What If…? Alpine 2021 Stewardship Series
What if…? What if we cultivated a heart like God’s? What if we put God first? What if we joined into something extraordinary? What if we all used – not just our money, but our time, gifts and talents to serve God? Our 2021 stewardship series here at Alpine (coming October 31st – Nov. 21st) will explore what if we had not just more money, but more hearts, more creative brains, more diversity… just plain more people joining in? How can we get more connected to God’s amazing world changing mission?
Our core values at Alpine are the important truths that help to guide us in all aspects of what we do. One of our key core values is Service: We stop asking who is going to meet our needs and start asking whose needs we can meet.
So what role does serving others play in our own Christian lives? The apostle Paul writes
“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:1-4 ESV).
Paul is very direct when he tells us that if we have received any kind of comfort, joy, blessing – anything at all from God – then our response needs to be adapting the mindset of Jesus and tossing aside our pride and vanity by choosing to serve and care for others. But we do not just do this as a way of saying thanks to God. Paul will go on to further tie serving others to the growth of both our experience of God and the building of our faith in God. As the church begins to encounter more and more persecution, difficulties, obstacles to faith, and dangers from the world; serving others becomes a kind of survival tactic for Paul. He encourages us not to get distracted by the pressures and goals of life in this world but instead to remain obedient to this calling that Jesus has given us. Paul is not the only one who thinks this way. The Apostle Peter writes;
“Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it (I Peter 4:7-9).”
Serving others then is a core part of who were are. It is an identity that we received form Jesus, and it is what motivates our hearts, minds, desires, decision making, choices etc.… Often, when people confess to me that they feel lost, my response is “go find someone to help!” It is there that you will connect once again with God and rediscover God’s true purpose for your life.