23-0922A_INVESTMENTS

Mat 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

Mat 19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Mat 19:18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,

Mat 19:19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Mat 19:20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?

Mat 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Mat 19:22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

Mat 19:23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Mat 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Mat 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

1Ti 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

1Ti 6:18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

1Ti 6:19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

*SO LET'S JUST STAY WHAT GOD CALLS US TO BE.

43 I asked my brethren. Don't try to take the place of nothing but a businessman, whatever God has called you to do. Don't try to be preachers, 'cause we have a hard enough time, keep It straight, anyhow. And you get It mixed up. So let's just stay what God calls us to be. And I think, to the laity, it's a good thing for us to try to remain.

44 Don't try to impersonate somebody else. See? Be just what you are. We'd all like to be a Billy Graham, an Oral Roberts. We'd all like to be that. But, remember, in the Kingdom of God and His great economy, if we'll be the doormat, if that's our place, we'll be just as much as they are. See? But you must maintain your position of where Christ has placed you.

INVESTMENTS, AND ESPECIALLY IT OUGHT TO BE OUTSTANDING TO A GROUP OF BUSINESSMEN.

INVESTMENTS_ PHOENIX.AZ SATURDAY_ 63-0126

45 Now, most any good businessman is interested in some good investments. I chose this because it was businessmen, which would be interested in investments. And most all people like that, investments, and especially it ought to be outstanding to a group of businessmen. And we're always trying to find somewhere to make a few investments, to make a few dollars, or, and that's all right. I have nothing to say against that. That's perfectly all right.

46 But I speak to you of the very best investment that I know, to make an investment; very best place, rather, to make an investment.

DON'T GAMBLE; YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE.

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47 Good business, or a good businessman, knows better than to gamble. Don't gamble; you're going to lose. You can't win, gambling. You're a pauper one time, a rich man the next, then back a pauper again. Gambling is a disease. It's just an evil spirit. And it gets onto people, sometime, in mild form. You can gamble in religion. Might not know it, but you can.

48 It's just like if a nation would stop to see... You let a drunk man get out here on the street with--with--with his automobile. That man ought to have at least ten years in prison. You let a man go down the street, this morning, with a--with a pistol in his hand, shooting around like that, they would throw the keys away on that guy. They would send him to the inner jails. And then a drunk man can come down the street, he's absolutely just as much in danger of killing somebody as a man is with a pistol, and he gets five dollars for it, or something. See? See? He, he's... It's almost premeditated murder. But, you see, the nation don't look at it that way.

49 And neither does people, sometime, when they're gambling, little, mild forms, of saying, "Oh, well, I--I'm as good as the rest of them." That's a gamble. Don't you do that. That's poor business.

*BELIEVERS SHOULD NEVER GAMBLE

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50 Any good businessman shouldn't take his money and gamble. And--and some... Believers should never gamble. "Oh, well, this is all right. I'll take the chance on it." Don't you do.
51 There's a pattern laid down, a definitely thing, and It doesn't belong in any certain group of people. It's God's Word. Don't gamble on That. Now, don't take chances.

A MAN GET A HOLD OF A LITTLE MONEY, AND THEN HE'LL TRY TO INVEST IT IN SOME KIND OF A GET-RICH-OVERNIGHT…

52 And another thing I notice among people, sometime, especially. A man get a hold of a little money, and then he'll try to invest it in some kind of a get-rich-overnight, some unidentified business. You'll lose the shirt off your back, and you know that. See? Don't you try that. And a good, sensible-thinking businessman won't do that. It's somebody who is green at the job will take a chance like that. It never pays off.

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53 Oh, how many cases have I seen in my time, where people had their life's saving, and they get some little gadget out, get rich overnight, real quick, and all like this. And they got it. Then, the first thing you know, they find themselves up on--on skid row, somewhere, trying to satisfy their... or drown their thoughts of what they've done.

54 And that could be applied also in the realms of Christianity. Some get rich overnight, shake hands with the preacher, and put your name on the book, and it's all over. Don't you never believe such stuff as that. It don't work out. It's got to come one way.

55 These get-rich-overnight, doesn't. A good businessman won't fool with it. If you got any, anything you want to invest in, get some identified business, something that's been proven. It--it keeps... It keeps its promise. It pays off.

DON'T KEEP YOUR MONEY IN YOUR POCKET.

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56 And here's another thing. Don't keep your money in your pocket. You'll never get anything. Somebody will steal it from you, after while. Yeah. See? You don't want to do that. Jesus taught the same thing. When you got a talent, don't--don't hide it. You got to put it to use, growing.

57 Now, I may be talking to Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, in these breakfasts, and whatevermore. You never know who is setting before you. See?

*IF YOU'VE GOT SOME INVESTMENTS, SOMETHING TO INVEST IN, INVEST IT IN SOMETHING THAT'S GOOD, SOMETHING THAT'S REAL…..

58 So, remember, if you've got some investments, something to invest in, invest it in something that's good, something that's real, something that's been proven that'll pay off, some good, reliable, identified firm that has been proven to pay off, in the past. It's got a name behind it. You men know that.

59 Even if you have to take it slower, coming up, your--your dividends are--are smaller. Yet, I'd rather know, all my money, I was drawing two percent, and sure to get it, than drawing fifty percent and never get it; promised fifty percent. See, you want to--you want to stay with the firm or the--the business that's got a background, has got a name behind it, something that's going to pay off, and something that's right.

*THIS YOUNG BUSINESSMAN, WHY, HE WAS--HE WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE AN INVESTMENT…..

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60 Now, this young fellow that we're speaking about, this young businessman, why, he was--he was given the opportunity to make an investment in one of the greatest businesses that he could invest in. He was given the opportunity to follow Jesus Christ. And what a--a ridiculous thing that he did. What a rashal thing, that, this young fellow, given this type of an opportunity, to invest his--his soul and his money, and whatever he had, in the Kingdom of God, and he turned it down, flatly. We look at him this morning, as this young businessman, as a--as a very poor businessman. But you couldn't have told him that. Jesus couldn't tell him any better.

…..INVESTMENT IN JESUS CHRIST.

61 See, the Word of God, when Jesus speaks, It's--It's all Truth. It doesn't have to be explained. God just speaks the Truth, and He don't have to go around like we do, try to explain It. It, It's That. That's all there is to it. He said, "Follow Me." That's all. He didn't have to tell him why, explain It all like I do, and other people do. But His Words are all Truth. We don't have to go around with It. Just say It. He said, "Follow Me," and that settles it.

62 He had the invitation to make an investment in Jesus Christ. And that's the Person I'm speaking about this morning, the investment that I want you to make, if you haven't made it.

Isa 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Isa 55:2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
Isa 55:3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.