By God’s abundant grace, Isaac’s Keep officially turned two. Two years since we took the step of corporately worshiping together as a core group, and wow what an incredible journey this has been so far. Here’s a little taste of what has occurred since the start.
We started by pretty much throwing out the textbooks and asking one simple question, “Is God really enough?” God moved in a small group of families studying His Word for over three years, and He moved us to consider the truth that He is the goal, plain and simple. We all said, “Yes!” with our lips, but I think we were all challenged to see if we really meant it. I mean, we live in comfortable suburban Atlanta, needs meet, luxuries at every corner, including within the church. We were part of a good church, under a wonderful pastor, with all the ministries one could really hope for. But I believe that question, “Is God enough?” haunted us. I know it did me.
So the experiment began, what if we planted a church in this comfortable community with churches on every corner? Mega-churches, country churches, hip churches, etc. What if we stripped away everything but the Word of God? What if we started with the Word alone, the revelation of God? Yes, idealistic. But would God be enough or is that just naive? No children’s ministry, no staged music ministry, no youth ministry, no old timers ministry, nothing but the Word. Without a projector, a sound system, a cool brand, or a hip pastor, much less staff. What if we didn’t allow buildings and salaries to dictate the direction of the church? What if we not only believed the gospel and the doctrines of grace, but applied them to the church, and didn’t hide behind them as if ashamed? What if we didn’t find any denomination or association or conference or convention to support us? That sounds like a recipe for disaster, doesn’t it? Now, we never believed any of those things were inherently evil or necessarily bad things, in fact most of those things are great blessings, but what if we didn’t have those common luxuries, what if those blessings were actually what we were worshiping instead of God. Our heads and hearts said we wanted God alone, that He is enough, so I guess we wanted to see if that was really true?
Well here we are, two years later, small but growing. No, not that kind of numerical growth. Seriously, did you read that last paragraph? You think that fits Christianity in southern suburbia? Let me answer that rhetorical question for you, NO! Numerical growth has been comical and downright sad, but we threw that out as a measurement of success long ago. Why? Because numbers can be a false idol and sometimes can say more about the community and church-style than about God and His work. Remember, we wanted to see if God is enough. We were willing to sacrifice the false hopes of numerical growth for the sure hope of biblical faithfulness. I don’t believe God is going to ask us how many were at church, He’s going to ask what we did with those He gave us and with the instructions He gave us. We think that’s far more important than trying to create a circus and calling it church just so a lot of people will show up, be manipulated by a show with a little Jesus thrown in, only to leave feeling better about themselves but not redeemed.
So we have only added one member family each year, failure by many standards, but we have grown immeasurably in terms of our progressive sanctification, being redeemed, becoming more like Christ. And not in some falsely pious parted-hair way that speaks holy talk. But in our desire to make much of God by our affections; knowing Him, loving Him, and living for Him. How do you measure that? Look at the lives of the people who make up the church. What are they pursuing? Is Jesus added into their lives or is He their lives? IK has someone from nearly every member family who is currently considering or is moving forward in the calling of ministry that goes beyond attending church or work. Many at IK are considering taking even more drastic steps toward laying down their life for the glory of God. As the preaching elder, this has been my greatest blessing, an answer to prayer. I would love for Isaac’s Keep to be a church that is truly a keep, a place to be faithful, a place to maintain our established covenant position in Christ, to continue without interruptions our covenantal lives, to maintain the biblical practices of the church, to be alert and watchful of our context but not driven by it, and to support the spread of covenant grace, salvation, and worship to others. May God bless Isaac’s Keep as a refuge that strengthens believers in the truth of the Word, so that they are prepared for a life of spreading the glory of His grace. That we would see and know that missional living isn’t just a buzz word for being cool, relevant, or hyper-contextual, but is a radical calling to discipleship to lay down our life daily, to take up the cross and follow, to die to self in order to live for Christ in the context of the life that God has given us.
I’m still not exactly sure what God has for us into the future, perhaps we are nothing more than a house church, perhaps we are still laying a foundation for greater things that are yet to come, perhaps this is exactly what God desires of Isaac’s Keep and we shouldn’t concern ourselves so much with future plans but simply rely, place our faith upon His future grace, it’s as sure as salvation, and then pursue Him with every ounce of our being. I’m convinced now after two years that we have at least realized that we can be a church without the peripherals. That God can be worshiped and known corporately even if we only show up, read His Word aloud, pray, and hear the Word preached exegetically and expositionally. That we can be a church if we simply but profoundly covenant our lives together for the gospel.
We have come this far by faith and I believe that the words we said with our hearts two years ago, “Yes God, You are enough!” have been shown true with our lives. For that I praise God for His faithfulness. And now I believe it is time that we might begin enjoying more of His blessings, now that we have tasted and seen just how good God is alone, I think we can properly enjoy and appreciate some more of His blessings without making them idols. But let us always be reminded that where we have started, with God alone, is always where we should end.
27. Mar, 2009 
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A church built upon the idea that it should actually be a church should always be looking for ways to better communicate, relate, and connect to people. Therefore, Isaac’s Keep is now twittering. Perhaps you to should CONSIDER 
