- Nehemiah rebuilt the wall for Jerusalem.
- He was not a “vocational minister.”
- He was a business leader.
- He was a guy who showed us what a kingdom-minded entrepreneur is all about.
- He was burdened by a specific niche of people, saw a problem they had, and did something about it!
- The word “entrepreneur” has an interesting story.
- The phrase “entre” is Latin for “to go between.”
- The phrase “prende” comes from a French word that means “to undertake.”
- An entrepreneur is someone who “goes between” to bring a solution.
- And that’s exactly what an intercessor is - someone who “stands in the gap” (Ezekiel 22:30) on behalf of others to connect them with God.
- Nehemiah was more than simply and entrepreneur.
- He was an entrepreneurial intercessor who “went in between” people and their problem with a solution!
- He bridged the gap for this niche of people and connected them to God in a powerful way.
- I want to list four identity traits of a kingdom entrepreneur followed by three initiatives of a kingdom entrepreneur.
- First, the four identity traits:
1. Prayer - A kingdom entrepreneur is a prayer! They first intercede through prayer. This is the secret sauce of his/her business. They ask God to do something for the people they serve and they listen for His voice showing them the way.
2. Planner - They make plans by thinking through strategies and tactics. Strategies are what by when. Tactics are how by who. They don’t just pray, they plan - and then wait for God to approve that plan and give them the go-ahead.
3. Pursuer - Once God gives them the green-light, they pursue the opportunity like a bat out of Hades. They don’t need anyone else to push them - they jump and run fast.
4. Producer - They make things happen for those they serve. They help people by giving them true value. In return, they receive monetary value that allows them to continue producing value.
On the foundation of the identity of a kingdom entrepreneur, I want to list three initiatives of a kingdom entrepreneur. T
hese three things are what every kingdom entrepreneur should do, and Nehemiah is our example:
1. Invade - Wherever God has burdened our hearts and given us the nudge, we RUN to it! We dive in feet first. We don't put our feet in the water and see what the temperature is like. If we do that we'll be like the spies who refused to take the land. A mindset of "invasion" is one that burns its boats after it lands on the shore. (we did this in REO)
2. Exert - We exert Godly influence in the place we've invaded. We now act as thermostats, not thermometers. We be salt (which enhances) and light (which shines). Neither of those talk, they just do! We don't exert our own authority, but God's. And that's what God's kingdom is all about - His comprehensive rule in every sphere of life.
3. Duplicate - We duplicate more invaders and exerters, who will duplicate themselves as well. This is what we do in response to Christ’s command to “disciple nations.”