The Rock Weekly – May 1, 2024
- Tonight – Prayer & Worship Night! @ 7pm in the Chapel or via livestream. Growing in the Word – 6pm in the Prayer Room or via Zoom. See links below.
- National Day of Prayer Tomorrow – 12pm-1pm, Meet us outside the East Steps of the County Building (301 Wilcox St.)
- This Sunday: Family Sunday with Breakfast (9:00am-9:30am) and Group Discussions during the service. See questions below.
- Baptism Sunday on May 19th – Email family@therock.org to register.
Evangelism 101: LOVE & COMPLETE UNITY
John 13:35 “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 17:23 “I in them and You in Me. May they be brought to COMPLETE UNITY to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.”
How many times have we read John 13:35 and, in our head, responded, “Yes, I know that I need to love others.” But have you ever connected this love to the way Jesus is calling us to evangelize? For me, it wasn’t until more recently that I have seen this verse this way. Yes, Jesus was commanding us to love. But this wasn’t just for our good, but for the good of ALL PEOPLE! Because it is by our love for one another that all people will know that we are followers of Jesus. It is pretty hard to effectively tell others about Jesus when they don’t see us living our lives as followers of Jesus.
If this were a “fill in the blank”, and the question was, “How will people know we are followers of Jesus?” I would have thought the response would be, “By the demonstration of the power of the Spirit.” or “By the miraculous signs and wonders.” or “By the manifestations of the Spirit.” or “By the supernatural wisdom and understanding we reveal to the world.” But none of those were the answer. Instead it is simply, “By our love for one another.”
In the same vein, when I read John 17:23, my mind goes ‘tilt’ when I put together that Jesus is praying for our “complete unity” so that people would know the love of our heavenly Father! Have you ever connected the unity of the body of Christ to evangelism to the world?
As you read this, my prayer is that we see the importance of loving one another and the unity of the church as they are the keys to unlocking evangelism – God’s way. We have been talking about preaching the gospel and making disciples these past few weeks, but if we don’t have love for one another and a complete unity, we are going to be ‘spinning our wheels’ and ineffective in our evangelism to the world.
This weekend is our Family Sunday, with breakfast at 9am followed by our special monthly family service with an interactive and relational format. We will focus our discussion on love and unity from a viewpoint of evangelism. We will focus on John 13:35 and John 17:23. I want to encourage you to meditate on these Scriptures and answer the questions below in preparation for Sunday.
QUESTIONS to consider as you read John 13:35 and John 17:23:
- Why is love the defining characteristic of being known as a disciple in John 13:35?
- What opportunities will you have this week to respond to the command of Jesus to love one another?
- What’s one way you can adjust your lifestyle so that your love for one another increases?
- Re-read John 17:23. Who is the “them” that God loves even as He loves Jesus?
- How do you think we are “brought to complete unity”?
- Apparently there’s “unity” and “complete unity”. What’s one way you can adjust your lifestyle so that your unity becomes more complete?
- How does our complete unity in John 17 and love for one another in John 13 become a witness of Jesus?
I love you all and I look forward to pressing into the Scriptures together this Sunday!
Pastor Mike and your Rock Staff
IMPORTANT SERVICE & WEEKLY INFORMATION:
WEDNESDAY NIGHT WORSHIP & PRAYER SERVICE 7:00pm * In-Person & On-Line *
Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/rockchurchco
The Rock Online Livestream: https://www.therock.org/live/
GROWING IN THE WORD – 6:00pm Wednesdays
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7709609677?omn=83428418208
YOUTH ~ BASE CAMP (6th – 12th Grade) – WEDNESDAY NIGHT – 7:00pm
Invite a friend and come have a great time. If you have any questions, email jaden@therock.org
FOOD BANK DISTRIBUTION – 1st & 3rd Saturday of the Month
https://www.therock.org/foodbank/
Email Lindy@therock.org if you would like to volunteer or have questions.
SUNDAY MORNING PRE-SERVICE PRAYER 8:15-9:15am – *In-Person & On-line*
ZOOM Direct Video Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85340164797?pwd=V0lmWFRRL0R6Tm56QTdRUHNoMWI3QT09
ZOOM Meeting ID: 853 4016 4797
ZOOM Phone Option +12532158782,,85340164797#
SUNDAY MORNING SERVICE 9:45am *In-Person & On-line*
Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/rockchurchco
The Rock Online Livestream: https://www.therock.org/live/
OPPORTUNITIES TO GIVE Here are some ways you can partner with The Rock as you practice generosity – our regular tithe/giving, compassion help, missions, and our food bank. Click on the following link or graphic. www.therock.org/give
Have a Question, Need Prayer, Help, Feel Alone, or Disconnected?
Please email us at family@therock.org and put QUESTION, PRAYER, NEED HELP, or CONNECT ME at the top of your email.