Do you know someone who is always taking/receiving but never giving?
They will accept free stuff whenever possible but they never give anything to anyone else. They allow, even expect, people to do things for them but never do anything for others. They don't even say thank you when someone helps them out. They take in but rarely, if ever, give out.
They are consumers.
Many Christians are only consumers.
They come for the Sunday service to get fed the word of God. They take it in but never do anything with what they have received. It has little to no impact through the rest of the week.
They don't share what they've learned. They don't love people like Jesus says. They don't follow the scriptures' instruction to make disciples.
They don't serve anyone besides themselves.
However, we are told to be producers.
In Matt 28:19-20 Jesus gave us something to do:
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."
In John 15 Jesus tell us:
"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."
We are to produce fruit. Fruit that will last (John 15:16).
Here are 3 things you must do to be a producer
1. Consume the word of God.
We need to connect ourselves to the vine and remain in him to receive in to our lives everything that the source possesses. We remain in him by consistently reading and knowing the word of God.
John 15:4 says,
"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me."
“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do." -Joshua 1:8
2. Take action on what the word says.
Yes we must consume in order to produce but without the producing of fruit the consumption is worthless.
"What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless." -James 2:14-17 NLT
Did you notice the cycle that is present in Matt 28:19-20?
We do what Jesus tells us to do and teach others to do everything he commanded us, which means that they also go and make disciples and teach them to obey everything he commanded.
A continuous cycle of making disciples.
"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls." -Proverbs 11:30 NASB
3. Speak thanks and praise to God.
"Through Him (Jesus) then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name." -Hebrews 13:15 NASB
In Luke 17 Jesus cleanses ten lepers but only one returns to thank him.
"'Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?' Then he said to him, 'Rise and go; your faith has made you well.'" -Luke 17:18
Continuous thankfulness and praise, expressed with our mouths, keeps us centered on God and brings his peace that guards our hearts and minds (Phil. 4:7).