7.Open th…
A complete ministry must help deliver the Great Commission.
Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’
Matthew28:18-20
This is the Great Commission, the mission statement of the Church. For an activity to be considered a comprehensive Christian ministry it must effectively contribute to achieving this great missionary endeavour. That is, it must help take the gospel to all nations. We will now consider how business might do this.
Open the session with a short time of prayer.
Discussion.
Do you agree that the world of business needs this missionary endeavour?
‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’
Acts1:8
Activity.
To achieve the Great Commission we, first and foremost, need the power of the Holy Spirit. We must then establish our mission field and ask ourselves; where is our Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria? The influence of your company may even extend to the ends of the earth. In the context of business it can be seen as follows:
A、B、C.
Write the answers for A, B and C for your business and establish your specific areas of influence. This is your mission field.
Christians quietly getting on with their day job, doing it the way that God intended, will slowly but surely find that they influence the behaviour of their colleagues, customers, suppliers and competitors. In time, this can transform the culture of the business.
Business is at the heart of society and the way we do business, a company’s culture, significantly influences the values of those it connects with. As the culture of a Kingdom Business is aligned with the values and principles of God’s Kingdom, so in turn, are the values of those who connect with it. This simple but profound ability for our business culture to inform and affect the values and behaviour of those around us is what discipleship is all about.
Whether it be a geographical or cultural mission, we are all called to help take the gospel into every area of life.
Business is a powerful vehicle for taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Kingdom Entrepreneurs have the amazing privilege of going beyond the transformation of their own business practice. They have the potential to influence and define the culture of their company and, as a result, the behaviour of others with whom their company comes into contact. Having discovered God’s truth for ourselves, we have the opportunity to create a place where colleagues, customers, suppliers and competitors discover a Kingdom Culture and experience firsthand the power of the Gospel at work in the world. As we choose to confidently do business God’s way, others will taste and see that God is indeed good.
StephenRundle
What distinguishes the Kingdom Entrepreneur is that he or she not only models Christian discipleship but goes out of their way to create opportunities to tell others about the motivation behind his or her behaviour.
Discipleship is the process of becoming more Christ-like. This diagram illustrates the cycle by which disciples are made.
Identify something that you know to be God’s way of doing business (it can be something as simple as not swearing in the
office) and consider how others might come to be discipled into that way, using the process set out in the diagram above.
We must remember that it is God’s responsibility to bring the transformation that we desire to see in others. Discuss whether you think it is necessary to say “don’t blaspheme in my office”.
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Discussion.
Phil.1:6
Teaching.
People are increasingly looking for businesses that will live with integrity, having the confidence to apply their values to their work. The leaders of a company are expected to set the tone. It is their values that others choose to follow.
Christians in business should be equally confident to hold forth the values they believe in. They are, after all, good. We could go even further and say that they are in fact values that are inherently good for business. Holding out our values for all to see is ultimately what witness is.
To witness is to unashamedly live and declare a way of life that is true to the values we hold. In our case, these are the values taught and upheld by Jesus and found in the Bible. That is why it is so essential that we can answer the question; ‘What would Jesus do and how would Jesus do it, if he were running my business?’
What are your company values?
Are these values a reflection of God’s values and character?
Do you think there would be enough evidence, or witnesses for that matter, to convict your company of being run in accordance with Christian values?
Discussion.
World’s values God’s values In which box does your business currently sit?
When Christian business leaders live out God’s values with confidence and integrity, others will encounter the gospel.
you should mind your own business and 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.
1 Thess.4:11b-12.
You are the light of the world…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
你们是世上的光… 你们的光也当这样照在人前,叫他们看见你们的好行为,便将荣耀归给你们在天上的父。
Matthew5:14-16.
Teaching.
If every believer can discover how to do their daily business in such a way that even their quietly undertaken good deeds are both seen and respected by those around them, society will surely take note. The trick is to make sure we don’t
confuse ‘quietly’ with ‘secretly’. We are called to take both the good news and our good deeds out from under the ‘bowl’, allowing their light to be seen. Leaders of an organisation will be observed more closely than most and their example more readily followed by those they lead. As leaders, we set the tone for the organisation, both by what we do and what we say. Christians in business would do well to consider how their daily work might win the respect of outsiders.
Is your approach to business winning the ‘respect of outsiders’? Mark on the scale below how you are doing.
Reflection.
Never 、 Always
To have an effective witness we must be clear and confident about our beliefs.
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect
Activity.
1 Peter书3:15
In pairs, reflect on the diagram below and list the reasons for the ‘hope that you have’ for the future of your business.
My personal business gifts God’s ordained purpose and plans God’s word to for business me personally
Gifts from God。
A word from God.
This God-given hope results in confidence, optimism and peace about both your present circumstances and the future. Such hope will be noticed and respected by others. They may even want to know its source.
To have an effective witness we must also make the gospel known. Being clear and open about the Christian faith is fundamental to any Christian ministry. This may sound obvious, but it is easy for us to be good people without explicitly being God people. Beware! God is a jealous God and Jesus is clear when he says in Luke 9:26 ‘whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory.’ For us to have any form of effective witness we must ‘come out as Christians. Where there is an opportunity for an extended witness, we should make it known that we are Christian to our colleagues and repeat customers.
This allows what we believe, and whom we believe in, to be revealed naturally in the course of our business life. The trick is to both seek and seize the moments. This is, for most of us, the hardest part of the Great Commission. We must overcome any concern that an openly Christian basis for the way we do business might be bad for business.
Teaching.
Are you known as a Christian in your workplace? Does this reputation extend to your work colleagues, customers and even your sector and your industry?
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
Romans1:16
Do you think it is appropriate for the gospel to be explicitly made known in the workplace?
Discussion
Look at the example of Daniel to see how this might be done gently and respectfully.
Teaching.
Daniel2:14-28a
When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. He asked the king’s officer, ‘Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?’
Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.
Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said:
‘Praise be to the name of God forever and ever; wisdom and power are his…you have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king.’
Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, ‘Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him.’ Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, ‘I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means.’
The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), ‘Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?’ Daniel replied, ‘No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what
will happen in days to come.’
Daniel2:46-49
Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honour and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. The king said to Daniel, ‘Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.’
Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. Moreover, at Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego chief ministers over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.
Daniel took God’s Word to the king. Going through the scripture, write down the steps that Daniel took that led to
him revealing God to the king with ‘wisdom and tact’.
Discussion.
Why do you think Daniel never told Arioch that God was the source of the interpretation?
What was the outcome of Daniel ‘coming out’ and declaring God’s role in the interpretation?
Reflection.
Eric Liddell
We are all missionaries. Wherever we go we either bring people nearer to Christ or we repel them from Christ.
On the line below, mark where you are and then where your company is on the spectrum.
Repel from Christ Nearer to Christ
What might help you and your company establish a more effective witness and move to the right?
Discussion.
Think of an example of how you and your company can draw people nearer to Christ.
To play their part in the Great Commission, Kingdom
Entrepreneurs must make Christ known, bringing colleagues, customers and competitors nearer to Christ.
Close the session with a short time of prayer. Ask for the courage and wisdom to play your part in the Great Commission.