Momentum | April 2013 by Redeemer Bible Church

April2013

highlights from the gospel life blog rebecca peel & kim suchta

get involved Chop! chop! Do something

q & A with Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s director Gayle glenn

The

Verdict by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick

Welcome We’re glad you’re here! We are a church with a mission. Our mission is to proclaim, embody, and enjoy the gospel of Jesus Christ so that unbelievers are convinced of the gospel, believers are built up in the gospel, and culture is transformed by the gospel to the glory of God.

The gospel is the good news of what God has done for us through His son, Jesus. When God created the world, he created us in his image to rule the earth under his authority. Instead, through Adam who represented us, we preferred to be the rulers ourselves and rebelled against God by breaking his command. Because of that, God brought about consequences, namely death and hell, for people who are rebels, which is all of us. But because God is loving, he didn’t choose to forget his creation, of which we are a part. Instead, he decided to remake it. He chose to remake everything through Jesus

Because the gospel is at our heart, we want all that we say and do as a church to honor and reflect Christ. Part of that includes making sure you are able to consistently and clearly know the vision and direction of Redeemer. That’s where Momentum comes in. On the first Sunday of every month, everyone will receive a copy and be able to stay connected to the pulse of Redeemer. Inside each monthly issue, you will find a meditation from Pastor Glenn, an update on the church’s vision goals, and learn more about a different ministry. You’ll also read about where you can help serve and get involved, as well as be updated on things like church finances, new members, and church activities and programs throughout the month. Redeemer is a church on the move, and it’s the gospel that is moving it forward. The gospel is our passion, our motivation, our moving force. It’s our momentum.

Christ, the eternal son of God who became man. Jesus was the one who lived the life we ought to have lived, and died the death we deserved to die, so that, if we put our faith and trust in him, turning from our sins and our rebellion, he remakes us new. He remakes our vision for the world and

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enables us to fulfill our calling in the world. Through Jesus,

Design/Direction: Chuck Forsberg Content Manager: Lorie Schnell Writer: Brittney Westin Copy Editor: Anne Lynn

God is restoring everything.

April

Featured article

contents

vision update Redeemer’s vision for transforming the Twin Cities for the gospel by 2030.

Blog Highlights In case you missed them on RBC.com, here are some great reminders about who we are in Christ.

event calendar Stay in the loop! Don’t miss out on upcoming events at RBC!

monthly meditation “The reason we think the local church is important is because Jesus does.”

Financial update This month’s update on our Expanding Our Gospel Vision Program.

The verdict I can remember many nights as a young, unsaved child when I prayed that I would do better, be a better person, only to discover the next day that I was the same old failure that I always had been. I’m thankful now, though, because God has answered those prayers through his Son. I’m not successful because I’ve finally gotten my act together. My heart has been quieted by his love because I recognize that he has regenerated, washed, forgiven, redeemed, and reconciled me.

Q & A with gayle glenn Gayle Glenn talks about the importance of women’s ministry at Redeemer.

get involved Redeemer needs your help! There are many volunteer positions available.

vision update

MOMENTUM // APRIL 2013

The Gospel Coalition -Twin Cities Eight Percent by 2030

By: R W Glenn

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

t started with a dream five years ago – a dream to see eight percent of the Twin Cities solidly committed to gospel-positive, city-positive churches by the year 2030. “Gospel-positive” is how we refer to churches that embrace a broadly Reformed, gospelcentered theological outlook. To be “citypositive” is to be a church that is equally as committed to its missionary purpose - to seek the good of the city the Lord has called us to serve. In order for this to happen, the metro would need approximately 3,600 churches. 3,600! Because of this, it became obvious to us that Redeemer couldn’t be the only church involved in strategizing about and engaging in the kind of church planting and revitalization effort that would be necessary to realize this vision. Now rewind to 2006. It was the year of the first Together for the Gospel (T4G), a wonderful conference hosted by Mark Dever, C J Mahaney, Ligon Duncan, and Albert Mohler. The conference was aimed at getting clear on the essentials of the gospel so that churches might fellowship with one another in mutually beneficial ways. Well, I came back from that conference excited to see how the Lord might move right here in the Twin Cities. So we sent a letter to every church in a 15-mile radius with the T4G “Affirmations and Denials” – a document meant to clarify the content of the gospel, and a response postcard that provided a place for pastors of those churches to affirm or deny the document. From there, we began a series of quarterly lunches of likeminded pastors. Then, in 2008, I rolled out our “8% by 2030” vision, explaining to these men that if we were going to reach the Twin Cities (something we all wanted to do), then we would need to do it together, somehow. By God’s providence, Scott Anderson, now Executive Director

of Desiring God, was in attendance. When he heard me speak, he was immediately excited and intrigued about the possibilities of co-laboring to bring about the gospel transformation of the metro. He passed my one-page document on to John Piper, teacher and founder of Desiring God. From there, a series of meetings ensued which enabled us to solidify with the men of Desiring God a starting place for a coalition of churches in the Twin Cities dedicated to realizing that vision. As we worked through our ideas, it became clear that we could accomplish our purposes with greater effectiveness if we could somehow be connected to an organization with gospel-centered doctrinal commitments and philosophy of ministry. The Gospel Coalition (TGC) seemed a perfect fit. Founded by Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York and Dr. D.A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament at Trinity Divinity School in Deerfield, IL, a connection with TGC would give us the clout we needed to appeal to local area churches to begin the conversation about co-laboring for the gospel here in the Twin Cities. So, in early September 2012, we had our first public exploratory meeting to discuss with local churches and parachurch organizations the possibility of starting a chapter of The Gospel Coalition right here in the Twin Cities (TGC-TC). Steve Treichler of Hope Community Church, John Piper, and I spoke at the event to articulate our vision to sixty pastors and leaders of a variety of denominations. Presbyterians, Baptists, Episcopalians, Pentecostals, and other traditions gathered to listen to our vision and to share our dream for our metro. Then, in December of 2012, D.A. Carson spoke to explain for us the importance of regional gospel coalitions as well as to offer TGC’s help for developing a chapter of our own. Another similar event, this time featuring John Piper, is shaping up for early May of this year. We don’t know what the future has in store, whether or not a bona fide coalition of gospel-positive, city-positive churches will develop from our dreams, and whether plans for a transformed metro will come to fruition. But we continue to pray for God’s wisdom as we seek to get on board with what he’s doing right here in the Twin Cities. The God of the gospel is on the move. //RBC

to the

Local Church

Commitment to the Local Church: The gospel is aimed at creating local Christian communities. The gospel leads to the planting and flourishing of local churches (1 Thess. 1:8). Therefore, we are committed to teaching Christians the centrality of the local church, understanding at the same time that Christians in our culture come to understand its centrality in a process. We will acknowledge this process by providing opportunities for believers to increase their level of commitment over time.

meditate

ne of the things you will hear often at Redeemer is the importance of the local church. This is not because we are interested in the growth and expansion of our church, like a business or another entrepreneurial endeavor. The reason we think the local church is important is because Jesus does. When Jesus told the Apostle Peter that he would build the church, and that the gates of Hades would not prevail against it (Matt 16:18), he wasn’t simply referring to the church invisible (comprised of all God’s people throughout history). He was talking about the visible church as well – the visible, tangible, local expressions of the one community of people that Christ died to save. Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, ascension, and his outpouring of the Holy Spirit created the local church. Since Christ loves the local church, so do we. This is why our fourth value reads like this:

MOMENTUM // APRIL 2013

Commitment

To highlight three of its key elements: 1. Commitment to the local church is a process. These days, the idea of the importance of the local church has fallen on hard times. The church used to occupy a much more prominent place in the priorities of Christian believers. So, when people begin visiting Redeemer, especially if they have a churched background, the level of commitment that our congregation makes to one another often seems like a pole vault – the bar seems extremely high. This is why we love to see guests become attendees who get their feet wet over time with gradual involvement in the life of the church – helping on a work day, serving in our children’s ministry, contributing to our print design. We are convinced that as people take time to move into the deeper waters of local church commitment, they will fall in love with the local church and move toward membership. 2. Commitment to the local church is taught. In today’s Christian culture, people do not simply wake up seeing the local church for the priority it really is. It needs to be defined, explained, and unpacked from Scripture. This is why we preach an annual sermon on the importance of the local church as well as provide quarterly membership classes aimed at instruction about the local church.

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by r w glenn

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

3. Commitment to the local church is an entailment of the gospel. The gospel is aimed at creating local Christian communities (local churches). When Jesus gave the apostles the Great Commission to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything he commanded, what did they do? How did they fulfill this mandate to preach the gospel throughout the world? They planted local churches. Now that’s saying something! The gospel isn’t simply a message (though it’s not less than that); it is a power. It is the power of God that saves those who believe. But more than that, it is a power that creates not isolated individual Christians, but communities of Christians, brought together to put the grace of God in the gospel on display. // RBC

Q & A with

MOMENTUM // APRIL 2013

women’s director

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

gayle glenn “...an ethos we try to promote: older women, step up, do your job, look around; younger women, come to events, don’t just hang out with women your own age.”

interviewed by brittney westin

Why is it important to have a ministry specifically designed for women?

What excites you about serving the women at Redeemer through the Women’s Ministry? I get excited serving alongside my husband and seeing how we can shape this particular ministry to communicate to women more about what we’re already learning. I want to take the truths that we’re learning and give examples for women to apply to their lives. For example, when we do marriage counseling and Bob looks to me to be a translator for the woman to the man, to speak “woman-talk,” and try to help explain to the husband what his wife just said: I love that! Women’s issues have always been important to me, so to be able to minister to women through a ministry designed for them, to get to speak “womantalk,” and to encourage others is exciting. What does the Women’s Ministry currently have going on right now?

Our Women’s Ministry seeks to equip women to live gospel-centered lives in every season and in every calling. How do you approach this when life circumstances can be so varied among a group of women? I think you can see this in the way our Bible studies aren’t separated out by life stage or age. There are times when people ask about having specific studies, like a study for young moms or a study for grandmas, and I’ve always been fine with that idea as long as there’s always an opportunity for us to be together at some point during the study, so that there are lots of generations present. In our Tuesday morning class, there are about twenty women who attend. I think there is great benefit in being part of a group where you’re not separated out. You’re hearing about child-rearing from a grandma or from someone who’s raising teenagers. I think having those generations present is so necessary to being part of the family of God. The information is often the same but you’re hearing it from different women who aren’t your mother or your daughter or your sister. So for our Thursday night events, we have some

We’re trying to develop new leadership all the time and figure out who has what gifts. If someone comes forward and says, “I want to serve,” we say, “Okay, let’s figure out what kinds of gifts God has put in you.” So it’s a lot of discovery. Even just getting people to serve in the things that are going on now is a process of developing those gifts and helping people discover their gifts. Part of the goal whenever we’re connecting people, is for the group to help each other figure out how they can serve and what their gifts are. In discipleship, we’re getting women connected to others, so through those discipleship ministries, we hope gifts are being recognized during the one on one time with each other. It’s kind of a loose process, but it’s one of our goals. Even in our Bible study class, I’m constantly asking the leaders, “Are you seeing any other leaders emerge? Any teachers?” And I keep encouraging them to give opportunity for anyone who might want to teach a chapter. You’ve talked about how we want to encourage women to have multi-generational relationships with other women as the Bible instructs. So how does the Women’s Ministry seek to foster these types of relationships? It’s not so specific like, “Right now we’re going to have an older woman teach a younger woman.” It’s not like that because a lot of discipleship happens casually as you get to know people. We want to provide opportunities for it to happen though. We want to encourage it, so we have our teachers encourage older women to step up and take the opportunity to see how they can pour into the lives of younger women. You might think you are too old to do anything or that you have nothing to give, but you’re called to do this. It’s an ethos we try to promote: older women, step up, do your job, look around; younger women, come to events, don’t just hang out with women your own age. What are some specific ways you have seen the Lord using the Women’s Ministry to work through the lives of the women in our church body? I’ll hear different stories about women who start coming to Ladies’ Class and began to get to know that group of Ladies and then feel a greater sense of belonging. So it’s a gradual kind of entrance to the church when you have opportunities to build relationships. Then it’s less scary to show up for Wednesday Worship, let’s say, and you begin to feel like this is home after a while. So Women’s Ministry just provides opportunity to make and build relationships. Another example would be our annual retreat because it allows us to build camaraderie and intimacy with others. Maybe you didn’t know many people but you showed up to the retreat and through coming, you built a ton of new relationships. Then church becomes smaller. It doesn’t feel so huge and you don’t feel so unknown anymore. That’s just what we’re trying to provide: more and more opportunities for relationships to develop, to be able to have conversations with other women who love the Lord. We want women to have opportunities where they can ask questions of other women about being a mom, a wife, a friend, all within a safe atmosphere. That’s what we’re trying to cultivate. //RBC

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

Bible study, discipleship and fellowship are really the three prongs of the Women’s Ministry. We have a Tuesday morning book study as well as a Thursday evening study (also known as Ladies’ Class) and both are going over the same book, Trusting God. And then we have a third Thursday of the month event for women. We wanted that event to be something where women can’t wait to go and spend time with other ladies and catch up with them. So, let’s say you can’t commit to a weekly study, but you’re not feeling like you ever get to spend time with the ladies of Redeemer outside of Sunday morning; this is a perfect option! We also have discipleship going on headed by three ladies from the Women’s Ministry team. Tammy Hoyt works the administration part of it. Women who are interested in discipleship can contact her, and she will try to pair them up with someone. The women from the Women’s Ministry team connect with Tammy and bring the names to the rest of us to see who would be a good match for a specific person. And we work with the elders when they ask us to find a match for a woman who is a new believer, for example. We try to get people connected and be the middle-man for that. We also have a women’s retreat and summer events like socials, and playgroups for moms.

What are some specific ways this ministry helps women recognize their gifts to use within the church?

MOMENTUM // APRIL 2013

We want to be able to speak the gospel and the implications of the gospel to women, from women. We know the Bible says in Titus to let the older women teach the younger women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible and kind. So there is a definite mandate for women to have a ministry that teaches younger women.

different studies available, like the Shepherding a Child’s Heart study to help meet those needs for moms with little children. But we also have another study, Trusting God, available if you’re not in that place in life where you’re raising kids. But with each study, I want to make sure that we do have some time together too, which is why we have an opening time for everyone with a short exhortation and time for singing. We want to be together, not segregating ourselves in church to a certain age group or demographic.

MOMENTUM // APRIL 2013

The

Verdict

featured article

by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

Taken from Because He Loves Me: How Christ Transforms Our Daily Life by Elyse Fitzpatrick, © 2008, pp. 65-77. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.

don’t know how many of you will remember the heartbreaking murder of a seven-year-old girl here in San Diego, back in February 2002. Little Danielle van Dam was kidnapped from her bedroom during the night and murdered. Her body was then dumped in a field twenty-five miles from her home. I followed the investigation into her disappearance, the accumulation of evidence, the ultimate trial and sentencing of a neighbor, fifty-year-old David Westerfield, with grief. I talked with friends who lived in their neighborhood, got a sense of their opinion, and watched as the district attorney built his case. Would the evidence against Westerfield be solid enough to convict him? Was he truly guilty? Once the verdict and sentence were read, everyone in Danielle’s neighborhood was relieved to hear that Westerfield would never come back and that he would get what he deserved: death. Our community certainly would have been up in arms if he had gotten away with his crime or if the sentence handed down had been too lenient, especially in light of the heinousness of what he had done. BUT THAT’S NOT FAIR! Like you, I hate injustice. Our hatred of injustice is part of what it means to be created in the image of God. God’s own testimony about himself is that he is just (Deut. 32:4; Isa. 30:18), and that he hates injustice: “He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD” (Prov. 17:15). We’re like him: we love justice and hate injustice. We want everything to be fair, and we want the bad guys to pay. We might not all agree about capital punishment, but everyone does agree that criminals should be punished in some way that approximates the pain they have inflicted upon others. On the other hand, we strongly object when those who are obviously innocent are condemned. Why, even the youngest child knows how to protest, “But, Mom, that’s not fair!”

WE STOOD CONDEMNED

The difficulty, of course, is that these rules involve our inner person: our mind, will, and emotions. If the command were simply, “Make up your bed when you get up,” we might be able to do it. We could gut it out when we are happy, sad, angry, confused, or frustrated. And because that kind of command doesn’t engage our hearts, we could even do it when we feel nothing but disdain for God. But his rules are more demanding than mere perfunctory duty. God’s law demands an all-encompassing, white-hot love for him that is demonstrated in grateful holy living and joyful service of our neighbor. As Jesus said, it’s a love that’s so strong every other love looks like hatred in comparison to it (Luke 14:26). Love for God is the only motive that will suffice because “love is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom. 13:10). As commentator Matthew Henry wrote, “All obedience begins in the affections, and nothing in religion is done right, that is not done there first.”1 Have you ever thought about how similar we all are to the rich young ruler who came to Jesus looking for commendation? Assured of his right standing before God, he boasted that he had kept all of God’s commands from his youth. Don’t murder— check. Don’t commit adultery—got it. Don’t lie, don’t steal, honor your parents—check, check, check. But then Jesus touched him where he stood guilty before the bar of the Judge of heaven who looks on the heart. The young man thought this Prophet would be impressed with his goodness. Instead he discovered that all of his good works had been done while awaiting execution on death row. He didn’t love God or his neighbor. “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. (Luke 18:22-23)

Not only are we commanded to love God preeminently, but we’re also to love our neighbor the way we love ourselves. What does our self-love look like? We love ourselves by always giving ourselves the benefit of the doubt, believing the best about our motives and actions, and striving to obtain for ourselves whatever we want. Here are some questions for you to consider as you think about whether you love your neighbor: Out of love for your neighbor, have you always shared the good news of the gospel? Do you purposely take the middle seat on an airplane so that someone else won’t have to? Have you always refrained from wishing that someone else’s spouse/children/parent/job/gifting was yours instead of theirs? Do you keep yourself from jockeying for position

It’s true: we don’t love God and we don’t love our neighbor—at least not as he has called us to. We’ve all broken a holy God’s holy law, and if we’re being honest we all know what we deserve. The verdict: guilty. The sentence: death. In God’s eyes we’re all David Westerfields, and if our God were like us, he wouldn’t want us hanging around in his neighborhood either. HE WAS INNOCENT On the other hand, here’s the record of your Savior, Jesus Christ. Look at all the ways he willingly obeyed the laws he decreed. Please notice that his obedience wasn’t mere outward conformity. It was a demonstration of his holy passion to please his Father. He didn’t obey because he had to; no, he wanted to obey because he loved his Father. He said, “I always do the things that are pleasing to him” (John 8:29); “I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father” (John 14:31); “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work” (John 4:34); “I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me” (John 5:30); “I do not [seek to] receive glory from people” (John 5:41); “I have come down…not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38); “I have kept my Father’s commandments” (John 15:10); “I…accomplished the work that [he] gave me to do” (John 17:4); “For their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified” (John 17:19); “Love one another: just as I have loved you” (John 13:34); “[I] fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15). Jesus is the one who has the authority to tell us to love the Father and our neighbor, because that was his lifelong testimony. If we’re going to be true to our love of justice, the verdict that we should pronounce over him is “innocent.” Not only was he not a guilty lawbreaker, but his active obedience was always driven by pure motives: love for the Father and those the Father had given him. He didn’t love so that others would think highly of him or make his life trouble-free. No, he was holy because he loved holiness and his holy Father. What is the just sentence that we should pronounce on him, the faultless one? “Freedom! Blessing! Life!” HE WAS CONDEMNED IN YOUR PLACE But what was the “unjust” sentence he received instead? Death. Not just any death, either. He submitted to the ignominious death of crucifixion on a Roman cross. I’m afraid we’ve grown accustomed to that imagery. We wear gold crosses on our ears and paste cool Celtic crosses on our cars. Why, even Madonna wears a cross these days. Would his death make more of an impact on you if I said that the innocent Lamb of God was electrocuted like some childraping, mother-murdering, blaspheming, slave-trader—for our lack of love? Would it shock you if I said that he was strapped to a gurney, wheeled into a room before a self-righteous audience who despised him and gleefully cheered when he received a lethal injection—for our disobedience? Can you picture him before a firing squad, naked, blindfolded, with all the world looking on, confirmed in their belief that he was getting what he deserved, and executed like some perverted, hateful David Westerfield in

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

Wow! Stop for a moment and put yourself in this young man’s place. How would you respond to that world-shattering command? Would you have gone away sad like he did? Oh, his response might have been, “I thought all you wanted was my outward behavior, not my heart! You want me to love you more than I love my wealth, status, privilege? You want me to love you more than I love my good reputation? I can’t do that!” This wealthy young man learned that “God…is to be loved in the first place, and nothing loved beside him, but what is loved for him.”2 And with that understanding came realization of guilt and the just sentence of condemnation that hung over him. No wonder he went away intensely grieved.

Since John writes that it is impossible to love God and act in hateful ways to our neighbor (I John 4:20), when we fail to love others, we’re disobeying both of Jesus’ commands at the same time. And just in case we think we haven’t really been all that bad, James tells us that if we’ve broken just one part of the law only once, we’re accountable for it all (James 2:10).

MOMENTUM // APRIL 2013

In the New Testament Jesus summarized God’s rules in two seemingly simple commands. He said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And…you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:37-39). Since God declares that he hates injustice and that it’s an abomination to him when a guilty person goes unpunished, our only hope of avoiding his just sentence is to obey these two rules. The problem we’re all facing, though, if we’re being honest, is that although these two commands seem easy, they’re not easy to obey. It shouldn’t be all that hard to love others, should it? And God is so good that love for him should be an automatic response.

at work or bragging about your accomplishments? Have you ever spoken to anyone, including your spouse, children, or parents, in an unkind or demeaning manner? Have you ever wished that a slow driver ahead of you would disappear? Do you show partiality to those who have the power to do you good and slight those who are less important?

MOMENTUM // APRIL 2013

our place? And as if all that weren’t enough, the Father, his Father, around whom his entire existence orbited, poured out his wrath upon him and deserted him at the very moment of his death because, in all fairness, you have earned both wrath and desertion? This was the sentence carried out against the Sinless One. THE GREAT EXCHANGE How could the God who said that it was an “abomination” to punish the innocent or free the guilty predestine3 this seemingly monstrous miscarriage of justice? He could righteously do so only by placing on the willing, Innocent One all of our sin and then condemning him for it. It’s vital for us to reflect on both our disobedience and his punishment, if we’re ever to fully live in the freedom he paid so dearly to secure for us. We’ve got to understand that he took all of our sin upon himself and then bore in his own person all of the punishment the Father justly demanded. He took it all—the sin we committed in our youth, the sin we committed before our conversion, the sin we committed today, and the sin we’ll commit tomorrow. He didn’t just bear the punishment for the time when we were trying to be good but flubbed up a little. He bore God’s wrath for every time when we knew we shouldn’t speak the way we were about to speak, but did it anyway. He received the righteous sentence for every unkind, lustful, selfish, wrathful, covetous, apathetic, vain, proud, dishonest, perverse thought, word, and deed that has ever proceeded from our hearts. The Father poured out all his wrath on his Son. There is no more left for you or me. He won’t condemn you now because condemning the innocent is an abomination to him, and that’s what he says you are: innocent. He won’t punish you for your sins because to do so would be unjust; someone’s already paid for those sins, and it would be unfair to punish you for them again.

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

Many people struggle with feelings of condemnation and guilt today because they’ve never really understood what Jesus did for them on Calvary. They think that their relationship with God is predicated on the fact that they’re not really all that bad, and then they wonder if God still loves them when they struggle with ongoing sin. They wonder if they were ever really his. They don’t see the depth of the sin that Christ bore in their place and so they can’t comprehend the righteous fury he withstood for them nor the riches of grace they’ve been given. I’m encouraging you now to fully embrace your sinfulness for one simple reason: so that you can fully embrace this great exchange, our “justification.” This is one of the primary places where understanding your new identity is crucial. When Paul wrote that there is now no longer any condemnation for you because you are “in” Christ, this is what he meant: when our Savior suffered on that tree, you were there, suffering, too; when he died under the immense wrath of God, you were with him. And when he rose victorious from the grave after having paid the full penalty for your sin, you rose also, and now you’ve ascended to the heavens where you’re seated with him. Like the faithful Good Shepherd that he is, he has sought you out and bore you on his back all the way to your heavenly home. In the eyes of your Savior, “It is truly finished” and you’re seated with him in heaven now. Are you beginning to see how it’s impossible for you to ever be condemned because you’ve already paid for your sins? You have a new identity, a righteous record; you have been declared innocent. Nothing can ever change that. Here’s the testimony of some of the writers of the New Testament with some personal pronouns I’ve inserted: • “Therefore, if [you are] in Christ, [you are] a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled [you] to himself…in Christ God was reconciling [you] to himself, not counting [your] trespasses against [you]….For [your] sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him [you] might become the righteousness of

God” (2 Cor. 5:17-19, 21). You’re completely and permanently new; you’ve got the righteousness of God! • “For God has done what the law…could not do. By sending his own Son…he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in [you]” (Rom. 8:3-4). Because you’re in Christ, you have fulfilled every requirement of the law! • “Christ…suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring [you] to God” (I Pet. 3:18). Christ Jesus suffered the death and punishment you should have suffered for one reason: that you might be in affectionate, intimate fellowship with him for all eternity. Once, in a counseling session, someone answered a question I posed about Scripture in this way: “The verse that means the most to me,” my friend said, “is the one where God declares that he was sorry he ever made man” (Gen. 6:6). I know that this might sound unusual, but as I’ve counseled people over the years and listened to their questions at conferences, I’ve been astounded at the number of times this kind of idea has come up. It’s as though these people, Christians all, think that God felt some sort of obligation to save them but that he really doesn’t like them very much. It’s as though they think they’re part of his family but suspect that if God could sit them in a corner with a dunce cap on, he’d happily do so. Dear sister or brother, nothing is farther from the truth! God loves you so much that he sent his Son to suffer for sin, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that he might bring you to himself! Is this the action of someone who isn’t filled with fervent love for you? YOU STAND JUSTIFIED4 Here’s the reality of the great exchange: our sinful record became his, and he suffered the punishment we deserved. But that’s not all he has done. If it were, that would be a great blessing, indeed. To stand innocent—to be back where our first parents were in the garden—would certainly be wondrous. But he hasn’t left us there where Adam began. No, through the Second Adam, he has done even more for us; he has justified us. As you probably know, this concept of the great exchange is often referred to as justification. I’ve heard the word justified defined as “just as if I’d never sinned.” And while that’s true as far as it goes, it doesn’t go far enough. Not only do we have a clean slate as Adam did, we’ve got something written on that slate that is so amazing I can scarcely believe it: Jesus’ perfect record has become ours. Because God has accredited or imputed Jesus’ perfect obedience to you, when God looks upon you, he sees you as a person who • always does the things that are pleasing to him; • is so focused on accomplishing his will and work that doing so is your daily food; • doesn’t seek your own will but seeks his will instead; • doesn’t seek to receive glory (praise, respect, worship) from others; • has always kept all his commandments; • lives in such a way that your life brings holiness to others; • loves others and lays down your life on a consistent basis; • lives in such a way that the people around you know that you love your heavenly Father more than anything else; • seeks to obey every command so that righteousness will be fulfilled. In God’s opinion (the only one that matters!) that’s your record today. One time during a conversation with a friend about these truths, she asked, “Isn’t God just kidding himself?” I was glad to hear that question because it let me know that she was dealing with the full implications of grace and justification. These truths ought to astound us. GOD’S LOVE FOR HIS SON I’ll admit that sometimes I cast about for assurance when I feel the creeping doubt and despair that infect my heart as I struggle with

THE SPECTERS OF CONDEMNATION Because there are times when our feelings of guilt or condemnation flow out of a superficial understanding of our sinfulness, I’ve belabored on this point about our failures in this chapter. Although it seems counterintuitive, fully embracing our utter inability to keep the law will actually free us from feelings of guiltiness. For instance, when your children fail and you respond to them in an ungodly way it’s easy to beat yourself up with thoughts such as “I’m such a terrible mother.” If, however, you’ve been freed from the expectation that you should be able to be a wonderful mother, your heart’s response will be: I know that I’ve failed to be the kind of mother he wants me to be, but that’s why I need a Savior, and it’s why my kids need one, too. Thank you, Lord that you’ve given me your perfect record, and that even though I sin, I am accounted perfectly righteous before you. Please forgive me and help me respond to this great gift you’ve given in faith and grateful obedience. I trust you to work in me.

When I come to him in meekness and dependence, I’ll learn the difference between proud self-condemnation (which is all about me) and humble conviction of sin (which is about him, his grace, and his law). His yoke is easy; his burden is light. I can come to him and find rest for my soul, but I must come in humility and brokenness (I Pet. 5:5). In addition, I know there are times when feelings of condemnation plague us because we think that God’s love is like ours. Instead of basking in the goodness of his grace, we wonder if he’ll reject us because we’re quick to reject others. It’s at times like this that we have to remember that God isn’t like us. He doesn’t love us because we’re lovable; no, his love is predicated solely upon his

DAVID WESTERFIELD NO MORE The thought that I want you to carry away from this chapter is that although you had the record of a David Westerfield before God, you have it no longer. I can remember many nights as a young, unsaved child when I prayed that I would do better, be a better person, only to discover the next day that I was the same old failure that I always had been. I’m thankful now, though, because God has answered those prayers through his Son. I’m not successful because I’ve finally gotten my act together. My heart has been quieted by his love because I recognize that he has regenerated, washed, forgiven, redeemed, and reconciled me. That old person I used to be is dead. A new person with an entirely new identity has arisen in her place: a woman about whom God has declared, “This is my beloved daughter—she brings me pleasure.” Can you say the same thing? If you’re in Christ, that’s God’s precious thought of you. You bring him pleasure, because you have come to him and he has made you perfectly pleasing to himself. As of this writing, David Westerfield is in prison, awaiting execution. How would he react if the warden came to him and said, “The court has found someone else guilty of your crime and he will be punished in your place. You are free to go and the record of your conviction has been completely expunged. You’ve been given a perfectly just record in place of the one you earned. No one will remember this about you anymore. You’re completely free.” How would he respond? How will you? REALIZING HOW GOD’S LOVE TRANSFORMS YOUR IDENTITY AND LIFE 1) “He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD” (Prov. 17:15). Explain how God can justify the “wicked” and condemn the “righteous” without being unjust. 2) What does it mean to be justified? How does your justification affect your daily life? How does it affect your struggle with selfcondemnation? 3) “The acceptance of the believer with God is perfect the moment he believes because Christ and his work are perfect. The status of the believer can never be improved upon—he possesses all riches of Christ.”5 How would your life be different if you consistently acted on this truth: you possess all the perfection and riches of Christ and nothing can ever change that? 4) Summarize in four or five sentences what you learned from this chapter.

**Footnotes 1. Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, New Modern Ed. (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1991), 2:36-40. 2. Ibid. 3. Acts 4:28. 4. “Justification is the judicial act of God, by which he pardons all the sins of those who believe in Christ, and accounts, accepts, and treats them as righteous in the eye of the law, i.e., as conformed to all its demands. In addition to the pardon of sin, justification declares that all the claims of the law are satisfied in respect of the justified. It is the act of a judge and not of a sovereign. The law is not relaxed or set aside, but is declared to be fulfilled in the strictest sense; and so the person justified is declared to be entitled to all the advantages and rewards arising from perfect obedience to the law (Rom. 5:1-10).” (Easton’s Bible Dictionary, PC Study Bible). 5. Gerrit Scott Dawson, Jesus Ascended: The Meaning of Christ’s Continuing Incarnation (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2004), 119.10

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

In my own life I frequently have to pray in this way numbers of times before I can silence the dreadful harping of my proud heart. I have to remind myself over and over that his righteousness is now mine and that the way my heart harasses me is more a function of my pride and self-sufficiency than a sincere desire for godliness. If godliness before him is what I was really after, then one look at the cross and empty tomb would suffice. But I can see that I’m frequently more concerned about whether I approve of myself than the fact that he approves of me. I sinfully long to be able to look at my life and feel good about my personal accomplishments—See what a good mother I am!—and it’s that desire that spawns crushing guilt. The only way to silence my heart and find solace is to continually remind myself of my new identity in Christ and to be satisfied with that alone. If I try to be satisfied in my own accomplishments or identity, I’ll never know the comfort he promised. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,” he calls, “and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30).

gracious choice. Remember, his love came to us when we were his enemies. Why would he leave us now that we’re his beloved children? When your heart accuses you and says, “You’re so worthless. Look at that way you’ve failed him again!” you can confidently answer, “It is true that on my own I am worthless, but he has made me completely righteous in his Son. He has declared that he loves me and his love is now the most important thing about me. I believe that he won’t stop loving me until he stops loving his own Son. I can begin to serve him again because I know he is here, with me, sustaining me and granting me his grace.”

MOMENTUM // APRIL 2013

sin. When I look through all the closets of my soul and all I find is lovelessness, I know that I don’t have any claim to God’s love on my own. The only truth that can assuage is this: I know that God loves his Son. Even though there are times when I wonder how God can love me, I know that he loves his Son, and because he has made a formal, legal declaration that I’m in him, then I must continue to tell myself and believe that he loves me because of him. My only other option is to say that he doesn’t love his Son at all. But the truth is that the pronouncement he made over him, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17), he has now made over us: “This is my beloved daughter, this is my beloved son, all in whom I am well pleased.” Will God ever push us away or keep us at arm’s length? Would he push his Son away? Will God ever fail to hear our prayer? Does he hear his Son’s? Is he disgusted with us and disappointed that he ever adopted us? Does Jesus disgust and disappoint him?

blog highlights

MOMENTUM // APRIL 2013

Highlights

from the

gospel life blog

A Vacation from Self-Reliance By Rebecca Peel My husband and are I leaving for a vacation tomorrow. As I take a moment to consider everything that needs to be done before we leave (including the fact that I need to produce this blog post) and anxieties start to rise within me, I’m having this discussion with God: “Lord, how do I even have time to blog? Are you kidding me…my list of ‘to do’s’ is a mile long and there is so much going on. I leave tomorrow morning for another country, my Dad is driving up here all the way from Chicago to watch our kids, my house is not clean, my lists are not crossed off and I’m not done packing. Now I’m supposed to write about how you’re working on me? Instead I want to say GO AWAY, because I’ve got a lot of things to take care of and I’ll get back to you later.”

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

How arrogant and prideful am I? “Truth is I can’t take care of this, or anything else apart from you. From wiping a nose or a bottom, to preparing a will in case anything happens to us while we are gone. Even in writing a blog, you’re involved in every detail of my life. And you love me despite me. You are my everything Lord. Please forgive me for my unbelief. I praise you for being truly kind to me Lord, for allowing me to see how self-reliant and independent I try to be in everything I do. I’m a failure on my own. I can’t do one thing without you, and thankfully, you equip me for everything in life, even and especially in preparing for what is supposed to be a relaxing and refreshing vacation. You love me so much that you want me to cling only to you. When I’m worshipping myself and being selfreliant, you pursue me and cause me to rely on you again. Father, I pray today that you would continue to show me my sin in my unbelief. You couldn’t possibly love me more than you do, and at the same time, you’re sovereign over all things. I know that and I can say it, but make it true to me. Cause my heart to believe so that my feelings and actions would honor you. You alone are God and know what’s best for me, for my husband, and for my kids, and you will take care of us, always and forever.” //RBC

Redeemer is Online! Check out our NEW website and find blogs like these and so much more at: RedeemerBible Church.com

What Am I Wearing? By Kim Suchta Seven years ago, this March will mark the anniversary of when I walked into a cold, run down government office in Hangzhou, China, to meet my then 17 month old son for the very first time. He weighed 15 pounds, was sick with a fever, and was dressed in layers of old, second hand clothes. My husband and I could not quit smiling. He was beautiful. We chuckled as we noticed the sweater he was wearing. On the sweater was a little girl with roller skates and a caption that said, “Roller Girl!” I couldn’t wait to get him back to the hotel room and take it off. I had the outfit I picked out for him months ago, laid out for him on our hotel bed: a comfy, clean, blue top and pair of pants. It was just right for our boy. As we got back to the hotel, the first thing we did was take the layers of clothing off him and give him a bath. I couldn’t wait to freshen him up! My husband and I took turns scrubbing him, splashing, and making him smile. I was so happy our boy was clean, with a new identity that day. We promised to take care of him. He was our son. I look back on this day and it’s a reminder of how God pursued me. I was once dirty and sick. The clothes I wore had names of shame written all over them. Names like: Fearful. Weak. Alone. Failure. I realized just how attached I had become to those names, and that identity. I sometimes cling to them even now. So what do I do when I start believing this false identity? The hard part for me is remembering what I am wearing. I am so prone to seeing my old self, full of filth and in my dirty clothes. I need to be reminded daily of who I am now, and how God sees me. I can do this by getting encouragement from other people, by being transparent with my sin struggles, and by staying in His Word. Only then will my focus shift from my delusional view of who I think I am, and be replaced with God’s truth about Himself. So even when I stand in my tightly zipped coat wearing all of the names I have falsely put on myself, I can know my heavenly Father won’t leave me dressed like that. In His joy, He pursues me, finds me, and reminds me that He sent his Son to die in my place, taking my shame upon Him at the cross. And not only is my shame taken away, but He reminds me again, that because of Jesus, He has given me a new set of clothes, a robe of righteousness that says, Clean. Covered. Loved. Forgiven. Healed. New. //RBC

ye FEB ar ru to ar da y te

MOMENTUM // APRIL 2013

bar graph

general giving fund Mortgage forcast

Mortgage | $ 21,200

Expenses giving

Giving | $ 396,225 Forcast | $ 393,563

Pie Chart

Expanding our gospel vision program

financial update

Total Expenses | $ 438,281

17.5 %

Commitments Received | $ 1,827,068

82.5 %

E-Giving: Stop Rowing in Circles By Paul Burr I love Gary Larson’s The Far Side where there is a Roman galley ship with big and strong rowers on one side and weaklings on the other. The ship’s skipper says “I’ve got it too Omar... a strange feeling like we’ve been going in circles.” This happens to many churches that have only a small group of people giving; they go in circles. E-giving to Redeemer is a great way for everyone to get involved in moving the ship forward at RBC. Setting aside whatever amount, small or large, and intentionally using E-giving, is a perfect way to demonstrate our act of worship to our generous Father God. Pick-up an E-giving form at the Welcome Center or ask Pastor Paul about it.

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

Awaiting Commitments | $ 388,325

get involved

MOMENTUM // APRIL 2013

do something

Volunteer postions available

Job title

Annual Pastor’s Conference

Children’s Ministry Summer Help

Description: We need five more people to help behind the scenes on the days leading up to and after the pastor’s conference. Some tasks will be to manage tables, food, etc. Please contact Kirsten Watson at kirsten@redeemerbiblechurch. com or 952.935.2425

Description: The Children’s Ministry needs helpers during the summer! 9 AM Worship Service: 2 people are needed for 3 year olds. 3-4 people are needed for the 4-5 year olds/1st- 3rd graders/4th-6th graders. 11 AM Worship Service: 3 people are needed for the 3-5 year olds. Contact: kirsten@redeemerbiblechurch.com or 952.935.2425

Job title

Responsibilities:

Ushers

1. Serve the body through handing out programs and special flyers as needed.

(5 PPl)

REDEEMER BIBLE CHURCH // The gospel changes everything

Copy Writer

6. Help those who need help before and after services.

2. Find and accommodate people as they come into the Sanctuary by leading them to their seats.

7. Be engaging to people as they come in, yet respect those who are there for worship.

3. Collect offerings, such as the weekly offering and the Mercy offering.

Hours per week: Max will be 4 hours. Arrive a half-hour before first service and stay thru the end of second service.

4. Serve Communion elements.

Job title

5. Maintain structure and quietness during services.

Description: Write copy for Redeemer’s website, printed materials, flyers and Momentum. Responsibilities: 1. Source and write copy for various printed and digital needs.

articles on an as-needed basis. 3. Generate headlines and short paragraphs for flyers. 4. Write blog posts for the church website. Hours per week: 2-4 hours

2. Contact various Pastors and Ministry Directors for information for

Job title

Video Editors (2 PPl)

Description: Creatively edit footage for use on the Redeemer website, social media and in services.

3. Work under the direction of the Media Director to establish a look and feel for the final cut.

Responsibilities:

4. Edit footage using Adobe Premier or Final Cut into production quality videos.

1. Coordinate the production of various promo videos for conferences, sermon series, events, and outreach tools. 2. Work with videographer to capture needed footage.

Hours per week: 2-5 hours

sun

April 7 morning Worship | 9 & 11 AM redemption | Youth SS 9 AM no community groups Evening worship | 6:00 PM

14 morning worship | 9 & 11 AM redemption | Youth SS 9 AM community groups Various Times newcomers lunch 1:00 - 2:30 PM | Glenns’ Home Redemption youth concert 7 PM | Target Center

21 morning worship | 9 & 11 AM (Including the Lord’s Table) redemption | Youth SS 9 AM community groups Various Times Ordination Service 6:30 PM

28 morning worship | 9 & 11 AM redemption | Youth SS 9 AM community groups Various Times

MON

FRI

event calendar

sAT

women’s book study 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM

redemption | Youth Group 6:45 PM

wednesday worship 7 PM

redemption | Youth Group 6:45 PM

no Women’s Night

Vision Program dessert 7:00 - 8:30 PM

redeemer Conferences: reduced rate sign-up deadline

women’s book study 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Children’s Ministry Teacher/Shepard training 9 - 11 am

Women’s Overnight | Friday, April 12th, 4 PM - Saturday, April 13th, 5 PM | Oak Ridge Conference Center, Chaska

wednesday worship 7 PM

women’s book study 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

THU

Dates to remember 10

WED

9 redemption | One Big Party Youth Rally 6:30 PM | Grace Church

TUE women’s book study 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM

women’s book study 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM

women’s book study 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Membership Class 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

redemption | Youth Group 6:45 PM

wednesday worship 7 PM

women’s book study 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM

wednesday worship 7 PM

April

Details, details.

Wednesday APR 10

One Big Party Youth Rally 6:30 PM | Grace Church, Eden Prairie. The name “One Big Party” seeks to convey what Heaven will be like. All God’s people, the angels, and the Lamb will be there. It’s one eternal celebration. No Longer Music will perform worship and lead the night. This will be an awesome time so invite your friends!

APR 11 Thursday Membership Class 7 PM – 10 PM | Ministries Building: Room 102 (16031 Woodland Curve). If you are interested in attending the next Membership Class, please RSVP with Laurie Summers at lsummers@redeemerbiblechurch.com or 952.935.2425.

Friday APR 12 - 13

Women’s Overnight Friday, April 12th, 4 PM - Saturday, April 13th, 5 PM | Oak Ridge Conference Center, Chaska. Cost is $95.00, which includes a shared room and three meals. Contact: Carol Burr at carolburr1081@gmail.com or 320.583.0761.

Thursday APR 25

Vision Program Dessert

APR 14 Sunday newcomer’s lunch

1 PM – 2:30 PM | Glenns’ Home If you would like to attend the next Newcomer’s Lunch, please RSVP with Laurie Summers at lsummers@redeemerbiblechurch.com or 952.935.2425.

Redemption Youth Concert

7 PM | Chris Tomlin Concert at Target Center Cost of tickets is $22 per person. Scholarships are available. RSVP: gabe@redeemerbiblechurch.com. 952.935.2425.

7 PM - 8:30 PM | Church Building | Helping new members and attendees understand our Vision Program for the new building and future church planting. A:: 16205 highway 7 | Minnetonka, minnesota 55345 P:: 952.935.2425 E:: info@redeemerbiblechurch.com w:: redeemerbiblechurch.com