Preached at Yorkton Faith Ministries Church:

Ministry in the Marketplace

Introduction:

With the Christmas Season drawing closer, I felt that it would be a good idea to revisit our role as Christians in the Marketplace. There are two times during the year when people in the world are more open to being ministered to than any others. Christmas is one of these times for two reasons: It is the end of the year and they realize that another year is about to begin, so they reexamine what they did or did not do during the past year. Christ is the centre of the holiday.
Remember, Jesus was likely born in September not December. The other time people are more open to ministry than normal is when disaster strikes suddenly. Generally, speaking people only listen to you if they know you.

We talked for some time this year about different topics. Going through my notes we have had significant exposure to: Faith and Faithfulness, Standing Fast, Transitions, The Blessing, Marriage, Raising Children, Healing, and more. We have all of this information and inspiration and it is time to take it out to the world.

Who me? Yes you.

Before you run out the door to evangelize the world, we should understand how this ministry is supposed to proceed.

The World

As Christians one of the foundational Scriptures that we rely on is Jeremiah 29:11. But let us look at the context of this verse.

Jeremiah 29:1-14 NLT
(1) Jeremiah wrote a letter from Jerusalem to the elders, priests, prophets, and all the people who had been exiled to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar.
(2) This was after King Jehoiachin, the queen mother, the court officials, the other officials of Judah, and all the craftsmen and artisans had been deported from Jerusalem.
(3) He sent the letter with Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah when they went to Babylon as King Zedekiah’s ambassadors to Nebuchadnezzar. This is what Jeremiah’s letter said:
(4) This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives He has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem:
(5) “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce.
(6) Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away!
(7) And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”
(8) This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let your prophets and fortune-tellers who are with you in the land of Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams,
(9) because they are telling you lies in My name. I have not sent them,” says the LORD.
(10) This is what the LORD says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.
(11) For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
(12) In those days when you pray, I will listen.
(13) If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me.
(14) I will be found by you,” says the LORD. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”

Notice that God told them to stay put and get involved in the culture they were exiled to. Babylon is what we call an “archetype” or a model of the world and the world systems. Egypt was also and “archtype.” God told His people to work in the world, not to antagonize it. This mandate has not disapeared for the Christian, because we were told to go out into all the world. Babylon was the most idolatrous, demonic culture at the time and God told them to get involved in society.
Similarly Jesus told us:

Matthew 5:13-16 NLT
(13) “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
(14) “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.
(15) No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.
(16) In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

However, there is a cultural divide between the world and the Church. The typical world-view is that we should rescue as many as we can from Satan’s world without leaving the cofines of the church. We need to stay safe here because any friend of the world is not a friend of God and good manners can be corrupted by bad company, etc. We need to live frugally because God does not want us to have money. But Jesus prayed;

John 17:15 NLT
(15) I’m not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.

So the real question that we have is how do we as Christians shine for the the world without being worldly? What is the World? In the Bible there are three words that have been translated into the word “world.”

Matthew 13:22 KJVR
(22) He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

G165 αἰών aiōn ahee-ohn’ – an age or generation. It is where we get the word eon.

Matthew 24:14 KJVR
(14) And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

G3625 οἰκουμένη oikoumenē oy-kou-men’-ay – lands and territories.

Mark 16:15 KJVR
(15) And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

G2889 κόσμος kosmos kos’-mos – orderly arrangement of society. This is our focus for today.

Society is Organized in Seven Ways

1.) Religion
2.) Family
3.) Business which provides a means of exchange.
4.) Education which provides a way to transmit knowledge.
5.) Government which provides rule of law, defense, public services, etc.
6.) Arts and Entertainment to provide recreation for society.
7.) Mass Media which allows for information to be disseminated.

Typically, the Church stays in religion and family, but it rarely ventures into the remaining five which make up the marketplace. Jesus asked the Father to leave us in the Kosmos or society. So how do we do this without compromising ourselves? We need to look at some examples.

Living in Babylon

At the time there was no rival for the Babylonian Empire. It was superior to most other societies of its day – education, commerce, war and a smart, but arrogant and idolatrous King – Nebuchadnezzer. When Israel was conquered, Nebuchadnezzer offered them “upward mobility.”

Daniel 1:1-7 MSG
(1) It was the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon declared war on Jerusalem and besieged the city.
(2) The Master handed King Jehoiakim of Judah over to him, along with some of the furnishings from the Temple of God. Nebuchadnezzar took king and furnishings to the country of Babylon, the ancient Shinar. He put the furnishings in the sacred treasury.
(3) The king told Ashpenaz, head of the palace staff, to get some Israelites from the royal family and nobility–
(4) young men who were healthy and handsome, intelligent and well-educated, good prospects for leadership positions in the government, perfect specimens!–and indoctrinate them in the Babylonian language and the lore of magic and fortunetelling.
(5) The king then ordered that they be served from the same menu as the royal table–the best food, the finest wine. After three years of training they would be given positions in the king’s court.
(6) Four young men from Judah–Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah–were among those selected.
(7) The head of the palace staff gave them Babylonian names: Daniel was named Belteshazzar, Hananiah was named Shadrach, Mishael was named Meshach, Azariah was named Abednego.

Nebuchadnezzer set out five requirements for upward mobility.
1.) Learn the culture of Babylon so you know how to fit in.
2.) Learn the language of Babylon so that you can function in the palace and society.
3.) Dress like Babylonians not Holy Prophets.
4.) For Daniel this meant that he most likely had:
orange hair.
eye liner and eye shadow.
white lead paint on face.
5.) Change their names from Jewish names to Babylonian names.

What’s in a name?

Remember, that in many cultures your name is a revelation of your identity. Simon means a weak reed, but Peter means rock.
Daniel became Belteshazzar named after Baal the chief Babylonian god. Hananiah became Shadrach named after the Babylonian moon god. Mishael became Meshach meaning like the moon god. Azariah became Abednego meaning servant of the idol nego.

Take on Babylonian jobs.

Daniel was the chief of staff for the Wizards and Magicians. He earned their respect meaning that he was skillful at his job.

Daniel 5:11 NLT
(11) There is a man in your kingdom who has within him the spirit of the holy gods. During Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, this man was found to have insight, understanding, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your predecessor, the king—your predecessor King Nebuchadnezzar—made him chief over all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers of Babylon.

Daniel built in spiritual disciplines to help him move ahead with his life.

Daniel 1:8-15 NLT
(8) But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.
(9) Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel.
(10) But he responded, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded.”
(11) Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
(12) “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said.
(13) “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.”
(14) The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days.
(15) At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king.

Food is sustenance.
These four would not ingest the food for two reasons. First, it was already offered to idols and it was not fully cooked. Second, they refused to be nourished by the “system.” Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon was full of greed, lust, fear, manipulation, envy, ego, self-ambitions and pride to name a few. The four did not want to have any part in it so they would not let it get on the inside.

Seven Spiritual Disciplines for Living in Babylon

Daniel had to build in systems to keep himself Holy.
It is one thing to make the initial refusal of the world, but when you are in it, like we all are, you need to keep standing.

Prayer
Daniel’s custom was to pray many times a day. He was thrown into the lion’s den because he would not stop communig with the Father.
Consistent Study of the Bible
You need to dig in and find out what the Word actually says. That is when revelation comes.
Fasting
Something that we do in our church corporately. Fasting is designed to crucify the body and allow for more focus on prayer and the Word.
Thanksgiving
Daniel was thankful that he was able to serve his God.
Solitude
Solitude is not necessarily loneliness, but it can be that way at times. Jesus was found in solitude when major decisions were being made.
Repentance and Confession
These two often go hand in hand. Daniel would not have survived the lion’s den without building his faith up. The fiery furnace could have been a fiery end if Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah did not confess they would serve no other gods.
Going to Church
They did not forget to meet and keep each other Holy. In fact, Daniel, Hanaiah, Mishael and Azariah worked very closely together throughout their time in Babylon.

Remember, that they chose to keep Holy from the inside out and people responded to that decision in their lives.
By the end of his reign and life, King Nebuchadnezzar publicly decalred there was no other God like the God of Israel.

Other Heroes of Faith

In Hebrew 11, we get an overview of the lives of 16 people, we know as the Heroes of Faith.
Of the 16:
All 16 of them were called while they were in the markteplace. They were not called out of the marketplace. They did not go into the ministry. Five were the richest people of their generation. Many were shepherds or kings. One was a prostitute.
Abraham exercised faith daily and over time he became a father of many nations. He did not tell Sarah that they were going into the ministry. They simply relocated to a new marketplace.

I say this because there is a paradigm in Chritianity that says we need to be called out and that we should stay out.
We are called out, but Jesus wants us right back in. There is also a misconception that Jesus wants us to be poor. Why? It is a subconscious belief. When we send out missionaries, where do they go? Poor villages, etc. Why not to Wall Street, Bay Street or Hollywood? We all have compassion for the poorest and neediest and it makes us feel really good when we can help them.

Luke 18:35-43 NLT
(35) As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road.
(36) When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening.
(37) They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was going by.
(38) So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
(39) “Be quiet!” the people in front yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
(40) When Jesus heard him, He stopped and ordered that the man be brought to Him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him,
(41) “What do you want Me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “I want to see!”
(42) And Jesus said, “All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.”
(43) Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too.

We know this to be Bartimaeus. Then:

Luke 19:1-10 NLT
(1) Jesus entered Jericho and made His way through the town.
(2) There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich.
(3) He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd.
(4) So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.
(5) When Jesus came by, He looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” He said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”
(6) Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.
(7) But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.
(8) Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”
(9) Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham.
(10) For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

Why were they displeased? Not only has Jesus saved another sinner, but also He has saved an entire economy. The word house is translated from the Greek word: G3624 οἶκος oikos oy’-kos – dwelling and is part of the word we get economy from. Jesus was simply following the steps for minstry that He gave the Disciples before they were sent into the world.
The basic principle is that Relationship Precedes Ministry.

Luke 10:5-11 KJVR
(5) And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.
(6) And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.
(7) And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
(8) And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
(9) And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
(10) But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
(11) Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

Step One: Bless the People
If they do not receive it, move on. You cannot help anyone Jesus cannot help.
Step Two: Fellowship with the Lost.
Have fun with them as long as it does not contravene the Word.
Step Three: Pray and Heal the Sick
Meet a practical need that they have.
Step Four: Preach the Kingdom
Then you can minister the Word.

Too often, we turn people off by jumping directly to ministering the Word, forgetting that relationship precedes ministry.
To bring this back to Zacchaeus, there were immediate economic repercussions. It was a wealth transfer. But there was more to it than that.

Luke 19:9-10 KJVR
(9) And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
(10) For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Zacchaeus had a right to this as a son. Jesus restored what lost, but what was lost and who lost it? When Adam fell, humanity lost: Our relationship with God, Our relationship with each other, Adam blamed Eve, The marketplace, The ground was cursed, Education/knowledge/government/etc. So, Jesus restored this in Zacchaeus’ life, but notice that the religious folks were not convinced. Religious people want to preach to the world from a distance. Religious people get nervous when the world comes too close to them. Jesus offered them some reassurance that what He did was in line with the established Word.

Luke 19:10-27 NLT
(10) For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
(11) The crowd was listening to everything Jesus said. And because He was nearing Jerusalem, He told them a story to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away.
(12) He said, “A nobleman was called away to a distant empire to be crowned king and then return.
(13) Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver, saying, ‘Invest this for me while I am gone.’
(14) But his people hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want him to be our king.’
(15) “After he was crowned king, he returned and called in the servants to whom he had given the money. He wanted to find out what their profits were.
(16) The first servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made ten times the original amount!’
(17) “‘Well done!’ the king exclaimed. ‘You are a good servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward.’
(18) “The next servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made five times the original amount.’
(19) “‘Well done!’ the king said. ‘You will be governor over five cities.’
(20) “But the third servant brought back only the original amount of money and said, ‘Master, I hid your money and kept it safe.
(21) I was afraid because you are a hard man to deal with, taking what isn’t yours and harvesting crops you didn’t plant.’
(22) “‘You wicked servant!’ the king roared. ‘Your own words condemn you. If you knew that I’m a hard man who takes what isn’t mine and harvests crops I didn’t plant,
(23) why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’
(24) “Then, turning to the others standing nearby, the king ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one who has ten pounds.’
(25) “‘But, master,’ they said, ‘he already has ten pounds!’
(26) “‘Yes,’ the king replied, ‘and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.
(27) And as for these enemies of mine who didn’t want me to be their king—bring them in and execute them right here in front of me.’”

v 13: Invest, Occupy, Operate, Trade depends on your translation, but they all equate to do business.
Some trivia: NIV correctly ID’s pounds as minas. 1 minas = $12000 1 talent = $500,000 SO… God is not opposed to you having big money.
v14: His own citizens rebelled
But, they could not stop Him from becoming king. The first two servants increased their holdings while the third did not.
They produced gain by trading (profit). This means:
God expects us to excel in our careers and prosper in our business and God expects measureable progress in reasonable time.
If the goal is to double what you have then at 12% interst per annum you will double is seven years. At 3% interest per annum it will take 21 years to double. The degree of prosperity you have translates into influence and authority over cities.
Benny Hinn wants to get into China to preach, but he cannot have a platform there. Bill Gates goes to China and receives a Presidential Greeting.
v 17: Well done means that profits have been produced.
v 17: Good means faithful and exemplary life has been maintained (like Daniel).
The servant that refused was tossed away because of his rebellion. Authority is earned. Influence and respect come through servanthood.

Conclusion:
We are to be in the marketplace ministering in the jobs and businesses that we are called to. In order to do this effectively we have to move past the Honey Nut Corn Flakes that the world sees Christians as and serve our clients and customers to the best of our ability. When you minister to them don’t jump on them about the Gospel, rather go fishing.
Bring them in close before you net them.