Ethical Business Based on the Bible

DOING BUSINESS BY THE BOOK

1. WHAT BOOK - The Bible 

2. WHY - BECAUSE GOD’S WORD IS OUR GUIDE FOR LIFE

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

3. WHY - BECAUSE GOD’S WORD SPECIFICALLY TEACHES ABOUT EMPLOYMENT 

THE WORK ETHIC

WORK IS NORMAL

WORK IS TO PROVIDE FOR FAMILIES

WORK EXISTED BEFORE SIN

Genesis 2:15 ‘to dress it and to keep it’ plus 1:28

2 Thess 3:6-12 - Verse 10 - If a man does not work neither shall he eat

4. PRINCIPLES OF BUSINESS 

Faithfulness and Trustworthiness (Luke 16/Heb 3:2,5/2 Cor 4:2)

Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much... 

Luke 16:11 Who will commit to your trust true riches. 

5. EXAMPLES OF BUSINESS

1 Samuel 25 - Nabal  - a bad example

Matthew 20:1-16 - On keeping your word

Luke 12:15-21  - Greed and forgetting God

Nehemah - Leadership (Nehemiah 4)

Moses - Jethro and Moses on delegation (Exodus 18)

Boaz (Ruth 2)

Ruth 2:4 The way he greets his employees 

Ruth 2:8 He had instructed the young women

Ruth 2:9 He had charged the young men

6. SPECIFIC PASSAGES ABOUT WORK

Ephesians 6:5-8 Employees

Ephesians 6:9 Bosses

Colossians 3:22-25 Employees

Colossians 4:1,2,5,6 Bosses

1 Timothy 6:1-3 Employees & Bosses

Titus 2:9-11 

HOW WE WORK IS A PROOF OF SALVATION

Titus 2:10 Not purloining, but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

PURLOINING - 3557. νοσφίζω nosphízō; fut. nosphísō, from nósphi (n.f.), apart, separated. In the NT, only in the mid. nosphízomai, to embezzle, keep back something which belongs to another (Acts 5:2, 3; Titus 2:10; Sept.: Josh. 7:1). Applied by Greek writers to embezzlement of public treasures.

Syn.: kléptō (G2813), to steal; aposteréō (G0650), to deprive by fraud.

Ant.: euergetéō (G2109), to do good.

FIDELITY - 4102. πίστις pístis; gen. písteōs, fem. noun from peíthō (G3982), to win over, persuade. Faith. Subjectively meaning firm persuasion, conviction, belief in the truth, veracity, reality or faithfulness (though rare). Objectively meaning that which is believed, doctrine, the received articles of faith.

7. PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

James 4:13-17 If The Lord will

1 Timothy 6:10 The love of money

8. USING YOUR WEALTH

1 Timothy 6:6-8  Be content 

1 Timothy 6:9  Beware

1 Timothy 6:17  Trust God not wealth 

1 Timothy 6:18  Use your wealth for others 

1 Timothy 6:19  Invest in the future

Our visit to The Hague

Since Thursday afternoon I have been in Holland. My son and I joined four other guys for a two night trip to The Hague in the Netherlands. It has been a great few days. We visited a number of places in the city, took a walking tour, ate lots of food and enjoyed every minute of it. 

Here are some pictures of The Hague. I’ll be back blogging next week. Until then have a good weekend. 

Take a trip to www.seekthetruth.org.uk and watch a video message or listen to something this weekend. 

Cover - UP (Truth Suppressed)

Cover-UP

This is a term, used increasingly, to describe a situation where the truth has been suppressed, the facts have been misreported and people misled by a string of lies and a web of deceit. This is done deliberately to obscure the truth and to allow the guilty to appear innocent.

The recent Leveson inquiry attempted to discover the truth behind phone-hacking scandals and shockingly intrusive journalism that had been tolerated for years without people being fully aware of the full extent of such deplorable malpractice. The inquiry into the Hillsborough disaster, when many football fans were trampled to death, was carried out to reveal what really happened on that tragic day of the 15th. April 1989. A concerted effort had been made by the police to shift the blame onto the fans and only now are we discovering who really was to blame and what actually happened. Again and again, demands are made for public inquiries to try to ascertain the facts and disclose the truth. After years of silence and deception, many are finally being brought to justice for crimes they had covered up for decades.

Back in Liverpool

We arrived back on Tuesday evening around 2100. It was a long journey but we made it. The flight from Kiev to Frankfurt was delayed by 30 minutes which had a knock on effect. 

The journey from arrival to departure in Frankfurt Airport was pressured and tense. This was the same as our outward bound journey. If you are training for a 5k run transiting through Frankfurt International Airport is good practice!