Sunday, December 13, 2009

Reclaiming Enterprise as an Act of Worship: 10 Essential Principles

1. Whereas enterprise is a biblical domain in God's Kingdom, the place where vast numbers of Christ followers are predestined to joyfully labor in advancement of His Kingdom, Christians in the secular workplace and workplaces designed and owned by believers in Christ are called to Matthew 6:9-13, Mathew 10, and Matthew 28:19-20 Commissions.

2. God often places kingdom business professionals in kingdom businesses and non-kingdom businesses alike to advance His Kingdom. Wherever they are called to serve, Ephesians 2 is their guide, serving their workplace leaders whether present or not, knowing they are really serving God.

3. A kingdom business is owned or privately controlled by a kingdom business entrepreneur, a subset of kingdom business professionals.

4. A kingdom business may be in any principled business area, no matter how mundane it's labor, and is designed and operated according to the following:

-The enterprise, whether constructed as for profit or non-profit, is designed for and is successful in generating both revenue and sufficient profit to stabilize it, and plan for enterprise survival and growth, and the development of its employees.
-The enterprise's policy and practice obey the laws of the land.
-The Steward of the enterprise can ask God's blessing for its mission, short and long term objectives, within the transparent context of advancing God's Kingdom.
-The Enterprise's demands of and ministry to its employees advance God's Kingdom while obeying the laws of the land.
-It's demands of and ministry to its suppliers and other partners advance God's Kingdome Enterprise, demonstrated by the enterprises character and integrity.
-It's products, services and ministry to it's customers advanced God's Kingdom through their joint interactions.
-The enterprise is known in it's community as a good citizen.
-It practices sound and biblical financial practices in a transparent manner.

5. The Kingdom Business encourages its employees to support the local church, and recognizes The church’s authority. Kingdom Business Professionals actively practices the personal disciplines of a believer, including Active participation in the local church and small group accountability. The enterprise makes no attempt to create a parallel or replacement organization for the church in the workplace.

6. As in all things belonging to Christ, the enterprise acknowledges it's entire dependence on God for provision, most notably the provision of work for the enterprise to do that generates revenue.

7. Therefore, an interpretation of economics which suggests that any successful enterprise must always act in its own self-interest toward the accumulation of wealth, and that only individuals who receive that wealth are capable of good works, is rejected as an incorrect, and amended as follows:

-The "invisible hand" that guides economies proposed by Adam Smith, who wrote both The Theory of Moral Sentiments and The Wealth of Nations, is the Hand of God.

-That Christ followers in the workplace act in the interest of God's Kingdom, which may be interpreted by non-believers as their own self-interest, or the interest of the company. However, the supremacy of God as revealed by His Word reigns in all actions and choices, including enterprise.

-Therefore, Kingdom Business Owners and Kingdom Business Professional alike are stewards of business opportunities provided by God for His purpose.

8. The Enterprise is a "finger on the Hand of God" just as are other domains which actively engage our world culture, such as government, media, art and entertainment, education, the church, etc.

9. Kingdom business owners (Stewards) and Kingdom Business Professionals reject the concept of secular business, with a set of truths and principles separate from God's word.

10. Kingdom Business Professionals who operate inside an enterprise designed on a secular-sacred separation hold themselves to a higher standard, and pray for creative ways to demonstrate Kingdom Business integrity, principles and solutions while serving their leaders in their most excellent way, using Shadrack Meshack and Abendigo as Models. (Daniel Chapters 1 and 2)

- Lee Royal



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