Creating a Culture of Serving

By Eric Bryant

Why Should We Create Culture of Serving?

  • God is a servant. (See Phil. 2 – www.mosaic.org/podcast – Uprising: Humility by Erwin McManus)
  • Changes the perspective of others. We become known by our love which is as it should be.
  • Changes our perspective. When we become missionaries overseas, it can help us think and live more like missionaries where we live.

This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.  Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other’” (Zechariah 7:9-10)

How Can We Develop a Culture of Serving?

1. Communicate the message of Jesus as a call to change the world (because it is)!

  • Our cause = moving people to become the person God created them to be.
  • Jesus did not invite us to follow Him for what we could get, but what we could give.
  • Fellowship isn’t just what we do for each other.  Fellowship is what do together for the world.
  • “The church isn’t here to meet our needs.  We are the church, here to meet the needs of the world.” – Erwin McManus in An Unstoppable Force

2. Meet the needs of those around us.

  • People weren’t repelled by the beliefs of the early church as much as they were intrigued by their character.
    The early Christ-followers were “praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people” – Acts 2:42-47
  • We need to seek to meet the physical, emotional, economic, and spiritual needs of those around us.  We should pursuing changing the environment and changing the individual (social justice and evangelism).

3. Connect with those you do not know.

  • “Xenos” is the Greek word for “stranger, alien, or foreigner.”  Throughout the Scriptures, God’s love for the stranger becomes clearly evident.
  • Hospitality means loving strangers. Our homes, our businesses, and our churches should become safe places for strangers to experience kindness and love.

4. Deepen your relationships with those you know.

  • OIKOS is the Greek word for household (family, neighbors, co-workers and friends)
  • Are we loving, serving, investing, and sharing with our family, neighbors, co-workers, and friends?
  • Luke 5:27-32  Parties give us natural environments to build relationships.
  • Jesus was willing to ruin His reputation to reach out to others who were far from God.
  • People are most open to God and discovering a relationship with Him in the midst of life’s major transitions – a wedding, a baby, a move, a loss.

Free Resources:

Comments
  • T

    Eric,

    First, a sincere thanks again to all of you guys for all the work that went into the pre-conference. I can’t tell you all the different ways it was the perfect thing at the perfect time, from confirming to correcting, it was all encouraging and helpful. I was already about halfway through NPPA before the conference and I started M&TM this week. By the way, I don’t know if you or John has ever heard this before, but I applaud the courage you’ve shown to do and say what you guys have done at Gateway. I’m sure you’ve caught some criticism for letting folks belong before they believe and for similar stances. I say a huge “Amen!” to what you guys are trying to do.

    Second, on the “serving” culture: Last Sunday, I had already asked our team to be thinking and praying about what we could/should do for a “serve” weekend instead of our normal gathering. (And I had recommended NPPA as an intro to some key parts of what we’re trying to do in this church plant.) To hear that another church had been doing “serve first”, and to hear the importance of making serving part of the culture was great. Speaking of which, I failed to get the name of the planter in San Antonio that was doing the “serve first” weekend. I’d love to have his email if you have it and if he’d be okay with that.

    Again, many thanks to all of you.

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