Toure Roberts - God, Business, and Your Heart

I arrived here last week, and God began to address something that He has been discussing with me regarding the relationship between God and business, which we’ll discuss shortly. As I got into it, the flow was so strong that I realized, oh snap, I need to return because I am supposed to be in Texas this week. I just said, no, I have to come back, and here I am. It turns out this will be a two-part message, but honestly, I feel like I could do this indefinitely because I believe we have overlooked the significance of business in the Kingdom. I’ll recap where we left off last week to bring everyone up to speed, but I feel that, as a church family, we have not recognized business as a spiritual means to advance the Kingdom. So much so that we often hear about the separation of church and state, and while I understand some of the reasons behind that, I don’t believe we should meddle in certain areas, and I get that. However, there has also been a tendency within the church to distance itself from business. You will hear discussions about the sacred and the secular; show me where that is in the Bible—this distinction between sacred and secular. There’s been a sort of disdain regarding ministry in the marketplace. The conversation about ministry in the marketplace is relatively new because, initially, it was considered taboo to mix ministry and business. It was as if we just kept our church activities separate from business activities, and God forbid we blend them, as if that would somehow create a toxic environment—like we would have an allergic reaction to it. That assumption is not true when you consider what the marketplace actually is.

We are all gathered here in the house of God right now, and what unites us is our belief in God and our recognition of the importance of coming together in His house. However, what is significantly more powerful and, frankly, more integrated is the marketplace. Think about it—there are billions of people in the marketplace. If God wants to reach the world, why would He keep us from the marketplace where all the people are? That doesn’t make sense; it’s not the best reasoning, and God is brilliant. The marketplace has always been part of God’s mandate. The same religious mindset that led some to advocate for a vow of poverty is the one that separates business from spirituality. Show me one place in Scripture where God instructs us to make a vow of poverty; that line of thinking is not wise. He has said, «I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly.» Where does it say, «I came that you might be impoverished»? It simply does not exist; it is contrary to everything God stands for. God encourages us to be fruitful and multiply, to fill the Earth and subdue it, and to do business until He returns.

There are many misconceptions we need to unlearn. Some people believe it is spiritually commendable to avoid the business realm, but frankly, they are engaged in business every time a bill arrives. The reason this message is vital to me—let me recap a bit from last week—is because I feel a strong sense, and I don’t express feelings I don’t truly sense and pray about, that the vehicle of business will be one of the primary ways God advances His Kingdom and agenda. If you think about history, everything moved along trade routes. When you wanted to influence a nation, culture, or society, that influence occurred along these paths of trade and communication. Why? Because that’s where everyone was. I bet there’s not one person here who hasn’t shopped on Amazon; some of you might have ordered something at the start of this service because you thought you needed it—why? Because that’s where everybody is. Why would God say He doesn’t want you engaging in business? No! God is where the people are, and everyone must walk through the marketplace; why wouldn’t He want His people there? There is some unlearning that must take place. Can I talk to you like this today? I just want to give a brief recap from last week so that we’re on the same page, and I want to get to the crucial part of this conversation we’re having today because it is everything. What we discussed last week was centered on the parable found in Luke chapter 19, verses 11–27. Read it when you have a chance to catch up. The entire purpose of Jesus teaching this parable…