The Bible tells the dramatic story of man’s search for paradise and our repeated failure to regain what was lost in the beginning. In the very first chapter God made everything good and made humanity to represent his rule over all by creatively working together to expand flourishing throughout the entire planet. But it didn’t take long for those first people to throw everything away, striving to achieve flourishing apart from God and looking for freedom from God but finding themselves enslaved to sinful, selfish desires. Instead of freedom, this declaration of independence resulted in pain and suffering, guilt and shame, fear and anxiety.
But God, because of his great love, did not leave them without hope. He promised these first people that one day Someone would come and redeem them from this slavery. He would set them free and return them to paradise by restoring a right relationship with himself. As the story progresses we witness failure after failure of humanity’s attempt to make things right themselves. Despite God’s repeated acts of love toward them they continue to turn their backs on him. God continually promises that one day the Redeemer would come and make things right again.
This Redeemer would fulfill all that the law demanded. He would perfectly display God’s loving dominion over the earth as the first people were made to do. He wouldn’t just tell people to follow God, he would do it for them and put his Spirit within them so they would be able to do it. And one day he would redeem not just their hearts, but he would restore all of creation.
That day came hundreds of years after God’s people rejected him so thoroughly that they lost everything. After a long period of silence, God himself became a man, Jesus, who perfectly showed the world what God is like. Jesus was the redeemer that was promised. He never once did his own will but always followed his Father in heaven. He was always seeking ways to show his authority over the world in order to bring life to others. Yet, as history had repeatedly shown, the world turned their backs on him.
However, God turned this moment of rejection into the climax of his redemptive promises. Jesus, the one who was perfect, was treated by God like the foulest offender. He willingly accepted death on a Roman instrument of execution in order that those who truly deserved such punishment from God would be set free, redeemed, from the dark cloud of judgment, guilt, and shame that loomed over them because of sin. And setting them free from such hopelessness, he sent his own Holy Spirit to dwell in all those who trust in him. Never again would they need to experience the pain and suffering, guilt and shame, fear and anxiety that followed them. They would live in harmony with God until he called every last one of his lost sheep to himself and restored the entire creation for them.
2,000 years later God is still at work filling fearful and anxious hearts with hope that one day creation’s redemption will be complete. The way he is doing this is through his church around the world. At Redemption City Church, we are an exciting part of God’s love toward the world in the small city of Rochester, Minnesota. Rochester is a city that hopes to bring physical redemption to the world. Home of the Mayo Clinic, the city has international reach, expanding its system far beyond its limits as well as receiving visitors from all around the world. People travel to Rochester longing for hope, looking for someone who can relieve them of their suffering, desperately striving for one last chance to restore something that is broken. But what the medical professionals can give is only a shadow for what God has promised will come to those in a right relationship with him.
Redemption City Church embraces the theme of Med-City. We too desire to bring the hope of freedom to the world through God’s redeemed people starting right here in this city. As Rochester expands its reach, we believe that the city will need dozens of new churches in the coming years. We must partner with other churches in leading people to what their hearts desire more than physical healing, that is, spiritual redemption. Redemption City Church is a body of believers who are being healed by the Great Physician and we provide a place where hurting and despairing hearts will find the redeeming hope of the gospel.
Dependent upon the will of God, Redemption City Church will be a community of people reflecting the hope of the New Creation. In a world that is broken with racism, injustice, sickness, and poverty, the light of the gospel shines brightly. It is through the gospel that earthly differences are celebrated but united under the banner of the lordship of Jesus Christ through the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God the Father. Redemption City Church sojourns through this difficult life with hopeful hearts of joyful worship in all we do. Reflecting God’s eternal generosity, we also share the love of Christ with our neighbors so they too may have the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Redemption City Church is a hopeful group redeemed souls experiencing freedom to enjoy life-giving relationships with God and one another. Will you join a community which exists by no explanation other than the abundant grace of God?