MARKETPLACE FACTS
A SINGULAR PASSION Module 501 D Mario Denton Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Overall purpose of this series on Marketplace To understand and learn from various marketplace facts so that you can: • Be more effective and anointed wherever you are in the marketplace. • Adapt and benchmark your marketplace practices and principles discussed in this series. • Use these material to facilitate the work of evangelism.
Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Passion • Passion is the central issue of the Christian life. • Not a passion to save the world. • Or a passion to raise godly children. Or a passion to feed the hungry. • Or a passion for any noble cause or ideal. Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Passion • But simply a passion to know Jesus Christ on the most intimate terms. • Everything else by comparison is “rubbish”. Literally, “that which is thrown to the dogs.”
Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Passion • “…I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I my gain Christ. My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times.” (Phil. 3:8b; Psa. 119:20) Jesus summarized Old Testament teaching with two commands:
Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Passion 1 • “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”“Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me...” (Jn. 14:21a)
Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Passion 2 • “ Love your neighbor as yourself .” (Mk. 12:31) This second passion is subservient to the first and naturally flows from it: (Mk. 6:31b) Thus, service done in the name of Christ is the natural result of one’s passion to know and love God.
Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Passion • Our vocation, our mission in life, our “one thing” is simply to know Jesus Christ; to walk in union and communion with Him; making the knowledge and pursuit of Him our one consuming obsession.
Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Passion • As Paul stated, “For to me, to live is Christ…Christ…is your life…” (Phil. 1:21a; Col. 3:4b) • Possessed by this singular passion, He will begin transforming us into his likeness as evidenced by purity of heart, compassion, gentleness, humility, and sacrificial service to others.
Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Accomplish the transformation • But we are to allow Him to accomplish the transformation in and through us. • There are two ways to utilize an automobile: (1) Get behind it and push it down the road, or (2) Get in and let the engine do the work for you. Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Inner transformation • Thus, the process of inner transformation can either be a laborious but futile endeavor on our part, or a Divinely empowered progression. • It all depends upon whether or not the Source of the power is released for its intended purpose. Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Inner transformation • “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20) (See Phil. 4:13; 1 Thess. 5:10)
Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Inner transformation • Fruitfulness will naturally follow from this inner transformation, because the very life of Jesus is being lived out through us, his cleansed and available vessel.
Marketplace facts: A singular passion
• “If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work…I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing…” (2 Tim. 2:21; Jn. 15:5)
Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Questions that Matter: • 1. Would a careful observer of your life conclude that your primary passion in life is in fact knowing and loving God? Or that your primary passion is service for Him?
Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Questions that Matter: • 2. Would a careful observer of your life conclude that your principal passion in life is chasing the perishing tinsel of this world?
Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Questions that Matter: 3. What are the main benefits you gain from your passion for Christ?
Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Questions that Matter: 4. What tends to prevent you loving God with all your heart and mind?
Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Questions that Matter: 5. Why do we assume that pushing the automobile is preferable to letting the engine work? Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Learning, application and commitment: James 1: 22-25 • “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. • Do what it says. • Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in the mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. • But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does.” (NIV) Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Learning, application and commitment • One of the principles that I have learned from this lesson was … • I intend to apply this principle in my marketplace by: ….. • With the help of the Holy Spirit, I will begin applying this truth immediately. Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Prayer Focus • Father, In the name of Jesus, I surrender myself to walk in the Word in the marketplace. Your word living in me produces the Life in this world. • The word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. It makes my way plain before me. • I boldly and confidently say that my heart is fixed and established on the solid foundation – the Living Word of God! Amen Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Jesus said: Take what I have given you and change the world!
Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Sources and acknowledgement CHRIST@ WORK NEWSLETTER • •
Copyright Notice FCCI- Limited permission to copy without altering text or profiteering is granted subject to inclusion of this copyright notice. Copy is limited to member and/or FCCI small group use. Unauthorized use of FCCI, Christ@Work, Crown Companies, their trademarks or logos is strictly prohibited.
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The “Facts of the Matter” is also available through the Internet: www.factsofthematter.org. R. Dwight Hill. Slides compiled by Dr Mario Denton. Please commit yourself to inform us of the results regarding the effectiveness thereof should you wish to use this material.
Marketplace facts: A singular passion
Blessings from Mario Denton
Let's keep the good marketplace vibes alive. Let's network. Become a member of the Crown Companies Marketplace Coaching Forum. Â Tel (w) + 27(0) 82 88 29903. e-mail address:mario@crown.org.za Website: www.crown.org.za Marketplace facts: A singular passion