Momentum i A Publication of Redeemer Bible Church
Christmas and the Things of Earth Incarnation: Skin in the Game Greatness from Humility
The Incarnation
Issue 34 // November & December, 2016
Welcome
We’re glad you’re here! We are a church with a mission. Our mission is to enjoy, embody, and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ so that unbelievers are persuaded of the gospel, believers are built up in the gospel, and culture is transformed by the gospel – to the glory of God. Because the gospel is at the heart of RBC, 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 our vision and direction. That’s where Momentum comes in. On the first Sunday of every other month, everyone will receive a copy and be able to stay connected to the pulse of Redeemer. Inside each issue, you will find a letter from the elders, encouraging articles from our members, as well as updates on things like church finances, new members, and upcoming church activities and programs. The gospel is what keeps Redeemer moving forward. It’s our passion, our motivation, our moving force. It’s our momentum.
In this Issue 18 HOW I MET JESUS Jim & Debbie Hansen share their stories of how Jesus rescued them and brought them to Himself.
5 LETTER FROM THE ELDERS “Welcome to Redeemer!” from Bill Walsh, on behalf of the elders and deacons.
14 GREATNESS FROM HUMILITY “Jesus didn’t just teach us how to live with his words; he also taught us by the way he lived.”
20 GOSPEL LIFE BLOG A Lesson from the Western Wall by Pam Deckert.
10
6 CHRISTMAS AND THE THINGS OF EARTH “The things of Christmas need not distract us from Him. Instead, they can be for us tastes of his glory…”
21
INCARNATION: SKIN IN THE GAME The incarnation is of utmost importance in our Christian faith. Reflect on what the Word becoming flesh actually meant for the God who lived it.
16
GOSPEL LIFE BLOG
UPDATE FROM ITALY Karise Pagano shares how the Lord has been using her in Sicily and the big changes He has planned for her ministry.
The Bible is Sufficient by Marty Pagano.
22 AFFINITY GROUPS
Communications Department CONTENT DIRECTION Lorie Schnell Bill Walsh
DESIGN & LAYOUT Sara Briggs
CONTENT MANAGER Lorie Schnell
EDITING Lorie Schnell Brittney Westin
4
MOMENTUM // NOVEMBER & DECEMBER
Letter From the Elders
Dear Redeemer Family, It is incredible to me that the holidays are upon us again! Welcome to the November/December edition of Momentum. As Thanksgiving approaches, many of us automatically move in our hearts towards a season of family, friends, and gatherings over meals. These are wonderful gifts from our Heavenly Father. And the world around us receives these common graces without giving much thought to their ultimate source. But, we as believers in Jesus Christ have this special time of year to focus on the incredible truths of the Incarnation. The coming of Christ as the babe in the manger is foundational to our faith. You could spend a lifetime meditating on the depths of God’s love that would motivate Him to send His only Son to rescue a sinful people like us, ultimately making us His own adopted children. Emanuel, God With Us. He left His throne above to enter into our world, becoming flesh so that He could sympathize with our weakness and suffer as our substitute. How did He come? Not, what method did He use, but what was His attitude? Philippians 2:5-8 gives us a great summary. He didn’t grasp His equality with God. He was willing to temporarily give up His privileges. He generally did not draw attention to Himself. He humbled Himself. He acted selflessly. He entered our world and came as a servant. Yes, this is an example for us to follow. But if we stopped there, we would be merely trying to follow a moral role model. What has real potential to change us is when we think deeply about what He did and allow those truths to resonate in our hearts. Only the gospel itself has the power to truly bring change.
GREG DECKERT OSCAR HUERTA JOHN SWEET BILL WALSH WARREN WATSON DAVID WESSNER DAN WESTIN GABE ZEPEDA
And because of that, in this special season, we can have the desire, strength, and courage to be an incarnation to those around us. God is calling us to reach out and bring His presence into the lives of others, especially those who are hurting or are in need. Let’s pray that God will open a new door of opportunity during these holidays, to get us out of our comfort zone and be a vessel of bringing God’s love and joy to those around us--because He willingly and humbly entered our world. Bill Walsh
Christmas & The Things of Earth 6
MOMENTUM // NOVEMBER & DECEMBER
By Joe Rigney
C
reation. Incarnation.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). In the fullness of time, the Word became flesh (Galatians 4:4; John 1:14). These passages, and the events they describe, aren’t just a part of the same Bible; they’re inextricably linked. They are woven together. God made a world. God made himself into a baby. God created us. God with us. These are two steps in one Great Dance. GOD SPEAKS IN THINGS How so? Begin with the goal of creation: “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1). And not just the heavens. Everything declares the glory of God. His invisible attributes are clearly perceived in the things that have been made (Romans 1:20). Creation makes invisible realities visible. As one theologian said, commenting on Psalm 1, “Trees are audio-visual aids to help us understand righteousness.” The world is filled with images of divine things, as full as a language is of words. Creation is the triune God’s self-revelation, his communication to his image-bearers. As N.D. Wilson writes, we live in God’s language: Imagine a poem written with such enormous threedimensional words that we had to invent a smaller word to reference each of the big ones; that we had to rewrite the whole thing in shorthand, smashing it into two dimensions, just to talk about it. Or don’t imagine it. Look outside. Human language is our attempt at navigating God’s language; it is us running between the lines of his epic, climbing on the vowels and building houses out of the consonants. The Bible is our Rosetta Stone, the grammar textbook that teaches us how to read everything else. “Consider the birds” (Matthew 6:26). “Consider the lilies” (Matthew 6:28).
“...The Incarnation reminds us that the entire created order — heaven and earth and everything in between — is really and truly a kind of Discarnation, God revealing himself quite literally everywhere and in everything.” “Consider the ant” (Proverbs 6:6). There are divine lessons in seeds and fields, in sand and rocks, in wineskins and fig trees. Go. Look. Think. Listen. God is speaking to you. But we’ve grown deaf. Sin has aged us, and no hearing aid on earth could possible restore faithful ears. At least, not until Christmas. GOD SPEAKS AGAIN IN HIM But with Christmas, God speaks again. The light shines into our darkness. The Word speaks into our deafness. And the darkness scatters, and the deafness goes silent. Our eyes and ears learn what it is to see and hear again. This is what the Incarnation is all about: God restoring to us the ability to see him, to hear him, to know him, to enjoy him everywhere. The fullness of deity dwelling bodily (Colossians 2:9) is the fitting capstone of God’s self-revelation, the clearest expression of those invisible attributes. “We have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Invisible attributes, eternal power, divine nature — made visible, audible, tangible in a tiny child in Bethlehem town.
NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2016 \\ MOMENTUM
7
THINGS IN LIGHT OF HIM But the Incarnation doesn’t stop with the baby in a manger. The Word became flesh so that we could have the world back, so that we could hear and see and know and enjoy God in the creation that we’d grown blind and deaf to in our idolatry and ingratitude. This is why C.S. Lewis tells us that miracles, including and especially the miracle of the Incarnation, are simply “a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see.” Or again, in more detail, The doctrine I understand to be something like this: There is an activity of God displayed throughout creation, a wholesale activity let us say which men refuse to recognize. The miracles done by God incarnate, living as a man in Palestine, performs the very same things as the wholesale activity, but at a different speed and on a smaller scale. One of their chief purposes is that men, having seen a thing done by personal power on the small scale, may recognize, when they see the same thing done on the large scale, that the power behind it is also personal (God in the Dock, 29). The Incarnation reminds us that the entire created order — heaven and earth and everything in between — is really and truly a kind of Discarnation, God revealing himself quite literally everywhere and in everything. “In him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). WHAT CHRISTMAS SAYS But Discarnation is only the first step in this Dance. The second step, the eye-catching step, the spin and twirl that turns everyone’s head is the Incarnation. It’s God putting the period at the end of his revelatory sentence (with the resurrection turning that period into an exclamation point).
It’s God saying, You aren’t able to hear my voice in the things that have been made? You’ve begun to wonder whether this cosmos can communicate who I am? Then watch this. Watch me wear creation like a garment. No, more than that. Watch me, the Creator, become a creature. Watch me take on the trappings and limitations of man. I’ll join myself to this spoken world. I’ll shrink myself to the size of an embryo. Then I’ll grow until I fill a womb. Then I’ll burst the womb. Then I’ll keep growing (in wisdom and stature, no less) until I’m big enough to walk among the sons of earth. I’ll grow until I’m big enough to hang, big enough to die, big enough to fill a tomb. And then I’ll burst the tomb. But I won’t stop there. I’ll keep growing and growing, filling hearts and filling minds and filling bodies, until you read the same story in the stars, until you hear the heavens sing and the earth reply, until you taste honey and then taste and see that the Lord is good. I will keep growing until I fill all in all. He has come, Christmas has spoken, and now the things of earth grow strangely bright, not dim, in the light of such glory and grace. Now we know the meaning of this world, and begin to know the world through this meaning. And so the things of Christmas — the decorations and gifts, the candles and lights, the roast and desserts, our family and friends — need not distract us from him. Instead, they can be for us tastes of his glory, refracted beams from his Holy Light, echoes of the song that those herald angels sing.
JOE RIGNEY is assistant professor of theology and Christian worldview at Bethlehem College & Seminary and author of The Things of Earth: Treasuring God by Enjoying
His Gifts. He is a pastor at Cities Church. Used with permission from Desiring God. www.desiringgod.org
8
MOMENTUM // NOVEMBER & DECEMBER
ALL NIGHT of
10 PM to 5 AM FRIDAY, JANUARY 6
NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2016 \\ MOMENTUM
9
Incarnation: Skin in the Game By Ben Carter
Adoration of the Shepherds, ca. 1622 by Gerard van Honthorst 10
MOMENTUM // NOVEMBER & DECEMBER
N
o one really knows who coined the phrase “skin in the game.” Some say it was the investing legend Warren Buffett. Others point to Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice in which Antonio must promise a pound of his own flesh as collateral in the event his friend, Bassiano, defaults on his loan. The idea is that you have enough of your equity at stake that you are sufficiently motivated to support or pursue the desired outcome. The “game” is the field of play. It could be anything from the Superbowl to your kid’s college education. Or the gospel. In John 1:1-4, the Bible says that “ 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” And then later in verse 14 of that chapter it says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” There are several important truths in this passage about Christ and his incarnation: 1) HIS DEITY. Not a prophet. Not a good teacher. Not a really nice guy. God (vv. 1, 14). It’s a claim that left little room for neutrality. Either Jesus was who he said he was, or he was out of his mind. His resurrection from the dead points to the former, but at the end of the day it comes down to faith (Romans 10:9). 2) HIS PRE-EXISTENCE. Prior to his presence on earth, Christ existed in a different form: as the Word, or in the Greek, logos – who was manifest as God’s active creation, revelation, and redemption since the beginning of time. Many people, including believers and non-believers, miss this point and think of Jesus’s existence starting as baby born in Bethlehem. But the Bible clearly teaches that the father, Son, and Holy Spirit have always existed since the beginning. Jesus was not created, but was rather the agent of all creation (see vv. 2-3 above and the parallels to Gen 1:1).
NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2016 \\ MOMENTUM
11
“...The one whose presence transcends the universe condescended to a singularity with two hands and two feet. He remained the same person; he remained fully God. But he also became fully man at the same time...” 3) HIS DUAL NATURE. He took on flesh. In other words he took on a human form. This is a mindboggling truth that is easy to casually brush past as we enter the Christmas season. The omnipotent king of all creation took on the fragile frame of a mortal man. The one who knit each of us together in our mother’s womb allowed himself to be woven, cell by cell and strand by DNA strand, in Mary’s womb. The one whose presence transcends the universe condescended to a singularity with two hands and two feet. He remained the same person; he remained fully God. But he also became fully man at the same time, with all of our aches and pains, all of our weariness, our hunger, our thirst, and our temptations. He worked hard at a real job (carpentry), he sweat real sweat, cried real tears, and bled real blood. When he was betrayed by those closest to him he felt real hurt. When God became man he was all-in – it was a 100% transaction not a 50/50 or 80/20. He became fully man. But he also was still fully God. He was God in human flesh – the God-man, which is to say he was God incarnate. 4) HIS MISSION. He dwelt among us (vs. 14) – literally “tabernacled” with us referring to the Old Testament tent of meeting where God’s presence dwelled, His glory was revealed, and human sin was atoned. The tabernacle was a portable version of the Holy Place in the future temple where once a year the chief priest would bring a blood offering into the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant was kept (Exodus 25, Leviticus 16:14, 17:11-14). Inside the Ark of the Covenant was the law – the actual stone tablets with the 10 commandments. The blood sacrifice from the perfect lamb without blemish would be sprinkled on the golden lid of the ark, which was called the mercy seat. When God looked down from above he would no longer see the broken law but would instead see the blood of the atoning sacrifice on behalf of the whole Israelite nation.
12
MOMENTUM // NOVEMBER & DECEMBER
Jesus came as the tabernacle, God’s presence among us, but more than that he came to be our high priest who would enter the Holy of Holies and mediate on our behalf. And he didn’t bring the blood of a perfect lamb. He only brought himself because he was (and is) the perfect Lamb who lived a life without sin. The blood he sprinkled onto the mercy seat was his own blood. His death on the cross atones for the sins of those who put their faith in him (see Hebrews 9:1-21). That was his mission; that’s why he came. He came to ultimately be both our high priest and our atoning sacrifice – and he accomplished both on the cross. Like in the Merchant of Venice, Christ entered our story to become our Antonio, who would put his own flesh on the line to cover the debt of our sin before a holy God. But unlike that story, he isn’t just a friend, he is our priest, our sacrifice, and now our conquering King! Thank you Jesus, for coming to rescue us, for making a way for us to be in relationship with a Holy God, for paying our debt. Thank you Jesus for having skin in the game!
“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of blood of goats and claves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” Hebrews 9:11-12 // RBC
NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2016 \\ MOMENTUM
13
T
he birth of Jesus, the God and creator of this world, is the single greatest event to ever happen to mankind, yet it transpired in relative obscurity and to little fanfare. Jesus’ birth in some ways mirrored his death for, as with his death, he was also despised and rejected by his people at birth. The year was approximately 2, B.C. A very pregnant young Mary and her husband Joseph entered Bethlehem to register for the census decree issued by Caesar Augustus. Mary and Joseph would not have been welcomed by either of their families upon their arrival into Bethlehem. Mary was pregnant and that would have meant one of two things: either she had become pregnant with Joseph’s baby during their betrothal or she had been
14
MOMENTUM // NOVEMBER & DECEMBER
By Andrew Briggs unfaithful to Joseph and would have been viewed as an adulteress. Joseph’s claim that she was indeed a virgin and was pregnant with the Messiah would have caused those closest to him to think him insane! Family and friends would have rejected them and not welcomed them in to their homes for fellowship and a place to stay and sleep. As the hour drew near for Mary to give birth, a desperate Joseph sought a place for Mary to deliver her son. I imagine he knocked on doors begging for mercy for his wife who was in labor. Finally, he arrived at the inn. He begged for a room so that Mary could deliver her child. The innkeeper couldn’t allow them in but in an act of mercy, brought them out back to a stable where Mary, on a bed of straw, gave birth
Greatness from Humility to our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. Angels announced his birth to shepherds who were watching over their flocks nearby and they came and worshipped the baby Jesus. Wise men from Persia saw an astronomical phenomena and gathered their things to travel 1,000 miles to Bethlehem, a journey that would have taken about four months, to see the child. Yet the Bible tells of no one else coming to see the Messiah. I can’t imagine a more humble beginning than the one Jesus was given. He was rejected by family, friends, and the Jewish people. This is exactly what God wanted, for Jesus didn’t just teach us how to live with his words; he also taught us by the way he lived. His humility was on display every day
when, instead of man’s praise and accolades, he sought to make much out of his heavenly Father. He lived out the implications of his words, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11 ESV). Though he should have had feasts held in his honor by the Jewish leaders, he was happy to dine with tax collectors and prostitutes. Though he should have been teaching in the synagogue, in a place of prestige, he was delighted to teach sitting on the side of a mountain. Our Lord was content being despised and rejected as long as God the Father was exalted. He never set out to make much of himself, but to make much of God! Oh, how our churches, families, workplaces and neighborhoods
could be transformed if we were able to live as Jesus did! Concerned, not for our own fame or status, but for the fame and status of God the Father. As advent nears, arrives, and moves toward Easter, I encourage all of us to look to the birth, life, and crucifixion of Jesus. Let us see how he lived out the implications of what he taught, and realize that we too can turn the focus from making much of ourselves to making much of the Father, being willing to live despised and rejected by our fellow man, knowing we are wholly accepted by the Father and his Son! // RBC
NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2016 \\ MOMENTUM
15
Update from Italy
By Karise Pagano
M
any missionaries serve for years without any visible fruit, trusting that God’s Word doesn’t return void and that He’s doing something beyond the view of the naked eye. This year I had the privilege of watching God call to Himself a lovely young lady named Stefania whom I’ve known since my arrival here. I have had many gospel conversations with her over the years and this spring she asked to meet with me and discuss the gospel again. We went out for a pizza and talked for hours. I’ll never forget watching her look at me with tears in her eyes and hearing her say, “I’m a believer!” Since then, God has continued to bloom and grow her and it has been amazing to have a front row seat. God doesn’t need me to fulfill His plan, but He chose to use me. And He has chosen to use each of YOU as a part of Redeemer Bible Church, and each of you who regularly supports me, allowing me to be here. He doesn’t have to show us what He’s up to as we serve Him, but He’s SO GOOD to show us sometimes. Please continue to pray for Stefania as she grows in the Lord. She is currently unemployed, as are many people in their 30s and 40s here in Italy, so prayers for employment would be much appreciated.
16
MOMENTUM // NOVEMBER & DECEMBER
Global Partners Highlight
ON ANOTHER NOTE… After almost four years of serving in Messina, Sicily with the Italian Theological Academy, God is moving me on. While I will greatly miss the people in Sicily, I am looking forward to this new adventure with Coram Deo Ministry. Coram Deo is located in Porto Mantovano, Italy. It’s about an hour north of Bologna. The ministries of Coram Deo include: • Church planting • Conferences • Book publishing • Theological courses • Sports ministry for youth • Music ministry You can read more about them here on their English website: http:// www.coramdeo.it/eng/ My role on the team will be to assist in administrative duties. I will be working alongside a lady whose husband is one of the pastors at the local church. She does not yet speak Italian, so my fluency will be an asset both to her and to the tasks that require the Italian language, including fulfilling book orders and bookkeeping for the ministry. I’ll also be assisting with event organizations and anything else that needs to be done. I’ve also been asked to take over the Sunday School program at church. I moved into my new home on October 28th and God has incredibly
provided the funds for a vehicle, which I’m in the process of purchasing. Three ways you can get involved: 1. PRAY. Every time you eat pizza, think of Italy and the people of Italy and their great need for a Savior! And then pray that God would use our team here to reach them with the gospel.
my email address: karisepagano@ me.com. You can follow my blog on www. PaganoSiciliana.com as well as sign up for my newsletter there.
2. JOIN MY SUPPORT TEAM. My pledged monthly support level is only at 65%. This is not a sustainable amount going forward. I’ve been able to make ends meet through special gifts annually, but I need more people to come alongside me, pledging a monthly amount in order for me to continue to serve here in Italy. 3. COME VISIT. See the great need for Christ, see the ministry, meet the people, serve. (Families are welcome!) Please consider helping with either a special gift or better yet, by joining my financial support team! You can do so in two ways:
MOMENTUM DIGITAL EDITION READ IT...WHENEVER.
• For a tax-deductible gift to a nonprofit, you can send checks to: Redeemer Bible Church 16031 Woodland Curve Minnetonka, MN 55345 **Please note “Italy Mission” on the check. • For a non tax-deductible gift, you can send money via Paypal to
ISSUU.COM/ REDEEMERBIBLECHURCH
NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2016 \\ MOMENTUM
17
How I Met Jesus
Jim and Debbie Hansen JIM HANSEN I am thankful to have been born into a family where both parents were faithful believers. I remember sitting on my father’s lap when I was six or seven years old as he showed me the way to salvation in the New Testament. He explained that Jesus had died to pay the price for my sins, and that He rose from the dead. At the time I knew that sassing mom and spitting on the sidewalk were sins. Since then, I have come to realize that the sins I have since committed, and God has forgiven, are far greater but still forgiven. I grew up attending church regularly, graduated from Minnehaha Academy, attended Bethel College and the University of MN before serving four years in the US Army. When I returned from the service, I knew that something was not right in my relationship with God. I was hungry to know God and His truth. After a time of searching, I met Don and Marlene George at a lunch they served every week in their home for the insurance agents who worked with Don. I learned that the church they attended taught the Word of God in context. As they saw, the rest is history. Debbie and I have been attending Redeemer ever since and have been blessed by the expository teaching and the fellowship of
18
MOMENTUM // NOVEMBER & DECEMBER
believers through the years. While the times have not been without physical or financial challenges, I praise God for His faithfulness and for the assurance that comes from scripture, as in Ephesians 2:8-9, that the grace and faith in God for salvation are gifts from God, not dependent on what I do. DEBBIE HANSEN My faith story begins much like Jim’s story. I too grew up in a Christian home with parents who loved the Lord and who faithfully took us to church each Sunday. I do not remember a time in my life when I did not love the Lord, nor believe that He loved me and died for my sins. I was always a “good girl” and tried to do the right things outwardly, but started to realize that inwardly I struggled with fear, pride, selfishness, and what I came to understand were mental attitude sins. God was growing me in my understanding of the depth of my sin and my great need for Him. He also gave me a hunger for His Word and a desire to know Him better. It was during my college years that I met with a group of students who were also eager to understand the Bible. Sovereign God was faithful to answer our prayers and led us to men who faithfully taught the scriptures expositionally and from the Greek and Hebrew. It was during this time that I met Jim
and shortly thereafter we began attending Maranatha Bible Church, now Redeemer Bible Church. That was 1971 – yes, I was just a baby! We grew in our understanding of who God is and the grace, forgiveness, and mercy that has been poured out on us. God was indeed answering our prayers to know Him and His Word. Additionally, we were blessed with a community of believers who were also hungry to know Him and apply His Word to their lives. They challenged us to be occupied with Christ, to walk the faith-rest life, and to study and treasure His Word. The community of believers at Marantha/Woodland Hills/Redeemer Bible Church, though imperfect, were seeking the Lord, growing in grace, and being sanctified. I thank God for His gracious hand of blessing and for the community of believers that became family and continue to spur us on to love and good deeds today. May the Bible teaching ministry and the fellowship of gospel-centered believers at RBC continue to grow in the knowledge and love of the Savior and be a vibrant light in this community for years to come. To the praise of His glory and grace! // RBC
NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2016 \\ MOMENTUM
19
Highlights from the Gospel Life Blog
The Western Wall, Jerusalem photo by Warren Watson
A Lesson from the Western Wall By Pam Deckert
M
y husband Greg and I had the privilege of traveling to Israel on a study trip this past spring. His parents, siblings and spouses also went along. One evening we walked to the Western Wall in Jerusalem, one of the most sacred sites in Judaism and a site of prayer and pilgrimage. My sisters-in-law and I proceeded to the Wall on the side designated for females, and we quietly observed the Jewish women as they ritually washed their hands, chose a book of prayers and found a place to sit or stand near the Wall. Their focus and devotion, coupled with their physical response, sometimes called “doving” because of the constant bobbing of their heads, mesmerized and challenged me. How often do I pray “on the run?” These women faithfully pilgrimage to this Wall, as
20
MOMENTUM // NOVEMBER & DECEMBER
if somehow praying at this particular place will guarantee their prayers are heard. I was challenged but also saddened for the lostness of these women, still living under the law. The banner on my phone proclaims, “under grace.” It is there to bring to mind Romans 6:14: “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” I need that reminder because it seems the further along I get in my pilgrimage with Christ, the more ungodliness I see in my life. I see the utter sinfulness of sin and I hate it more and more. Being “under grace” doesn’t mean we are free from sin, but from the power of sin. The law said, “Live righteously and you will be blessed.” Grace says, “You are abundantly blessed! Now live righteously.” How? By faith. By resting
in what Jesus has already done! Hebrews 12:1 encourages us to “lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus!” Thomas á Kempis profoundly said, “They travel lightly whom God’s grace carries.” Thankfully, we don’t need to pilgrimage to Jerusalem to pray to our God nor do we live under the condemnation of the law. Romans 8:1 is great news: “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” As we travel on this pilgrimage together, brothers and sisters of Redeemer Bible Church, let us travel lightly, remembering God’s grace demonstrated to us on the cross. Then let us bend out or demonstrate that grace to one another as we pray for and serve one another in love. // RBC
Highlights from the Gospel Life Blog
The Bible is Sufficient By Marty Pagano
T
The "Information Age" offers endless opinions and contradictory truth. However, when it comes to absolute truth, God does not want His children to be confused in this enlightened age of darkness. We have the Word of God as our guide. We can live our lives in confidence knowing God has told us all we need to know. The first attribute of Scriptures is "Sufficiency." What do we mean when we say the Bible is sufficient? A succinct definition is given in Question 3 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism: Q. What do the Scriptures principally teach? A. The Scriptures principally teach, what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.
We get a good sense of how scripture speaks of itself from 2 Tim. 3:16,17. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” What a great passage to commit to memory! 2 Peter 1:3 also associates divine power with the Word of God that tells us all we need to know about life and godliness. We gain our knowledge of God from the Bible. The Bible is clear regarding man's condition before God, Christ's substitutionary atonement, and what each person must do to be saved. The Bible is also very clear regarding morality. Any other source is bound
to be insufficient and should always be weighed using the Bible as the scale or standard. From a practical perspective we do not need to add anything to the Bible to meet the unique challenges today nor should we subtract anything from it to accommodate new trends. "Sola Scriptura" is the cry of the reformer, and rightfully so, because no church or religion has authority to overrule the scriptures. So, what does this mean for believers? We can have confidence in the Bible and know that when we are faced with tough decisions or simply want to know what we should believe or how to live, time spent in communion with God and His Word is sufficient. // RBC
NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2016 \\ MOMENTUM
21
Affinity Groups DORCAS DAMES The Dorcas Dames are named after a disciple named Tabitha (Dorcas in Greek) who was a well-known and well-loved seamstress in the Bible (read Acts 9:36-42 for her story). If you enjoy sewing, we would love to have you join us in making baby quilts that will be donated. It doesn't matter if you're a beginner or a fanatic quilter, just plan on having lots of fun!
QUILTING GROUP DATES: Fridays, November 18 & December 16 TIME: 9am - 3pm LOCATION: Ministries Building WHAT TO BRING: Your lunch and sewing machine. For more information, contact Jean Bradford at retrojean@q.com.
HILLTOPPERS HillToppers is a great way for Redeemer’s “older” crowd to get connected and have fun (emphasis on fun!). If you are over the proverbial “hill” (50s, 60s, 70s & up), please join us for our next event!
s a m t s i r ChEve r , e m e de at R e
5TH SATURDAY BRUNCH DATE: Saturday, December 31st TIME: 9-11:30am LOCATION: Fellowship Hall Please RSVP to Pat York by Wednesday, December 28. Email: yorkp711@yahoo.com Cell: 612.508.4408 Home: 952.473.5196
Saturday,
DECEMBER 24TH 4:30 PM
(
22
MOMENTUM // NOVEMBER & DECEMBER
PAUL’S EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS
CHRIST IS SUPREME
COLOSSIANS S E R M O N
S E R I E S
The book of Colossians aims to exalt Jesus Christ so that He may be known by His people as absolutely supreme and sufficient. In studying this epistle, we study what it means for Jesus to be at the center of every facet of our lives. We will learn how God’s sovereign gift of new life in Christ affects our understanding of all that we believe and all that we do. And that new life gives us power to live by the gospel and hope for our eternal future.
SERMON SERIES SCHEDULE NOVEMBER 13 Colossians 1:1-5a NOVEMBER 20 Colossians 1:5b-14 NOVEMBER 27 Colossians 1:15-20 DECEMBER 4 Colossians 1:21-23 DECEMBER 11 Colossians 1:24-29 DECEMBER 18 Colossians 2:1-7 JANUARY 1 Colossians 2:8-15 JANUARY 8 Colossians 2:16-23 JANUARY 15 Colossians 3:1-4
Beginning NOVEMBER 13th
JANUARY 22 Colossians 3:5-17 JANUARY 29 Colossians 3:18-4:1 FEBRUARY 5 Colossians 4:2-6 FEBRUARY 12 Colossians 4:7-18
November
December
SUNDAY // 6th
SUNDAY // 20th
SUNDAY // 4th
SUNDAY // 18th
9a | Sunday School K-12th 10:30a | Gathered Worship
9a | Sunday School K-12th
9a | Sunday School K-12th 10:30a | Gathered Worship
9a | Sunday School K-12th
6p | State of the Church & The Lord's Table
Redemption Youth Bake Sale (all morning)
6p | Family Gathering
WEDNESDAY // 9th
WEDNESDAY // 23rd
6:45p | Redemption Youth 7-8p | Gathered Prayer
7p | A Night of Thanks
9:30a | Women's B Study 6:45p | Women's B Study
THURSDAY // 24th
WEDNESDAY // 7th
SUNDAY // 13th
10:30a | Gathered Worship*LT
Thanksgiving Day
9a | Sunday School K-12th 10:30a | Gathered Worship
SUNDAY // 27th
TUESDAY // 15th
10:30a | Gathered Worship No Sunday School
9:30a | Women's B Study 6:45p | Women's B Study
WEDNESDAY // 16th 6:45p | Redemption Youth 7-8p | Gathered Prayer
FRIDAY // 18th 9a-3p | Dorcas Dames
TUESDAY // 29th 9:30a | Women's B Study 6:45p | Women's B Study
WEDNESDAY // 30th 6:45p | Redemption Youth 7-8p | Gathered Prayer
TUESDAY // 6th
6:45p | Redemption Youth 7-8p | Gathered Prayer
10:30a | Gathered Worship*LT
WEDNESDAY // 21st 6:45p | Redemption Youth 7-8p | Gathered Prayer
SATURDAY // 24th 4:30p | Christmas Eve Service
SUNDAY // 25th
9a | Sunday School K-12th 10:30a | Gathered Worship
Christmas Day No Sunday morning services
TUESDAY // 13th
SATURDAY // 31st
9:30a | Women's B Study 6:45p | Women's B Study
9a | Hilltoppers Breakfast
SUNDAY // 11th
WEDNESDAY // 14th 6:45p | Redemption Youth 7-8p | Gathered Prayer
Momentum
*LT (includes the Lord's Table)
16205 HIGHWAY 7 | MINNETONKA, MN 55345 P: 952.935.2425 E: INFO@REDEEMERBIBLECHURCH.COM W: WWW.REDEEMERBIBLECHURCH.COM