Believers in Non-profit Business: Navigating the Storm To Further God’s Agenda

Is time for Bible study. Let us pray. 
Father of light, we bless you and give you praise for who you are. We exalt you. Take all the glory tonight and each time we come to study at your feet in Jesus name. Grant us wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of your word in Jesus name. Thank you for answering us.
Amen.
Below is the subject we are considering:
Believers in Non-profit Business: Navigating the Storm To Further God’s Agenda.
A lot came to mind considering the subject before us tonight and I will try as much as possible to touch some of the things that came to mind.
Here is the overview of the subject studying: Charity Organisation which their main aim is spreading the Gospel and they have to pay for the upkeep of their staff and maintenance of equipment. How do they go about it and the Gospel must be spread.
I like to take us back into the old testament before coming to how we as believers can navigate the storm to further the gospel which is the major agenda of God.
 And I like you to take the pastors and the ministers as my characters tonight since we are studying in view of the NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION.
As we all know that there are alot of Non profit organization such orphanage home, church etc.
In the book of Deu 14:26-29.
Deut.14.26 – When you arrive, use the money to buy anything you want–an ox, a sheep, some wine, or beer. Then feast there in the presence of the LORD your God and celebrate with your household.

Deut.14.27 – And do not forget the Levites in your community, for they have no inheritance as you do.

Deut.14.28 – “At the end of every third year bring the tithe of all your crops and store it in the nearest town.

Deut.14.29 – Give it to the Levites, who have no inheritance among you, as well as to the foreigners living among you, the orphans, and the widows in your towns, so they can eat and be satisfied. Then the LORD your God will bless you in all your work.
Numbers 18:20-21
Num.18.20 – And the LORD said to Aaron, “You priests will receive no inheritance of land or share of property among the people of Israel. I am your inheritance and your share.

Num.18.21 – As for the tribe of Levi, your relatives, I will pay them for their service in the Tabernacle with the tithes from the entire land of Israel.
Talks about how God chose the Priests and the Levites to be in his service and that they should not be given any portion of land and inheritance. He (God) said he is their portion and inheritance.
God also commanded all the children of Israel to bring their tithes to them meaning they are not to work and that connote that they won’t be doing business that will earn them money.
They were called to serve God without doing any other thing.
So we having non-profit organizations in our days is not something new or out of place.
The question is: how were they surviving?
Deuteronomy  14:22 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. 
14:23 And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.  
14:24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:  
14:25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose:  
14:26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,  
14:27 And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.  
14:28 At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates:  
14:29 And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest..
God was all they got. Bringing it to us as believers. There are several churches that engages their Pastors in full time ministry.
But is it out of place to be a full time minister?
I guess the answer will be no.
Being a full time minister, allow the minister to concentrate on the things of God.
But there has always been a gap and I like to take off the second of study from there.
In these days many members of the ministry are kind of finding it difficult to survive… What then happened to the minister who is not doing any other thing to support himself, the ministry and family financially?
And God hasn’t called anyone into ministry in order to make him or her an object of pity.
Faithful is he that has called us.
Apostle Paul is a good example to lead us into how we should navigate through the storm to further the agenda of God.
He said in 1 Timothy  5:8  But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
A man of God once said sometimes ago. “Let ministry take your job or business from you and not you quitting your job and business in pursuit of full time ministry except you are double sure that is God calling you into full time ministry.
Apostle Paul was a tentmaker… Do you know what he usually does to support his ministry without having to depend on anyone? 
1 Thessalonians  2:9 For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.
I guess Paul usually does his tentmaking in the night/early in the morning and goes about kingdom work in the day.
I remembered when I was on the mission field…. I was on a full time mission and my first 6 to 7 years of being on the mission field I depended solely on the money that comes from the ministry that sent me forth to the mission field.
But a time came in my life that I thought I could farm and I started to farm to support myself and the mission in my own little way.
Here are few ways in which non-profit organization could navigate through the storm…
1. The Charity organizations should think about a business they could do (e.g farming, school establishment etc)
Let me quickly say something on this.
Take some of the churches we have now for example… Good number of them have several businesses they are doing apart from the non-profit aspect of the organization.
A lot of them have schools, book store, supermarket, farm, medical center etc… No matter how small your Charity organization maybe, just look inward you will definitely find what you can to support your family, staff and also maintain the equipments used.
2. Is not always advisable that two parties enter into full time Charitable work at the same time.
One party should be working to support the ministry pending the time the charitable work could accommodate the expenses of the family, staff and pay for equipment
God expect us to profit and provide for our homes. He is our portion and inheritance. Yes, but at the same time He said He will bless the work of our hands.
Apostle Paul worked and he still served God with all his might.
Do you know that a particular man of God here in Nigeria sleeps for less hours and he has result for it today. Many are lazy and waiting to only feed on the resources of others. That won’t make or won’t be enough for such a believer to navigate through the storm.
Pastor Perfect started wig radio with just #200 and today God is being glorified.
Is not a crime to work in a Charity Organization but look inward for what you can do without disengaging yourself from what you believe God is calling you into.
Even many non-profit organizations put money together to buy land and they resell to make profit. We must be proactive in everything we are doing.
God bless his word in our hearts.
Father we thank you for your word. Let your word continue to dwell in us in Jesus name. Amen