Here To Stay 2.0: I Feel Used

March 29th 2026/Seventh Day Adventist

Story: Being A Parent or Sibling

There’s a phrase we’ve all said before, and usually we don’t say it in a positive way. We say it with a little frustration, maybe a little sarcasm. The phrase is simple: “I feel used.”

If you’re a parent, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Your kids don’t need you all day. They don’t want to talk, they don’t want your advice, they don’t want your presence. But the moment they need something, suddenly you are the most important person in the world. “Mom, can you make me something?” “Dad, can you drive me?” “Can you help me fix my bike?” And you’re thinking, oh now I matter. Now I’m valuable. Now I’m seen. And you have that internal moment where you think, I feel used.

If you grew up with siblings, it’s the same thing. They didn’t want anything to do with you until they needed something. Then suddenly they’re kind, they’re relational, they’re engaged. “Hey, you want to hang out?” And you already know what’s coming next. “Can you go ask mom for me?” And you realize, I’ve been set up. I’m not loved, I’m leveraged. I feel used.

Nobody likes that feeling. Because when we say that, what we really mean is that we feel taken advantage of. We feel like we are giving more than we are getting. We feel like someone is benefiting at our expense.

Intro: Negative vs. Redefined Reality

Many of you in the room have experienced environments, at work or even church environments, where you gave your time and energy towards something and weren’t cared for well. You were overlooked and under valued. You were seen more for what you could do than for who you are.

And I want to say clearly, that is not the heart of Jesus. Jesus does not use people and discard them. He loves people, restores people, and then invites them into purpose. But I also want to acknowledge something else, because this matters for us as a church. Not everything that feels uncomfortable is harmful.

Release Valve: You ever tell your kids to clean their room and they act like you just ruined their entire life? ‘This is the worst day ever.’ No… it’s called responsibility… and it will bless your future roommates one day. :)

You go to the gym and it’s leg day… so you’re sore the next day… that doesn’t mean something is wrong, it means something is working. It means growth and strength.

Sometimes what we call “pressure” is actually an invitation into purpose. Sometimes what we call “being used” is actually God calling us into the life we were created for.

And if we’re not careful, we can start labeling anything that stretches us as something that is wrong, when in reality, it might be the very thing that grows us.

Transition: Comfort to Calling

So here’s what I’ve seen over time. There are people who have genuinely been hurt, and that needs care. But there are also people who have slowly built a version of faith that avoids discomfort at all costs. A version of Christianity that attends, but doesn’t engage. That believes, but doesn’t build. That receives, but doesn’t contribute.

And then we read the words of Jesus, and we look at the life of Paul, and we realize, that version doesn’t match what we see in Scripture.

Jesus says in Luke 9:23 (CSB), “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.” That is not a comfortable invitation. That is a calling to a surrendered life. And I don’t know about you, but living a surrendered life has never been an invitation to an easy walk, but it’s always the one that produces the best life possible.

Passage: Acts 20:24 (CSB)

“But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.”

Paul says, my life is not about protecting my comfort. It’s not about preserving ease. My life is about fulfilling what God has called me to do.

And if we’re honest, we read that and think, who is actually living like that? Because that is not casual Christianity. That is a life fully surrendered.

Pray:

Background: Before we move past this verse, we need to understand the weight of what Paul is actually saying here. This is not Paul sitting in comfort, writing nice theology. This is Paul speaking at the end of a long stretch of ministry, and he knows what’s ahead of him.

Just a few verses earlier, in Acts 20:22–23, Paul says, “And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, compelled by the Spirit, not knowing what I will encounter there, except that in every town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me.”

So Paul is not stepping into ease. He is stepping into uncertainty. He is stepping into suffering. He is stepping into resistance. And yet, in that context, he says, “I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course.”

This is not a man who is confused about who he is. This is a man who is completely resolved in his identity in Christ. He knows who he belongs to, and he knows what he’s been called to. Because of that, he’s not negotiating with comfort. He’s not asking, “Is this convenient?” or “Is this easy?” He’s asking, “Is this what God has asked me to do?” And once that question is answered, everything else falls into place.

Paul is not being driven by pressure; he is being led by purpose. He is not being used up by people; he is being used by God. And that’s the difference.

So when Paul says, “I consider my life of no value to myself,” he’s not saying his life doesn’t matter. He’s saying his life has found its meaning. And that meaning is found in being fully surrendered to what God wants to do through him.

Title: “I Feel Used”

Big Idea: A life fully surrendered to God is a life that gets used by God for what matters most.

So what does it actually look like to live a life that says, ‘I want to be used’?

Main Points:

1. I WANT TO BE USED TO BUILD WHAT GOD IS BUILDING

   1. Ephesians 4:12 (CSB) says the role of the church is “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ.”

   2. Ex: The church is not something we are trying to build for God. It’s something God is already building, and we get the privilege of being part of it. This is why Scripture calls us the body of Christ. Not isolated individuals, but connected parts of a whole. You are not a solo piece. You are part of something bigger, and when every part functions, the body becomes strong, unified, and effective.

      1. And this is where we need to understand something that many people miss. The New Testament speaks over and over and over again about how we are to live with one another. We are told to love one another, serve one another, encourage one another, forgive one another, carry one another’s burdens, and build one another up. This is not occasional language. This is central to what it means to follow Jesus.
      2. In fact, Jesus Himself says in John 13:34–35 (CSB), “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” That means the primary evidence to the world is not first what we say, but how we love each other. The strength of the church internally is what gives credibility to our witness externally.

      3. We don’t build the body instead of the mission. We build the body so that the mission is effective. Even when you look at spiritual gifts, they are primarily given to build up the body. 1 Corinthians 12 tells us that every gift is given for the common good, and Ephesians 4 shows us that when each part is working properly, the whole body grows and builds itself up.

         3. So this is not secondary. This is not optional. This is the design. You are not being asked to be used by the church. You are being called to be used by God through the church.
         4. Illust: Think about a body where one part decides it doesn’t want to participate. If your leg decides it’s done, the rest of your body has to compensate. You start limping, other muscles strain, and things don’t function the way they were designed to.

      4. Story: Brody

      5. In the same way, when believers stay disconnected or disengaged, the body cannot function at full strength. But when every part is active, something powerful happens. The body begins to move as one, and when that happens, we don’t just function better, we actually demonstrate Christ to the world.

      6. You see this clearly in the early church in Acts 2. They were devoted to one another. They shared their lives. They met needs. They were unified. And as a result, Scripture says the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Their internal strength produced external impact.

         5. App: So let me pastor this clearly, because this matters.

      7. When we talk about serving, I know for some people there’s an immediate reaction. “Here we go. The church just wants something from me.” But let me say this with clarity and love. We are not asking something from you. We are calling something out of you. Because God has already placed something inside of you that is meant to build others up.

      8. And yes, it takes time. Yes, it takes energy. Yes, it requires commitment. But that is not exploitation. That is discipleship.
      9. Personal: There have been seasons in my life where I wanted comfort more than calling. And every time I chose comfort, I felt stuck. But every time I stepped into what God was asking, even when it was hard, that’s where life came alive.

      10. And not everything that feels uncomfortable is harmful. Sometimes what we call pressure is actually an invitation into purpose. Sometimes what we call being used is actually God calling us into the life we were created for.

          6. I wouldn’t be leading you well as your pastor if I allowed you to stay comfortable while never stepping into what God designed you for.

      11. So here’s the question. Where have you been sitting when God has been calling you to step in?

      12. Because when you step in, you’re not just filling a role. You are building what God is building. And when the body is built strong, the mission moves forward.

2. I WANT TO BE USED TO REACH WHO GOD IS DRAWING

   1. Jesus says in John 6:44 (CSB), “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…”

   2. Ex: That changes how we see the mission. We are not responsible for changing hearts. That’s God’s job. But we are responsible for being available when He is drawing people.

      1. God is already at work in people’s lives. He is already stirring hearts, creating questions, opening doors. And we get the opportunity to step into moments that He has already prepared.

         3. Illust: There’s a big difference between sitting on the bench and stepping onto the field. On the bench, you can observe, analyze, and stay comfortable. But the moment you step into the game, everything changes. Your focus sharpens. Your energy rises. You are engaged.

      2. Spiritually, many people are living from the bench. And then they wonder why their faith feels stagnant.

      3. Some of you have been on the bench so long, you’ve got a permanent indent. You’ve got snacks, a blanket, and a full critique of everyone else playing. And you’re like, ‘I would do it better.’ God’s like, ‘Great… get in.’

      4. When you step into what God is doing, something comes alive in you. Because you were never meant to just watch. You were meant to participate.

         4. App: Have you ever asked…

      5. Why does my faith feel dry sometimes?

         1. One honest answer is this. Because you were never meant to just receive. You were meant to participate. Growth happens when you engage in the mission.
         2. There are people in your life right now that God is already drawing. Conversations He’s already setting up. Moments He’s already preparing.

         3. And the question is not, “Can I change them?”
            The question is, “Will I show up when God is already moving?” 2. Because at some point, this becomes personal.

         4. In Isaiah 6:8 (CSB), it says, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord asking: Who will I send? Who will go for us? I said: Here I am. Send me.”

         5. That’s the response.

            1. Not, “Send someone else.”
            2. Not, “When I’m ready.”
            3. Not, “When it’s convenient.”
            4. But, “Here I am. Send me.” 3. And that is what it looks like to say: “I want to be used.”... or another way to say it “Put me in coach!”

3. I WANT TO BE USED TO IMPACT WHAT OUTLIVES ME

   1. Psalm 78:4 (CSB) says, “We will not hide them from their children, but will tell a future generation the praises of the Lord…”

   2. Ex: Legacy is not something that happens by accident. It is built through a life that is intentionally surrendered to God.

      1. You are not just building a life you can enjoy. You are building something that God can use long after you’re gone.

         3. Illust: There is something powerful about a life that the next generation can point to and say, God was real in them. Not just in what they said, but in how they lived. In how they served. In how they showed up.

      2. That kind of life does not happen by accident. It happens when someone decides, I am not living just for me.

         4. App: At the end of your life, the question will not be how comfortable you were. It will be how faithful you were. Did you give your life to something that mattered? Did you allow God to use you in a way that impacted others? Because the truth is, every life leaves a mark. The question is whether it will be something that lasts.

      3. Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7 (CSB), “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” That’s the goal. Not just to start strong, but to finish well. Not just to believe, but to endure. Not just to live, but to live faithfully.

      4. And one day, every one of us will stand before God. In that moment, nothing else will matter. Not how comfortable we were, not how convenient life was, not how much we held onto. What will matter is whether we lived a life that was fully available to Him.
      5. I don’t want to stand before God and say I played it safe. I want to hear Him say, as it says in Matthew 25:21 (CSB), “Well done, good and faithful servant.” That’s the life I want to live… a life that is poured out, a life that is faithful, a life that can say at the end, I was used by God for what mattered most.

Altar/Commitment Moment: Today is Commitment Sunday. And this is more than a moment in a service. This is a moment of decision.

For some of you, this is a recommitment. You said yes before, but somewhere along the way you pulled back. Life got busy. Things got complicated. And without even realizing it, you moved from the field back to the sidelines. And today, God is inviting you back in.

For others, this is your starting line. You’ve been watching, attending, considering. But today is the day you step in and say, I’m not just going to observe what God is doing. I’m going to be part of it.

Because right now, we have an opportunity in central, downtown Boulder to build something that could last for generations.

But it will not be built on a few people. It will be built on a body.

A body that is connected. A body that is functioning. A body that is saying, God, “use us together.”

Closing Recap:

So let me simplify everything we’ve talked about today.

I want to be used here.
Right here in this body, building what God is building.

I want to be used out there.
In my everyday life, reaching who God is already drawing.

And I want to be used beyond me.
To build something that outlives me, something that impacts generations.

Final Declaration:

Don’t let this be another moment you felt something but didn’t respond. So as you hold that card today, this is not just a form.

This is a declaration.

God, use my life.
Use my gifts.
Use my time.
Use my resources.

Nothing held back. Nothing off limits. Fully available.

“I want to be used.”

Because there is nothing greater than knowing your life is being used by God for something eternal.

So today, we say yes. “I want to be used.”

Before we move into a time of commitment together as a church, I want to offer the greatest commitment you could ever make, and that’s committing your life to Christ and receiving the free gift of God’s grace.

Invitation:

If you want to make a decision to follow Jesus. Then join me and everyone else in the building as we pray out loud together. It’s not the prayer that saves you, but your faith, making Jesus Lord of your life. We don’t let anyone go on the journey alone. If you have faith in Jesus, then let’s join together as we pray…

Prayer of Salvation:

Jesus, I acknowledge that I need you

I confess that I have sinned against you

I believe that God raised you from the dead

And right now, by faith, I say “Jesus is Lord”

Thank you for forgiving me

By your grace I am saved

And by your power I am set free

Conclusion:

If you prayed that prayer for the first time, let me share something Jesus said in Matthew 10:32: “Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge me before others, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.” So, I’m going to ask: if you prayed that prayer for the first time, would you lift your hand and let us know? This is a moment to celebrate, not just here, but in heaven.