This morning I took time to do exactly what I am asking every friend and member of Ranch Community Fellowship to do. I skipped a meal and spent time with God praying, reading His Word and reflecting on the question in our “Fulfilling the Heart of God” journal. Even though I am your pastor and responsible to serve you by leading us in our journey, I also see myself as your friend and fellow traveler; someone who walks with you and not in front of, nor behind you. With that in mind, I want to share with you the thoughts that came to mind as I read this week’s journal selection.
The question I found myself asking was not exactly the one our journal proposed. The journal question for this week is, “What would our church look like in ten years if our vision for ministry was successfully accomplished?” I’m really more interested in what our church should look like, regardless of the time frame; today, ten, twenty, or more years in the future! In one form or another, that is the question that is always before me.
The suggested scripture readings for this week, 2 Timothy, Chapters 2 and 4, were loaded with images: soldier, athlete, farmer, workman, instrument/utensil, drink offering, fighter, and runner. These passages are also full of instructions, too many to list here. However, the words that seemed to jump off the page at me did fall into some themes.
A Life Fully Surrendered
Paul seems to repeatedly share with Timothy, a young pastor whom Paul deeply loves and mentors, images that talk about being completely sold out to the Gospel. He speaks of the soldier that does not get entangled in civilian affairs, the athlete who does not wander outside the boundaries of the course, the workman who obviously works hard at his task, an instrument/utensil that is useful to its master, a drink that is upended and poured out as an offering, a fighter that has fought well, a runner that has finished his race, a person who has not abandoned their faith. All of these images speak to me of a single-minded devotion to God in private and in public, or in difficult times as well as good times.
A Mind Fully Informed
Perhaps it should be so evident it goes without saying; unfortunately it is not. God’s word and the instruction of it are central to our ministry and what we are supposed to be about. Paul talks about being chained, but God’s word is not. He encourages Timothy to correctly handle the word of truth. We are to instruct in the hope that others repent. We are to preach. We are to correct, rebuke, encourage, and do the work of an evangelist. Knowledge of God’s word is necessary for any Christ-follower to live the life God has for them.
A Heart Full of Love
Throughout these two chapters are scattered encouragements to be gentle, kind, patient, and not resentful. Paul encourages Timothy to persevere, to endure, and be ready to take advantage of every opportunity for the Gospel. It’s important not only to do the right things, but to do the right things in the right way. It’s possible to not only be right, but to be DEAD right! (I can’t help but think of 1 Corinthians 13 where we are taught that when we do things without doing them in love, we are nothing!)
Our Mission
RCF passionately loves God, each other, and the world and influences others to do the same. That statement of our mission requires we be completely surrendered and sold out to God, have a solid understanding of what he teaches us through His word, and are not only doing the right things but doing them in the right way.
Questions
Are we there yet? We’re definitely on the right track, but I think we have a ways to go before we can say we are that group of people. Fortunately for us, it seems traveling in the right direction is more important than arriving. In some sense we can never fully arrive in this life. While we are forgiven and set free, the sin infection is always lurking in each of us trying to influence our thoughts and actions. I
I think the question for us is, “How do we move in that direction?” We continue to pray, to worship, to learn what God teaches us, and to invest in each other, and to serve the world in an attitude of grace, love, mercy, and forgiveness. Repeatedly giving ourselves to the right things with the right attitude is what we must do to be and to become the people God has created us to be.
The Future
As I look toward the future for our church, I see a group of people who are head-over-heels in love with God. We are completely surrendered and sold out to him and nothing is more important to us than He is. We are a people who love His word and are living by it. Because His love and His word lives us, love will be the word that characterizes our every motive and action.
Make no mistake, you and I will be different. RCF, Cypress and Northwest Harris County will be a better place because we are, and people will have been rescued from the destructive clutches of evil. We will be known as a place of refuge for the desperate and a place of rest for the weary. And it will all be because we have chosen to passionately love God, each other, and the world.
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