Today, God is calling pastors and local churches to make training available to men and women in the workplace to equip them so they may mature in THEIR ministry. But most pastors have not fulfilled this command. This has been a major failure of church leaders to the mass of believers in the workplace. It is estimated we have 56 million born again workers in the US if we were to use the figures of George Barna who estimates forty percent of our population is born again.

The following passage, although written for a different time and place, provides a prophetic look at where I believe we are in this movement in the workplace. You see, when shepherds do not disciple their people in the workplace, they encourage the scattering of the sheep to go elsewhere to meet their needs. But God is calling forth this remnant in the workplace now, and the shepherds must step forward to lead them.

"Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!" declares the LORD. Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: "Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done," declares the LORD. "I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing," declares the LORD. "The days are coming," declares the LORD,"when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called:The LORD Our Righteousness. "So then, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when people will no longer say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,' but they will say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the descendants of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.' Then they will live in their own land."-- Jeremiah 23:1-8

MAIN POINTS TO CONSIDER
1. Woe to the shepherds who do not train those in the marketplace to be disciples.
Jer 23:1-8 "Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!" declares the LORD. Men and women seek to find their food outside the walls of the local church. This displeases the Lord.

2. The flock has been scattered to find food in other places i.e. – other parachurch ministries, other churches etc.. v.3 - "I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture (local church), where they will be fruitful and increase in number."

3. God is raising up godly Kings (workplace believers) who will rule wisely.  v.5 - "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land."

4. God is raising up shepherds who will tend them. God is raising up pastors, some who are in formal church ministry and others who are in the marketplace (like myself), who are taking on this responsibility.  V.4 - I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing," declares the LORD.

5. God is bringing men and women out of Egypt.
 V.7 - "So then, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when people will no longer say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,' but they will say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the descendants of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.' Then they will live in their own land."

One of the major things God is calling men and women in the workplace to do is come out of Egypt (or Babylon) in regard to the way to do work and business. What do I mean by that? Well, Babylon is a system of doing work that is contrary to the Bible. In Egypt, they sweated and toiled to produce. In the Promised Land, they received from God based on obedience. In Babylon, bondage to debt is the rule. In the Promised Land, God calls us to see him as a provider in the financial area. He calls us to come out of debt so that we might worship Him freely. If you and I are ruled by debt, we are not to go where God wants us to go because we are servant to the one we owe. Debt is bondage. I believe this passage also speaks of "living in their own land." When we come out of Egypt, we come into our own land. A land that has milk and honey from God. It is a land where we experience new freedom in the Lord. If you are under heavy debt, begin today to ask God to show you how to get out of debt.

If you are a shepherd, begin now to see that your calling to men and women in the workplace is a holy calling that is on the heart of God at this time in the church.

Writtten by Os Hillman.  Os is president of Marketplace  Leaders, an Atlanta based ministry.    marketplaceleaders.org    ICWM.net    Contents distributed by HisChurchatWork.org > used for non-profit teaching purposes only.

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