Illuminate Community Church

04/21/19 - Rescue! - Matthew 28:1-20

Several years ago I was called by a frantic mother whose 20 year old daughter had just been hit by a car. When I arrived at the hospital, the girl was on life support and the doctors were uncertain about her prognosis. Because she was young she had a good chance to live, but the injuries were severe. I asked what happened and quickly abandoned any thought of discovery. Mom could not bring herself to speak so I watched as she stroked her daughter's hair hoping and praying that she would see a marriage, have children and live a full life. At the same time mom knew where her daughter was ultimately headed - to a new life. Nothing makes you think about the reality of Jesus' resurrection and heaven itself than when a loved one is facing death. She lived.

Later I learned this young lady was attempting to rescue a dog in the street. The first responders rescued her from immediate death. The doctors rescued her from internal damage. But her greatest need for rescue occurred before the accident. It was already met by Jesus on the cross. He rescued her from her sins. Ever since the Garden of Eden God has been on mission to bring people back to life. The sacrificial death of Jesus is proof of this and Easter is that miracle!

04/19/19 - The Three Crosses - Matthew 27:32-44

"It is finished."

Stop and listen a moment. Let the words move through your heart. Imagine the cry from the cross. The sky is dark. The other two victims are moaning. Jeering mouths of the crowd are silent.

There is thunder. There is weeping. There is silence. Then Jesus draws in a deep breath, pushes His feet down on that Roman nail, and cries, “It is finished!”

What was finished?

The history-long plan of redeeming man was finished. The message of God to man was finished. The works done by Jesus as a man on earth were finished. . . .

The sting of death had been removed.

It was over.

When Jesus tasted the vinegar, He said, “It is finished.” Then He bowed His head and died. John 19:30

But let us never forget that Friday is paved to Sunday!

4/14/19 - A Tale Of Two Entries - Matthew 21:1-11

This Sunday is traditionally known by Christians as "Palm Sunday." Palm branches were laid before Jesus as he rode a donkey into the city of Jerusalem. Crowds cheered. Jesus was hailed as the king who saves - "Hosanna!" But people are fickle. By the end of the week some of these same fans will shout, "Crucify him!" What happened? It's all about expectations. People want heroes and champions. They want to be on the winning team. They want to be associated with the high and mighty not the weak and lowly. A crucified messiah was unexpected and therefore rejected.

On the other side of town there was another triumphal entry. Yes, there were actually two that took place. Pontius Pilate rode into Jerusalem on a war horse. He led an army of troops dressed in brilliant battle gear. The sound of the drummer could be heard beating out the foot soldier's cadence. It was a show of force and power. As the Governor of Judea Pilate worked for the Emperor Augustine and Augustine was considered a god. So then, Pilate was considered the son of god. The crowds would be forced to decide. Do I follow the one who comes in humility or do I follow the one who comes in power? Most are drawn to power. Christians are drawn by sacrifice.

Every day people make the choice to choose power and might over sacrifice and love. They make the choice to choose “the way we think things should be done” over “the way God intends them to be.” They make the choice to exchange a fake son of god for the real Son of God. What kind of king do you expect? The fact is, God is much bigger than you think he is. The one riding a donkey was far more powerful than the one riding a war horse. Believe it! God can deal with all your doubts and your failures, he’s the creator of the universe and he has sent his son to be the sacrificial king that captures your heart.   

4/7/19 - Can We Trust the New Testament? - Luke 19:1-19 - Dr. Peter Williams

In the spring of 1989 syndicated talk show host Larry King interviewed Shirley MacLaine on the New Age. When a Christian caller challenged her view with an appeal to the New Testament, MacLaine brushed him off with the objection that the Bible has been changed and translated so many times over the last 2000 years that it's impossible to have any confidence in its accuracy. King was quick to endorse her "facts." "Everyone knows that," he stated and the conversation moved on.

The case against the BIble's reliability goes like this...How can we know that the documents we have in our possession accurately reflect originals destroyed almost two millennia ago? Communication is never perfect; people make mistakes. Errors are compounded with each successive generation - have you ever played the telephone game?? By the time 2000 years pass, it's anyone's guess what the original said.

This criticism comes from those who don't know the real issues. They are ignorant of the facts. The question of authenticity is not really a religious concern at all; it's an academic one. It can be answered in an academic way which is completely unrelated to spiritual convictions. So I'd like to introduce you to our special guest speaker this Sunday: Dr. Peter Williams. He is the principal of Tyndale House Cambridge. I had the privilege of studying at Tyndale House in the summer of 2015 and the library is remarkable. Dr. Williams is a also a lecturer on Hebrew language at the University of Cambridge. He earned his M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D., at the University of Cambridge studying ancient languages related to the Bible. Prior to leading Tyndale House, he was a Senior Lecturer in New Testament in the University of Aberdeen. In other words, this guy knows his stuff and I'm super glad he will be with us. Dr. Williams helps us understand that the facts reveal the Bible has not been altered and can be trusted!

3/31/19 - Be A Fool For Christ's Sake - 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Is it possible to be considered "relevant" or "cool" by society's standards and be a Christian at the same time? It's not likely. Many people today do not respond positively to the gospel. Conversely, if Christianity becomes too popular, we had better check to make sure we have not so diluted it that the offense of the cross has been removed. Murphy-O'Connor offers us this reminder, "Any attempt to make the gospel palatable by bringing it into line with the tastes of those to whom it is preached distorts it, because in this case the criterion is made the expectations of fallen humanity." In so doing, it loses its power. This is the great temptation for Christians and churches today. User friendly, seeker sensitive models of church growth can and do sometimes affect the substance of the gospel. But the gospel itself is counter-cultural. The only path to accepting it is through God's choosing therefore there is absolutely no room for Christian boasting. Consider what you were before you met Christ. Not many of us were wise, mighty or lofty. So the fact that we are saved is proof that God loves us for who we are and not because of what we've done. So whether you’re feeling proud or insecure stop and think about this: God chooses the weak, the foolish and the low. This is the cure for the Corinthian's division. When we see ourselves and our brothers and sisters as sinners saved by grace our spiritual elitism dies and we learn to see each other as God sees us!

3/24/19 - Spiritual Cliques - 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Have you ever walked into a church and felt alone or invisible? It's kind of crazy that as the church gets bigger it can become less personable. You would think that with more people comes greater connectedness. In fact the opposite is true. Sometimes cliques are formed unknowingly. We get wrapped up in being around the people we know. You know who thinks church is friendly? The people who already have friends, that's who! So we must remember that we exist for those who are not yet with us. We want more of them to become more of us so there are more of us to reach more of them. This requires us to recognize the things that prevent us from reaching out to others. The church in Corinth used favored preachers as a source of division. They found pride in the pulpit. It was a way of drawing attention to themselves. Sometimes the attitude of a churchgoer is this: "Here I am; ready to be loved and served!" But what if everyone who came through Illuminate's doors had this attitude: "There you are, how can I love and serve you!" No walls would be big enough to hold the number of people drawn to this kind of church. So let's give it a try. This Sunday take the time to meet someone you don't know and welcome them to church.

3/18/19 - Servant and Slave - Matthew 20:20-28

3/10/19 - Jesus Gives You All Of This! - 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

I would like to introduce you to the apostle Paul. No doubt one of the most influential men the world has ever known. He's the greatest church planter of all time. He has a long history of pastoral ministry. The scars on his body bear witness to his devotion to Jesus Christ. Now let me introduce you to the church he started in Corinth. It is a young, small and divided group. It wasn't uncommon to see some drunk, many arguing and most affirming what Paul rejects. So Pastor Paul writes them a letter and we get to read it. (I'm certain the Corinthian Christians would not have wanted this to be made public for the last 2000 years.) Reading someone else's mail can reveal a lot. Even though the letter is not written to us, we learn to read it as though it were. Here's what we notice from the very beginning - if our conduct does not match our calling then we're headed for trouble.

We have help. Paul tells us that Jesus has given us everything we need to live the life God has called us to live. We have the speech, knowledge and gifting. So then Illuminate is just like any other church in that our health depends on the alignment of our conduct and our calling. Can I ask you to do something as we begin this new study? Will you use this letter as a mirror and ask yourself this question - What is my part in making Illuminate all that God wants it to be?

Much appreciation to the following commentators: The First Epistle To The Corinthians; C.K. Barrett, 1 Corinthians; John MacArthur Jr., Conflict and Community in Corinth; Ben Witherington, 1 Corinthians; Richard M. Hays, The First Epistle To The Corinthians; Gordon Fee, The NIV Application Commentary by Craig L. Blomberg.

3/3/19 - Redeemed. Restored. Renewed. - John 21:15-25

I like seeing things through to completion. However, I write with a touch of sadness in knowing this is the last update from our study of John's gospel. It's been a year of personal growth and challenge for me. I know and love Jesus more than when we started this journey together. In my opinion, John puts the perfect bow on his biography of Jesus. For three years Jesus has been leading, teaching, and counseling his disciples. They have had many highs (casting out demons in his name!) and many lows (running away at his arrest). In the end, they get exactly what they need to become world changers. The love, grace and mercy from Jesus constantly flow. We see it in a conversation between Jesus and Peter. Peter has returned to fishing because he sees himself as a failure, but Jesus has not given up on Peter. Jesus gently guides Peter through the pain of his denial and then uses his brokenness to restore him to ministry. "Feed my sheep." There's a lesson here for us. If God only used perfect people nothing would get done. So let's own up to our sin. Let's receive forgiveness. Let's step into the act of loving others and show our love for the one who first loved us.

2/24/19 - Breakfast With Jesus - John 21:1-15

Most Christians are familiar with the "last supper". But did you know there was a "last breakfast"? A few weeks after his resurrection Jesus makes a third appearance to the disciples and once again he serves them food. These men are from very different backgrounds and yet they are bound together because of their association with Jesus. The church is to be the same today. Our view of Jesus is incomplete if it is not seen through the lives of other believers who are not like us. The church is a  diverse family yet we are unified in the gospel truth that Jesus came to save sinners - all of us!

During this breakfast the heart of Jesus is revealed through his interaction with Peter. Thomas developed the nickname, "doubting Thomas" but remember Peter could have just as easily been, "denying Peter". Yet Jesus is gracious, kind and always forgiving those who draw near to him. Do you struggle to be forgiven? Do you think you are too far removed from the outstretched arm of God? You're not. In fact, Jesus not only wants to restore you he wants to entrust ministry to you. Consider this: Peter is the one who preaches a sermon that gives birth to the church. Yes my friends, there is hope for me and you!