Tentmakers and Missionaries – Your Calling Might Surprise you
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” Isaiah 30:21
In the New Testament, we see the Apostle Paul spending his time in at least two professions - tentmaking and missions. While some faithful Christians believe that you should be doing one or the other, as I will explain further below, the Bible is clear that if you are not called to full-time ministry, you should be doing missions – outreach to non-believers wherever God has placed you! It’s of utmost importance that we remain attentive to the Lord’s voice and act in obedience regarding where He wants us to go and what He wants to accomplish in and through us as His instruments to help build up the body of Christ. It is not the Pastor’s job to do this, it is our job as Christians, as I will explain below.
Paul’s tentmaking is referenced in Acts 18, and describes how Paul operated as a tentmaker during the week, and how he evangelized and taught God’s Word on the Sabbath. This should be the model for those who are not called to full-time ministry, and can be conceptualized today as the idea of Christians financially supporting themselves and their family with the business career God has given to them, while continuing to share the Gospel in their daily environments. It is way more than just attending church service on Sunday and writing a check to support the Pastor and missionaries to do the work of building up the body of Christ (as I will support with Scripture below).
Missions, another part of Paul’s career, is when an individual uses their time and resources to help lead others to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ by being an ambassador for Jesus, sometimes in a distant land, but oftentimes right where God has you. I continue to believe that the business community is one of the largest untapped mission fields around! A missionary may be paid or supported by a church, ministry or donors (how most people visualize missionaries), but biblically, we are all called to be missionaries to reach out to non-believers and share the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Both callings (tentmaking and missions) are extremely important, biblical., and part of God’s plan to build up the body of Christ.
If you are highly career-oriented, it can be difficult to wrap your mind around the idea of a missional career path—particularly if you are established in your current career. But the Bible is clear -- Jesus has commanded each of us to:
Be ambassadors for Christ and represent Him to others: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us.” (2 Corinthians 5:20).
Serve as a witness for Jesus (tell others what Jesus has done in your life) and share the Gospel to others: ) “How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? . . . As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News!” (Romans 10:14-15).
Be missionaries for Jesus as we are going about our everyday lives: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20).
I used to think that it was the Pastor’s job to do the mission and ministry work, but that is a false belief and it is not biblical. There is no reference to Pastors in Matthew 28:19-20! It is a command to every Christian. That is Jesus’ plan – He left it with us when He ascended into Heaven. Each of us as Christians became followers of Jesus because somebody explained the Gospel to us and helped us learn how to place our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Now we are called to do the same!
It is our job as Christians to build up the Church, not the Pastor’s job – the Pastor’s job is to equip us as believers for the work of building up the Church: “So Christ Himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip His people [each of us as Christians] for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-13) (emphasis and brackets added).
And even for those of us who are now nearing or in retirement. There is not a single verse in the Bible that supports retirement! How does God now want to use the resources He has provided to you and the time He has given to you to help build up the body of Christ (His Church)?
We are here on this earth for but a blink in time. I can assure you that none of us will arrive in Heaven and wish we had saved more money, or spent more of our time on our hobbies or watching television rather than sharing the Gospel with others. Each of us as Christians will have to stand before the Lord and give an account on how we stewarded the resources God has given us and served as an ambassador for Jesus while we were here (not for our salvation, but for our roles and responsibilities in the eternal life to come). So how are we using the life, resources, opportunities, and relationships that God has given to us? Who are you pouring your life into to help them change their eternity?
Remember, we are here for Jesus. We are commanded to evangelize to the nations as set forth in Matthew 28:19-20 above, and steward the resources and opportunities that God has given us in a way to help build up the body of Christ.
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:17)
Regardless of where you are in your career or retirement, I encourage you to be brave enough to open your heart to go where the Lord wants you to go and do what the Lord commands us to do. Be bold and know that Jesus is with you always and will give you the words you need to say. And if you are a little fearful about doing that for the first time, just pray this simple prayer: “Lord, I am willing to be made willing. Give me the confidence and the words to use and help me speak up when you want me to speak. Help me be your ambassador and witness to others, even when I am uncomfortable. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16)
Take a minute right now to pause, breathe and prayerfully consider how you might be able to share the Gospel and your story to your family members and friends during this Christmas Holiday Season. If you truly love them, what a precious gift you could help them find this Christmas -- the forgiveness of their sins and eternal life with Jesus as their Lord and Savior! There is no better gift than that! Now that is what Christmas truly is all about!
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