September 2015

September 20, 2015  by

Going, Not Knowing

Hebrews 11:1-10
You probably know that Hebrews 11 is the chapter on faith in the Bible. So it is not surprising that the chapter opens with a concise definition of faith. “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith essentially is assurance, conviction, or a certain confidence. But faith differs from other kinds of confidence in that what it is confident of is things that are not seen, things that can only be hoped for. Faith operates in the realm of things that haven’t yet been experienced. Faith is an assurance of phenomena that cannot be perceived by any of our senses, things that cannot be empirically validated, matters than cannot be scientifically verified. Yet faith is sure of them. Why? How can faith be so sure? What is the basis of this confidence?
Faith is based on the word of God (Romans 10:17; Hebrews 11:11, 13, 17). Because God has spoken, I take what He says as true, even if it runs contrary to what I am presently experiencing or feeling. I believe God, even when I don’t feel like it or when I can’t see my way out of my current dilemma.
God Calls Abraham
This is what we see Abraham doing in verse 8, when “by faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.” This refers back to the historical incident in Genesis 12:1-4. There God spoke to Abraham, saying, “Go.” God called Abraham to leave his home, his family, and his homeland and to go to a destination which was not yet disclosed. In other words, God calls Abraham to leave everything known and familiar behind him and to depart for a completely unknown destination. This was a tall order, don’t you think?
Abraham Obeys Unhesitatingly

How did Abraham respond? “Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going.” At the very point when Abraham heard God’s call (“when”), he unhesitatingly obeyed. He did not procrastinate. He was not indecisive. He did not look back (like Lot’s wife as she left Sodom and all that was familiar to her). Once Abraham clearly understood God’s word, he obeyed. He did not stumble at the high cost of obeying his God, reluctant to part with his past or his possessions. Abraham “went out.”
Notice how simple obedience is. God’s expectations really aren’t that complicated. God says, “Go.” Abraham “went out.” And that constitutes obedience to God.
Abraham – Going, Not Knowing
The challenge for Abraham did not just consist in what he had to leave. No, that was just Part One of the saga. The second part of the challenge is that God had not yet revealed to Abraham where the journey was to take him. God calls Abraham to leave all that is familiar, to face the perils of a journey in a barely civilized world, and to travel on without knowing where he is headed. Undoubtedly Abraham wondered if it was a one-week trip, or a one-month trip or a one-year trip. And how would he know when he got there? And what challenges would he face on the way? Did he have enough provisions for the journey?
How can you go, not knowing where you are going? But then, isn’t this the very nature of faith, trusting God when you cannot see? Abraham couldn’t see the destination, yet by faith he went out, in obedience to the word of God who was calling him to go.

As Luther says, “This is the glory of faith, namely not to know where you are going, what you are doing, what you are suffering, and, after taking everything captive – perception and understanding, strength and will – to follow the bare voice of God and to be led and driven rather than to drive.  And thus it is clear that with this obedience of faith Abraham gave a supreme example of an evangelical life, because he left everything and followed the Lord.  Preferring the Word of God to everything and loving it above everything, he was a stranger of his own accord and was subjected every hour to dangers of life and death.”
What Does Abraham Teach Us?
For those of us at Redeemer Ann Arbor, we believe God has called us. In fact, the call is strikingly similar to God’s call to Abraham. God says to us too, “Go.” (Matthew 28:18-20). So we go, but there is so much that we do not know about our destination, or the challenges along the path. We too are “going, not knowing.” What does God have us to do and to face? We, like Abraham, go by faith in the Word of God. God’s call to Abraham contained both a command (“Go”) and a promise (“I will bless you”), and God’s call to His church likewise contains both a command (“Go”) and a promise (“I am with you always”). We trust His word, obey his command, and believe in His promise.
For all who name the name of Jesus, God calls you to a life of faith like Abraham. You too will have to go when and where you do not know; this is the essence of living by faith.

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September 10, 2015  by

So, What’s Up With Redeemer Ann Arbor?

What’s going on with Redeemer Ann Arbor? You have a website, but do you have a church? What’s the plan? Where are you at? What can I expect? When will there be a church for me to visit? Well, let me share with you what has happened in the first few weeks of us being in Ann Arbor and what we are planning and hoping for in the future.

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Networking:

At the end of July, the Mongs moved from Grand Rapids to Ann Arbor to give themselves fully to this new work. Jim was able to jump right into meeting with people in the area. He has met with a number of pastors and leaders in the community, and he continues to schedule networking opportunities with church, civic, and business leaders. The purpose of these meetings is for us to learn from their experience in Ann Arbor and to receive advice from them as to how a church can best serve this community. These meetings have been extremely helpful as we continue to refine our vision and plan for God’s Work in this context.

Around the same time as the Mongs, the Bryants also went through a major transition. After serving 35 years at a church in Canton, Bart and Lorraine were moved by the call of God to be a part of this mission in Ann Arbor. It was a tough transition—difficult to leave dear friends—yet God has continually encouraged them in this new calling. Bart has a number of connections in the Ann Arbor and University of Michigan communities through his MBA at U of M and periods of working in Ann Arbor. So, Bart and Lorraine are also busy trying to connect with people in order to learn from them as well as share the vision we have for this mission.

Seeking Partnerships:

Jim also is into the second phase of the application process for the Acts 29 Network. This has been an intense, yet very fruitful time of preparation for church planting. He has been very impressed by their focus on both doctrine (what he believes) and life (his marriage, family life, purity issues, etc.) Our hope is that this process will be completed in the next few months, and we will have an official connection with the Acts 29 Network.
Along with our connection to the Acts 29 Network, we are pursuing partnering churches to provide accountability and counsel as we move forward in mission. These meetings have been very fruitful, and we expect to have three or four churches that will walk with us through this planting process.

Planning Mission:

Another major focus we have had over the last few months has been to specifically outline what our calling and focus should be in Ann Arbor. Our website details some of our focus, however we continue to refine it and our approach to all the aspects of our mission as we meet with people and pray together. We desire to plant a healthy, inter-generational church close to the campus of the University of Michigan that both serves university students and enables them toward service. We believe the best way we can serve both students and the broader community of Ann Arbor is by leading them to the Word of God that leads to glorifying and enjoying our great God. So, we long to keep that at the forefront of our mission.

And, we keep these six core principles before us as we plan for the next phase:
• Focused Mission
• Clear Proclamation
• Vibrant Worship
• Authentic Love
• Gospel Cooperation
• Serving our Community

More practically speaking, we do not have a building and we have not yet started meeting on Sundays for worship. Our plan is to have our first informational meeting on Sunday, October 4 at 5:00 PM. We are meeting in the Hussey Room at the Michigan League building. At this meeting we will have a time of worship and we will share our vision for Redeemer Ann Arbor. Our second meeting will be on Tuesday, November 10 in the same location. Right now, our plan is to begin worship services once we have a core group of around 50 people.

Redeemer Ann Arbor Student Group also has been set up as an official Student Organization recognized by the University of Michigan. We are currently in the process of planning a Bible Study that we hope will start mid-September. We are very excited about the opportunity to be on campus in this way as well.

Praying:

Now, we must pray. We feel that very, very strongly. “Unless the Lord builds the house, we labor in vain.” We want this ministry overwhelmed by prayer to our God. As we’ve considered together recently from 2 Corinthians 1:9, God brings many things into our lives to get us to “not rely on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” Many have told us that there will be many “ups and downs” in church planting, and we have felt that already. We know, however, that whatever happens, God is getting us to rely on Him. May our great God accomplish his purposes in us and in this church.

We are meeting weekly to pray together for God’s mission in Ann Arbor, and we invite anyone to join us. We have been meeting Thursday evenings for prayer, however next Thursday, September 10 will be our last Thursday evening prayer time and then we will transition to Monday nights starting September 14.

Well, that’s where we are at now. You may want more specific answers and timelines—we do too! As we work and pray, we are waiting upon our God to raise up a people to worship Him. Please pray for us, and if you have any questions please contact us.

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