Giving Incognito

At RPC, we exist to love God with all that we are while making more and better followers of Christ. We offer four simple steps to grow our relationship with God, and we call this the 4Bs. It’s taking the first step to  believe  God is who He says He is, and to accept His free gift of salvation by grace through faith, as we make Him Lord of our lives. And then choosing to  belong  in a community of believers who encourage our faith. This leads us to  become  more like Christ and the person He created us to be as we pursue fellowship, discipleship, and accountability. And finally, it moves us  beyond  ourselves, maybe even  beyond  the walls of this church or the edge of our comfort zone, to minister to others as we  pray  for them,  invest  in them, and  invite  them to  believe … A simple cycle and a clear path to making more and better followers of Christ. We’re here for Him, and for those, He places in our influence.

As we seek to live out our mission of loving God and making more and better followers of Christ, as we try to live out the 4Bs, as we commit to Pray, Invest, Invite, we have to remember this: It’s not about us, it’s about the spirit of God and the life transformation He brings into people’s lives. We’re just what he chooses to use to point others to Him.

Loving God, More and Better, 4Bs, Pray Invest Invite – all good things, all bringing about great results for God’s Kingdom. It might lead us to ask, what’s next – what does God have ahead for us, and for RockPointe?

A promise was given to the people of God through Abraham. God gave him the vision of what the Promised Land would be for the people of God. It was a long journey that involved travel, slavery, God’s deliverance, wilderness and waiting. And in all of that, trusting God and His promise – even when the promise seems impossible.

In Numbers 13:2, God eliminates any ambiguity when he tells Moses, “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel.” God says he is giving this land to His people. Very straight forward. Nothing to question.

After 40 days, the spies returned with the fruit of the land – fruit that was large and ripe. And they reported that the land flows with milk and honey – the land is fertile, grass grows, milk-producing animals thrive in this land, fruit and vegetation are plentiful. This was a stark contrast to what they endured in the wilderness journey that led them to this place. But… After God spoke to them and declared His intent to give this land to His people, after the scouts reported on the bountiful nature of the land, the next word is but. And that shifts the focus to a problem. The people who dwell in the land are strong, the cities are fortified. And the scouts are concerned.

Caleb spoke up, suggesting they go at once and occupy the land. It was logical to Him – God had spoken, promising the land to them. The land was desirable. Life there would be good. Caleb was ready, believing God would enable His people to overcome any obstacle in the path.

But the other spies resisted. They insisted it could not be done. They insisted the people in the land were stronger. And they were giants. They were certain the land could not be claimed. As a matter of fact, they reported to their people that the land would devour those who tried to claim it and that some of the people in the land were so large the scouts felt like grasshoppers by comparison. The scouts allowed their fear to exaggerate the size and the strength of those in the land. The report they offered moved from the truth – that there would indeed be obstacles – to a fear-driven exaggeration of land that would bring about certain defeat.

This left the people of Israel upset and disappointed. Grumbling and complaining took root. The Israelites who were once excited to follow Moses and to receive this gift from God now resisted Moses’ leadership, rejected the gift, and lamented that they had not died in Egypt or in the wilderness – the very places from which they had asked God to deliver them, the very places from which God did deliver them. But now, as they were being asked to step out in faith, they let their fear drive them back to desiring the familiarity of the places from which God had already rescued them. They even asked for a new leader – in their fear they no longer wanted a leader who heard the voice of God; their fear had out-shouted His voice.

Moses and Aaron cried out to God on behalf of the people. Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes in distress. They reminded the people of the miracles of God as He brought them this far – the water, the Red Sea, the deliverance. They assured the people that God would fulfill His promise of this land, so long as God delights in them. And what would cause God to delight in them? Repentance. Obedience. Walking in faith, not fear, and trusting God’s promise. That was hard for the people. It can be hard for us as well.

But as we see in Numbers, only those who were faithful entered the Promised Land. The others didn’t.

When our time in the wilderness leaves us weary, it’s important to remember God’s promise. Fear makes the problems seem larger than the promises, larger even than the God who makes the promises. But when we focus on loving God with all that we are, on believing in Him, we find the faith to trust Him when He speaks — when He speaks to what’s next for us, what’s next for RockPointe.

God speaks to us when we’re pursuing His heart – when we’re  believing ,  belonging ,  becoming , and going  beyond  ourselves to  pray  for,  invest  in, and  invite  others to  believe . Once He speaks, we have a choice. We can step out in faith, or we can wander in the wilderness. It’s our hope that we will be people who step out in faith, a church that steps boldly to the place God is leading. A people who step boldly into what’s next for us, what’s next for our church.