This sermon delves into the concept of the profit motive and the story of Esau trading his birthright for a bowl of pottage, highlighting the temptation to prioritize immediate gains over eternal blessings. It emphasizes the value of faith heritage and the danger of undervaluing spiritual blessings for temporary satisfaction. The speaker urges against falling into the trap of worldly gains at the expense of losing out on the priceless salvation and empowerment offered by God.

Now, I am going to speak of a motivation which is nothing very strange to any of us. The motivation to acquire that which is profitable, profit, profit motive. You might say the whole world seems to revolve around this motive, isn't it? The profit motive. Now, we see a young man caught in this quandary. What is the most profitable thing for me to have at this time when I am likely to perish, likely to die? He thought a little hunger would kill him or whatever. Genesis chapter 25 and verse 32. And Esau said, behold, I am at the point to die. And what profit shall this birthright do to me? You know, there were two boys growing up in the house of Isaac, the grandsons of Abraham. And there was a heritage to gain here. You know, the heritage of faith. I don't want to lose it. I don't want my children or grandchildren to lose it. I don't want you, many of whom are my spiritual children, to lose the great heritage of faith. But you know, my dear friends, that heritage appears a little cheap today. But let me tell you this. It never appeared cheap to me. Never. So whatever country I went to, or wherever I preached, and saw probably some novel sites and attractive articles, none of those things lured me. None of those things attracted me. You know, here, Jacob said to Esau, sell me this day your birthright. And Esau felt, okay, I am a tired man today. I have just come back from hunting. And 29th verse, Genesis 25 and verse 29. And Jacob sowed pottage. And Esau came from the field and he was faint. And Esau said to Jacob, feed me, I pray you, with that same red pottage. For I am faint. Therefore was his name called Edom. And Jacob was a great dealer. He knew how to make a smart deal. And he said, now this is my chance to get the birthright from my eldest brother. So he said, give me your birthright, I'll give you my pottage. Just imagine, my dear friends, is it an equal barter? Is it equal? Of course, the heritage of Abraham, the blessings of Abraham, appeared remote, distant, and not too tangible. You can't see it, you can't see them glittering and attracting you. But this pottage, my, it smelt good, I'm sure. You know, folks, some people are simply not able to resist food. By the way, I saw one of these ladies wearing a sweatshirt or t-shirt, saying, women's fellowship for the reduction of the waistline. Oh, something like that. I said to her, this is a wonderful fellowship. I didn't, however, say, you ought to recruit a lot of people here. My dear, not to talk of the men who stand in imminent need of the same. However, you see, my friends, it was not a tangible thing. But here was, what do you call it, scrumptious, scrumptious pottage. How to resist this? Boy, I'm likely to die, I'm pretty faint. Let me get this pottage, we'll think of what follows. Okay, you're going to have the birthright. You see, the prophet motive here was, I'll save my life. What good will my birthright do me if I die? Behold, I am at the point to die. And what profit shall this birthright do to me? What profit? You know, some of your friends may even ask you, okay, you spent four days at the retreat. You spent so much money for airfares. You did this, but what profit? Can you say, oh, my faith was energized. I had a touch from God. Oh, that doesn't make sense to some of your colleagues and others, college mates. Yeah, there you will appear like a fool. You have wasted five, six days. You know, friends, some people seem to think that way. That the word of God is a waste of time. They would rather go and play some tennis or something. But, let me tell you, of course, I'm a tennis player. I enjoy tennis even today. But, let me tell you, my friends. The word of God and the blessing that it brings into you and makes your life a blessing. How much people miss people brought up in religious homes. You know, they seem to think, oh, religion is so drab and dreary, boring. Christ can never be boring. Let me tell you that. I know the excitement in sport and in competitive sport. I know the excitement. Of course, I have never been a millionaire. But, during the course of my life, God has helped me to work for him and pass on. From my labors, millions. To build the lives of others. I didn't hold to those millions. But, so many people today are of Esau's thinking. Now, to such people, what does the Lord Jesus say? Let's turn to Matthew 10th chapter. Matthew 10th chapter. You know, before Jesus sent out his disciples to preach. It was in the 10th chapter, he gave them power over unclean spirits and to heal sicknesses. Matthew 10, 36. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. What is this? You know, you expect your people to stand behind you, to support you. To say, hey, you can't do anything better than to serve Jesus. Oh, no. You know, my father appeared like a madman when he took the step of faith. Such a secure, beautiful possession. And he had everything set up there. And God was calling him. And even his father-in-law, who was a pastor, could not understand. And God only said, in a family, one person becomes mad. But in this family, both have become mad. But just think, if my dad had retreated or in any sense, defected. Gone back. You know, to boot, just about that time, the war broke out. And everything appeared to be a waste of energy and time. What are you setting up a home for unemployed graduates? When there is no unemployment among graduates because the war has absorbed all of them. Into industry and other armament factories and so on and so forth. What are you doing here? But God was preparing dad for revival. When thousands of souls should be brought in. And some of those rustic people, you know, friends. Huh. Many of them illiterate. But with such testimonies like the people in the book of Acts. What good are you doing amongst these backward people? It seems senseless. Have you ever sat on straw? In the old days, they used to have sawdust trays. You know, a place like this did not have floors. But paved floors. They just had sawdust. They put up a big tent and some sawdust inside. Now, I know what it is to sit down on straw. In a temporary structure. Put up to accommodate the meetings. Well. Out of such simple efforts. Should there come a testimony for the Lord. That would be ringing out to remote corners. Why not? But that's the Lord's doing. But despising your birthright. Saying, hey, what am I to gain from this? One area, you know, you did see. The inside of the prayer hall. Yesterday. At Imphal. In that place, they wanted to stone me. But the Lord showed me. A spot. On which a prayer hall should go up. So I said. We'll continue the work in this tough place. There is still that opposition. And some of those people are so proud. Early. In the early days, they had said to the missionaries. Who had gone through those jungles to reach them. What do we gain by. Christianity. Or turning to Christ. What is our gain? Do you see my dear friends. That gain factor. That dollar factor. That is the decisive factor. In so many people's lives. What do we gain? They ask. You go to the hill tribes. There are a bunch of ignorant people up in the mountains. You go to the hill tribes and convert them. We have nothing to gain. From your Christianity. You know my dear friends, we have persisted there. And now, in the very language. Of these proud exclusive group. There is a telecast. In the Manipuri language. It's not the tribal languages. It's the Manipuri language. Which only the educated. And those strong exclusive people speak. So the message is going right into their homes. They can't resist it very long. I see some of the hard folks turning to Christ. What is to gain? Why are you spending so much time. Time and strength and money. For this new telecast. You know. There is always that argument. In the minds of people. My wife Lily says. It is better that. We are putting all this money. Into this telecast. To take the gospel. To remote places. Rather than put it up. Put this money into property. And buildings. You know there would be those who would say. Hey why can't you build some apartments. There is such demand. You'll make a lot of money. I never fell for that. Dear friends. You'll make a lot of money. No I never fell for that. Let us pray. Let us tell God. Oh God I don't need to come crashing down. I don't need to be a total failure. Because my savior tells me. That when I lose myself for him. I will gain. My life. What will it profit me. This birthright and blessing of Abraham. When I am likely to die. I will trade it off. For a mess of pottage. Lord let me never do that. Let me never do that. Gracious father. We thank you for your word. We thank you that your spirit teaches us. To die to ourselves. And not to get into this cheap barter. Which we see everywhere. And the old sense of values. Are perverted today. So perverted. Till we count everything. In dollars and cents. What will this cost me. What is the cost. Lord our God teach us to know. That the priciest of all. The great salvation which you have brought to us. Is a total packet. With nothing wanting in it. Oh Lord can there be a better deal than this. That you empower us. With your power. And call us your sons and daughters. Oh my father have mercy upon us. Save us from the perversion of our own thinking. And when we see people reading books. How to get rich quickly. And things like that. What kind of minds do they get. And the gamblers tables getting full. And the country begin to trust. In the revenues that come from these casinos. Oh my father forgive us. Forgive our abominations. And our abominable thinking processes. Give to us the mind of Christ. He that loses his life for my sake. Shall gain it. So help us we pray. In Jesus holy name. Amen.