ANOINTED FOR BUSINESS STUDY GUIDE WEEK 4 REPORT

Answers to

A. Study Guide

1. All the disciples were marketplace people, and the writing of the Gospels was entrusted to marketplace leaders.

2. The first Christians were comfortable in non-religious settings, were capable of ministry and business, were excellent leaders, and understood theological truth.

3. The Church grew as recognized leaders were selected to partner with the apostles.

4. Most likely, the Temple prevented Early Christians from moving outward as Jesus had specified.
Persecution forced the Church to move out of Jerusalem.

5. What happened as Paul and his co-workers began to focus on the marketplace?
Cities were transfored through power encounters.

6. Jesus Christ’s design for the Church was to be the counter-culture, not another subculture merely satisfied with survival.

B. Reflection and Discussion
1. Have you seen working in the marketplace and serving in the Church as mutually exclusive activities? Explain.
Initially, but the Bible clearly directs us into the world around us (Matthew 28:19, Acts 1:8). Obviously the emphasis is
not on preaching the gospel through words but by actions -"but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father. John 10:38)". Or the quote normally attributable to St Francis of Asisi, "Preach, if necessar use words".

2. How has the arbitrary classification of “full-time” and “part-time” ministry affected the Church?

Like a football game, the fields packed with spectators, however, only the players are the ones that are actually involved playing the game or the 80/20 principle. We can become lethagic or docile as we leave the 'pros' to do their appointed tasks.

3. Why do you believe Jesus intentionally chose marketplace people who were not members of the religious establishment?
Jesus leads a counterculture movement and the world can only be won over for Christ through the equipping of the saints to do the works of the ministry (Eph 4:12).