A BIBLICAL FRAMEWORK FOR THINKING ABOUT WORK AND THE WORLD

BUSINESS AS MISSION

My Purpose

To support your discovery of the glory of the high calling of business

To reinforce the truth that business is a tremendous venue in which to honor God

To challenge you to intentional Great Commission impact through your business and career

Our Agenda

The GoalThe Principle of

VocationThe Principle of

IntentionalityThe Principle of

RelationshipThe Principle of

Operational Excellence

The Principle of Seamless Integration

Secularist View Biblical

View

The Goal

Business Needs No Justification

Secularist View Biblical View

Inherently CorruptExploitativeNecessary EvilPost-fallPart of Satan’s World

SystemMoney is the Root of EvilMammon and God are

AntitheticalExists (at best) to Support

Ministry

Integral to God’s Creation Design

Inherent in Pre-Fall Human Nature

Fully Honorable ActivityA High and Holy CallingWork is WorshipMorally GoodSignificant Part of God’s

Kingdom Purpose

Contrasting Approaches

BREAKOUT:

Where does this c

ome from?

Because of the Loss of the Biblical Perspective…

Business is viewed as inherently evil

Business people are viewed as suspect and greedy

Profit is viewed as anti-social Christian leaders fail to learn

about business Pastors are unable to equip

business people to serve Christ in that context

World outreach is sadly mono-dimensional

The church is losing the affection of the business people within her ranks

Good

Bad

Keeping It Whole

Business

Family

Church

Friendships

The Reign of Jesus

The Great Great Commission

SOCIETY

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THE BODY OF CHRIST

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”--Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)

When I Run…

SEEING BUSINESS AS A HIGH AND HOLY CALLING FROM GOD

The Principle of Vocation

My Business: Christian or Kingdom?

“Yes,” says the Christian business leader, “I am deeply committed to the Great Commission. In fact, I am working hard to get more time

away from my business so I can do more Great Commission work.” As admirable as

this may seem, it falls far short of what God has in mind. God is not so much interested in you taking time off work to do “ministry” as

He is in teaching you how to use the time you are at work to serve Him and His purposes--

which is true ministry. It is not only connecting my “non-working” life to the

Great Commission that pleases God; it is also connecting my business to His plan as well.

Calling: An authoritative invitation with purpose

Sacred-secular dichotomy?

Called and uncalled?

Degrees of calling—low to high?

Business is…

Good

•A “very good” part of creation

•Genesis 1:26-31

•A part of life that is “sanctified” and “under the call”

•Ephesians 4:1

•An equally perfect part of the will of God

•Romans 12:1-2

Consider…

“There is truly no division between sacred and secular except what we have created. And that is why the division of the legitimate roles and functions of human life into the sacred and secular does incalculable damage to the cause of Christ. Holy people must stop going into 'church' work as their natural course of action and take up holy orders in farming, industry, law, education, banking, and journalism with the same zeal previously given to evangelism or to pastoral and missionary work.”

--Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines

Consider further…

“Vocation- One's calling. Work is a call of God upon an individual's life. It becomes the sphere through which, not merely in which, a Christian serves Christ and His Kingdom. It is the occupation--the principle business of one's life--through which one occupies territory or a sphere of influence (Luke 19:13) for Jesus Christ.”

--Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy

What Was Their Calling?

Person God Used Ministry Other

Adam X

Noah X

Abraham X

Joseph X

Moses X

Joshua X

David X

Solomon X

Daniel X

Nehemiah X

Luke X

Jesus X X

Application

Stinking ThinkingFeeling “Less Than”Launch out with Joyful

Abandon Entrepreneur CEO 2IC Employee

NOTE: Until you are clear on this, the rest doesn’t really matter!

DELIBERATELY CONNECTING BUSINESS TO WHAT GOD IS DOING IN THE WORLD

The Principle of Intentionality

What in the World is God up to?

SOCIETY

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THE BODY OF CHRIST

“These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also…”--Acts 17:1-7 (ESV)

God is a Purposeful God

Everything in creation was made for a purpose (Psalm 19: 1)

Man was made for a purpose (WMC/SC #1)Business was made for a purposeMy business was made for a purpose

The Problem of Misunderstanding God’s Purpose

• Saving Souls• Getting People to HeavenRestricte

d View

• Individual Salvation• Holistic Redemption: Body,

Soul, Spirit, Creation, Society• “To the praise of His glorious

grace…” (Ephesians 1:6 ESV)

Biblical View

What Is God’s Unchangeable Purpose?

Genesis 1: 27-28

Genesis 12: 2-3

Matthew 28: 18-20

Revelation 7: 9

What is God’s Purpose in the World?

To glorify Himself by filling the earth with people who

know and honor Him

What is My Purpose?

To glorify God by working with Him to fill the earth

with people who know and honor Him

HIS PURPOSE!

So?

How does MY business, my career, my job connect to what

God is doing in the world around me?

Moving from the General to the Specific

Unreached

Geography

Roles I Fulfill

Immediate Spheres of My

Life

God’s Purpos

e

To Action!

PrayReadMeditateFellowshipTravelRefine

My job, skills, company fulfill the following part of God’s eternal purpose…

RECOGNIZING THE PERSON TO PERSON POWER OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY

The Principle of Relationship

Words Have Impact

Koinonia Lifesharing,

community, fellowship, partnership

Jholdas/Joldosh Camerade, partner, the

heart bond forged in the fires of common suffering

Relationship Connection,

involvement

Where do you think that happens more…the

church or the workplace?

“Sunday” Church “Monday” Church

Focused on a building

SpectatorsRelationship LiteInstitutionalScriptedTime Limited

Focused on shared activity

ParticipationRelationship RichPurposefulSpontaneousTime Full

A Comparison

In truth, “Sunday” church should equip us for “Monday” church.

The Kingdom is All About Relationship

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they came together, and one of them, a teacher of the Law, tried to trap him with a question. "Teacher," he asked, "which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus answered, " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and the most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like it: 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' The whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these two commandments."

--Matthew 22: 34-40 (NIV)

The Primacy of Relationship

God is relational (Genesis 1: 27)

Christianity is relational

(1 Corinthians 1: 9)The Kingdom spreads

through relationships (John 1: 35-45)

Business offers a unique set of relationships (Acts 18: 1-3, 18)

The Web of Relationships

Vendors

Co-Workers

Employees

Customers

Make a List…

Where Are They On Their Kingdom Journey

“And when Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from kingdom of God.”

(Mark 12: 32-34 ESV)

Pre-Kingdom Embracing the Kingdom

Early Kingdom

Living

Kingdom Realization

Kingdom Manifestation

Some Challenging Questions

Should Christian business leaders fire a non-performer?

Would Christian business leaders do a RIF?

How should Christian business leaders compensate their employees?

What services should Christian business leaders make available to their employees?

How do love and business requirements fit together?

Some More Challenging Questions

How should a Christian employee treat an ungodly boss?

What measure of “overtness” should a Christian employee demonstrate in the workplace?

What happens when a Christian employee’s convictions convince him to depart from the company line?

How do you measure a Christian employee’s commitment to the job?

How Does This Fit in the Context of Relationship?

One Last Thought On Relationship

"The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter). 43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”“

--John 1:35-51 ESV

WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE HOW YOU RUN YOUR BUSINESS?

The Principle of Operational Excellence

Operational

THE WAY IN WHICH WE RUN OUR BUSINESS MATTERS

The Principle of Excellence

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the

glory of God.”

1 Corinthians 10: 31

The Heart of the Matter

If work is worship the how can we offer anything less than our best

to God?

Who Cares About Excellence?

It matters to my employees and co-workers

It matters to my customers

It matters to my shareholders

It matters to those whom I impact for the Kingdom

It matters to God

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…”--Hebrews 12:1 (ESV)

Where Does Excellence Show?

Area AnalysisFinancial Performance

Human Resource Management

Ethics and Leadership

Accounting Systems and Controls

Information Technology

Sales and Customer Service

Work Processes and Quality

Community & Global Impact

How to Run an Excellent Company

PrayMeditate on

ScriptureRead voraciouslyLearn constantlyInteract with othersAct courageouslyPursue perfection…

relentlesslyDepend always

upon the Holy Spirit

Table Talk

Would someone characterize my business as excellent?

Is my pursuit of excellence related to my worship of God?

What areas of my business fail to reflect God’s glory?

SEEING ALL OF LIFE AS UNDER THE UNIFYING LORDSHIP OF CHRIST

The Principle of Seamless Integration

Understanding the Problem: Dis-integration

Jesus

Work

Family

Finances

Social Life

Politics

God is Re-Integrating the World in Christ

Business

Family

Church

Friendships

The Reign of Jesus

A Definition…

Integrity:

• Adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty• The state of being whole, entire or undiminished• A sound, perfect or unimpaired condition

Integrated:

• Combining or coordinating separate elements so as to provide a harmonious, interrelated whole• Having, including, or serving members of different racial, religious, and ethnic groups as equals

This is what God is doing…

In usIn the Body of ChristIn the nationsIn creationIn the Kingdom

The Phases of Integration in BAM

INTEGRATED, HOLISTIC KINGDOM THINKING

DISINTEGRATED, DUALISTIC THINKING

Anti-Evangelists

Separators Invaders Overlayer

s

Seamless Integratio

n

Incompleteness Completeness

LegalismAsceticismSuper SpiritualityRelics, PlacesPhilosophy of MenCastes: Clergy vs.

Laity

God is in ChristChrist is in YouYou are Complete in

Him

The Principle of Completeness

Colossians 2: 6-23

TYING IT TOGETHER

Conclusion

Our Agenda

The GoalThe Principle of

VocationThe Principle of

IntentionalityThe Principle of

RelationshipThe Principle of

Operational Excellence

The Principle of Seamless Integration