Impacting Business: Use Your Gift Romans 12: 1-2, 4-8 Pastor Philip Deas 1/2 Aug 2020 ================================= IMPACT NOW (No Other Way) • People WAIT on opportunity instead of PREPARE for opportunity • The POWER OF NOW — because NOW is all you have IMPACT ON BUSINESS — “USE YOUR GIFT” [Romans 12:1-2] NLT - And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. “I am begging you...give your lives completely to God” • Not “give your Sunday” or “give your prayer time to God” • But YOUR LIFE — everything & everyday — this is worship! Mistake: Spiritual Life & Work Life & Family Life • Actually...you just have life. ONE LIFE. • Your work can be HOLY because you declare it to be HOLY. • Yes! Worship God with words; But your work is your worship! “Don’t copy...but LET God transform you by changing...” • There are some mindsets, attitudes, and traditions that God wants to get us out of so we can learn to know His will... [Romans 12:4-8] NLT - Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body (each part...not just the heart or the lungs...each part...not just the pastor or the missionary...each part...this includes YOU). We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. 6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speakout with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Notice: It does not say — “God has given you each gifts for doing certain things well within the four walls of the church or whenever Christians gather together for prayer meetings” Now surely these gifts should be used in the church but why would we limit these gifts solely to the church. • Remember — there is no church life/business life — just LIFE • God didn’t give you these gifts to use one day a week...but every day of the week. Marketplace Ministry — using ministry to influence business world • Letting my light shine / Letting people see my good deeds Marketplace Ministry — using business world to influence ministry • Fund Kingdom projects locally and around the world • Stand before Jesus — (Matthew 25) He gave you these gifts so you could “do CERTAIN things well” not just “do SPIRITUAL things well” • We put God in a box when we put His gifts in a box. • God doesn’t want to be in a box; nor His gifts in a box. Throughout the Bible we read about Lord’s favour on His people. • FAVOUR = God’s divine, assigned advantage for your success • Part of God’s FAVOUR is in giving you gifts to help you flourish. [John 1:16] AMP - For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favour upon favour, and gift heaped upon gift]. ATTITUDE = a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something; typically one that is reflected in a person’ behaviour. God wants to change your ATTITUDE so He can increase your ____________ (elevate your thinking so He can elevate your life)...And then He can enhance the ___________ of impact you can make. 4 Action Steps to Use Your Gift to Impact Business (Family) 1. SEE ______________ We can’t use our GIFT if we don’t see the opportunity to use it! • Before I can SEIZE the opportunity, I must SEE the opportunity. [Proverbs 29:18] MSG - If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed. Jesus asked his disciples “do you have eyes but fail to see?” • We must be people that SEE...people that live with VISION. VISION = a mental image of what the future will or could be like Common Responses — “But I’m not a VISIONARY / DREAMER” • We think Entrepreneurs — radical risk-takers who step out But VISION is not just for Entrepreneurs — • It can exist even within the construct of a company. • Vision for how to improve...make things more efficient...decrease unnecessary expenses...increase profits...hire better employees...build a healthier company culture • What would happen if when everyone else saw a PROBLEM, you saw a POSSIBILITY. • What about when everyone else saw an OBSTACLE, you saw an OPPORTUNITY. And then you started using your GIFT to do what others thought could never be done! 2. SERVE ___________ Business should never be about taking from others but giving to others. • It’s not transactional but relational. (PEOPLE OVER PROFIT) Jesus modeled servant-leadership for us. (John 3:16) [Mark 10:45] NLT - For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” The better we serve our boss, employees, co-workers, customers, or clients — The better it will turn out for us! "You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.” — Zig Ziglar People will want to do business with you when you put their needs before your own! • People want to feel valued, loved, appreciated, and cared for. • As Christ-followers — We should be the best at this! 3. SEEK ___________ Not talking about company growth but personal growth. • Professional _______ demand Personal ___________ You have to seek growth because it doesn’t happen on its own. • House Habit — We Grow Intentionally You don’t just GO TO THE NEXT LEVEL you always have to GROW TO THE NEXT LEVEL. • Books, Podcasts, Mentors, Webinars, Seminars, Hire a Coach! Three Types of People in 2020: 1. People ____________ through 2020 (complaining, griping) 2. People ____________ through 2020 (walking along; hoping it gets) 3. People ____________ through 2020 (learn lessons, make changes) Just because you believe in God doesn’t mean that you are going to grow into everything He created you to be. • There are Christians GROANING and GOING through 2020 • GROWING is a choice. • And PROSPERING is a result of that decision You have to learn how to PROSPER • PROSPER = successful, thriving, and flourishing condition Professional Growth comes from Personal Growth 4. SEED THE _____________ The more you see opportunities, the better you serve others, the more you grow and develop as a person and as a business, the more seed you have to sow into Kingdom Advancement. The more you change your thinking about what is possible and you begin to develop and use your God-given gifts in the business world — The more resources you will have for Kingdom Purposes. • People need to hear the Good News of Jesus. • People need wells that provide clean water. • People need to fed and clothed. • Children need to be rescued and cared for. • Children need to be educated and given opportunities. This is why I believe Marketplace Ministry is so much bigger than: • You just blessing a co-worker; it is you blessing another country • You shining your light on Monday; it is you shining in East Malaysia Marketplace Ministry is deciding that you want INCREASE YOUR INCOME to INCREASE YOUR IMPACT. God has given you these gifts to use these gifts everyday as your worship to God (Holy); and as God blesses your worship you will build His Kingdom!