I had lunch with my friend Ali today. Ali is a Moroccan Christian who lives here in Indianapolis with his wife and children. He has an incredible story of coming to faith in Jesus, fleeing Morocco, and rebuilding his life here on the west side of Indianapolis. It will bring you to tears. It could legitimately be made into a movie (you can read it here), but that’s a story for another day.
Today, Ali was focused on some local ministry opportunities and wanted my input. But it wasn’t his ministry ideas that caught my interest, it was something he said about you and me.
“We have a problem here in the United States”, he said. “We see our global missionaries as the ‘special forces’ of God’s Kingdom, and they most certainly have a special calling to proclaim the gospel across cultural and geographic boundaries. But the rest of us ‘rank and file’ marketplace Christians often assume that excuses us from the Great Commission. We have to get every believer activated in God’s mission in the world.”
I couldn’t agree with Ali more.
Not every believer is a missionary, but every believer carries a Great Commission calling.
Yesterday, my Indianapolis Colts stunned the Kansas City Chiefs in a miracle win! At one point in the third quarter, I watched our league leading rusher, Jonathan Taylor, run into a wall of Kansas City defenders. It looked like a busted play. But JT kept driving his legs, refusing to go down, as his 300 pound offensive lineman gathered steam behind him and began pushing the whole pile downfield for a big gain.
I like that analogy. Not all of us are “big name skill players,” but all of us can get behind the pile and push it downfield. There are 7,000 people groups still unreached with the Gospel. 3.2 billion people. 42% of the global population.
What if every Christian – in ministry and in the marketplace – asked God how we are uniquely equipped to partner with Him in the Great Commission?
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CHRISTIAN BUSINESS BREAKFAST RECAP
Our first ever Stone Table Christian Business Breakfast was a huge success! We are so thankful to everyone who joined us last Friday morning to hear from two great speakers and enjoy breakfast with new friends. The feedback has been incredibly positive and we are already planning a follow-up event for Friday, November 18. More details to come soon!
Here are a few key takeaways from our speakers:
Marilee Springer shared a prayer that is an excellent reminder for all of us: “God, open doors where you want me and close them where you don’t.” What a great prayer for all of us to pray over our businesses and ministry opportunities.
Our favorite challenge from Brian Cragen was to “start with grace.” In 2 Timothy 1:7, the Apostle Paul encourages us to speak with “power, love, and self-discipline.” Let’s lead with the grace of God in our relationships, not shying away from truth but speaking in love.
THIS WEEK ON THE WEBSITE:
ARTICLE: The Work Under Your Work is Finished
Every day when I come to work, I want to fill my brain with the constant reminder that Jesus’ finished work is the starting place for all of my work.
VIDEO: Marketplace and Mission
North Central University President, Scott Hagan, shares insights into how the marketplace is being used in global missions.
VIDEO: The Marketplace is Ministry
Rob Ketterling, Stone Table board member and Pastor of River Valley Church in Minneapolis, MN, talks about the power of ministry in the marketplace.
FACEBOOK GROUP: Missional Marketplace: Powered by The Stone Table
Join our new Facebook group and interact with other believers seeking to connect their marketplace work to God’s mission in the world.
Accelerating the Great Commission through the Marketplace,
Erik Cooper | The Stone Table
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The Missional Marketplace PodcastNow available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Anchor, and most other podcast platforms!
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Don’t forget to pick up your copy of Missional Marketplace: Finding Your Everyday Work in God’s Eternal Plan in your choice of print, e-book, or audiobook by clicking here!
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