David Cowan made a heartbreaking mistake. As a venture capitalist with Bessemer Venture Partners, his job was to invest in companies that would become successful and increase the value of their stock. One day a friend told him about two young Stanford students who needed money to launch their company. David refused to meet with them and the students found their start up money elsewhere, naming their new company Google.
It was not the first time Bessemer missed out on opportunities to make profitable investments. A little Bay Area computer company offered shares that valued their company at $60 million. Bessemer thought it was outrageously expensive and did not invest. In 2018, it became the first U.S. company to ever reach a $1 trillion valuation. We know it as Apple. Bessemer also sent eBay away empty handed, and turned down the company that would become Compaq. They refused to invest in FedEx seven separate times. Bessemer and its client investors repeatedly lost billions of dollars because they failed to invest in companies that became highly profitable to their stockholders.
While some of us have a hard time talking about money, Jesus didn’t. He said in Matthew 6:19-21“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on 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 and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”In fact, sixteen out of thirty-eight of Christ’s parables deal with money. More is said in the New Testament about money than is said about heaven and hell combined. Five times more is said about money than about prayer. While there are 500 verses on prayer and faith, there are over 2,000 verses dealing with money and possessions.
It was not the first time Bessemer missed out on opportunities to make profitable investments. A little Bay Area computer company offered shares that valued their company at $60 million. Bessemer thought it was outrageously expensive and did not invest. In 2018, it became the first U.S. company to ever reach a $1 trillion valuation. We know it as Apple. Bessemer also sent eBay away empty handed, and turned down the company that would become Compaq. They refused to invest in FedEx seven separate times. Bessemer and its client investors repeatedly lost billions of dollars because they failed to invest in companies that became highly profitable to their stockholders.
While some of us have a hard time talking about money, Jesus didn’t. He said in Matthew 6:19-21“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on 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 and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”In fact, sixteen out of thirty-eight of Christ’s parables deal with money. More is said in the New Testament about money than is said about heaven and hell combined. Five times more is said about money than about prayer. While there are 500 verses on prayer and faith, there are over 2,000 verses dealing with money and possessions.
How are you doing on your investments?As we wrap up our series on the book of Philippians we see a shining example of a church who invested wisely in gospel partnerships. Read over Philippians 4:4-17 and see Paul’s gratitude for their generosity, but we’ll also see the “secret” for both short term and VERY long term returns.
See you Sunday!
In Christ,
Kurt