The Rock Weekly – December 4, 2024

  • Regular services and gatherings are on tonight!  SEE our on-going schedule of events at the bottom.
  • Christmas Eve Worship & Candlelight Service at 3pm on Tuesday, Dec 24th.

 

Off The Sideline & Into The Game!

“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” “So, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”  “In Christ, we who are many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.”  “In fact, God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as He wants them to be.”  “From Christ, the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, AS EACH PART DOES ITS WORK.”  “So ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.” 

(Matt 9:37;  Eph 4:1;  Rom 12:5-6;  1 Cor 12:18;  Eph 4:16;  Matt 9:38)

As we have been in a time of prayer and fasting these past three days, the Lord has put on our hearts a desire for the strengthening and building up of the church…the body of Christ…which comes as each member engages in their calling!  “The whole body…grows and builds itself up in love, as each part of the body does its work.” (Eph 4:16)

Can you imagine watching an NFL football game where the quarterback, running back, and center decide during the game that they don’t want to play, but would rather just watch the game.  First off, the coach would ‘lose it’ and then he would have to put other players in their positions in order to play the game.  But this would require taking players out of their trained positions and placing them into positions they are not trained for.  It is almost certain that this team (if you call it a team) would lose that game – regardless of how good the active players were.  I know this would never happen, yet I believe the Bible gives us some concern that this is actually happening in the body of Christ…in the church!  Apostle Paul warns us of being members of the body of Christ who would say, “I don’t belong to the body.” or “I don’t need you.” to other members.  (1 Cor 12:15,21)   Imagine parts of your body, like your left leg and right arm, deciding they don’t want to be part of your body any longer.  That would be devastating and would put immense stress on the other parts of the body. 

Sadly, this is quite normal in the church.  Jesus tells us that “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”  Statistically less than 50% of Christians who attend a church engage in their spiritual giftings and serve the other parts of the body. (It’s even less if you include Christians who don’t attend a church.)  This puts an unintended heavy stress on the engaged members, and can cause the body to get overstressed, out of alignment, and hurt.  We know the saying, “Many hands make light work.”, but the opposite is also true…“Few hands make heavy work.”    The Bible makes it clear that God designed the body of Christ so that it needs you and you need the body. EVERY believer in Christ has a calling, a gifting, a key position, on God’s kingdom team!  Each of us are appointed (by Christ) and anointed (by the Spirit) “for such a time as this!”

Imagine the impact The Rock church would have with everyone playing their part! So how do we get there?  It begins with intimacy/abiding – listening to the voice of the Spirit as to what part we each are to play.  This is followed by an active engagement into the ‘good works’ we are created for that build up the body of Christ as we seek and save the lost, disciple others, and pursue Jesus wholeheartedly, while being aware of the worldly lure of selfish pursuits and busyness that have no eternal fruit or treasure.

Lord Jesus, I pray that we would all see the “Church” as ONE body with many parts that are all critically important and that You, by your Spirit, would align us, as one, to play our part, knowing that we are needed by others and in need of the giftings of others. May we live out the John 17 prayer – that we may be one as You are one with the Father – with You in us and the Father in You…bringing us to complete unity! (vs 23)  Amen.  

May we listen to the voice of our Shepherd and live our lives by the Spirit – fully engaged as members of one body in Christ!  Love you!

Pastor Mike & 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/

 

FOUNDATIONS CLASS – 6:00pm Wednesdays
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/99757846764?pwd=Tm8zQ0JQWk1xeHFBcEU5anNFN1l4dz09

 

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 each 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.