Belonging Part 1: Finding Belonging | Jen Toledo | Expression58

well we are glad that we are starting a series today and excited for what God wants to do in our time together in the next couple weeks as we're going through this but we're gonna be talking about belonging and anybody remember our three points that we're focusing on this year let's see how well of students cy who comes to church huh who actually comes to church now the three things we felt like God was saying to focus on this year number one take big God risks oh thank you that's not number one that was number two okay number one invest in intentional community right number to take big God risks and number three but be the hungriest person in the room these are three things we feel like God is has challenged us to do this year to focus on to go after invest an intentional spiritual community take big God wrists be the hungriest person in the room and so wow that's definitely better than that let's all look this way give your eyes a break yeah Lord we prayed for this screen you guys remember that and it got delivered let's pray for this one Lord deliver this screen as well maybe we get in new things whatever things need to happen make the yellow go away okay Amen it worked last time so we're gonna be talking a lot about this concept of investing in intentional community and what it really means to be the body of Christ what it really means to link together what it really means to to be positioned around the people God is trying to position around you so that you can get the kind of synergy you need to get the kind of breakthrough you need in this season in your life and so we're gonna be going after that we're gonna be talking about belonging and we'll kick that off today but we'll be taking the next three or four weeks to really really dig into that so I want to start by saying every human being has an instinctual need to belong it's just human nature it is human nature now you might have spent a lot of time work trying to work that out of yourself unsuccessfully but there is no baby born middle fingers up at their mom saying I don't need you like I just it's not that doesn't happen everybody is born with the need and desire at a very deep level to belong right some of you you scare me that looks you give me like I'm not laughing and I hate you I don't know I feel afraid by your faces it's really hard to preach when you get kind of mad dawg sometime like okay maybe not that joke um so it's it's a it's it's human need right it's it's very it's everybody we need to belong and then you think about your own life and how much in different seasons you've done to try to belong I mean I don't know about you I mean I call my dark years like 11 to 14 those are my dark years I mean I know it's developmental when you're like kind of trying on different personalities I try to be a different person like it's kind of developmental it is developmental but there is also you know for me such a place of trying to try to belong right I mean and you go through all the different stages in different life I mean I don't know what those things maybe some things you've done you know trying to belong you know for me I remember one time looking in the mirror and thinking huh I don't really like this but I was trying to convince myself I liked it giant giant huge purple jeans baggy I mean with the teeny tiny little black you know bodysuit and the giant purple jeans or you're like what's up you're like really you know I owe ya it's like committed the things you do did you know Zika breach I don't know what your thing was but like the things you try to do to belong you know and maybe it's not even your taste or style but you're you know so desperate to belong and you see it you see it everywhere in fact we see it so much with people that they'll even join just be getting an abusive relationship just out of desire to belong or they'll join a gang out of desire to belong or they'll they'll you know we've even seen child soldiers some who are you know kidnapped into rebel armies but some who willingly join even though they're gonna live a horrific life out of desperation to belong it's a deep human desire to belong and there's a reason for it the reason that we are wired to desire to belong is because you're made in the image of God right you're designed in the image of God and who is God God is love God is a father God is the ultimate source of connection and family and relationship you are created for family you are wired and designed by nature to connect to have deep meaningful connections with God and with people right you are you are wired for for to be known you're wired to be really seen and known and to really see and know others and because we've been hurt in those spaces we try to walk ourselves off that ledge oh I don't need people I don't need nobody really how's that working out right and it's we try to put up these walls we try to do this stuff to self protect but the reality is how much can a finger that's been chopped off protect itself from not dying right even though you're like the rest of that body hurt me well it's also the body that's going to heal you so just isolating yourself doesn't heal you right so it's a very complex thing but we are designed for family and so if we're wired and designed for deep connection and relationship where you know we're born with a sense of wanting to belong but at the same time we feel like we don't how come how come we feel like we don't belong how come so many people struggle with rejection so many people struggle with rejection let's go back to the moment where our perfect together 'no sense of belonging that we were designed for was shattered and you guys know this happened a sin entered the scene right the moment Adam and Eve sinned the moment sin came onto the scene there's a breakdown pain enters the story separation enters the story right so here's what happens right after Adam and Eve sinned Genesis 3 7 through 10 then the eyes of both of them were opened and they knew that they were naked and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings and they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden of the cool of the day and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him where are you so he said I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself ah this is the moment as soon as sin entered in they felt like they didn't belong they felt the need to hide they felt they felt like they're not going to be accepted fear of rejection the first place you see it I was afraid I hid I tried to present myself different why are they I mean the coverings you think about this wire there's only two people who's the clothes for the birds pervert birds like I don't know what why are they making clothes it's two people that have been naked together this whole time and God like why are they but isn't this how rejection works the second you have rejection you've got to present yourself in a different way from who knows who maybe the birds you got to change you got to be you got to cover you got a you know what do you want me to be who do you need me to be I mean many of us have done that you've walked into your workplace who do I have to be to make you happy you walk into relationships totally violating who you who do I have to be to make you stay you walk into parenting who do I have to be to just make you do what I need you to do we do this and that's the root of that is rejection the root of that is separation the root of that comes it's the fruit really this is the fruit of separation it's the fruit of sin and so as soon as they sinned they suddenly didn't feel like they belonged to each other or to God right and so God comes walking in and they run and they hide Adam where are you from behind the tree I think just the saddest words come out of Adam's mouth he said I heard your voice and I was afraid you were afraid of love's voice what had God ever done to them to make them afraid of him he was perfect love perfect family perfect compassion perfect mercy perfect in relationship but because they sin had entered the story and what does the enemy want to do separate he doesn't want you to have connection with God this is so sad to me that that was the response I was afraid I thought you might reject me I'm hiding I feel like so many people live their life like Adam behind that tree afraid hiding worried am I really accepted by God am I really accepted by people or what do I need to put on to make myself acceptable the reality is you know by being born into sin we entered this world separated from God just like Adam and Eve and that makes us feel afraid and shame and shrink back and want to cover ourselves and from that moment we're sinking in every single baby born was born into a world overrun with fear and rejection a breaking of the original design of togetherness and belonging and family right and so you see this sadness but at the same time we have a remedy this isn't like what are we gonna do this was already taken care of 2,000 years ago on the cross you should be a little more excited about that okay some of you you just a little slow to catch on okay this is good news this is really good news the curse that sin brought into the world was annihilated on the cross we do not live under the curse anymore we're not bound to the curse anymore right this is this is powerful when you think about this hebrews 10:14 for by one sacrifice he is made perfect forever those who are being made holy Matthew 5:48 therefore you shall be perfect just as your father in heaven is perfect what is this about we've been made perfect you shall be perfect is this about our performance thank God because I gotta go I'm done right that is not gonna work like this is not about your performance Jesus didn't come to make you perfect little religious robots right he came to give you perfect position perfect standing with God he takes your rejection your mess yours you know what's caused you to be separated from God and instead he gives you righteousness he gives you right standing with God he brings you back to belonging he restores all things he brings you back to the family it's powerful he shatters separation between you and God and restores you back to your perfect position and design the cross strips rejection of all of its power if rejection has any power in your life it's only because you've given it power it is powerless it's powerless Ephesians one three through six all praise to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who is blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms now listen to some of this language because we are united with Christ even before he made the world God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family time out you are not adopted by a single dad you are adopted into a full family ok this isn't just about you being restored in relationship to God this is about you being restored in relationship to God and his family he's placed you in a family ok by bringing us to himself through Christ Jesus this is what he wanted to do and it gave him great pleasure verse 6 so we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear son you belong you could be an orphan on in this world you could have no buddy in this world but you know what you belong you belong to God and you belong here you belong to God and you belong to the family of God and that that's strength of a bond that strength of belonging is greater than even natural blood you belong to God what if we had a revelation so deep in our life about our belonging we wouldn't be intimidated anymore because you don't belong to your boss and you don't belong to your spouse and you don't belong to your followers and you don't belong to your friends you don't belong to anybody or anything other than God you belong to God when you walk into a room it really doesn't matter what anybody else thinks I belong to God I'm sorry I belong to God thanks for your opinion but I belong to God and last I checked God plus me wins every time God plus you wins every time God wins every time right so you belong to God when you understand that fear should begin to leave your life and security should begin to leave your life constant questioning is it gonna come through is he good I don't know but that should begin to just dissipate in your life when you have grow and grow in the revelation that I belong to God and he is loved and he is good and he's a father and he is present that's really good news Jesus dealt with rejection and reinstated you to belonging belonging is your portion listen to me belonging is your portion not rejection even if your history says something different here is the truth over your life belonging is your your portion belonging is your portion and you know how we get belonging this is the crazy part how we get belonging is through the fact that Jesus was rejected he was rejected so that you don't have to experience rejection so here's a question for you if Jesus went to the cross and was tortured and killed so that you never have to experience rejection why would you tolerate it in your life why do we flirt with it why do we allow it why do we Bend our knee to it it has no power I am fully accepted I belong and some of us maybe we have no problem with the concept of belonging to God but we really struggle with the concept of belonging to his body and we feel like oh I'm good with God but as people here's the thing you don't write the book right the person who writes the book makes the rules and according to God you were adopted into a family he restored you to the family of God family is his design too much okay you guys know I can't tell some people got throw up I can't tell okay um people getting nervous sweat so I can see it okay isaiah 53:3 jesus he was despised and rejected by men a man of deep sorrows he was no stranger to suffering and grief we hid our faces from him and discussed and considered him a nobody not worthy of respect mark 831 says he had to suffer many things and be rejected see Jesus came to his own he came to his creation and we rejected him we rejected him and then he took all of our mess and all of our bad choices and all of our stupidity he put it on himself and willfully chose to be rejected by God by carrying the sin right by carrying our sin but that act so if you're if you should if you really struggle with rejection here's the good news there is nobody who can better walk you through that than Jesus himself because he knows exactly what it feels like very deeply but because of that act of love you and I never have to be bound to that again he strips it of its power and you know the reality is I really didn't give God any great reasons to love us I mean we're kind of cute and all but we're you know I am sure we are a pain in the butt like I can only imagine you know on my best day it's like sometimes I wonder if God just his eyes in heaven um Romans 5:8 but God demonstrates his own love towards us that while we were still sinners he died for us you see it's never been about your behavior God doesn't love you because you act a certain way or because you do a certain thing that's that's religion deliver me Jesus okay God's love for you is not conditional that's good news I have a picture I found this picture of the other the other day and I was thinking about it this is rooha look at this screen that's rua and that was just like an hour after he was born and I'm smiling because I had had an epidural a life was awesome that's what that's about only kid only kid that made room was the easiest delivery the other two rua was very peaceful because he came in three hours and that was just felt like a luxury the other two were 45 minutes and 20 minutes which sounds great it's not I almost died twice okay so I'm smiling but in this moment you know I was looking this picture and thinking about how in love with this little nugget I was just this little squishy human that had done nothing for me nothing but cause pain really right he had not yet unloaded a single dishwasher for me he had never given me a shoulder massage never told me how nice and pretty I was he never you know nothing never made me a Christmas ornament for my tree that didn't match with anything else he'd never done anything for me and yet I was completely and entirely in love with him fiercely protective of passionately connected to him and until you've had children of your own you know or for those who never you understand what I'm talking about it's like you'd only been out out of the womb for like an hour in this picture and I was so in love with him but my love for him has had nothing to do with his behavior nothing my love for him had everything to do with the fact that he was mine he was mine and he had great purpose and destiny with me and we belong together and he was mine and listen this is how the father looks at you you're his has nothing to do with your behavior with the good choices you'll make some days and the bad choices you'll make others it's that you're his he's a father who passionately loves you you belong you belong every day every day of your life that same thought that same picture even on the days when rue is acting crazy my love for him does not not even a tiny bit alter and I am a human parent how much more a Heavenly Father how much were your Heavenly Father you belong I love Hebrews 13:5 I will never leave you nor forsake you God is not in the business of rejecting people he's not in the business of abandoning people of leaving people of you know what we've been cooled this far but now I'm out no he's not in the business of doing that our remedy for rejection is in Jesus Christ who faced the ultimate rejection and offers us ultimate belonging Jesus dealt with the age-old stronghold of rejection I love the words penned by the Apostle Paul Romans 8:15 and you did not receive the spirit of religious duty leading you back into the fear of never being good enough but you have received the spirit of full acceptance full acceptance and folding you wear into the family of God and you will never feel orphaned Braz he rises up within us our spirits join him in saying the words of tender affection beloved father Abba Father I love this do not fall for the bait that wants to lead you back into rejection that wants to get you to start those old cycles and patterns of thinking you know I'm talking about when you some of you maybe you've had such so many cycles of thinking in a rejection kind of way that you don't you think it's just part of your personality where you're just want to break up with you but before you break up with me some people go through their whole life with that kind of mentality I'm not gonna get involved in life groups I'm sure somebody's gonna hurt me and we just do this all the time and it's the fear of rejection that's driving us and here's the reality we don't live under that curse anymore and God wants to heal and restore that in us and bring us back to this place of truly understanding that we belong Ephesians 2:19 now you are citizens together with God's holy people you belong to God's family first timothy 3:15 then even if I can't come soon this is Paul talking to Timothy you will know about the things that people must do in the family of God that family is the Church of the Living God the support and foundation of the truth Jesus not only connected you back to the Father but he connects you to a family on this side of eternity that will go into each rest of eternity with you the church is meant to be a place where people belong the church is not something you go to the church is not a place you attend the church is people it is relationship it is community it is family it is a place to be long and let me be honest with you in something I feel like we have not done a good job in this area the church in general I feel like in general the church has had this mentality of hey we want you to behave a certain way and believe a certain way before you can belong any kind of way right that is that is how the church has presented itself to the world get your behavior together because you scare us get your crazy beliefs together if you want to be one of us then you can belong here that's not the kingdom of God it's a complete opposite you see in the kingdom of God it's you belong I don't care if you're messy I don't care if you do some things that are scary now if you're gonna come here and do crazy things you gotta have to go outside but you know what I mean in the kingdom it's you belong you have a seat at the table you've a seat at the table your life might be messy you might not even believe in Jesus I don't even know what you believe but I know that you're made in the image of God and I know that God loves you passionately and I know that you are designed but to be have connection with God in connection with me and that's enough you see we tell people all the time and people have left this church for this very reason and I'm okay with it we tell people all the time that the doors of this church are open to whoever wants to come in and encounter God this should be a safe place for sinners to come and find God if they can't come in the church and find God dear God what are we doing right fun is y'all are I'm not here just to have a club right we're here for the kingdom of God the advancement of the kingdom of God so the church is open for anybody to come in counter God and I hope people come from all walks of life check us out you know participate get involved in life groups and belong because when you belong and you find community and you begin to feel safe and family and loved and seen and valued all of a sudden you find your belief system beginning to shape change and you begin to believe maybe I do have value maybe there is purpose for my life maybe God is good maybe maybe I can do that crazy thing maybe maybe maybe you begin to believe and then when you begin to believe you begin to behave I am powerful and I'm gonna live it out right you begin to behave differently I'm not gonna get in in that dysfunctional relationship again because I Know Who I am now and God you behave differently and so the church has got to become champions of belonging and stop telling the world how to behave right that's the truth if we become champions of belonging we will radically and dramatically be able to change behavior it's about family it's about family it's about true family I'm not talking about you know the kind of family I don't know how your family is you know but it's not kind of family that's like hey if I see in the street I'll wave know I'm talking about family like doing life together knowing each other's strengths and weaknesses being present with each other right we're on a journey here where you know we are we are committed as a church to try to figure out how do we how do we do church right you know sometimes we feel like BAM be like trying out legs like ain't no you know and that's okay I'll take that any day of the week then thinking we know and have all our stuff together and whatever like I'll take that any day of the week but here's what we are committed to we're committed to seeing the church be the family of God as God intended it to be online I'm not interested we have better things to do with our life than trying to to make church something we want it to be we're not interested in that we want this church to be a church that God wants it to be what does God want right what's his agenda for church and all over Scripture you hear him talking about the church as a family his family to be specific his family he's the father were the kids this is a family you guys good you belong in the kingdom and you belong here you know I've been thinking about this for on Black Friday I got some new luggage yes it's awesome anyways I love it not obsessed with it and we're kind of an interesting season and that we've we have been in transition for seven months which has been very interesting so we don't have a permanent address at the moment and so kind of been in this in this season so I get my new luggage and I'm traveling and you know how you the card on your luggage you got to fill out like this gets lost just where where you send it and you have to put you know who does this luggage belong to and where does this luggage go you know and it's kind of like I can fill out that first part the second part you know that's a big question um so you know it's kind of thinking about that and I started to think about this concept because we're so transient right now like it just feels when you're in a lot of transition it just kind of feels weird like I don't have my roots down it feels weird you know and so kind of think about that concept how so many people live like that spiritually Oh too close to home and I started thinking like you know if this if this bag gets lost and somebody wants to send it to me it's got valuable things in it where are they gonna send it and I started thinking about this from a spiritual perspective I wonder sometimes if there's things God is trying to send you in your life but there's no permanent address to send it to for example I wonder if there's some wisdom or some knowledge that would bring massive breakthrough in your life that God's trying to bring into your life but it's going to come through a person in your church another kingdom person or there's a breakthrough or a you know or whatever a relationship or a connection or something God's trying to get to you but because you won't connect and you won't settle down and you won't put your roots down and you won't actually really let anybody know you you end up never getting the luggage because there's no address I don't know I don't know but I know as somebody who is we've been in this very transient season you know there's only certain packages that can be sent to a home address we know there's just like it's there's some challenges to not being settled and routed and I wonder how many of us end up sabotaging our own lives because of our fear of rejection that's causing us to say hey I'm a visit Christian I'm a visit Christian I I ain't gonna let anybody in that far I'm not gonna trust anybody again cuz I didn't I got hurt so then we just think oh that makes perfect sense I throw out the whole baby with the bathwater okay I'll move on y'all Ephesians 2:19 so you are not foreigners or guests but rather you are the children of the city of the holy one with all the rights as family members of the household of God you are rising like the perfectly fitted stones of the temple and your lives are being built up together upon the ideal foundation laid by the apostles and the prophets the best of all you are connected to the head cornerstone of that building The Anointed One Jesus himself this entire building is under construction and is continually growing under his supervision until it rises up completed as the holy temple of the Lord Himself this means that God is transforming each one of you into the holy of Holy's his dwelling place through the power of the Holy Spirit living in you God is building something and he's building people God builds people together and he inhabits it and he fills it and your peace is important the grooc one of the greatest lies the enemy tries to tell us is your peace is not significant and you know what he is the father of lies father of lies that is the furthest from the truth your life is significant your peace is significant here not just on the planet in the body of Christ you have to understand that in the family of God your peace is significant God is building something his body connected together that he's trying to inhabit and fill and every one of you there are certain things only you can do there are certain people that will only that will get saved only because you were safety enough for them to listen to there are certain certain things you know certain people that will only you know encounter God because of the music you are supposed to write there are certain conversations only you can lead because of your experience and your sensitivity to that area there are certain strategies only you will come up with because nobody else on the planet has the intricate experience and perspective you have listen nobody can take your place you are not insignificant you belong in the family you are you are adopted you belong you are valued you are needed God is building something incredible for his glory every part matters I think because we don't understand belonging in our culture we we walk we walk out of marriage we walk out of friendships we walk out of churches we it's like divorce is always an option in your heart with your friends with your roommates with your whoever we live life with one foot in one foot sneaking out that back door if necessary I don't even push me that's how we go about life no nobody can relate liars we're all so afraid of being rejected that we always have a back-up plan well this church doesn't work out I guess I could go back wherever well if this man we do this all the time in our head the fear the fear of rejection and I'm telling you what God wants to heal that in us he wants to heal that because there is it's only in true connection and community and family are you going to truly become the best version of yourself you see it sounds like a good idea to have one foot out the back door but that means you only have one foot in the means you're only gonna be partially known partially seen partially you know experience you're you're only going to get a partial experience you're not going to get the full experience that God wants for you to have in his family in his community Nance Packard calls America a nation of strangers and studies that have been done show that four out of ten Americans experience feeling of intense loneliness our American culture produces people who more closely identify with characters on a weekly TV show than their own neighbors who's your bestie on TV okay don't even tell me we know we have them in an age of technology where it's becoming easier and easier to be disconnected from people when we know that the kingdom mandate is to get more and more connected we're gonna have to be diligent in this area I want to just briefly talk about some of the effects of rejection I'm not gonna go into this a lot because of time but very fascinating research if you want to look up different things but there are some very interesting things about how rejection affects you first of all rejection piggybacks on physical pain pathways in the brain so the same way you feel physical pain that's the same way your brain processes rejection so people when people say it just hurts so bad it actually does it's the exact same brainwave that you feel pain in also which is crazy well they say they did all these studies and they gave people pain medication and found that when people had pain medication it actually helped them to you know to not feel as much the rejection which is why they believe so many people who start who are struggling with reduction end up in drug abuse because it actually physically makes you feel better you're trying to mask the rejection right something else that's interesting is when you have had something physically you know painful happen to you over time your body what kind of like I wasn't so bad everybody who's ever had a second kid you know exactly what I'm talking about first kid you're like yeah no never again you know and then like a year later you're like me it wasn't so bad you know I'm talking about right it's weird how the body does that the body will make you forget physical pain the body does not let you forget the pain of rejection not weird so even though time has passed if you stopped right now and thought about the most painful moment of rejection in your life you would physically start to feel all of the feelings again Wow rejection destabilizes your need to belong it creates surges of anger and aggression in 2001 the Surgeon General of the United States issued a report stating that rejection was a greater risk for adolescent violence than drugs poverty or gang membership did you hear that countless studies have demonstrated that even mild rejections lead people to take out aggression on innocent bystanders it's proven now school shootings and violence against women are the some of the strongest examples we have that the vast majority of them come from a route of rejection being driven to this kind of behavior because of a route of rejection dang our society is longing for healing from this issue this was interesting this will this will motivate you to want to get some inner healing rejection lowers your IQ right what yeah hey I mean it can be healed it's good that's a good news temporary temporary lowers your IQ when you're reliving it when you're thinking about it when your people scored considerably lower which says when you are actively walking in rejection you make bad choices choices you wouldn't make if you were thinking clear you just do dumb things you end up sabotaging your life just by like nothing and I don't do things right rejection fuels that we have an overwhelming sense in this nation that the numbers are just staggering of people it's kind of new syndrome that's you probably have heard of called impostor syndrome where people feel so many people feel like I don't belong or I'm gonna get discovered I'm really I don't belong here I'm not really you know as smart as they think I am I'm not really good as they think and that really is you know spirituals they think I am I'm a fraud I've just saved everybody everybody's thinking that it's hiring women but men aren't far behind we're talking about this because over the next several weeks we're gonna be really going after this we're gonna ask how to heal this in us and to free us from this because we I talked about this before let me find it I talked about this a couple of weeks ago are you guys here when I talked about an orphan mentality or if in spirit I'm just gonna remind you what that is it's a life of striving not trusting others looking over your shoulder it's the I have to make it happen myself mentality it's constantly feeling the need to fight for your rights it's feeling neglected by God and the church it's feeling like you're on the outside looking in it's always defensive it's untrusting and disliking of those who haven't suffered like you have it's jealousy of what others have it's performance-oriented versus relationship-oriented it's fearful I can't take criticism and it results in a cycle of being lonely and isolated and we talked about how this is so prevalent in this region I mean it's prevalent in our nation but it's really prevalent in this region and it's something I believe God wants to completely transform and flip on its head in this area where la will not be known as those who have an orphan mentality and orphan spirit but that this would be a place where people find belonging where people belong with God and with each other and deep welled in deep wells of community and healing and restoration and family and you see the fruit of of this kind of orphan spirit if you will all over our city we have the worst foster care crisis and the nation we have the worst homeless issue in the nation you see the fruit of this and I we're believing that those things will be healed as this root gets healed but it has to begin with us right because what's going to happen when this amazing city and powerful creative incredible justice oriented people of this region get healed of this and get deeply rooted in their identity and get deeply rooted in belonging not just for themselves if they start pulling all kinds of other people into belonging and freeing all kinds other people and they start making films that walk people into belonging they start making music that walks people into belong and start making drafting you know legislation that helps free people into belonging it's time for a movement of belonging and the reality is that belonging has some behavior and we'll get more into this later it's gonna end with this but belonging has some behavior that comes with it that makes it kind of obvious you know things like language things like oh yeah that's you know I go to that church or I visited that church versus this is my family right this is my church this is my church this is my community that's very different language Oh what they're doing at the church what they're doing what we're doing what we're about right you hear it in language languages is interesting that way you know when you belong when you're somewhere you belong you behave differently so when I'm at home I would act differently than I went into your house in my house I might just walk up and open the fridge or I don't know look behind a cupboard I probably would just walk into your house and be like hey what's in the fridge it's the last time you clean this like I wouldn't do that better get on that no I wouldn't do that right I wouldn't just walk in your house and look in your like dirty laundry bin no thanks right but I'll do it in my house because I live there it's part of it you got to do it how are we interacting with the body of Christ is it our house or are we are we walking around like a visitor in a stranger you know do we belong you know when you belong somewhere when you're home you unpack you don't keep living in that suitcase always ready to run and a moment's notice you unpack you settle in have you unpacked your life to anybody here have you unpacked you who you are your dreams to anybody have you unpacked some of your parenting struggles to anybody have you impact the dynamics going on your marriage to anybody have you impact some of your career challenges to anybody or do you keep it a nice little suitcase none your business right I don't know just a thought you know when you belong somewhere some of the behavior is you contribute without being asked when it's your home you care right it's not those people want my money it's I invest here this is my house you see something you see beyond you just do it why because you you you own it you love it you're you know there's there's ownership there's of course I'm gonna do this I understand that there's value in changing the toilet roll somebody teach my children right there's value in that because it's my house and I plan on coming back to this toilet sometime right that's the truth you see but when you're just passing through doesn't matter different different perspective you know you just begin to think differently you see when you belong if you you know you belong to my family bye you're part of my family my friends my community and somebody's talking negative about you you know when when I belong it's like that better not happen right that's gonna get a dress I I'm gonna defend I'm gonna protect even if I know you're a little messy because you belong to me right first is somebody they're talking about on TV I don't even know who that is whatever whatever my response might not be I like I don't know whatever right when we belong we treat each other differently we show up for each other we talk differently we make different choices and I feel like God is inviting us into this place of radical belonging I'm going to end with this I love this first Thessalonians 5 12 through 18 in the message and now friends we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard for you who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience overwhelm them with appreciation and love get along among yourselves each of you doing your part our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on gently encourage the stragglers and reach out for the exhausted pulling them to their feet be patient with each person attentive to individual needs and be careful that when you get on each other's nerves praise the Lord you don't snap at each other look for the best in each other and always do your best to bring it out be cheerful no matter what pray all the time thank God no matter what happens this is the way God wants you who belong to Jesus Christ to live who belong belonging has behavior I'm I'm so passionate for us as a community first of all I look around this room and I think this is an amazing this church is full of amazing people amazing people I meet people constantly I'm like how are there not 600 hours in a day because I want to sit down with each person to hear their whole life story like it is just so many incredible people here and I want to say this we're believing for a season where God fully heals and restores and breaks this thing off at its head this spirit of rejection that has caused people to feel like they're on the outside and not on the inside that's got to quit that's got to stop but it's gonna start with us it's gonna start with us and so we're believing for healing and I want to tell you listen if you have struggled with I don't really fit you and everybody else let me tell you everybody feel it's it's the enemy wants people to feel like they don't fit I'm too old for this crowd I'm too young for this crowd I'm too white for this crowd I'm too brown for this crowd I'm too Republican for this crowd I'm too Democrat for this crowd I'm too cool for this crowd I'm not cool enough for this crowd I don't know people he will use anything the enemy will use anything he can to try to make you feel isolated like you don't belong it is the age-old tact it and we're gonna call it into the light we're gonna chop the head off that thing or chop the head off that thing because the reality is we all belong to God and we belong to each other and there is great purpose and destiny and what God is building this is our spike here we are not about to have anybody missing it in the corner feeling like it don't belong yes you do get in here we're about to spike get on up in here right will you stand with me as we close I'm gonna pray a dangerous prayer we're gonna ask God I'm giving you a warning just so you know what we're praying so you can agree you're like I don't know - I agree - I agree we're gonna ask we're gonna give God permission to declare war on rejection in our life and to go after it all right when we put our hands on our heart ooh God we come before you and Lord we we're so grateful for the cost that you paid for our freedom we're so grateful Lord that you have stripped rejection of its power we're so grateful that you have branded us with belonging and family and loved and accepted and valuable I pray that that revelation would go deep into us God deep into us or deep into our minds and how we think deep into our souls and how we feel deep into our bodies Lord and even for anybody who has physical ailments or or injuries or diseases that are really a fruit of a root of rejection that's manifested in their body I just pray healing I pray alignment in us body soul and spirit with the truth that we belong we belong to you and we belong to each other God we just are willing to pray a dangerous prayer a bold prayer God we give you permission we open up our hearts and our minds and our lives and our relationships and our bank account and our marriages and everywhere else where this rejection rears it heads its head God we give you permission to come root it out of our life god we don't want to partner with this anymore god I pray for freedom I pray that we would become so deeply rooted in belonging in family and community God deeply rooted in connection with you and with each other god I pray for courage because it's going to take courage lord I pray for the courage to trust again to be vulnerable nerble again to let the walls down God to let people in God I pray for the courage to begin to engage in your family and take our place on the wall that you're building this glorious thing Lord father I just speak your blessings over every person and God that you would make us champions of belonging I pray that this church would be a church that is known for a place of people finding belonging and God I we pray for our city and God we pray that you would heal and restore God this orphan spirit Lord this fear of rejection that lingers in the city and God I pray that you would heal it and that this city would be a place of belonging that this city would be a place where every child in our foster system finds a family God and families would be restored where every homeless person Lord finds family and community Lord and they would be restored god I pray for the spirit of family to be released all over this city and that you would use us Lord but God we realize we need you to work on us first all right so have your way and s God heal us deliver us free us whatever we got to do a lord have your way in us father I pray that we would be free in this area and that we would have authority to lead others into freedom and your name we pray a men love you expression [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]

Channel: Expression 58

Views: 1,274

Rating: 4.875 out of 5

Keywords: shawn bolz, bolz, cherie bolz, expression 58, expression58, e58, church, los angeles church, revival, jen toledo, jennifer toledo, jona toledo, bolz ministries

Id: 8q4Jh-BmwJc

Length: 58min 57sec (3537 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 17 2020