As a community, the Rock subscribes to the following core values as evidenced in all we do:
The key to any loving and transformative relationship is intimacy, and our relationship with our Heavenly Father is certainly no different. Our relationship with God and our eternal inheritance will be defined by our intimacy with Him [Matthew 7:22-23]. We need to make the time to get to know Him and develop this intimacy through prayer [Jeremiah 29:12-13], His word [Psalm 119:9-16] and engaging with His Spirit [Ephesians 1:17]; both in our personal encounters with Him and walking with other disciples as we journey together into an intimate relationship of transformation.
We acknowledge that Jesus Christ is ultimately Lord of All [2 Chronicles 20:6, Psalm 24:1-2], but that lordship over our lives must be surrendered daily to Him as we submit our own will, plans, and desires under His; choosing to obey Him as our Lord, not just in a prayer of commitment, but in the continuous fulfilment of that commitment in daily surrender to our Sovereign King [2 Chronicles 30:8, 2 Chronicles 34:31, Proverbs 3:5-6].
Jesus said “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” [Luke 14:27]. Jesus patterned for us what discipleship looks like by walking intimately with twelve men, allowing them to see and learn from every aspect of His life. He was transparent before them revealing who He was and His purpose for being with them. His mission was to lead them to His Father [John 14:6-11], and in doing so they would become like Him [2 Corinthians 3:18], and accomplish the same purpose He was called to do: to glorify His Father and fulfil His Father’s will [Hebrews 13:21].
Jesus revealed in the Gospel of Luke that “...the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” [Luke 19:10] All of us were lost once, but Christ reconciled us back to right relationship with the Father, and He calls us now to extend this ministry of reconciliation [2 Corinthians 5:14-19] out to others who are lost still. We are passionate at The Rock about living as ambassadors for Christ [2 Corinthians 5:19-21], sharing with people the love of the Father [Romans 13:8-10], the hope that we have in Him [1 Peter 3:15], and His glorious purpose for mankind [Isaiah 43:7, Ephesians 2:10].
At The Rock we acknowledge the spiritual gift of leadership that Paul speaks of in Romans 12:8, an anointing which The Spirit places on those called to lead His people, while at the same time we also recognise that all believers are to exert influence for the kingdom and lead others to Christ [2 Corinthians 5:19-21]. As Disciples of Christ, spiritual leadership is expressed through our influence of others by word and the testimony of our lives. Spiritual leadership is not based on a title or position, but on a disciple’s intimacy with the Father, and the laying down of one’s life to serve others.
The building of spiritual family is one of the things that God holds very dear to His heart. Jesus Himself clarifies for us in the gospels how important spiritual family is as a first placed priority over physical family by saying “my mother and brothers are those who do the will of the Father”. We also see Jesus refute the woman who says “blessed are those whose breasts have nursed this man”. Jesus says no “blessed are those who do the will of My Father”.
When God looks at His Church He always sees His people through the eyes of a body firstly, rather than individuals. This body He sees is not a physical blood line family but a spiritual one. We are passionate at the Rock about building this spiritual kingdom family as a first placed priority and leading our physical families into this reality. This is what Jesus meant when he said “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added”.