RISK in God’s “Upside Down” Kingdom
In my recent study of the Gospel of Matthew I was reminded of the upside down nature of the Kingdom of God.
A Kingdom where the meek inherit the earth (Matt. 5:5)
A Kingdom where the first will be last, and the last will be first (Matt. 19:30)
A Kingdom where the first among you must be your slave, even as The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matt. 20:27-28)
A Kingdom where the greatest among you shall be your servant (Matt. 23:11)
A Kingdom where the King of Kings decrees: If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. (Matt. 16:24-27)
A Kingdom where a Rich Young Man was invited to embrace risk and follow Jesus (Matt. 19:16-22)
Over the years the Lord has faithfully and lovingly led me on a journey of better understanding this amazing invitation to “Follow Him”. On that journey I have found that most of my thinking needs to be reshaped not to common logic, not to prevailing and changing culture, not to what is commonplace or politically popular, but rather my thinking needs to be shaped and formed by God’s Word. Through navigating this reshaping, my thoughts and actions are shifted into closer alignment with God’s thinking and shaping of His Kingdom.
My understanding of RISK is not excluded from this reshaping work. How often when we consider “wise” investment practices do we first think of minimizing risk and maximizing personal financial return? I’m still learning what it means to be the Lord’s Oikonomos, stewarding the resources God has entrusted to me in such a way that one day I hear my Master say to me, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ (Matt. 25:21)
On Sunday, April 26th, 1987 (7 days after I was born). Dr. John Piper preached on RISK and the Cause of God Today. I think there is something of extreme value here for Faith-Driven Investors to discover if we have the faith and courage to embrace it for the Glory of God and the Advancement of His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. What if in this upside down Kingdom of God that Matthew so clearly puts forward in his gospel account… What if there is a very real opportunity today for Faith-Driven Investors to prayerfully and obediently EMBRACE RISK?
Will a Wise and Loving Person Risk?
My subject this morning is risk and the cause of God. I define risk very simply as an action that exposes someone to the possibility of loss or injury. If you take a risk, you can lose money, you can lose face, you can lose your life. And what’s worse, if you take a risk, you may endanger other people and not just yourself. You may lose other people’s money. Their life may be at stake.
Will a wise and loving person, then, ever take risks? Is it wise to expose yourself to loss? Is it loving to endanger others? Is taking risks unwise and unloving?
Maybe. But maybe not.
What if circumstances are such that not taking a risk will result in loss and injury? In that situation, it may not be wise to play it safe. What if the successful outcome of a risky situation would bring great benefit to many people and its failure would bring harm only to yourself? Then what would love do?
It may not be loving to choose the comfort of security when something great may be achieved for the cause of God and for the good of others.
I encourage you to read/listen to the full risk sermon series from Dr. John Piper:
Risk and the Cause of God (Part 1)
Risk and the Cause of God Today (Part 2)
Risk and the Triumph of Love (Part 3)
This week I will be facilitating discussion on RISK with a group of Faith-Driven Investors and Financial Professionals that are working through another cycle of The Steward Investor Master Class. As part of the upcoming discussion the group will unpack themes summarized in this short 3 min video where Don Simmons, Author of “The Steward Investor,” explains his perspectives on Risk & Reward from the reframed lens of a Steward Investor.
If you are ready to take another step on the journey of following Jesus through your financial stewardship and faith-driven investing then I’d love to invite you to grab a seat at the table and join the conversation on Biblical Stewardship and Faith-Driven Investing. – New Faith-Driven Investor Foundation Groups Launch this week!
