55. Kingdom Business

Redeeming the ancient trade routes for the gospel

See The Lessons

In Your Bible Read This
Isaiah 35

Here Is Your Memory Verse
Yet her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the Lord; they will not
be stored up or hoarded. Her profits will go to those who live before the Lord,
for abundant food and fine clothes. Isaiah 23.18.

Afterwards Talk About This
How many of you are in business? Can you pray and think about any ways
that the business can be adapted so that it becomes a vehicle for the gospel?

Something To Do Before Next Time
Get as many business people together from as many different churches
as possible. Make a smart presentation with music, drama and words,
with refreshments, of the need for partnership between business and missions.

Written Diploma Work
On one page rewrite the theology of kingdom business from Luke 19
in modern language and with a modern application.

Meditate These Verses
Isaiah 19, 21-25

Spend a Minute to Change the World

Pray For Nigeria - 101,000,000 in 426 ethnic groups

Businessmen travel worldwide, 50% Christian, 40% Muslim conflict

Much oppression and corruption

 

Be sure to teach this lesson to others.

Always pray and prepare well adding your own verses and stories to bring it to life.

We have been looking at some natural and spiritual ways that an 11th hour worker can enter the end-time harvest in the Lord’s vineyard. Here are some more -

New Highways Of Holiness.

Did you ever think that trade routes could be redeemed for God's purposes. Remember how the great religions of the world including Christianity spread down the ancient Silk Road from Europe to China. Think about this -

Filipino Man And Woman Power

One of the biggest exports from the Philippine Islands is the work of many thousands of Filipinos who work overseas as maids or sailors and send their wages home to the family. Often they work in countries closed to the gospel, like Saudi Arabia. Many Filipinos know the Lord. What if their churches trained and prayed for the overseas workers to be missionaries, and used their jobs overseas as a vehicle to witness for Christ. The world's missionary force could double overnight with this simple strategy.

Businessman Or Missionary?

Some of the business people on Air Afrique and Air India are deeply Christian people, but has anyone ever told them that they can do the Great Commission at the same time as making money. And do it as well as most preachers, if not better because of the money they have and all the people they meet who never go to a church.

Nigerians In London

Alfred Williams is an evangelist from Nigeria, but he came to London as a businessman to import ginger and toys from home. The profits have funded a new outreach in a bad part of London. The new church is really packed, and there is no financial pressure. The Lord used a trade route to bless a city.

Koreans, Chinese And Lebanese

Korean missionaries go straight to the Korean owned shops in other countries of the world and work for Jesus from there. Chinese, Lebanese and Indian Christians are all over the world. What could happen if their church at home taught them to be missionaries and to allow pastors to hold services in their restaurants, shops and hotels.

An Army Waiting For Orders.

When we pray for workers we always imagine a pastor or an evangelist, but how about praying for an army of business people, or ‘tentmakers’ like Paul?

Business and missions have been partners and twin peas in the same pod since the days of the ancient Silk Road. Remember how the gospel went to Africa and India on British trading ships. Our business people could easily be involved in making disciples in all nations. Many have years of cross-cultural wisdom or the ability to make money at home for new missions work.

Three Kinds Of Business.

Miguel Diez has more than 200 small businesses in his Spanish mission in 31 countries. He teaches all his leaders how to make money in the land God sends them to. He very radically says that there are three kinds of business in this world.

 

The Normal Business

This exists only to make profit for the selfish and sometimes sinful purposes of the owners and shareholders.

 

The Business Of A Christian

This business has an owner who tithes a 10% to his church and gives offerings from time to time, but most of the profits remain in his personal control.

 

The Kingdom Business

In this business the senior partner is the Lord. After the needs of the staff are fully met, all the profits go to advance the gospel or help the poor of the earth.

A Theology For Kingdom Business.

In Luke 19, 11-27, a story that refers to the Lord Jesus, the servants have instructions until their master returns. Each servant is given 3 months wages, say 5000 rupees, and told to, "Put this money to work, buying and selling." (Amplified) When he returns he wants to know what happened to his money.

One servant has turned 5000 rupees into 50,000 rupees, a 10 fold increase! What did the King say? Some people believe that trading is worldly and to be avoided. Some missionaries have taught this, forgetting that much of their support comes from businessmen back home in their church.

But What Did The King Say?

He said " Well done, good and faithful servant!" He said trading was good and to earn ten times more was a very small matter. He gave the servant ten cities so he could prosper their economies as well with his ability. The servant who did nothing with his money was soundly rebuked and lost everything.

A True Story

In the fifties a missionary to a very poor West African country encouraged some newly converted traders not to become pastors but to stay as traders for Jesus, to make money to help the gospel and provide buildings for the new churches. Others said believers should not work for gain and almost everyone rejected his advice. He returned home discouraged. Only one church remembered what he said and pondered his advice. One trader in particular decided not to go to Bible school but sold all he had, and went to Ghana to buy cheap goods to sell.

Years later that man was still a steadfast believer and had also become the second richest man in all the nation. Today, while most of the nation is still in poverty, because of this one man’s trading for Jesus the churches in his district have good buildings, cars, schools and even send missionaries outside the nation. In old age, the man recently went to be with the Lord.

Now that you know these things you will be blessed if you do them. John 13.17.

To Close Pray For The

World's Most Unreached Peoples By Name

 

Taken from the Joshua Project 2000 Unreached Peoples List

at www.ad2000.org these people have no church and as yet

no cell, church or mission has committed themselves

to prayer, adoption or church planting among this people.

 

© Dr Les Norman | School of Christian Leadership, UK
Permission is granted to provide copies at cost price for study purposes

but not for sale or commercial purposes. Freely you have received, so please freely give.

 

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