4. The Integrated Life: Ministry of Business
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Book Report: The Integrated Life by Ken Eldred 4. Ministry of Business
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4. The Integrated Life: Ministry of Business
- 1. The Ministry of Business David L. Johnson, Ph.D. For more Christian content, go to LessonsForUS.com Video Book Report
- 2. 1. The Spiritual Role of Work and Business Work isn’t a curse What is work? Work is the expenditure of energy (whether manual or mental or both) in the service of others, which brings fulfillment to the worker, benefit to the community, and glory to God. God is a worker John 5:17, Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." Jesus was a carpenter Mark 6:3 Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. Work is good Genesis 1:31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day. Video Book Report
- 3. 2. We Are Mandated to Work Do not be a burden to others 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. Do not be idle 2 Thessalonians 3:6-8 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. Video Book Report
- 4. 2a. We Are Mandated to Work Continued We should work as unto God Ephesians 6:5-7 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men We should work for God’s glory 1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. God gives us the skills to work Deuteronomy 8:18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today Video Book Report
- 5. 3. We are God’s Co-Workers Ephesians 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. … or building a wall? … or building a cathedral? Are we laying stone? Video Book Report
- 6. 4. Called to Business “In making shoes, the cobbler serves God, obeys his calling from God, quite as much as the preacher of the word,” -Martin Luther Call to Ministry Business Church Video Book Report
- 7. 5. The Ministry of Business Ministry at work Show love Share faith Ministry of work Perform with excellence unto God Ministry to work Remedy wrongs Video Book Report
- 8. 6. Redeeming Business If Israel can be redeemed, so can business Our Business Ministry: Ministry at work Ministry of work Ministry to work Satellite Image Video Book Report
- 9. To Learn More Click on Video Book Report
Editor's Notes
- Hi, this is Dave Johnson and I’m continuing the videobook report series in which I am discussing the book, The Integrated Life: Experience the Powerful Advantage of Integrating Your Faith and Work, by Ken Eldred. This is Part 4. The Ministry of Business.
- Many of us think that work is a curse, the result of the curse God put on mankind after the fall of Adam and Eve. Or at best, it's considered a necessary evil that keeps us from more important matters, such as serving God. What I didn't learn in church is that work is good, mandated, and sacred, that business in not spiritually inferior to work in a Christian organization, and that our everyday work can be both a ministry and a high calling. What is work? Work is the expenditure of energy (whether manual or mental or both) in the service of others, which brings fulfillment to the worker, benefit to the community, and glory to God. Work is serving other but need not require getting paid. Students, volunteers, and homemakers are all engaged in valuable work as well. Work is service to others done to the glory of God. God holds a very high view of work. God is a worker himself. The entire first chapter of the Bible is an account of his workweek. He spent six days exerting himself in creating the universe, and on the seventh he rested. In John 5:17, Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." The people of Nazareth identified Jesus by his livelihood. In Mark 6:3 “Isn't this the carpenter?” the people of Nazareth asked when they first heard him preach. He would have faced a number of the same work challenges business people encounter today: serving customers, paying suppliers, managing workers, ensuring quality, and earning a profit. Work is good. When God finished his six days of creating, he looked upon his work and called it very good. Then he called Adam and Eve to continue his work by naming the animals, developing the land, and taking care of his creation. And the work they did was good, for sin had not yet entered the world. When Adam sinned, work was affected in some profound ways. It became difficult and painful. Sin also imparted a degree of futility to our work, meaning that our work will never find completion. But while the first sin introduced pain and frustration, it didn't change God's analysis that work is inherently good. And God made no distinction between sacred and secular work.
- We are told that God created humans in his own image, and an important aspect of that is making man a fellow worker. We are mandated to work. Paul encourages us to work with our hands so that we do not become a burden to others and. 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. He warns against idleness 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you
- We should work as unto God, Ephesians 6:5-7 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men Everything we do should be to his glory. In doing so, we are doing good work. 1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. God not only commands us to work, but he imparts to us the skills to deploy in the process. Deuteronomy 8:18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.
- In Ephesians 2:10 it says, “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We should work not in pursuit of our own fancy; we should work as coworkers with God, promoting his agenda and furthering his work in the world. Many people have difficulty articulating the spiritual value of their daily work. What about a marketer, an accountant, or a software engineer? Sometimes the way our work contributes to God's work is not so obvious. We may think we’re merely laying stone, but if we back up we will see that we are making a wall, and if we back up even further, we see that we in fact are building a cathedral to the glory of God. A friend of the author exhibits this. He is a certified public accountant who considers his true mission as an advisor to help people use their money for purposes God has laid on their hearts. Many of his clients are Christians in Silicon Valley. He has sought to develop an expertise in a number of disciplines. He sees his work as assisting others to maximize their resources for God's kingdom (building a cathedral).
- “Calling” is a spiritual term reserved for those pursuing noble and sacrificial work. We’re led to believe that business doesn't seem to fill the bill. In fact, everyone has a personal calling that is manifested through personal discipleship, personal experience, personal gifting, and personal desires. It is entirely ordinary for God to create a desire in our hearts to do the very thing needed, whether in the church or in the world. Many of us are called to minister in the business world, just as others are called to minister in the church. “In making shoes, the cobbler serves God, obeys his calling from God, quite as much as the preacher of the word,” notes Martin Luther.
- All followers of Jesus are called to be in full-time ministry, whether they're employed by a church, a company, or another organization. The threefold ministry of our work life includes a ministry at work, of work, and to work. The ministry at work. Demonstrates love to others we contact, where we can share our faith. Ministry of work. Whatever we do, we’re serving somebody, creating something. That work itself is a ministry performed with excellence to the glory of God. For example, a friend of the author’s in real estate deals with large land deals. As a Christian, he is concerned not only with selling the property but also to make sure the buyer was fully aware of the pluses and minuses of the property. He trusts that God will bring the right buyer along, and he will not need to force the sale. He is one of the few real estate people the author knows who has done many deals representing both sides of the transaction-- both the buyer and the seller. The ministry to work. It may involve working to remedy dishonest industry practices, unjust employment policies, or immoral corporate cultures. Our ministry to work involves being transformational agents in the marketplace.
- I found there is widespread doubt that the practice of business can be redeemed. However, consider the land of Israel. In the satellite image, notice how green Israel is and how brown the adjoining countries are. Israeli was a similar desert when Israel became a state in 1947 but after much hard work the land is now green. It has been redeemed. A business is like land. So we have a threefold ministry in our work life: pointing those around us to God (a ministry at work), serving and creating via the work itself (a ministry of work), and redeeming the practices, policies, and structures of institutions (ministry to work). For example, let’s say you create advertising campaigns. At work you will encounter those who are in need of encouragement, advice, and spiritual guidance. You have the opportunity to share the wisdom of God's Word and share the redemption of Jesus with people around you (ministry at work). The advertising campaigns you produce, the way you deliver them, and the manner in which you meet the needs of your company or client’s also reflect your faith. By bringing expertise, creativity, intelligence, and attitude to your work, you are serving your customer to the glory of God (ministry of work). You also have the opportunity to take a stand against deceptive or misleading advertising--and certainly to refuse to engage in such practices yourself. As a believer, you can have a profound influence on how your trade is practiced and what ethical standards are embraced (ministry to work). Sadly, much of business today lacks the fragrance of Jesus, because we haven't fulfilled our threefold ministry as priests in the marketplace.
- If you would like to purchase this book, please click on the displayed graphic. Thanks for listening. http://www.amazon.com/Integrated-Life-Experience-Advantage-Integrating/dp/0984091114/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313942764&sr=8-1