In this Bible and Business podcast, you’ll learn how the Biblical truth of reigning with Christ in eternity effects our role as business owners here on earth. This is the first of a seven part series taken from Chapter 1 in the book “A Christian Theology of Business Ownership“. You can download the slides and read the companion blog post on this site. View the companion video at the Bible and Business channel.
[00:00:04.660] – Bill English
Well, welcome. I’m Bill English, the publisher here at Bible and Business. This is the first video in a seven-part series called The Theological Context for Business Ownership. And this sevenpart series is is really taken from my first chapter of my book, a Christian Theology of Business Ownership. And so today we’re going to be talking about the concept of reigning with Christ, our future in heaven, of reigning with Christ, and how that impacts our role as business owners today.
[00:00:38.810] – Bill English
By the way, if you’d like to, you can download these slides at Bible and Business.com. There’s no charge for it. You can just download them in PowerPoint format and use them in a Sunday school class, or use them even in a peer group of other business owners as you work your way through my book. So let’s get started here. And we’ll start by reading Revelation chapter two, verses 25 through 28.
[00:01:06.490] – Bill English
Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps My works into the end. To Him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earth and pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father, and I will give Him the morning star. When we live a life of faithfulness to Christ, then we are promised the function of reigning with God in eternity. That’s what that verse indicates in Revelation two, verses 25 through 28.
[00:01:45.160] – Bill English
So when we are faithful to Christ and we overcome and we conquer, then we are promised the future, the eternity of reigning with God. Let’s read another verse here, revelation, actually two verses. Revelation chapter three, verses 20 and 21. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into Him and eat with Him and he with me.
[00:02:13.610] – Bill English
That’s a really famous verse. Revelation 320. Most people don’t go on and read this next verse, which is verse 21. The one who conquers, I will grant Him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. Again, here’s the notion that if we are faithful to Christ, if we conquer and overcome on this earth, then we will be given the privilege of reigning with Him in eternity.
[00:02:44.890] – Bill English
So the destination of the believer is not just a place in God’s home like Christ talks about in Matthew chapter 14, but also dominion with Jesus in the new heaven and in the new earth. We often don’t talk about this concept of reigning with Christ in heaven, this truth that is so clearly given to us in Revelation. Usually we think of the spirits present as really helping us sin less or be more like Christ. We’re either sinning less or being more righteous. But we don’t see his indwelling presence really as a foretaste of what’s going to come in heaven.
[00:03:24.340] – Bill English
And I’d like us to connect our role as business owners here on Earth with our eternal work in Heaven. And what I’d like us to understand is that on Earth, we shouldn’t be preparing primarily to have a fulfilling career. Instead, we should see our work as a business owner. Our role as a business owner of starting and growing and building businesses is really part of our preparation to reign with Christ in eternity. Let’s connect that.
[00:03:56.290] – Bill English
Let’s make that connection that when we are building and growing our businesses, we are really getting ready to reign with Christ in eternity. Now, the next video, part two of this series will be discussing the Divine Council and I invite you to join me on the next video. Listen, I’m Bill English. Thank you for joining me today here at Bible and Business, and I hope that you have a great day. Take care.