A Fruitful Life In The Marketplace

A Fruitful Life In The Marketplace

By Apostle Felix

6  When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
7  And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Acts 1: 6 – 8

Jesus’ disciples were expecting a political Messiah. A Messiah that will bring political emancipation. Israel was colonized by the Roman empire, and were eagerly waiting for the coming of the Messiah as promised in the scriptures. They expected a Messiah who would come and overthrow the Roman rule, and restore the kingdom of Israel. Jesus did not come to restore the kingdoms of this world, but He came to restore the kingdom of God over the kingdoms of this world. He brought the kingdom of God to earth. This kingdom cannot be seen without with physical eyes but once in man’s heart, its effects can be very evident.

20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Luke 17: 20, 21

Jesus preached the kingdom of God when He was physically on earth. He had no other message to preach besides the kingdom of God. He did not keep the message to Himself and expect the people to hear about the message of the kingdom of God. He gathered men, whom He taught the kingdom of God and commanded them to preach the message of the kingdom of God everywhere. He did not send them into the church, but into the world. Which place can fit the description of the world than the marketplace. It is the best description of the world. Ever person is connected to the marketplace.

A marketplace is a place of trade or economic activities. Every morning, we have heavy traffic on the roads because the majority of the population is going to the marketplace to trade. In normal circumstances, people work for five days per week, from 8 O’clock in the morning to 5 O’clock in the afternoon. People only retire to their houses to go and rest and then back to their workplaces. The people are rarely at home. So then, the marketplace is where people spend most of their time and get home when they are exhausted. If we really need to reach people in our society, the believers in the marketplace need to take advantage of the time spent with work colleagues to share the gospel with them. First and foremost, the believers need to understand why they are those workplaces. You are not only there to earn a living, but to win souls into the kingdom of God. Preaching the gospel is the reason why you are in that company or organization. We come to church fellowship on Sundays to be equipped so that we can fruitful in the marketplace. Turn your workplace into a mission field. If you are born again and no one is eager to follow the God, whom you serve then you should have every reason to worry. Your life is not yielding the fruit of righteousness. Let your life to bear so much fruit that colleagues and associates will be interested in the God whom you serve. Your life should arouse curiosity in people. They just want to know about the church you attend. Do not be afraid to stand for Christ. Be an ambassador for Christ in your place. Represent Christ well before men. Speak well of His church and boast about it. Talk about what Jesus has done in your life. Do not allow the testimony of Jesus Christ be kept from the people. Develop a habit of praying for people in your workplace. Workmates come to work with problems from home. Do not just listen without offering to pray with them. Some come to work sick. Pray for them. Some have marital problems. Pray with them. Whether you are single or married, pray for people at your workplace.