Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20000102.htm

FUNCTIONING BY GOD'S POWER FOR BASIC DAILY LIVING NEEDS
Part IV: Effective Business Endeavors By God's Power
(James 4:13-15; Psalm 62:10-12; Genesis 30:31-43; 31:7-13)
  1. Introduction
    1. We Christians live in a world where making a living is a practical necessity. Indeed, God holds a head of household responsible to make a livelihood for his family as part of his Christian testimony, 1 Tim . 5:8.
    2. However, challenges can arise where a believer may wonder how he is to achieve such a livelihood.
    3. God has a ministry whereby the Spirit-controlled believer will achieve exactly what God wants him to achieve in such an area as follows:
  2. Effective Business Endeavors By God's Power, James 4:13-15; Psalm 62:10-12; Genesis 30-31.
    1. Every believer must acknowledge he must work under God's supervision of his business endeavors or he is gambling in a very uncertain environment in the workplace, James 4:13-15:
      1. James was led of God to call self-dependent Christian business men to task for their business boasts:
        1. The KJV term, "Go to now" is better rendered in the NIV as "Now listen . . . ", a phrase that "goads the reader" and corrects an errant viewpoint, cf. Bible Knowledge Com., N.T., p. 831.
        2. What James critiqued were Christian businessmen who loved to boast that on a given future date they could go to a certain city, stay there a specific period of time and during that time market and sell their goods and make a certain pr ofit, James 4:13.
        3. These boasts were all foolish, for no businessman knows what will happen in the future, and life is so short, that launching out on a venture based on unsettled unknowns is a sheer gamble, James 4:14.
      2. Rather, every believer in the business world ought to recognize his need to depend on God for the timing, location, marketing and selling of his goods and the gaining of a profit, James 4:15. To do otherwise is false and sinful boasti ng, James 4:16.
    2. We know from Psalm 62:10-12 that God rewards businessmen for workmanship that is done the right way:
      1. Psalm 62 contrasts the wrong and the right ways to make a good livelihood, cf. our lesson on Psalm 62.
      2. The right way was for the believer to lean entirely upon God rather than income itself for security, and then everything the businessman would need would fall into place, Ps. 62:11-12:
        1. God controls the influence, reputation and livelihood results that go with such blessings, 62:11, 12b.
        2. Also, God is always loyal to His promises regarding the welfare of His people, Ps. 62:11-12a.
        3. God also compensates people according to the quality of their work don in his will, Ps. 62:12b.
        4. Thus, if one fully relies upon the Lord Who in turn provides what the believer needs and just obeys God's will (Ps. 62:8, 12b), instead of having to look to the accumulation of wealth, he can find all the hono r and comfortable income needed coming from his endeavors under God's blessing, 62:7, 12b.
    3. An illustration of this process is given in Genesis 30-31 in the case of Jacob's employment under Laban:
      1. Jacob agreed in good conscience to serve Laban seven years for Rachel to be his wife, Gen. 29:15-20.
      2. However, Laban tricked Jacob, giving him Leah instead of the desired Rachel, leaving Jacob having to work another seven years for her hand in marriage, Genesis 29:22-28.
      3. Laban continued to take advantage of Jacob, unfairly changing his wages ten times (Genesis 31:7) and making Jacob bear the costs for stolen or wild-beast-killed animals from Laban's flock (Gen. 31:38-40).
      4. Seeing Jacob was being unfairly "taken" by Laban opposite what God wanted as seen in Gen. 28:13-15, God intervened. He revealed to Jacob in a vision that He was aiding Jacob in a business arrangement he had with Laban: as Jacob had agreed to receive wages by gaining only the spotted animals from Laban's flocks, God led only Jacob's spotted males to mate with Laban's single-colored ewes at the livestock drinking troughs, causing Laban's flock to produce a huge herd for Jacob, Genesis 31:10-12!
Lesson: Business endeavor blessings come to the believer who makes doing GOD'S WILL his GOAL in that endeavor, and then PERFORMS uprightly in it. GOD blesses him by supplying him insight or other advantages to enable him to make the living he need s to fulfill God's role FOR him.

Application: We must not look at the accumulation of wealth ITSELF for blessing, but seek to heed GOD Who gives what we need for our livelihood security. We then enjoy God's blessings, 1 Tim. 6:17.