Developing A Kingdom Mentality, Part II
Developing a Kingdom mentality takes time. For the most part, those of us in the west have been programed with a 'church mentality'. Here's what I mean. When we meet another Christian, we'll ask questions like these:
"where do you attend church?"
"what church are you affiliated with?"
"do you attend church?"
Once we've attained this church mentality, we'll make statements like these:
"lets go to church this Sunday."
or
"I'm not happy at this church, lets find another church to go to."
The list could go on and on. I'm not anti-church, far from it. In the New Testament, the Greek word for church is 'ekklesia' and it means, 'a calling out'. In reality, the church is a many membered body with Jesus Christ the Head. It is not an institution or organization, rather it is a living organism, consisting of all the saints on earth and in Heaven. There is one church and its definitely not a man-made entity. Anyone who says their organization or fellowship is the 'real church' is sadly mistaken, perhaps even deceived because the church is universal and spans through time to include all 'the called out' ones.
The church's mission is to equip the saints for the work of ministry, Ephesians 4:11-12. Ministry that is correct builds and expands the Kingdom of God. And it is not confined to the meeting place or behind a pulpit. Ministry is to happen every day, in your world, wherever your world is. I'm a businessman and my world is commerce. Am I looking for someone to pray for in the business world? No, although once in a while, it does happen. My ministry is conducting business according to Kingdom principles, spreading the influence of God throughout my sphere of influence.
I know musicians who are doing the same in the world of art and entertainment, politicians in the political realm, teachers in the educational realm, etc. etc. Where ever your passion and talents are, your field of ministry is very close by. When you are ministering at this level, you are expanding the Kingdom of God.
Many years ago, I heard it put this way: A kingdom is the realm in which a king rules. So given this simple definition, the Kingdom of God is where ever the King is ruling. The Bible says in II Corinthians 5:20 that we are ambassadors of Christ. So that means King Jesus rules through each of us from our hearts. This fits nicely with the fact that WE are Kings and Priests of God and shall reign on this earth, Revelation 1:6 and 5:10.
Like most, I was taught in my early years as a Christian that I must crucify the 'selfish desires of my heart' and submit to the will of God. I tried this for a season and then what? My desires have been discarded for the will of God but no one could direct me to God's will for my life. I tried Sunday School teacher, youth leader and finally, we pastored a church. All to no avail, there was only a little satisfaction and a lot of very hard work with little fruit to show for it. I realized this was a long way from the abundant life promised by Jesus.
Fortunately, for lack of a better term, I stumbled into my calling. In 1991 my father and I started a travel agency for the main purpose of providing wholesale airline tickets to missionaries. I love sales and I really loved selling airline tickets for this purpose. In 1995, I was invited to Ukraine with a short term mission team. God put a love in my heart for the Ukrainian people and we began to return with short trips on a regular basis. I saw scriptures that pointed out our responsibility for taking care of widows, orphans and the poor. So we formed a legal entity that allowed us to legally provide aid to government controlled orphanages. We also helped feed poor families in several cities with the permission of local and regional governments.
To make a long story short, I would raise funds from friends, relatives and my own business to purchase this aid for these projects in Ukraine. After a couple years, I was tired of being a fund raiser so in 2001 I began teaching Ukrainian business people their responsibility to help the poor, the widows and the orphans. In the process, I naturally began to share from my experience how to operate a business more profitably using Kingdom principles.
Because of these actions, hundreds of Ukrainians have started profitable businesses. Many of these business people have in turn started their own mercy type ministries to the less fortunate. Every pastor who has sponsored our business seminars have thanked me for raising up their business people. The pastors indicate these businesses were generous and support the work of the church.
I work with churches but I don't have a traditional ministry within a church. My paradigm goes beyond the four walls of a building to the world around me. I am spreading my affluence and influence in my world. I'm pursuing the desires of my heart and God and I are on the same page. This is Kingdom mentality.
Hopefully, sharing my experience has triggered some desires deep in your heart. So let me ask you, "What is the desire of your heart?"
"where do you attend church?"
"what church are you affiliated with?"
"do you attend church?"
Once we've attained this church mentality, we'll make statements like these:
"lets go to church this Sunday."
or
"I'm not happy at this church, lets find another church to go to."
The list could go on and on. I'm not anti-church, far from it. In the New Testament, the Greek word for church is 'ekklesia' and it means, 'a calling out'. In reality, the church is a many membered body with Jesus Christ the Head. It is not an institution or organization, rather it is a living organism, consisting of all the saints on earth and in Heaven. There is one church and its definitely not a man-made entity. Anyone who says their organization or fellowship is the 'real church' is sadly mistaken, perhaps even deceived because the church is universal and spans through time to include all 'the called out' ones.
The church's mission is to equip the saints for the work of ministry, Ephesians 4:11-12. Ministry that is correct builds and expands the Kingdom of God. And it is not confined to the meeting place or behind a pulpit. Ministry is to happen every day, in your world, wherever your world is. I'm a businessman and my world is commerce. Am I looking for someone to pray for in the business world? No, although once in a while, it does happen. My ministry is conducting business according to Kingdom principles, spreading the influence of God throughout my sphere of influence.
I know musicians who are doing the same in the world of art and entertainment, politicians in the political realm, teachers in the educational realm, etc. etc. Where ever your passion and talents are, your field of ministry is very close by. When you are ministering at this level, you are expanding the Kingdom of God.
Many years ago, I heard it put this way: A kingdom is the realm in which a king rules. So given this simple definition, the Kingdom of God is where ever the King is ruling. The Bible says in II Corinthians 5:20 that we are ambassadors of Christ. So that means King Jesus rules through each of us from our hearts. This fits nicely with the fact that WE are Kings and Priests of God and shall reign on this earth, Revelation 1:6 and 5:10.
Like most, I was taught in my early years as a Christian that I must crucify the 'selfish desires of my heart' and submit to the will of God. I tried this for a season and then what? My desires have been discarded for the will of God but no one could direct me to God's will for my life. I tried Sunday School teacher, youth leader and finally, we pastored a church. All to no avail, there was only a little satisfaction and a lot of very hard work with little fruit to show for it. I realized this was a long way from the abundant life promised by Jesus.
Fortunately, for lack of a better term, I stumbled into my calling. In 1991 my father and I started a travel agency for the main purpose of providing wholesale airline tickets to missionaries. I love sales and I really loved selling airline tickets for this purpose. In 1995, I was invited to Ukraine with a short term mission team. God put a love in my heart for the Ukrainian people and we began to return with short trips on a regular basis. I saw scriptures that pointed out our responsibility for taking care of widows, orphans and the poor. So we formed a legal entity that allowed us to legally provide aid to government controlled orphanages. We also helped feed poor families in several cities with the permission of local and regional governments.
To make a long story short, I would raise funds from friends, relatives and my own business to purchase this aid for these projects in Ukraine. After a couple years, I was tired of being a fund raiser so in 2001 I began teaching Ukrainian business people their responsibility to help the poor, the widows and the orphans. In the process, I naturally began to share from my experience how to operate a business more profitably using Kingdom principles.
Because of these actions, hundreds of Ukrainians have started profitable businesses. Many of these business people have in turn started their own mercy type ministries to the less fortunate. Every pastor who has sponsored our business seminars have thanked me for raising up their business people. The pastors indicate these businesses were generous and support the work of the church.
I work with churches but I don't have a traditional ministry within a church. My paradigm goes beyond the four walls of a building to the world around me. I am spreading my affluence and influence in my world. I'm pursuing the desires of my heart and God and I are on the same page. This is Kingdom mentality.
Hopefully, sharing my experience has triggered some desires deep in your heart. So let me ask you, "What is the desire of your heart?"
Labels: 7 spheres of influence, business ministry, kingdom mentality, kingdom of god, marketplace ministry
posted by <> at 7:39 AM
