Luke's Gospel, chapter 19, and we'll begin reading at verse number 11.
I've entitled the message, Investing the Gospel.
Investing the Gospel.
Let's look at this together from God's Word, Luke 19 and 11.
The Bible says,
He said,
The first came before him, saying,
The second came, saying,
And he said to him,
Then another came, saying,
Slaughter them before me.
I want to ask you a question this morning.
How's your gospel investments going?
Your first core as a church, as we just rehearsed that together,
is gospel focused.
Lakeside Bible Church is gospel focused.
That's your desire, your aim, a core conviction of who you are.
Gospel focused.
So in light of that,
how's your gospel investments going?
This is the question for our consideration today.
In what ways are you investing the gospel right now with your life?
You might find in your Bible above this paragraph in Luke 19,
a header such as the parable of money usage.
Some translations say the parable of the 10 pounds,
or as it is in my Bible, the parable of 10 minas.
Now that header in and of itself,
which is not scripture, by the way,
might cause you to think that this is a simple lesson on financial stewardship.
But that's not it at all.
Jesus is using a parable involving financial investments
as a simile for a much more significant investment
than just dollars and cents or pounds and minus.
This is about your life actively investing the gospel
or as we look at it collectively and corporately as a church this morning.
This text is about Lakeside actively investing the gospel.
For five years now,
you have existed in this community
on the Lakeside of Charlotte,
assembling together as a church
to preach the Bible
and to invest the gospel
in every home in this area.
My challenge to you today
is to encourage you to continue investing the gospel.
That for the next few months
and the next year
and the next five years
and as the Lord continues to use this congregation,
I not only want you to look back
and celebrate what God has done in five years,
I want you to look forward and say,
let's increase our investments.
Let's be more active than ever investing the gospel.
Let's take a look at our strategies
and evaluate if our strategies
are effectively being used to invest the gospel
here where we are
and what God wants us to do in the community.
That's what this parable is ultimately about.
It's not about money per se.
It's not about financial investments and stewardship,
although those things are important
and certainly discussed in scripture.
This particular text is about investing the gospel.
So I want you to see a couple of things, all right?
Here's the first thing I want you to see.
If you'd like to take notes,
feel free to write down these outlines
in your handout there.
I'll tell you as we go along, all right?
Number one, the first thing we see
is that Jesus addresses their expectations.
Jesus addresses their expectations.
Verse 11, as they heard these things,
he proceeded to tell a parable
because he was near to Jerusalem
and because they supposed
that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately.
So in this context of Jesus' ministry,
crowds have been following and observing Jesus
for a long time now.
They believe that he is Israel's Messiah
who has come from God.
They also knew very well the Old Testament scriptures
which prophesied that the Messiah would reign as king
over all the earth from Jerusalem.
So the closer Jesus gets to Jerusalem
in his earthly ministry,
the more excited they are as they expect
in just a matter of days,
Jesus is going to overthrow all government entities
and bring God's perfect kingdom to this earth.
They supposed that to be the case
and they expected this to happen
as soon as Jesus gets to Jerusalem.
And one of the reasons why
that was at the forefront of their minds
is because of the many Old Testament prophecies
that spoke of the Messiah's work.
One particular text in Zechariah chapter 14 says this,
On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives
and the Mount of Olives shall be split into two
from east to west.
Then the Lord my God will come
and all the holy ones with him.
On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost
and the Lord will be king over all the earth.
On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.
Well, it sounds like this may be coming to fulfillment,
at least in their ears it did.
Scriptures like this were on their minds.
They're expecting the restoration of David's throne
and the elimination of all kingdoms.
All kingdoms except God's kingdom.
But they can't seem to grasp
as Jesus taught them again and again
that before the full and perfect kingdom of God
is established on earth,
the Messiah must die.
He must rise again
so that his primary mission is accomplished.
The mission of God's gospel work
going throughout the world.
saving his people from their sins.
Yes, he will one day
establish the completed and full kingdom of God
upon this earth.
But that was not to be done yet.
So to address their expectations,
he tells them a parable.
A parable to prepare them
for what will soon be
his departure
and delayed return.
By the way,
it is in that interim period
that you and I live right now.
Between the already
and the not yet.
Between the king's departure
and the king's return.
Where are we
on God's timeline
of prophetic events?
Well,
the king has departed
into heaven
where he sits
on the right hand
of the throne of God
interceding on behalf
of his people.
And now we are waiting
for the king to return.
And when he returns,
he will establish
fully and finally
his perfect kingdom
on this earth.
But it was not happening
at that moment
that they supposed
it was going to happen.
Verse 12,
Jesus says,
therefore,
he tells this parable again
to address this issue,
that a nobleman
went into a far country
to receive for himself
a kingdom
and then return.
So again,
on the backdrop
of their expectation,
Jesus is saying,
look,
the king is going
to be leaving soon
to build and complete
his kingdom,
but he will return
and bring it fully
to this earth
just as you expect.
But it's not happening
when you think
it's going to happen.
It will, however,
happen.
Now, before I move on,
I think it's very important
that as we talk about
investing the gospel
and the gospel kingdom of God
that we be reminded
of the full message
of Christ's gospel.
What is the gospel?
The gospel is a word
that means good news,
the good news of God,
the gospel of God,
and here it is,
that God,
in the form of Jesus Christ,
came from heaven
for us.
He lived sinlessly
on this earth
for us.
He died sacrificially
as our substitute
on the cross
for us.
He rose again
from the dead
three days later
for us.
He ascended back
to heaven
and is interceding
for us
at this moment
for us.
And one day,
one day,
He will come
again
for us.
And when He comes
again,
all the kingdoms
of this world
will become His.
And He will rule
and reign on this earth,
a new earth,
forever and ever.
Friends,
this is the gospel.
And we must understand
the full message
of the gospel.
The gospel is not just
that He came
the first time.
It's not just
that He died.
It's not just
that He rose again.
It's also that
He is coming back.
He will return
and His kingdom
will be perfectly
established
on this earth
forever and ever.
So Jesus is addressing
their expectation here.
They think
the kingdom
is coming back
in just a matter
of days
as He,
the believed Messiah,
is making His way
to Jerusalem.
But Jesus says,
no, I need to tell you
a story to help
you understand.
It's not happening
when you think
it's going to happen.
In fact,
I'm going to leave
and I'm going to be
gone for a while.
And as I'm gone,
there's some important
things I need you to do
before I come back.
That leads me
to the second thing
I want you to write
down in your notes.
The first thing
is that Jesus
addresses their expectation.
The second thing
that Jesus does here
is He speaks
of their devotion
to the king's mission.
Jesus speaks
of their devotion
to the king's mission.
So again,
let's go back
to the parable.
Verse 13,
the king is leaving
for the far country
and as he does,
he calls ten
of his servants
and gave them
ten minas.
And he said to them,
engage in business
until I come.
But his citizens
hated him
and sent a delegation
after him saying,
we do not want
this man to reign
over us.
What Jesus does here
in this parable
at the very beginning
is He presents
two groups of people.
The first group
is the king's servants
and the second group
is the king's enemies.
There are two groups
of people that exist
in this world today.
And perhaps even
in this room.
There are the king's servants
and there are
the king's enemies.
And that's how
he outlines them
here in the text.
Let's start
with the king's servants.
They are given here
a responsibility
while they wait
for the king
to return.
And in the parable,
the responsibility
comes in the form
of, notice this,
one mina.
One mina.
Now this is how
we know Jesus
is not referring
to talents
or abilities
in this parable
as He does
in other parables.
Because the minas
here are equally
given to the ten
servants.
One mina
per servant.
Now when Jesus
uses talents
and abilities
in other parables
and other places
of the scripture,
He often
divvies those out
if you will
in different quantities.
Somebody
might get five,
another two,
and someone over here
eight,
and another person
one.
But this is different.
This is how we know
it has nothing to do
with skills
or talents
and abilities.
There's something
of equality
being spoken of here.
Ten servants
and every servant
gets the same amount.
One mina
per servant.
Now financially
speaking,
a mina back
in this day
was worth about
three months
of salary.
And the king
wanted his servants
to each take
the same amount
of money,
three months
of salary,
and use it
to invest
in the building
of his kingdom
until he returned.
So again,
look at the parables.
The characters
are clear.
Jesus is the king,
right?
The servants
are his people,
believers.
And let me ask you
this question.
Think for yourself
for a moment.
What is the one
same
and equal gift
that Jesus
has given
to all
his people?
the gospel?
The gospel.
That is the one
same
and equal
gift
that all
of his people
has received.
So this is not
abilities.
This is not skills.
This is not talents.
Like,
some can sing
and others
of us,
we just,
we're barely
hanging on
for the ride,
right?
Some people
have the gift
of teaching.
Others would be
deathly afraid
to stand up
in front of other people.
We can talk about
skills and talents
and gifts.
That's not what
we're talking about here.
We're talking about
the one
same and equal
gift that God
has given
every single
one of his people.
And that one
same and equal
gift is the
gift of the
gospel of Jesus
Christ.
Nobody in this
room has more
gospel than
someone else.
Nobody in this
room who follows
Christ has less
gospel than
someone else.
We all have the
same equal
amount of
gospel.
God has saved
us.
He has chosen
us.
He has called
us to
himself.
He has
redeemed us,
adopted us.
We are all
equally the
same his
people.
And that's
what Jesus is
emphasizing here.
You've all
received the
same gospel.
Now go and
individually,
each one of you,
invest the
gospel as my
servants until
I return.
You see,
the gospel work
of saving
lost sinners
and conforming
them into the
image of Jesus
Christ.
That is the
king's mission.
That's the
king's mission.
And he is
calling you and
I to devote our
lives, our
lives, not just
our Sundays.
Oh, get this.
Not just our
Sundays.
He is calling us
to devote our
lives as his
servants to
investing in that
gospel work.
So I'll go back
to the question
at the beginning
on your fifth
anniversary.
In what ways is
your life busy
investing your
mina?
In what ways is
your life busy
investing the
gospel?
Perhaps for some
of us it may even
begin today by
making a decision
to devote
yourself to
becoming a
gospel member of
this particular
fellowship.
To help this
church collectively
together invest
the gospel through
its various
ministries.
Oh, friends,
there is so much
work to do, so
much gospel work
to do.
But we need more
gospel investors
who will take what
Jesus has given
them in his free
gift of grace and
start working that
investment for the
kingdom of God.
So maybe it
begins for some
of us there,
joining the
fellowship, seeing
how I can serve in
the life and
ministry of
Lakeside.
What about at
home with your
family?
What gospel
investments are you
making with your
family?
In the life of
your children,
your grandchildren,
spouses?
What about bringing
the lost to hear
the gospel?
I am often
challenged with the
thought of whether
or not I work
really hard.
Do I work really
hard week after
week getting
unbelievers to
Laurel Baptist
Church so that
they might see the
gospel and hear
the gospel?
I have been working
really hard on one
particular couple.
I helped run the
baseball league in
the town of
Harrisburg.
So there's one
particular coach I've
been praying about
and working with for
about two years now.
When are you going
to come visit?
When are you going
to come visit?
When are you going
to come visit?
Guess when he
texted me and told
me he was going
to come visit?
Last night.
Hey man, we're
coming tomorrow.
I'm like, oh.
I hope he's there
this morning.
I'm going to find
out soon.
My father's
preaching.
I hope he comes
back next week.
But no, honestly,
are we working hard
to invest the gospel
by inviting our
friends and family
to come and hear
the gospel message
of Jesus Christ?
Oh, listen to this
statement by Richard
Baxter, an old
Puritan pastor.
There's a book he's
written called
The Reformed Pastor.
It's a small little
encouraging book for
men of God like
myself.
I read it annually.
Listen to this
statement he made.
He said, we have
greater work here to
do than securing our
own salvation.
We are members of the
church and we must
labor to do good.
We are trusted with
our master's mission to
do our best to propagate
his truth and grace and
church and to bring home
souls and honor his
calls and edify his
flock and further the
salvation of as many as
we possibly can.
What's he talking about?
There's more to do than
just believe the gospel.
We as his servants are
called to invest the
gospel.
Can I just spend a few
moments being very
transparent and frank?
The work that the king has
given us to do, it's
challenging work.
It's not easy.
And let me be the first to
tell you that it often
requires a great deal of
sacrifice.
It's hard work to invest.
Requires much.
But it's also significant
work.
Because we're talking about
eternity here.
And until he returns, it
will be an ongoing work.
That is, it's an
unfinished task.
But the finish line is
not here on earth.
The finish line is when
the king comes.
Think about it in terms
of your anniversary as a
church family because I
think it's so important to
remind ourselves of this on
the day like today.
What God has given you to
do in this community.
Look right here.
It is not easy.
It's not easy.
Not this kind of church.
Not a church that preaches
the gospel.
Not a church that lives by
the Bible.
That's not easy to do.
It requires sacrifice.
And it requires sacrifice
from more than the pastor.
And more than the leaders.
It requires sacrifice from
all of us.
But listen to me.
Nothing is more important.
Nothing is more important
than this.
Because what God has given
you to do is eternally
significant.
That is already in five
years heaven has been
impacted by Lakeside Bible
Church.
Already.
It's easy to get caught up
about where we meet and
what side of town we may be
on and all these kind of
physical needs.
But really it's about
eternity.
It's investing in eternity.
And heaven is already
impacted by what you've
done in five years.
The baptisms.
The salvations.
What the Lord is doing.
It's eternally significant.
But I need you to know
that what you're doing here
will never be a completed
work.
Not until Jesus declares
it finished.
By his return.
I don't know about you
but I'm a task oriented
person.
I govern my life by
task list.
To do list.
And my OCD
personality gets a little
bent out of shape when I
can't check that box off
at the end of the day.
Sometimes even erroneously
so my mind gets so focused
on checking it off the list
completing the task.
Well that's a hard thing
to be fixated on
when you're involved
as the Lord's servant.
We have a task list
but only he
listen
only he gets to check
off the box.
Only he gets to determine
when it's finished.
When it's completed.
We have to keep working it.
We have to keep investing it.
We're servants.
And we need to be busy
serving.
Well that's the king's
servant.
Let me just mention
briefly the king's enemies
and I'll give you the last
point.
We'll wrap this up.
Again he mentions two
groups of people.
The king's servants.
The second group of people
is the king's enemies.
And I think what Jesus
is doing here is he's
trying to show us that
there is a group of people
who do not want them
to be their king.
Think about that.
The king's servants
are those who want
Jesus as their king.
But the king's enemies
are those who do not
want Jesus as their king.
They hate him.
And the rejection of him
is emphatically clear.
Look at verse 14.
We do not want this man
to reign over us.
Do you know that that
very statement right now
right there in verse 14
that is the ultimate reason
why lost sinners remain lost.
That's the reason.
It's not that they remain lost
on account of insufficient evidence
for the reality of Jesus.
Nor does it have anything to do
with the perceived injustices
of those who profess
to know and follow him.
No, no, no.
Lost sinners remain lost
because they do not want
Jesus to rule their lives.
They don't want Jesus
as their lord and king.
And the king calls them rebels.
Oh, may you and I
not be numbered
among those rebels.
The king's enemies
who reject his lordship.
Instead, may we commit ourselves
as servants of the king,
a servant who has received
the gospel and is devoted
to the king's mission
of building his kingdom
by investing the gospel.
Here's the third thing
you can write down.
Let's follow him in sequence.
You ready?
The first thing in the text,
Jesus addresses their expectations.
Secondly, Jesus speaks
of their devotion
to the king's mission.
And then thirdly,
Jesus prepares them
for a coming day of reckoning.
Jesus prepares them
for a coming day of reckoning.
So the parable continues.
Okay, look at it.
Verse 15.
When he returned,
having received the kingdom,
he ordered these servants
to whom he had given the money
to be called to him
that he might know
what they had gained
gained by doing business.
In other words,
the king returns,
and when he returns,
he summons all of his servants
to stand before him
and give an account
for how they invested
what he had given them.
Spiritually speaking,
I gave you the gospel.
Now I want to see,
since I'm back,
how you invested the gospel
that I gave you.
That day's coming
for all of us,
by the way.
It's not a day
where sin is judged.
Don't misunderstand.
It's not a day
where sin is judged.
Sin is judged on the cross.
It has already been judged
in Jesus.
But it is a day
where our work for Christ,
our investments,
will be revealed.
1 Corinthians 3.
Each one's work
will be made known.
In other words,
each one's investments
will be made known.
For the day will disclose it
because it will be revealed
by fire.
It will test
what sort of investments
he has made.
So verse 16 says,
the first came before him
and said,
Lord, your mina
has made 10 minas more.
And he said to him,
well done, good servant.
You've been faithful
in a very little.
You'll have authority
over 10 cities.
The second came saying,
Lord, your mina
has made five minas.
And he said to them,
now you're going to be
over five cities.
You see what's happening here?
You follow in the sequence?
These two servants
took their one mina
invested it
and what happened?
It multiplied.
The point is,
they worked it.
They invested
what the king
had given them
and it pleased the king
that they had done so.
And he responded to them
by giving them
a generous reward.
Remember,
it's not about money,
it's about the gospel.
I noted several things
about these particular servants
just by how the Lord
rewarded them.
I noted here
that they were not lazy,
apathetic,
or casual
with their gift.
They intentionally,
urgently,
and faithfully
invested it.
I have a friend
who is deep into
financial investments.
Some of you
may be into that.
I went to visit him
in Nashville
a couple of weeks ago
and we're sitting
in his office.
He said,
I want to show you
what I'm learning.
And he's showing me
all the lines
and the pre-investments
and how to click on it
when you buy it
and what to click
when you sell it.
And he shows,
and all I,
I mean,
he sees dollar signs
on this graph.
All I see is lines
going everywhere.
I have no idea
what's going on,
but by the end of the day
he had pocketed
about $700
through his investments.
I'm like,
man,
I need you to start
handling my money.
Some of you get that.
I don't get that.
But I think
one of,
all of us
at least understand
that to be
that glued into it,
you can't be lazy,
apathetic,
or casual.
You gotta be intentional.
You gotta be faithful.
You gotta be urgent.
You gotta be ready.
Always investing it.
That's what these servants did.
Notice also
that they humbly
took no credit
for how their mina
had multiplied.
Do you notice
what he said
in verse 19,
or actually
both of the servants,
one in 16,
one in 19.
The servants said,
your,
mina
has made
more minas.
That's the servant
talking to the king.
That's the believer
who is serious
about investing
in the gospel
talking to Jesus.
He didn't say,
my mina
did this.
Your mina
did this.
Friends,
the gospel
grows
by its own
power.
Our responsibility
is simply
invest it
and the gospel
will grow the kingdom
and all the glory
and credit
is going to go
to the king
and his gift.
It's not us
looking around
saying,
look what my church
in Lake Norman
did.
No,
Lord,
look what your church
is doing
as we invest
the gospel
in this community.
I wrote down
also that they
were commended
and rewarded
on account
of their faithful
work.
Jesus says to them,
well done,
good servant.
Speculation is often
circled about these
cities.
What do the cities
mean?
It may very well
speak of the
generosity of
the various degrees
of reward
that God will give
his servants
in the new heaven
and new earth.
I don't intend
to spend much time
on that this week
other than God
rewards accordingly
as he sovereignly
determines.
But then notice
this in verse 20.
Another came and said,
Lord,
here is your mina
which I kept laid
away in a handkerchief.
For I was afraid
of you because
you were a severe man.
You take what you
did not deposit
and you reap
what you did not sow.
So for the young
people in here
who do not know
what handkerchiefs are,
they are very
elegant tissues.
And the imagery
is he had a little
cloth,
a handkerchief,
some tissues
in his pocket.
He took the mina,
put it in the
handkerchief,
and maybe he kept it,
maybe he buried it.
The point is
he did nothing
with it.
He had nothing
to show for
when the king
came back.
The only thing
he had to give
the king
was the mina
that was already
given to him
at the very beginning.
But that's not
what the king
requested.
He did not want
the servant
to inactively
sit in isolation
keeping the gift
to himself.
It was given
to him
to invest.
And of course
the excuse
is absolutely
bogus.
He actually
blames the king
for his failure
to invest.
Accusing the king
of being a lord
who takes
but never gives.
A lord who is selfish
but never generous.
I mean how can
any of us this morning
say that the lord
is not good,
that he's not gracious,
that he is not
generous toward us,
that he doesn't
deserve our
investments.
The servant
was the one
who was unfaithful
not the king.
So the king
says in verse 22
and verse 23
if what you're
saying is true
then why didn't
you just put
the mina
in the bank?
Well the reason
he didn't
is because he
was too lazy
to do even that.
Or at the very
least he allowed
his emotions
and feelings
to immobilize him.
Either way
Jesus called him
a wicked servant.
A wicked servant.
Because look right here.
He didn't
invest the gospel.
Now brothers and sisters
we should shudder
at the thought.
We should shudder
at the thought
that Jesus
might consider
any one of us
as wicked
servants.
So Jesus
takes the mina
from that wicked
servant
and he gives it
to the one
who has ten
minas.
The age old
question is
whether or not
this wicked servant
was truly a
Christian or not.
Was he truly
a saved man
or not?
That's the age
old question.
And to provide
you an answer
in relation to
what I think
here it is
you ready?
I don't know.
That's my answer.
There does
seem to be
however
a clear distinction
in the parable
between those
who are his
and those
who are not
his.
And as we see
in verse 27
the wicked servant
is not among
those who are
not believers
in the parable.
I think
a hint
to where his
standing
with Christ
may be
could be
looked in
other scriptures
to inform us.
1 Corinthians 3
for example
says if the work
that anyone
has built
on the foundation
survives
he will receive
a reward
if anyone's
work is burned
up he will
suffer loss
though he
himself will
be saved
as only through
fire.
It's just a little
insight but it
does suggest that
there are those
and this is the
point
there are those
who barely
get in
so to speak.
There are those
believers who just
barely cross the line.
they will not
have any
rewards to
enjoy in
eternity
and on the
day of the
king's return
they will
experience great
loss but they
themselves will
be saved.
But then
and this is
how we close
then there
there are those
believers whose
devotion to the
gospel is so
strong that when
the king returns
they will receive
a generous
reward from
God
making the
kingdom of God
for that Christian
so much
sweeter.
It reminds us
today that as we
wait for his
return there is
much more to do.
If we are
inactive sitting
on our hands
keeping to
ourselves the
gift God has
given us while
not investing it
in the church
investing it in
the community
investing it in
our families and
throughout the
context of our
lives I pray
today that we
will wake up
to the reality
that such
inactivity is
disobedient to
the king's
commands.
And on the
day of reckoning
he will
address it.
You've been
put here
not only in a
location but
you've been put
here in a
location with a
trust.
The gospel
will be
and again I
ask you the
question for
self-evaluation
in what ways
and with what
kind of urgency
and sacrifice
and strategy
are you
investing it?
All of those
are important.
Urgency.
Not casual
investments.
Urgent
investments.
Sacrificial
investments.
Not convenient
investments.
Strategic
investments.
Not just
we'll cross the
bridge when we
get there.
But no
organizing,
strategizing,
doing what we
can to invest
the gospel.
Lakeside there is
so much more
to do and I
want to encourage
you this morning
to keep investing
the gospel.
I want to
encourage you
who are not a
part of this
fellowship to
prayerfully join
this congregation
of believers and
help them invest
the gospel.
We don't always
know when returns
on investments
come in.
Financially or
spiritually.
We don't always
know that.
But here's what I
can guarantee you
and I want you to
think about this
verse.
Jesus when he
sent his disciples
out before his
ascension in Mark
16.
The Bible says
that the disciples
went everywhere
preaching the
gospel.
They went
everywhere investing
the gospel and
the Lord
worked with
them.
Lakeside
go today in
this community
wherever you
live Cornelius
Davidson Huntersville
Mooresville wherever
you reside as you
go go investing
the gospel knowing
that the Lord has
committed himself
to work with
you to go
before you
to work with
you to use
you until he
returns.
Well I don't
think we can
pray without
at least
drawing quick
attention to
verse 27.
because we've
talked a lot
about the
king's
servants
let's
close by
addressing the
fate of the
king's enemies.
Verse 27
it says
it's for those
enemies of
mine who did
not want me to
reign over them
bring them here
and slaughter
them before me.
It's quite a
picture isn't
it?
The point is
that day of
reckoning is not
only to address
the work of the
king's servants
but it will also
be a day when the
king's enemies
will be fully
and finally
condemned.
And here's the
message.
Reject the
king and you
will have no
place in his
kingdom.
Wherever your
heart may be
before the
Lord today
maybe you are
convinced and
assured that you
are a follower
of his but maybe
you're exploring
maybe you're
interested maybe
you're trying to
figure this whole
Jesus is Lord
thing.
I need you to
understand this as
you go home and
meditate on the
scripture today.
To reject
Jesus as king
is to have no
place at all
in his kingdom
today, tomorrow
and forever.
The first step
for gospel
investment is to
receive the gospel
and that is to
receive the gospel
by making Jesus
your king.
By trusting him
as your Lord and
Savior who took
your place, died
for your sins
and longs for
you to be
his.
You don't have
to become Jesus
by first becoming
a part of the
church, giving
money to the
church, all of
those things.
It's by faith and
trust in Christ.
Put your faith and
trust as Christ, as
the king.
The king who is
coming again and
become his and
allow him to show
you and teach you
through the wonderful
gift of his church
how to invest the
gospel in your life,
in your family and
in this world.
So my prayer for
all of us, from
those from Laurel,
from those from
Lakeside, my prayer
today is Lord make
us faithful servants
who invest the
gospel.
Thank you.