Follower of One : Missions For The Rest Of Us

In Jesus time, the first born had all the special rites. He was the leader of the next generation. He received 2 times what any other sibling received from the parents. He continued the family name and tradition. Everything about the family rested on the firstborn.

On New Year’s Day, let’s remember who we follow. Our job is to obey Him. Listening to Him is so hard. Often doing what He says seems harder. In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus reminds us that his yoke is easy. He doesn’t leave us alone. He provides the energy and the resources. We work alongside him and he will not fail, fall short, or lose.

But if you don’t hear anything from him, do your job well. We have that command in scripture, too. Whatever you job is, know that your job is part of His plan. You’re a minister as an accountant, as a business analyst, speech therapist, Realtor, or in job transition.

Let the promise of His glory give you hope this year. He has overcome and He will accomplish His work. Our job? Let’s remember He is first. Let’s listen to what He says and focus on what we can do rather than what we can’t do. Obey Jesus and trust Him today. As we follow Him, He will accomplish his will in our marketplace every day.

In this week’s episode of the Follower of One Podcast. Mike talks with Anne Small. Anne is President and Founder of Blessed by Networking where they help professionals build a successful network of strategic partners, referrals, and increased revenue through faith-based Support for Business Professionals, Non-Profit Organizations, and Ministry all while building strong leaders. Please welcome her to the community!

In this week’s episode of the Follower of One Podcast. Mike talks with Anne Small. Anne is President and Founder of Blessed by Networking where they help professionals build a successful network of strategic partners, referrals, and increased revenue through faith-based Support for Business Professionals, Non-Profit Organizations, and Ministry all while building strong leaders. Please welcome her to the community!

Once we decide to be strong in the Lord, we learn how to do this. We discovered yesterday that it's a decision, or a choice. Today, we find the main instruction, put on the full armor of God. Over the next few days we will talk about the armor itself and how we can put it on at work in our current day and time. But today let's think about how putting on God's armor works. The armor is designed to help us stand against the schemes and strategies of the devil. The armor is what we use in our struggle against the devil.

Notice that our enemy is powerful. He's not a human. Since we're humans and Christ-followers, we must remember that our enemies aren't human. Do you often think of the people you work with or people in your life as the enemy? Even people who resist your beliefs and who object to you, even your worst nemesis isn't your enemy. Our enemy is powerful, strong. Our enemy is rulers. I take that to mean leaders of armies or beings with authority.

So our application for today is we have a strong enemy but it's not the people we see. When we want to serve others so that Jesus becomes visible, we can expect opposition from the powers in charge of the fallen world. We need to prepare for battle, but our battle isn't against people. Jesus came to die and pay for the sin of every person you know. As C.S. Lewis said, "There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal." We are all special because of who made us and what they paid to redeem us. We must prepare for battle, but our battle is against powers and rulers, not against coworkers, vendors, and members of another political party.

In fact, we're called to serve those people who disagree with us. Care to join us as we practice? We have an exercise called the Marketplace Mission Trip. You can take one with us or learn how to lead one for your own small group, business or ministry. To find out more, check out MarketplaceMissionTrip.com.

Once we decide to be strong in the Lord, we learn how to do this. We discovered yesterday that it's a decision, or a choice. Today, we find the main instruction, put on the full armor of God. Over the next few days we will talk about the armor itself and how we can put it on at work in our current day and time. But today let's think about how putting on God's armor works. The armor is designed to help us stand against the schemes and strategies of the devil. The armor is what we use in our struggle against the devil.

Notice that our enemy is powerful. He's not a human. Since we're humans and Christ-followers, we must remember that our enemies aren't human. Do you often think of the people you work with or people in your life as the enemy? Even people who resist your beliefs and who object to you, even your worst nemesis isn't your enemy. Our enemy is powerful, strong. Our enemy is rulers. I take that to mean leaders of armies or beings with authority.

So our application for today is we have a strong enemy but it's not the people we see. When we want to serve others so that Jesus becomes visible, we can expect opposition from the powers in charge of the fallen world. We need to prepare for battle, but our battle isn't against people. Jesus came to die and pay for the sin of every person you know. As C.S. Lewis said, "There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal." We are all special because of who made us and what they paid to redeem us. We must prepare for battle, but our battle is against powers and rulers, not against coworkers, vendors, and members of another political party.

In fact, we're called to serve those people who disagree with us. Care to join us as we practice? We have an exercise called the Marketplace Mission Trip. You can take one with us or learn how to lead one for your own small group, business or ministry. To find out more, check out MarketplaceMissionTrip.com.

God tells Jeremiah, "I AM. Is anything too difficult for me?" I need to memorize this verse. Jeremiah is in prison. The 2nd siege of Jerusalem is at hand. Babylon is about to wipe way the Jews, but not really. In fact, God just had Jeremiah buy some land! Let that sink in. Jeremiah is in prison! The city is under siege. Nations disappeared back in this time. During their lives, they had seen other nations get absorbed by a conquering nation and the name and the people were gone. But God tells Jeremiah to buy some land.

What does this tell you today? Because of whom you are and who you belong to, you can step into any problem. You can look for ways to serve others in any situation. Is anything too difficult for God? Where do we need to go beyond our comfort zone? Where do we need to give more than we think we can? Can you give more than you're asked? Can you go an extra mile? Can you give more than seems reasonable? As Mike recorded this, he even talked about his own conviction. Let's let God move us into an area where our actions seem extreme, but God gets the glory.

Is it too difficult for God to give you the time to practice being a missionary in your workplace? Why not join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. You will invest a few minutes every morning and evening for 2 weeks to trust God with your actions and your work life. You'll practice the 5 daily activities, and you will see God at work through you. Learn more and sign up at MarketplaceMissionTrip.com.

God tells Jeremiah, "I AM. Is anything too difficult for me?" I need to memorize this verse. Jeremiah is in prison. The 2nd siege of Jerusalem is at hand. Babylon is about to wipe way the Jews, but not really. In fact, God just had Jeremiah buy some land! Let that sink in. Jeremiah is in prison! The city is under siege. Nations disappeared back in this time. During their lives, they had seen other nations get absorbed by a conquering nation and the name and the people were gone. But God tells Jeremiah to buy some land.

What does this tell you today? Because of whom you are and who you belong to, you can step into any problem. You can look for ways to serve others in any situation. Is anything too difficult for God? Where do we need to go beyond our comfort zone? Where do we need to give more than we think we can? Can you give more than you're asked? Can you go an extra mile? Can you give more than seems reasonable? As Mike recorded this, he even talked about his own conviction. Let's let God move us into an area where our actions seem extreme, but God gets the glory.

Is it too difficult for God to give you the time to practice being a missionary in your workplace? Why not join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip. You will invest a few minutes every morning and evening for 2 weeks to trust God with your actions and your work life. You'll practice the 5 daily activities, and you will see God at work through you. Learn more and sign up at MarketplaceMissionTrip.com.

Bezalel was gifted by God to build things primarily in gold, silver and bronze. God knew what he was. This wasn't a fluke. God knew what he needed and, in this case, God even told them who to use.

Your gifting is for your time, your workplace, and your sphere of influence. In Colossians 3, Paul reminds us that whatever we do, we do for God. Therefore we should do it very well, with excellence. Often, Mike talks about the first marketplace minister being the man in Mark Chapter 5. But it could be Bezalel, too. God gifted this man for this work.

Maybe you wonder about your gifting. Mike was frustrated in many of his jobs. Much of what he had agreed to do wasn't what he was gifted to do. He talks about how he took many jobs for money. But for many of those jobs, Mike learned 2 lessons: 1) Whatever our hand finds to do, do it with all your might (Ecclesiastes 9:10), and 2) God causes everything to work together for good (Romans 8:28).

How you do your work, or whatever you do, it speaks to what you think about God. If you know God is powerful, and he's in control, you can do your best and trust him. When you do excellent work, you take God at his word. Trust God to do his part, too. He will use you. You may not see it right away, but God is trustworthy. You will also tell your coworkers and customers that they're important to you. They'll sense the value you create. They may even ask you why you work so hard. Then you'll get to mention that Jesus is your motivation.

Today, deliver excellent work. And ask God to show you how your gifts can be a blessing to others. When you do, your life becomes a testimony to what you believe about God, too.

Bezalel was gifted by God to build things primarily in gold, silver and bronze. God knew what he was. This wasn't a fluke. God knew what he needed and, in this case, God even told them who to use.

Your gifting is for your time, your workplace, and your sphere of influence. In Colossians 3, Paul reminds us that whatever we do, we do for God. Therefore we should do it very well, with excellence. Often, Mike talks about the first marketplace minister being the man in Mark Chapter 5. But it could be Bezalel, too. God gifted this man for this work.

Maybe you wonder about your gifting. Mike was frustrated in many of his jobs. Much of what he had agreed to do wasn't what he was gifted to do. He talks about how he took many jobs for money. But for many of those jobs, Mike learned 2 lessons: 1) Whatever our hand finds to do, do it with all your might (Ecclesiastes 9:10), and 2) God causes everything to work together for good (Romans 8:28).

How you do your work, or whatever you do, it speaks to what you think about God. If you know God is powerful, and he's in control, you can do your best and trust him. When you do excellent work, you take God at his word. Trust God to do his part, too. He will use you. You may not see it right away, but God is trustworthy. You will also tell your coworkers and customers that they're important to you. They'll sense the value you create. They may even ask you why you work so hard. Then you'll get to mention that Jesus is your motivation.

Today, deliver excellent work. And ask God to show you how your gifts can be a blessing to others. When you do, your life becomes a testimony to what you believe about God, too.

As I concluded yesterday's podcast, I mentioned our Five Daily Activities. These are the things every believer can do any day in any job that put us on-mission with Jesus. If you've taken a Marketplace Mission Trip, or listened to our podcast for a while, you've heard me talk about these activities. But today, I want to talk about number 5: Speak for Yourself.

Rather than judge, we follow. Jesus called us to follow him. In Mark 5, there was a man who had an army of demons who were living in him. Jesus instructed the demons to leave the man and they instead went into a nearby herd of pigs. The pigs ran into the sea and drowned. The people of the city came out and decided they didn't want Jesus to hang around. So as Jesus was leaving, the man who was freed of the demons asked to go along. But Jesus told him no. In verse 19, Jesus instructs the man what to do instead. "Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you and how he had mercy on you."

Jesus didn't send this man back to his people to tell them what they're doing wrong. He didn't tell him to judge them or to set them straight. He told the man to give a testimony to what happened. He told the man to share his own personal experience; to speak for himself.

Out of respect for others, we learn to talk about things that are of interest to others. When we can live a joy-filled life serving others, people will notice and ask us about what they see that is different. That's part of the message of 1 Peter 3:15, too. Even in the most hostile workplaces, we can live differently. Maybe all you can do is pray for others, silently, without them ever knowing. Still, at that moment you're on-mission with Jesus. One day, when someone asks, you simply follow the instructions provided in Mark 5:19. I pray you get the chance to report what great things the Lord has done for you today.