Redeemer Ann Arbor

January 5, 2018  by

Update – January 2018

Please join with us in giving thanks to our God who has led us and provided for us during these past several months.  Let us share with you what we have experienced and where we are going at Redeemer Ann Arbor.

Morning Worship Services – After initiating morning worship services on July 16 at the Michigan League, we are now switching location for our morning service to the Lord of Light Church at 801 S. Forest until we move into our new building, hopefully in April 2018.  We have averaged 51 in attendance at our morning services.

Equip Service – We have held a 5 pm service which we call “Equip” followed by a dinner together at Angelo’s Restaurant this fall. In these services, we worked through “Christianity Explored,” and now we are going through the Lord’s Prayer with a time of teaching, followed by discussion and prayer in small groups.

Formation as a Church – Redeemer Ann Arbor members covenanted together as a church on October 22, 2017.  Pastor Aaron Carr from First Presbyterian Church in Trenton, our primary sending church, preached for us.  We currently have 30 members.

Ecuador Missions Trip – Later this winter, Jim will lead a team of 8 on a trip to Ecuador to work with Acts 29 missionaries Steve and Sandi Youngren.  Steve and Sandi oversee a training center in Lasso, Ecuador where they are working with a number of different Ecuadorian pastors.  The Redeemer mission team will primarily work with a church in Ambato, Ecuador with the goal of forming a long-term relationship with this church.  Another exciting part of the trip will be visiting Shell Mera and “Palm Beach” where Jim Elliot, Nate Saint and three other men were martyred in attempting to bring the good news of Jesus to the Aucan or Huaorani Indians in the 1950’s.  The team will also have the opportunity to visit the Huaorani village where Elisabeth Elliot, Jim Elliot’s widow, and Rachel Saint, Nate’s sister, ministered for a number of years.

Men’s,  Women’s and Campus Studies – Women have been meeting on Tuesday mornings to study, share and pray together.  This fall they have worked through Ecclesiastes using Better by Tim Chaddick.  Next week they will begin The Scars that Shaped Me by Vaneetha Rendall Risner.  These meetings have provided wonderful opportunities to build some relationships with women from the community who are not yet ready to come to formal church services.  Jim has led students in a study of the book of Romans in our Monday night campus studies.  The men have met on Friday mornings to work through Men of God by Trevor Archer.

Building – Construction continues on 611½ East William Street.  The basement has been fully excavated (by hand), underground plumbing is in place, and a number of other projects have been completed.  The permitting process with both the city and this Historic District Commission took longer than anticipated, but the pace of construction is picking up now.  We hope to occupy the building in April 2018.

We thank all of those who have prayed and supported Redeemer in many ways. To God be the glory!

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July 17, 2017  by

An Update on Redeemer Ann Arbor

The Timeline

August 2015 – God.  4 people.  Prayer.

April 2016 – We began meeting for public worship on Sunday evenings at Lord of Light Lutheran Church at Forest and Hill, on the edge of campus.  God blessed us in so many ways, and bit by bit we have seen progress:  people added, ongoing conversations and relationships with unbelievers, students reached, a growing sense of identity, purpose and community for our core group and more.

January 2017 – Having concluding that it is much slower to grow without a morning service, we began to look diligently for an opportunity to meet within easy walking distance of central campus in order to continue what we have begun.  This was not an easy find.

March 2017 – God provided! Marvelously! We purchased 611 ½ East William, a small historic structure built in 1878 for DKE, a fraternity on campus. The building is located where campus meets downtown, a hub of activity and foot traffic.  Considerable renovations will be performed over the next several months.  We hope to begin worship in this facility by the end of the year, if God wills.

July 16, 2017 – We begin morning services, which we are labelling Worship!  We will meet on campus at the Michigan League on the second floor at 10:30 am.   “God’s Truth for Kids with Pastor Jim,” classes for children,  will begin at 9:45.  We also will meet at Angelo’s Restaurant, 1100 Catherine, at 5 pm for a service we are labelling Equip!  The Equip! service will be followed by a meal together at 6 pm.  Taking the Great Commission seriously, we want to reach unbelievers with the gospel, but we also want to disciple many Christians that we have the opportunity to reach.  People come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and we want to equip these believers to serve God in their lives, their vocations, and their churches wherever they may go when they leave Ann Arbor.  The Equip! service will be aimed at achieving this objective.

Late 2017 – We plan to move into our newly renovated building at 611 ½ East William Street.  We look forward to the opportunities to serve Jesus and to reach people that greater accessibility and visibility will bring.

Today

This year we have been averaging 40 in attendance at our Sunday evening services.  This was our first year to reach out to students, and a number of students have come regularly this past year.  Some of them will now serve as leaders of various endeavors that we will begin in the coming school year.

Our weekly Mornings Together sessions provide opportunity for women to study, discuss and pray together.  These have been fruitful and hopeful as we have developed relationships with several unbelievers who attend regularly.  Men meet early Friday mornings; they are currently studying the book of Titus. A weekly campus study has been ongoing through the school year. Evangelistic opportunities have emerged as various relationships have developed with unbelievers.

Tomorrow

We are now in the last few sermons of a series preparing us to organize as a church as we commit ourselves to God and to each other.  We will take these steps in the next few months and move forward into a new phase of our existence.

We look forward to another school year and the opportunities that we believe God will bring for us to serve more students.

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September 1, 2016  by

As we enter our second year at Redeemer Ann Arbor . . .

We are profoundly thankful for the many opportunities God has given to us to be a part of his mission here in Ann Arbor. Over this past year, God has taught us so much. It hasn’t always been easy, but we can testify of God’s steadfast love and ever present care as we stepped out into the great unknown of church planting.
We are so grateful for where God has placed us. In Jack Miller’s book on leadership, he talks about the importance of praying for a God-given love for the place of God’s calling in one’s life. We are thankful that the more time we spend at the University of Michigan and in the community of Ann Arbor, the more we have grown to love this unique place! There always seems to be something going on in Ann Arbor. With students coming into town over the last few weeks, the town is buzzing with people from all over the world. It already has been tough to see a few people come and attend Redeemer for a time during their research at the University and then head back to their homes around the country and around the world. However, the constant influx and flow of the nations into Ann Arbor is so refreshing and exciting as we think of the global reach of ministering the gospel to people each week. The past two weeks in church, we have had visitors who just moved from China, India, and South Korea. Our prayer is that God would build a diverse and healthy church as we gather each week to be encouraged in our common faith in Jesus Christ.

Looking back over the last year . . .
We began in August of last year. For the first 8 months, we met for prayer each week and planned different events to spread the word about the church. In April of this year, we began our 5 PM worship services. For the first few months we averaged around 20-30 people. Now, we are averaging 40-50. This summer, Susannah and Lorraine led a women’s book study on Paul Miller’s book, Love Walked Among Us. It was encouraging to see a few unbelievers attend and participate in the study along with the ladies of Redeemer Ann Arbor. Lastly, near the end of July, God graciously worked to bring Matt and Tiffany Price to join us in the mission here. They have spent the last two years in Manchester, England working with international students at Grace Church in Manchester (an Acts 29 church). We are very thankful for how well they fit into God’s mission for us here in Ann Arbor and we pray that God greatly uses them here as they seek to reach out to the community here.

Looking forward . . .
We will continue our 5 PM worship, and we hope to expand soon from one to two small groups that meet throughout the week. During the opening weeks of the semester, we have reserved tables at various student orientation events in order to spread the word about Redeemer Ann Arbor. Also, on September 11 after our worship, we have a Jazz quintet coming to play as we have “Jazz and BBQ on the Lawn.” The women will start a new book study this fall on Wednesday mornings and studying When I Am Afraid: A Step-by-Step Guide Away from Fear and Anxiety. The men will gather for breakfast one morning a week at Angelo’s (the best breakfast in Ann Arbor) and study Rankin Wilbourne’s book Union with Christ. A few of us have read this book this summer and have been profoundly impacted by this central and beautiful truth of the gospel. Along with these studies, Jim will continue a campus study at 9PM on Wednesday nights going through the book of Ecclesiastes.
Lastly, we are very encouraged with two extended ministry opportunities that God has given to us. Over the past year, Jim and Susannah have become friends with Colby and Sarah Keefer. Colby and Sarah lead the Athletes in Action ministry at U of M. Jim and Susannah have now joined the AIA team by volunteering a few hours a week. They each plan on leading a discipleship group with student athletes that focuses on training them to evangelize and disciple their teammates.
Also, Matt has made contact with Larry Champoux. Larry has headed up International Students Inc. in Ann Arbor for a number of years. We hope through this ministry and Matt’s work with Washtenaw County Literacy to have extended opportunities with our International neighbors on campus and in the community.

“Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored.” 2 Thessalonians 3:5
Please pray for . . .
• Festifall and Northfest, the two orientation events that we will participate in the second week of September
• “Jazz and BBQ on the Lawn” on Sunday night September 11 after our time of worship
• Our worship services and small group meetings to effectively encourage people toward Jesus.
• Our Men’s and Women’s gatherings each week
• Matt and Tiffany’s International Ministry
• Jim and Susannah’s opportunity with Athletes in Action

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October 1, 2015  by

A Very Big Task

Matthew 28:16-20
On the brink of leaving this earth, Jesus approaches the eleven disciples to give them, and through them to all the church in all ages, this Great Commission. Jesus gives no ordinary task; it is clearly a very big task, as evidenced by the four “all’s” in Jesus’ mandate.

1. All Authority

Here is the impetus and the enablement for the task. It is the Why and How of the Great Commission.

But first, how did Jesus get this authority, for Jesus says it was been given to Him. It is clear from Ephesians 1:19-23 and Philippians 2:6-10, that it is God the Father who gave Him this authority. It was given as a consequence of His humiliation and obedience to God to the ultimate point of His death on the cross. Because of this, God the Father raised him from the dead and exalted Him above every authority or power you can even conceive of, whether in the present or in the future. All things have now been put in subjection to Jesus. Jesus reigns over all things, and this authority will inure to the benefit of His church. This means that sin, Satan, the penalty of the Law and even death are under the sway of Jesus Christ.

Now back to Jesus’ statement in Matthew 20:18. Jesus’ all-encompassing authority provides the impetus for His commission to His Church. If the authoritative Jesus speaks, surely we should listen carefully and respond.

Jesus’ authority also provides the enablement for us to carry out this very big task. Jesus leaves the scene, because His work is done. We, the disciples and succeeding generations of disciples, have a role to play in Jesus’ plan for his church. Jesus will shortly send His Spirit to enable us to do our part in this task. Jesus will gather a people, His church, who will demonstrate by their weakness His power, by their love His love, and by their changed lives His transforming grace. He has the power and the authority to accomplish all this. No one can resist Him, thwart Him, or derail His plan.

2. All Nations

Here is the scope of Jesus’ commission to his church. Jesus says, “Go,” for His intention is to reach to world, not just the Jews, historically speaking, his favored people. God always had His eyes on a great diversity of peoples. This message kept coming through, from the God’s covenant with Abraham (“all peoples”) to Israel’s prophets.

Jesus tells us “Go,” not “Stay.” He does not direct us to stay in our comfort zones, but to reach out and touch the lives of others. For some this will involve a move to somewhere else, because someone has to go to wherever people are, worldwide. But for all of Jesus’ disciples it means that we are not to keep warm in our comfortable cocoons, but we are to get involved in the lives of others.

Jesus commands, “Make disciples.” Disciples are followers, and Jesus tells us to make people into followers of Jesus. Everyone follows someone or something, even if it is just the ephemeral image of independence or being myself (in this case, following my self-focused desires). God has designed us to be more than slaves to self; He has designed us to follow Jesus who will teach us how to live, how to maximize happiness in the present, how to prepare for all that lies beyond death, and how to deal definitively with the reality of guilt. Jesus will change us from what we unhappily are to become all we can be.

Jesus tells us to baptize these disciples, to demonstrate visibly the change that occurs when we repent and believe.

3. All I Commanded

This is the demonstration of the extent of the change that Jesus works in us when we follow Him. Jesus tells us to teach these disciples to obey all He commands us. We are to teach these new followers of Jesus from the Scriptures how to live out what God is working in us by putting into practice all of Jesus’ commands, not just the convenient ones.

God gives us a remarkably clear template for what we are to change into (the goal) as well as how we are to go about pursuing this goal (the process). It’s all in the Bible; the challenge is to take what’s in the Bible and get it into us, changing how we act and think. Teaching is the process Jesus prescribes to fulfill this challenge. Yes, there are other means as well, such as modeling (“example” in the NT) and counseling (Rom. 15:14), but predominantly it is teaching the Bible to disciples so that they would conform their thinking and their behaving to the commands of Jesus that will accomplish His purposes in His disciples.

4. Lo, I Am with You Always

Yes, it is a very big task. Indeed, it is an overwhelming task. All the nations, and it’s not like everyone is just searching for the answers. And superficial changes will not do in people; God wants us to change radically, from the inside out.

In tackling this very big task, we face many obstacles, we are often bewildered, and we are sometimes discouraged. And this is exactly why Jesus tells us He is with us. Always. Here we rest and here we place our hope, in Jesus, who promised always to be with us.

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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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August 28, 2015  by

It’s Time To Pray!

Acts 12:1-19, 24
1. We need to pray!

Peter had been put into prison (v. 5). And when you get into the specifics, the situation was even bleaker. Not only was Peter in prison, but he was in the high security zone. Four squads of soldiers were detailed to guard him (v. 4). When he was sleeping, he was placed between two soldiers bound with two chains (v. 6); does that remind you of a Houdini stunt? Further, guards were placed squarely in front of the door. Additionally, there were two sets of guards and an iron gate separating Peter from freedom (v. 10).

What could the church do about this situation? Peter was part of the church, not a military group. The church had no human means to get Peter out of prison. No Special Forces unit or helicopters to stage a rescue attempt. No means whatsoever at their disposal. They were absolutely helpless. This is why they needed to pray.

Similarly, sometimes we are in situations where we have no recourse. No human help. And we too need to pray.

At Redeemer Ann Arbor, we want to see a church planted in Ann Arbor, but we face a very tall mountain. We too need to pray.

2. The church did pray.

But prayer for him was being made very fervently by the church to God (v. 5). But prayer! Prayer was necessary, and prayer was offered. In the impossible situations in life, things begin to change when we pray.

Note the prepositions.

  •  “for him” – The focus of prayer was crystal clear. The church knew exactly what they were praying for. Peter was in prison. Their prayer was pointed, not vague. There was no “bless the missionaries” or general requests aimed upward in shotgun fashion. And so, when we are in a position of acute need, we know exactly what we are praying for.
  • “by the church” – Who else was going to pray for Peter? They were the only ones in a position to pray. No one else knew the situation; no one else cared. If the church didn’t pray for Peter, who was going to? Likewise, we must pray when we feel our needs. Who else will take our needs to God if we do not?
  • “to God” – Who could help in this situation? Only God. What was their recourse? Where could they go? Where could they look? And we, at Redeemer Ann Arbor, will take our desires and our needs to God. And you, whatever is confronting you, can take your situation to God.

3. Bewilderment.

More faith would have had a clearer understanding of the situation. More faith would not have been so bewildered. More faith would have recognized the deliverance that God was working for Peter as the angel walked him out of prison. But often we don’t have more faith, or even the faith that anyone might have expected that we would have. But God still delivers. God still answers prayer, though our faith is so small and so weak. The answer to our prayers does not depend on the strength of our faith. It depends on God, not on our weak faith.

  • Peter was bewildered. “He did not know…what…was real” (v. 9). “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth his angel and rescued me” (v. 11). Wasn’t Peter expecting the church to pray and God to answer? After all, Peter had recently preached at Pentecost and had seen radical results from his preaching. Peter had seen signs and wonders, the healing of the lame man at the temple gate (3:7), remarkable interventions by God (4:13, 18 and 5:1-11), and more. Why wouldn’t he expect God to intervene? But Peter was completely surprised at God’s deliverance.
  • Rhoda was bewildered. Though she knew it was Peter knocking, she did not open the gate for him (12:14). Now for Rhoda, it was not really because of unbelief, but because she was so happy, she just lost her bearings (“because of her joy,” v. 14). She announced to the praying church that it was Peter standing at the gate, which means she had a better grasp on reality than Peter did. Plus she “kept insisting” that it was Peter, despite the fact that the praying church wasn’t believing enough to accept the obvious fact that God had answered their prayers and Peter was standing at the door.
  • The Church was bewildered. They said to Rhoda that she was out of her mind (12:15). Their faith wasn’t strong enough even to acknowledge the possibility that God had answered their prayers, and they were the ones praying!

What the takeaways?

  • We must pray. There is no one else to do it.
  • We must pray. There’s nothing else we can do. God wants to reduce us to prayer. It’s not about our plans, our programs, our personalities, our giftedness, or our networks. God wants to teach us to pray, desperately, urgently, fervently. We will never pray like this when we can solve our own problems.
  • Our faith isn’t enough. Our faith is too weak. God must do it. The answers to our prayers will not come because we prayed. Only God can do it. But God does intervene when we pray. We must pray.
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August 18, 2015  by

Following Jesus in Mission

John 4:1-42

Our story starts with Jesus.

As Redeemer Ann Arbor begins to set direction and come into being, what is our mission? What is our purpose? What are we trying to do? We can do no better than to follow Jesus.

What does it mean to live and love people? What does it look like to serve the Father? What does it take to reach our community with the gospel? Look! Jesus shows us.
1. Jesus Shows Us.

Jesus makes himself available to people. John 4:6 Tired from his hiking in the hot Middle Eastern sun, Jesus sits down, not in seclusion to rest, but in public. He sits by Jacob’s well, the water source for the local area, where you can expect to see all the local residents to come for water regularly. Jesus deliberately makes himself available to people, knowing full well how demanding serving other people can be. Though he is “wearied from his journey,” he does not let his own feelings of exhaustion serve as an excuse to avoid seeing or serving other people.

Jesus initiates the conversation. John 4:7 A woman from Samaria comes to the well to get water, and Jesus engages her in conversation. Most Jews would avoid social contact with the despised mixed-breed race of Samaritans, but Jesus is not inhibited by the popular bigotry; he cares about people. Most Middle Eastern men would not speak to a woman, but Jesus cares about the individual. He does not remain aloof and superior, but he gets involved with people and starts the conversation.

Jesus makes himself vulnerable. John 4:7 Jesus asks her for a drink. He doesn’t start the conversation by telling her what he knows she needs to know, but rather he asks her a question. In so doing, he unhesitatingly displays his weakness (thirsty and no way to get a drink), and he automatically puts himself into her debt. Some of us hesitate to ask anyone for much of anything because of how it will reflect on us. Not Jesus.

Jesus steers the conversation to spiritual issues. John 4:9ff. The woman starts talking about race relations, but Jesus talks about the identity of the Messiah (4:10 – who it is who says to you) and our deepest thirst as humans (4:10 – living water/eternal life – 4:14). The woman is interested in labor-saving practices (4:15), but Jesus zeroes in on personal sin issues (4:16-8). The woman asks theological questions and poses conundrums about conflicted worship issues (4:20), but Jesus focuses on who the Father is (4:21-2 – the Father, you worship what you do not know) and a rapidly approaching time of spiritual realization (4:23). And she starts to get it. This is Jesus, the Christ, who tells me all things (4:25, 29, 39)! She tells others, and they believe too, not just because of what she said, but really because of what He said (4:39, 41-2).

2. Jesus Tells Us.

When the disciples come back from buying food in the city (John 4:8, 31-3), Jesus tells them this mission of reaching people with the gospel is something you can really sink your teeth into (4:32, 34). The Father sent Jesus to do this very work, and we are similarly sent (John 17:18).

Jesus communicates the urgency of the mission. John 4:35 Our tendency is to think we have plenty of time before harvest, but Jesus injects a serious dose of urgency. Now is the time to reach people regarding their eternal destinies and the salvation of their souls. The opportunity is here and now. We must not procrastinate or be casual when it comes to eternal and spiritual matters. We must act for Jesus and for people now.

Jesus communicates our cooperation in the gospel. John 4:36-8 One sows and another reaps. We work with others – other witnesses, other churches, other brothers and sisters in Christ – in the mission of Christ. We do not control the outcomes, only God does that. But we do our part. Sometimes we plant seeds, but we see not results; we only observe barren earth, for all the results are underground. Sometimes we reap fruit, and we did nothing to make it happen. It is always God who makes the difference, who causes the gospel seeds to grow and bear fruit, who saves sinners (1 Cor. 3:5-7).

This is our aim as we seek, by the help of God, to begin Redeemer Ann Arbor. Please pray for us that we would follow Jesus in His mission on earth.

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