Seven Contemporary Extremes in the Teaching of the Kingdom of God
Almost everywhere I go believers are attempting to apply the Kingdom message to influence the cultural mountains, which are described as the major areas we need to influence in order to transform society: politics, economics, education, family, religion, arts/entertainment, and science.
Consequently, with every move of God there are always extremes and/or misunderstandings. Of course, I write this in the context of my own local church-centered lens in which I advocate for the supremacy of Christ manifest through the centrality of the local church in each city. (Ephesians 1:22-23 calls the church the “fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.”)
The following are some of the extremes used today in the teaching of the Kingdom of God:
1. The marketplace believer is a king while the church leader is merely a priest
There have been many marketplace believers who have separated the priestly ministry of Christ from His kingly ministry into two halves: the kings are the marketplace leaders and the priests are the full-time church leaders (for example, pastors). One of the outcomes of this teaching is to elevate the marketplace leader over their local church pastors since a king has more authority on the earth than a priest! This teaching also causes the focus of each role to be dualistic; the priest should focus on spiritual things and the king on earthly things!
I totally disagree with this bifurcation since all believers are called priests in 1 Peter 2:9; all are called to be kings and priests according to Revelation 1:6 (or a kingdom of priests); and all are called to reign as kings (Amplified Version of Romans 5:17). Furthermore, all marketplace leaders should be spiritual and led by the Spirit and all full-time church leaders should exercise authority on the earth as kings in order to manifest His Kingdom on earth!
2. The true church is in the religion mountain
I already dealt with this in a previous article, Four Different Views Regarding the Church and Cultural Mountains. However, in my opinion the Body of Christ is the temple of the mountain of the Lord that is above every other cultural mountain (read Isaiah 2:2; Micah 4:1) and, as the representative of the Kingdom of God, is called to transform every other cultural mountain as part of the Cultural Mandate (Genesis 1:28 and Matthew 28:19).
Many teach that the church is just one of the seven cultural mountains (part of the religion mountain), which then puts all believers in the same category as the Mormons, Buddhists, and Muslims!
3. The believer only focuses on the marketplace and jettisons the church
Some leaders have been so turned off by the nuclear church religious straitjacket that they have gone to the other extreme and just commit themselves to improving the quality of life of their communities! As “kings” they believe the whole earth is their parish and their businesses become the center and sole focus which eventually disconnects them from their local churches.
I have found that many marketplace people who do not have a strong connection to a local church lose their center of gravity and experience huge family problems! Business people need a local church-based overseer to make sure they stay on track in every area of their lives.
4. The pastor/church only focuses on the community and jettisons the Great Commission
In the late 1800’s church leaders like Walter Rauschenbusch focused so much on the marketplace aspect of the Kingdom of God that their message devolved into a humanistic social gospel of works!
The clear focus of the New Testament is on inner transformation that eventually leads to systemic transformation. The Old Testament is the primary blueprint for the moral and civic laws needed to disciple a nation which goes alongside the New Testament teaching that a person needs to be born again in the heart in order to see the Kingdom (John 3:1-8). The gospels and epistles clearly teach that only transformed believers can transform culture! God has to work in us before He can work through us for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13).
Hence, it is a huge mistake whenever we go to an extreme and focus only on systemic political and economic transformation to the exclusion of winning souls, making disciples and true inward spirituality. If we neglect the latter for the sake of the former our message will eventually devolve into liberal humanistic dribble bereft of the power and presence of God!
5. The marketplace leader considers their business their local church
I have heard that several marketplace leaders in the past stopped attending their local churches because, as “kings” their businesses were their local churches, which also justified their practice of tithing into their own businesses!
There are some extreme situations (for example: China, Iran) in which it is illegal to plant a local church, and the greatest way to spread the gospel is for a business person to have Bible studies and services in the context of their business so they won’t get closed down! However, these marketplace leaders have a special grace to have a dual function because of their extraordinary situation; they also have a fully functional church in which they win souls, make disciples and send believers to start other similar businesses and/or houses churches.
In the USA there is presently no reason for a business person to call Bible studies in their office a church since most times it is not fully functional and doesn’t reflect a family of families from the cradle to the grave like the typical local church should mimic (1 Timothy 5:1-8).
6. The progress of the gospel is only gauged by political progress
The biggest mistake of the Christian Right since the 1980’s has been to focus only on politics and elections. Hence, while we won many elections we lost the broader culture! Politics and public policy initiatives are only one of the several cultural mountains the church needs to influence. Even though I believe the Bible teaches that we should endeavor to see institutional conversion and not just individual conversion, mere changes in the law are not enough if we don’t win over the hearts and minds of people! Revival and spiritual awakening without systemic change will only have temporary effects. Conversely, reformation without spiritual awakening makes us no different than the Muslims who believe the sign of national conversion to Islam is when a people group adopts sharia law. The gospel drills down much deeper than politics and systemic change; the axe is laid at the root of the trees and only the gospel can deal with both original sin and bring corporate transformation a la Isaiah 61:1-4 where the individuals who hear the message are the same ones who eventually rebuild the ancient ruins and restore whole cities!
7. Ecclesial Titles Are Given to Marketplace Leaders
Although I am a great proponent of five-fold ministry function (Ephesians 4:11) in the marketplace (for example: Daniel the prophet was a politician not a priest), I do not think it wise to bestow upon a marketplace leader a title used in the New Testament for church leaders. This is different than laying hands upon them and commissioning them as apostles of government or prophets of economics, which is an adjective describing a function.
Not only is there no New Testament instance of a marketplace leader being given that title in the church, it is also silly to think that a governor of a state or mayor of a city (and other high-level marketplace leaders) need an ecclesial title to be more effective in the marketplace; those titles would in fact hinder them in the context of a culture where it is more wise to think biblically but speak secularly! (It is also a hindrance to use those titles in most churches!)
Yes I know that most if not all of the original Twelve Apostles were all marketplace leaders but they were not given the title of apostle until they left their businesses and functioned in the church realm. Peter said it was not right for them to focus on anything else but prayer and the ministry of the word (Acts 6:2-4).
To subscribe for a free weekly teaching click here.
It has seemed that there have been few who have been willing to adress the foolishness and outright ridiculous nature of addressing marketplace leaders in terms of the Apostolic which is clearly in scripture used only in the local church and universal church setting. Thanks again Joe for having the courage to address this.
This is a good conversation to have. I don’t like marketplace titles either, but I’m totally tired of pastors calling themselves apostles and thinking they run the show like popes. Wrong as it may be the priest/KIng distinction lets pastors build their little hierarchies and keep their apostolic titles – inside the church where they are harmless.
Joseph – I’m a huge fan of yours and love your writing and message. This one totally misses the forest for the trees. There is a revival in slow motion in the Market place. The most burning issue is that pastors aren’t involved. Churches are equipping the saints to support the local church instead of their real Kingdom ministry. People that have a Kingdom focus are simply leaving = led out. Your own bio needs a complete rewrite: 1) you’ve been in “full-time” ministry for 35 years… meaning the rest of us are not in ministry while you have lived your life from offerings. 2) You’re a “presiding bishop 3)” a “bishop” 4) an “apostle” 5) an “ambassador” for an apostolic organization and 5) a “founding presiding bishop”… All this communicates to the rest of us is your self-centered irrelevance. Join the human race and come out of your religious baggage my friend. The Kingdom is fun.
“This cup which is poured out for you IS the NEW Covenant in my blood.” Teaching that something our Savior died for; the fulfillment of of Torah ( Hebrews, 2 Cor. 3—-“tablets of stone”/Galations 3:13 etc.etc. ) can easily delude one into thinking the New Covenant’s mandate is “conversion…” of worldly institutions…This false teaching of a 7 cultural mountain mandate greatly neglects Christ’s shed blood at Calvary. Please be very careful about what you don’t understand; specifically what Scripture directly teaches about the Blood of Christ and His position as High Priest and MEDIATOR of The New and Everlasting Covenant of Biblical “hyper” grace….God’s grace is by far and away the most powerful force in both heaven/ earth, and it does not seek to make alliances with the world, and in affect co-opt the New Blood, New Covenant gospel we are born again into. If you get a moment, check out loving grace.org. You will be blessed! Blessings.
Thanks very much for being courageous as an apostolic leader to address these extremes where the market place teachers have gone wrong, and as the Lord is doing a new thing in his church we need to be careful how we handle some of the issues and we should not go to the extremes,
Thanks very much Joseph and you have helped many people here who were getting confused about the extremes in the market place teachings
Joe, have enjoyed your articles for some time now but it seems like you took this one to the extreme. I have been doing marketplace ministry about 10 years and have not run into the things you are talking about.
We are kings and priest. I have never seen a marketplace leader try to elevate himself over the pastor. However we do believe our call by God to the marketplace is not a second class call but a call of God.
We have been doing devotions in our business for about 10 years as well but never called it a church. When our employees come to Christ we get them into a local congregation to train, equip and release them hopefully into their sphere of influence and not just church work unless that’s where they are called to.
I do find that spiritual gifts work in the marketplace as well as in the church. Look at the ministry of Jesus.
Have you ever wondered why He chose business people for His disciples?I think it would benefit you to go back and look at your comparison of the Kingdom verses the church mindset. LOL
I consider myself in full time ministry even though I run a business.
Everett
The deposit to my spirit mind and body of this message was quite refreshing,! So thanks!