Illuminate Community Church

2/17/19 - Believing Thomas - John 20:19-29

Thomas has a bad rap. His name has become synonymous with those who doubt. In reality this man had the heart of a lion. When Jesus learns of his friend's sickness he travels to Judea - where he's wanted dead. The disciples warn him not to go; except for Thomas. He says, "Let us go back so that we may die with him!" Yet he is most known for his suspicion of the resurrection. Of all the disciples Thomas might be most relatable when he said, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” What happens next? Jesus appears and says, "Touch my hands, place your hand in my side." Thomas doesn't do what Jesus says because he's already convinced. How so? Thomas is shocked that Jesus knows what he needs without asking. How did Jesus know? He's been listening the whole time. Thomas immediately exclaims,"My Lord and My God!" This is clear belief in the resurrection. Thomas is a Jew and the Jews were fiercely monotheistic. There's no other alternative for Thomas now. He has seen the resurrected Jesus for himself!


What does the resurrection mean to you? Jesus' own words are helpful:

"Peace be with you."
Resurrection peace brings security. What do you have to fear knowing that Jesus was raised so you can be raised? 

"Go and tell." 
Over and over again Jesus told his followers to spread the message. Are you looking for purpose? The resurrection gives it to you!

2/10/19 - The Tomb Is Empty! - John 20:1-20

There was a crescendo moment in all of human history and yes, it did occur in the past. It is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What happened 2000 years ago has ongoing impact today. Millions of people the world over have come to faith in Jesus of Nazareth. The details surrounding John's account of this supernatural event are unexpected. You see, no one, not even the early followers of Jesus immediately recognized what happened. This is despite the overwhelming evidence of the empty tomb and not to mention the words of Jesus himself. Over and over again he spoke about rising on the third day. Even his enemies knew this and that's why the tomb was so well guarded. They didn't want anyone stealing the body and perpetuating a resurrection story. But something did happen. The heavy stone was rolled away, the body was absent and the burial cloths were folded. Folded. Thieves don't unwrap dead bodies before stealing them (unsanitary) and they certainly don't take time to do a little housekeeping. 

John and Peter observe the tomb and go home and think about it. The glorified Jesus appears to two disciples walking along the road to Emmaus. It isn't until Jesus offers them food that their eyes are opened and they recognize him. (Think back to the first time two people ate and their eyes were opened - Adam and Eve.) The empty tomb makes faith in Jesus rational, however, Jesus was not recognized by any of these men because they expected a messiah who would restore Israel to its former greatness. Instead they got a messiah who died. Could your preconceived ideas of Jesus be wrong? And then there's Mary Magdalene. All she needs is to simply hear the resurrected Jesus speak her name as he had done many times before and she believes. Remember her story? Demon possessed, homeless, begging, eating scraps of food and then she meets Jesus. Makes you realize that everyone comes to Jesus in a different way, so why would you compare yourself to others?

2/3/19 - Nicodemus is Born Again! - John 19:31-42; 3:1-8

"Religion is the opiate of the people." Karl Marx. 

Marx's view is shared by many to this day. A more modern take is to believe that religion is for people that can't handle the harsh realities of life. You're born, you die and that's it. I must admit that I agree with Marx…about religion. Religion is man's effort to please God and earn His favor. Religion is a form of control over God Himself. It's a way of retaining your power and this gives a false sense of comfort. Christianity is different than this. It rests on the finished work of Christ on the cross. Jesus himself spoke the words, "It is finished!" 

Christianity is for everyone including those who are religious. This is proven in John's account of two men: Joseph and Nicodemus. Both men are highly respected, wealthy, educated and belong to the Jewish religious ruling class known as the Sanhedrin. However, unlike their peers they are open minded and open hearted. In John chapter 3 Nicodemus comes to Jesus under the cover of darkness. He's sincerely interested in knowing more about this man from Nazareth. Jesus tells him, "You must be born again." We don't know how Nicodemus receives this until chapter 19. He and another one of his Jewish brothers are seen caring for the body of Jesus. They do this at great personal expense. They are now considered traitors to the Jewish faith. Nicodemus was truly born again.

Do you realize it was Jesus' joy to give you this new birth? Consider these words…

When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. John 16:21

Moms, you know the feeling don't you? You're smiling just thinking about that moment. Your newborn child is handed to you for the fist time and you stare into that sweet little face. The joy of the new birth quickly replaces whatever pain you endured. Jesus takes the metaphor and applies it to himself. There is no birth without pain and Jesus took the pain so that you could be spiritually reborn. He says it was a joy for him. This is how he feels about you!

1/27/19 - The Cross of Christ - John 19:17-30

Who Is Jesus? For several months this is the question we've been asking and finding answers in John's gospel. Our text this Sunday contains the summary to all that can be said about Jesus. In fact, Jesus said it himself, "It is finished." What is finished? The restorative work God began in the Garden of Eden was completed on the cross. Do you remember why John writes his account? 

but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31

How do you know Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God? John is compiling the evidence for you. In this section John says specific crucifixion events happened, "according to the Scriptures." In other words, Jesus fulfilled the prophecies regarding the messiah. The words of Jesus while hanging on the cross also reveal his deity...

"Behold your mother, behold your son." The cross of Christ gives us a new family. 

"I thirst." Jesus experienced a spiritual thirst on your behalf. He entered the space of God's wrath upon sin for you. 

"It is finished." The plan of God has been accomplished perfectly and the work is done. He has built the bridge spanning the chasm between you and God. And you didn't have to lift a finger. This is grace and grace is the cure for your feelings of inadequacy and superiority.

1/20/19 - Ordained To Die - John 18:38-40; 19:1-16

"No, Pilate! You must give us Barabbas and crucify Jesus!" These angry words from a hostile crowd bring different words into the life of an undeserving criminal: "You're free to go..."

Imagine the scene…Barabbas is awaiting preparations for his death. How much time does it take to prepare the wood and the nails? It can't take long. As he sits within those dark, damp, four prison walls, full of fear and hate, he awaits the inevitable. Those same impending walls surround us but in a different way. We are incarcerated by our past, our bad choices, and our selfish decisions. We’ve been found guilty. We sit on the prison floor waiting for our final moments. Our executioner’s footsteps echo against stone walls. We know what he’s going to say. “Time to pay for your sins.” But we hear something else. “You’re free to go. They took Jesus instead of you.” The door swings open and the guard shouts, “Get out!” We find ourselves in the warmth of the morning sun, chains gone, crimes pardoned, wondering– what just happened? Grace happened! Jesus bore the cross that was meant for Barabbas and for us.

The crowd rejected Jesus and chose another. People today still reject Jesus and choose another. Their Barabbas might be lust, it might be intoxication, it might be the self-indulgent comforts of life. Spurgeon made this comment: “This mad choice is made every day, while men and women prefer the lusts of their flesh before the lives of their souls.” So where do we find help? Look to Jesus. See what he endured for you. He gave up his power so you could find yours in Him.

Pilate thought he had all the power. Jesus corrects him. It is God that grants Pilate any and all power he has. What do you do with power? How do you keep it from corrupting you? Of all people Christians should handle it best because we don't find our identity or self-affirmation in earthly power and therefore it doesn't control us. We have something far better.

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

The love of Christ controls us and therefore we can use whatever earthly power we have to serve and love others.

1/13/ 19 - Truth On Trial - John 18:28-38

The Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year in 2016 was 'post-truth' – an adjective defined as ‘relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief’. In other words, truth is no longer attached to objective facts but rather truth is determined by how one feels. If you feel something to be true then it is true for you despite the evidence pointing otherwise. How did we get here? Ravi Zacharias makes a pointed observation. “Manipulators of the truth know that truth is only subjective when one has victimized others and needs a fabrication.” The objectifying of women as sex objects through pornography isn't bad, it's simply a marital aid. Stealing from my neighbor is good when you give to those in need (me). In other words, in part, what gave rise to the post-truth era was a need to justify one’s harmful actions upon another. The post-truth era is quite a time to be a follower of someone who calls Himself "the Way, the Truth, and the Life…" Christianity rejects the entire premise of post-truth thinking because it leads people away from the means by which one comes to know God. 

In John chapter 18 Jesus tells Pilate he came to bear witness to the truth. Pilate responds, "What is truth?" And then he walks away without waiting for the answer. The truth was right in front of him. Pilate asks, "Are you a king?" Jesus replies with yes and no. He is not a political king but rather he is the the king of truth. Truth is more powerful than politics. It's what made the early church such a force. Christians acted on the truth and this affected the Roman empire. It became less violent and more compassionate. Let's not forget the same is true today. Our influence comes when we separate lies from truth and then pursue the truth for the betterment of our family, friends, neighbors, city and world.

The truth is uncomfortable to a world that has exchanged it for a lie. Even Christian believers are still prone to hide from truth. Paul feared that the Galatians would view him as an enemy when he offered truth intended to correct their belief and practice. Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? (Galatians 4:16) Yet the likelihood of conflict is no reason to withhold truth. Moreover, to do so would be unloving — no one benefits from persisting in a false reality!

1/6/19 - Jesus Tried and Denied - John 18:12-27

There's a verse in Romans for which I'm especially thankful. It's given by the apostle Paul as he expresses his vulnerability and I think you can probably relate as well...

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Romans 7:15

Paul makes this statement more than twenty years after he first met Jesus on the Damascus road. 20 years! And this is the guy that gave us much of the New Testament. The struggle is real. It reminds me of our text this Sunday. Peter will deny Jesus not once but three times. Not just casually either. He will swear he doesn't know Him. How could this come from the man described as one of Jesus' closest friends? Peter didn't see it coming. A simple slave girl's question causes him to stumble. The circumstance surprises him and he responds in self defense. It's when we are caught off guard that our actions are often unpredictable. Self-preservation is powerful isn't it? Peter had been following Jesus from a distance, avoiding contact with the authorities. In other words, he no longer remained close to Jesus. Think of this: Jesus would die for the very sins Peter was committing against him as He went to the cross. That's how good Jesus is.

Judas also denied Jesus. So what's the difference between Judas and Peter? When the reality of their decisions set in Peter cried expressing his remorse but Judas hung himself. Jesus used Peter's repentance and restored him to fruitful ministry. As we enter a new year let's remember that Jesus forgives, heals and restores even our tear filled regrets.

12/30/18 - Jesus Flexes - John 18:1-11

This week we are back in our study of John's gospel and our passage focuses on Jesus' arrest. He knows all that will transpire and yet Jesus asks the soldiers, "Who are you looking for?" He understands they are looking for him but he wants to protect his followers. "Jesus of Nazareth!" they proclaim. "I am he," says Jesus. This simple response is loaded. Once again Jesus claims the name of God for himself. "I am" is the very description God uses to help Moses understand who he's dealing with in Exodus chapter three. Notice carefully how the soldiers respond upon hearing this from Jesus. They fall down. This is exactly what people do when in the presence of God. They can barely stand. Why? Because they are overwhelmed by the greatness of God's glory. 

At the same time Jesus shows his commitment to his purpose. He doesn't put up a fight. He is hours away from fulfilling his destiny. In fact, in this moment you can see the gospel on display as Jesus corrects Peter for his careless outburst and heals a wounded man about to arrest him. This is radical commitment and no amount of human stupidity or his personal pain will stop him from loving us. As we look ahead to a new year, let's remember this!

12/24/18 - Majesty in the Mundane - Matthew 2 - Pastor Jason Fritz

The account of the first Christmas seems backwards in logic, but God was sending a message.

12/23/18 - Love Changes Everything - John 3:16; Isaiah 9:1-7

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

This is the most popular verse in the Bible. It tells us we will have eternal life through Jesus Christ. It also reveals the heart of God. What motivated God to send his only son? It was his love for the world.

Seven hundred years before John wrote his famous verse there lived a man named Isaiah. He was a prophet who spoke on God’s behalf. He wrote about the coming of a very special child given to this world steeped in darkness. The details surrounding this child are not what one would expect. The baby is from an out of the way place. He is born to an unwed teenage peasant girl. The first to hear the news are marginalized shepherds. Many parts of the Christmas story are not what they should be. Or are they? The world does not recognize greatness in this way. I hope you see that God loves to bring greatness and power into your life in ways you do not expect.

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 1 Corinthians 1:27-29

Why do we spend great amounts of time, money, and thought trying to make ourselves great? Why do we want to be seen as strong? When we are full of ourselves there is less room for God. A simple definition of sin: “Me first!” Isaiah reminds us we were born into a darkened existence but light has arrived through the birth of a baby. The names of this baby can only be attributed to God. Amazingly, the child comes to us as a gift. This gift causes you to swallow your pride. It confronts you with the reality that you have a desperate need to be rescued. At the same time it shows you how important you are. God loves you and sent his son to die for your sins. This is the true spirit of Christmas and when we embrace this love we in turn, love others.