and have made it continually more difficult to find satisfactory forms of investment. One very obvious result has been the dramatic increase in the value of gold and, to a lesser degree, of silver. Also, precious stones and other collector’s items, people are investing in these because they don’t feel secure about most other forms of investment. I happen to know of a wealthy Arab from one of the oil-producing nations. I have a friend who is a personal friend of this Arab. My friend told me that this Arab only feels secure if he has a hundred million dollars available in ready cash. If he doesn’t have that he can’t sleep at night. In order to have it available, he’s invested or banked a hundred million dollars with a Swiss bank and he pays the bank three percent for them to look after his hundred million dollars. In other words, in costs him three million dollars a year to keep his hundred million dollars secure. That’s his concept of security. And yet I have to say, investments of this kind do not bring true or permanent security.

I want to tell you there’s an alternative kind of security of investment. For instance, in Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus says:

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroys, and where thieves break in or steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (NASB)

I think of that Arab who has invested in the Swiss bank. If Switzerland were invaded by a foreign power, the banking system taken over, say, by a Communist coup d’etat, that man wouldn’t be able to sleep because where his treasure is, there his heart is also. Jesus says, “There is no place of total security in this world and in its world system and in its banking system for your investments.” So He says, “Don’t invest in a place that isn’t really secure. It’s very wise and practical.” He says, “Invest in something that’s guaranteed, that’s secure, that cannot be taken over by an alien government. The bank cannot be broken into and it’s bullion stolen. Invest in the Kingdom of God. Invest in heaven and God’s purposes. A little later on, in Matthew six, He continues, Matthew 6:31-34

“Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we cloth ourselves?’ For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly father knows that you need all these things. [That’s always a blessing to me, to know that God knows exactly what I need. I don’t have to remind God of my needs. I have to meet his conditions and He supplies my needs, and this is the condition that Jesus says we have to meet:] Seek first His kingdom [that’s God’s kingdom] and His righteousness [God’s righteousness] and all these things shall be added to you. [In essence, it’s a question of right priorities. If you give right priority to the cause of God, The work of God, the kingdom of God, if you invest in that, if you’re devoted to that, then you don’t have to worry about the other things because your Father knows about them. He’ll take care of you.] Therefore, do not be anxious for tomorrow, [Jesus continues,] For tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (NASB)

Isn’t that true, how many of us would argue with that statement? Each day has enough trouble of its own. And Jesus was such a realist, He said, “Don’t spoil today by worrying about tomorrow’s problems. And I just have to say, on the basis of forty year’s experience, or more, that it works. I’ve done that; I’ve sought the kingdom of God and God has faithfully cared for me and provided for me and a very large family as well. So I just add my personal testimony.

Now, investing in God’s kingdom is also sowing. Paul says this in 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, speaking about giving money to the kingdom of God:

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he’s decided to give in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (NIV)

That again is total financial security. At all times, in all things, you have all that you need, more than you need for yourself. You can abound to all good works. And then, Paul says, in Galatians 6:7-8:

“Do not be deceived, God cannot be mocked, a man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction...” (NIV)

The one who sows to please the Holy Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. So what we sow, we reap. This is true in the financial realm. It’s true with dollars and cents. If we sow into the kingdom of God then from the kingdom of God we reap in proportion to what we’ve sown.

In closing this talk, I just want to point out to you the contrast between the two kingdoms, that’s the kingdom of God, in which we are invited to invest, and the kingdoms of this world. This is stated in Hebrews 12:26-28:

“At this time God’s voice shook the earth, but now he’s promised, ‘Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’” (NIV)

The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken, that is created things [that’s earthly kingdoms.] so that what cannot be shaken may remain. That’s the kingdom of God which cannot be shaken. The writer continues in the next verse:

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.” (NIV)

So we’re given the alternative in Scripture. We can invest in kingdoms and governments and systems and institutions which God has told us are all going to be shaken. And in the last decade or two we’ve seen many institutions shaken. Many things that were regarded as very sound, reliable, have proved to be insecure. And we’re being reminded of the truth of Scripture, that we have this alternative. We can invest in the kingdoms of this world or we can invest in the kingdom of God. But all that’s invested in the kingdom of this world, ultimately, will be insecure. Let me close with a picture of what will happen in the earth when God shakes all the kingdoms of this world. In Isaiah 2:20-21:

“In that day men will throw away to the rodents and bats their idols of silver and idols of gold, which they made to worship. They will flee to caverns in the rocks and to the overhanging crags from dread of the Lord and the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.” (NIV)

See, in that moment when everything that can be shaken is shaken, men will realize they’ve invested in the wrong place. And they’ll take all their gold and their silver that they’ve trusted in, that they’ve relied on for security, and in contempt and disgust, they’ll throw it away to the rodents and to the bats. So, my advice is, don’t invest in something that ultimately is insecure. Invest in God’s kingdom.

Our time is up for today, I’ll be back with you again tomorrow at this time. Tomorrow I’ll continue with this theme of financial security. My topic will be God’s Social Security.