Pathway to Victory

Speaker 1

Hey podcast listeners, thanks for streaming today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.

Pathway to Victory is a nonprofit ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress. Our mission is to pierce the darkness with the light of God's Word through the most effective media available, like this podcast.

To support Pathway to Victory, go to ptv.org/donate or follow the link in our show notes.

Now here's today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.

Speaker 2

Hi, this is Robert Jeffress and I'm glad to study God's Word with you every day. This Bible teaching program on today's edition.

Speaker 3

Of Pathway to Victory.

Speaker 2

Anybody ever lost any money in the stock market before? But you know what? Not one dollar invested in God's work has ever been lost.

Not one single dollar invested in God's work has ever been lost.

Which is why if you want to have a profitable investment that will last throughout eternity, it means investing in God's Kingdom's work.

Speaker 1

Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and doctor Robert Jeffress. You know, there's no shortage of financial analysts who will tell you how to invest your money. They'll tell you when to buy, when to sell, to get the biggest bang for your buck.

But none of these advisors know how to invest for eternity. Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress shares some practical investment tips from Jesus.

But first, let's take a minute to hear some important ministry updates.

Speaker 3

Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. Before we open our Bibles together, I'm extending a personal invitation for you to join me for the 2026 Pathway to Victory cruise to Alaska. This luxurious voyage through Alaska's pristine wilderness offers everything you've dreamed of: spectacular glacier views, charming coastal villages, and wildlife encounters with majestic bald eagles. Picture yourself relaxing in elegant comfort while surrounded by fellow Christians who share your faith and values. For more details about the itinerary and to reserve your spot, go to ptv.org.

Well, even though our teaching series concluded yesterday, we're continuing to offer David Greene's powerful book, The Legacy Life, for one more day. So if you missed your opportunity earlier this week, now's your chance. David Green is the founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby. More importantly, he's intent on helping you and me come to recognize our God-ordained role: to leave a legacy that reverberates through eternity. That's not an embellishment. David invites us into the joy that comes from working in cooperation with God to bless generations long beyond our own.

When you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, I'm going to send you David Green's book, The Legacy Life. Plus, I'll include my own book as well. It's called Choose Your Change, Change Your Life. More details later. But now, let's begin today's message. I called it Investing for Maximum Returns.

Speaker 2

Dr. George W. Truitt was pastor of this church for a half a century. Nearly 100 years ago, he stood in the pulpit over in the historic sanctuary and said, "If First Baptist Dallas is not going to be serious about fulfilling the Great Commission, we ought to turn over this property downtown to another church that will be serious about it." Fortunately, this church has been serious about the Great Commission. We have a rich history of ministry right here in the heart of one of America's greatest cities.

Now, I realize I'm kind of preaching to the choir here when I talk about the Great Commission. You don't disagree with what I've said? That God has left us here for one reason, and that is to make Christ known to as many people as possible. You understand that the only question before us here today is how much should I give? I mean, how do you determine how much to give to a kingdom enterprise like this? Well, that's what we're going to talk about today.

You know, some people decide what they give this way. They say, "Okay, I add up all my income, I subtract all my expenses, and if anything is left over, I'll give." Haven't you found it interesting? There's hardly anything ever left over if you go by it that way. Other people say, "Well, you know, I'll just give as little as possible on that commitment card without feeling guilty. Whatever it takes to keep me from feeling guilty, I'll give that amount and I'll give as little as possible." Other people say, "No. You know, the Bible says the tithe belongs to the Lord. And so I'm going to give 10% of my income to God's work and then keep the other 90% for me to do whatever I want."

Well, Jesus has a different perspective on giving that I'd like to look at today. It may completely revolutionize the way you think about giving to the work of God. That perspective is found in Matthew, chapter 6. If you have your Bibles, turn to Matthew, chapter 6, beginning with verse 19. Jesus said, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and 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 your heart will be also."

You know, Jesus' words can be best summarized by this sentence: You can't take it with you, but you can send it on ahead of you. Randy Alcorn, in his book *The Treasure Principle*, summarized it this way: "Everything we invest here on earth will one day be lost, but anything we invest in heaven will never be lost." That is the Treasure Principle.

Today, I want us to consider four implications of that Treasure Principle. Principle number one is: I am a manager, not an owner of everything I have. I am a manager, not an owner. God said in Job 41, verse 11, "Who has given to me that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine." God says everything belongs to Him. We own nothing. Everything I have belongs to God. Would you repeat that with me? Everything I have belongs to God. Let's say it together: Everything I have belongs to God.

You know, there are two types of people in the world. There are those who believe everything they have belongs to them, and then there are those who believe everything they have belongs to God. The first group, who believes everything they have belongs to them, holds their possessions very tightly. But those who understand everything they have belongs to God hold their possessions very loosely. In Haggai 2:8, God said, "The silver is mine and the gold is mine," declares the Lord of Hosts.

You might say, "Well, wait a minute. Everything I have belongs to God. What about the money I earn? I'm such a shrewd investor and such a hard worker. Why, I deserve what I have. It belongs to me." You know what God says to that? Baloney! Deuteronomy 8:18, Moses says, "You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you the power to make wealth." Your brain, the energy you have to go to work—all of it comes from God. And that's why everything we have belongs to Him.

So what's the implication of that? I want you to imagine for a moment that you're the president of a company called Jesus Incorporated. The purpose of your company is to spread the news of Jesus to as many people as possible. You're the president, but God is the CEO. Now, the assets of your company, Jesus Incorporated, consist of everything you own: your house, your car, your savings account, your retirement account. They are under your management as the president. You've got a great deal of latitude with what you do with your possessions. If you want to blow $1,000 or $10,000 on a luxury, nobody's going to call that into question. You're the president. The only thing is, one day you're going to give an account to the CEO of how you're running His company. Are you furthering His interest or your own interest?

God has said, "I've left you here on earth for one reason, and that is to spread the news of my Son to everyone." We all are presidents of our own little corporation called Jesus Incorporated. So the question is, how are we investing the assets not that we own, but that we manage for the CEO's benefit?

That leads to a second truth in this principle. Not only am I not an owner, I'm a manager. Secondly, I should avoid unwise investments. I should avoid unwise investments. Look at verse 19. Jesus said, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal." In the Greek language, you could actually translate that instead of "do not," Jesus actually said, "Stop, cease, desist from wasting your money on things that are either going to be lost or going to be destroyed." Jesus is saying, "Stop, cease, desist. Quit being consumed by consumerism."

We live in an age that is consumed by consumerism. I read a study that said that the average American spends six hours a week shopping and spends 40 minutes a week with his children. We have this idea that if we have any margin in our income, well, we need to spend that. I mean, if we live in a 4,000 square foot home and have the ability to move to a 6,000 square foot home, we ought to do it. If we own four pairs of shoes and we need a fifth pair, we just like it. Not that we need it, we can buy that fifth pair of shoes. If we have an automobile that drives fine, but there's a newer automobile available, we ought to purchase it. That is the age in which we live.

Now, the fact is, there's nothing wrong with a bigger home. There's nothing wrong with more shoes or even a finer automobile. What Jesus said is these are unwise investments because of what happens to them. They depreciate over time; they lose their value. They can either be destroyed by moth or rust, or they can be lost or stolen. By the way, if you ever want to see this principle in action about how what we invest in deteriorates over time, just hold a garage sale.

How many of you have ever had a garage sale before? You know what you do? You haul all your junk into the driveway and just hope you can unload your junk on somebody else. I remember a garage sale we had, and I hauled out the very first computer I ever bought. It was a Macintosh computer in 1985. It cost $3,500 in 1985. I put it in the garage sale, put a price tag on it of $20, and I couldn't unload it for $20. Finally, I had to give it away.

You know, I decided to do a little study. I took that $3,500 figure and said, "You know what? What if I had taken that $3,500 and invested it at a normal rate of return?" You know what I discovered? In that same period of time, that $3,500 would have turned into $12,000. Now, there's nothing wrong with buying computers, buying toys for your children, or buying other things. God wants us to do more than endure life; He wants us to enjoy it. But what Jesus is simply saying here is when you understand that everything you purchase here on earth is going to lose its value one day, the idea is to spend as little as possible on those things so you don't lose your investment.

Instead, that leads us to the third principle: I should seek safe and profitable investments. Remember, we're managers, not owners. We've got a certain amount of money, and one day we're going to give an account to God for how we've invested that money. If we want to be rewarded by the CEO, one day, we're going to seek safe and profitable investments. Look at what He says in verse 20. Instead of laying up for yourselves treasures on earth, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal.

Now notice Jesus is not against laying up treasures for yourself. He doesn't say, "Quit thinking about yourself and don't try to lay up any treasures." He doesn't say that. He says, "Just don't lay up your treasures on earth where they're going to be lost or lose their value. Instead, lay up your treasures in a secure place where you can yield eternal dividends." That's heaven.

Notice what He says about investing in heaven. The reason heaven and God's kingdom is a wiser investment is because of two words. The first word is safety. Heaven—God's work—is a safer investment. You might think, "Well, you know, these are just such uncertain times. Maybe I shouldn't give my money right now. I want to keep it safe, so I'm going to put my money in the bank." I'm going to keep it safe in the bank. Let me ask you, has anybody ever lost money in a bank before? Think the Great Depression, of course. People lost lots of money in the bank.

"Well, Pastor, that could never happen today because of FDIC and blah, blah, blah, blah. Nobody will ever lose money in a bank again." Are you sure of that? Other people say, "Well, I won't put it in a bank. A safer investment for me is the stock market. That's what's safe." Has anybody ever lost any money in the stock market before? I mean, it wasn't that many years ago. People lost 30, 40, 50% of their investment. But you know what? Not $1 invested in God's work has ever been lost. Not one single dollar invested in God's work has ever been lost.

The reason we invest in God's kingdom work is, first of all, because of safety, but secondly, because of profitability. It's actually a more profitable investment. Financial planners sometimes are what we call market timers. That is, they look out over the horizon to try to predict what's going to happen to the economy, and they make investments in decisions based on that. For example, if they think things look kind of bleak and dangerous, they'll say, "You ought to take money out of the stock market and invest it in bonds and cash."

However, if they look out over the long term and say, "You know what? Things may be bad now, but they're going to get better," maybe we ought to move your money from a safe investment to a more risky investment like the stock market. That's what a market timer is. As one writer said, Jesus was the ultimate market timer. He was able to look out beyond eternity. And you know what His forecast is for this world? He says, "Short term, the outlook is very bleak. It's very dangerous. But long term, I'm bullish on the future."

Jesus says He looks long term and says eventually everything's going to turn out great, which is why if you want to have a profitable investment that will last throughout eternity, it means investing in God's kingdom's work. You know, I used this illustration a few years ago, but it bears repeating. Just imagine you happened to be alive on the day Jesus was born—Christmas Day A.D. 0. We don't think it was zero, but let's just say it was A.D. 0. Christmas Day, the day Jesus was born. You heard the news about His arrival. You heard about the Magi, and you said, "You know what? I think this Jesus guy is going someplace. I'd like to be a part of His ministry."

So you invest $1 in Jesus Incorporated, the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, Christmas Day A.D. 0, and let's just say that's all the money you ever invest in Jesus Incorporated—$1. Let's say it earns 6% interest every year. You know how much that dollar investment would have turned into by today? It would be worth $720,000,000,000. A $1 investment compounded at 6% for over 2000 years. Somebody challenged me on that one time. I said, "Now go back and do the math and compound it." And they said, "Pastor, you're right. $720,000,000,000."

Now you may be saying, "Well, that's interesting, but I wasn't alive 2000 years ago when Jesus was born." That's right, but you're alive right now. And you're going to be alive forever and ever and ever. Not just for 2000 years, but for 2 billion, trillion, quadrillion years and more, you'll be alive. And every dollar you invest in Jesus Incorporated, God's work, every dollar you invest will compound and compound and compound and yield you eternal rewards. That's why investing in God's work makes sense. It is eternally and immensely profitable.

That leads to a fourth and final application: My heart follows my investments. You know, in verse 21, Jesus adds this phrase that many people misunderstand. He said, "By the way, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Now if I had been Jesus—aren't you glad I'm not?—but had I been Jesus, I wouldn't have said it that way. I would have said, "Where your heart is, there your treasure will be. Do you really love me? Then prove it by your giving. For where your heart is, there your treasure will be."

You know, my dad used to drive a Volkswagen. He had a bumper sticker on it that said, "Tithe if you love Jesus; any idiot can honk." You know, he had a great sense of humor. That's true. I mean, one way we demonstrate how much we love the Lord is how much we invest in His work. But interestingly, that's not what Jesus said. That's kind of a no-brainer: where your heart is, there your treasure will be. Instead, Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be." That is, your heart follows your investments.

For example, if your treasure is in the stock market, guess what you're going to be doing all the time? You're going to be checking the ups and downs of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. If your treasure is in your house or in your cars or in your clothes, that's where your affection is going to be as well. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Maybe I'm speaking to some of you here today, and you would say, "You know, Pastor, honestly, I wish I loved God more than I do, but honestly, I can go days, weeks without even thinking about Him much. I wish I cared about spiritual things more than I do, but I'm so caught up in my work and my career and what I'm trying to achieve. I'm just not that interested in spiritual things." You know what Jesus says very compassionately to you? "I've got a remedy for that. You want to be interested in spiritual things? Put your treasure there. Because where your treasure is, there your heart will be."

In my last church, we were building a new worship center and made the request for funds. There was a guy in our church who invested a rather largeable size of his estate in our new worship center. I thought it was interesting because this guy didn't come to church that often. He really wasn't involved in the church. I was really surprised when I saw his pledge card. I was talking to him about it after he made the commitment and made the gift. This is what he said: "You know, it used to be the first thing I did every morning when I got up was to open the newspaper and check out the stock market, because that's where my treasure is. Now, he says, the first thing I do every morning when I get up is I get in my car, drive down to the church, and watch the bulldozers at work and the steel beams being erected, because that's where my treasure is now."

That's what Jesus was saying: for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. You can't take it with you, but you can send it on ahead of you. Greg Lafferty tells a story about being on an overseas trip, and he had a free day. He said, "I've always wanted to go to Zurich, Switzerland." So he said, "I plan to spend one day in Zurich." He thought to himself, "Okay, how many Swiss francs do I need for one day in Zurich?" He took some dollars—$80 specifically—and converted them to Swiss francs. His idea was, "I want to convert as little as possible, so I don't have a bunch of francs left over and have to change them back."

Now, Greg says he had many more dollars in his bank account he could have exchanged, but he wanted to exchange...

Speaker 3

As few as possible.

Speaker 2

And then he made this application. He said, you know, most of us are gonna be here on this Earth for 80, 90 years maybe, but we're going to be in heaven for 80, quadrillion billion years and more.

It seems kind of a waste to be here on earth for only a short time and to leave behind a huge stack of dollar bills that we'll never be able to use again. What makes more sense is to go ahead and start transferring our money right now to heavenly currency so it's there to await us and reward us for all eternity.

You can't take it with you, but you can send it on ahead of you. Everything invested in Earth will one day be lost. Anything invested in heaven will never be lost.

Speaker 3

Friend, think about it this way. If you were visiting a foreign country for just one day, you'd only exchange enough currency for that brief stay. Why convert everything when you're leaving soon? We're only here on earth for a short time, but we'll be in heaven forever. It makes no sense to hoard earthly currency we can't take with us. Instead, start converting your resources into heavenly currency now—investments that will await you for all eternity. You can't take it with you, but you can send it on ahead.

As we conclude today, I'm going to extend my thanks to anyone who gives a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory. Your heavenly currency has brought men and women into God's forever family, and many are learning to conquer mountains, even the mountain of grief. For example, I received a comment from a listener who said, "Pastor Jeffress, my mother died recently, and that experience has affected me greatly. Your truthful teaching helped my mom and me face her death this past year with peace regarding her salvation and her graduation to be with the Lord."

Well, thank you for taking the time to tell your story. This is truly what our ministry together is all about. And friend, let me assure you, when you give to Pathway to Victory, this woman's thank you note belongs to you as well. God is using your generosity to reach men and women for Him.

Please listen closely now as David describes our two very special book offers. The first is my book, *Choose Your Attitudes, Change Your Life*, and the second is called *The Legacy Life*, written by my good friend David Green, founder of Hobby Lobby. With all the details, here's David.

Speaker 1

You're invited to request a copy of the Legacy Life when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory. Plus, we'll also send you the book *Choose Your Change, Change Your Life* by Dr. Robert Church. Request these resources by calling 866-999-2965 or online, simply go to ptv.org. For a quick and easy way to support Pathway to Victory, text PTV to 78800. When you give a gift of $100 or more, we'll also send you our current teaching series on audio and video disc, *Choose Your Attitudes, Change Your Life*, along with a group or individual study guide. Again, call 866-999-2965 or go online to ptv.org. You could also write to us at P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas 75222. That's P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas 75222.

I'm David J. Mullins, wishing you a great weekend. Then join us again next week for the popular series *A Place Called Heaven* that starts Monday on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas.

You made it to the end of today's podcast from Pathway to Victory, and we're so glad you're here. Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible. One of the most impactful ways you can give is by becoming a Pathway Partner. Your monthly gift will empower Pathway to Victory to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and help others become rooted more firmly in His Word. To become a Pathway Partner, go to ptv.org/donate or you can follow the link in our show notes.

We hope you've been blessed by today's podcast from Pathway to Victory. Oh, and one last thing before we go. Have you reserved your spot yet for the 2026 Pathway to Victory cruise to Alaska? You've been hearing me and Dr. Jeffress mention it, so what are you waiting for? Just picture yourself on the deck of Holland America's elegant Koningsdam and stepping out on deck to witness nature's grandeur. It's beautiful. These moments in God's creation will deepen your faith in powerful ways. It really will. Experience five-star dining, luxurious staterooms, and visit iconic ports like Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway. We're also bringing along our own Christian entertainment. You'll love it. Seats are filling up, so book your spot today at ptv.org.