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Marketplace Ministry
From a Pastor's Perspective
Let's Wake up the Sleeping
Giant in the Church
From
“Releasing Kings for Ministry in the Marketplace”
by
John Garfield & Harold Eberle
There is a sleeping
giant in our churches. They are the folks that sit in the pews
who never seem to make it into the ministry of the church. It’s
an uncomfortably large percentage of our congregations. Every
church has three categories of people with different ministries
and functions. I’m going to use three terms to describe them;
Priests, Levites, and Kings.
Priests – are the pastoral staff in full-time
ministry. About 2% of us get paid by the church to be senior
pastors, lead worship, teach, etc.
Levites – About 20% of the church is “lay
ministry” that helps make the ministry of the church work on a
volunteer basis. These folks don’t get paid, but they do assist
with classes, worship, counseling… anything the priests need
help with.
Kings – This is most of the
remaining 80% of the congregation. They haven’t made it
into the ministry inside the church (for various reasons).
Although many are talented they are consumed by their jobs or
businesses. They are either unavailable or unmotivated to
be part of the church ministry team. They are a little
frustrated
about warming the bench and they are often a source of
frustration for the pastoral team since they never seem to get
totally on board with the church.
Differences in the
Roles of Kings and Priests
What does it mean to be
a King and Priest? In the Old Testament times a person had to
born of the kingly family in order to become a king. They had to
be born into the priestly family line to become a Priest. But
Jesus Christ came into the Earth as both King and Priest. Now He
sits at the right hand of the throne of God as King, and He is
making intercession for us as the Highest Priest. He rules over
a Kingdom and He is building a Temple.
Here is the good news.
When you became a Christian you were born into God’s family. You
are now of the kingly and priestly family line. Yes, you are a
King and a Priest. Your primary calling may be to serve within
the Temple (Church) as a priest, or it may be to expand the
Kingdom on Earth as a King. Either way, you will serve Him with
your whole heart, and He will be with you, even to the ends of
the Earth.
This understanding opens
the door for marketplace ministry and the role of Kings
endeavoring to expand the Kingdom.
Eureka! We see that
Priests (pastors, teachers, and other anointed church leaders)
have a role in the Church. Kings (Christians in the marketplace)
have a role out in the world, expanding the Kingdom of God. Our
attempts to close the clergy/laity gap fall short because God
isn’t trying to make Priests out of everyone or to keep the
entire congregation busy (and introverted) inside the local
church. Most of us have ministries outside our church—expanding
the Kingdom. We are the Abrahams and Isaacs (businessmen),
Joshua's and Caleb's (military), Josephs and Davids (government
officials), and Nathan's and Daniels (Prophets in government) of
this present age. We can expand the Kingdom of God into every
area of society.
The Apostle Paul asked
the question, “How will they go unless they are sent?” (Rom.
10:15). The implied answer is that they will not go. So I am
writing to send you, to tell you that it is okay to expand the
Kingdom of God into your corner of the world. Be a King!
Kings Reach Outside
the Church
Think about the great
names that you know from the Bible. Perhaps Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, and David come to mind. Now, list
all the Priests you can remember. Draw a blank? You may think of
one or two Prophets, but leaders identified strictly as Priests
do not stand out. Why is this? The reason is that God always has
used Kings as the movers and shakers in the Kingdom.
Priests (pastors,
teachers, and other church leaders) play an important role in
the Temple (Church) in equipping the saints to do the ministry
(in and outside the church). They keep families healthy by
feeding them the Word. They counsel, encourage, heal, marry, and
bury. They shepherd, feed, and equip God’s people. Pastors
naturally gravitate to a peaceful, healthy atmosphere and have a
Godly motivation to keep their congregations happy and maturing.
In contrast, Kings are
aggressive. They establish their authority and they are willing
to assert themselves. They move people into new
territories—stretching people out of their comfort zones to
expand the Kingdom of God on this Earth.
Historically, Kings have
been leaders who worked closely with Priests and Prophets. They
were talented people with the resources to get things done. They
also were well-versed in God’s Word and occasionally could
operate in prophetic ministries themselves.
In the Old Testament, we
see that Daniel spent his life in a governmental (kingly) role
but used a prophetic gift to interpret dreams. Abraham was a
businessman who raised livestock and became the most powerful
man in his day. Moses was a national leader. Joshua was a
military leader. They all had a calling as Kings to possess the
inheritance God gave His people.
In the New Testament, we
see the Lord pressing major initiatives with Kings again.
Neither Jesus nor any of the 12 disciples came from priestly
lines. The major players were Kings in the ministry sense.
They had influence and power in the marketplace; some even had
significant wealth.
Notice that the Kings
did more than provide for the Temple of God. This is important
because some church leaders today want to release the Kings, but
they think the King is to use all of his profit to provide for
the Priests and the Temple. Of course, the Kings will be blessed
financially, and they will be generous in providing for God’s
house, but they are called to do more than that. Kings have the
calling of God to extend the rulership of Jesus Christ into all
of the world. They expand the Kingdom to fill the Earth with His
glory.
Scott the Evangelistic Welder
In our church, Scott is
a welder. He often has to travel and work twelve-hour days. As a
pastor, it’s frustrating to see him come and go—it’s difficult
for him to carry responsibility in the church because of his
travel. However, wherever he goes, his foreman sees his talent
and gives him the most difficult welding jobs. Even though he
works in a union, employers ask for him by name. Why? He has an
anointing for his craft and he’s very good at it.
Whenever he comes back,
he usually brings a testimony about how he ministered to or led
someone to the Lord on his last job. He doesn’t just weld; he
takes Jesus into the marketplace. They don’t have chaplains on
construction sites, and the workers are a crowd not normally in
church on Sunday. Only a King can reach them.
Kings, Priests, and Prophets
Working Together
Nearly all of God’s
major initiatives in Scripture had the three ministries of
Kings, Priests, and Prophets working together. When David was
King, the Prophet Nathan blessed David’s initiative to prepare
for building the Temple. Nathan also pointed out David’s sin
with Bathsheba. Throughout the Old Testament times, Kings sought
the advice of Prophets before engaging in warfare. Priests
offered the sacrifices that went with those initiatives.
Certain functions were
required to be kept separate. Kings were not allowed to perform
priestly functions. An impatient King Saul was sentenced to
death for operating as a Priest when he offered sacrifices in
place of Samuel, who was late in arriving (I Sam. 13:11). On the
other hand, Saul previously practiced among the Prophets with no
negative consequences (I Sam. 10:9-12).
Highlighting some of the
difficulties these three groups have working together may help
to understand their differences.
1.
View of Wealth — By a King’s standard, Priests are
typically far less focused on wealth and possessions. Pastors,
especially TV ministers, who are over-zealous for wealth seem
out of place. On the other hand, some Priests spiritualize
poverty and encourage others to adopt their simple lifestyles.
They say, “Blessed are the poor,” and they believe humility and
meekness are clothed in “holy” poverty. However, Kings simply
can’t absorb this message. Their ministries in the marketplace
are rooted in their influence and prosperity.
Without promoting the
excesses of materialism, we must make room in our theology and
churches for Kings to be channels for the finances, influence,
power, and leadership to expand the Kingdom (outside the
church). If we release their ministry, they will bring
evangelism to our communities and growth to our churches.
2.
Leadership in Churches — The role of Prophets is to
speak the voice of God. Priests have the responsibility to run
the local church. When the church undertakes large-scale
programs, projects, or fund-raisers, they often attract kingly
ministries which can be tempted to run the whole church. Priests
never can surrender the leadership of the church to a King
without violating a spiritual principle. Kings don’t serve God
in the Temple; they serve Him in the marketplace. Local church
pastors must never surrender their leadership to Kings that are
called to function outside the church.
3.
Decision Making — Our present theology places pastors
of local churches as the highest authority and requires all
activities to come under their “covering.” A senior minister
needs to be the highest authority in his/her church, and a
Priest shouldn’t be deterred from his/her vision for the church
by Kings who really are called to expand the Kingdom outside the
church.
By the same token, when
Kings function in the marketplace, expanding the Kingdom, they
are not simply an extension of the pastoral ministry in that
city. Think about it. Historically, although Kings received
guidance from Prophets and Priests, they made decisions on their
own. Did David need anyone’s permission to fight a battle? No.
He heard from God and he took action. It was that simple.
Kings need to give
themselves permission to hear God and act. They don’t need their
pastor’s permission to operate outside the church. Of course,
their actions should harmonize with the Priests’, but Kings
certainly won’t get direction to function outside the church
from most pastors. Kings are competitive, bold, creative, and
decisive. For the most part, they will not learn to exercise
those skills from a shepherding mentality.
Please hear this simple
pattern for decision making. Pastors should make the decisions
affecting the local church; they are God’s Priests in the
Temple. The tithe belongs to the Priest and Levites. Kings
should focus their initiatives toward the great
commission—reaching outside the church and expanding the
Kingdom. Kings should return from the marketplace with
fruit—fruit that grows the local church. Pastors function
primarily in the church; Kings function primarily in the
marketplace.
We do want to note that
even though the ministry of Kings is focused on the marketplace,
we still see them attending and supporting their local
church….worshipping (and tithing) beside prophets and apostles.
4.
City Transformation — We all want to see our cities
won for Jesus, but at least here in the United States we have
not seen it. Pastors have tried. We have unified, strategized,
prayed, held city-wide meetings, and tried to function as the
gatekeepers of their cities. What has been missing, however, is
Kings. Pastors have stepped outside the Temple and haven’t seen
the benefit of working with Kings in the capacity for which God
created them. Without the decisiveness of Kings, progress at
these pastors’ meetings is painfully slow. Decisions require
committee unity before anything can move forward. Whatever
timely thing God might want to do (prophetically) is compromised
in scope, schedule, and cost to make sure no one is offended and
to be sure it fits within the church budget. The result—very
little is done. No surprise when you think about it. The very
concept of taking a city is a kingly function that can be
blessed by pastors/Priests, but not performed by them.
5. Apostolic Influence —
Lastly, it’s worth noting that the Church is on the eve of a
great apostolic awakening. Just as the prophetic ministry came
to the forefront in the 1980’s, apostles similar to Paul, Peter,
and James are beginning to appear with strengths in fathering,
networking, church-planting, and miraculous signs and wonders.
When these priestly
ministries begin to function, they will help release the kingly
anointing and bridge the functions between pastors, Prophets and
Kings. There will be greater initiative and authority for bold
new moves outside the church that expand the Kingdom…and grow
the Church as a by-product.
For future success we
must understand the distinctions between Kings, Priests, and
Prophets. All of God’s major initiatives in the Bible were the
result of these three ministries working together. When
modern-day Kings begin to function, we’ll see new land taken for
the Kingdom. Kings will begin to inherit the whole Earth, as
they possess what the Lord has for them. Pastors will see the
impact of Kings in Church growth and evangelism. It’s time to
make room in our theology for this three-fold cord.
6.
Learning to Equip Kings — Polishing a young King
into that shiny diamond is a little like raising a strong-willed
child. They can be independent and self-willed and the finished
product will function outside my church instead of inside it.
They are best mentored by other kings. Their best correction
comes from the failure of their own flawed initiatives. We can
help them most by pointing them in the direction of the kingdom
and helping them understand the value and place for their
ministry. A pastors biggest mistake can be putting Kings in
charge of people ministries inside the church; thus introverting
their focus. Kings can be pastoral to a degree, but generally
with regard to the people in their own business.
Here’s how you can best
release the ministry of Kings. Think of their marketplace
ministry / business as a cell church. They can minister to and
mentor their employees and customers and create an ownership in
their own ministry. They will delight in bringing them to church
as well. Challenge them to expand the influence of their
ministry through their business or job or network and, when that
is successful, challenge them with; 1) networking with other
kings, 2) taking the city, and 3) expanding into missions around
the world.
We will be developing
more pastoral resources and conducting conferences to help
pastors release the ministry kings so stay tuned.
7.
What I can do to release Kings in my Church?
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Spread the concept of the Ministry of Kings
– it’s contagious
a. Give copies of
Releasing Kings
and
Desire To Destiny to the
entrepreneurial types in the church. Bulk discounts are
available (800-308-5827).
b. Preach the theological foundation discussed
in part 2 of Releasing Kings. We've just released a
teacher's guide to help with that process.
c. Preach the practical application in the
marketplace – business, government, communications, the arts,
education, etc.
d. Give examples of success stories (ministry
outside the church in the marketplace that complements the
church by expanding the Kingdom) ...e.g. the the Passion by Mel Gibson
2. Host or attend a
conference on Releasing
Kings.
John and Harold are both available to help launch a Kingly
initiative in your church.
3. Identify a leader for those with an
entrepreneurial calling – a leader of kings in your local church
a. Encourage him to network with other Kings
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Subscribing to the
Releasing Kings
Newsletter
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Attending a Marketplace Ministry conference
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Starting a training session in your local
church to help people connect with their marketplace dream.
b. Ask him to develop a network of Kings in
your local church
-
Challenge them to add a ministry plan to
their business plan
-
pastor their employees
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evangelize their customers
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Identify ministry projects for their
church, City, or Missions opportunity they can fund and manage
c. Challenge them to Mentor a
group of young people ages 16-22
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
WANT
TO KNOW MORE?
Find out more about how to tear down the strongholds that keep
you chained to a poverty mentality and how to use your gifts to
serve God in the marketplace in my book “Releasing Kings for
Ministry in the Marketplace” available at:
http://www.releasing-kings.com
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Releasing Kings
shows how you can be part of the next global revival that is
beginning in the marketplace
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The marketplace is
an exciting new frontier for those called to ministry and
evangelism…and business
-
You will begin to
understand the new global perspective that is enabling
enterprising business leaders to impact generations by
passing their financial and spiritual heritages on to
others.
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Releasing Kings will
help you understand your eagerness to pursue bold, creative
and competitive ministry goals. You’ll connect with the
desires of your heart in a practical way.
-
You will discover
new opportunities that are opening for mentoring others and
sharing the secrets and benefits of Christ centered
business.
-
Learn how to
discover PASSION for your CAREER. You’ll connect your
vocation, ministry, and your life purpose for the very first
time.
If you would like
to go beyond the book, Harold and I are available to do
conferences, or consult with you on how to start equipping Kings
in your church.
Contact info
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
John Garfield
You can get your copy of Releasing Kings
for Ministry in the Marketplace at
1-800-308-5837 (or)
www.worldcastministries.com |
