I saw something at our conference in Warsaw that amazed me. Of the 30-40 people that were saved (at a business conference!), many represented very successful businesses that are already influential in the city. Our church tradition is to rescue dysfunctional people from their sin and misery. When we disciple people with a history of family abuse and drug or alcohol use, we are prone to “re-parent” them and provide them with a safe haven and lots of oversight, fathering, covering, pastoring, etc. Kings view most of that kind of outreach as “control.” When business people (future Kings) get saved they often come to the Lord with functional families, healthy bank accounts, and a goal-oriented approach to being successful in life. The gospel for needy people is primarily about forgiveness of sin. The gospel for Kings includes forgiveness, but it is primarily focused on Kingdom purpose. Having a purpose in life and working with the Father is huge for Kings. We’ve written more on the “Gospel of the Kingdom” in a prior newsletter that I think you will enjoy.
Why they came? – I believe Kings are being drawn to the Kingdom because they are hearing a new sound. The emphasis in the Releasing Kings conference was that we all have a purpose. For Kings, it’s impacting our cities and doing ministry outside the church. God has already done much of the business/wisdom discipleship in their lives. They come to the church having much better financial skills than pastors, and they have a better network of influential friends in the city (government, business, entertainment, etc.) than believers in church. They are already bold and willing to take on a large vision – like impacting Warsaw. They won’t allow others to micromanage them. They manage their own lives and their employees and projects. For those of us in church, “making disciples of nations” still feels like a theory, and we don’t know where to start. My point is that God is adding people who are well able to take this land.
The Kingdom team is expanding – I’ve been in church 40 years and God is adding Kings to the team who have only been saved a few months. They are already at my level! My heart is so hungry for Kings expanding the Kingdom, that I’m welcoming them with open arms. My only question is, “How can I make them successful to impact a city like Warsaw?” It’s an absolute delight to work with these new believers. They receive salvation and the Holy Spirit with such ease that it’s stunning. They are ready to go to work!
“The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ Matt 20:9-12 NIV
How can we help them? – As a pastor or Christian brother, what can I do to release these Kings? I’ve always thought in terms of deploying mature believers in business as Kings… helping them get started. Now, God has added a new dynamic. Kings who got started in business years ago are getting saved, and they are already successful! What’s different about our approach to them?
1. Welcome them – Here is surprise number 1. I’ve always been a little intimidated to ask wealthy business people about their spiritual life. At the conference, people came up by the dozens for prayer. We were primarily focused on praying about their dream, business goals, etc. But, to be sure, I started asking if they had already invited Jesus into their hearts. Then… we just invited Jesus into their hearts. They were open, hungry, receptive… and I was amazed by their openness. The Holy Spirit touched them dynamically in terms of signs and wonders. It was a party. The love dynamic was amazing. I haven’t hugged so many people in years.
One night, after Hanna had just received the Lord, I asked her to help pray for others. She is a business woman who owns one of the nicest restaurants in Warsaw. She also has a pastoral gift. I wanted her to feel the warmth of the Holy Spirit on the people we were praying for and I wanted her to experience the love God was pouring out on them prophetically. With 30 seconds of instruction, she was off and running… praying for other women, wiping the tears from their eyes. She instantly joined the team. She’ll do the same thing in her restaurant… so will Tibor, Darota, Robert, Monika, Christine, Maryla and dozens of others that were “invited” by the Lord.
2. Keep a Kingdom focus – I believe the second most important thing we can do for Kings is to help them keep their priorities regarding their calling – reaching the city. If we try to plug them into our church programs, we will simply lose them. We need to help them mature in the sense of getting saved, filled with the Holy Spirit, and baptized, praying prophetically for other people, healing the sick, etc. What we cannot do is ask them to sit indefinitely in services and home groups… they just won’t. They are wired to build the Kingdom and they won’t tolerate the “introversion” that exists in many of our churches. For too long the local church has had a self-supporting vision for its own growth. Those days are over. We can equip the saints for ministry in the Kingdom and release their hearts… or we can languish on the sidelines, sitting in a stagnant church. Churches that “release ministry” into the Kingdom will prosper and flourish.
3. What can we do? – We can encourage these new Kings to take on the Kingdom vision to touch our communities in a number of specific ways. Instead of managing their efforts as an extension of the church’s ministry, we’re encouraging their initiatives in the Kingdom and releasing their hearts. God wants to manage this initiative Himself. He’s jealous for Kings and he’s jealous for the six other mountains of culture they represent.
a. Networking – Encourage them to network with one another for business reasons (new ways to create wealth) and ministry reasons (new ways to reach the marketplace). They love to minister to other Kings, and they will lead many others to Jesus and into a healthy relationship with churches that have a Kingdom emphasis. There is a grass roots revival feel in these relationships. Most of us are hooked up on Face Book and by email, sharing ideas and making new friends.
b. Vision – Regarding identifying ways to reach the city, we merely need to give them a little time and a little Kingdom vision for their specific mountain. They will come up with ideas, specific plans, and finances in ways we never dreamed possible. We just need to ask them, 1) “what’s your dream”, and 2) “How can I help you make it happen?” God is busy writing on their hearts as we speak.
c. Visit their businesses – as pastors and believers, we recognize the ministry of Kings when we switch from inviting them to services, to going to their businesses. That’s where Kingdom ministry occurs. The church can equip, but the ministry will occur in Hanna’s restaurant and Darota’s clothing stores. Help them touch the nature of the ministry of their business.
d. Ministry – Encourage them to gather other Kings for ministry. We’ve shared ideas for starting a Kingly small group on “Ingredients for a Kingly Small Group.” I think the most important point is that it is not a house church independent from the church, and it’s not a small group controlled by the church. It’s just Kingdom ministry among Kings. Most Kings are too busy for a weekly home group (unless it’s their idea). They need the freedom to choose who comes (their circle) and what they talk about (might be business, networking, ministry to one another, etc.). It’s not like a Bible study. It won’t look like church; it will look like business. They will dream of new ways to create wealth and reach the city. The will make plans and schedules and budget and assign tasks. They will pray for one another and pick up on the prophetic… the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Rev 19:10).
e. Celebrate their victories in church. Hold them up as examples of saints equipped, who are doing ministry in the Kingdom, impacting our cities, and taking the mountains of our culture.
f. Resources – Help them to tap the resources available to Kings. In Poland, we’re in the process of loading our materials onto a Polish website www.ReleasingKingsPL.com. We’ll translate newsletters, our books, and maintain an offer to help in any way we can. We’re also working with pastor Andrzej and Maja of Storehouse Church to help in this whole birthing process. We communicate regularly with Maja’s assistant, Maria who is was our translator at the conference and has facilitated our efforts since. We’ve never been this way before!
