Pastor Jessie Taft | The Responsibility of Belonging

- Welcome to Reach KC. Everybody, it's so good to have you with us. I just want you all to invite and stand up and join in and worship with us. (laughing) (upbeat music) ♪ I'll take you to the atmosphere ♪ ♪ Spirit of God, oh me and that ♪ ♪ All of for you ♪ ♪ I'll break all of my heart ♪ ♪ I will buy your soul at your blood ♪ ♪ To praise that I keep ♪ ♪ In the mighty name of Jesus ♪ ♪ I'll break all the power of heaven ♪ ♪ I'll proclaim ♪ ♪ Every word that comes again to you ♪ ♪ I'll break in the mighty name of Jesus ♪ ♪ I know I live down from town ♪ ♪ In the enemy has no eyes to come ♪ ♪ Near my family, oh ♪ ♪ You'll see that there aren't two jobs in this ♪ ♪ No matter the circumstances ♪ ♪ You'll close and see in the mighty name ♪ ♪ In the mighty name of Jesus ♪ ♪ I'll break all the power of heaven ♪ ♪ I'll proclaim ♪ ♪ Every word that comes again to me ♪ ♪ In the mighty name of Jesus ♪ ♪ In the mighty name of Jesus ♪ ♪ I'll break all the power of heaven ♪

♪ I'll proclaim ♪ ♪ Every word that comes again to you ♪ ♪ I'll break in the mighty name of Jesus ♪ ♪ In the mighty name of Jesus ♪ ♪ I know all the power of heaven ♪ ♪ I'll break in the mighty name of Jesus ♪ ♪ I'll break in the mighty name of Jesus ♪ ♪ I know there's a mighty name of Jesus ♪ ♪ I will not fear ♪ ♪ I will not fear ♪ ♪ When the enemy comes here ♪ ♪ On the door prayed for my God ♪ ♪ The blood of Jesus Christ ♪ ♪ I will not fear ♪ ♪ I will not fear ♪ ♪ There's none other than Joseph ♪ ♪ I'll break in the mighty name of Jesus ♪ ♪ I will not fear ♪ ♪ I will not fear ♪ ♪ When the enemy comes here ♪ ♪ On the door prayed for my life ♪ ♪ The blood of Jesus Christ ♪ ♪ I will not fear ♪ ♪ I will not fear ♪ ♪ There's none other than Joseph ♪ ♪ I'll break in the mighty name of Jesus Christ ♪ ♪ The blood of Jesus Christ ♪ ♪ In the mighty name of Jesus ♪ ♪ I'll break in the mighty name of Jesus ♪ ♪ I'll break in the mighty name of Jesus ♪

♪ I'll break in the mighty name of Jesus ♪ ♪ In the mighty name of Jesus ♪ ♪ I'll go on the power of fear and darkness ♪ ♪ I'll go on the power of fear and darkness ♪ ♪ I'll go on the power of Jesus ♪ ♪ I will not fear ♪ ♪ I will not fear when the enemy comes here ♪ ♪ On the door prayed for my life ♪ ♪ The blood of Jesus Christ ♪ ♪ I will not fear ♪ ♪ I will not fear ♪ ♪ There's none other than Joseph ♪ ♪ I'm addicted on all sides ♪ ♪ The blood of Jesus Christ ♪ ♪ I will not fear ♪ ♪ I will not fear when the enemy ♪ ♪ One by heart is the good Jesus Christ ♪ ♪ I will not be it, I will not be it ♪ ♪ It's an army of angels to be ♪ ♪ I'm connected on all sides ♪ ♪ The good Jesus Christ ♪ ♪ In the mighty Name of Jesus Christ ♪ ♪ I pray for the power of you ♪ ♪ I'm broken everywhere can walk against me ♪ ♪ Christ ways in the mighty Name of Jesus ♪ ♪ In the mighty Name of Jesus ♪ ♪ I know all the power of you ♪ ♪ Christ ways in the mighty Name of Jesus ♪ ♪ I know all the power of you ♪ ♪ Christ ways in the mighty Name of Jesus ♪

♪ In the mighty Name of Jesus ♪ ♪ In the mighty Name of Jesus ♪ ♪ I pray for the power of you ♪ ♪ Christ ways in the mighty Name of Jesus ♪ ♪ Christ ways in the mighty Name of Jesus ♪ ♪ In the mighty Name of Jesus ♪ ♪ I know all the power of you ♪ ♪ In the mighty Name of Jesus ♪ ♪ Christ goes ♪ ♪ In the mighty Name of Jesus ♪ ♪ I know all the mighty Name of Jesus ♪ ♪ Christ is in the mighty Name of Jesus ♪ ♪ Christ is in the mighty Name of Jesus ♪ (audience applauds) (gentle music) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering)

(audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language)

(singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) [MUSIC PLAYING] ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We Jesus, your God name ♪ ♪ We're left in high blood glory ♪ ♪ Shaking up the earth inside ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We're spirit black out ♪ ♪ We're a core of love ♪ ♪ We're spirit black out ♪ ♪ We're spirit black out ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪

♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪

♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪

♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ Does anybody know who Prison Fellowship is? All right. There's like four. I thought there would have been more, but it's a great ministry.

They are the ones that do angel tree. They are the ones that do a lot of other discipleship stuff that happens in prisons. They have actual like 18 month programs. I think it's called IFI. They just introduced it to the first federal prison ever. And so it's 18 month discipleship program that guys get to complete on the inside. And so it's pretty amazing what God is doing through that. And just the opportunity to be able to be a part of a ministry like that is pretty awesome as well. And so I am honored today to be here even after walking around DC because I didn't want to drive. And so I just walked around. And so we are excited to be back. Amen. Amen and excited for church today. And we'll be able to have the honor of spending some time with one of our very own pastor Jesse as well and leaning in and learning a word. Hey, I just want to jump into this scripture right here real quick because, you know, it's one of the things that I just believe the Lord has has given us is the word. And so why get away from the word, especially even in a moment like we are in right here at this second and second Corinthians nine eight. God says, and God will generously provide all that you need. And then not before, but and then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. And it's amazing because God doesn't ask us to give because he needs what we've got. He asked us to give because he wants our hearts to trust what is his. He wants our hearts to trust what is in his hands because not just us trusting what is in ours, but it reminds me of a little kid that's standing on the edge of the swimming pool and that's already in the water. And he's holding out his arms saying, hey, just jump. I've got you. I promise. I've got you. It's okay. And they don't know how to swim that well. So they get a little nervous to jump in. But the issue isn't whether dad is strong enough to catch him. Right.

The issue is whether the child trust him enough to jump. You know you got this. If it's your child, you're like, maybe I promise you. Trust me. I will drown saving you. Like you won't go under. I will get you. I'll throw you up on the side of the pool and I got you. Nothing will happen. And sometimes that's exactly what giving feels like. God says, hey, trust me. I got you. Trust me. And we think, well, what happens if something happens? What happens if I give and then this happens? What happens if I give and then that breaks? What if there isn't enough to last? And Paul says, hey, God will generously provide all that you need. Giving isn't saying, God, I have so much that I don't need this. Because if that was the case, nobody would give. Right. But that's not it. Giving is saying, God, I trust you more than what I'm holding on to. I trust you more than what I trust this with, more than what I trust. My card, my credit card, come on. I don't trust them either. They charging you an outrageously percentage rate. Don't trust them. They after you. It's not as good as it looks.

But notice how the verse ends. God provides so that we can have plenty left over to share with others. See, God doesn't only want to give provision to us. He wants to give provision through us. We are a channel for God to want to do something through to the rest of the people in this world, specifically to those in the body of Christ. And so as we give today, don't just think about an amount. Think about trust. God, am I trusting you? Because I say I trust you to people. I say I trust you in my growth group that I attended this last week. I say I trust you to my friends on Facebook. friends out tomorrow, I say I trust you, but do I really trust you to see it's one thing to say I trust my wife. It's another thing to show her I trust her. Because I can say I trust you all day and then hound your phone, ask you where you've been, nag at you, do all these things that would not show you that I trust you, but if I trust you then you know what I ain't even got to ask. I know she loves me. I know some of these things happen because there is action behind it and maybe God is simply saying hey you can trust me. I've got you. I know it's jumping into the deep end. I know you've never done this. I know it's like learning how to swim, but I got you. Trust me, would you trust me and jump into my arms because I got you. As some ushers come forward, I just want to pray for a moment over you that God you would break the mindsets of poverty, that you would break the mindsets of not enough, that you would break the mindsets that we have held on to so long, thanking that I am my provider. God I pray that you would just denounce that right now and that you would allow us to lean into you, that you would allow us to lean into your trust and that that you would help us understand the mathematics of who you are. So God today as we lean into you, God I pray your spirit in this room. I pray that you would have your way. I pray that you would bless us, that you would shine your face down upon us and that you would look down upon us and smile as we continue to walk in your presence. In

Jesus name, amen. As we talk about preparing the building, I also want to talk for a moment about preparing the teams. We have two team training days. Those days will consist of us doing full trainings of every serve team area. If you are serving on a serve team, we're actually getting ready to launch a new term called the dream team and that means that you have now been a part of a team that is a dream. I mean we get to be a part of something that is bigger than us. I believe that there is no high-end team and when we get to come together and be a part of serving together, life happens in the context of community, discipleship happens in the context of community and so when you get connected to that dream team, hey things are going to happen. Those days we're going to actually be able to do physical training, role-playing, the roles and figuring out exactly where you're supposed to serve and how you're supposed to serve. And I know there's a question that is going through your mind right now. Well what if I'm not signed up to serve? We want you to be able to come to because maybe you've never served at Reach KC before. Hey this is an awesome opportunity for you to get signed up and we want you to save the day. Remember October 3rd from 1 to 3 and October 10th from 10 to 12 and we've got some new exciting updates coming for you soon. Stay tapped in, watch for the updates coming. We love you guys. Who is excited about the new building? I'm so pumped about it. Honestly it's been weird because I know we've been talking about it for like the past year. Ever since we moved up here we've been talking about this new building. So the anticipation of moving in has been building and building and building and I'm so excited that we are on the move, right? We are church on the move, we are going to the new place and that's something that I'm just really excited to see what God is going to do in this new facility in this next season. The pastor Adam started a new series continuing acts six titled built for pressure and last week he talked about the weight of our yes and as we focus on this next season for Reach KC and the launch of our new building there is no better time than now than to focus on what God has called each of us to be a

a part of. And when I say each of us, I'm not just talking I am talking about the church body. We all are being called to this next season and we all have a part to play in it. Now as Pastor Adam mentioned last week, as the church multiplies, the need grows with it. So today, I wanna talk about what that means for us as a church. We know that we're stepping into this new season in a bigger facility, a new community, and we need to be prepared for what that looks like and what it takes as a church body to be able to steward this next season well. So this morning we are going to focus on what it means to belong to the body of Christ. We all wanna be a part of something, right? We are born with this desire to belong, to be known, to be needed. But here's the thing. Most of us don't want the responsibility that comes with belonging. One of our core values here at REACH is we fight for our tribe. And I've been thinking about this core value a lot over the past week and so I decided to look up like what does it mean to be a part of a tribe? So here's a few things that I found. In a tribe, the people look after one another. If one person is hungry or hurt, the whole community comes together to help. In a tribe, they protect their history,

their cultures, and their values. And they make sure that their heritage is passed down from one generation to the next. In a tribe, they have respected leaders who take on the responsibility of raising their people in the ways of the tribe and in return, the community honors and protects them. And in a tribe, everyone has a role. Everyone plays a part in the preservation of the tribe. Now we say that we fight for our tribe, but if we really mean that, we have to be a part of the tribe first. It's a give and take. You can't just say you're a part of the tribe. You have to take on the responsibility of being a part of it. And that's why I've titled today's message, "The Responsibility of Belonging." If you want to open up your Bible this morning or get out your journals, we are going to take a break from Acts for just this week. And we are going to step into 1 Corinthians 12. And we're going to talk about three responsibilities of belonging in the body of Christ. The first responsibility is the responsibility of unity. First Corinthians 12, 12 says that the human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. We are individually and collectively part of God's design. We need what each person has to offer

so we can consistently grow in our relationship with Christ and with one another. And when each part is working properly, when each person is doing their part to become more like Christ, while also helping others to become more like Christ, the result is that we draw closer together as one body. Romans 12, 4 through 5, says that just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. We all come from different walks of life, right? Different backgrounds, different homes, different families and incomes, yet we are united as one in Christ. We share a common faith and a common goal because we are one body with many parts that belong together. Now, my husband and I all met Forrest, right? He's right here. (audience laughing) He's pretty cool, I like him. I'll keep him around. My husband and I, we are a team. We work together as one to serve the kingdom and to disciple people, but we both bring something different to the table

when we work together. Now, there are some obvious differences about us. For instance, our height difference. I, why are you laughing? (audience laughing) I am a five foot tall, five foot short and squatty girl. I am wearing heels today because it makes me feel like But I'm very short. My husband on the other hand is a tall and lean six foot male. Obvious difference in our height. I always tell people that I married up when I married Forrest. That's right. Thank you. (laughing) The other obvious difference about us is our hair. I have long curly hair. And my husband's hair is migrating. It's going in a different direction. It's slowly moving to his beard. (laughing) And I love him and I love his hair and I love his beard. So there are these obvious differences about us, right? You can look at us and say, oh yeah, they're two different people, obviously. But there's also some differences about us that are less obvious. So my husband is a plumber. He is really good at working with his hands. He is an excellent problem solver.

He is like one of those guys when we're trying to load up the car to go on vacation, that he can like look at it and be like, put this here, put that there, put this here, put that there. Like he knows how to solve a problem so quickly. He's really good at it. He's also excellent with kids. He knows how to get on a child's level to speak to them in a way that they understand and they can grasp the gospel and the truth of Jesus. He's also really good at connecting with people. He is the most personable person, yep, that I've ever met. In fact, a lot of times I will tell people that I take him around as my security blanket because I get a little introverted and it's hard for me to connect with people sometimes. But my husband is so good at it that when I'm with him, I feel like I can connect with people on a deeper level. He's just so good at that. Now for myself, I'm a pastor. I'd say that I'm a decent speaker. I love to sing. I'm great at bringing a bunch of people together and building them up in their faith, teaching them how to work together. I'm super empathetic, meaning like I just, I feel what other people are feeling. Like if you're sad, I might be sad. If you're happy, I'm filled with joy.

If you're angry, I might get frustrated with you because I feel those things deeply. I'm also a really good listener and I have this ability to see things from multiple perspectives before drawing a conclusion. You see, my husband and I were different in a lot of ways, but we need each other to be able to fulfill the calling of God that's on our life. Neither of us can do everything on our own. We have to rely on one another to accomplish what God has called us to do. And our differences, they don't draw us apart. They're actually the thing that unites us together. Now for years, Forest and I have been building teams of people, leading them, discipling them, and then taking them to different parts of the world so that we can serve and share the gospel with others. And each team we build is vastly different from the last. We come to the room with unique personalities. One person might be more sensitive or emotional than the other. One person might be funny or sarcastic. One person might be strong-minded or strong-willed. Some people say I'm strong-willed. One person might be quiet and another person might be loud. We also come with unique skills on our team. One person might be a great problem-solver like my husband. One person might be a great speaker. Another might be good with kids. And another might be good with their hands

and building things. And we take this team of unique individuals and we see how they each work together to serve the whole group. Not one of us can do every single task or job on our own, but when we work in unity, we are capable of doing almost anything. Now speaking of missions, when you see this group of people that we put together, you might think, "Wow, that's an odd mix of people." And we are. We tend to be a weird group of people that go on mission trips. Why are you shaking your head so hard? (laughing) But when we go on mission together, it all makes sense. All of those unique personalities and those random skills come together and create a well-oiled machine. And I'm not gonna try to convince you, maybe, to go on a mission trip. But I will say that there is a proven track record with our missions teams. I could tell you testimony after testimony of how our team members' lives have been changed, God does with our team. He takes this weird odd ball mix of people and he works all of our uniqueness together and does incredible things on the field and in our lives. So if you're looking for something apart just you know a little pitch here but if you're looking for something to be a part of right you want to belong to something maybe you

want to grow in your relationship with Jesus or maybe you need to connect more with people and grow in discipleship. I just want to invite you to maybe consider joining us on a missions trip. Thank you. I can tell you to see what God does by saying yes because I promise you you will not come back the same as when you left. And we've got an interest meeting today at 1.30 p.m. and the 2-in-1 growth track classroom. So if you'd love to learn more about our release missions trip and April of next year I would love for you to join us at 1.30 p.m. and the 201 growth track classroom okay we'll be there we'll answer all of your questions I promise. But we need a team of different personalities and skills to accomplish what God has called us to do when we go on mission. And the church needs that too. The church needs are unique personalities are specific skill sets to be able to accomplish the mission that God has called us as a church to do. And when each person takes on that responsibility of belonging the church finds unity. First Corinthians 1225 talks about how when all of those various parts of the body are working together functioning as one body then there is harmony among the members. Now look at the people around you right now look to your left look to your right. We are all a unique group of people we are all very different and we all bring something different to the table none of us look exactly the same none of us talk the same none of us dress the same and none of us laugh the same okay especially me I'm very loud. But even though we are different because we are part of the body of Christ we are all unified by one spirit. Ephesians 4 16 says that he makes the whole body fit together perfectly and as each part does its own special work it helps the other parts to grow so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. We are all here to serve the same purpose to belong in community with one another to encourage each other to grow together to love one another and to share the responsibility of belonging.

That means we have to work together in our strengths our weaknesses our brokenness our wholeness we have to encourage each other in our faith we have to afford grace to each other within the church we have to lay down our selfish desires to strengthen every individual and we have to find significance in the unlikely people from overlooked places who are going to do extraordinary things for God at least me to my second point it's a responsibility of significance. First Corinthians 12 18 through 19 says our bodies have many parts and God has put each part just where he wants it how strange a body would be if it only had one part yes there are many parts but only one body that I can never say to the hand I don't eat you and the head can't say to the feet I don't need you a human body can't function properly without all the different parts working together no part of the body is insignificant we may look at some parts of the body and see them as less than or not important to the overall function but really they tend to be the parts that keep everything working smoothly. Let's take the thyroid gland for instance the thyroid is a small butterfly shaped organ in your neck and for most of us it's an organ that we never think about I don't know about you but I'm not thinking about my thyroid most of the time it seems insignificant yet that gland is actually one of the most important organs that you have in your body the thyroid gland regulates the speed and function of almost every major system. function is regulated by this teeny tiny one-out organ. And some of you in this room today, you might think of yourself like that tiny thyroid gland. What I mean by that is that you don't think much of yourself at all. You think your gifting and abilities are small, unimportant, non-essential. You consider yourself insignificant. And when we talk about the church, the body of Christ, I want you to know that you are not insignificant or unnecessary. Every single member of the body, every single spiritual gift plays an important role within the church. The church can't function without the people who are a part of it. I love what Pastor Adam said last week when he said there is no insignificant job. But I'm gonna take that a step further this week and say there is no insignificant person. First Corinthians 1222 says that some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. Now I'm gonna be real

real with you guys for just a minute. But all of my life, I have struggled with insecurity. It probably started in my teenage years. I really struggled with just the way that I looked, the size, the shape, my height, especially because I'm so stinking short. But I struggled with comparison. I would see how someone else looks or see how they dress or see how they fix their hair and I think, "Man, I wish I looked like them." Or I would listen to someone saying and I think, "Man, I wish I could sing like them." And then as I became a pastor and I started to preach, I would hear other people preach and I think, "Man, I wish I could preach like that person." Thank you. I often felt insignificant, if I'm honest. And I would battle this constant back and forth of trying to be confident, like presenting myself as confident, while also questioning my worth compared to others. And sometimes that comparison would lead me to thinking less of myself talking down to myself, finding myself unworthy. And then sometimes it would have the pendulum effect. And instead I would try to prove myself by being better than everybody else at everything that I did. You know, the one thing that it never, neither of those things ever did for me was make me feel worthy of the gifts that God had given me. A few years ago, I was getting ready to preach at a church on a Sunday morning. And I'd been at a conference all weekend long and I'd been listening to all of these incredible pastors preach. They were loud and animated. They controlled the room with their storytelling. And I saw how captivated people were when they were speaking. I saw how the people engaged with them and how they engaged with the people. And I saw how people responded to their message. And the more that I listened to these pastors, the more that I watched them, the more insecure I became. And I started a question not only the calling on my life or the spiritual gifting I'd received, but I questioned my significance. During what the conference, one of the pastors got up and he said, "Don't get trapped in comparison. Be the exact version of yourself that God created you to be." And it felt like that word was specifically for me that morning, right? I wanted to be like everyone else. I wanted to look like everyone else. I wanted to sound like everyone else. I wanted to be able to control the room and

do all the things and be this really animated preacher. And all that did was create more insecurity within me rather than just being myself. If I'm just myself, if I just look the way I look and talk the way I talk and do things that I do, it actually creates confidence within me. See, I was never meant to be a copy of anyone else. I don't look like everyone else. I don't act like everyone else. I don't think like anyone else. And I sure don't laugh like anybody else. It's true. I'm never going to preach the way that Pastor Adam does and he's an incredible preacher. The way that he He's on the cuff. He's stepping on the line. He's really good at what he does. But I'm never going to be him. I'm never going to sing like Catherine does. She's an incredible singer. She has this deep, smoky voice that captivates the room. She's an incredible singer. I don't sing like that. And I'm never going to sing like her. And that's OK. Because that's not who God created me to be. God created me to be who I am. And he doesn't find me insignificant. So why do I waste so much time doubting with the God of the universe, the creator of all things, has said about me? And maybe some of you in the room today, you can relate to that, right? You've battled insecurity. You've felt unworthy. You've felt insignificant.

And you've spent your life comparing yourself to everybody around you. You look at that mom who always seems to have it together, whose kids seem well-behaved. They're excelling in school. They're doing great things. And you think, man, she is a better mom than me. Or maybe you look at that man who always has the nicest cars, the big house, and the perfect family. And you think that man is a better man than me. Maybe you look at the pastor on a Sunday morning who always has an inspiring message and funny jokes. And you think, man, that pastor is way more spiritual than me. You doubt your significance because you are stuck in comparison. The comparison trap happens when you measure your self-worth, your appearance, or success against other people's highlight reels. You don't realize that that mom-- she's been struggling with exhaustion, anxiety, and managing her home. You don't realize that that man-- he's been battling long hours and sleepless nights. He's been missing out on a family he barely ever sees. And you don't realize that that pastor, he has been praying nonstop and fighting battles behind the scenes that you may never know about. All you see is the highlight reel, not the reality of what it takes for them to do what they do or have what they have. I want to tell you this morning to stop

doubting your significance in a world of highlight reels. You are significant to God. You are significant to the body of Christ, and you are significant to reach KC. And with significance comes responsibility, which leads to my final point this morning. It's the responsibility of producing. In today's society, we have created a culture that carries a consumer mentality. We see it all the time, right? It's instant gratification and two-day shipping from Amazon. [LAUGHTER] Amen. It's online shopping and getting our groceries in three hours or less delivered to my door. I had to do nothing. I just click, click, click, click, click, and I opened the door, there's my groceries. It's wonderful. We barely have to put forth any effort. We do everything with a hustle mindset, and I want it now attitude. And I'll admit, I am just as guilty as consumerism as the next, especially when it comes to Amazon. Guys, if I'm looking for something on Amazon and it tells me it's going to take longer than two days to get there, you better believe I'm going to scour all of Amazon until I find the same item that will be there in 48 hours or less. I'm not paying Amazon to ship it to me in five days.

Absolutely not as ridiculous. Sorry. So box. Thank you. We've been raised up and trained in this mindset of consumerism. It's the, what can you do for me attitude? We no longer think of what we can do for others because we are so focused on what they can do for us. And the church isn't void of this mindset. We see it all the time. There's so many times over the years that I've been within the church or in ministry that I've heard people say that they left their last church because they didn't feel like they were being fed. to feed your spiritual needs for the week, then you will walk away hungry every single time. Another reason people leave is because they don't feel like they belong, but let's be real. It's hard to feel like you belong if you're only here to receive. (people chattering) (people chattering) (audience applauding) Sorry, apologies. To belong requires a different mindset than being a weekly consumer. See, we can sit back and we can be consumers, or we can choose to be a producer. Now here's the difference.

The consumer says, "I came here to be served today." The producer says, "I came to serve today." The consumer asks, "What can I get?" And looks at how to extract value from a situation. The producer asks, "What can I give?" And focuses on serving and adding value to a community. The consumer focuses on taking in, using up, and reacting to the world. The producer focuses on building, creating, and adding value to others. First Corinthians 12-7 states, "A spiritual gift is given to each of us "so we can help each other." That doesn't sound like a consumer at all. That sounds like the mindset of a producer. First Peter 4-10 says, "Each of you should use "whatever gift you have received to serve others." See spiritual gifts are not about providing a sense of self-worth or fulfillment. Spiritual gifts are given to us so that we can serve the church. As long as you remain only a consumer, you will not have the fulfillment you desire. A consumer can never get enough. They can never be truly happy. They will always look at the world through the lens of what they can get from it, instead of what they can give to it. The producer mindset, on the other hand, allows you to view the world through an opposite lens.

This lens will keep you striving to find new ways to provide value and allows you to see how others are doing the same. You see, when God gives us spiritual gifts, they are not meant to be self-serving. They are meant for producing. If we carry the responsibility of belonging, then we also will carry the responsibility of our spiritual gifts. Forest Dayton and I went down to Texas this last weekend. Yes, woo, Texas, to celebrate our previous church's 20-year anniversary. And it was a really special weekend. We got to join with the past and present staff of the church back in Texas over the past 20 years. And it was really exciting just to be in the room with all of these people that we had worked with throughout the years and who administered to us and who we got to minister with. And it was an exciting weekend. And while we were at our staff reunion on Saturday last weekend, we got this opportunity to share some of our favorite memories of being a part of that church. Well, Forest got up and he shared how his life had been changed through serving. You see, when we started attending that church back in Texas, neither of us had been following Christ in years. It was in that church that we recommitted our lives to Christ.

Later on in that same church, we were called into ministry. And eventually, we were commissioned and sent out to move to Missouri to be a part of Reach K.C. (audience cheering) Praise the Lord. But none of that happened overnight. It started when we stopped being Sunday morning consumers and we started being Sunday morning producers. We became producers when we started serving. I started serving on the worship team for serving on the media team. Forest started leading men's groups. I started leading Bible studies. I started leading Sunday morning teams like greeters and hospitality. And Forest started leading kids ministry. And then we started leading home groups together and eventually leading mission trips. God had given us spiritual gifts and we exercised those gifts through it's because I know how it changed forest in my life when we said yes to serving. Nothing grew us more in our walk with Christ than serving within the church. It was through serving that we were discipled. It was through serving that we built relationships. And it was through serving that God called us to the next level. Now something my pastor back in Texas would always tell us is that God is more concerned with your character than your comfort. Consumerism may feel comfortable, but being a producer creates character. If you truly desire to grow spiritually, then you have to embrace that producer mentality. Nobody grows by staying stagnant. If you expect to grow by attending once a week and filling a seat, you won't. You'll just stay comfortable. You grow in the stretching. You grow when you embrace the uncomfortable.

You grow by belonging to something greater than yourself. You know, the greatest producer of all time was Jesus Christ. He understood the responsibility of belonging to something greater than himself. It says in Mark 10 that Jesus came to serve, not to be served. It says in John 13 that the night before his death on the cross, he served his disciples by washing their feet. And in Hebrews 12, it says that as Jesus faced the cross on that fateful day, he endured it with the joy set before him. Jesus understood the assignment that the Father had given him. He knew that by giving his life, by being a servant to the Father, by saying, "Yes, I will do whatever you ask me to do." He knew that by giving his life, we would be saved. He did it for us. And he is the perfect example of servanthood. I'm going to ask you guys to stand to your feet this morning. See, I believe that there are people in this room today that are tired of the mundane life that you have been leading. You're going through the motions, but your life is lacking purpose. You long for a place to belong, a place to be known. You're looking for something that's missing. For some of you in this room this morning, that thing that you're missing, it's Jesus. You are missing him. And I believe that this morning that there are people in this room that maybe you've never given your life to Christ. And right now, Jesus is speaking to your heart and saying, "Come to me. Give your life to me. I have so much more for you. You want to belong. You want to be known. You want to have purpose. You want to have a place. Come with me. Jesus wants you in his life. He wants to be a part of your life. He wants to be everything to you." I also believe that there are people in this room that you've been following the Lord for a long time, but something's been missing and maybe it's time to recommit. Maybe at some point you turn the wrong direction and you have become self-serving. You've become selfish and you've been focused on yourself. And today the Lord is speaking to you and saying, "Hey, give your life to me. Re-commit to me." If that's you in this room this morning, I'm just going to ask you to raise your hand. Right now, raise your hand in this room. I see you one, two, three, four. I see you guys back there. Anybody else? Jesus is calling you. He wants you. He longs to have a relationship with you. Anybody else in the room this morning? If you raise your hand, I'm going to ask you to do one more thing. One more bold step that's part of that producer mentality, right? We're not just going to sit in the seat. We are going to come out of our seat. We're going to come up to the front.

If you want to give your life to Jesus, come on over here. They're going to take you and talk to you about what that means. We're going to pray salvation with you. Let's give it up. Thank you, Jesus. I also believe that there are people in this room today. Maybe you've been following Jesus for a long time, and you've been coming to church faithfully every single week. You've been sitting in the seats. You've been receiving the Word, and then you leave. Maybe this morning, the Lord is speaking to you, and stirring something in your heart and saying, "You know what? I want more. I want to grow more. I need discipleship. I need a connection. I need a place to belong." Maybe you're in this room this morning and it's that time. It's time for you to step out. Sometimes I get it. It's uncomfortable. It's uncomfortable to join a team. It's uncomfortable to serve. It's uncomfortable to get here early in the morning. I get that. What if God is calling you to something deeper? Because He has another thing for you. He has something new for you that you can't even see yet until you take that one step of faith to say, "You know what? I want to be more than just the consumer.

I want to be a producer." So this morning, we're going to do something just a little bit different. We're going to have the worship team is going to play and during our response here at the altar. If that's you this morning, the Lord's been stirring it in your heart and saying, "You know what? I need to do more." I just want you to come to the front. I want you to pray and seek the Lord and ask Him, "How do you want me to serve? How do you want me to be a part of what you're doing in the Kingdom, Jesus? How do you want me to be a part of this new building that we're about to step into?" So if that's you this morning, I encourage you to come to the front, let the Lord speak to you, and then we're going to have a QR code up on the screen where you can sign up for those trainings that we're going to have in just a couple of weeks. You can join a team. You can be a part of what God is going to do in and through. Reach, K.C. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Come on, if you just need the Lord to do something in your life, we've still got a few minutes left.

Let's just step out. Let's come down here to the front. Let's just say, "God, I need you to intervene in my life. I need you to break an addiction off of me. I need you to break something that is happening in my marriage, Oh God, I need you to break something in my finances. Lord, I just need you to open up the floodgates of heaven and just pour your spirit out on us because I cannot continue to be the same as I used to be. Help me get connected, help me get plugged in. Come on, let's worship for just a few more minutes, Church. ♪♪♪ - Would you do it, God? (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music)