🔊 Listen to this

Have you ever found the decision about what to do with your life a difficult one? Take a moment to reflect on how you ended up in your current role. How would you describe God’s hand in this? Write down the highlights and, if you can, share a key moment with the group

Have you ever felt pressure to go into some form of full-time
church ministry?

Open the session with a short time of prayer.

If ‘yes, is this having an effect on your commitment to your current role?

You may have found yourself wondering if the time you are spending at work could be better spent in a church ministry. You may even have felt guilty about your passion for your work and the limited time you seem to be able to give to the ‘work of the church’. You are not alone.

There is a powerful moment in the early years of William Wilberforce, one of the great political reformers who is famous for his role in the abolition of the slave trade. He, like many believers, was deliberating over his calling and what path he should follow. He questioned whether his renewed awareness of God should lead him away from an emerging career in politics and into a church ministry.

His great friend and soon-to-be Prime Minister, William Pitt, arranged for abolitionists to come to his home and encourage him to recognise that his calling, even his ministry, was in fact best achieved in and through a career in politics. The meeting is recorded in the film ‘Amazing Grace’ and closes with the powerful and life-changing remark; “We understand you are having problems choosing

Teaching.
whether to do the work of God or the work of a political activist. We humbly suggest that you can do both.”

Do you believe that a career in politics was Wilberforce’s ministry?

BizMin believes that a career in business and a fruitful Christian ministry are not mutually exclusive. You can in fact do both! This course is designed to reveal how.

We believe：if it’s your business, it’s your ministry.

Discussion.
Teaching:
life-changing Wilberforce’s God-given passion for the abolition of the slave trade was best served through a dedicated career in politics. That was where his God-given role and responsibility lay.

Some fifteen painful years later, his tireless campaign in the House of Commons resulted in the abolition of the slave trade across the British Empire; possibly the greatest moment in one of the great ministries of the nineteenth century.

If you are having similar problems choosing whether to do the work of God or the work of a business leader, we would also humbly suggest that you should do both. Great things may yet depend on it.

Discussion:
Wilberforce found it hard to see how a career in politics could be the work of God. Do you struggle to see how a career in business can be the work of God?

Teaching :
Throughout history people have struggled to see how work and ministry can combine. Even Jesus had to struggle against this prejudice. His peers could not see how someone from the marketplace could possibly be spiritual.

When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?’ they asked. ‘Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Where then did this man get all these things?’ And they took offence at him.

Matthew13:53-57a
The Apostle Paul was famously a tentmaker and an apostle. He clearly moved quite seamlessly between work and witness. It would be interesting to know if the early church saw him more as a tentmaker who preached or a preacher who made tents. We are not sure that he would care much for the distinction. His work was fully integrated with his ministry and he was never ashamed of his work.

Do you think that Paul was working equally for the Lord in both activities?

What Paul himself made clear is that we all have to work and, whatever you do, you should ‘work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters’ (Colossians 3:23).

Reflection :
Would you consider yourself to be currently working ‘for the Lord’ or ‘for human masters’?

Discussion :
Are you doing it with ‘all your heart’? If not, what is holding you back?

After the 1666 ‘Great Fire of London’, the world-famous architect Christopher Wren was commissioned to rebuild St Paul’s Cathedral. One day in 1671, Wren observed three bricklayers on a scaffold. He asked each of them “what are you doing?”

The first bricklayer, the least productive of the three, replied “I am laying bricks.” The second bricklayer replied, “I am building a wall.” The third bricklayer, the most productive of the three, replied, “I am building a great cathedral for The Almighty.”

Teaching:
Are you aware that your work is ‘for The Almighty’?

The third bricklayer had a greater awareness that he was working for the Lord. How might this awareness affect our
attitude to work?

Discussion:

Do you see a connection between how you have been created,as God’s handiwork, and your work?

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians2:10
Works. 
Do you see your current work as ‘good work’?

Do you recognize that your work was prepared in advance for you to do?

Luke19：1-10
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him since Jesus was coming that way.

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.’ But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord!

Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’

Discuss the difference in this passage between Jesus’ attitude to a man from the marketplace and that of ‘all the people’.

What was the impact of Jesus’ attitude on Zacchaeus and on his approach to his work?

Discussion:
Jesus was comfortable being in the company of business people. Encountering Jesus transformed Zacchaeus’ attitude to the way he did business. He went from self-centered to servant, and miser to minister, overnight. Why do you think Jesus didn’t ask him to leave his work and ‘follow me as he had done with the twelve disciples?

Do you think collecting taxes is ‘good work’? Could this have been Zaccheus’ God-given calling; a work prepared in advance for him? It may help to consider what the consequences for society would be if taxes were not collected and by a Godfearing Christian.

Teaching:
Jesus had a broad view of what constitutes ‘good work’. Here is a good example.

Eric Liddell was one of Britain’s greatest sprinters and an unashamedly fearless man of God. He also knew well the
tension between wanting to be active in both a church ministry and the world of sport. He famously ran for Britain in the 1924 Olympics in Paris. It was not easy for everyone to accept that Eric’s ability to run was a gift from God, let alone his calling.

There is a wonderful line in the film made about his story called ‘Chariots of Fire’ that illustrates this. Eric is talking with his Christian sister. She is deeply concerned with his growing commitment to running and seeks to convince him to go into the mission field in China; a place to which he later went and died young.

 

On one occasion they are walking on the hills above Edinburgh. Eric’s response to her pleas is delightful. He says to his sister; “Jenny, I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast,” and he pauses as if lost in the memories of those moments on the race track, ”and when I run, I feel His pleasure.”

Eric had discovered that running was a gift and one, like all gifts, that revealed God’s call on his life. He knew that running was a ‘good work’ and felt God’s affirmation when he did it.

 

At the 1924 Olympics, Eric got into the squad and was to run in the 100m race. Much to Eric’s disappointment, the final of the 100m race was to be held on a Sunday. Eric was not willing to run on the Sabbath and was even prepared to resist the pleas from the Royal Family for him to run.

Despite their attempts to persuade him otherwise, he did not run and his stance on the Sabbath became a media sensation. His story and witness did not end there though. A place was found for him to run in the 400m final. It was a race that was to cement his witness in
history. Running, clutching the scripture ‘He that honors me,I will honor,’ which had been given to him by a fellow Christian competitor, he famously went on to win the gold medal in style.

His decision not to race on the Sabbath, in obedience to God, gained international exposure and was still being remembered when the Olympics were held in London in 2012 through a specially commissioned theatre production of the film ‘Chariots of Fire’.

There was even an article in an Indian newspaper that same year, focused, not on his winning, but on his stance on the Sabbath. In that one stand for Christ, a stand facilitated by his God-given gift for running, Eric achieved lasting fruit for the Kingdom of God. Even athletics is ‘good work’ if that is what you were created for!

You are uniquely made as God’s handiwork for a specific purpose; this is your ‘good work’.

Are you clear on what you are called to? If you are a Christian, God has a purpose for your life, a ‘good work’ for your gifts, and ultimately, a contribution you are called to make towards achieving His purposes in our generation.

If you are a Christian and in business, especially a Christian who owns or leads a business, it follows that one of these three options is true for you:

A fruitful role in business is God’s calling on my life.

I am called to be fruitful in something other than business.

I am not called to be fruitful.

Which of these three statements best describes you?

Reflection :
If you are a Christian, option C cannot be true.

‘This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.’

There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

John15：8  .1Corint 12：6

If you are not sure whether A or B is true for you then here are four questions that may help.

1. Are you gifted at business? Do ventures prosper when you’re involved?

Genesis39：3,5a
When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did the Lord
blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph.

2. Does business excite you? Do you have a business idea and a passion to run a business?

Howard Thurman

Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.

Reflection :
3. Are you a generous and joyful giver?

R.G.LeTourneau
The question is not how much of my money I give to God, but rather how much of God’s money I keep for myself.

4. Do you have the essential ingredient for success; humility?

RickWarren
Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.

Break into small groups of 3 or 4. Consider the categories below. Within your group, each share which category
you think you fall into.

Activity:
You answered ‘yes’ You answered ‘yes’ to You answered ‘no’ to to all 4 questions question 1 and 2, but question 1 and/or 2 ‘no’ to question 3 and/or 4

As a group, take time to pray for the people in each category:

Called & clear :
Affirm and encourage those who are clear in their calling. Pray that they continue to press on to take hold of their calling.

Called but challenged :
For each person in this group, identify the particular area they find challenging (generosity or humility). They will need both in order to make their business fruitful.

ministry. Support them in prayer, seeking God’s help in resolving issues.

Not called to business leadership:
There may be people in your group who are not called to be in business. For some, this will not be an issue (e.g.church leaders or anyone with a general interest in the course). For others, this may be an unexpected outcome.
Pray that they would receive the courage they will need to discover and pursue their true calling.

Regardless of which category you fall into, you will need support going forward. Consider sharing your findings with a spiritual friend.

As you take up your calling, you are going to need their prayers and encouragement in the adventure that lies ahead. We hope that you feel endorsed by both God and your church in your calling. We hope that you feel called to business.

Teaching:

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for
which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Philippians3：12
The Apostle Paul recognized that he had not yet arrived at his goal. We must, like him, proactively press on to
take hold of this calling if we are to make the business a fruitful ministry.

We hope you feel inspired to make your business your ministry. The rest of this course will help in that task. We want you to be established and robust in your calling.

It is time to press on and take hold of the good works that God has prepared you for. Both the world of business and the Kingdom of God need people like you to take up this calling into business.

We hope you feel clear in your calling, ready to press on and take hold of your ministry. We hope that it is a calling to do business as a ministry.

Close the session with a short time of prayer. Ask God to affirm you in your calling and give you the courage to take hold of that ‘for which Christ Jesus took hold of you.