Tne Entrepreneurial Vocation - Acton University Vocation...The Universal Call to Work • God’s...
Transcript of Tne Entrepreneurial Vocation - Acton University Vocation...The Universal Call to Work • God’s...
TheEntrepreneurialVocation
• Asacredcallingoranexalta0onoftheexploita0ve?• Jesus’wordsaboutGodandmammon,richandpoor• Thenewsitua0onofapprecia0on• PurposeoftheTalk• Tonourishtheunderstandingofthoseengagedinbusinesssothattheymayliveouttheirvoca0onmoreardently;
• TohelpthoseinministryorfutureministrysupportbeCerthoseinbusinessandstrengthenthemtoliveouttheirvoca0onstothefull.
• Toassistallofustoseethatthere’ssupposedtobeanentrepreneurialdimensiontoeveryChris0anvoca0on.
TheEntrepreneurialVocation
• StructureoftheTalk• Theuniversalcalltoholiness• Theuniversalvoca0onofeverypersontowork• Characteris0csofthespecificvoca0onoftheentrepreneur.• Someprac0calconsidera0onsabouthowtoliveouttheentrepreneurialvoca0onfaithfully.
TheUniversalCalltoHoliness
• TheVoca0ontoHoliness• Avoca0onisacallingfromGod• Thefundamentalvoca0oneveryChris0anhasreceivedthroughBap0smisbeholy• “ThisisthewillofGod,yoursanc0fica0on”(1Ths.4:3)• “Youshallbeholy,forItheLORDyourGodamholy”(Lev.19:2)
• “BeperfectasyourheavenlyFatherisperfect”(Mt5:48)• HolinessissimplybecomingmoreandmoreGod-like.•
TheUniversalCalltoWork
• God’splanforworkinthebeginning,beforeanda`ertheFall• “Holinessisnotsomethingoutsidetheboundsofnormaleverydaylife.ForGodcallshispeopletoleadholyliveswithintheordinarycircumstancesinwhichtheyfindthemselves:athome,intheparish,intheworkplace,atschool,ontheplayingfield.”
• Increaseandmul0ply,filltheearthandsubdueit,exercisedominion(Gen1)
• ConsequencesoftheFall:pangs,sweat,toilbutthevoca0ontoworkremainsandbecomespartofGod’splansforourredemp0vehealing.
• Thetwodimensionsofwork• objec0ve/subjec0ve;• transi0ve/intransi0ve;• facere/agere
• SpiritualityofWork
TheUniversalCalltoWork
• St.JohnPaulIIandthe“GospelofWork”• “Thedescrip0onofcrea0onthatwefindintheveryfirstchapteroftheBookofGenesis,isalsoinasensethefirst‘gospelofwork.’Foritshowswhatthedignityofworkconsistsof:ItteachesthatmanoughttoimitateGod,hiscreator,inworkingandinres0ng,becausemanalonehastheuniquecharacteris0coflikenesstoGod.”
• JesusincarnatesthatGospelofWorkasatektonformostofhislife.
• Inhispreaching,Jesusconstantlyreferstohumanwork,toshepherds,farmers,doctors,sowers,householders,servants,stewards,fishermen,merchants,laborers,tocooking,sewing,baking.Hecomparestheworkofthekingdomtothatofharvestersorfishermen.Hereferstotheworkofscholarstoo.
TheEntrepreneurialVocationtoHoliness
• Someofthemarksoftheentrepreneurialvoca0ontoholiness• Voca.onoftheBusinessLeader:• acceptanceofrisk• persistenceinofferingbeneficialgoods• crea0veplanningcombiningresources• adapta0on
• St.BernardineofSiena• efficiency• responsibility• hardwork• risk-taking
TheEntrepreneurialVocationtoHoliness
• Someofthemarksoftheentrepreneurialvoca0ontoholiness• Par0cipa0oninGod’screa0vework• Par0cipa0oninGod’sprovidence• GoodStewards• Innova0veServantsofothers’needs• Inven0ve• MentorOthers
LightfromSacredScripture
• SeveralScripturalPassagesthattalkaboutthevirtuesofthosewhoarerich:• Zacchaeus(Lk19)• JosephofArimathea(Mt27)• GoodSamaritan(Lk10)• Apostles• ParableoftheTalents(Mt25)
ParableoftheTalents• Theentrepreneuristheonewhoprecisely“invests”the“talents”Godhasgivenhim
• Godgivesustalentstocreate,buildup,mul0ply,invest• ThewealthisalwaystheMaster’s.WearecalledtouseitfortheKingdom.
• TheMastercarefullyassessesthenaturalabili0esofeachservant,butheisverygeneroustoeach
• Itisnotimmoraltoprofitfromtheresources,wit,0meandworkGodhasgivenus
• God’sjoyatandextraordinaryrewardforthosewhodeveloptheirtalents:• “Welldone,goodandtrustworthyservant;youhavebeentrustworthyinafewthings,Iwillputyouinchargeofmanythings;enterintothejoyofyourLord.”
ParableoftheTalents• TheProblemwiththeThirdServant• Timidity• Was0ngoftheGi`• Idleness• Securityoverreasonablerisk-taking.Outoffearoffailure,hehasrefusedeventotrytosucceed.• “Wickedandslothful”• Nocontri0on• ActuallyblamestheMaster• Didn’teventry.
ParableoftheTalents• Theimportanceofsubsidiarity,solidarityandtrust• Trust:TheMasterallowshisservantstodecideuponthebestmannerofinvestment.Hedoesn’tmicromanage,butunleashesthegi`• Subsidiarity:theflourishingofhumanbeingsentailsthebestuseoftheirintelligenceandfreedom.• Solidarity:Inaworkplace,themorepar0cipatoryit,themorelikelyworkerswilldevelop.• Godhasexercisedsubsidiarity,solidarityandtrustinmakinghumanbeingsco-creatorswithGod• Businessleadersshouldseektomodelasimilarsubsidiarity,solidarityandtrusttoupholdthefullhumandignityofemployees
ParableoftheTalents• OtherLessons• Anunequaldistribu0onofwealthassuchisnotunjust• Makingaprofitcannotbenotequatedwithgreed,butcanandshouldbeaproperuseofthegi`
• Whatweseeaboutthe“realloca0onofresources”:• Amoralsystemisdoesn’ttrytomakeeveryonethesamebutrecognizesandtriestoassisteachpersontousehisorhertalentstothefullest.
• Macroeconomiclesson:• 8talentsentrustedbecame15• Oneperson’sgainisnotanother’sexpense.• Inagenuinefreemarketeconomy,thesuccessoftherichdoesnotcomeattheexpenseofthepoor.
LivingWellVocationWell
• Entrepreneursarecalledtosanc0tyinbusiness,tobegoodstewardsoftheMaster.
• EntrepreneursmustdependonGod,receivinghisgi`sandrespondingtothem.
• Entrepreneursmustbewareofallgreed• Entrepreneursmuststrivetomaintainaunityoflife• Entrepreneursmuststrivetoformacommunityofpersons• Entrepreneursmustseektruesolidaritywiththepoor• Theentrepreneuriscalledtobecharitableinhisworkandasaresultofhiswork
• Entrepreneursoughtnotfacilitatethemetastasisofconsumerism
• Entrepreneursmustproperlyvaluerestandtakeit.
Conclusion• “Thevoca0onofthebusinesspersonisagenuinehumanandChris0ancalling.ItsimportanceinthelifeoftheChurchandintheworldeconomycanhardlybeoverstated”(TheVoca.onoftheBusinessLeader).
• Everyvoca0onrequiresafreeandresponsibleanswer.• “Muchwillberequiredofthepersonentrustedwithmuch”(Lk12:48)
• TheVoca0onoftheEntrepreneuristobecomealivingcommentaryofthefirsttwoservantsintheParableoftheTalents
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